Even though Harry Dresden now knew he was the grandson of Titania, he still knew that the Queen of Summer would never forgive him for the death of her daughter. Several years ago the Lady Aurora attempted to destroy the delicate balance between the Sidhe of Summer and Winter. This insane scheme might have ended human civilization, but Dresden's tiny allies had butchered her before she could carry it out. Despite this bloody history, Titania had provided him with sanctuary at her Palace during the past two months while his grandfather recovered from his horrible duel with the Necromancer Cowl.
"What are you thinking about?" Lily, the Summer Lady who had replaced Aurora, asked as they were both lying naked in one of the more secluded gardens. The Palace of Summer was just as much of a military fortress as Queen Maeve's Arctis Tor, but the lavish plant life obscured that unpleasant fact for its residents.
"Things back home are an unholy mess," Dresden said as he caressed her long white hair. "My oldest friend Elaine is under the influence of that Denarian bitch Lasciel, the Black Council is running amok around the world, and I've abandoned my apprentice Molly Carpenter. Despite all that, I still don't want to leave."
Lily quickly stood up, and began putting on her clothes. "I told you when this began it had nothing to do with love. As a Sidhe I don't think I am capable of that particular emotion anymore. It's just that you were in such terrible pain after the death of your paramour Susan Rodriguez, and I wanted to help you heal."
"Please believe me, you've been a great help," Dresden said. "This has been a thousand times better than visiting a shrink, and I'm not going to ruin it by falling in love with you."
"Than why do you wish to stay here when you know that my Queen despises your very existence?" Lily asked as she stopped buttoning her gown. It was strange, but Sidhe was even more alluring when she was half-dressed.
"Titania may hate me, but she seems to care for Ebenezer and Maggie," Dresden replied. "The magic of the Blackstaff almost consumed my grandfather during his duel with Cowl, and I think he would have died without the medical care he has received from your healers. And as for my daughter... Maggie has actually started to enjoy herself during the past few weeks."
Lily smiled at that last bit. "Fix loves training her in hand-to-hand combat. He swears that she is almost as tough and fast as the few Sidhe younglings we have seen."
"That is just what every father wants to hear," the wizard muttered as he rubbed his eyes. "My little Margaret Angelica Dresden is becoming an honest-to-god Warrior Princess."
Without warning a loud but harmonious set of gongs filled the air. "The entire Court of Summer is being summoned to the main Audience Chamber by the Queen," Lily explained as she resumed dressing.
"Does that include me?"
"You are officially a Warden of the White Council, a position that has great status here even here in Nevernever," she explained. "Protocol dictates that you be present at an important gathering like this one."
"Fine," Dresden complained. It was an hour until Maggie was scheduled to return from her horse riding lesson, and he had hoped to get in some more naked therapy with Lily.
The Palace was huge and its layout was confusing, so it took the pair almost a half hour to reach the Audience Chamber. Titania watched Lily with a look of disapproval as the Summer Lady finally took her place at the side of the Queen's ornate golden throne. Dresden wondered how much of Lily's recent behavior was driven by her compassion for him, and how much by a desire for independence from the domineering Queen.
When he scanned the cathedral-like room he saw his grandfather sitting on a marble bench set against one of the nearby walls, and went over to join him. Despite everything the Sidhe healers had been able to do for the old wizard his skin was still covered by a bizarre pattern of thin black lines. The Blackstaff was a powerful tool, but using it to excess extracted a terrible price.
"Sir, where is Maggie?"
"She is going over her school lessons with Bob," Ebenezer replied.
"You left your only granddaughter alone with the new and improved Bob?" a horrified Dresden asked.
"Don't worry about it, Mouse is there to protect her. Where have you been all afternoon?"
"With Lily."
Ebenezer shook his bald head. "Hoss, Queen Titania chased me for over a hundred years before I finally let her catch me. Even though she gave me a wonderful daughter of my own, there isn't a day that goes by when I don't regret that decision."
This was news to Dresden. "Why would you regret it?"
"That is none of your concern," Ebenezer said with a sad smile. "I know you think your time with Lily is nothing but a casual affair, and maybe she believes that too. But when you are dealing with the Sidhe nothing is ever as simple as it first appears."
