Fae & Fates

Manhattan Magic #4 - A Cozy Urban Fantasy

Scott Walker

Firefly Tales, LLC

Contents

Books By Scott Walker

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Books By Scott Walker

MANHATTAN MAGIC SERIES

(Cozy Urban Fantasy Series)

Melina Morgan has the sight: the ability to see through any fae illusion. But if the fae find Melina, they’ll kill her, which would, you know, totally ruin her plans for a quiet holiday at home. And that’s exactly what happens when a drunk dwarf lands in Melina’s backyard one night. In order to protect herself and her town, Melina will travel to the fae-filled city of Manhattan. Armed with a sliver of iron and her sourdough starter, Melina’s about to step into a world of magic, mystery, and mischief!

COZY VALES

(A Cozy Fantasy Shared World)

If cozy fantasy is your cup of tea (or coffee - no judgment!), be sure to visit the Cozy Vales Queendom for a growing collection of books with lots of cozy vibes!

cozyvales.com

THE LITTLE YŌKAI SERIES

(Urban Fantasy Procedural)

In a world where the Japanese supernatural spirits known as Yokai wander the physical plane, Bureau of Souls Agent Keiko Miller has an oath to protect the innocent and bring justice to the guilty. She also has a secret of her own: she's part Yokai. She'll have to protect that secret like her job and her life depend on it, because they do.

A Complete 6-Book Series

DELTA UNDERGROUND OPERATIVES

(VAL & TIMMERON)

(Urban Fantasy Dual Assassins)

She talks with the dead.

He communes with nature.

Can these opposites save the world?

After a secret organization recruits a death-dealing necromancer and a life-loving wood elf to become dualcasting assassins, the pair will have to work together to stop a deadly fae from zombifying the planet.

Cloak and Dagger

AMAZON VELLA NOVEL

(Urban Fantasy)

This year, Ivy Hunter got a lump of coal in her stocking the size of Cincinnati: her father died mysteriously on Christmas Day. Equally mysterious? The message he left Ivy, one which will send her down a path of magic, secret organizations, and monsters from beyond the mortal plane. Ivy's determined to find her father's killer - if she can live long enough.

Runed

ANTHOLOGIES

Folklore Tales of Old Japan

This collection contains seven short stories, all based on classic folklore tales from Japan.

Daily Story Seeds

With over 90 bite-sized stories ranging from dark to funny to whimsical, every mini-narrative in this collection has a seed of truth firmly rooted in our current world.

Learn more about Scott’s catalog

Chapter One

I’m a firm believer that every morning should begin without the incessant beeping of an alarm clock. I also endorse a policy of starting your day with a fresh cup of coffee, ideally enjoyed while you’re still in your pajamas.

This morning—in particular, this December 21st morning—violated my beliefs and my policy.

I slapped at the clock to silence it and tossed on some clothes.

You’re finally awake, I see.

I stifled a yawn. “Don’t you ever sleep, Snowpuff?”

The kitten-dragon entity materialized at the end of my bed. Nowhere near the amount you do, pet.

“Most humans need eight hours of sleep.” I had a telepathic link to Snowpuff, but I preferred talking to her most of the time.

Most humans sleepwalk through their lives, even when they’re awake.

“Spoken like someone who could use some more sleep.”

Whiptail wyrms require little rest.

“Well, as soon as you recover the last bits of your soul from me, you can start your days as early as you like.”

Yes. Yes, that is true.

Snowpuff flexed her wings and stretched like a cat. She made a show of pretending to yawn—revealing a mouth full of very sharp teeth—and blinked out of sight.

The whiptail wyrm could be annoying at times, but I was already fretting over her departure. She’d said she planned on returning to the fae world as soon as her soul was intact. While I didn’t like the idea that she’d been trapped here after healing me, I’d enjoyed her company. I didn’t like the idea of her leaving.

I headed downstairs, absently rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. Today was going to be a very big day, and it was going to end with Wren’s famous Winter Solstice Celebration in Central Park.

“Good morning, Melina!” Adriana said as we passed on the stairs. “Thomas made a fresh pot of coffee if you are interested.”

Well, then, that’s a step in the right direction.

“Thanks,” I said to the elf, who served as the Claviger of House Vervain. “Is everyone already up?”

Adriana stopped, her pale blue eyes looking down at me. “I believe Fynch is practicing a magic trick down in his room, and Keg is helping Wren with last-minute preparations.”

Wren was neither fae nor mortal as far as I knew. Not that I knew a lot about her aside from her longstanding connection to the Manhattan nexus of magical ley lines and the fact that she lived inside the Belvedere Castle in Central Park. Oh, and that she’d saved my life.

“Also, there is a rumor Wren is going to invite everyone inside the castle at midnight.”

“Wow, seriously? That’s awesome.”

The elf nodded. I noticed she’d styled her long ash blonde hair in a fancy arrangement I’d never seen before. Her dress was her typical fashion fare of earth tones and gauzy fabrics, though I suspected that would not be what she wore to the party.

“Indeed.” Adriana continued upstairs as I pondered that bit of gossip.

Wren had recently hosted me inside her home, which was a shock to the fae of House Vervain. According to them, I was the first mortal—and the first member of House Vervain—to have been granted access.

My brief time in the castle, which stubbornly refused to perfectly match the configuration of the exterior, confirmed it was not just a regular castle. It existed in a kind of parallel dimension with the Belvedere Castle made by mortals and could be accessed via a magic portal Wren had placed on an employee entrance.

Not as much of a surprise, though, when you consider it sat above the Manhattan nexus, the most powerful source of magic in the world. With that amount of energy at your fingertips, you could bend or even break a lot of the rules for the physical world.

I stepped into the kitchen and found Thomas Crane, the mage house’s consigliere, talking with the ghostly image of Adam Essein, the former Steward of House Vervain and my predecessor. Thomas wore a stylish three-piece suit and tie, while Adam’s apparition was dressed in the clothes he’d been wearing the last time I saw him: a dress shirt, jacket and slacks.

“Adam!” I said. “I didn’t know you were able to appear outside the library. Does this mean you’re getting closer to freeing yourself?”

Thomas couldn’t hide his excitement. “Yes, Melina, Adam’s been making progress on extracting himself from his predicament.”

Predicament was certainly one way to describe Adam’s current situation. As a last ditch effort to save himself from a bunch of Unseelie fae, Adam had attempted to portal to the safety of a pocket verse. Unfortunately, the spell misfired, thanks to his attackers, and Adam found himself trapped in the pocket verse. His haven had become an ethereal prison.

“In a sense,” Adam corrected. “I’ve been able to visit the physical world with more freedom and even maintain my presence here for longer periods of time.”

“We’ve been talking for over an hour,” Thomas said. He looked at Adam the same way I’d looked at my high school and college crushes. I could see the hope in Thomas’s eyes, the optimism fueled by the presence of his love. We’d been trying to get Adam back to the physical plane for over a week. House Vervain’s collection of books was impressive, yet refused to offer us any kind of hope.

Thomas had sought help from one of the more friendly mage houses, but we kept hitting a wall. Even Wren, for all the power at her command, had been unable to free Adam.

“Speaking of which,” the former steward said with a frown. “I fear my time here may be at an end. I hope to return soon, though.”

Thomas nodded, though his former giddiness noticeably dimmed. “Of course.”

“Soon,” Adam said as he smiled at Thomas. “I promise.”

The apparition faded away, along with a good bit of Thomas’s happiness if his expression was any indication. “We have to find a way to save him, Melina.”

I touched the consigliere’s arm. “We will.”

How was an answer my confidence didn’t have yet. That Adam had been able to project himself onto the physical plane at all was miraculous. It would take at least another miracle to get him back here, body and soul.

“I know,” Thomas said. He patted my hand and nodded. “I know. I’ll be in my office.”

My heart broke as he walked out of the kitchen. What was worse? Thinking your best friend and the love of your life was forever lost, or learning they weren’t dead but they were also trapped in another realm? I found helplessness to be a special kind of emotional torture, and I wanted Thomas’s torture to end as soon as possible.

The consigliere had remained optimistic ever since Adam had first reappeared, and despite his outwardly cheerfulness, I worried it masked something far more turbulent under the surface. Wren’s party would be a welcome distraction.

The smell of coffee filled the kitchen, and I poured a cup before checking on Sourdough Joe, my bread starter, and the two sourdough loaves I’d left to rise overnight. The sticky masses had doubled overnight and smelled sweet and yeasty. Their surface held just the right amount of tension, too, and I was sure Wren would appreciate some homemade bread.

I fed Joe, then shaped the two loaves, using some flour and a wooden bench knife. Circular motions with the knife helped tighten the outer skin of the loaves. When the texture of the dough and the bounce of the skin felt right, I set them aside for their next rising session.

After topping off my mug, I ventured down to the basement. Or as Fynch and Keg liked to call it, the Rave Cave. Fynch stood on the coffee table, practicing some kind of magic card trick, his back to me.

“Fynch?” The imp jumped, and the deck of cards went flying in all directions. They disappeared before they hit the floor, though, which was a true magic trick in my book. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you!”

Fynch nonchalantly waved his hand, trying to act calmer than he was. “Not scared at all, Melina. I was just practicing. You know, for tonight.”

He’d been working on a card trick for days, and, like all the other mortal magic tricks he’d attempted, he simply couldn’t get the hang of it. He could summon fireballs and fly and shapeshift and make objects disappear, but all the guy really wanted to do were the “fake” tricks non-magic humans were limited to.

“Sticking with the card trick, huh?”

“Yeah. But now I’m not so sure. Might try an old standby, like sawing a lady in half. Hey, what do you think? Feel like being my assistant?”

I sipped my coffee while I composed an answer. With Fynch’s luck, he’d actually cut me in half, which would put a downer on the evening.

“I’ll be your assistant in a heartbeat,” I replied. “But I’m going to pass on the whole saw thing.”

He nodded his head and sighed. “Yeah, probably for the best.”

“Hey, what about that rope trick you were doing last week? You got really close with that one.”

“Maybe.”

He was clearly feeling down, and I hoped he’d pull off whatever trick he wound up doing at Wren’s party.

“I’m heading out later to Stardust Café. Want to come?”

Fire flashed briefly in the imp’s eyes. “You know, I feel like I need a little pick me up. Maybe some fresh air to clear my head.”

“I think a dozen chocolate brioche buttons should do the trick.”

Fynch narrowed his eyes. “I’m thinking this calls for two dozen. Just to be safe.”

Stardust Café was packed and not just with fae. Lots of mortals unknowingly and regularly patronized the fae shop. Given what the shop sold, I wasn’t surprised.

“Good morning, Melina,” Isla said as I stepped up to the counter. The sprite’s hazel eyes flicked briefly above my head, where my emerald crown of light hovered. The crown could only be seen by fae and marked me as the Steward of House Vervain. Isla looked down at the dog in my arms. “And hello, Fynch.”

The teacup terrier I held gave a single, energetic bark and wagged his tail. Fynch had chosen that form for his glamoured look while we were out in public. Isla and the other sprites working in the café wore a bit of glamour, just enough to make them look human.

Fynch whimpered softly and pawed my arm twice.

“Two dozen brioche buttons to go, please, and a dark-chocolate latte,” I said.

The sprite across the counter nodded. “Coming right up.”

I stepped to the side. Just about every fae-owned place in Manhattan refused to take any money from me. At first, I politely argued and tried to pay, but Adriana had made it clear my actions were far more rude than accepting free gifts.

“House Vervain has long been an ally and protector of fae,” she explained. “You are the current steward but also a mage who believes fae should be free to walk the physical plane. This is their way of thanking you for upholding the house’s tradition.”

While I waited for my order, my thoughts turned to the holidays that were just around the corner.

About the only power I had learned to use as a mage was to portal anywhere in the world. Super awesome, but not much of a defense against the Unseelie fae, many of whom wanted me dead.

The reasons varied: I was a mortal; I had the gift of sight, meaning I could see through glamour; I had the gift of fading, which allowed me to hide from fae; and I was giving Seelie fae safe quarter in Manhattan and keep the Unseelie off the island.

Well, not all the Unseelie. Just, you know, the ones who wanted me dead.

All of which was to say that going home to Cold Creek, NC, wouldn’t be a challenge at all. No security, no waiting to board a jumbo jet, no long flights. With a flick of my wrist, I could open a portal and be back there in a second.

And I wanted to, badly. Dad was living alone. I couldn’t bear the thought of missing a Christmas with him or of him celebrating at home by himself.

Which raised an interesting question I’d yet to tackle: was I going to live full-time in Manhattan? Or would I go back to Cold Creek? Could I fulfill my steward duties remotely?

I had one foot in both worlds, and I was no longer sure where I truly belonged.

The Vervain fae had welcomed me, and in them I’d found a second family. Wren had been using the Manhattan nexus to protect fae for centuries, but I wasn’t sure if she could hold off the mages in the magic community forever. Several of them hated all fae and were dying to get their hands on the nexus, Piter Renard of House Bergamot being at the top of that list.

Piter’s alliance with some of the Unseelie fae had directly led to Adam’s predicament. And if Adam hadn’t been at my house in Cold Creek when the fae had attacked, I’d have been dead.

I felt I owed not just Adam but all of the Manhattan fae a debt. Still, I couldn’t live in two places at the same time.

Or could I?

With my portal ability, leaping from Cold Creek to Manhattan and back was a snap. I could handle my steward duties during the day and portal home at night. Heck, I could even slip back home for my Slumming Saturday tradition with my best friend, Dee Ashford.

Here I’d been looking at the problem like a mortal and not like a mage.

This was totally a solvable problem, and I could keep both worlds neatly walled off from each other. I’d been fretting about things for no reason.

“Here you are,” Isla said. She placed a to-go cup on the counter and rubbed her thumb and finger together over the latte. A shiny shower of gold dust—literally stardust—fell onto the foamy surface and formed a crown. “And here are your buttons.”

I took the cup and the bag. “Thanks so much, Isla.”

I gently elbowed the front door and put Fynch on the ground. He hated having to wear a collar, so he used his glamour to make it look like I had him leashed. That would keep suspicions down.

The latte left a trail of steam as I walked back to House Vervain. The drink had quickly become my favorite, and there had been days when I’ve enjoyed more than one.

Despite the frigid temperature, the sun was bright, and the sky was clear. Perfect weather for Wren’s party. I felt an optimism about, well, everything. It just seemed like things were finally falling into place.

My old life and my new life could totally coexist, and as long as I was careful, those two worlds would never collide.

My phone rang. I juggled my drink and bag and answered the call.

“Hey, Dee,” I said. “What’s up?”

“I’ll tell you what’s up, Morgan: me! I just landed at JFK. Snagged some extra time off, and I thought I’d surprise you. Can you come pick me up? Or would it be easier for me to cab over to you?”

Buttermilk biscuits.

Chapter Two

“We’ve got a problem,” I said.

I’d gathered the entire house into the dining room and explained Dee’s sudden arrival. The only fae missing was Keg, who was still helping Wren prep for her party.

“What’s the big deal?” Fynch asked. “Is it the worst thing in the world if she learned fae were real? Won’t she be impressed that you’re a steward?”

“It’s a huge deal,” I replied. “She’ll be in danger, for one thing. And I honestly don’t know how she’ll react, but I imagine it won’t be great.” I should have seen something like this happening. I’d been silly for presuming life wouldn’t laugh at my self-assured plans as soon as I’d come up with them. “I think I need to put her up at a hotel.”

“Didn’t you tell her you were staying with family up here?” Thomas asked. “Besides, stowing her away at a hotel is only going to delay the inevitable. Won’t she want to meet your family? And won’t she get suspicious if you never bring her here?”

I bit into a brioche button—my fourth, not that I was keeping track or anything—and had a moment of inspiration. “Yeah, yeah, but what if I came up with a good excuse for that? Like, my family’s got the flu or something. Or they lost power to their house. Oh, what if I said I had a big fight with them, so I was staying at a hotel?”

Adriana gave me a sympathetic look, the same one Dad used whenever he watched me rationalize a bad choice. She quietly asked, “What if you simply told her the truth?”

The silence that followed indicated the others were in agreement with Adriana. Heck, I wanted to tell Dee. It’s not like I preferred living in secrecy and behind a wall of lies. But the Unseelie hadn’t left me much choice.

Pulling back the fae curtain for Dee might finally clear up the years of lying, but revealing decades of deception could also hammer a wedge between us. I could actually lose her friendship with my honesty.

“No,” I said. “That’s not an option.”

“Even if being under the protection of the Vervain roof is the best way to keep her safe?” Thomas pointed out.

That question was harder to dismiss.

I’d killed a farrow in my backyard. I’d been up against dearg more than once and survived. That didn’t mean I was powerful enough to protect Dee and myself, however. If we were alone in some random hotel room or walking around Manhattan, I wasn’t confident I could save us both from a bunch of Unseelie.

Or from Piter Renard and any other mages he had on his side. He and his lackeys had nearly killed Adam, and he had years of experience as a mage. I still hadn’t learned to use my steward powers. How could I possibly survive an encounter on that scale?

“Okay,” I said. “Keeping her here is probably the safest thing. But that’s going to mean you all have to stay glamoured up.”

Adriana nodded. It might have been my imagination, but I swore there was a hint of disappointment in her face, despite the smile she wore. “As you wish, Melina. We can glamour ourselves to your liking.”

Adriana’s agreement to go along with my plan should have brought me some comfort. I should have felt better about things. The Vervain were going to pretend to be extended family on my Mom’s side. Adriana and Keg would appear as mortals, and Fynch would use his favorite disguise, a teacup terrier.

We could keep an eye on Dee, protect her during her visit, and send her back to Cold Creek none the wiser. I should have felt relieved.

Instead, I felt awful.

How could someone’s cooperation leave me twisted in guilt? What did I have to feel guilty about, anyway? I hadn’t asked Dee to come to Manhattan. I hadn’t asked the Vervain family to do anything illegal or immoral. This was the best possible plan.

Those were the thoughts rattling through my head as I slumped in the backseat of a cab heading to Queens. I’d opted not to portal close to the airport, preferring not to take any chances. That would also give the Vervain crew more time to prepare for Dee’s arrival.

Adriana said she’d pick up dog bowls and food to make Fynch’s deception more realistic. She would also inform Pinter, the house hob and Champion of House Vervain. Pinter would spread the word to the other hobs.

Fynch glamoured up as a pigeon and flew off to bring Keg up to speed. Thomas considered casting an illusion spell to hide the magic and fae themed books in the library, but I said that wouldn’t be necessary.

The only snag I hadn’t ironed out yet was Wren’s Winter Solstice Celebration. I couldn’t possibly ask all the attendees to glamour themselves up, and I couldn’t possibly drag Dee there. I put a pin in that for the moment.

I texted Dee as my cab slowly threaded its way to her terminal to let her know we were close. She replied and said she was standing next to a blue SUV. The cab driver deftly slipped into a space between two cars, ignoring a honk of protest, and stopped curbside.

The wind flipped Dee’s ponytail around, and her cheeks were already rosy from the cold, despite a thick coat and scarf. The sunlight brought out the reddish highlights of her otherwise brown hair.

Dee smiled big time when she saw me get out of the cab. “Morgan!” She released her grip on her carry on and gave me a huge hug. “It’s great to see you!”

I wasn’t standing on the curb at La Guardia anymore.

Here we go again.

Some of Snowpuff’s powers had started surfacing after our souls had gotten entangled. I’d sometimes have visions of people’s memories or glimpses into the past when I came in contact with others.

It didn’t happen consistently, though, and it wasn’t something I could control.

In this case, I saw Dee sitting in a chair in what looked like a large room in a medieval castle. She was surrounded by Unseelie, and a figure stood behind her.

The vision ended before I could identify the figure, and I blinked in confusion.

Snowpuff had said she could see into the future, but doing so was really dangerous. Dee had looked to be around her current age, but I didn’t believe she’d recently encountered any Unseelie. So, if this wasn’t a recent memory, was I possibly seeing the future?

“Where’d you go, Melina?” Dee asked.

I pulled back and pasted on a smile. “Sorry, Dashford, just really glad to see you! Get in the cab, you must be freezing.”

I looked around, worried some fae would see us. Well, specifically, me and my crown. House Vervain’s protection did not technically extend beyond Manhattan, so I was already risking my life.

But my concerns weren’t just the Unseelie fae. A Seelie addressing me as “Steward Morgan” or whatever would trigger an awkward conversation with Dee, one I definitely wanted to avoid.

The driver put her luggage in the trunk while we slipped into the backseat.

“How was your flight?” I asked.

“Fine. So, I’m only here until Thursday night. How much of the city can we squeeze in?”

I laughed. “In sixty hours? We’ll barely scratch the surface. But I’ll make sure you check a few boxes before you leave, don’t worry.” The cab pulled away, and I looked out the window. I didn’t see any mages or fae. So far, so good.

“Cool,” Dee said. “What do you recommend first?”

“Let’s drop off your stuff and let you freshen up. You can meet my family, and then we can sort out the sightseeing.”

“Awesome. So, what are they like?”

Guess we’re hitting the deep end right off the bat.

“You know, they’re nice. A little quirky but super friendly and everything. I think you’ll like them. You’ve got your own room, by the way.”

“Sweet.” She looked at me, studying my face. Her eyes moved upwards, and for a second, my heart stopped beating.

Could she see my crown?

But her eyes met mine again, and her expression hadn’t changed.

Calm down, she’s a mortal. She can’t see it, remember?

“You look different, Melina.”

“How so?”

“It’s like you’re a little more comfortable in your skin. I think the city’s been good to you.”

“Thanks,” I replied, flooded with relief and also curious how she’d gotten that impression so quickly. Had my brief time in Manhattan changed me that much? Was I really acting more relaxed and assured? I didn’t feel like it.

“So, what’s the latest from Cold Creek?”

Dee shrugged. “A lot, I guess, but also not really, if you know what I mean?”

I did. Small towns still had lots of things going on, but they often blurred together and lacked a lot of the big city drama in a place like Manhattan.

“That reminds me,” she continued. “Mrs. Tilley made me swear I’d hand deliver these.” She pulled two jars of my neighbor’s famous apple butter out of her bag.

I collected them as if they were rare and expensive ceramics. In a way, that was true. Mrs. Tilley had guarded her recipe forever and once her annual batch was gone, there would be none until the following year.

“Amazing, thank you! I’ll be sure to write her a thank you note.”

“How’s your house coming along after that micronado?” Dee asked. “I saw a guy working on your roof yesterday.”

“Should be all fixed up by Christmas,” I answered.

The “micronado” was a cover story the mage community had used after the Unseelie attack at my house. I’d learned lots of natural disasters were really fae or mage conflicts that had gone public.

The micronado might have been made up, but the damage to my backyard and roof were very real. Thankfully, I had a built-in repair guy. Or in this case, dwarf.

Nod, the fae I’d found sleeping outside my bedroom window just a few weeks earlier, had already been covertly protecting Dad. I’d worried the Unseelie would target my friends and family in Cold Creek, even after I fled to Manhattan.

So far, Nod hadn’t reported a single Unseelie, and he and Dad had been busy replacing the roof tiles, fixing the fence and pergola, and cleaning up my backyard gardens. I felt bad for Nod, as this was the second time he’d had to repair my pergola and fence in as many weeks.

I glanced around the cab, wondering where Snowpuff was hiding. She had to be nearby. As long as our souls were intertwined, she’d start dying if we got too far apart.

Snowpuff?

Yes?

Just checking.

Checking what?

If you were still here.

I heard a mental snort. Like I have a choice at the moment.

“Wow!” Dee said as she looked out the window at the Manhattan skyline. “You see it in movies and on TV, but it’s way more impressive in person!”

Watching her unfiltered joy lifted my heart. My entry into the city had been anything but pleasant, and my first few days were shadowed by a cloud of literal death. I envied Dee’s first impression, which was pure awe.

Still, for all that—and for all that happened since my arrival—Manhattan had already started to feel like a second home.

Part of me was glad Dee had parachuted into town unannounced and forced my hand. A small part of me looked forward to introducing her to my fae family and showing her around Manhattan. I missed her, and I didn’t want her to be completely cut out of this part of my life.

The rest of me crossed their arms and silently shook their head in disappointment, as if they knew something I didn’t.

Dee let out a long whistle. “That’s some kind of house, Morgan.”

We climbed out of the cab and stood in front of House Vervain. I examined the building to see what had caused Dee’s reaction.

Sure, a strand of holly hung over the front door, and there were candles in the windows. Even in the daylight, it looked inviting. But it looked a lot like all the other brownstones on the block. What was the big deal?

A second later, I guiltily realized she was impressed with something I’d already come to take for granted. A tumble of reactions knocked around my head.

Dee had been to Raleigh, and she’d visited big cities before. She wasn’t impressed by the building; she was impressed that I was somehow connected to it.

Not that I blamed her. I’d lived a simple life in Cold Creek. I wasn’t flying on private jets or taking expensive vacations around the world. I didn’t even drive a fancy car or wear designer clothes. Little wonder the disconnect had left her surprised.

That didn’t bother me so much as realizing how quickly I’d gotten used to Manhattan.

“Yeah, it’s really nice,” I replied, as I belatedly wondered how I’d explain my opulent living quarters that took up the entire third and fourth floor of the home. I put a pin in that, too.

Even after I’d decided to accept the crown for House Vervain, I’d always imagined a scenario where I gave it back. We’d rescue Adam, he’d take the crown, and I’d live somewhere else. Or I’d eventually step down so someone else far more experienced could take over.

I wasn’t going to live in Vervain forever. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

Dee collected her luggage, and I opened the front door. “Hello!” I called out. “I’m back!”

Down the hall, Adriana emerged from the kitchen, looking pretty much exactly as she always did. Her hair covered her pointed ears, but I was sure that if she’d pulled her hair back, they would be rounded. The only obvious difference was her apparent age. Her fae appearance made her seem to be in her late thirties or early forties. In her glamoured state, she looked to be in her mid-fifties.

Fynch appeared a second later, barking like mad and scrambling down the hardwood floor towards us.

“Ah, this must be the Dee Ashford I have heard so much about! I am Adriana Vervain, Melina’s first cousin, once removed, and we are so glad you are here!” The elf gave Dee a hug, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d have said she really was some long-lost aunt raised with no small amount of southern hospitality.

Fynch barked at Dee until she knelt and began scratching him behind the ears.

“And this,” Adriana said. “Is Fynch.”

“Very nice to meet you both,” Dee replied. “He’s adorable! And thanks for hosting me on such short notice. I was planning on staying at a hotel. I don’t want to be a bother.”

Still smiling warmly, Adriana said, “No bother at all.” Her eyebrows lifted. “You are staying for New Year’s, I hope?”

“Gosh, no. I can’t even stay for Christmas. I’ll barely bother unpacking.”

