Naming Day (Jake Underwood Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

a new one, however.
    “I don’t completely understand it myself, but from what I gather, Lord Klaris is consulted whenever the shape of a garden or building must extend into dimensions that cannot be measured by compass or rule.”
    “You lost me.”
    “Well, say that this room existed in more than the three dimensions you can see. Technically, it does of course, but for purposes of explanation, let’s suppose that you want to make sure the shape is right in four or five dimensions in addition to the ones you can experience.”
    “There’s enough call for that kind of thing that you have an Undercourt Lord in charge of it?” The disbelief was dripping from my voice.
    “Oh Yes, Unlike the Court of Dawn, The Court of Twilight has many members who can sense things well beyond the normal range of the spectrum and some have sight into nth dimensional space.” He paused to see if I was following him. I nodded. “Aesthetics are very important to us. There even some sculptures that exist almost totally in higher dimensional space and would be invisible to most of us.”
    “Fascinating.” I tried to keep the condescension out of my voice and probably failed. Jeryn seemed unfazed, he probably had explained this many times before. It had the tone of prepared and often delivered speech. “Suppose you tell me why you arranged this appointment.”
    He blinked. “I didn’t say yet? I suppose I didn’t at that.” He smiled with those damn teeth of his. “Well, I suppose I should say first that this isn’t really about me, but about Lord Klaris, or perhaps I should say Lord Klaris’ daughter, Lady Dalia Klaris. He’s frightfully worried or would be if he knew. Frightfully!”
    “Dalia Klaris?” I had heard that name somewhere, but couldn’t quite place where it had been.
    “Lady Dalia Klaris is a somewhat unusual girl child. She’s been given great freedom, but she abuses it terribly. She has been nothing but grief to her poor father.” I got the impression that Jeryn Callasandra didn’t like Lady Dalia Klaris very much at all and that she might have stepped on the toes of Jeryn Callasandra on occasion.
    “The ungrateful wretch has chosen this particular moment to just vanish. Vanish! Disappear with out trace! Criminal! She should be switched or imprisoned in an oubliette for a few decades to teach her to respect her betters and her place!” His agitation was clearly increasing and I as watched he gnashed the dagger sharp teeth and I could hear the click of the sharp fangs as they slid closed. I gripped the Glock the tighter and waited for the clouds to pass his face.
    “What does her mother say? A mother often knows things about a daughter that a father can only guess.” I asked hopefully. I didn’t like runaway cases. There were too many dead ends and worse conclusions. I would be just as happy to take a pass on this one, especially involving an Undercourt Lord of the Court of Twilight as it did.
    “Her mother!” He seemed more agitated than ever, I swear I could see red flecks among the gold in his eyes. “Her mother is undoubtedly the source of this foolishness! But her mother knows nothing and is nothing. She’s long dead and buried, cursed hag!”
    “Her mother is a Hag?” I gasped. Hags were powerful creatures that most feared and rightly so. Nominally members of the Court of Twilight, they lived on their own in some benighted realm and had little to do with any but the most foolish. Their reputation was fearsome and wholly deserved. Few of the Fey could face them and fewer still could or would lie with them.
    “Don’t be dense.” He snapped.” Of course she was not a Hag! I meant that figuratively. She wasn’t one of the Night Mistresses, Lord Evenstride protect us! I meant that this defiance is obviously the result of her mother’s blood. Her mother was some bitch whelp of the Court of Dawn.” He looked up and realized that he was actually talking to someone who might care and smiled.