Their conversation was cut short when the massive doors to the Chamber were opened by a pair of weeping willow Ents. Dresden was shocked to see his half-brother Thomas enter holding the gloved hand of his girlfriend Justine. As a White Court Vampire touching the bare skin of the woman he loved would have burned his flesh. There was also a third member in their party: a plain-looking man who was actually buzzing with waves of raw magic.
"Hoss, no matter what happens to the Vampire today keep your big mouth shut," Ebenezer hissed.
"Who... what the hell is that thing?" Dresden whispered.
"You remember those journals I have in my office—the ones that were written by the original Merlin himself? Well that... entity standing right there utterly terrified the greatest wizard in human history."
Titania gracefully rose to address her guests. "Michael, you honor the Sidhe of Summer with your exalted presence." Her tone was friendly enough, but there was an undercurrent of hostility there as well.
"I have come here today for your benefit, not for mine," an unconcerned Michael replied. The Archangel then held out his right arm, and the sabre Esperacchius appeared in his hand.
Over a hundred Sidhe warriors immediately reached for their own bronze swords, but a small gesture from the Queen stilled the Audience Chamber. "I know you and your brothers have no sense of honor, but calling for that blade in my presence is beyond the pale, even for you."
"Again, I do this for your benefit not mine," Michael told her. "A great Knight of the Cross has fallen in battle, and a new Knight must take up his burden. If he can summon the courage that is needed."
"Well grandmother, I guess that's my cue," Thomas said flippantly. "Justine, please go over and stand with Harry."
"Thomas, what is going on?" the young woman asked. Even here surrounded by a hundreds of Sidhe her wholesome beauty stood out, as did her love for the Vampire.
"Please, you just have to trust me," Thomas replied as he ran his hand along her pale cheek. The horrible smell of his burning flesh quickly spread throughout the Chamber. "It also might be a good idea for you to keep your eyes closed for this next part."
Michael waited until Justine was safely in Dresden's arms before speaking. "I take it you have some idea of what comes next?"
"I think so," Thomas said as he slowly removed his white shirt with a pair of trembling hands. He then placed his muscular chest against the pointed end of Esperacchius. "This is going to hurt, isn't it?"
"Yes, it will," the Archangel replied.
It took Justine an hour to stop screaming, and another hour to stop crying before she could tell them what was going on. "It was like that scene in the Terminator when the robot went to the police station and shot all those cops. But instead of the Governor of California attacking the Raith home, it was a fourteen year-old schoolgirl who was killing everyone. Thomas said her name was Ivy."
"Was she a cute blonde wearing old-fashion clothes?" Dresden asked, hoping against all reason that his brother had been referring to someone other than the Archive. They were still waiting to hear about his condition from the Queen and her healers.
"Yes, now that you mention it she did have on a pair of hideous shoes," Justine replied after she took another long drink from a glass of potent Sidhe wine. "The other Raiths tried to stop her, but she just brushed them aside like they were Barbie dolls."
"So the Archive decided to wiped-out the entire White Court?" a concerned Ebenezer asked. Given Ivy's magical strength and her lack of emotional stability the White Council had long feared something disastrous like this might happen.
"Yes, Lara kept bragging about how she had tricked that Harry Potter guy into eliminating Skavis and Malvora for her. And last night everyone was talking about how the other two Houses had been attacked," Justine explained. "Then that little girl showed up, and all hell broke loose. Thomas wanted to fight back, but the Angel Michael came and took us both away. I thought that was strange, since I'm pretty sure neither one of us is getting into heaven."
Some time later Titania walked into the room where they all were waiting. "Thomas Raith will live, but the demon inside of him has been slain by Michael's unusual ritual."
Justine started screaming again, but at least these were screams of joy. "Can we see him?" Dresden asked over the noise.
"If you wish, but he will remain unconscious for several days. Without the aid of the demon Thomas now lacks his former regenerative powers, and his physical recovery will be a long one," Titania told them. "Now if you will excuse me, I have many other pressing duties to attend to.
Ebenezer held Dresden back as Justine rushed to the side of her lover. "Hoss, did you notice her reaction to all this?"