“Then I will not be disappointed as long as you promise you will come back for a longer visit very soon. Melina, take Dee upstairs so she can get settled. In the meantime, are you hungry, Dee?”

“No, ma’am, but thank you.”

“Please let me know if you change your mind, okay?”

“I will.”

Adriana looked at me. “Keg is down in the basement. Thomas will be back later.”

“Got it. Come on, Dee.”

“Nice meeting you, Mrs. Vervain.” Dee gave Fynch a final scratch behind the ears. The imp wagged his tail in thanks.

“Same, dear, but please call me Adriana.”

I led Dee up to the guest room. She unpacked a couple of outfits and washed up while I considered the exchange downstairs. Dee didn’t seem to suspect anything was wrong, and I had the first inkling of real hope that we could pull off the masquerade. Less than sixty hours from now, Dee would be safely flying home, none the wiser.

I gave her a short tour of the upper floors of the house, which required a bit of deception. First, I didn’t even show her my room, and I hoped I could avoid that. Second, I explained away the two offices and library by saying Adriana often worked from home.

“Legal stuff. Business mergers and things like that,” I said. “She travels a bit, too,” I added.

I knew the double doors to the grove were locked and inaccessible by Dee. Only Adriana could give her the ability to unlock the doors, which was a huge relief. If Dee wandered too far into the cross-dimensional space, she’d wind up trapped in the fae world.

That just left the Rave Cave. A rock song blasted up the staircase as we walked down. I knocked on the door and opened it.

“Keg, you down here?”

“Yep!” Keg turned down the volume. The door to Fynch’s room was closed, thankfully. Explaining the contents of that room would have been challenging.

Keg looked like an older college dude with his mussed-up bronze hair and a beer in his hand. He usually wore a tunic, but this morning he sported a regular button-down shirt instead. His beard was still visible, though the three silver charms woven into it were not. He might have removed them, but I suspected he simply hid them with his glamour.

“Keg, I want you to meet Dee Ashford, my best friend from back home. Dee, Keg’s a nephew of Adriana.”

The dwarf’s glamour had taken some of the weight off his body and added several inches to his height. I’d have never suspected he was fae, and I hoped Dee wouldn’t, either.

“Pleasure,” Keg said and extended his hand. “Any friend of Melina’s is a friend of mine. You want an ale? I brewed it myself.”

Dee briefly glanced at the brewing station in the corner of the room. “Definitely, but maybe later?”

“Sure, anytime. And help yourself if I’m not around, okay?”

“Thanks, will do. Who’s the artist?”

I followed Dee’s eyes to Keg’s easel and canvasses. “Also Keg’s,” I said. “He’s really talented.”

Dee walked over to an oil painting of Manhattan at night. “You sure are. This is amazing.”

“And he can play guitar,” I added.

The dwarf frowned. “Bah, I just dabble.”

“Well, I’d love to hear you play sometime,” Dee said.

Keg blushed and lifted his ale. “Maybe a few more of these, and I’ll consider it, eh? What do you two have planned for today?”

“Haven’t really figured that out yet,” I replied. “What’s on your must-see list, Dee?”

Without hesitation, she reeled off her sightseeing requests. “The Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Belvedere Castle, and Grand Central Terminal.” She grinned. “I know it’s not really called Grand Central Station.”

I regretted mentioning the castle to Dee on an earlier call. She’d been worried and called me after not hearing from me in a while. To reassure her, I babbled about anything that had come to mind, including my visit to Belvedere Castle. I’d omitted Wren and her magical house, of course.

If I was going to keep these two worlds separated—and the people in both safe—I’d have to do a much better job of keeping my mouth closed.

“Impressive list.” Keg finished off his ale. “And lucky for you, we’re headed to the Castle tonight. There’s a massive party, and we’re all invited.”

Chapter Three

So much for keeping my worlds separate.

The look on Dee’s face had mirrored my own on any childhood Christmas morning. I didn’t have the heart to tell her we couldn’t go to the party in Central Park, but I’d come up with something.

In the meantime, we took a cab to Times Square and walked around. Like pretty much any time during the day, it was bustling with people. And even in the sunlight, the dozens of massive bulletin boards and digital signs created a chaotic but energetic vibe.

“It’s cooler at night,” I said. “And next time, I’ll get us tickets to a Broadway show.”

“Not super crazy about musicals,” Dee said. “But I sure wish I could be here on New Year’s. Speaking of which, you’re coming home for Christmas and New Year’s, right?”

“That’s the plan,” I replied, which wasn’t a lie, but something felt off even as the words left my mouth. Christmas was only four days away, yet it felt like an eternity. A lot could go wrong when you’re talking that much time.

“You have to, Morgan. I mean, Christmas falls on a Saturday this year. It’s a Slumming Saturday and Christmas two-for that won’t happen again for years!”

I smiled and said, “How could I possibly miss that?”

“Well, you better not, is all I’m saying.”

We spent an hour knocking around the area. The fae I saw seemed to sense something was up, and the biggest reaction I got was a slight nod from a few of them. Happily, we didn’t have a single Unseelie sighting, for which I had both Wren and Dexx to thank.

Dexx and his Techgnome Bros gang of Unseelie had, with some nudging from me, agreed to cease all hostilities in exchange for gaining unfettered access to Manhattan. Additionally, they’d taken it upon themselves to bolster Wren’s army of sprites, who patrolled the island’s border and kept an eye out for Unseelie.

I wouldn’t pretend the friction between the gnomes and the sprites had evaporated overnight, but Wren had made it clear that peace between fae had to begin somehow. I think asking the Bros to help with security for the Solstice Celebration had gone a long way towards smoothing the troubled sprite waters.

“I’m hungry,” Dee said as she pointed at a pizza place. “And that place smells amazing.”

We ducked into a hole-in-the-wall restaurant serving pizza. It wasn’t nearly on par with Paola’s Pie Joint, but it hit all the marks for a solid New York style slice. Thin and crispy crust, just the right amount of sauce and cheese, and pepperoni with a slight kick. Dee went for a veggie option, and we ate our slices while we headed towards Grand Central Terminal.

“I’d put on about twenty pounds my first week here,” Dee said. “I don’t know how you stayed skinny.”

“I’ve only been here a couple of weeks.”

“You still look great,” she replied between bites. “What have you and your family been doing all this time other than catching up?”

“Nothing worth talking about,” I lied, scrambling for something that would sound believable. “Mostly hanging around the house and catching up.”

“Huh.”

“What?”

Dee shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I figured you’d have at least checked out some of the sights.”

“Nope, but now I get to experience them first with you.”

She bumped my shoulder. “And I couldn’t be happier.”

Our slices were long gone by the time we stepped through the entrance to Grand Central Terminal. Dee stopped for a moment and slowly took it all in. It was my first time, too, and I knew exactly what she was thinking: I can’t believe I’m really here.

You see the cavernous concourse in countless shows and movies, but nothing prepares you for the real thing. The sheer number of people moving about was a sight, but the architecture really took center stage.

The iconic four-faced, spherical clock mounted atop the circular information booth. The shafts of sunlight beaming through the arched windows high above. The stone stairs and balconies. The green and gold-leaf zodiac mural painted on the concourse’s ceiling. The melon-shaped chandeliers.

“Incredible,” I said.

“No kidding.”

We reluctantly strolled past several mouthwatering restaurants and settled instead on a couple of coffees to keep us warm on our walk back to House Vervain.

“I can see why you like it here,” Dee said.

“Who says I like it here?”

“Well, don’t you?”

“I mean, sure,” I said. “It just sounded like you meant I was moving here or something.”

“It wouldn’t be that crazy, though, would it?”

“My whole life is in Cold Creek, Dee.”

Her expression turned quizzical. “You’re literally staying with family right here. And besides, you can’t tell me this wouldn’t be an amazing place to live in.”

I couldn’t really argue with her on that, as long as you ignored the fact that some of the mages in the council would prefer I leave Manhattan and never return. And the fact that most Unseelie would like my heart on a spit as long as I held the Vervain crown.

But, yeah, ignoring all that, I absolutely loved Manhattan, and not just for how much the Seelie fae had welcomed me.

“No, you’re right. It’s amazing. I guess I just haven’t seen much of it, you know? Today was my first time in Grand Central, too.”

Dee knocked shoulders with me again. “Well, I’m just glad we could hang out together for a few days. Miss you, Morgan.”

I put my arm around her. “Same, Dashford, same.”

“What’s next, tour guide?”

“I’m feeling a little sweet.”

Feeling more confident about being out in public with Dee, I steered us towards the WFS Bakery near House Vervain. Bethina, the elf owner of Wheat, Flour, Salt Bakery, wasn’t in. The fae helping me gave me a wink as she handed over our order, but other than that, I was treated like a regular old mortal.

“What did you get?” Dee asked. I’d surprised her with the order: two pistachio muffins. She absolutely loved pistachios, and her eyes lit up like the Fourth of July. “You’re the best!”

“No, these muffins are the best.” The pastries had a glaze and were topped with chopped pistachios. Inside was a dollop of pistachio cream. Heavenly didn’t begin to describe the taste.

“These aren’t the least bit dry,” Dee said with a sigh. “I’d love to have one of these bakeries in Cold Creek.”

“I’ll make sure you go home with some.”

“Um, you’re going to ship me a dozen every week is what you’re going to do.”

I laughed and promised I would.

We walked back to House Vervain, where I found a surprise waiting for me. As soon as we stepped inside, Thomas called out from his front office.

“Melina?”

“Hey, Thomas. Adriana said you wouldn’t be back until later.” He stepped into the hallway, a frown on his face, which he promptly turned in a forced smile at the sight of Dee. “Thomas Crane, this is Dee Ashford, my best friend from home. Dee, this is Adriana’s cousin.”

Thomas shook her hand. “Awfully nice to finally meet you, Dee, and please let me know if there’s anything I can do to make your stay here more pleasant.”

“Pleasure meeting you. So, you’re Melina’s, what . . . great-uncle?”

He looked to me for confirmation. “I believe we decided second cousin, once removed, right, Melina?”

“Something like that. We have a common ancestor back a few generations.”

“What have you two ladies enjoyed today?” Thomas asked, thankfully changing the topic.

Dee counted off the items on our agenda. “We’ve seen Times Square, Grand Central Terminal, had some amazing pistachio muffins, the best New York pizza, and we’re off to the Belvedere Castle for a bash later tonight.”

The last entry prompted an “Oh?” from the consigliere. He already looked a tad unsettled, and the mention of Wren’s celebration only seemed to make things worse.

“Everything all right, Thomas?”

He shook off his unease, a smile returning to his face. “Yes. Thrilled your first day in the Big Apple has been a delight, Dee.”

“For sure,” she replied. “But we haven’t figured out what we’re going to do this afternoon.”

“May I suggest a short nap?” Thomas said. “Tonight will be quite late.”

Dee shrugged. “Not a bad idea. What do you say, Morgan, an hour to recharge, and then we’re off?”

“Sure.”

“Nice meeting you, Thomas!” Dee said and headed up to her room.

Thomas nodded towards his office, and we silently stepped inside. He closed the door.

“Wren’s Solstice Celebration? Is that really such a good idea?”

I threw up my arms. “Of course not, but Keg mentioned it this morning, and, well, to be fair, I hyped up the castle on a call a week ago, so between the party and my recommendation, she’s over the moon about it.”

The consigliere pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long breath. “Forgive the poor timing, then, but it appears the Unseelie may be making a move against Manhattan this week. Tonight, even, if the intel from Dexx is correct.”

I took a seat. “What did he say?”

“Only that Piter Renard’s been almost entirely off the radar.”

“Good. I don’t want him anywhere near here or stirring up any trouble.”

“Not good,” he corrected. “It’s not his usual style. And off the radar means he could literally be anywhere. I prefer it when he stays in everyone’s business, as obnoxious as that can be.”

“Well, after the council spanked his ego for getting involved with the Unseelie, I’d expect him to cower for a while.”

Thomas pursed his lips and grunted. “Then you don’t know him as well as you should. His ego won’t have taken kindly to the public humiliation he suffered, nor will it be any better with you sealing the Vervain crown. If Piter is going to make a move against you or Vervain, he’ll need the Unseelie’s help. If he’s going to rely on them, today is literally the most ideal time for an attack.”

Given the Unseelie were at their most powerful at the Winter Solstice, that was tough to argue with.

“All the more reason to keep Dee here. She can’t possibly go to Wren’s celebration. How would we explain all the fae to her?”

He looked confused. “All of the fae will be glamoured during the party as a precaution. Did you not know that?”

“No. I’ve never been.”

“My apologies for the oversight. Wren secures a permit from the city each year, and she cordons off Turtle Pond and Belvedere Castle to control who gets near. Tonight, she’ll have extra help from Dexx and his team. On the chance a mortal gets too close, Wren cloaks the entire area around the castle with a glamour. To everyone but a fae, it will appear to be one massive but regular party. Dee will see nothing but mortals.”

One of Mom’s favorite warnings surfaced in my head.

Accept no food nor drink

Nor any gift offered by the fae,

Lest you find yourself

Falling forever under their sway.

I knew the Seelie weren’t out to get me, and many of Mom’s beliefs about the fae in general were, it had turned out, wrong. Still, I felt compelled to ask about this legend on Dee’s behalf.

“I’m guessing there will be food and drink. Will it be safe for Dee to accept anything from a fae?”

“Yes. Don’t forget, I may be a mage, but I’m still mortal, too.” Thomas winked at me.

“Oh. Well. I guess that’s okay, then. But if there’s an attack, wouldn’t we all be safer holed up here?”

Thomas templed his fingers. “There may be no trouble at all, but if there is, I can think of no better place than near Wren and surrounded by thousands of friendly fae.”

I had not expected that. “I figured hunkering down in the Vervain fortress was the obvious answer. The house has wards, and with your mage abilities and the others’ powers, Piter’s not going to have an easy time getting in.”

“If you had developed your magic to Adam’s ability and had learned to harness the power of the Manhattan nexus, I might agree. Might. As it stands, my strong recommendation is for us to stick together at the celebration and stay near Wren. She can draw directly from the nexus itself and wield it in ways even Adam couldn’t.”

My magic lessons, such as they were, had yielded few positive results, unless you counted nausea and migraines as positive results.

Mages took years to develop the ability to throw fireballs and levitate and all the other Hollywood-level special effects stuff. A week or two of instruction from Thomas and Fynch was hardly going to get me up to speed by tonight.

Complicating matters even more was the Manhattan nexus, which only Vervain stewards were able to access. Wren technically controlled it, but she’d given every Vervain steward the ability to draw on its power. It was the most powerful nexus in the world, and I could easily fry my eyeballs out just trying to tap a teensy bit of energy from it.

Point was, Thomas wasn’t kidding about my severe lack of abilities or my need to stay close to those who had the ability to protect me for the time being.

“That still leaves us with the problem of getting to and from the park. Hard to believe Wren, the Techgnome Bros, and the sprites can keep every Unseelie off the island tonight.”

Thomas nodded. “A measured risk. At least you have the ability to portal. In the worst-case scenario, you can portal yourself and Dee back here. Take shelter in the armory in the basement until we arrive.”

“Hey, speaking of the armory—”

“No.”

“It’s just that Keg has a bunch of super powerful artifacts—”

“Again, no.”

“They might come in handy if—”

The grimace on the consigliere’s face halted my words mid-sentence. “You were lucky once, Melina. You may not be so lucky again. Those artifacts—and especially the relics—require the same kind of magic training you currently lack. Attempt to use them now, and you could easily kill yourself or someone else in the process.”

“Understood.”

But if things get so bad that you’ve portaled back to the armory, Thomas won’t be around to tell you what to do, will he, pet?

That was small solace, because I didn’t fancy any situation where Thomas’s absence was a bonus.

No, I suppose he won’t. Besides, you’ll still protect me, won’t you?

As long as you have my soul, that’s a given.

What about after?

I’d keep the raw steaks coming, if I were you. Speaking of which, I’m getting hungry.

I skipped my nap. Like I could sleep after the warning from Thomas, anyway. I put a few raw steaks on a plate for Snowpuff, who devoured them in seconds, and tended to the sourdough loaves. They looked good and would need to be baked in a few hours if they were to cool in time for the celebration.

The upside was that limited how long I could be away from the house, which theoretically restricted Dee’s time outside. My gut told me Dexx had completely turned a new leaf and was fully on #TeamSeelie. All well and good when it’s just my life on the line, but when it’s the lives of those I cared about, my head suddenly got a lot more cynical.

There was a scenario I couldn’t shake from my head where Dexx would willingly let us know about an Unseelie attack: he would use that intel as proof of his loyalty, which would allow him to stay close to the Manhattan fae.

And what had he really shared with Thomas? That the Unseelie were at their annual height of power on the Winter Solstice? That the solstice was the ideal time to launch an attack?

We already knew all that. He hadn’t given names or times or locations or anything concrete.

What do you think, Snowpuff? Can we trust Dexx?

Can a flyrgal climb a tempest’s nest?

I . . . I have no idea.

Snowpuff absently licked her paw. Precisely.

I climbed the spiral staircase up to the steward’s retreat on the fourth floor. The tiny, circular room sat directly atop the steward’s quarters and could only be accessed by a sealed spiral staircase that connected it to both the quarters and the steward’s office on the first floor.

I was told a previous steward was a bit of a night owl and had the staircase constructed so as not to bother the other residents.

All I knew was I enjoyed the view, the privacy, and being surrounded by books. The large windows let in a lot of light, and the two armchairs were super snuggly.

Whatever else was going on, I’d found the room a great way to relax. I flipped through a few books on magic, one title in particular catching my attention: Ley Lines & Magical Intersectionality.

Just a few pages in, I knew the material was even drier than the book’s title, but I kept reading. The book described how ley lines were the consequence of a magic nexus, like of a fractal consequence of having so much energy pooling in the physical world.

A nexus was both a tether between the fae world and the physical one and a channel for magic energy to flow from the former to the latter. Tether metaphor aside, a nexus could shift its position in the physical world, as well as wax and wane in power over time.

I read for a few more minutes and felt my eyelids getting heavy.

Maybe a nap’s a good idea, after all.

Chapter Four

“Steward Morgan? Excuse me, Steward Morgan, it’s Pinter.”

I snapped out of my slumber, the book tumbling to the floor. It would have landed on him if the house hob hadn’t jumped out of the way fast enough. Hobs truly were insanely fast entities.

“Oh, my apologies, Pinter!” I said as I collected the book.

“And my apologies for startling you! Terribly sorry to bother you, but Lady Adriana didn’t want to tread in your living quarters.”

I sat up, realizing Pinter was in an occupied room and making himself visible to me. The Vervain hobs were extremely sensitive about giving us our privacy, and they generally avoided being seen, preferring to work at night and out of sight. Pinter’s presence wasn’t a good sign.

“What is it? What’s happened?”

“What? Nothing. Everything’s fine. Lady Adriana wanted me to ask if you needed to bake the sourdough loaves. She worried you might sleep too long.”

I rubbed my eyes and glanced at my watch. I’d been sleeping for well over an hour. I yawned and stretched. “Thank you so much. Please tell her I’ll be right down.”

Pinter saluted and disappeared.

I took the regular staircase down to the second floor. Dee’s door was open, her room empty. I continued, following the sound of voices from the first floor.

“And then Melina said, ‘Well, I was only borrowing it!’”

Several people laughed at that, and as I entered the kitchen, the laughter swelled again. Dee, Adriana, Thomas, and Keg sat at the table. Fynch was curled up in Dee’s lap.

“Hey, Morgan,” Dee said. “I was just telling them about that time we took Skeeter’s fishing boat for a midnight spin after prom.”

I grimaced at the memory. A night of dubious choices fueled by alcohol and capped with someone’s idea of a midnight boat ride along the coast. Half a dozen of us snuck onto Skeeter’s little boat, and I declared myself captain. I figured we make a couple of passes under the moonlight, secretly dock the boat, and slip away unseen. A great story we’d be telling for years to come.

And we did end up telling a story, only the ending was slightly different: I grounded the hull on a sand shoal. After ten minutes of failed efforts to free the craft, Dee called her Mom, who called Skeeter, who braved the waters to rescue us and his boat.

Luckily, the boat was fine, and by the time we were back on land, the alcohol had started wearing off. We showered Skeeter with apologies and offered to clean his boat when we were all sober and recovered from the hangovers to come.

For his part, Skeeter didn’t seem the least bit upset, and all he made us do was top off the gas tank. That’s life in a small town for you.

“Not my finest hour,” I said.

“Got that right,” Keg said before adding, “Captain.”

That triggered another round of laughter, and I stoically endured the chiding as I prepped the sourdough loaves for baking and prayed Dee didn’t mention how that nickname had stuck with me for years. I didn’t miss being called Captain Morgan, even though the alcohol that had done me in that night was, indeed, rum.

“We’ve got a few hours before the party,” Dee said. “Adriana was thinking the three of us could visit Rockefeller Center. Check out the tree, maybe ice skate.”

I covered my initial disappointment with a nod.

“Sounds great. I just need to be back by five o’clock to bake these.”

“Awesome!”

Everyone in Vervain seemed eager to get Dee out of the house. Was I the only one worried about the Unseelie? Or was I being overly cautious?

Adriana led us on the six-block walk northwest to Rockefeller Center, another sightseeing first for me. When I mentioned this, Dee gave me a wondrous look.

“Seriously, Morgan, what in the world have you been doing up here the whole time?”

“Well, I was still working for Morton Electronics the first few days, but after that—”

“Melina has been such a dear,” Adriana interrupted. “She offered to help me with my business during her visit. Filing and paperwork, all the things I abhor. I keep trying to get her out of the house more often, but she is so devoted.”

“Yep,” I said. “Guilty as charged.”

Adriana slipped her arm through Dee’s. The overly familiar gesture somehow felt totally natural and not intrusive at all. Dee didn’t seem to mind in the least. “I am glad you are here, Dee. Melina misses Cold Creek.”

I smiled at Dee. “Yeah, I’m glad you’re here, too. Thanks for making the effort.”

Dee looped her arm around mine. “That’s what friends are for.”

We stopped outside the skating rink while Dee took a bunch of pictures of it and the Christmas tree. “Okay, now which of you is going to teach me how to ice skate?”

Adriana was, unsurprisingly, the epitome of grace on ice. After a few loops around the outdoor rink, the other skaters silently gave her more room. She began doing jumps and turns and looked for all the world like an Olympic skater.

Meanwhile, Dee and I made short little steps with our feet and tried not to fall.

“I’m seriously rethinking this,” Dee said. “It’d be a bummer if I wound up coming home with a broken arm.”

“I got you,” I said and squeezed her hand. Not that I was a great resource for her. My other hand was doing random windmills whenever I started losing my balance.

Dee’s foot caught on the ice, and she stumbled forward. I tried holding her up, which threw me off balance. The two of us increasingly flapped our arms and did the most hilariously ineffective footwork before collapsing into a tangled pile, giggling the whole time.

“At least my arm’s not broken,” Dee said.

“Just my pride. And maybe my butt,” I replied. She laughed even harder.

Adriana made a hockey puck stop in front of us, reading down to help us up. “Anyone hurt?”

“No, but I think I’ve gotten in my quota of rink time,” Dee said.

We cautiously skated to the exit, swapped out our skates for our shoes, and snagged some selfies before heading home.

For the short time we’d been skating, the worries of the world had taken a break. I’d forgotten all about Piter and the Unseelie and, I’m embarrassed to say, even Adam’s unfortunate state.

Cold Creek felt like a part of my life from years ago, not weeks ago. Hanging out with Dee had allowed me to drop some of the baggage I’d been carrying, even if only for a short time.

Her unannounced visit had meant a scramble to hide the fae and my steward status from her, and I still believed she was in danger every second she spent in Manhattan. But for a little while, we were just a couple of best friends trying to make it around a skating rink one more time without falling.

“You know, you should totally come visit us in Cold Creek,” Dee said to Adriana. “I’d love to show you around. I mean, obviously, it won’t be nearly as cool as this.”

“That is most gracious and sounds incredibly delightful. I would love that.”

I looked at Adriana like she’d lost her mind, and I didn’t care if Dee noticed or not. “Um, well, actually, you’re really busy with work, Adriana, and I think you said you’ve got a lot of travel coming up, right?”

She nodded. “I do, and one of my trips is to North Carolina. I could squeeze in a short hop to Cold Creek.”

I mentally grimaced at what felt like Adrian’s intentional effort to give me a stroke.

“Just let me know when,” Dee said.

“Of course. I will—” Adriana’s eyes drifted across the crowd, locking onto something. Her mouth went thin, and I sensed she was nervous about whatever it was. I followed her gaze, searching for whatever had caught her attention.

I saw them, and by them, I mean an Unseelie. A red cap, glamoured up as some hot female model wearing the latest fashion from Milan. The look drew a lot of attention, which was likely what Adriana picked up on.

Okay, I can fade and hide, but Dee can’t. Snowpuff has saved my life before, and she’d save Dee’s and Adriana’s, too. Probably. Maybe. Adriana has some magic of her own to toss around. The red hat’s heading away, so as long as we aren’t spotted and the red hat’s alone, we should be okay.

“What is it?” Dee asked.

“Hmm?” Adriana replied. She watched the Unseelie until the red cap was out of sight. “I am so sorry. I got lost in my own thoughts.”

“Well, I’m getting cold, and I need to get back to bake the loaves,” I said, trying to sound casual.

“Okay, sounds good,” Dee said.

The three of us headed back to Vervain. For two of us, it was a very long walk home.

“Are you trying to give me a stroke, Adriana? Because it feels like you’re trying to give me a stroke. I’m struggling to figure out how to talk Dee out of going to a fae fête tonight, and you’re talking about bringing the fae right to her door in Cold Creek.”

We were sitting in my downstairs office at House Vervain. I’d asked Dee if she could give me a few minutes with Adriana to discuss some family matters. I didn’t bother sitting down, just paced in a small circle around the room.

“I am simply trying to show you that you do not have to live a life based solely on fear, Melina. You have spent decades hiding, worrying the fae will find you at any moment. I understand your—”

I held up my hand. “Respectfully, Adriana, you don’t. You can’t. I’m trying to do everything I can to keep Cold Creek and Manhattan as far apart as possible, and you’re trying to do the opposite.” I let out a long sigh. “It’s not that I’m ungrateful for everything you’ve done. And I know now not all fae want me dead. But some do, and some of the mages do, as well. What do you think will happen if Seelie fae like you start going to Cold Creek?”

Adriana shrugged. “I suppose we will have the pleasure of getting to know some of the most important people in your life. Is that so bad?”

Yes, it’s awful, I thought. Well, actually no, not exactly, but . . .

I struggled for a reply that didn’t come across as selfish. Because this wasn’t a situation where I was being selfish. I was being protective. Why couldn’t she see that?

