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Eight

It was Gertrude who answered my question. “There are eight of us. You’ve met me, Inali, and River. Our other sisters are Evie, Indira, Odette, Mallory, and Rosette.”

My mind was exploding with this new information. “And you’re all identical?”

“Yes,” Gertrude said.

Well, the eight chairs suddenly made sense. But the number eight was significant for another reason.

“There are eight passive magic powers.” I looked at Gertrude. “The power of the elf, a crafter and magic smith.” I turned to Inali. “The changeling or mimic with the power to copycat another’s magic and appearance.” I thought of River next. “The phantom, with the power to negate magic. Like River. Or the Guardians.”

“As well as the teleporting djinn, the spell-breaking mermaid, the wish-granting genie, the rebirthing phoenix, and the magic-tracking unicorn,” Bella finished off the list of passive magic types.

“Unicorn. Another of Arina’s powers,” I said.

“Yes, Arina got her unicorn magic from her mother’s side of the family,” Gertrude said.

“Eight sisters.” I still couldn’t believe it. Identical octuplets. “You each possess one of the eight passive powers, don’t you?” I asked.

“We do,” replied Inali. “In great amounts.”

“Then together they are a powerful force of magic,” Nyx said.

“Eight identical sisters, each with a different passive magic power. How did this happen?” I was sure their existence had to be by design; there was nothing natural about them.

“We were made with magic and linked to immortal artifacts as well,” Gertrude said.

So they’d been created in just the same way as Bella and Arina’s twins.

“And you chastised me for doubling the spell!” Arina snapped at her grandmother. “Whoever made you and your sisters multiplied the spell by eight!”

It was Harker who asked the million-dollar question. “Who was it that made you?”

And it was Inali who rebuffed him. “That’s a question for another time.”

“That’s not any better than ‘I cannot say’,” I told her.

“River does like to say that,” Inali said fondly.

“So what is all of this?” I asked them. “Why lure us out here? What do you want?”

Gertrude was eerily calm. “As I said, we’re businesswomen.”

“So this is all for profit?” I demanded.

Gertrude and Inali said nothing.

“Great. Just great.” I shook my head in disbelief—and disgust. “Maybe I’ll just take you prisoner and see if that encourages you to talk.”

“What a marvelous idea,” Gertrude said.

Inali extended her wrists to me, offering herself to be handcuffed. “Bring us aboard your airship.”

“I think that’s exactly what you want.” I cuffed them both anyway.

“Then it’s a win-win scenario. It’s truly amazing how well everything is working out for everyone,” Gertrude said with a smile.