"Titania's? She was cold and indifferent, but that is the way the Sidhe react to almost everything. Why do you ask?"
"I was watching her when that Archangel was carving up the Vampire like a roasted pig, and it didn't bother her one bit. And if Raith had died just now she would have delivered the news to us in the exact same way."
"Sir, I am well aware that the Sidhe aren't human beings, and that they see things... differently than we do."
"Than what are you doing with Lily this afternoon?" Ebenezer asked pointedly. "Because you certainly weren't making love with her."
"Alright sir, I get the message," Dresden conceded. "So Sanya is dead, and Ivy is on the warpath. It looks like things back home are even worse than we originally thought."
"I agree. We need information, but I'm still too weak to defend myself," Ebenezer admitted. "That means you need to head back and get in touch with Injun Joe and the other members of the Grey Council. They haven't been responding to any of our messages, and that's a bad sign."
"I also need to talk to Karrin Murphy and my wayward apprentice Molly. Are you well enough to look after Maggie for a few days?"
"Maybe. I know that Mouse would prefer to stay by your side, but I think you should leave him here with us in Nevernever—just to be on the safe side."
"You don't trust Titania either?" a concerned Dresden asked.
"I trust the Queen to always act in the best interest of the Sidhe of Summer. If selling us out to Black Council would further her goals, she'd do it in a heartbeat."
When they first arrived in London, Neville had shocked Murphy by suggesting they go see his parents. The idea of meeting the mother and father of her teenage lover was just too horrible for brave Knight of the Cross to contemplate, so she declined his offer. The boy had asked again—this time adding a heartfelt "please"—and she found it impossible to disappoint him. At St Mungo's Hospital she learned the awful truth about his childhood, and it left her feeling like an inconsiderate ass.
"How long have they been liked this?" Murphy asked as she watched the mentally incoherent Frank and Alice Longbottom sitting listlessly on their hospital beds. Neither one of them could recognize their own son.
"Since I was just fifteen months old," Neville replied as he combed his mother's grey and wispy hair. He then told her of the prophecy which linked Harry Potter and him to the Dark Lord Voldemort, and how the Death Eaters had tortured his parents in an attempt to find their missing Master.
"I am so sorry Neville," Murphy told him after he was done with the tragic story. The words sounded inadequate to her, but what else could she possible say?
"I often wonder if keeping them alive like this is just another form of torture, and that maybe I should just let them go," Neville said in a troubled voice.
Then an odd look came over his handsome face. "We have to go... to a park?"
"You can feel it too?" an annoyed Murphy asked.
One of the worse parts of being a Knight of the Cross was the way they were yanked around the world like a trio of puppets. The only reason Murphy put up with it was because of the thirteen years of brainwashing she had received while attending Catholic school. After Neville had said his goodbyes they quickly made their way down to the lobby. There they found a nasty surprise waiting for them in the form of the new Minister of Magic Cyrus Greengrass, and his new Chief Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"Longbottom, where have you been for the past year?" Minister Greengrass demanded the second he saw them.
Neville carefully placed the long plastic tube which contained his sword on the ground before replying. "I officially resigned from the Auror Corps, so my whereabouts are none of your business, Death Eater."
"The war against Voldemort is over, but that idiot Potter is trying to start another one," Shacklebolt growled. "Just because he was chosen as the Supreme Mugwump doesn't give him the right to order the British Ministry of Magic around like we are his servants. You need to tell him to back off."
"If you have a problem with Harry take it up with him," Neville said. "This political nonsense isn't my problem."
Minister Greengrass smirked. "Yes, it is your problem, since we had your grandmother Augusta Longbottom arrested ten minutes ago."
The young Knight closed his eyes and started breathing heavily. Murphy reached over with her left hand, but he shook her off. "You have one hour to release her."
Now it was Shacklebolt's turn to smirk. "Or what?"
"Or he is going to kill you, you fucking idiot."
The enraged Chief Auror pulled out his wand intending to teach this uppity muggle woman a much-needed lesson, but Murphy drew Fidelacchius and sliced his small piece of wood in half.