“Of course not. I’d like that, too. But it’s not safe.”

“I see. And who is it not safe for?” the elf asked.

“My friends and family, obviously.”

“Ah.” She got that disappointed look on her face again. “I only sought to show you how much fuller your life could be. I apologize, Melina.”

A knot of guilt formed in my gut before she’d even finished speaking. “I know you have the best of intentions.”

“Thank you for your understanding,” she said quietly. “I appreciate your magnanimity in the matter. If you will please excuse me.”

“Adriana, it’s not . . . I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” She left the office, and I was left feeling like garbage.

I collapsed in a chair and stewed and thought and tried to figure out how I could have avoided all this. Maybe I couldn’t. Maybe this was all inevitable.

Kind of like taking Dee to Wren’s party.

Chapter Five

To say there was some tension between me and Adriana would have been completely accurate. Not that you could tell from her. She acted as if nothing at all had happened between us, which just made me feel even worse.

Happily, Dee didn’t seem to notice.

“My gosh, it’s like it’s a whole different city at night!” She stared up at the buildings brushing the night sky. “It’s so beautiful!”

Keg had come up with a cover for Fynch to allow him to attend the party not disguised as a terrier. He said the poor dog hated crowds and loud noises, so we were going to leave him at home.

Fynch secretly left right after we did and glamoured up as a bird to get to the celebration. Once there, he’d let Wren’s magic glamour him up as a human. If Dee happened to see him—which she would if he performed his magic trick—she’d just see a guy cutting a rope in two.

The person we truly had to leave behind was Adam, who was still restricted to manifesting in House Vervain.

“Please give my best to everyone, and I look forward to hearing all about it.” He’d tried to sound chipper as we left. He almost succeeded.

Thomas and Adriana walked close together, chatting quietly. Keg followed, with me and Dee at the back. We crossed into Central Park and headed towards the castle.

Two out of the last three times I’d set foot inside the park, I was either being pursued by Unseelie deargs or had been attacked by them. After the earlier red cap scare, I was more on edge than ever.

I didn’t doubt Thomas’s assessment, but walking through a shadowy Central Park at night was rattling, to say the least. Away from the noise of the city, the quiet had an eerie element to it. A few other groups of fae were headed in the same direction, but I still felt wildly exposed.

I picked up my pace. “Come on, everyone.”

The others matched my speed, and soon we heard the sounds from the celebration. As we crested a hill, the castle came into view, and what a sight it was.

A mixture of colored lights and obvious magic had turned the building into something out of a fairy tale. Every window held a candle, and the castle was backlit. Garland streamers adorned the eaves.

In front of the castle, Turtle Pond was covered with fae, vendor stalls, singers, and—rather incongruously—bonfires. Wren’s magic had been bending the laws of physics for centuries, so who was I to question fires on a frozen pond?

A small stage stuck out from the castle and overlooked part of the pond. A humanoid fae of some kind stood on the stage, performing a bit of theater from the looks of it. One end of the pond had been scraped clear of snow. Skaters looped around on the icy surface.

“Who’s up for some ice skating?” Thomas asked.

“Not me,” Dee said.

“Pass,” I replied.

“I’m far too sober to try that right now,” Keg said.

Adriana looked at Thomas. “I would love to.”

We fell into the back of the short line working its way through the only entrance.

“I’m feeling a little underdressed,” Dee said. She looked down at her jacket, blouse, jeans, and heels. “I thought you said this thing was casual.”

The glamoured versions of fae were dressed pretty fancy, but not that much fancier than Dee.

“You’re fine. I’m in jeans, too. There’s no dress code.”

Dee mocked being horrified. “Well, that just shows how quickly you’re losing your southern habits. You can never be overdressed for an event.”

Despite their glamoured appearance, I recognized a lot of the Techgnome Bros, including Dexx, who held a clipboard and directed guests as they arrived.

As Thomas had said, a tall temporary fence had been erected around the area. Gnomes and sprites lined the perimeter. Their demeanor might have been casual, but I was sure they were on alert.

“Steward Morgan!” Dexx exclaimed with a large smile. “Such a pleasure!”

“Hi, Dexx, good to see you, too,” I replied through gritted teeth.

The gnome seemed to sense something was out of sorts. He briefly glanced at our group, his eyes stopping on Dee. “You’re not from House Vervain.”

“My guest and best friend,” I said. “Apologies for not adding her to the list, Dexx.”

There was no list, and both Dexx and I knew it. But to his credit, the gnome pretended to check his clipboard, flipping through some pages. “Ah, yes, no worries. Please, right this way, and enjoy yourselves!”

I gestured for Dee to go ahead, then turned back to look at Dexx. The poor gnome looked confused and embarrassed. I gave him a thumbs-up and mouthed, “I’m sorry.”

He appeared to understand and gave me a thumbs-up in return.

We filed down a short hill towards Turtle Pond. Adriana and Thomas were already heading towards the ice skating station. Keg said he was off to find food and drink. I hadn’t seen Fynch yet, but the place was packed. He was the proverbial needle in the fae stack.

“Did that guy call you Steward Morgan?”

“What?” I asked. “Did he?”

“I’m pretty sure he did.”

I scrambled for some kind of explanation. “Oh, yeah, that’s just some weird thing related to my family here. Apparently, we’ve got a drop of semi-royal blood way up the family line. Nothing to write home about.”

“It’s like there’s this whole side of you I never knew about,” Dee replied. “I’m really glad you wound up here. What if you’d never taken that Morton Electronics job? What if you’d never come up here at all?”

Yeah, what if . . .

“Well, like I said, it’s not like I’m going to be wearing a crown or anything.” I was flustered and had meant it to be sarcastic, not ironic.

“Shame. You’d look great in a crown.”

I absolutely despised gaslighting my best friend, even if it was ostensibly in the service of protecting her. Back in Cold Creek, the lies and deceptions had been easier to bear. There hadn’t been any fae hanging around, and my deceit had only extended as far as lying about why I’d chosen to stay in Cold Creek instead of moving to a big city and grabbing a job with decent pay.

In just the last few weeks, I’d piled lie upon lie onto our relationship, and now I was intentionally making Dee question her own mental state. I hated it, and I worried about how many more lies our relationship could handle.

As bad as that was, my biggest fear was having the whole truth revealed. What would happen if Dee learned about fae and mages and my actual stewardship? How could she possibly forgive me?

You are nervous, pet. Your heart rate has increased, and you are perspiring.

Yeah, I am, and I’ve got every right to be.

The Unseelie will not harm you tonight. I will make sure of that.

Thanks, but that’s not what I’m worried about. I don’t like lying to my best friend.

Oh. That is your concern? You should be more worried about the Unseelie.

Human interaction isn’t your strong suit, is it?

I’m not human, and I’ve only been on this plane for a short while. Were you expecting me to be an expert on that topic?

No, but trust me when I say I’m far more worried about losing Dee’s trust than I am about dying.

I suppose that makes sense. If you’re dead, you can’t possibly be worried about losing your friend’s trust. Yes, you’re right to worry about your friend, pet. Dying solves several problems.

Oh, no doubt, I thought sarcastically. Or at least as sarcastically as I could think the words.

Maybe this human interaction stuff isn’t as complicated as I thought. I’m glad I could help. Is there anything you’d like to say?

Tons. Did you have something in mind?

I thought a “Thank you” might be in order.

I think you’ve got a lot more to learn about human interaction.

For all my fretting, we were safely inside the celebration. I hadn’t seen a single Unseelie yet, though I worried about my crown and the reactions of the fae.

Very quickly, it became apparent the reactions I needed to worry about weren’t about me at all.

“Why is everyone staring at me?” Dee asked. She wiped a hand across her cheek. “Do I have something on my face?”

“No, you’re fine. My guess is they aren’t used to seeing such a stunning southern beauty.”

Dee smirked at that, but I could tell she appreciated the compliment. “Come on, let’s check out the vendor stalls.” A great idea that increasingly looked a lot less great the nearer we got.

We threaded our way down to Turtle Pond and onto the snow-covered part where the vendors had set up. This was not some third-rate state fair merchant row. There were sights that were obviously magical in nature: true magic tricks that defied physics; entities flying above our heads in ways no bird ever flew; objects whose appearance resisted any kind of human label.

Dee looked around. “This. Is. Incredible.”

I froze, worried Dee had finally detected the reality of her situation. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I’ve seen plenty of magic shows, and I know you can do some crazy stuff with technology, but I didn’t know it could be this real. Who did you say is throwing this party?”

“Someone I’ve met once or twice. She goes by the name Wren.”

“Whoever she is, she really knows how to host. I can’t imagine how much all the effects cost her.”

I was still nervous that Wren’s glamour had failed, but after a few minutes, my nerves calmed down. The glamour was hiding the most obvious things from Dee—she still saw only mortals—and it was morphing the rest just enough to make it believable.

Instead of a levitating table of food, Dee saw a table on wheels. Instead of a flock of glowing birds performing aerial patterns above us, Dee was convinced it was an incredible drone show.

“No one back in Cold Creek is going to believe this,” Dee said. She pulled out her phone and started taking pictures before I could stop her.

“Oh, let me see,” I said, desperate to confirm that Wren’s glamour extended to modern technology. I shouldn’t have been worried. The pictures looked impressive but gave no hint to the true nature of the celebration.

We perused a massive banquet table, where I handed over my sourdough loaves to a sprite.

“Thank you for your offering,” she said. “I’ll be sure to let Wren know.”

“And please share my thanks for Wren’s gracious hospitality.”

“Are we going to meet Wren?” Dee asked.

“Maybe. I’ve never been to this celebration before.”

We sampled foods and drinks from the vendors, and it was all deliciously incredible. After a while, I relaxed enough to enjoy the event and my time with Dee. We laughed and talked and pretty soon, it was like old times.

A chime sounded repeatedly, and our attention turned to the small stage. A figure raised an arm in greeting.

“That’s Wren,” I said to Dee.

Wren held her iconic yellow umbrella and wore a sparkling coat of white and blue. Her white hair sported a fancy style. Even from our distant vantage point, I could make out her all-white eyes.

She lifted her umbrella, and the party went totally silent.

“Welcome, all, to another winter solstice. We gather to recognize the turning point of both the year and our power. Beginning tomorrow, our days grow longer and brighter, and our power grows, too. The temporary home you have made here, this displaced refuge, has provided another year of protection, and as long as—”

Wren’s hand went to her head for a moment. I felt a wave of nausea at the same time.

Pet, something’s wrong.

Wren’s voice continued. “As long as I draw breath, the Manhattan nexus shall forever be beyond the reach of the Unseelie and the mages who would see us destroyed. My promise and vow to you—”

She swayed and leaned on her umbrella. My chest clenched in pain.

What’s going on, Snowpuff?

It’s the nexus.

“My vow to you is that one day, you can return home if you choose. Until then—”

Wren swayed again, and this time, her umbrella didn’t stop her collapse.

Chapter Six

Chaos.

Fear.

Confusion.

There was all that and a lot more happening in the minutes after Wren’s literal stage dive. No amount of glamour could hide that from Dee.

The holiday-inspired happy vibe evaporated as everyone reacted differently.

Some sprites in the crowd flocked to the stage and surrounded Wren. The rest spread out towards the perimeter of the celebration, buzzing low over the crowd. I—and I suspect the House Vervain members—was immediately on edge and braced for an attack.

“Whoa,” Dee said. “What’s going on?”

I grimaced through another flash of pain. “I truly have no idea.”

I wanted to run to Wren’s side as much as I wanted to portal Dee back to House Vervain. I scanned the area, searching for any Unseelie. There would not be a better time to attack than during the turmoil happening at the celebration.

“Melina!” Adriana called out as she and Thomas ran towards us. “Are you two okay?”

“Yes,” I said. “Have you seen Keg?”

“He was by the vendor stalls about twenty minutes ago,” Thomas said. “I think you and Dee should head home.”

“I don’t want to leave until I find Keg and—” I almost said Fynch. “And know that Wren’s okay.”

“I am sure she will be fine,” Adriana replied. “Glimmer will bring word when there is news to share. And Keg will be fine on his own.”

She and Thomas headed for the exit. I hesitated a moment, looking back at the stage. I couldn’t see Wren, but Adriana was right. There was nothing I could do to help Wren that the sprites couldn’t do better.

“Whoa,” Dee said. “That’s odd.”

“What?”

“I thought I saw.” She shook her head. “Never mind. Must have been some of that spiced cider from earlier.”

Wren’s glamour is failing.

“Let’s get home.” We caught up with Thomas and Adriana and funneled out of the exit. I saw some Techgnome Bros, but not Dexx, which might have meant nothing or everything.

I’d have done almost anything to portal us home, but I wasn’t ready to reveal that card to Dee just yet. We saw no signs of Unseelie, and I prayed that would stay the case long enough for us to make it back to House Vervain.

“I hope your friend’s going to be okay,” Dee said.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” I lied.

The pains I’d felt before had vanished, thankfully. We walked quickly but tried not to spook Dee. I constantly watched for Unseelie in the busy sidewalks and couldn’t resist looking behind me every block or so. If Dee thought we’d turned paranoid, she wasn’t saying anything.

House Vervain had become my second home, and I’d always enjoyed walking through the front door. That night, I felt happier than ever to be safely inside the building.

A bark from the basement preceded the appearance of Fynch a second later, back in his terrier form. He whined until I picked him up.

“It’s okay,” I assured him. “We’re fine.”

“Bit of a bummer on the party,” Dee said.

“Yeah. Maybe for the best, though. I could use some sleep.”

She yawned. “Same.”

“Would you like me to make you something?” Adriana asked Dee.

“Gosh, no, but thank you. I ate a week’s worth of calories back there.”

“The kitchen is always open if you change your mind.”

“Thanks, Adriana.”

Dee said goodnight and headed up to her room. The rest of us gathered in my office. It might have been hard to explain the behavior if Dee changed her mind about a late-night snack and discovered us crammed in the room, but I had to hammer out things with the Vervain team.

“Okay, so what just happened?” Thomas asked as he settled into a chair. Adriana took the other chair, and Fynch dropped his glamour, opting to sit cross-legged on my desk.

“All I know for sure is Wren collapsed during her speech,” I said. “And I had some weird pains that seemed to coincide with Wren’s reactions. I feel fine now, but I think something’s happened to the Manhattan nexus.”

YOU think?

Sorry, sorry.

“Correction. Snowpuff thinks something’s happened to the nexus.”

“And that’s what caused Wren to collapse?” Fynch asked.

I shrugged. “Maybe. Isn’t she linked to it? I thought she couldn’t go too far from the park because she’d lose her power.”

“Linked is as good a word as any,” Adriana replied. “Though the precise nature of the linkage is something Wren has never expounded on. My belief is that she is intertwined with the nexus in a way that is unique and quite different from the link the Vervain stewards have with it. And, as far as I know, though she is connected to the nexus, she does not need it to live.”

“I seem to have been affected as well, which begs the question if something really has happened to the nexus,” I said.

“How do we know Snowpuff is correct?” Fynch asked. “I mean, couldn’t it be a coincidence?”

“Certainly possible,” Adriana said. “We have many questions and few answers at this time, meaning we do not have enough information. This might simply be an isolated medical issue, or it could be a prelude to something far more nefarious. Before we react, let us consider things carefully.”

I turned to Fynch. “Any chance you’d be willing to check on Wren?”

“Sure. I’ll try to find Keg, too.”

“Thank you.”

Thomas stood. “All right. Let’s do our best to remain optimistic. And there’s no need to frighten poor Dee.”

Fynch reverted to his terrier mode, and Thomas walked him to the front door. Adriana asked me to join her in the kitchen. As soon as we were alone, I said, “I’m really, really sorry for what I said earlier. Please accept my apology.”

The elf dropped a tea ball into a cup. She lifted a kettle from the marble counter and poured water from it, steam rising up in the air, despite the kettle not being anywhere near the stove. More fae magic I had yet to be able to replicate. I began brewing coffee the old-fashioned way.

The elf replied, “I do. And I have reflected on my efforts. I can see how they made you uncomfortable.”

“It’s all right.” I rummaged through the pantry for a snack and decided on some sugar cookies. “Dee’s arrival has me completely out of sorts.”

“I am sure, though may I make an observation?”

“Of course.”

“You were just beginning to find your feet here before Dee showed up. At least, you appeared much more comfortable interacting with fae and being out in the neighborhood. You also seemed to be adjusting to your role as a mage steward.”

I nodded and took a bite of a cookie. “Yeah, that’s about right. I still haven’t quite sorted out the long game plan yet, but I’m trying to find a way to keep both my worlds intact.”

“What I mean is, you were no longer jumping at your own shadow. The lifelong fears your mother ingrained in you had begun to recede.”

I bristled at the implication my mother had intentionally filled me with fear before putting that reaction aside. Adriana and I had already hashed this out, and we’d both agreed there had been mistakes made by the fae and my family members.

Yes, I still placed most of the blame on the Seelie fae who had tried establishing a connection with mortals—specifically, one of my ancestors. If they had been less cryptic or more forthright in their efforts, things might have gone very differently.

Or if the Unseelie hadn’t found and murdered an ancestor of mine, my family might not have turned their backs on all fae.

But the Seelie had fumbled their introduction, and the Unseelie had sealed things with a murder. The result? Generations of my female ancestors lived in perpetual fear of fae, often in hiding, sometimes on the run, and never enjoying a moment’s peace.

Still, Adriana wasn’t wrong. I’d begun to let go of some of those fears, and I’d definitely enjoyed having joy, laughter, and a sense of family fill in the gaps.

I continued to be at risk, no question about it, but House Vervain had shown me it was possible to put down the burden of fear I carried, if only for a small amount of time.

Nodding in reply, I said, “That feels right. And if I’m being honest, I was beginning to see a life for me here amongst the fae. One that wasn’t all gloom and doom.”

“Dee’s presence unbalanced you, and your natural instinct was to seek shelter. The old fears resurfaced, and your concern for her well-being triggered a reversion to your former mindset.”

Adriana’s point made sense, and the more I considered it, the more I agreed with it. “Yeah, I can see that.”

“My efforts were simply attempts to keep you from fully closing yourself off from a life you deserve.” She sipped her tea. “You deserve happiness, Melina, and I think you could find it here.”

The prick of tears came quickly and without warning. I blinked and wiped them away. “I think so, too.”

“With that, it is now my turn to apologize. Please forgive my good intentions.”

I hugged her, which I think came as a surprise to the elf. She patted my back a few times before pulling me closer in a tighter embrace.

“I forgive you, Adriana.”

I stepped back, wiped more tears away with my sleeve. We sat at the kitchen table for a few silent moments, sipping our drinks and sitting with the moment.

“Am I interrupting?” Adam’s astral form appeared at the kitchen door.

“Not at all,” I said.

Adam moved towards us. I pulled out a chair, which he sat on. I doubted he got fatigued, but it helped distract me from the fact that I was sitting next to someone whose body was on another plane of existence.

“We were discussing some recent events,” Adriana began. “There’s been an incident. Wren collapsed during her celebration speech.”

Adam leaned forward. “Is she well?”

“We are waiting to find out. We feared it was an Unseelie attack, and Thomas and I escorted Melina and her friend back here.”

“Yes, Thomas mentioned Dee’s sudden appearance. I take it by the calmness of your manner there was no Unseelie attack?”

Adriana shook her head. “Not as far as we know. Fynch has gone to find Keg and to obtain an update on Wren’s condition. For now, the rest of us are staying within these walls.”

The former steward grunted and rubbed at his face. “That is disconcerting news, especially given the timing.”

“Snowpuff believes something has happened to the nexus,” I said. “But it’s probably just a coincidence.”

If Adam had been disconcerted before, he was completely spun up at the mention of the nexus. “What’s happened to the nexus?”

“Like I said, Snowpuff thinks something’s wrong with the nexus. She didn’t say any more than that.”

Because I don’t know any more than that.

It’s not a criticism, it’s a fact.

It certainly sounded like a criticism.

Well, I’m sorry.

You could have said that at the beginning.

Adam stood and floated about the room. Without a doubt, he was doing the astral equivalent of pacing. “You said there wasn’t an Unseelie attack. I’m not convinced that’s true.”

Chapter Seven

Before Adriana or I could react to Adam’s comments, we heard the front door open. In the hallway, I found Keg, Fynch, and Glimmer.

“Adam’s here,” I whispered, hoping we wouldn’t wake Dee. “He thinks things are worse than we believe.”

“They are,” Glimmer replied. She was glamoured in her human form, which was really just a larger version of her sprite form, minus the pointy ears and wings: black skin, large afro, and light brown eyes.

Everyone got settled in the kitchen and turned their attention to Glimmer. The sprite delivered the bad news.

“First off, Wren’s alive but just barely. We’ve got her in her home, so she’s safe from the Unseelie, but I don’t think she’s going to survive for long.” Glimmer’s eyes turned shiny, and she swallowed. “She says something’s happened to the nexus at its source, and both it and her are slowly dying.”

The others began talking over each other, and the sounds became a distant buzz as I processed Glimmer’s update. How could Wren be dying? She was one of the most powerful entities on the planet. She’d survived for centuries, maybe longer, and had done so in spite of the Unseelie and the mages who hated the fae.

As for the nexus, I didn’t need a ton of imagination to envision a world without it. Piter and the mages would seize House Vervain, overrun Manhattan, and hunt down every last fae still trapped on the physical plane.

It was a one-two punch that left me gutted.

Adam’s voice bubbled up into my consciousness. “. . . from the fae world. It has to be.”

“No fae can go near a nexus in our home world,” Keg replied. “We’re drawn to them here because they provide a source of magic energy but more importantly, they don’t kill us. Back home, no fae can survive being near one for too long. It’s too much raw power.”

“So you’re saying it’s not the Unseelie?” Thomas asked.

The dwarf shook his head. “I’m not saying they aren’t involved somehow, just that I doubt an actual fae poisoned the source.”

“Piter,” I said. “It was Piter Renard.”

“That’s what Wren thinks,” Glimmer replied. “He tried taking the nexus by force earlier this month because he figured he could use its immense power to oust House Vervain and topple Wren. But he failed. Wren’s convinced that Piter’s plan now is to destroy the nexus and deny its power to everyone. He doesn’t need to control the nexus to achieve his goal, and he’s right. Without the nexus, we’re all just petals waiting to get plucked.”

“This isn’t over,” I said. “And Dexx is still—”

“A suspect.” Glimmer’s wings rustled briefly.

“We don’t have any proof,” I replied. “And the Techgnome Bros can extend our ability to monitor the island.”

“They pose a potential threat. I’ve asked them to stay out of Central Park.”

Ugh.

I didn’t judge Glimmer for her suspicion or for her concern for Wren and the rest of us. A week of playing nice on Dexx’s part couldn’t erase overnight the years of trouble he inflicted on Seelie fae. There were a lot more stones needing repair before Glimmer would confidently cross that bridge of trust.

“Fair,” I said. “But please don’t cut them out completely. We can have all fae stay within the castle walls for now, the sprites can protect the park, and Dexx and his team can monitor the rest of the island. Is that acceptable to you?”

“It’s a reasonable plan.”

“Great. Thank you. Okay, we need to save Wren, and to do that, we need to save the nexus. How?”

“If my guess is correct,” Adam began, “Renard has managed to poison the nexus at its source in the fae world. Presuming the damage can be reversed, no fae stands a chance of getting near it. That means a mortal will have to investigate and, hopefully, find a way to undo Renard’s plans.”

There was more crosstalk and arguments, only half of which I followed, because I was already beginning to work out how I could venture to the fae world, find the source, fix the nexus, and get back safely in one piece.

Preferably before Dee woke up.

It took me a couple of tries to get my portal to open near Wren’s castle. I consoled myself that it was nerves, even though I secretly feared my magic had been compromised. Portaling was a skill only stewards were able to perform, and it was the only ability I’d picked up so far. The reason was I didn’t technically draw on the nexus to portal. That ability automatically came to whoever rightfully held the position of Steward of House Vervain, thanks to Wren.

But either my portaling ability was tied to the nexus or whatever was happening with the nexus was throwing off my ability to successfully portal near it.

My first attempt wasn’t even inside Central Park. My second and third attempts were close to the castle but still left me with a long walk. Finally, I hit my target on the fourth try.

Several sprites assembled around the portal, fearful of some Unseelie surprise. They relaxed as soon as they saw Glimmer.

“I’ll take you inside,” she said. I followed her through the glamoured entrance at the bottom of the castle’s small cliff. My path mirrored my previous visit: up a curving staircase, across a large ballroom, and up a smaller staircase to the top floor.

I hadn’t made the connection until now, but the small room was reminiscent of the steward’s retreat at House Vervain. The biggest difference was Wren’s retreat offered a 360-degree view of Manhattan from a much higher and unrestricted vantage point.

Wren sat in a stuffed chair, her eyes closed. Her yellow umbrella leaned against the chair, and she looked smaller and older. Glimmer flew to her side and whispered, “Steward Morgan is here.”

Wren stirred and opened her eyes. I’d gotten used to their all-white color, but her eyelids hung heavy. She looked, in a word, ill.

“Glimmer, please give us a moment.” The sprite gave a hesitant nod before flying away. “Come sit with me, Melina.”

I sat next to her. “How can I help?”

Wren smiled at that. “Adam chose his successor wisely.” She coughed. “The nexus has been poisoned at its source in the fae world. Its power is waning, as is my own. And if you have not felt its effects, you soon will.”

“I experienced pains during your speech, but I’ve felt fine since then.”

“That won’t last. I’m using my own life force to delay the poison’s advance. But I can’t reverse it, and the longer the poison does its work, the weaker we both become.”

“What can I do?”

“You’ll have to venture to the fae world and remove the poison. And I can’t go with you.” I nodded, part of me already having reached that conclusion. What she said next was far more uplifting. “I have sent several of my sprites to protect your father and summoned Nod.”

Nod!

With him guarding Dee and House Vervain, I could focus on other things, like, you know, staying alive in the fae world.

“Do you know how I can find the nexus?” I asked.

“I believe your wyrm companion is familiar with that area.”

She is correct, pet.

Okay, Snowpuff might get me to the source, but even with her and Nod, there was no guarantee I could heal the nexus.

“How can I fix it?”

Wren started speaking before another coughing fit cut her off. Her breathing was a labored wheeze, which frightened me more than seeing her collapse earlier. “I don’t know exactly what’s happened. I suspect Renard is ultimately behind it, though how is a mystery for the moment. You will have to figure out the cause once you’re there and cure it yourself.”

“You’re asking a lot from someone who can’t even tap into the nexus.”

“You stopped Renard once before. You have faced down Unseelie. You have convinced the Techgnome Bros to turn their backs on violence. I believe you can do this, too, Melina.”

I didn’t have her confidence, but I was willing to fight for the fae. “Okay. I’ll go.”

