"You got roped into all this mess too?" James asked him, wryly.
"Blame Keller," he said with a laugh. "Don't mind me, just here to people watch."
James snorted. "Sure, cause royalty always spends its time bumming around the mall, people watching. You look a little too princely for anyone to buy that, Galen."
"You'd be surprised. Besides how I was born hardly matters."
"To you maybe."
"I mean it," he said, leaning forward. "It comes down to me or the end of the world I am expendable. And I know it. Besides, I don't mind helping out. I actually enjoy it. At least out here I'm useful. Not like I had much to do but wait for an arranged marriage till I joined up with all this. So an all hands goes out, I'm in."
James shook his head. "I better get Poppy her CDs. I don't have time to think about how weird you... oh! Right, did you hear? I was going to bring it up at the meeting but..."
"But?"
"Not sure I should now. Not with Lord Theirry out of town. Probably not the way Thea should hear it."
"You're not making any sense, James."
"Sorry, you're right." He winced. "Okay so heard this rumor when I stopped into the Black Iris for a drink..."
"You ever take Poppy there?"
"Not a chance. Who knows what poison Ash has been spreading. I swear," quieter voice, "If not for ML I'd be half ready to stake him myself." He shook his head, then back to normal volume, "anyway, heard from a contact there that some girl in Midnight has declared war on Blaise."
Galen whistled. "So... someone in Midnight is highly suicidal?"
"More or less. Or just terminally stupid. Going after one of the queens of the forbidden when all the.... when everything is rising?"
"Well, maybe that's why," Galen said, leaning back. "Overconfidence from a new surge of power. Add that to the fact that Blaise is probably on track being the only daughter of Hellwise Midnight is likely to get before the final battle... They still think they're going to be the ones on top at the end of the world." He shook his head.
"Not the only daughter of Hecat.... never mind. Right. They have Roseclear don't they?"
"One presumes. Ever since Hunter and Lilly have been stepping back, who knows where she is."
"Stepping back? Pretty sure we killed them... Didn't we?" asked more softly, with genuine fear.
Galen frowned. "Rashel and Quinn had been pretty sure that they killed them in that house fire on the island. And yet they popped up again to make trouble for the WPs. I wouldn't count either of them dead without a corpse at this point."
James shuddered. "Yeaaaaah. I'm just gonna... go get Poppy her CDs. Hopefully this tail shakes soon so we can all head back to base."
"We can only lay out so much bait at once without spooking the prey. Go. I'll be here."
James nodded and headed off for one of the music stores.
no subject
"Blame Keller," he said with a laugh. "Don't mind me, just here to people watch."
James snorted. "Sure, cause royalty always spends its time bumming around the mall, people watching. You look a little too princely for anyone to buy that, Galen."
"You'd be surprised. Besides how I was born hardly matters."
"To you maybe."
"I mean it," he said, leaning forward. "It comes down to me or the end of the world I am expendable. And I know it. Besides, I don't mind helping out. I actually enjoy it. At least out here I'm useful. Not like I had much to do but wait for an arranged marriage till I joined up with all this. So an all hands goes out, I'm in."
James shook his head. "I better get Poppy her CDs. I don't have time to think about how weird you... oh! Right, did you hear? I was going to bring it up at the meeting but..."
"But?"
"Not sure I should now. Not with Lord Theirry out of town. Probably not the way Thea should hear it."
"You're not making any sense, James."
"Sorry, you're right." He winced. "Okay so heard this rumor when I stopped into the Black Iris for a drink..."
"You ever take Poppy there?"
"Not a chance. Who knows what poison Ash has been spreading. I swear," quieter voice, "If not for ML I'd be half ready to stake him myself." He shook his head, then back to normal volume, "anyway, heard from a contact there that some girl in Midnight has declared war on Blaise."
Galen whistled. "So... someone in Midnight is highly suicidal?"
"More or less. Or just terminally stupid. Going after one of the queens of the forbidden when all the.... when everything is rising?"
"Well, maybe that's why," Galen said, leaning back. "Overconfidence from a new surge of power. Add that to the fact that Blaise is probably on track being the only daughter of Hellwise Midnight is likely to get before the final battle... They still think they're going to be the ones on top at the end of the world." He shook his head.
"Not the only daughter of Hecat.... never mind. Right. They have Roseclear don't they?"
"One presumes. Ever since Hunter and Lilly have been stepping back, who knows where she is."
"Stepping back? Pretty sure we killed them... Didn't we?" asked more softly, with genuine fear.
Galen frowned. "Rashel and Quinn had been pretty sure that they killed them in that house fire on the island. And yet they popped up again to make trouble for the WPs. I wouldn't count either of them dead without a corpse at this point."
James shuddered. "Yeaaaaah. I'm just gonna... go get Poppy her CDs. Hopefully this tail shakes soon so we can all head back to base."
"We can only lay out so much bait at once without spooking the prey. Go. I'll be here."
James nodded and headed off for one of the music stores.