"Stop!" Neville yelled to the other Aurors in the lobby. "This woman killed a fully grown Nundu. By herself. You have no chance of defeating her in a duel, so put your wands away."
"What kind of filthy muggles have you been consorting with Longbottom?" the stunned Minister asked.
Neville grabbed Greengrass by the front of his dress robes and slammed him into the wall. "I have four tasks for you, Death Eater. First, you will release my grandmother. Secondly, you will resign as the Minister of Magic. Thirdly, you will tell your elected successor to obey Harry Potter's orders without hesitation. Fourthly, you will crawl back under the rock where you were hiding after Voldemort's death, and stay there for the rest of your miserable life. If you fail to complete any of these tasks I will kill you. Do you understand me?"
The Minister of Magic was too stunned to respond, but Neville took the smell of urine as a sign he had gotten his message across.
"Come on Karrin, we are going to be late."
The two Knights left the hospital without a word, and began wandering in a northerly direction. Even though he was Englishmen by birth, Neville wasn't very familiar with the physical layout of the London. However the warm June night made the long walk through the city almost pleasant, and it helped the young wizard calm down.
"Do you really think they will let your grandmother go?" Murphy finally asked as they approached Regent's Park.
"Cyrus Greengrass is a coward," Neville replied. "So is Kingsley for that matter. He let a bunch of teenagers fight the war for him, and when Voldemort was dead he expected us to just go away while he took over the Ministry of Magic. He couldn't wait to cut a deal with those pureblood bastards."
"I hadn't realized racism was such a problem in your society."
"My Great-Uncle Algie dropped me out of a window when I was five years-old. He figured that if I was a wizard my magic would somehow save me, and if I wasn't a wizard then I would be better off dead. And that the Noble and Most Ancient House of Longbottom would be better off without me too."
"Oh my God. Are you serious?" Murphy asked.
"That is not something you can really joke about," Neville replied. "It looks like we found our problem."
Sitting on a park bench up ahead was an old man with long white hair and an even longer white beard. He seemed anxious, but that was understandable since he was surrounded by several demonic creatures. Each one was about the size and shape of a horse, and they all looked hungry. The Knights took out their swords and began to run straight towards the danger. The blinding light of Amoracchius and Fidelacchius caused the demons to retreat a few meters, but they weren't leaving without dinner.
"A pair of the Knights of the Cross—how fortuitous. If you two would be so kind as to keep these Outsiders at bay for ninety seconds," the old man said. He then began to chant in some obscure language while ignoring both them and the mysterious demons who were trying to eat him.
"I think I can last for about ninety seconds," Neville said cheerfully.
"Too easy, too easy," Murphy muttered under her breath. "Keep your distance when you start swinging Amoracchius. I would hate for you to cut into this charming old geezer by accident."
While Neville stood his ground and hacked away with his broadsword, Murphy was forced to duck and weave as she slashed away with her katana. Their different fighting styles complemented each other, and when the Outsiders charged again they managed to hold the demons back. However the old man was still refusing to move, and the need to protect him was limiting their mobility.
"They keeping running away before I can finish them off," Neville complained. "If he doesn't do something soon, we aren't going to make it."
Then the demonic horses suddenly stopped moving.
"Thank you for your assistance," the old man said as he finally got up off the park bench.
"What the hell did you just do?" Murphy asked. "And why didn't you do it earlier while we were risking our lives trying to protect you?"
"These Outsiders are immune to my magic, but even they are affected by the passage of time. So I stopped time."
Neville looked around at the plants and trees, and noticed that nothing was moving. Nothing at all. "You froze the entire park? How could you possible do that?"
"My spell is not limited to Regent's Park. It encompasses the entire city of London. As for how I did it? I am the Merlin of the White Council," the old man replied, as if that explained everything.
"I've heard a lot about you. All of it bad," Murphy said tartly. "It's a pity we didn't let these things eat you."
"Given your short stature and feeble sense of humor you must be Dresden's pet, Karrin Murphy. And you would be Neville Longbottom, one of the so-called wizards. I need you to send a message to your leader, Harry Potter."
"And what message is that?"
The Merlin grimaced. "Tell your Supreme Mugwump that in three days the White Council intends to declare war on International Confederation of Wizards."