Wren’s eyes closed again. “I don’t have much time, and neither do the fae, Melina. Our fate is in your hands.”

Chapter Eight

“Melina, you can’t do this.”

“I can, Thomas, and I am. You can help, or you can kindly stop trying to change my mind.”

The consigliere had waited outside my living quarters while I changed into clothes better suited for an expedition of near-certain death versus a fae-filled holiday celebration: shirt, light jacket, jeans, and boots.

“Respectfully, I’m doing my job and sharing my thoughts.”

“For which I am grateful. And for the record, I don’t want to do this, either, but I’ve got to. All the Vervain fae are trapped in this world. They couldn’t go with me, even if they wanted to. You aren’t a steward and can’t access the nexus. So, unless there’s another mortal around here who has a chance of tapping into the nexus, it looks like I’m going alone.”

Not completely alone, pet.

Well, I meant no other fae from Earth. Obviously, you have to stay near me.

Yes. To protect you.

I meant so you could recover your soul.

That, too.

I was gathering things for my trip into the fae world, though I honestly had no idea what I was doing.

Would I need my cell phone? Probably not. Would I need an extra pair of socks? Maybe. Would I need my rowan broom? Who knew for sure, but I was definitely taking it.

“I’ll go,” Thomas repeated. “You need to stay.”

“You can’t tap into the nexus,” I replied. “Only Wren or a Vervain steward can do that.”

“I’ll still go,” he insisted. “You’ll need every bit of help you can get if you want even a chance of making it back alive.”

Ignoring the vote of confidence—not—I replied, “Please have Adriana feed my starter while I’m gone. She knows how.”

He put his hand on my arm. “That won’t be necessary because you aren’t going. We can’t risk losing you. Please, just listen to me.”

“Nope. You listen to me. Dee’s my best friend in the whole world. I’m leaving her at House Vervain so you and everyone else can protect her in case I fail. Just promise me you’ll get her to Cold Creek if I don’t make it back. And give my dad this note.”

I handed the consigliere an envelope containing a hastily written note explaining that I was likely heading to my death, but hopefully not, but if so, I’ll always love him.

As I said, hastily.

Thomas wisely accepted the envelope without objecting. “If you fail, the nexus falls, Wren dies, and the Manhattan fae will be scattered to the four winds. The mages and Unseelie will hunt them down one by one. Please, let me go with you.”

“I know you’re the consigliere, and I appreciate your input. I’m asking you not as a steward but as a friend: protect Dee.”

He sighed and nodded. “I will. But you going to the fae world is still a mistake.”

I nodded. “Oh, for sure.” I pointed at my crown. “Comes with the territory, though.”

“Anything else you need?”

“Yes. I want to go shopping in the Armory.”

Keg tried talking me out of going to the fae world, but he capitulated faster than Thomas, which was a relief. The sooner I fixed the nexus, the better. Or, if you took Snowpuff’s position, the sooner I was dead, the sooner I could stop worrying about things.

Fynch and Adam were already in the Armory.

“You sure about this?” the dwarf asked Thomas.

“I am. Just don’t give her anything she’s likely to die using.”

Keg grunted and surveyed the room. “That rules out the relics. They require a ton of power. Rules out most of the artifacts, too. But I’ve got a couple of things that shouldn’t sap your life force. Probably. Let’s start with this guy.” Keg held up a familiar mask. “The Echoing Eyes of Montirado. This is still tuned to you and will up your innate abilities.”

As long as I wore it, the mask took my sight and fading powers from meh to mega. “Yeah, the Eyes for sure.” I put it in my pocket.

Fynch hovered by a small piece of brass tubing. “What about this?”

Keg’s eyebrows nearly climbed off his head. “Why don’t you fireball her right here and now and get it over with?”

The imp rolled his eyes. “Come on, it’s not that dangerous.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“The Whistle of Extinction.”

I took a step back. “Yeah, I’m kind of in Keg’s camp on this one, Fynch. Count me out on the whole extinction thing.”

Fynch crossed his arms. “You’re immune to it, but everyone around you will be extinctioned.”

“That’s not a word,” I replied.

“Says you.” A pair of reading glasses appeared on Fynch’s face, and a book materialized in his hand. He flipped to a page and began reading. “Here we are. ‘Immune. Resistant or exempt from an effect; uninfluenced.’” The glasses and book winked out of existence. “See?”

I didn’t bother arguing. “How does it work?”

“It’s literally a whistle,” the imp replied. “Just one note will bring down death to any living entity around you.”

“What’s the range?”

“Depends, but twenty to twenty-five yards should be a solid kill zone.”

I pocketed that, too, though I didn’t plan on using it. “Anything else?”

The dwarf pulled a silver bracelet from a drawer. “Siobhán’s Shield. Won’t stop a direct blow, but it’ll deflect everything else. The best thing about this is you don’t have to think about it. It’s working twenty-four-seven.”

“Love it.” I put it on my left wrist and wondered why Keg hadn’t given it to me before. “What’s the downside?”

Keg tapped his temple. “Smart question. Since your magic control is nearly non-existent and this thing’s always on, there’s a slight chance it could futz with the Eyes or the Whistle. Might even short circuit the conairestone, now that I think about it.”

I promptly removed it and placed it in another pocket. I couldn’t be hit by a fireball if I couldn’t be seen. I’d prefer to have full access to my sight and fading abilities than possibly deflect some physical damage. “Noted. How about the conairestone I used earlier?”

I’d saved Fynch’s life by using the teleportation stone to send him back to House Vervain after he’d been captured by dearg.

Keg shook his head. “Only works on the physical plane, and it’s tied to House Vervain. Not much point in taking it.”

Fynch and Keg searched the rest of the room, occasionally debating over one of the items. Some I simply couldn’t use because I couldn’t provide the magic fuel required to activate them. The rest were deemed far too dangerous.

“Sorry, Melina,” Keg said. “This is everything I’m comfortable giving you. But I can tell you this: I believe the nexus source is located in an area called A Thousand Daggers.”

That is true, pet.

“Great,” I said.

“It’s in Unseelie territory.”

“Less great.”

“Sorry. So, what’s your plan for getting to the fae world and back?”

“I’ll take the grove there, and then I’ll portal back.”

Adam and the rest exchanged uncomfortable looks.

“Portaling only works in one plane at a time,” Keg said. “Same with the pathing stone. You’re going to need to find another way back.”

“How do fae get here?” I asked. “Aren’t there doorways to this world?”

Thomas nodded. “Yes, but they’re typically guarded. You would have to find one controlled by Seelie.”

I put a pin in that and realized I was using a lot of them. “Let’s hope Oberon and Aine aren’t still mad about my use of the conairestone.”

“Yes, that’s a consideration, but there’s another. The grove connects to an area in the fae world that’s highly contested. You may be walking into Unseelie-controlled territory right off the bat.”

“Yeah, cool, why make things easy, right?” I sighed. “Anything else I should know?”

“Excuse me, all,” Adam said. “I’m struggling to sustain my projection, so I’ll keep this brief. I agree with Thomas, Melina. Venturing into the fae world is wildly reckless. Even I’ve never done that. However, in my current state, I’m obviously unable to stop you.” He passed a hand through a wall. “Because I see you’re determined to follow this course, I’m going to ask you for a favor.”

“Sure, Adam.”

“I’ve been unable to find a direct way to get to the physical plane. I had not considered going to the fae world for obvious reasons, but I believe it’s far more achievable. If I can get my body to the fae world—”

“We can get you back here. Just tell me how I can find you.”

Adam smiled. “If Thomas will be kind enough to place a small spell on your Vervain ring, I can use that to locate you.”

“Works for me,” I said.

“Please hold out your hand,” Thomas requested. I did, and he recited an incantation. The ring flared bright green for a moment. “All set, Adam.”

“You must promise me one thing, Melina,” Adam said. “If you achieve your goal and make it to a doorway, don’t wait for me. Don’t come looking for me.”

“I can’t promise that. I owe you—”

“Nothing. You owe me nothing. And I’ll still have a chance to return to Earth, even if we don’t find each other.”

I crossed my fingers behind my back. “Okay, I promise.”

“Then I’m off to prepare for my jump to the fae world. I hope to see all of you again very soon.” He spared his final glance for Thomas before disappearing.

“Anyone know where Adriana is?” I asked.

“Try the kitchen,” Fynch replied. “She was up there last I checked.”

The imp was right. I found Adriana, but I also found someone else.

“Nod!”

The dwarf grinned, removed his hat, and bowed. “Greetings, Steward Morgan!”

“Greetings yourself, you old dwarf! It sure is good to see you.”

“Aye, and you, too.”

A familiar pair of fireplace tools leaned against the island. “You still have the tongs and poker from my house?”

“Well, those and some more traditional weaponry.” He nodded at the double-bladed axe next to the tools and winked at me. “Figure if we’re going into Unseelie lands, stick with what works, eh?”

“I’m so glad you’re here, Nod, but are you sure you don’t want to stay here to protect House Vervain and my friend?”

Nod frowned and crossed his arms. “You aren’t getting rid of me that easily, lass.”

I held up my hands in defeat. “Understood, and thank you. You may want to take a spin through the Armory in the basement. Keg, Fynch, and Thomas are down there.”

“Then a-spinning I shall go,” the dwarf said before heading off.

Adriana finished wrapping up several small packages of food on the counter.

“I have put together some essentials for you, Melina. I recommend avoiding food and drink if possible while in my homeland. Some can be deadly to mortals, others can cause unpleasant effects.” She held up a small cup. “This will refill with water whenever you hold it upright. There is a small satchel of salt, and the rest is food. Rather rudimentary and bland, but it should sustain you for a week or so.”

I placed the provisions in the pack. “A week? I don’t think we have that long. I’m either back here in a day or two, or I’m not coming back at all.”

“You will find time does not flow with the same consistency as it does here.”

“It goes faster there?” I asked.

“It progresses differently.”

“That’s not really helpful.”

“I apologize. You will understand once you’re there.” She slipped a ring off her finger, a gold band with an inscription on the outside in a language I couldn’t read. “I cannot join you, but I can offer you this. If you find yourself in unfriendly hands, give them the ring. Tell them it is a locum pledge from me. It may offer you some protection.”

I put on the ring and realized I was wearing more jewelry than I had in years. If I didn’t survive, at least I’d be well adorned for my funeral.

“Not much use with the Unseelie, I bet.”

She shrugged. “More than you might think.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“No. Thank you. This is not a fight of your making, and you should not have to attempt it. I am truly sorry I cannot be at your side, Melina.”

“Just take care of Sourdough Joe for me.”

She smiled at that. “Of course.”

“Thanks again for the provisions, and please tell Dee I had to leave unexpectedly and that I hope to be back soon.”

She nodded. “We will watch over her until your return.”

We walked to the grove’s entrance. Adriana opened the doors, and we stepped into the forest setting. The space was the creation of a former Vervain steward, who had crafted an overlapping intersection between the fae world and physical world.

The room got its name from the grassy clearing surrounded by a thickly wooded forest. A stream quietly burbled nearby, its waters capable of healing anyone who entered them. I’d had the unfortunate need of taking a dip, as had Glimmer. Luckily for us, the stream had saved our lives in the past few weeks.

A weak sun struggled to shine through the canopy of treetops. It felt surreal, like going on a picnic after learning a family member was terminally ill.

I did another inventory of my gear to calm my nerves. I had a small backpack, my broom, and Snowpuff and Nod. I’d grabbed my trusty sliver of iron at the last minute, slipping the necklace over my head. I hadn’t worn it in days, and the press of metal against my chest felt weird and comforting at the same time.

I also had the artifacts, a loaf of sourdough bread, and an insane case of denial about just how dangerous this plan was.

Hopefully, that would be enough.

Are you sure you have to do this, pet?

I am. I won’t lie, though. It’s the last thing I want to do, but I have to try.

Even if you perish in the attempt?

Is this your idea of a pep talk? Because humans usually try for a more positive tone.

There was a pause.

Even if you perish in a noble and glorious death of martyrdom that will be spoken of for ages to come?

That’s . . . Sure. Even then.

This human interaction is not so hard. I don’t know why you think it’s so challenging.

The guys appeared at the end of the hall and joined us in the grove. Keg had a helm and a chest plate that might have been from the armory. He carried his axe and had the poker and shovel attached to his backpack.

“Good luck,” Adriana said, and she gave me a hug. Keg and even Fynch did, too. I got no flashes of memories or the past or anything like before. I wasn’t sure if that was good or not, but I chose to go with the former.

Getting to the fae world via the grove couldn’t have been easier: just pick a direction and start walking. I’d shortly be fully in the fae world. Unfortunately, in this case, the grove had been heavily warded to prevent anyone from returning, so it was a one-way door.

I tugged at my backpack straps and picked up my broom. “Anyone have an idea of which direction is best?”

Adriana briefly checked the sky before pointing to the right. “I suggest that direction if you are looking for lands under the control of the Seelie.”

Keg nodded in the opposite direction. “But A Thousand Daggers is more in that direction and definitely in Unseelie territory. Even Renard and whatever allies he’s co-opted couldn’t have poisoned a nexus located in Seelie lands.”

The dwarf is correct, pet. We should head that way.

Thank you. I would feel better if you weren’t invisible right now.

I will grant your wish.

Snowpuff appeared at my feet. Nod had heard all about the whiptail wyrm from the other Vervain members, so he didn’t try killing her when they met. But his body language made it clear he still had reservations about the kitten-dragon.

Nod said goodbye to everyone and gave Keg a long hug. Keg clapped the other dwarf on his shoulder. “For family.”

“For family,” Nod replied.

“Right,” I said. “We get to the fae world, fix the nexus source in Daggers, save Wren’s life, avoid being killed by the Unseelie fae, find Adam, find a Seelie-controlled doorway, and get back all in one piece. No problem.”

Nod winked at me. “Back before you know it.”

“You can do this, Melina,” Thomas said.

I took a step but stopped when I heard, “Whoa. Am I dreaming?”

We all turned to find Dee standing in the entrance of the grove. She was still dressed from the party but had switched her heels to sneakers.

Buttermilk biscuits.

“Dee! What are you doing here?” I asked, which was a terribly stupid thing to say but the first thing that leapt out of my mouth. I could be forgiven for a lack of mental traction, given my worst nightmare had just come true.

None of the fae were glamoured, and the grove couldn’t be explained away by drone tech.

Dee stepped into the grove, coming closer to us. “Wait. You’re Adriana and Thomas, but the rest of you . . .” Her eyes slowed as she looked across the dwarves and came to a full stop on the imp.

“Bark?” Fynch said.

“Fynch?”

Fynch snapped his fingers. “Got it in one! Yeah, this is my true form. I can do other stuff, too.” He glamoured through a couple of different birds, a squirrel, a cat and his teacup terrier form.

Dee looked to me for an explanation.

“Dashford, I know this is going to sound crazy, but everyone here except Thomas is fae. Keg is a dwarf, and so is Nod.” Nod bowed to Dee. “Fynch is an imp, and Adriana is an elf. They’re my friends.”

“Fae. Friends. Sure.” She backed up to the hallway and muttered, “I didn’t imagine those things back at the party, did I?”

“Just about everyone there was fae,” I said. “What did you see?”

“I thought they were all costumes.”

Fynch pretended to pull at his face as if trying to remove a mask. “No costumes. This is one hundred percent organic, baby.”

Adriana whispered to me. “I can remove this from her memory.”

“No.” I wasn’t going to be party to some non-consensual memory wipe.

“Honesty it is, then,” the elf replied. “Dee, these are not costumes, and we are not technically blood relatives of Melina.”

“No kidding.” Dee crossed her arms and looked at me. “Care to tell me what’s going on? I mean, what’s really going on?”

Honesty it is, then.

“Fae are real, and so are mages. Thomas is a mage, everyone else here is fae. They’re good fae, but some fae are evil, and they’ve messed with a source of power Wren uses to keep the fae in Manhattan safe. Whatever they did is draining the power of the nexus at its source and killing Wren in the process. I’m going to the fae world to fix that so Wren won’t die. And not all mages are bad, but some are, and they want all fae killed, good and bad. Anyway, if I can fix the power source, Wren and I can continue protecting the fae from some of the bad mages. Oh, and I’m a steward for one of the mage houses. It’s called House Vervain.” I paused, aware of how much I’d been rambling. “I’ve been lying about a lot of things, Dee, and I’m really sorry.”

Dee grunted and nodded slowly. “Okay, I believe you. So, how can I help? Do I get a broom, too?”

I blinked. “Um, that’s all you have to say?”

“Nope, got tons more to say, but it sounds like we don’t have a lot of time. I heard something about saving Wren’s life.”

“Well, that’s true, but you’re staying here, and the Vervain members are going to protect you.”

Dee made a game show buzzer noise. “Wrong. I’m going with you.”

“I can’t let you do this.”

Another buzzer noise. “Wrong again. Daggers is that way?” Dee pointed in the direction I’d been heading.

“Yeah, but—”

Before any of us could react, Dee took off into the woods.

Chapter Nine

There’s a reason Dee Ashford is called Dashford. She picked up the nickname while running track in high school. Based on how fast she was moving through the forest, she was still in amazing shape.

Weighed down by the backpack and a cumbersome broom that kept catching on branches, I had no chance of catching Dee. But I plunged ahead anyway, praying that Nod or I could catch her in time.

I knew the other Vervain members couldn’t have followed even if they wanted to. They were trapped on the physical plane.

I failed miserably at running down Dee, only catching up to her after Snowpuff had tripled in size and appeared in front of her. Dee scrambled to a stop near the edge of a small outcropping.

She almost ran off a cliff. Not too bright, this one.

She’s got a mountain of courage, Snowpuff.

Perhaps, but you did not correct me about her intelligence.

That’s not what I meant.

“It’s okay, Dee, this is Snowpuff. She’s a wyrm and a friend. Totally harmless.”

I am not!

To us. You’re totally harmless to us.

Then say what you mean and mean what you say.

Dee froze in place, her eyes wide and still focused on the wyrm.

Please go back to your regular size, Snowpuff. You saved her, but now you’re frightening her. Snowpuff complied.

“Dee, you have to turn back now,” I said, even though I had a sinking feeling we were already way past the warded barrier and now stuck in the fae world.

“Not till we fix the power source nexie thingy. Which way now?”

“You can’t go with me. It’s insanely dangerous, which is why I didn’t want you coming with me in the first place. There’s so much I haven’t told you. It really would have been better for everyone if you’d stayed back.”

She held up her arms. “Well, we’re both here now, and I’ve got plenty of time. Start talking.”

Nod arrived, slowing to a halt and looking to me for guidance. I gave him a small nod.

“Okay, Dee,” I said. “We’re in the fae world now, where half the people will torture us and then kill us, and if we aren’t already in their lands, we soon will be. I’m also trying to find someone here who’s been trapped in a pocket world for weeks. Even if we do all that, we still have to find a doorway back to Earth. And then there’s the added wrinkle of your presence. I’m not even sure I can protect myself, much less protect you, too.”

“I can move fast when I have to.” She grinned at her joke, which just made me more irritated.

“This isn’t funny, Dee. This is real. Life or death. Not just us, but a lot of people back on the physical plane I care about.”

She turned serious. “Okay. For realsies, then. You, me, mecha kitten-dragon, and beardie out to save the world. Let’s do it.”

Did she really understand the stakes? Probably not, but that didn’t damper my gratitude for her blind devotion. Now that we were trapped in the fae world for the time being, I was relieved to have her by my side.

“Beardie’s name is Nod,” I reminded Dee. “And he saved my life back in Cold Creek.”

The dwarf lifted his head at Dee, who said, “Sorry about the beard joke. If you saved Melina’s life, you’re good in my book.”

Am I now worthy of an apology? I’m neither kitten nor dragon.

“Snowpuff would like an apology, too. She stopped you before you accidentally ran off a cliff.”

“Oh, well then, thank you for that,” Dee said. She leaned towards me and whispered, “Should I pet her now or what?”

Not if she would prefer to keep her fingers.

“Snowpuff’s not really into the whole physical affection thing.”

“Too bad. She’s super cute.”

Well. Perhaps the human’s brighter than she looks.

“This isn’t going to be a Slumming Saturday,” I said. “No pizzas or movies or whatever.”

She shrugged. “Fine by me.”

“All right, we’ll do this together. But I’ve got a few decades’ worth of stuff to share with you at some point, and I really hope you’ll still want to be my friend after you hear it all.”

“I just raced into another dimension because I wanted to help you. If you think you’re going to lose my friendship that easily, you’ve got another thing coming, Morgan.”

I wanted to believe her, I truly did.

Snowpuff told me about A Thousand Daggers, which she said was about a two-day walk from our location. The area took its name from the tall stone spires rising up in the small valley. The nexus source was at the valley’s center. Fae avoided the entire valley, but Unseelie had set up small encampments around it.

You can portal to the source and back without anyone knowing, pet. Then you can portal us to Seelie territory, and we’ll find a doorway back home.

I silently noted her use of the word “home.” Not “back to my home,” but also not “back to your home.”

“I’m going to open a portal,” I said.

I did not.

Or rather, I did, but I kept missing the target like before.

I opened the first portal a hundred feet in the air above a wintry mountain pass. The second was some poor elf’s kitchen, the portal appearing right next to her. The sight of us staring back at her through a magic portal caused her to drop the spoon she was holding. The last attempt opened underwater—likely a river or lake, since it wasn’t salt water—and nearly washed us off our feet before I could close it.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “This happened before when I tried portaling to Wren’s castle. She’s being affected by the nexus poisoning more than I am, but we’re both suffering.”

“I could walk,” Dee said as she shook water from her now squishy sneakers.

Nod cleared his throat. “Exercise is good.”

“I can try again later,” I offered.

“Sure,” Dee said. “Later.”

Which meant we had a day’s walk ahead of us, if Snowpuff’s calculations were right.

“The forest below will give us some cover,” Nod said. “Snowpuff can lead, and I’ll cover our backs.”

We found no path to follow or signs of other life except birds and squirrels. I considered that a good sign, though that didn’t mean we were safe.

My confession to Dee came out slowly and quietly. She listened in silence, which was increasingly difficult to interpret.

I continued until I’d covered it all: Adriana’s visit to my ancestor centuries ago; the reliquary of personal journals my ancestors had handed down to me; my mom’s death; the sudden appearance of Nod in Cold Creek and how we took down a pack of boggarts and a farrow; how I came to inherit Adam’s crown and learn all about the Manhattan fae.

“So I wasn’t crazy at that Slumming Saturday when I saw that dwarf in your yard?” She looked at Nod. “That was you?”

“‘Fraid so.”

“And Skeeter really did see some fae at Kincaid’s Lake? They weren’t wolves?”

I shook my head. “No wolves. He saw some boggarts.”

“And the micronado?”

“A cover story for the attack on Adam.”

Dee snorted. “You should have been a spy, Morgan. You’d have been perfect.”

“How many spies bake sourdough bread and carry brooms?”

She laughed. “True.”

“Well, that’s everything, Dashford. I mean, the highlights, anyway.”

Dee eyed my broom. “And here I thought you were just a clean freak.”

“I mean . . .”

We are not alone, pet.

I froze, as did Nod.

“What is—” Dee began, but I motioned for silence.

A rustling noise somewhere behind us wiped the smile from her face. I belatedly realized the birds had stopped chirping.

Nod gripped his axe. He said, “Nobody move,” his voice barely audible.

The rustling was far off, though judging the distance was difficult. Sights, sounds, and even smells had a slightly warped aspect to them in the fae world. Muted or filtered or muffled in a way that was unsettling. The persistent disorientation was already wearing on me.

Dee and I froze, looking for the source of the sound. My heart raced. Whatever was out there could be anything, including red caps or a farrow or worse. We watched and waited, and a few moments later, I made out a large figure moving between the trees way off in the distance.

It was worse, and by it, I mean a fetid.

We’re talking walking abominations that only barely resembled massive trees, killed at will, and stalked their prey nonstop, day and night. Prey was a very loose term that included just about anything a fetid could fit in its mouth.

“It’s leaving,” Dee whispered.

Nod lifted a hand in warning.

The fae creature had crossed our own path at a sharp angle and was moving away from us at a rapid pace. In spite of the forest’s density, the fetid seemed to glide right through as though walking through a field of flowers.

We kept still for several minutes. Only when the birds began chirping again did we stand.

“What was that?” Dee asked.

“A fetid,” I said. “We’re lucky they didn’t see us.”

“Luck doesn’t begin to cover it,” Nod replied with a frown. “We need to be more careful.”

Dee shivered. “It was disgusting. Like a horribly mutated tree.”

“Just be glad it wasn’t any closer, lass,” Nod replied. “They smell more than a mite nasty up close.”

Okay to keep moving, Snowpuff?

Yes, but the dwarf is correct. We are definitely in Unseelie territory and need to be more careful.

I looked in the direction I thought we’d been heading, though I was no longer sure it was correct. The forest looked different. I detected no glamour or illusions, but something had definitely changed. “What’s happened to the forest? I swear that doesn’t look right.”

Dee nodded. “It’s like the trees shifted around when we weren’t looking.” She glanced up. “And I don’t think the sun’s moved an inch since we got here.”

“Time progresses differently,” I muttered. “Adriana said time moved differently in this world.”

“It does,” Nod confirmed. “Mostly forwards, though not always consistently.”

“What do you mean by ‘mostly?’” Dee asked.

“Just what I said. Some parts of this world have even moved backwards at times.”

“Oh, fantastic,” I replied sarcastically. “Does that mean we could accidentally walk into the past?”

“Nah. Those things are rare and difficult to access. But you should expect random fluctuations in time here and there. Slowing down, speeding up, that kind of thing.”

No wonder Adam avoided coming here.

Snowpuff, you still know where you’re going?

Of course. The trees have shifted, but the nexus source has not moved.

Great. Please lead on.

Of course. Step right this way to a noble and glorious death of martyrdom.

Chapter Ten

An hour later—as best I could tell—the forest began shedding leaves, and I mean all of them. For several seconds, the air was filled with leaves. They changed color and shriveled as they fell. The noise was surprisingly loud, like a windy storm. An unsettling quiet followed, and the forest was carpeted in dead leaves.

The bare trees meant the sky was once again viewable, and I noted with alarm the sun had suddenly plunged towards the horizon.

“Guess the sun’s making up for lost time,” Dee said. “Get it? Lost time?”

“Worst joke ever, Dashford.”

“That’s not the burr in my boot I’m worried about,” Nod mumbled.

Our feet now crunched noisily as we stepped on the thick layer of leaves, and we were much easier to spot without the cover of the forest canopy. Stealth was, for the moment, off the table.

A breeze moved through the trees, bringing a chill with it. Nod appeared fine, and I was warm, but Dee rubbed her arms as she walked. We needed to find Adam, fix the nexus, and get back as quickly as possible.

I couldn’t do much about the first item, so I focused on the second.

Any idea how much farther, Snowpuff?

Hours.

How many?

Many.

In minutes, the sun dropped below the mountains ahead of us. Stars appeared overhead in unfamiliar patterns. I didn’t want to stop, but exhaustion was catching up to me, and, I suspected, Dee as well. She’d begun stumbling and yawning, and though she hadn’t complained yet, I bet she was second-guessing her decision to follow me into the grove.

Nod stopped in front of a hollow next to a tree and partially covered by scrub brush. “Best make do with that for tonight.”

Dee and I stretched out on the ground, now grateful for the bed of leaves. The tree was solid protection, and the bushes on either side of us provided at least some visual cover.

“I’m guessing a fire’s a bad idea,” Dee said.

A very bad idea, pet.

“Afraid so. But we’ll rest for a bit.”

“No invisible fire or magic hot rocks, either?”

I shook my head. “I can count the number of spells I know on one hand, and none of them make heat or fire.”

“Here you go,” Nod said, and held out his jacket. Despite the smaller size, Dee accepted it with a smile and sincere thanks. It at least covered her shoulders and chest.

Dee turned on her side to face me. “I’m sorry for following you, Morgan. I feel like a fifth wheel. Heck, I feel like I’m a liability.”

“You’re not. But why did you follow me?”

“I don’t know. Just seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“And now?”

She laughed quietly. “Not so much.”

“That’s enough talking, ladies,” Nod said quietly. “Snowpuff and I will keep watch.”

I closed my eyes and felt like I drifted right off.

I woke in a disoriented state. I’d lost track of time in the fae world. I might have been asleep for an hour or ten. The sun was up, though that meant nothing. I listened for movement, but all I heard was the slight rustle of leaves cartwheeling along the ground in the breeze.

I sat up. “Okay. Weird.”

The forest looked and felt like spring. Bright green foliage covered the trees again, and the air had turned warmer and smelled sweeter. Colored flowers poked through the dead leaves.

Dee stirred and sleepily said, “What now?” Dead leaves clung to her ponytail, and I imagine I was a frightful sight as well. She squinted at the forest. “Weird is right.”

“We’ve got some cover again,” Nod said. “And at least you won’t be freezing for a while.”

Dee handed the jacked back. “Thanks again.”

I plucked my hair clean, stood, and stretched.

Snowpuff?

The wyrm appeared at my feet.

Dee made a squeak. “Does she do that a lot?”

Pet, the human is awfully skittish.

When you jump scare her like that, yes, she is. Probably best if you only make yourself visible to me for a while.

“Where’d she go?” Dee asked. She lowered her voice and looked around. “Did I offend her?”

Yes, she did.

“No,” I said. “She’s just shy. She can choose who sees her.”

I am most definitely not shy. I am a whiptail wyrm, and I fear no foe!

“You have any food?” Dee looked at my backpack.

Now the human is talking sense again. I require sustenance.

I opened the pack. I don’t have any steaks, much less enough food to sustain all of us for very long. But take what appeals to you.

The wyrm sniffed the inside of my back. She wrinkled her nose.

I shall hunt.

Just don’t go too far.

I will ensure your safety.

Thank you, but that’s not what I meant. You start dying if we’re too far apart.

Oh. Yes. Right. I will know when I’ve gone too far.

The kitten-dragon blinked out of sight.

Happy hunting.

I pawed through the rations Adriana had made, holding up what looked like a large protein ball. Dee took it, unwrapped it.

“Smells like peanut butter.” She took a bite. “Yep. Peanut butter and maybe banana, too. Really good.”

The silver cup worked just as Adriana had said. I’d packed it so it would remain upside down to prevent it from constantly filling my backpack with water. As soon as I turned it right-side up, it magically filled with water, stopping just below the lip.

“Here,” I said, and handed it to Dee. She drank from it a few times before giving it a suspicious look. “Is this some kind of trick cup that never empties?”

“Sorry. Yes, it’s magical. Refills automatically as long as it’s upright.”

“Cool.” She grinned, emptied it and watched it refill. “Very cool.”

I drank my fill and handed it to Nod, who probably downed half a gallon before returning it.

He sighed. “If that was ale, I’d be one happy dwarf right now.”

“Happy’s one word for it,” I replied. I poured out the remaining water, shook the cup a few times, and carefully packed it away again.

Nod munched on food from his own pack, while I selected a protein ball for my breakfast. Dee was right. It was delicious.

While I ate, I considered the artifacts in my pack. It made sense for me to keep the mask, the whistle, and Adriana’s ring. I hung on to the conairestone for the moment.

Leaving Dee with zero defenses made no sense, though, so I handed her my sliver of iron and Siobhán’s Shield. That way, it wouldn’t affect my abilities, and it would hopefully protect her.

“What’s this?”

“That’s the sliver of iron I got from my mom. I’ve worn it forever for protection. And the bracelet is a protective charm.”

“I don’t want those. You should carry them. I can’t do diddly with the nexus.”

“And I can’t live with myself if something happens to you.” I pressed both items into her hand. “Please take them. I have some magic and a few other items to protect me.”

Dee frowned but put them on. “Okay, how do I use them?”

“The bracelet just works, nothing to it. It protects you from physical harm. The sliver of iron might come in handy if you’re attacked. You can stab an Unseelie or even press it against their skin. They’ll get the message real quick.”

“Got it.”

I picked up my broom and slipped the pack over my shoulders. “Snowpuff says we’re still hours from the nexus. I don’t know how long we’ll have the sun, so I think we should get moving again.”

We headed off again, Nod trailing Snowpuff, with me and Dee behind. The amount of noise we made was as unavoidable as it was nerve-racking. Dee was no longer stumbling from fatigue, but our initial optimism had waned overnight.

Denying the foolhardiness of my plan was no longer possible. I started entertaining the idea that I would likely die in this world, Dee would die because of me, and my failure would cause the deaths of thousands of fae back home.

We walked mostly in silence for a long while. The sun tracked at a slow but steady pace, though estimating time was hopeless. The growling of my stomach was the first hint at how many hours had passed since breakfast.

How much farther, Snowpuff?

A few hours. Perhaps before nightfall. There is some good news.

Really?

We are almost certainly not going to encounter Unseelie at the source.

I feel there’s a “but” to that sentence.

Would you like there to be one?

I would like you to be honest.

In that case, we will need to sneak past many Unseelie who encircle the source’s valley. Evading them will be challenging.

I wish I could say I was surprised. I sighed and wondered how we were going to do that.

I didn’t use the word “but,” pet. Why are you upset?

I could use some good news that isn’t followed by bad news.

So, no buts?

Right.

Human interactions. Fascinating.

We weren’t following a path to begin with, and the dead leaves would have covered any that we might have come across. Snowpuff had little success on her hunt for food, and I think it was making her grumpy.

I took that as a very good sign. Not the grumpy part but the lack of prey part. If the wyrm hadn’t found any creatures large enough to eat, that was fine by me.

The ground slowly turned from flat to increasingly steeper rolling hills. We stopped briefly to rest, drink, and sometimes eat, all the while keeping an eye and ear out for whatever dangers awaited us.

At one point, we stopped to rest on a large fallen tree trunk. The air was decidedly warmer, to the point I could feel the perspiration on my back. I was glad to slip off the pack but even happier that Dee was no longer cold.

She drank from the silver cup, leaned back, and shook out the remaining water on the other side of the tree trunk.

“Hey!” a small voice protested. “What’s going on up there?”

Nod’s axe came swinging up, and he leapt over the tree. Dee and I leaned over in surprise to find a tiny pixie looking up at us. He had his hands on his hips and a scowl on his face. A small area had been cleared of leaves, revealing a carpet of moss and what looked like a pixie-sized garden.

My brain took a lot longer than I preferred to register the fact that despite the diminutive size of the fae, he was almost certainly Unseelie. Instead of attacking us, however, the pixie seemed mostly perturbed by the unexpected sprinkling of water.

“I’m terribly sorry,” I said.

Despite everything Dee had already seen, she appeared speechless. She dropped the cup, which tumbled to the ground near the pixie. A steady trickle of water flowed out, which sent the pixie into a hysterical flurry of action and words.

The action took the form of dizzyingly quick darting about. The gist of the words boiled down to how we clumsy humans had almost crushed him with the cup, definitely crushed his little garden, and were now about to flood his home.

I recovered the cup and placed it upside down on the tree trunk. “Sincere apologies!”

The fae flew up high enough to look us in the eye. “Get! Off! My! Home!” He eyed my crown, and his expression curdled. “Oh. A mage. Well, you’re not welcome here.”

“What?” I asked.

“This tree is my home, and you have the audacity to sit on it!”

“Oh.” I stood, tugging on Dee’s arm. She still seemed awestruck by the pixie. “We had no idea.”

Nod stood more at ease, and the axe blade dropped a little.

“Typical human,” the pixie grumbled as he drifted down to the garden. He muttered some more as he sorted through the damaged crops. “Crushed my berries, will they? Attempt to kill an innocent pixie, eh? Well, they’ve got another thing coming!”

“I’m sorry, how can I make amends?” I asked.

Oh, pet, now you’ve done it.

The pixie froze in place. “Amends, you say?”

“She’s a human, as you well know,” Nod said with an unusually casual tone. “She doesn’t know what she’s saying.”

I backtracked as best I could, though I knew I’d already been snagged in a trap of my own words. Fae were the ultimate wordsmiths and the Unseelie in particular loved to find ways to use your own words against you. The pixie could stretch the definition of amends in some extremely unpleasant directions for me.

“Well, of course,” I said. “What I mean is, amends within reason.”

The pixie looked up. “That’s not what you said. You asked how you could make amends. You did not qualify your statement.”

“I’d be happy to help fix your garden or—”

The area around us dimmed in a way that reminded me of an eclipse—that’s the best way I can describe it—and a chill ran across my arms.

“You’re clearly a mortal. Are you also a liar?” the pixie asked quietly.

At that moment, I was utterly terrified of the four-inch tall fae, which says a lot about the power of his presence and was a poignant reminder not to judge anyone by their size.

“Of course not,” I replied meekly. My tone sounded as intimidated as I felt.

The pixie must have been satisfied, however, because the darkness lifted, and the air lost its chill. “Then I accept your offer. We shall have no ill will between us if you complete but a single task.”

“Name it.”

“You must kill the horned beast of destruction.”

“No problem,” I said, even though I didn’t have a clue what kind of entity the pixie was talking about. The only thing buoying my confidence was Snowpuff and Nod. Whiptail wyrms had earned their mythical and fearsome reputation for a reason, and I’d seen the dwarf in action. I was confident the three of us could down a single beast. “We can do that.”

The pixie slowly shook his head. “Not we. You. You said you would make amends. You must slay the beast by yourself.”

And with that, my confidence puddled away like water from the magic silver cup.

Chapter Eleven

The pixie—Brecke was the only name he would share, and I was sure it wasn’t his true name—said he’d been terrorized by a massive beast with spiky horns for months.

The monster would eat the moss outside his home, which Brecke considered both his property and a delicacy he wasn’t inclined to share with anyone else. Given the monster’s size and powers, Brecke felt a direct confrontation was sure to fail. Instead, he’d been hiding from the beast and helplessly watching it munch through the pixie’s front yard.

Being the stickler for details that he was, Brecke had insisted Dee and Nod stay behind, which meant I’d have to solo kill the monster or get Snowpuff to secretly help me. Brecke swore he meant Dee no harm, but Nod assured me he’d look after her.

Fortunately, the wyrm had not revealed herself to Brecke, and I hoped to use that to my advantage. First, though, I had a bone to pick with the kitten-dragon.

Why didn’t you warn us about Brecke?

He is not a threat.

He’s Unseelie, though, right?

Yes.

And?

And he did not attack you, even though he could have. He noticed you long before you flooded his home.

I didn’t flood . . . Okay, but next time, please warn us of any entities nearby, threat or not.

As you wish, pet. There’s a butterfly twenty-five yards ahead. There’s a centipede four feet to your right. There’s a luatle flying behind you at—

Okay, you made your point. I defer to your judgment. And, you know, maybe you could help me kill this beast while you’re at it?

I’m afraid I can’t do that. I’ve witnessed the pact you made with Brecke.

Oh, come on. We’re the only ones who’ll know, right?

I may not be Unseelie, but I am still fae. The pact must be honored. You agreed to this, not me.

Well, if I die, you’ll never recover the last of your soul.

Snowpuff sighed. And if that is my fate, I will accept it.

Even if I’m dead.

I do not wish to see you dead, pet, whatever you may think.

I’m thinking you don’t much care either way.

You are deeply mistaken, but I suspect this is a situation where my poor grasp of human interaction is to blame.

Your grasp seems tenuous at best.

I trudged off in the direction Brecke had given me, not bothering to check if the wyrm had followed me. I walked up a steep rise and stopped at the crest. Below was the knoll Brecke assured me was the beast’s home.

I gripped my broom with one hand and carefully picked a path down the slope. I felt the first trickle of fear, and I pulled the Eyes from my pocket. The mask settled securely on my face. At least I could fade if I needed to. I held off on using the whistle for the moment out of concern that Snowpuff was too close.

My eyes constantly swept the land for signs, but I reached the bottom without incident. I paused and caught my breath. The rustling of leaves to my right drew my attention. I faded, hoping I hadn’t been seen, and waited.

More rustling. I caught motion between the trees, unnervingly close. I tracked the entity as it moved in front of me. When it stepped into a small clearing, I got my first glimpse.

Yep, that is technically a horned beast.

The deer, which is what the creature looked like, nosed through dead leaves and munched on a flower before slowly resuming its walk.

Killing a deer—its Unseelie status notwithstanding—didn’t sit well with me. And frankly, while a deer might have been easier to kill than, say, a fetid, I wasn’t entirely sure how I’d accomplish even that.

Snowpuff, I could really, really use your help here.

You want me to kill for you.

Well, that’s a harsh way of putting it. I’d prefer to think of it this way: you remove the threat to Brecke, and the pixie won’t hurt me.

So he claims.

You don’t believe him?

I believe very little that comes out of an Unseelie’s mouth. But that’s beside the point. You have made a pact with him. You must complete that. If you do, he might actually leave us alone. He’ll try to weasel out of it, of course, but I can be persuasive when I need to be.

Which just leaves the horned beast of destruction.

I’m famished and would gladly devour that creature once you kill it, but if I helped, you would be unable to fulfill your pact. Brecke would rightly refuse to help, and being Unseelie, he might try to make things difficult. Were it to come to that, I would defend you, of course, but killing an Unseelie would create more problems. Bigger problems. Problems that would endanger your goal.

All right. I understand. I didn’t, really. I knew the reputation whiptails had, and I’d seen Snowpuff in action. Heck, I’d had to stop her from killing Unseelie before. Her sudden reluctance was surprising and poorly timed. Or maybe she knew something I didn’t. I guess I just have to figure out how to kill the deer myself somehow.

I shifted my weight, which caused a slight sound. The deer stopped and looked in my direction. I freaked. I felt my fading slipping. The animal looked directly into my eyes, and I realized I’d completely dropped my fade.

Buttermilk biscuits, now what do I do?

We stared at each other for a bit before the deer spoke. “Hello.”

“Um. Hello.”

“You must be lost.”

“Sort of.”

This was not going the way I had planned.

The deer walked towards me, and its rack of horns defied physics, somehow slipping past trees as if they were flexible but snapping back into place a moment later. I had no doubt they would gore me in a heartbeat, however.

“Your crown denotes you as a human mage. Where are you headed?”

Say only that you seek A Thousand Daggers, pet.

“I seek A Thousand Daggers.”

“You seek your death, then,” the deer replied.

“Hopefully not.”

The Unseelie was now a mere ten feet away, and it felt like the creature towered over me. The horns had a sheen that gave them a ghostly glow up close. “You have the smell of magic.”

I nodded. “A little, yes.”

“And fear.”

Another nod. “Yes. A lot of that, if I’m being honest.”

The deer dropped their head and stepped closer. “Why are you really here?”

“I was sent here because you keep eating someone’s moss.”

And I’m supposed to kill you because of that, even though now that I say it, it sounds insane. How does that justify murder? On the other hand, we’re talking about Unseelie.

“Their moss? No fae can claim ownership over the bounty of the forest.”

“Well, it’s pretty much his front yard, if you take my meaning.”

“I do not.”

“It’s literally right outside the door to his home. Maybe you could eat some other moss?”

The deer lifted its head and snorted. “No fae tells me what I can and can’t eat, and the same applies doubly so for mortals.”

“Of course, I understand, one hundred percent. But maybe you would be willing to meet the pixie? I’m sure you two can reach some kind of understanding, given your obvious intelligence and compassion.”

The deer’s eyes narrowed. “You veer dangerously close to insulting me with clumsy compliments, human, but I have no wish to seem indifferent to a fellow fae. Lead me to this pixie.”

“Absolutely. Thank you.”

I backtracked to Brecke’s home under the log. Dashford was sitting on the trunk and in one piece. Nod stood between the pixie and Dee, the axe resting casually over his shoulder. Had Brecke made any attempt to harm Dee, I was sure Nod would be anything but casual.

“Thank heavens,” Dee said as she got to her feet. “I was worried you weren’t coming back.” She eyed the deer.

“I’m winging it,” I replied. “Where’s Brecke?”

Dee looked down, then around the tree trunk. “He was just here a second—”

“Die, you cowardly beast!” Out of nowhere, Brecke flew towards the deer, a dagger in his hand. “You’ve eaten the last of my moss!”

“What?” the deer said, while it backed up. Its relatively massive size became a disadvantage, as Brecke darted about. The deer used its horns to keep Brecke at bay for a short while.

With a scream, Brecke made a diving swoop and flew past the deer’s front left leg. A different sound followed, this time from the deer. Brecke had delivered a small but obvious wound.

“Enough!” the deer said, and its horns became blindingly bright.

I shielded my eyes, opening them only after the light had faded. Stars filled my view, and I blinked futilely to clear them. I could barely make out Brecke, who hung by his shirt from one of the antler points. He appeared stuck and swung his dagger wildly but ineffectively.

“I should have known you were behind this,” the deer said.

“And you should know I’m not going to stop until you’re dead!”

With a sigh, the deer turned to me. “Brecke has been after me for months. He believes I’m responsible for destroying his home, which I am not.”

“Liar!” the pixie cried and slashed helplessly at the antlers. “You trampled my house! I had to move into this moldy old tree!” Brecke turned his ire in my direction. “And you! You’re a liar, too! You promised to kill him!”

The deer looked at me with suspicion.

I nodded. “That’s true, I did promise to kill you, but I thought you were a monster and a threat to Brecke. I changed my mind as soon as I met you.”

The deer snorted. “You mean once you realized you did not have the power to kill me.”

I shrugged. “That’s fair. But even if I had the ability, I wouldn’t have.”

“See! I was right,” Brecke crowed. “You’re a liar, too. Oh, you will rue the day you broke a pact with—”

The deer gently shook his head, and the pixie went silent. “Brecke, I’m going to release you now, but make no mistake, I’ll kill you if you attack me again.”

The pixie grumbled but sheathed his dagger. A second later, he was free. He dove for his home and shook his fist at all of us. “Don’t ever darken my tree again!” He went inside and slammed the door.

“So,” the deer said. “A human with magic, a human without, and a dwarf. I suspect there is more to your presence than simple coincidence.”

At this point, I didn’t feel like being dishonest, and Snowpuff had issued exactly zero Defcon 1 warnings. The deer seemed friendly enough, by which I mean he wasn’t trying to kill us. I took a chance.

“Yes. A lot of fae lives are at stake, including some Unseelie ones. I need to get to the source of a nexus and fix it before it fully collapses. There are some mortals in my world who want all fae killed. The nexus is the only thing stopping them. If you help me, you will save many people.”

“My name is Aster,” the deer replied. “And not all Unseelie believe in death and destruction. I know some of us have sided with a mage in your world, but many more believe that is a mistake. I know the way to Daggers.”

I bowed. “You are most kind. Thank you.”

“Do not thank me. The way is perilous, and I make no guarantees for your safety or your success. In fact, I rather think you’ll both be dead before we reach the nexus, but I’m mildly curious to see how far you can get before you do.”

Chapter Twelve

Snowpuff was unusually quiet after we met Aster other than assuring me she would warn us if Aster deviated from the true direction to Daggers. For his part, Nod always managed to situate himself between me and Aster, which I gathered meant Snowpuff was now lower on the dwarf’s risk list. As for the fae deer, he led us through the forest with a confidence I hoped was well placed.

I sidled up next to Nod. “Should I be worried about Brecke?”

“Eh. I wouldn’t suggest going near his home again, but I somehow doubt he’ll try following you back to Earth on a revenge quest. If he wanted to toss you on the anvil for breaking his pact, I suspect he’d have done so.” The dwarf shrugged. “On the other hand, fae can have very long memories.”

Great. I haven’t even reached the nexus source, and I’m already adding to the number of my enemies.

“Are there many Unseelie in this area?” I asked Aster.

“No, and you are fortunate in that regard,” the Unseelie answered. “The current battle line between Unseelie and Seelie is far in that direction, to the north of here, and it has drawn most of the Unseelie from here.”

“I figured all Unseelie in this world would be hostile towards humans, but you and Brecke didn’t attack us.”

“I cannot speak for Brecke, nor can many, I suspect. As for me, killing you would have been a hollow gesture. I had neither fame nor glory to gain in killing you when you were alone. You have nothing I desire. If the day had been more tedious, I might have justified a slaying to satisfy my boredom. As it happened, my mind was otherwise occupied when we met.”

The relaxed tone in Aster’s voice sent a chill down my spine and shook me out of my complacency. I was alive only thanks to a ton of luck and the fact that Aster hadn’t been bored right before our encounter. Unseelie truly were the more capricious of the two types of fae.

I shook off the morbid thoughts and focused on the fact that we weren’t in imminent danger of running headlong into a bunch of Unseelie. And as long as I kept Aster from getting bored, I might keep us alive. Too bad I didn’t have time to learn any of Fynch’s magic tricks.

But just as soon as I shook off thoughts of my own demise, the fate of others took their place. I kept imaging Wren on her deathbed, and Piter grinning over his upcoming victory. Then I thought about House Vervain and the Manhattan fae. In just a few short weeks, I’d found another family, and I was determined not to lose them.

Overhead, the sun was tracking across the sky but slower than the one back in the physical plane. With sufficient light, we could continue making good time. Also on the plus side, the layer of dead leaves was thinning out. Soon, we were treading far more quietly through the forest.

Still, I was feeling way outside my comfort zone, and I could only imagine how bad off Dee was.

“How you holding up, Dashford?”

“Tired. Hungry. Scared. Shall I go on?”

I glanced back at her, and her usual mirth was nowhere to be seen. I’d have expected some pithy retort or sarcastic reply. The blunt honesty surprised me. I may have been way outside my comfort zone, but she was so far outside hers, I doubted she could see it any longer. Slowing down, I waited until we were walking side by side.

“I’ll make sure you get back safely, Dashford.”

“And then what? Go back to living in Cold Creek and pretend none of this exists? How am I supposed to go about my life after seeing all this? I didn’t have much time to think back at your family’s house, or whoever they are, but I’ve been thinking about things a lot ever since.”

Yep, she was in a super bad place and justifiably so. I was relieved she seemed to have forgiven me for the years of deceit, which was the only positive thing about the situation.

When she’d landed at JKF, I’d been solely focused on keeping her in the dark. When she followed me to the fae world, I was focused on keeping her safe. It hadn’t occurred to me that the hardest part wasn’t going to happen until after she was back home.

“It was a lot for me, too. Took me a while to process it all, and I had the benefit of knowing fae were real. I can’t imagine how awful it is for you.” I bumped shoulders with her. “But I’m really glad to have you here, Dashford.”

Her mouth struggled to smile. It turned out like a mix between a smile and a frown, almost like she was about to cry. “I guess there’s that.”

The terrain turned unexpectedly rocky. Our progress slowed to a glacial pace, despite the appearance of a small dirt path just wide enough for one person. The path slanted downwards into a ravine with stone-covered slopes.

Snowpuff, how long have we been here? I mean, how much time has gone by back in Manhattan?

A little over six hours.

That was reassuring, even if the fae world was still messing with me.

Pet, you should seek cover. Now.

“Everyone follow me,” Nod growled and headed off the path to the left.

What is it, Snowpuff?

Unseelie. Many Unseelie.

Dee seemed confused. I grabbed her arm and pulled her with me as I followed Nod, who was heading to a cave. Aster stood as still as a statue, looking down into the ravine. “Go. I’ll follow if I can.”

Nod was sprinting by the time he reached the cave’s entrance, crashing through the undergrowth, but he came to a dead stop once inside the cave. I nearly bumped into him. The cave was far darker than it should have been.

“Grab my belt and don’t let go,” he said. I hooked two fingers through his belt loop and told Dee to hold on to the end of my broom. The three of us edged farther into the darkness, linked together like kindergartners on a field trip.

A sharp pain on my forehead caused me to stop, which caused Nod to stop. I barely withheld an exclamation of surprise. The cave’s roof sloped down quickly.

Nod moved forward again, and I ducked, tugging Dee’s arm down. I didn’t pull down enough, and she smacked her head, too.

“Shhh,” Nod whispered.

I spared a look back at the cave entrance, my heart skipping a few beats when I saw a figure outlined in the opening. A moment later, I realized it was almost certainly Aster.

Nod didn’t stop moving, though. We were in complete darkness and walking blindly. At least, I was.

Snowpuff, can you see anything?

Barely. This tunnel is magicked.

I’m supposed to be able to see through glamour and illusions.

This is neither. It’s foul magic. Unseelie magic. But the tunnel we’re in appears empty. For now.

What was out there? Why did Nod duck into the cave?

A large presence of Unseelie were coming up the path towards us.

Minutes passed. Maybe an hour, who could tell? We crept forward until a dim light appeared ahead. Nod kept his pace, and Dee and I kept our silence. The light grew brighter and larger. I looked back for Aster but saw only darkness.

Nod sat down. I released my grip on his belt and knelt.

“We’ll wait for Aster here,” Nod whispered. “But not for long.”

The light ahead was still far off, at least as much as I could make out. We sat in silence for a while before Nod stood.

“What about Aster?” I asked in a hushed tone.

“Too risky to wait here much longer,” Nod replied. “He’s either been held up, or he’s not coming at all.”

I grabbed his belt and felt Dee tug on the broom. Our trio train started moving again.

The ground at the entrance was dry and level, but the more we walked, the steeper and wetter the ground became. Before long, I had to carefully plant my feet to avoid slipping on the slimy surface. Our pace slowed to the point that I was shuffling my feet instead of picking them up.

The ground got even steeper.

The light was a lot brighter, though it didn’t look like sunlight. Instead of yellow, it had a greenish tint to it. Nod leaned forward, and for a brief moment, I thought he’d tried to start running. Turns out he was sliding.

I lost my hold on his belt, and a few seconds later, the resistance on the broom disappeared. My feet slipped out from under me on the slippery ground, and I went down hard, all the while holding on to the broom. We might have been hurtling towards our deaths, but my mind weirdly went to the magic cup. I hoped it wasn’t soaking everything in my pack.

My feet were out front, which meant I caught the edge of a rock with my ankle. That spun me around a bit. I caught the next rock on my arm, which put me in a full spin. Before I could even try to stop sliding, I was falling.

I didn’t worry about the silver cup anymore, since I was struggling to keep my head above water.

We’d fallen into an underground lake, miraculously missing each other in the process. I surfaced and gasped for air while furiously treading water. Not easy to do while fully clothed, holding a broom, and wearing a backpack, I might add.

“Melina!” Dee called out.

“Here!” I said. I looked around and spotted her, thanks to the green luminescence covering the walls of the cavern.

“This way!” Nod shouted.

I flailed and splashed and struggled to follow the dwarf. My legs kicked furiously, and I feared I’d go under long before I reached dry land. Dee had already powered ahead of me and was right behind Nod.

My legs began tiring, and my progress slowed. Water splashed into my eyes, mouth, and nose. I couldn’t see Nod or Dee any longer, and I wasn’t even sure if I was still going in the right direction. My arms and legs refused to follow my commands, and I slipped lower in the water.

Snowpuff, I’m going under!

The water enveloped me. I knew I was sinking. I felt the water rushing past my face. Then I felt two pinches across my shoulders, and a moment later, I was breathing air again.

You are safe, pet.

Snowpuff dropped me on the shore next to Dee. My legs politely refused to function, and I went down.

“Melina?” Dee broke my fall and helped me to the ground.

“Yep. Still here.” I coughed up some water.

“Here, let me help you.” Dee slipped the backpack off me. “I don’t see your broom.”

No, not my broom!

I could make another one, and Dad still had Mom’s broom, but none of that mattered as long as I was still in the fae world. I wouldn’t have time to construct another broom until after I was back home. With a silent farewell, I accepted the loss.

I sat up and inspected the cavern. We hadn’t fallen fully out of the frying pan, but I could feel the fire beneath our feet.

The sickly green light covering the walls and ceiling gave the space an eerie glow, and a foul odor permeated the air. The sound of water dripping echoed loudly, but silence prevailed other than that.

We’d reached a shore of sorts, a beach of small rocks. The still water confirmed we’d fallen into a lake and not a river, and a darkened part of the wall down the shore indicated a possible way out. About the only good thing to come from our swim was we’d washed off the mud from the tunnel.

“Anyone hurt?” Nod asked.

“Sore but otherwise fine,” I replied. My back ached, likely a result of hitting the water while wearing the backpack. The rest of my body strongly urged me to consider a nap after my involuntary swim.

“I’m wet and cold but also okay,” Dee said as she inspected her arm. Her sleeve had ripped open, exposing a long cut along her forearm. Lot of good the bracelet had done.

“What happened to your arm?”

Dee shrugged. “Must have caught it on a rock at some point. Probably when we tumbled through the hole.”

Snowpuff, you said you’d tried healing me when you found me in the grove. Can you heal Dee’s arm?

I will do my best, pet.

“Snowpuff said she can heal your arm if you want, Dee.”

She looked at the wyrm. “Sure. Thanks.”

Snowpuff hovered next to Dee and closed her eyes for a long time.

I’ve done what I can.

“How’s it feel?” I asked Dee.

She moved her arm around. “Really good. Thank you, Snowpuff.”

The wyrm nodded.

Pet, I could not fully heal that wound.

That’s okay. I appreciate what you did.

Keep an eye on her.

Okay.

I used the silver cup to wash the blood from Dee’s arm. A thin white line remained where the cut had been.

“Let me know if that gets worse,” I said.

Dee gently ran a finger down the line. “Yeah, sure. So, can someone tell me why we bolted into a cave, took a ride on a muddy slide, and ended up doing a header into an underground lake?”

“A small army of Unseelie were headed out of the ravine and right towards us,” Nod replied. “Don’t think they saw us, though.”

I looked up at the opening we’d fallen through. “So much for Aster’s help.”

Nod grunted. “Doubt his idea of help would have come close to your idea of help. I don’t think we’ve lost anything.”

“Anything that gives us an edge on the Unseelie guarding the source would be helpful.”

“Respectfully, Melina, Aster is Unseelie, no matter how he might appear to act. The anvil of time will hammer out his true nature, trust me.”

I wrung out the water as best I could from my clothes and opened my pack. “I recently convinced a group of Unseelie to stop attacking the Manhattan fae. They even provided security at Wren’s celebration.”

Another grunt. “You tread paths even Adam would hesitate to walk, I’ll give you that. But I still feel better with Aster being out of the picture.”

The contents of the backpack were mostly dry. The biggest victims were the bag of salt and some of the food.

Besides the peanut butter and banana balls, Adriana had packed a bunch of square crackers, purple berries, what looked like wrapped blocks of cheese, and some dried meats.

The food might be edible once it had dried, but the salt had totally dissolved. The lake had claimed two of my defenses, and we weren’t even at the nexus source. I did my best to shake out the water from the pack, but we didn’t have the option of waiting for our clothes and provisions to dry.

“Nod, what do you suggest?” I asked.

He pointed up the shore. “We’ll try that opening and hope it leads us to the surface. Our commotion is sure to bring some curious Unseelie, and I’d rather not fight them down here.”

“Just give me another minute,” I said. Any other time, staring out across the serene surface of a lake would have been relaxing. All I could think about was how close I’d come to drowning.

Dee pointed across the lake. “Hey, is something moving in the water?”

A series of v-shaped ripples were veering our way. I didn’t spot a fin or anything like that, but I knew something was causing the disturbance—and it was aiming right for us.

“Everyone up, slow and quiet like,” Nod said. “Head towards the opening, but don’t run.”

The dwarf took point as our small party gently crossed the rocky shore. I mused over how quickly our goals had shifted. An hour ago, we were hoping to cure the nexus. Now? I’d have been thrilled just to see sunlight one more time before dying.

The opening looked rough, and three hollowed cut-outs indicated a door had been hung at one point. The wood might have simply deteriorated with time, or the door might have been ripped off.

“Inside, everyone. Snowpuff, you lead.” Nod hefted his axe and faced the lake until we were all out of the cavern. The ripples had nearly reached the shore. “Start walking.”

I followed Snowpuff until Nod said to stop. He stepped past us until he was in front. The green light from the cavern had just about reached its limit. Dee and Nod were just dark shadows.

Even so, I could tell the tunnel had been crafted with care. The floor quickly leveled out, and unlike the tunnel above, someone had meticulously carved this passage. The walls and ceiling were smooth and made perfect right angles.

“Work’s not the worst I’ve seen,” Nod said. He ran a hand down the wall, peered closer. “Dwarven if I had to guess, though nothing compared to what my family has achieved.”

“There are Unseelie dwarves, aren’t there?” I asked.

“Very few. This is ancient work.” He slowly walked forward, inspecting more of the tunnel. “And if not, someone certainly tried imitating our style.”

“I hate to interrupt the history lesson,” Dee said. “But shouldn’t we get moving?”

Nod pointed at Dee. “True enough, lass. We’ve no light going forward, so I suggest we rely on my sight. Everyone okay with that?”

We nodded. I said, “Snowpuff has limited vision as well.”

“Excellent. Snowpuff, would you please guard our backs? Off we go, then.”

The green light faded behind us, and soon I was back to walking—literally and figuratively—in the dark.

Chapter Thirteen

Ilost track of time, distance, and direction.

Nod paused at every intersection, sometimes just for a second, sometimes longer. At first, I tried keeping track of how many left and right turns we made, but after the first couple of dozen, I gave up. We could have been going in circles for all I knew.

Without my broom to hold on to, Dee gripped my backpack instead. My back hurt from hunching over and hanging on to Nod’s belt, so I rested a hand on his shoulder. Out of all the supplies I grabbed before heading into the fae world, rope wasn’t even on my radar, but I desperately wished I had some.

The dwarf kept a slow and steady pace, which was made easier by the tunnel’s dryness. I didn’t fancy another high dive like before, and I remained cautious of any changes in the angle of the floor.

Sometime later, Dee tugged twice on my backpack. I squeezed Nod’s shoulder twice, and we all stopped.

“I need to rest,” Dee whispered.

“Okay,” Nod said.

We sat on the ground. I rested my back against a wall, giving my legs a much needed break. My muscles were still on fire from my near-fatal swim.

Dee shifted and let out a small groan.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes. Sometime later, my head jerked up. I’d started to fall asleep. Nod gave me a small nudge. “Let’s get moving.”

“Yep.”

We got to our feet and resumed our trek through the tunnel. I could have been mistaken, but I felt like the floor was angling slightly up. Maybe our dark journey was finally nearing its end.

Several more turns later, Nod stopped. “Door. I’m going to open it. Ready yourselves.”

I blinked against the light from the other side of the door. There could have been a bunch of dearg standing ten feet away, and I’d never have known. I relied on Nod and Snowpuff to protect me while my eyes adjusted.

When they did, I saw Nod carefully poking through the contents of a well-furnished room. Snowpuff hovered nearby. Dee and I stepped out of the hallway. I was glad for the light but disappointed we were still underground.

Torches mounted to the walls illuminated what looked like a larder or supply room. Barrels, crates, cabinets, and bags filled the space. Two doors, thankfully closed, were on the other side of the room. A smaller one—also closed—was to our left.

“Are we safe?” I asked. “This looks like someone could show up at any second.”

“Resupply,” Nod replied curtly. He pulled some flasks and food from various containers.

I smell meat in there, pet.

Snowpuff hovered outside the single door. I lifted the metal latch and opened the door an inch. Cool air flowed out. I opened the door all the way and discovered large shanks of preserved meat hanging from the ceiling. The wyrm attacked the food like she was starving, which she may well have been.

Nod looked up briefly at the noise. “Quiet.”

“You tell her,” I said.

We didn’t have to worry. Snowpuff took down half the larder’s contents in seconds.

Better? I asked.

Yes, much. Thank you, pet.

Nod filled both our packs. “Okay, back the way we came. We’re close to the surface. Just a bit farther.”

I almost argued to stay in the room. Facing the darkened hallway again made me second guess my fear of whoever occupied the lit area. But I followed Nod’s instructions.

True to his word, we went through another door not long after and stepped into natural light. The space was a small cave that curved left. Nod peeked around the corner and motioned for us to follow. The exit was partially hidden by hanging vines and likely intentionally hard to spot.

But I didn’t care about that as much as I did the warmth of the sun on my face. We’d definitely reached the surface, which was good. The maybe not so great news was we’d entered a fungal forest.

Mushrooms and lichen of all kinds, shapes, and colors stretched out as far as I could see. Some mushrooms were as large as homes, and I spotted lichen large enough for me to walk on. I had questions. Several of them, actually.

“Nod, what was the underground place we were in, and where the heck are we now?”

“That was a very old dwarven enclave, but obviously most of it’s no longer being used. Might be some dwarven Unseelie living in it now or could be some other Unseelie who’ve claimed it. We should move away from the cave, just in case. As for this.” Nod waved his hand. “I’ve only heard bits and pieces about land like this. I suggest not touching anything. Not sure how mortals will react to most of this.”

He stepped into the forest, which had a grassy covering. The smell of wet soil was thick but not unpleasant.

“Wish I had my phone,” Dee said. “Imagine the reactions I’d get to posting these pics.”

“Doubt many people would believe it,” I replied.

“Yeah, probably true. Still. It’s incredible.” Dee held a palm over her arm.

“How’s the cut?”

“Itches like the blazes.”

“Let me see.”

She pulled back her sleeve. The white line was raised and had a nasty purple tint to it.

Snowpuff?

I warned you the cave was magicked, and I did say to keep an eye on her wound. I think it’s magical in nature.

How do we cure her?

She’ll need the powers of a true healer.

Or what?

Or she might die.

“Nod, would you take a look at this?” I asked, trying to remain calm and hoping he’d have a more helpful answer than Snowpuff.

The dwarf gently prodded at the wound. Dee hissed in pain as he did. “Nasty cut, that. Don’t suppose you’ve got any of Adriana’s poultices on you?”

“Nope.” I watched the dwarf’s reaction, searching for a hint of alarm. He didn’t appear overly concerned, or he was acting unconcerned.

Nod frowned and ran a hand down his beard. “I’m not much of a healer, but we might find something around here to cure it. Either way, we best be moving. You okay to walk?”

Dee nodded. “I feel okay. The cut just stings. I’d love to build a fire and dry out before continuing, though.”

“Not much in the way of combustibles,” Nod said with a grin. “But we’ll stop as soon as we find some fuel, eh?”

We set off again, but a fire was the last thing on my mind.

If Snowpuff was right, things would get worse. I felt another stab of guilt. Maybe if I’d been honest with Dee earlier, she wouldn’t have felt compelled to make a surprise trip to Manhattan. Or maybe I could have explained things to her about the nexus and convinced her to stay behind. Or maybe we’d have had the chance to better equip her before she ran off into the fae world.

Lots of ifs, and not a single thing I could do about them.

“I’m serious, Dee,” I said. “Let me know if the cut gets worse.”

The first flash of panic crossed her face. “It’s just a scratch, right? It’ll heal, won’t it?”

“Surely, surely, no need to fret,” Nod said reassuringly. “Plenty of healers in the Seelie lands, and any one of them can fix you sure as stone.”

The dwarf is lying. It will not heal on its own, and she may not survive long enough to reach a healer.

He’s trying to make Dee feel better.

Even if she may be dying?

Especially if she’s dying.

Does that mean deceit is preferable to honesty?

No. Well, yes, on occasion. It depends.

I confess I find the rules of human interaction quite puzzling.

Sometimes I do, too, Snowpuff.

I kept a nervous eye on Dee, as I suspected Nod was glossing over the seriousness of the wound. She seemed to know it, too, and kept inspecting the wound. As for me, I was feeling the effects of very little sleep. My feet began catching on roots and rocks, the same indication of fatigue Dee had shown earlier.

Nod asked Snowpuff to scout ahead for Unseelie. The dwarf scanned the area for fae and plants alike as we walked. We paused a few times so Nod could inspect a plant. Most of the time, he grunted in disappointment and moved on.

“Hold the hammer. What’s this, now?” Nod knelt by a bush with white leaves. The branches were as thick as my wrist, even though the plant barely reached my waist. A small knife appeared in the dwarf’s hand. “Place your arm under this branch, Dee.”

Nod made three notches in the branch, and a light brown sap beaded up and fell on her arm.

Dee grimaced. “Smells awful. Is it supposed to hurt?”

“Like bees on a blister. Rub that along the wound until it’s all worked into your skin.”

She did. “Is this going to cure it?”

“It’ll slow things down. Hey, don’t you worry, lass. Old Noddy will make sure you make it back home.” He gave her a wink.

Dee smiled, and if she wasn’t feeling better, she was at least faking it pretty well. “I hope the stink goes away, or the Unseelie will smell me coming from a mile away.”

She’s not entirely wrong.

Snowpuff, please try to be a little more optimistic.

I said she wasn’t entirely wrong.

Nod slapped his knees and stood. “How far away are we from Daggers now, Snowpuff?”

Perhaps ten hours of walking, presuming we have no more detours and do not encounter any Unseelie.

I relayed that.

“How are you two holding up?” Nod asked.

“Honestly, I could use a quick nap,” I said. “Unless you’ve got something in your pack for that.”

Nod unslung his pack and opened it. “As a matter of fact, I do.” He rummaged through the contents before producing a round, silver disk that looked like a pill case. Inside was a translucent cream. “A dab of this on your inner wrist will give you a bit of a boost. But just a dab, mind.”

Dee and I swiped a small amount and applied it to our wrists.

“Won’t last more than a few hours, and I don’t recommend using it more than twice in a row before taking a break. But circumstances being what they are . . .”

Nod headed off again, following Snowpuff. Within minutes, I felt far more alert but not jittery. It was like all the upside of a quad espresso without the high heart rate.

What I wouldn’t do for some coffee and sourdough toast right about now. And Mrs. Tilley’s apple butter. And enjoy it all with Dad and Dee while we watched one of our favorite movies.

And yet at that moment, I’d have loved nothing more than to huddle up to a fire and finish drying my clothes.

Trumbles up ahead.

Do you mean troubles?

Yes. But also trumbles.

Nod kept walking, apparently unaware of whatever Snowpuff was warning me about. I hissed a warning at the dwarf, who looked back at me. A chittering sound ahead and off to our left caused all of us to crouch in silence.

The noise set my teeth on edge. This wasn’t like cicadas or anything I’d heard on Earth. The high-pitched sounds were reminiscent of garbled voices, voices speaking of horrific acts. I couldn’t make out any of it, of course, but the tone had me on edge so badly, I was about to climb out of my skin.

The voices—if that’s what they were—grew louder. How many are there? My distorted senses guessed around ten, but I might have been wrong.

The trumbles remained out of sight but clearly got closer. And closer. And then they appeared, so near that I almost jumped in surprise.

Vaguely humanoid and about a foot tall, trumbles were mostly fang-filled mouths. Their bodies were spherical, and they alternated between walking and rolling on the ground. If not for their fangs and red eyes, they might have been cute. Sort of.

I’d wildly underestimated their number, by at least fifty or sixty. The trumbles continued to cross in front of us, and I thought they’d never stop. I was so focused on the creatures, I didn’t notice a vine wrap itself around my right ankle until I was jerked off my feet.

Chapter Fourteen

“Melina!” Dee screamed. She reached for me, but I was already too far away.

Her outstretched hand got farther away as the plant dragged me off. I caught sight of the trumbles veering like a flock of birds towards Nod. The dwarf raised his axe, and Snowpuff was already making a dive attack on the nearest ones.

I flipped on my back and grabbed at anything I could reach. The problem was, nothing around me was strong enough. I grabbed at a tree-sized mushroom and came away with a handful of tuberous matter. I grabbed at some branches, but they snapped off.

The vine must have been insanely long, because it just kept pulling me deeper into the fungal forest. I didn’t want to know what it was attached to.

Leaves and branches slapped at my face, and I couldn’t reach my ankle to even try to free myself. My left foot caught on a rock or root and sent a stab of pain up my leg. If I didn’t get free soon, there wouldn’t be much left to rescue.

“Melina!”

“I’m here! Over here!”

Dee and I kept up the exchange, even though we were likely announcing ourselves to every nearby Unseelie.

I am coming, pet, as soon as I kill the trumbles.

Don’t wait too long.

The vine lifted me up. I spun around, the forest becoming a dizzying blur of colors, but only for a moment before being released. I tumbled a few feet to the ground and landed on my back.

My ankle was free, but I was most certainly not.

I’d landed on a briar type plant that grew along the ground like a carpet. I wasn’t physically restrained, but I may as well have been. Hundreds of thorns pierced my clothes and bit my skin. The backpack spared my back and head, but everything else hurt like crazy. I rolled just the slightest amount and decided that was a very bad idea.

The pain was bad enough that I could do little more than stare into the underside of a towering mushroom and breathe. A fetid could have walked up to me just then, and I wouldn’t have batted an eye.

Even if I could summon a portal, I couldn’t have moved through it. I told myself to remain calm. Snowpuff could lift me just like she had at the lake. I just needed to be patient.

The briar bush creaked and slowly began to close up on itself like a taco.

Snowpuff!

Almost finished, pet.

So am I!

The entire plant was folding in on itself, and in a few seconds, I was going to be crushed. I tried fighting the pain and reached for the whistle. Bad idea.

The pain washed over me until my world shrank to just one thing: keep breathing.

“Hang on, Morgan!”

I looked to my side without moving my head. Dee was stabbing the plant with the iron sliver, and wherever it touched, the plant shriveled and shrank back. She slashed and stabbed until she’d created a path to me, and then she really went to work.

She lifted me off the bed of thorns with one arm while she continued wielding the iron in the other. I slung an arm over her shoulder. Dee dragged me across the path she’d cleared, and I did my best not to pass out.

“Almost there, Morgan,” she said.

I vaguely heard Nod calling out, and Snowpuff appeared in front of my face.

I am sorry, pet. I failed to save you.

You had to take care of the trumbles.

It doesn’t matter. Were it not for your friend, you would likely be dead.

In that case, she didn’t just save me. She saved the rest of your soul. Maybe you could cut her some slack?

A fair point. I will consider it. Now, allow me to heal you.

Dee and Nod lowered me to the ground, and the wyrm did her healing magic. I felt better almost immediately, and not just from the puncture wounds. My back pain was nearly gone.

Thank you, Snowpuff. I feel so much better.

Please do not get injured again. I used much of my healing ability just now, and I require time to regenerate it.

That’s a deal.

“For a mortal, you’re deceptively difficult to kill, Melina Morgan,” Nod said.

“Surviving’s not exactly a walk in the park.” I got to my feet and noticed just how bad Nod looked. Every exposed piece of skin was scratched and cut. Blood stains covered his clothes. “You look awful.”

The dwarf laughed loudly at that. “Eh. Most of this isn’t even my blood. I’ll be back on the anvil before you know it.”

I believed him, though I wished Snowpuff could have healed him. I looked at Dee. “And you, Dashford. How in the world did you not get hurt by the briar plant?”

She held up her arm, Siobhán’s Shield still on her wrist. “The bracelet protected me, and your sliver of iron was like a hot knife through butter.”

“Dee, you saved my life.”

“I hear there’s a lot of that going around recently.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Maybe you should consider a different job.”

Snowpuff resumed scouting ahead and leading us to the nexus source. Nod had skirted us past the bloodbath of trumbles, which was fine by me. I wasn’t typically squeamish, but I didn’t protest.

Interesting. I believe Aster is ahead, pet.

“Aster?” I said out loud.

Nod’s head spun around. “He’s here?”

“Apparently.”

“I don’t trust him, Melina.”

“He gave his word to help us. Snowpuff said even the Unseelie keep their word when it comes to pacts.”

The dwarf’s expression turned sour. “Bah. They’ll stick to the letter of the pact while sticking you with something painful. I’m more than a little curious how he found us.”

We waited for Aster, and soon enough, the deer appeared ahead of us, its antlers glowing.

“Greetings. I see you found your way out of the cave. Perhaps you will live long enough to witness the nexus source after all.”

“You sound disappointed,” I replied.

“Quite the opposite. I did not expect to see any of you again.”

“Kinda begs the question how you found us,” Nod said with no small amount of skepticism.

The fae’s chest puffed outward, as if it sensed the accusation in Nod’s statement. “I tracked your progress to the Lake of Light, but once you entered the old dwarven enclave, I chose a different route to the surface. I’m not particularly fond of those dwarves, and I know a shorter way out.”

Nod grunted and crossed his arms. He didn’t buy Aster’s explanation, and frankly, I didn’t know if the fae was telling the truth, either. I imagined a scenario where he informed the Unseelie of our retreat into the cave. If Aster wanted to backstab us, he could easily have done so.

But we never heard or saw evidence that the Unseelie forces had pursued us, so maybe Aster was still trustworthy. Or as trustworthy as an Unseelie could be.

His story is plausible, though it could easily be a complete fabrication, pet.

Yeah, I agree.

“Is it still your intent to help us access the nexus source?” I asked.

“It is.”

“In that case, please lead on.”

The deer nodded once and turned around.

Let me know if we deviate from the direction of the nexus, Snowpuff.

Of course.

The wyrm flew ahead to scout. Nod fell in behind Aster, and Dee and I walked together.

“I don’t know how you do it all,” Dee said. “I mean, you say this is all new to you, that you learned about mages and the good fae just a few weeks ago. But you’re acting like it’s totally normal.”

“Then I’m a lot better actress than I am a friend. Half of my time in New York was spent freaking out. I’m only a little more adapted to all this than you are. If that helps.”

She nodded. “I suppose.”

I looked closer at her face. Her skin looked pale. “Are you feeling all right?”

“I’m tired.”

“That makes two of us.”

Dee looked bad, even worse than she had two hours ago. I doubted even Nod’s pick-me-up cream would sustain her until we got safely to Seelie territory.

I felt I was staring at a set of scales, with Dee on one side, and the Seelie fae on the other. If I had to choose between them, could I do it? How do you even make a choice like that and live with yourself?

I wasn’t anywhere near ready to be the steward of House Vervain. I’d been faking it and, mostly, getting lucky. The attack on the nexus stripped away my confidence and laid bare the true stakes of my decisions.

The old saying “Heavy is the head that wears the crown” popped into my head. I think it was from a Shakespeare play or something. Funny. My crown was nothing but green light, but it felt like it was made of lead.

We followed the sinking sun as it tracked across the sky, finally stopping when Aster suggested we take a break. Nod continued to position himself between me and Aster. Snowpuff had taken to hanging around Dee, and I don’t just mean sitting nearby.

The wyrm slowly approached Dee while she ate. Dee smiled at Snowpuff. “Hey, girl. You hungry?” She held out a piece of her food.

Snowpuff gently accepted the cracker from Dee’s hand.

I wish to experience affection from the human, pet.

You mean you want her to pet you or something?

Isn’t that what humans do with their animal companions?

A lot of times. Snakes and fish, not so much, but dogs and cats, yeah. If the animal’s really cuddly, they curl up in your lap, too.

To what end?

I don’t know. I guess it gives them comfort. And for humans, it makes us feel needed or maybe appreciated or even loved. It’s pleasurable for the animal and the human.

I shall comfort her, then.

Snowpuff leapt into Dee’s lap, which startled my friend. But Dee quickly recovered as the wyrm curled into a ball and tucked herself under her wings. Dee gently stroked the fae, and Snowpuff made a sound I guessed was the equivalent of a cat’s purr.

Is she comforted, pet?

I’d say she’s enjoying it. Are you?

It is not . . . unpleasant.

Dee fed Snowpuff with one hand and continued petting her with the other. I hadn’t experienced anything like that from the wyrm before, and the sight warmed my heart.

“Snowpuff likes you,” I said to Dee.

“Clearly.”

When Nod suggested we get moving again, Snowpuff very reluctantly abdicated Dee’s lap. There was a lot of stretching and mewing and flexing of claws before she took to the air again.

Aster said we weren’t far from Daggers, but we’d need to take a more circuitous route to avoid the Unseelie around the valley.

“We could be at the foothills in a matter of hours if we walk directly there. But the hidden path is to the south and requires us to cross a narrow pass in the mountains. From there, we can take a little known tunnel that ends inside the Daggers valley. Presuming it’s not being guarded, of course.”

Ugh, another tunnel. I’ve had my share of those already.

“How long till we get to the nexus, then?” Nod asked.

“At our pace—and with a short rest for the mortals—tomorrow morning.”

“A rest sounds really, really good,” Dee said, promptly before she collapsed in my arms.

Chapter Fifteen

“Aworse idea I can’t imagine,” Nod said. “Absolutely not. I’d sooner shave my beard than willingly walk into an Unseelie village, much less turn her over to an Unseelie.”

Dee had gone feverish. The wound had gotten much worse. I pulled up her sleeve and found her entire arm had taken on a sickly gray color. She muttered incoherently, and her eyelids fluttered open occasionally, though her eyes remained unfocused.

Snowpuff wasn’t able to heal anyone yet, and even if she were, she assured me she’d done all she could. Nod had searched the area for herbs or plants that might help but had come up empty-handed. He’d given Dee another treatment of the pick-me-up cream, but it just increased her tendency to talk gibberish.

Which left Aster’s suggestion.

“I’m not saying it will be safe,” the deer said. “But your friend will likely die if she isn’t treated by a healer. There is one not far from here who I believe has the talent required to save the mortal.”

“Bad idea,” Nod repeated.

“As you wish,” Aster said. “We continue to the nexus.”

“Wait.” I waved at Nod to come closer, then pulled him far enough away so Aster couldn’t hear us. Snowpuff remained by Dee’s side, her tail moving slowly back and forth as she watched over my friend. “We can’t heal her, and she won’t survive until we can get her help.”

Nod grimaced. “I know Aster had something to do with this. He’s trying to weaken us, split us up for easy pickings.”

“Aster wasn’t even with us when Dee cut her arm,” I reminded him. “And he’s not forcing us to split up. Giving us a choice doesn’t mean he isn’t trying to divide us. I can’t portal us anywhere in my condition, so if you have a better plan for saving her, please share it.”

The dwarf made another disgruntled expression. “I don’t, but I don’t trust Aster, and I wouldn’t trust any Unseelie to heal your friend. And you better believe they’re not going to heal her for free.”

“We’ll have to figure that out when the time comes. First things first, though, which is getting her to the healer.”

“This smells all kinds of wrong, Melina. Aster offered up the healer without prompting, and he’s not asking for anything in return. Unseelie are the most transactional entities I’ve ever known.”

“Even an Unseelie can surprise you.”

Nod snorted. “I really hope you’re right, Melina, for all our sakes.”

We put Dee on Aster’s back, and I walked next to her to keep her from falling off. The deer turned south, towards a stretch of plains.

“Two hours of walking, and we’ll be at a village just over the rise. If we encounter Unseelie, I will deal with them.”

I wondered what he meant. Deal with them as in negotiate safe passage? Or skin them alive?

My question was put to the test soon after we changed course. Aster led us to a wide road, which felt reckless. He justified it by saying it would save time.

Four dearg approached us, fanning out to block our way. Snowpuff had gone into stealth mode as soon as she spotted them and snuck behind them in case things turned violent.

The four Unseelie continually glanced above my head, and I dearly wished I could have hidden my crown. The thing immediately announced my status as a mage and connected me to House Vervain, neither of which was a good idea.

One of the dearg addressed Aster and spoke in a fae language I couldn’t understand. Aster replied, and there was a good deal of back and forth.

Relying solely on body language and everyone’s tone, I guessed the exchange was civil.

At one point, Aster’s antlers flared a bit. The lead dearg said something and nodded, then stepped aside. The deer continued, and we moved past the Unseelie. Only when we were well away from them did I question Aster.

“What did they say?”

“They bartered for your lives, yours and your friend’s.”

So much for civility. Or maybe that was the Unseelie version of civility: callously negotiate for the life of a stranger.

Much as I didn’t like Dee’s odds, I was beginning to second guess Aster’s idea. But without an alternative plan, I didn’t have much of a choice.

“I’m still here,” I said. “So I’m going to presume you turned them down.”

“In a sense.”

“How’s that?” I asked.

“When they realized I would not part with the pair of you for any price, they threatened to kill me and take you themselves. I begged them to try. They declined and parted.”

Civility, indeed.

The village looked vaguely like what you’d expect to find back on Earth, with the obvious exception being the residents. The second and less obvious exception was the slight difference in architecture. The buildings sported fewer straight lines and right angles than the typical human home.

Nod stuck close to me and Aster, while Snowpuff remained invisible and flew above Dee. To reduce the likelihood of provoking an Unseelie, Nod had added his axe to the two toolsets strapped to his back. The dwarf grumbled and predicted how terribly things were going to work out since he couldn’t draw any of his weapons quickly. His only solace was keeping his small knife and sheath strapped to his belt.

We got an unnerving number of looks as we entered the village, but aside from some stares and whispers, very little else in the way of reactions.

“I’m surprised we aren’t dead,” I whispered to Aster.

“The fae of this village are Unseelie but more receptive to mortals and Seelie. Your crown will give pause to some, but it will not stop most Unseelie who seek to do you harm. You are all still in grave danger. Remain quiet and keep your weapons out of your hands.”

Aster led us to a cottage-type house with two floors and a depressing garden out front. Most of the plants looked dead or dying. Aster used a hoof to knock on the door, which was answered by an old goblin whose hair refused to be tamed by the leather cap she wore.

She eyed us with suspicion before addressing Aster. “Buying or selling?”

“Neither,” Aster said. “We seek a healer for the human on my back.”

“How much for the mage?”

“The mage is not for sale at any price.”

“Pity. I’d give much for her.”

The goblin approached the deer and motioned for me to pick her up. I glanced at Aster, who gave me a slight nod. The goblin was surprisingly light. She directed me to put her near Dee. The goblin roughly pulled back Dee’s eyelids and checked her arm.

“Down.”

I placed her on the ground and pulled Dee’s sleeve to cover the wound. Her forearm had swollen and was hot to the touch.

“Bad shape,” the healer declared. “What do you offer?”

Aster looked to me.

“What are you interested in?” I replied.

“An offer.”

I made a quick inventory of what I had left and what I was prepared to give away. In truth, I’d have given away all my possessions to save Dee, but some would be more of a loss than others. I ranked the items and decided I wouldn’t part with the iron sliver, Siobhán’s Shield, or the silver Vervain signet ring unless absolutely necessary. Dee still needed protection, and I couldn’t hand over control to House Vervain to an Unseelie.

I started with the easy stuff, even though I knew the goblin would reject it. “We have various exotic foods—”

“No.”

“I have a mask that focuses magic.”

“No. Don’t like masks.”

“I have a whistle that will kill—”

“Got one. Not interested.”

I paused, unsure what item to offer her next. Could I part with Adriana’s ring? She said it might sway an Unseelie if I was in a pinch.

“I have a valuable ring of royal descent that—”

The goblin rolled her eyes and motioned with her hand. “Come on, don’t have all day, and neither does the human. If you’ve nothing to barter with, stop wasting my time.”

Wait, the cup!

“I have a Bottomless Cup of Water.”

The goblin tilted her head. “Show me.”

I removed the cup and demonstrated it. The goblin tested it a few times and sampled the water. “Deal. Remove the iron and bring her inside.”

I slipped the iron sliver off Dee’s neck and put it on my own. Nod and I slid Dee off the deer’s back and carried her inside. The ceiling was so low, even Nod had to watch his head. I was forced to my knees.

“Put her there,” the goblin said, pointing to a couch barely big enough for Dee’s curled body. We placed her on her side.

The interior of the home resembled a medieval alchemist’s shop or maybe an apothecary’s. Jars and bottles, tools and equipment for processing ingredients, finished potions and powders. The smell wasn’t offensive, but it was a cacophony of scents that left my head reeling.

“You can sit over there, as long as you’re quiet.”

“My name’s Melina. I am—” I stopped before expressing thanks or gratitude, which might have insulted the fae. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“You can call me Lingate, and if you want to save your friend, you can keep quiet.”

I looked at Nod. He shrugged and gave me an expression that said, Too late now.

I switched to a cross-legged position and watched Lingate work. Nod stood, his fingers quietly drumming the blade on his hip. I kept checking on Dee, who muttered nonsense but was otherwise calm.

How are things outside, Snowpuff?

Fine. I do not wish the human to die, pet.

Neither do I. Thank you for keeping watch.

Lingate worked silently, mixing and grinding a variety of ingredients. A few times, I think she cast some low-level magic.

At one point, Nod’s hand gripped the handle of his knife. I panicked and wondered what had set him off.

“What are you doing with that, goblin?”

“Saving your friend.”

I looked at Nod for more information.

“Chereet root,” he said. “It’s poison.”

Lingate sighed. “It’s an expellent, which you’d know if you were a true healer. It will force the poison out of her body.”

The goblin worked for a while longer before holding up a small vial of straw-colored liquid. “You hold her down while I get her to drink this.”

Nod laid his body across Dee’s curled legs and gripped the back of the couch. I leaned over the side and pressed down on Dee’s shoulder. Lingate turned Dee’s head up, pinched her nose, and poured the yellow liquid into her mouth. The goblin dropped the vial and clamped Dee’s jaw closed.

Dee’s body lurched, her head twisting in Lingate’s grip.

“Hold her still!” the healer hissed.

A few more seconds passed, and Dee began to relax. Lingate released Dee’s head and pointed at a bucket. “Bring that here.”

I did, and Lingate pulled Dee close to the edge of the couch. Without warning, Dee vomited. The bucket caught most of it. Dee vomited again and went completely slack.

Lingate looked at Nod and said, “Expellent.” She handed me a cloth and began cleaning up her workspace.

I wiped Dee’s face and dropped the cloth across the lip of the bucket. “That’s it? She’s healed?”

“Course not. All I did was extract the poison. She still needs more aid to ensure her body doesn’t fail.”

I brushed Dee’s copper hair back from her forehead, which glistened with sweat. “How long will she be out?”

“She’s going to sleep for a day or two, and then she’s going to wake up, and then she’s going to wish she hadn’t. But she’ll eventually recover.”

A day or two was a day or two too long. We didn’t have that kind of time, and I couldn’t leave her alone with Lingate. Nod seemed to be making the same calculations.

“I can stay, Melina. You go. I’ll make sure she gets back home.”

I shook my head. “I can’t do this without you.”

“You were already planning on it until I showed up.”

“I can’t ask you to risk your life like this, Nod.”

I’ll stay, pet. I want to.

The same goes for you, Snowpuff. The Unseelie here could turn on you in a heartbeat. Besides, you can’t be too far from me or you start dying.

That is . . . not technically true.

What? Since when?

Two days ago. I have fully recovered my soul from you. We are no longer bound to each other.

Why didn’t you tell me?

I worried you would send me away.

I would never do that. But I would also understand if you preferred to stay here. This is your home world, after all.

It is. But I have come to enjoy my time in your world. There are no cold boxes here with raw steaks in them.

Snowpuff, you will always have a home with me, wherever I am.

Thank you, pet.

I still don’t want to leave you here, though.

You speak as if you have some say in the matter. I choose to protect the human. You cannot force me to go. And if it will make you feel better, the goblin will protect the human until she is recovered. Ask her.

I looked at the goblin. “I can’t stay, Lingate. Will you watch over my friend until she’s healed?”

“Yes. Until she is fully recovered.”

See? You and Aster and Nod can continue on. Fix the nexus, then come back here. We can make our way to Seelie territory together.

I turned the situation over in my head, looking for an option—any option—that didn’t leave Dee behind.

Back at the lake, you grew really large and lifted me out of the water. Could you carry Dee back to Seelie territory?

Lingate said Dee still needs more treatment, and I could only carry your friend for brief periods of time. I do not like our odds of making it through Unseelie territory with her still unconscious. I’m sorry, but Dee must remain here.

I struggled in vain for a solution that absolved me of my guilt and still gave me a chance to save the nexus.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

Chapter Sixteen

Snowpuff revealed herself to Lingate before we departed, and the goblin’s yelp of fear, I’m not sorry to say, was a massive relief. Lingate would think twice about going back on her word or turning over Dee if she knew a whiptail wyrm was lurking about.

Even so, I felt horrible for leaving Dashford, and it was an anchor on the small balloon of hope I still clung to.

“We need a safe place to rest,” Nod said. “Even I’m about to tip from exhaustion.”

Aster tilted his head north. “There is an abandoned building on our way to the nexus if we take a slightly different path. It is easily defended and offers shelter from the oncoming storm.”

A flash of lightning across the night sky confirmed Aster’s prediction, and the roll of thunder a few seconds later underscored it.

Nod’s eyebrows inched together. “We need to hurry. Melina, if you can ride—or even if you can’t—you best hop on Aster’s back. He and I can travel faster than you.”

“Sure.” I wasn’t worried about a little rain. I’d already taken a dunk in a stinky lake earlier that day. Still, if we could avoid another soaking, I wouldn’t complain.

Nod laced his hands together, and I placed my boot on them. He easily lifted me high enough so I could throw my other leg across the deer. I’d ridden a horse a couple of times at camp as a kid. I’m talking saddled ponies, really, and they meandered in a slow circle inside a fence. Hardly the same as riding bareback on an Unseelie deer as large as a horse.

“Place your arms tightly around my neck,” Aster instructed.

I did and felt the bristles of his coat against my cheek. The deer vaulted into motion. I’d have been thrown clear if he hadn’t warned me. He fell into a steady pace that was far from a gallop.

Behind me, Nod was somehow keeping pace, even though he carried his axe. It didn’t seem possible, given his stature and Aster’s gait. I blinked and looked again, my brain not quite believing what my eyes were seeing. At least Aster wasn’t going to ditch the dwarf.

Good luck, pet.

You, too, Snowpuff. And thank you again.

You will soon be too far away for me to communicate, but I will listen for your return.

I’ll be back as soon as possible.

The sun had hit the horizon while Lingate worked on Dee, and the sky above held neither stars nor light save the random forks of lightning that briefly illuminated the land. I knew Nod could see in the dark, and clearly Aster could, too. The deer veered left and right, sidestepping objects I couldn’t spot.

We covered ground quickly, though for the most part, I was as blind as I had been in the enclave.

A lightning strike hit close enough that I felt the reverberation. The thunder followed with barely a delay. In that instant, I saw an open field in front of us and a large building at the far end. The storm rapidly grew in strength. Strong gusts of wind nearly unseated me. Aster quickened his pace, and I clung to his neck with all my strength.

The structure was even bigger than I’d realized, with four stories and dozens of windows. Easily the size of a large apartment complex back home.

Aster stopped in front of the entrance, which consisted of two weathered wood doors. The deer’s sprint at the end had left Nod a little behind, but I saw the dwarf’s silhouetted figure heading our way during the next flash of lightning.

I opened the door, which was surprisingly unlocked and—equally surprising—remained attached to its hinges. The patter of large rain drops began a moment later. We were fine, but Nod had gotten very wet very quickly. He made a soggy entrance, and I shut the door.

The dwarf dropped his axe and put his hands on his knees. He was wheezing harder than I’d ever heard him. He lifted a finger at Aster.

“Don’t . . . do . . . that . . . again.”

“You knew where you were going, and I didn’t want to get wet.”

Nod tried scowling, but it didn’t really work, given his hyperventilating.

“I’m sorry, Nod,” I said. “And Aster, Nod’s right. We shouldn’t split up again, even briefly, okay?”

“Are you telling me what to do?”

“How can a question be a command?” I countered.

The deer gave a short, gruff sound. “I do not take instructions from either of you.”

“Then consider it a polite request. Please.”

Aster gave a slight nod. “I will consider it.”

“I want a fire,” I said. “And given the layout of this building, I think we can make one that doesn’t alert anyone to our location and also doesn’t kill us through asphyxiation.”

“Need to . . . secure building . . . first.”

“Agreed,” I said. “When Nod’s recovered, we’ll scout the place and find a secure room for the night. If you concur, Aster.”

The deer impatiently pawed at the floor. “Very well. But we’ll need more than a fire. This storm brings elementals with it. They will not take kindly to your presence, mage. I can provide some warding, but we should secure a room near the center of the building.”

Nod’s breathing slowed, and he picked up his axe. “What kind of building was this, Aster?”

“It has served a few purposes over time. I believe the last one was a market.”

“All right. Aster, you’re the strongest, and I would feel better if you took the lead. We’ll clear this building room by room and work our way up to the top floor. Then we’ll select the best location for the night. Yeah?”

Aster said nothing but headed off. Nod followed, and I trailed behind.

Outside, the storm had only gotten worse. Wind whipped through every opening of the building, creating a noisy backdrop to the rain, thunder, and lightning. The howling and whistling were bad enough, but I kept thinking I also heard voices. A few words here and there, never really clear and always unsettling in nature.

I’d have felt a lot better if Snowpuff were nearby, especially if the voices really were from evil elementals.

The building hadn’t been used in quite some time. A lot of the windows were broken or missing, and plants had infiltrated the first floor and made serious headway on the second.

I relied on the eyesight of the others to keep me from falling into an unseen hole or walking into something sharp and possibly dangerous. That meant resorting to trailing Nod with my hand on his shoulder.

Progress was slow, and I couldn’t see much, thanks to the cloud cover overhead. The building reeked of a combination of rotted wood, musty, stale air, and something that had an unpleasant tang to it. If the place had been a market, there might have been food left behind. I assured myself the unusual odor was moldy food and not anything more unsettling.

The storm raged outside. Wind brought sheets of rain into the outermost rooms and created unnerving sounds that perfectly matched the monsters I imagined waited for us around every corner. In the flashes of lightning, I swore I saw watery humanoids peering in windows and even dipping briefly into the building.

But we completed a check of the building and determined it was empty. Nod chose a room on the third floor that had avoided water damage and, as a bonus, had a wood stove with a pipe still attached. Nod chopped up a couple of pieces of furniture from nearby rooms and brought a couple of bundles of cut wood. We closed the two doors and barricaded them.

Aster pawed at the floor in front of the doors before hunkering down in a corner. “I have done what I can. I suggest we rest.”

I stretched out on the dusty floor opposite the deer.

Nod lit a fire in the stove using a flint and tinder set from his pack and the cut wood. “I’ll douse it if we end up getting smoked, but I think we’ll be fine.”

Nod left the stove door open a bit, and the yellow and orange flames cast a comforting glow in the room. The wood cracked and popped, steadily catching fire and throwing off more heat. Nod squatted near the stove and held out his palms. He’d picked a position where he could keep Aster in view.

“My old bones are going to be much happier very shortly,” he said.

I ate some food from my provisions and drank from one of the reusable water containers Aster had secured in the village. Much as I was thrilled Lingate didn’t want the other items we had, I’d soon learned how convenient a bottomless cup of clean water could be.

Nod stood and cracked his back. “Oooo, yeah, better. I’ll take watch, Melina. Why don’t you get some rest?”

“I can stand guard,” Aster said.

“Sure. Why don’t you patrol the outside of the building?”

The deer snorted, dropped his head across his front legs, and closed his eyes.

“Thought so,” Nod said quietly.

“Thank you, Nod.”

“Sleep, Melina.”

That was difficult. My thoughts continued to turn back to Dee, and not just about whether she would recover. She’d wake up in a strange place with a strange fae. I trusted Snowpuff could keep her calm and let her know had happened, but I still felt that job should have been mine.

“Melina! Melina!”

I woke to Nod shaking my shoulders. “What? What is it?”

“Aster. He’s gone.”

I sat up, rubbing at my eyes and blinking in the daylight. All the doors were closed, but the deer was gone. The storm had blown over, leaving an eerie calm. I swear the storm was magical and had caused some of the worst nightmares I’d ever experienced, almost all of them involving drowning.

“When?” I asked.

The dwarf looked embarrassed. “Sometime after three or four in the morning. I’m truly sorry, but I fell asleep.”

“He didn’t kill us in our sleep. I’ll take that as a win.”

My attempt to gloss over things failed to lighten Nod’s mood. “I let you down and put both of us at risk. I won’t let that happen again.”

“We’re all exhausted. I’m not mad, and I don’t blame you.” The scowl on Nod’s face indicated he still shouldered a ton of guilt. I tried another approach. “Maybe it’s best we part ways with Aster, you know? You never trusted him.”

“And it looks like I was right.”

One of the doors opened, revealing the deer. “Right about what, dwarf?”

Nod got to his feet, his axe in one hand. “About whether or not you can be trusted.”

Aster ignored the barb. “I’ve scouted the immediate area and found nothing. But I did spot a large number of dearg and bogles approaching from the south. I suggest we head out immediately.”

“Are they definitely headed this way? How fast are they moving?”

“They are taking the north road into the village at a measured pace. It stands to reason they will continue north, which will bring them this way.”

“Sounds like we’ve got about an hour’s head start,” Nod said. “Let’s not waste it.”

Packing took less than a minute. Nod hacked at the embers in the stove with the toolset poker, then used some of the water from his container to fully extinguish the fire. “All right, off we go.”

Thick gray clouds still clung from the sky, and the ground was soaking with rainwater. Mud and puddles slowed our progress back to the road, though it wasn’t in much better shape.

“You may ride again, if you wish,” Aster said.

Nod cut me a disapproving look.

“Very generous, Aster,” I said. “But I’m fine walking.”

The deer rolled its shoulders—perhaps the equivalent of a shrug—and replied, “As you like.”

“Where’s Daggers?” Nod asked.

“If we hurry, we can arrive before nightfall. It’s due north, and the entrance is on the other side of that mountain.”

“All right.”

Nod seemed on edge. I chalked it up to a combination of his guilt for falling asleep and his suspicions about Aster. Constantly keeping your guard up was exhausting, I can tell you.

We passed more fae on the road, and a similar exchange from the previous day occurred, at least according to Aster. The fae attempted to buy our lives, Aster declined. I had to take his word for it, because I couldn’t understand their language. If Nod understood it, he was keeping that secret to himself.

The land flattened out, revealing a better look at the mountain range ahead.

“The pass is straight ahead,” Aster said. “If we—”

The sound of a hunting horn to our right, forlorn and far away, snapped all three of us to a standstill. The horn sounded again.

“The Unseelie army,” Nod said.

“Most likely,” Aster replied.

A second horn sounded, though this time far off to our left. Nod quirked an eyebrow at Aster. “Friends of yours?”

“That remains to be seen, but I’d wager they are no friends of yours. We must ride for the pass. If we can beat them to it, we stand a chance of losing them before making it to the hidden entrance for Daggers.”

“Melina, I think it’s best if you catch a ride with Aster.” Nod’s jawline muscles flexed. He might have thought it best, but he still didn’t think it was a great idea.

“Okay. Aster, may I?”

“Yes.”

Nod helped me up once more, and in another repeat from yesterday, Aster took off, with Nod running behind.

The mountain was a few miles off and felt like a farther distance than what we’d covered last night. I worried about Nod keeping up and constantly checked on him.

Aster stuck to the road, silently pressing forward.

We heard horns again a little later. A third horn, behind us, joined the previous two.

“They’re closing in and trying to cut us off,” I said.

“Yes,” was all Aster said.

“Can you carry Nod, too?”

“I can, but my progress will be hindered if we encounter Unseelie.”

If we encountered any of the Unseelie pursuing us, Aster’s speed might be our only chance for escape. And escape was the only thing on my mind. Squaring off against three groups of Unseelie in their home world was hopeless.

“If we have to tangle with the Unseelie, we’ll need Nod as rested as possible.”

Aster slowed until the dwarf caught up. He jogged alongside the deer. “What’s wrong?”

“I think you should ride, too,” I said. “If we have to fight our way to the pass, I prefer you to not be exhausted.”

Nod debated it, I could see him doing the calculations. To my relief, he agreed. Aster stopped, and I pulled the dwarf up behind me. I held on to Aster’s neck, and Nod held on to my waist, and Aster took off.

“As fast as you can, Aster,” I said. “If you please.”

The deer surged ahead, though not at the same pace as his sprint before the storm. He could have been pacing himself, or he might have hit his maximum speed. All I knew was the mountain still looked much too far away for my taste.

The horns sounded again, and I knew they were getting closer. I didn’t know just how close until we approached the bottom of the mountain, when I spotted a bunch of bogles off to our left.

“Aster!”

“I see them.” The deer powered up the path, which quickly turned steep and was still slippery from the rains. Aster’s speed dropped quickly as he picked his way more carefully up the slope. If we were lucky, the Unseelie would be equally slowed.

We climbed higher, and I checked behind us. All three mini armies were converging on the pass. The bogles to the west had already reached the path and turned to pursue us. The slick mud slowed them, though not nearly as much as I’d hoped.

“Aster, what’s on the other side of the pass?” I asked.

“Woods. Cover.”

I liked the sound of that. “And where’s the hidden entrance?”

“At the bottom of the mountain, the pass becomes a road that cuts across the valley. Not far along the road is a path through the woods that leads to a rock ledge along the mountain’s side. We’ll follow that up and across the valley to a small cave. The ledge is exposed, however, so once we begin traveling it, we could be spotted.”

What was it with caves in the fae world?

We were nearing the top of the pass. Clouds obscured the peaks, and we passed the tree line. The air turned frosty, but the upside was the ground was less muddy. Even so, Aster’s breathing became more noticeable, and his pace decreased.

The bogles were halfway up the mountain, and the second group—deargs by the look of them—had begun their ascent. We’d pick up some speed on the way down, but we’d need to carefully choose when to leave the road. Too late, and the Unseelie would spot us. Too early, and they might close the gap by sticking to the road and spot us on the rock path.

The pass loomed larger but was by no means large. In fact, I wondered if Aster would even fit through it. As we neared the top, Nod told Aster to stop as soon as we cleared the ridge. The deer slowed and barely squeezed between the high rock walls. Once he was across the peak, he stopped.

Nod hopped off and began unsheathing his weapons. He stuck the toolset poker and tongs in the ground, one on each side, and hefted his double-bladed axes. “The pass is narrow enough for me to hold them off for a while.” Nod cut off one of the silver shield charms that was woven into his beard and handed it to me. “For luck. You two head for the cave. I’ll catch up with you in Daggers.”

I didn’t agree with a single thing the dwarf said. Moreover, his casual announcement about our parting ways—and him leaving me with Aster—flew in the face of his previous lack of trust of the Unseelie. Reconciling his words and actions led me to an uncomfortable conclusion: Nod believed my best chance was to flee with Aster.

And that conclusion led to another, even more uncomfortable conclusion: Nod was going to sacrifice himself in the process.

Even with the advantage of the pass, Nod couldn’t possibly hold back all the Unseelie ascending the mountain. Worse, he couldn’t retreat without being eventually run down or taking an arrow or fireball in the back.

“We can outrun them,” I said. “Hop back on before it’s too late, Nod.”

“It’s been a pleasure serving you, Steward Morgan. I know you’ll do House Vervain proud.”

The dwarf leveled his axe at Aster and said something I couldn’t understand, possibly in a fae dialect. The deer pawed at the ground and replied in the same language. The dwarf nodded once to Aster. “Done. Now go.”

Without a word, the deer headed down the pass. I jumped off the deer, determined not to let anyone separate me from Nod.

No sooner had my feet touched the ground than I found myself on Aster’s back again. I slid off once more, only to reappear on the deer. Nod’s figure, casually swinging his axe, continued growing smaller.

“Aster, stop! We have to bring him with us!”

“I cannot. I’m committed to seeing you delivered to Daggers and back to your mortal friend.”

I tried dismounting the deer again, with similar results as before.

Fine, I may be stuck here, but that doesn’t mean I’m helpless.

Reaching up, I grabbed the base of Aster’s antlers and tried turning his neck. His head didn’t budge.

Okay, maybe I’m a little helpless.

Aster picked his way down the steep path, which was dry but covered in loose dirt and rocks. We were only halfway down when I saw Nod’s tiny figure engage the first of the Unseelie to crest the rise. The next time I looked, I couldn’t see him. On the upside, I didn’t spot a stream of Unseelie flowing down the path, either.

At the bottom of the mountain, the path became a level road, and Aster’s speed picked up. The valley floor was a combination of thickets of woods and plains. The side of the mountain Aster was heading for was mostly barren, the rocky surface broken only by the occasional scrub brush.

“This is the turn for Daggers,” Aster said and swerved left onto a small footpath heading straight into the woods. “I believe we will elude the Unseelie once we have entered the cave passage.”

I’m sure he meant the words to be uplifting, but I found little solace in them. Nod was almost certainly dead. Snowpuff was guarding Dee, who was recovering from being poisoned. I was riding an Unseelie who Nod never trusted.

The nexus still had to be fixed, I had to collect everyone, we had to get to a Seelie door, and then—maybe—I could return home.

All of that felt pretty much impossible, considering I couldn’t even hop off the back of a magic deer.

Chapter Seventeen

We emerged from the forest, where the path went left, right, and straight. Aster went straight, and the path quickly veered right and began ascending the side of the mountain at a gentle slope. The ledge was uneven but wide. Aster moved slower, but at least we weren’t in danger of tumbling to our deaths.

As we got higher, I kept looking back, hoping to see signs of Nod and fearing I’d see a horde of Unseelie. But I saw nothing other than a settlement far off in the distance across the valley floor. The road we’d left continued down the center of the valley, paralleling our own path.

“We’re really exposed up here,” I said. “And you’re moving super slow. Once the Unseelie spot us, they’ll just power down the road until they’re ahead of us, then cut up the mountain and block our exit.”

“There is no way to access the passage save this ledge. Dearg and bogles cannot fly. We still have a comfortable lead.”

“In that case, we should stop and wait to see if Nod is following us.”

“I cannot do that. As I said, I’ve committed to delivering you to Daggers.”

“What’s that even mean? I thought you had already promised to do that.”

“I have entered into no pact with you,” Aster replied.

“Yes, you did. You said you would lead us to Daggers.”

“I did not. I said I knew the way to Daggers. I also said I was mildly curious to see how far you would get before you died.”

A knot of panicked realization formed in my stomach. I would have sworn Aster had agreed to deliver us to Daggers, but on some level, I knew the Unseelie was telling the truth just now. I’d missed the implications of the deer’s wording when we met, and now I was possibly going to pay the price for that oversight.

“So where is this commitment coming from?” I asked.

“The dwarf and I have entered into a pact which requires me to deliver you to Daggers and then to your friend in the village.”

“In exchange for what?”

“I’m not obligated to share that.”

Frustrated didn’t come close to capturing my emotion at that moment. Filled with molten fury was closer but still an understatement.

Just how safe was I with Aster? If Nod had resorted to trusting the deer, didn’t that mean I should, too?

Let’s say I managed to escape Aster. What then? I didn’t know how to get to Daggers. Another thought crossed my mind: Aster could be lying about his deal with Nod. Nod never said anything about a pact.

I suddenly felt very alone and, maybe for the first time since stepping into the grove, terrified. Not just afraid or fearful but outright terrified.

Facing death with Snowpuff and Dee and Nod at my side was one thing. Confronting it with a strange Unseelie was something else entirely.

The midday sun heated up the valley and turned the exposed mountainside into a sauna. With no wind to provide relief, we trudged through the hot air.

I sipped sparingly from my water container, now keenly aware of its low level. I wasn’t sure when I’d find a safe source of water. Adriana had warned me about eating or drinking anything in the fae world, and her warning consumed my thoughts.

How silly would it be to venture so far, only to die from eating a berry or drinking from a spring of water?

Below us, the valley looked serene, despite my knowledge that danger lurked below. The fae world, or at least the Unseelie world I’d seen so far, was a bundle of contradictions in that regard. It was objectively beautiful in some ways and horrifying in others. The Unseelie could be narrowly trusted in certain situations and wildly unpredictable in others.

The lack of consistency constantly gnawed at me, which did nothing for my already through-the-roof stress level.

We caught a break in the afternoon when the ledge turned flatter. My back was killing me by that point, though, and I begged Aster to let me down. He complied, and when my feet touched the ground, they mercifully stayed there.

“Do you see Nod or the army?” I asked as I stretched my back.

Aster turned and inspected the valley. “I do not, though even my eyesight has its limitations. Provided we have no pursuers on the ledge, I believe we will make it to Daggers before anyone can catch us.”

“Presuming no one’s waiting for us ahead.”

“That is true.”

The sun accelerated its arc towards the end of the afternoon, to the point that I didn’t think we’d reach the hidden passage before sundown. But the sun halted its descent in the sky just above the mountain line and hung there for a while.

Aster stopped at a rough-hewn but obviously not natural entrance, even though the ledge continued. “We have reached the hidden passage.”

“Not terribly hidden if you ask me.”

The Unseelie’s head jerked around. “You can see it?”

“Yes.”

Aster’s eyes flicked to the crown above my head. “No doubt related to your mage powers.”

I didn’t correct him. “So, back down in a dark tunnel?”

“Yes, though it’s barely a tunnel. This high up, the mountain is not very wide. You can, however, stay here on the ledge and take the more obvious entrance into Daggers.”

“Nope. And I wouldn’t mind a bit of shade, all things considered.”

I spared one final glance back the way we’d come, but all I saw was an empty ledge and a peaceful-looking valley.

Here we go again . . .

Aster led the way. He was right about the passage being short. We quickly popped out the other side of the mountain range. Well, I did. Aster remained a few feet inside the passage.

“You have been safely delivered to Daggers,” Aster asked. “I cannot travel farther, but I will wait for you here and see you safely returned to your friend.”

“Okay.”

“Tell me, do all mages hate fae?”

“A lot of them do. Maybe most, even. But at least a few don’t.”

“And that is why you risk your life: to save the fae.”

“I suppose that’s as good a reason as any,” I replied, conveniently sidestepping the remaining threat the Unseelie posed to mortals and Seelie.

“Even Unseelie? You seek to protect us as well?”

“I don’t wish harm on anyone. And I’ve met some Unseelie who have become my friends.” Maybe the slightest stretch of the truth but not far from it. “They’re trapped back on Earth, and if I don’t succeed in my quest, most of the mage community will descend on all fae on the physical plane and destroy them.”

Aster said, “You are no mere mortal, and I suspect, no mere mage.”

I didn’t think he knew about the gifts Adriana had given me, and I hoped that secret was still not common knowledge in the fae community. But the implication sent a shiver down my back.

“Trust me, I’m just a regular old human and barely a mage.”

“Most truly gifted people do not see themselves as such.”

“I bake pretty good sourdough bread. And most people love my sugar cookies.”

“As you say.” Aster shifted his weight and gave a nod of his head. “Best be on your way.”

“And if the Unseelie do track us down?”

“You need not fear death from Unseelie down there. They would not survive long if they choose to enter Daggers. I wish you luck, mage.”

“Thanks. See you soon.”

A breeze picked up and tossed my hair around. I shielded my eyes against the light.

A stretch of barren land spread out below, broken only by needle-like rock structures towering even higher than the passage. Not hard to guess how the place got its name.

More difficult was the question of where I’d find the source. My view would be super restricted once I left the outcropping, and I didn’t see anything resembling the nexus source. The structures didn’t seem to end, no matter which direction I looked.

And that was the second problem: even if I could see the source from the outcropping, I’d only have the sun as a reference point once I was down the mountain.

A switchback zigzagged down the mountain’s face, ending at the valley’s floor. I adjusted my backpack, took a step, and promptly crashed into an invisible barrier. My nose hurt something awful but wasn’t bleeding and didn’t seem to be broken. That was the good news.

The bad news? The world had split in two in front of me, creating mirror images of itself to my left and right. I turned and took another step, this time holding out my hand. My fingers found another invisible barrier, and the world fractured once more.

Aster’s voice boomed from the passage. “I delivered you safely to Daggers, and I’ll deliver you safely to your friend, just as I promised the dwarf.”

“You’re responsible for this?”

“Yes. You are in a fractal prison. Each time you attempt to escape, the prison splinters.”

I made a fist and banged on the barrier multiple times. With each concussive blow, the world around me split again. I felt like I was surrounded by TV screens projecting the reality outside me. The world had fractured so much, I was really disoriented.

“Let me out, Aster.”

“I caution you against testing the prison too many times. Each successive division weakens it.”

“Great. I’ll just keep hammering it until I break out.”

“If the prison fails while you are still inside, you will die.”

Buttermilk biscuits.

“Aster, I’m begging you to let me out. Please.”

“I cannot. Or you could say I will not. Both are true.”

“Why do this? What’s going to happen to me?”

“A fellow mage will be along shortly to escort you.”

Piter Renard. The weasel.

“You can’t trust Renard.”

“He will ensure the only fae who suffer are Seelie. We will take this land, and then we will take yours.”

I snorted. “There may be a couple of mages who won’t be so quick to recognize your authority.”

“Without the nexus, the ability to protect the Seelie in your world vanishes. Most of the fae will fall quite quickly. The mages may prove more challenging, but they, too, will eventually yield to the inevitable.”

So, he knew why I was headed to Daggers all along. Or he’d learned about it after meeting up with us.

“Man, you really don’t understand humans, do you? We can be really illogical when we want to.”

“Logic does not enter into it. Once the Bergamot mage fulfills his task, the rest is a foregone conclusion. It’s a matter of consequence, not logic.”

“Then how are you going to keep your pact with Nod? You promised to deliver me safely to Dee, as well.”

“That commitment will be fulfilled, and the pact will be satisfied.”

“I’m warning you, Renard has no intention of sharing his power. He’ll turn on you as soon as he thinks he can get rid of you.”

“Almost certainly. But he is providing a valuable service for the moment. He will be dispensed with once his value has ended.”

I kicked the barrier, not caring what happened at that point. The world split, and I kicked the barrier again. This time, the facets of the world began to show cracks.

“If I die,” I said, “you won’t be able to fulfill the pact.”

“I only said I would deliver you safely. If you choose to kill yourself, that is beyond my control.”

I raised a fist but stopped myself from striking the barrier again. “What can I offer you to let me out?”

“There is nothing you can offer that is more attractive than my current course. If I release you, you will undoubtedly try to fix the nexus, and that is counterproductive to my goals. Now, I’m growing bored with this conversation.”

“Aster, please! You can’t let Renard get away with this!” No response. I kept talking, resorting from threats to bribes to begging. Aster had gone silent, and I was almost certainly stuck in the prison.

I faded while wearing the mask, but I still hit the barrier. Worth a shot, anyway. I had the whistle but decided against it. I didn’t feel okay killing Aster in cold blood, and even if I did, I’d still be trapped. I tried portaling and couldn’t even open one. The prison likely negated that ability.

Which left the Vervain seal and Adriana’s ring.

I didn’t like the idea of what would happen if Aster took the Vervain ring. My understanding was that simply having the ring wasn’t enough. A ritual was required to formally transfer the title and the power it came with. At least, that’s how it had gone for me.

Could the Unseelie find a way that didn’t require the ritual? Maybe. Even so, if it bought me my freedom, I’d still have a slim chance of saving the nexus. If I stayed in the prison, the nexus would fall, and it probably wouldn’t matter what happened to Vervain at that point.

I held up my hand, as if Aster could see. “I’ll give you the steward’s ring to House Vervain.” No response. I tried offering Adriana’s ring. “How about a Seelie royalty ring?”

The deer remained silent. I guess he wasn’t kidding about being bored. I sat cross-legged and fumed about my situation, which was honestly pretty grim. I pulled out the silver shield charm Nod had given me and rubbed my thumb over its polished surface.

My heart believed he had somehow survived, but my head was convinced the dwarf had perished on the pass. Snowpuff was unlikely to leave Dee’s side. I couldn’t break out of the prison, and my attempts to bribe Aster had failed.

“Adam really messed up when he picked me for his successor.”

A voice filtered through the prison, and it wasn’t Aster’s.

“Oh, I don’t know about that.”

Chapter Eighteen

“Adam?” I stood, trying to get a glimpse through the fractured images. All I could make out was a humanoid figure standing next to the prison and holding something in his hands. “Is that you?”

“In the flesh, though much worse for wear, I’m afraid. Give me a moment, Melina.”

The figure’s arms and hands made complex motions, and Adam’s voice recited a spell. The cracks disappeared, and one by one, the fractured images began merging until my world was unified again.

The former steward smiled weakly at me. He dropped what he was holding, the pair of antlers tumbling to the ground.

“Aster?” I asked.

Adam nodded and moved to lean against the entrance. He looked gaunt and tired. “I offered him a chance to release you or suffer my wrath. I think he regrets his choice.”

“Did you . . .?”

“No, no. I did remove his powers, however. I suspect he won’t be a bother to us anymore.”

I threw my arms around him. “Adam, I can’t believe you found me, but you did, and I’m so glad! But I’m sorry, I really messed things up, and now my best friend is—”

He gently patted my back. “There, there, no need to apologize. You’ve done more than I ever could.”

I stepped back and wiped my eyes. “How can you even say that? I haven’t even learned how to access the nexus, and now Renard’s about to destroy it. You would have fixed this days ago.”

The mage ran a hand through his short gray hair. His eyes were no longer green but instead a very light brown. His clothes were wrinkled and dirty. I noticed a slight tremor in his hands.

“Adam, what’s wrong?”

“Effects of being trapped in that damnable pocket verse for so long.” He pinched his jacket. “This is the result of evading Unseelie while tracking you.”

“How long have you been tracking me?”

“I forced my way into the fae world two days ago, or somewhere around there. Time—”

“Progressives differently here, yeah, I know. Two days? You must be starving!” I slipped off my pack and pulled out my water container and some food.

“I wouldn’t turn down a meal, to be honest, but I can eat while we walk.” He took crackers and a protein ball, plus the water container.

“I don’t know how to get to the nexus source,” I replied. “It’s supposed to be down there somewhere.”

“It is. I can locate it using my mage abilities, and if you try, I’m willing to bet you can, too. You already have a connection thanks to Wren. You just need to activate it.”

The relief I felt at that moment can’t be overstated. I’d swung from All is lost to We still have a real chance! in a matter of seconds. And having someone like Adam by my side—someone who was experienced and knowledgeable about magic and who confidently assured me we could find the source—was a much-needed boost.

I was no longer alone.

“How?” I asked.

“Basically, you’ll access the nexus just like Thomas has been training you to.”

“Yeah, but I’m still learning all the necessary precautions you need to use before you can even try accessing the nexus.”

“I can help with those,” Adam said. “But let’s put some distance between us and this ledge. Aster is sure to let every Unseelie he finds know that we’re here.”

We headed down the switchback, with Adam moving far slower than I remembered. He drank some water and nibbled on the food, and by the time we hit flat land, some color had returned to his skin.

I did all the talking on the way down, catching him up on everything that had happened since I’d entered the fae world. The last bit of news I saved for the end. “I’m afraid Nod is dead.”

“Somehow I think not,” Adam replied.

“I don’t see how he could possibly be alive. He was facing off against an entire army of Unseelie.”

“Even so, he’s terribly resourceful.”

“Well, if you were following me and didn’t cross paths with him, how can you be so sure?”

“I followed the Unseelie to the mountain and waited while they tried clearing the pass. Nod made good on his promise. The Unseelie didn’t move for the longest time. Finally, they began filing over the pass. I hid and waited until they were gone before venturing up myself. A large amount of magic had been discharged at the top of the pass, but I didn’t find any sign of Nod.”

I showed Adam the silver charm. “He gave this to me for luck. He needed it more than me. Anyway, we never saw the Unseelie or Nod before heading through the passage.”

“I created a diversion that sent the army off across the valley floor in the wrong direction just long enough for me to slip past. The spell on your ring guided me, though I must say, I was stumped at first when you two slipped into the passage. Took me a while to find the opening.”

The sun had resumed its descent, and darkness filled the Daggers. Adam put a light spell on a small rock, which he used to navigate our path.

“Aren’t you worried about us being spotted?”

“I doubt the Unseelie under Renard’s sway will have the courage to risk their lives in here, but I’m more afraid of not reaching the nexus before it’s too late. I fear for Wren’s condition.”

If there were any animals around, we didn’t see or hear them. The only sounds were the wind and the occasional tumble of a stone off in the distance. After a few self-inflicted jump scares, I began ignoring them.

“We’re getting close,” Adam said.

“You can sense it?”

“Can’t you?”

“No.”

He stopped and told me to close my eyes. “Listen to my voice and try to focus on the power at the source.” Adam led me through a guided meditation. It took me a while to relax, but eventually, I heard only his words.

He might have been using magic to help me, or he might have just had a soothing voice. Either way, my head slowly cleared, and I became aware of an intense amount of energy up ahead. Kind of like the heat of the sun on a blistering day or feeling the pull of a strong wave while standing in the surf. The scale of the power warped the space around it, like a black hole.

Actually, it was a lot like a black hole, because I felt my consciousness being pulled out of my head. I don’t know how else to describe it.

I panicked, mentally grasping to keep my mind attached to my head.

“Easy, Melina, you’re back,” Adam said.

I opened my eyes. My breathing was fast and shallow, and I flailed around like I’d just woken from a nightmare. Which, I kind of had. Reality slowly settled in: fae world, Daggers, night, Adam.

“That’s too strong,” I said. “I can’t survive that much magic, much less control it.”

“It’s not, you can, and you will. It’s just a matter of practice.”

I had only tried sensing the source. I couldn’t imagine what it was like to actually pull magical energy from it. “And a metric ton of courage. Or insanity. Or both. Was I supposed to feel like my brains were being sucked out?”

“It’s a common reaction. Accessing the power of the nexus requires you to ignore certain instincts. More than one aspiring mage lost their stewardship after being unable to access their nexus. Don’t feel bad, it’s a challenge for everyone.”

I nervously twisted the Vervain signet ring. “Yeah, well, I’m thinking you can have the seal back as soon as we’re home, because if I have to control that mental maelstrom to remain steward, I quit.”

Adam didn’t have an immediate reply to that. He stood in the soft yellow glow of the light stone for a while before saying, “I take full responsibility for thrusting you into a situation you weren’t remotely prepared for. I had hoped to offer you a far easier transition, and I had planned on being present for it.”

“You literally saved my life, and likely everyone else in Cold Creek. You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

He smiled at that, like I’d said something funny. “Both things can be true. I saved your life only to put it in danger again, and nothing can change that. But I’m so, so proud of you, Melina. You’ve achieved things even I never could. I can’t wait to see what you’ll do next.”

I smirked. “Guess that means you aren’t taking this back, huh?”

“Well, there’s this nagging little thing about me dying.”

My jaw dropped, and I felt like such a jerk. Adam’s terminal condition had been the catalyst for reaching out to me when he did. Thomas and Adriana had said he’d been planning for a transition in the stewardship weeks before coming to Cold Creek. And now I was joking about him taking back the reins of House Vervain.

My turn to apologize. “I’m so sorry, Adam, I forgot. Seeing you in the flesh, and everything else that’s been going on muddled my brain.”

He patted my arm. “I’m not dead yet, and we’ve got one or two things left to wrap up here. We can talk about the stewardship when all’s settled. Now, if you’re feeling better, we should get moving again.”

We resumed our walk, the light stone casting flickering shadows across the plain of rock formations. The sky showed no sign of morning. Despite Adam’s presence, I was getting creeped out.

The one time where some wonky time progression could have really helped. I could have also used a source of clean water, but Daggers looked completely dry. I’d seen nothing from the mountainside to indicate the valley had any water.

That was going to be a problem if we couldn’t fix the nexus source quickly.

Really? You aren’t worried about the Unseelie waiting outside the passage for you? You don’t think they haven’t already blocked off every exit from Daggers?

Put a pin in it.

You’ve got a veritable pin cushion. Not a lot of room left on it, Morgan.

“We’re getting close,” Adam said.

I took his word for it, as I didn’t see anything that looked like the source, and I wasn’t about to try sensing it again. Adam’s pace increased until we were almost jogging. We rounded a large spire, and the mage stopped.

“That’s it.” Adam held the light rock in the air as we approached a small, circular pool about fifty feet wide. This pool didn’t contain water, though. A thin layer of fog covered the surface and slowly dissipated as it rolled away from the pool.

“What are those?” I asked, pointing to cracks in the rock floor that, oddly, splintered towards the pool and narrowed as they neared the source. The crevices contained an oily substance that sheened in the light. The sludge’s level was several inches below the surface, but it bubbled like an evil sourdough starter.

“I’m not sure, but I don’t think they’re supposed to be there.” Adam knelt to inspect one, holding out his palm for a moment. “Yes, the sludge is the poison, I’m certain of that. But where . . .?”

He looked backwards and away from the pool, his eyes tracking one of the crevices. He followed it, stepping carefully while moving the light rock slowly back and forth.

“What are you looking for?”

“The source of the poison. This goop didn’t materialize from thin air. Ah, I should have suspected.” He knelt again and used his free hand to gently sweep at the ground. I joined him.

A gold symbol appeared, partially visible under more dirt. It looked like real gold, but I didn’t think it was. Who would leave gold out here?

Adam pulled a handkerchief from his jacket and used it to brush the area clean. Very quickly, a circular pattern of symbols revealed themselves. They appeared to be thin metal plates cut to form different shapes, each being around a foot tall. Two concentric rings joined them at the top and bottom. Adam worked meticulously, uncovering several feet of the circular creation.

Based on the part he’d uncovered, the entire thing was around sixty or seventy feet across and completely encircled the source. The cracks in the ground were widest at the metal circle and narrowed down as they neared the pool.

The mage stood and flicked dirt from his handkerchief before returning it to his pocket. “Notice the crevices start at the ritual ring and move to the source. The ring is summoning or creating the poison.”

“How do we stop it?”

“That’s an excellent question and one I’m not entirely sure how to answer.” The mage frowned and scratched his chin. “This wasn’t built in a few days, and it has wards to prevent someone from tampering with it.”

I took a large step back from the ring. “What happens if we mess with it but don’t disable it?”

“Oh, we could be killed instantly, though that’s one of the more attractive possibilities. At the other end are things like slowly being turned inside out over many days. It’s a most impressive piece of work from a magical design standpoint.”

Impressive wasn’t a word I’d have chosen at that moment, though I noted Adam’s appreciation for the level of crafting that had gone into the ring. If he was impressed, we were dealing with some serious stuff.

“Then it’s a good thing we aren’t in the middle of Unseelie territory or racing against the clock or have any friends to rescue.”

Adam smiled at my dry comment. “Have faith, Melina. This is not an impossible task. Now, what goodies might you have brought with you?”

I opened my pack and gently shook the contents on the ground. I had an empty water container, a half-filled one, the Echoing Eyes of Montirado mask, the Whistle of Extinction, and some food.

The mage lifted my hand and touched Adriana’s ring. “And what’s that artifact do?”

“Oh, that’s not an artifact. It’s a ring Adriana gave me. She thought it might be useful if I was captured.”

Adam absently tapped the ring a few times. “Hmm. I detect no magic.”

“Hey, I’m just telling you what she told me.”

The ground beneath our feet shook once, and I felt a stabbing pain in my chest. Just a flash, there and gone. Adam’s hand had gone to his chest as well.

“You felt it, too,” I said.

He nodded and looked gravely at the crevices. “The crevices have widened. We have less time than we think.”

Chapter Nineteen

Adam paced, occasionally mumbling to himself, which left me to sit and stew. I was of no help to him in this matter, and staying quiet and out of the way seemed the best option. I spread out on the ground to rest while the mage tried to solve the puzzle of the ritual ring.

Fatigue reared its head almost as soon as my head touched my backpack-turned-pillow. I was hungry and thirsty and dirty, and all I wanted was a hot meal, a shower, and a comfy bed. I drifted in and out of sleep for a while until I heard my name.

“What is it, Adam?”

“I may have come up with a spell to slow the poison. That would buy us some time. There’s a catch, though. Just as Wren has a connection with the nexus, so do we.”

“But you’re no longer the steward of Vervain. How’s that possible?”

He shrugged. “Even though I can’t access the nexus, perhaps the connection remains. The point is, I was already in a weakened state when I arrived here. If I get this spell wrong, I may not be in a condition to try again, presuming I’m not already dead.”

“One shot, huh?”

“Essentially.”

“Best make it count.”

Adam began writing in the dirt, explaining the spell he planned to use, how it worked, and what my role would be. “I’m going to use the Echoing Eyes of Montirado to enhance my powers. While I’m casting the spell, I’m going to be all but out of touch with this reality. I’m going to rely on you to protect me until I’m done.”

“I’m not exactly the best bodyguard, Adam.”

“You’re the best I’ve got,” he said. He turned serious, the usual hint of mirth in his face absent. “If the ring’s defenses summon creatures or we’re attacked and you believe we’ve no chance of survival, use the whistle as a last resort.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Please, trust me. Promise me you’ll use it if we’re out of options.”

I bit my lower lip. “Okay.”

“Good.” Adam stood outside the ritual ring. “Ready?”

I nodded. Adam placed the mask on his face and lifted his arms. His voice deepened, and he began reciting a spell. I held the whistle and shifted my attention between Adam, the crevices, and the ring.

For several minutes, nothing happened. Then another tremor shook the ground. Another spasm of pain filled my chest. Adam shifted a foot to rebalance himself, and his voice strained for a moment. He resumed his chanting, even though his arms had lowered.

The crevices were widening with each tremor, and they appeared to be filling with more sludge. A couple more quakes, and the goop would start to overflow.

A soft sound like a tiny bell being rung far away filled the air.

“Whoa,” I said involuntarily.

The dirt around the ritual ring vibrated, but I didn’t feel any new tremors. As I watched, the particles lifted slowly in the air until a wall of vibrating dirt had formed directly over the ring.

Adam’s voice rose in volume, though it had lost some of its earlier strength. How long had he been chanting? Twenty minutes? Thirty?

I checked the area just to be sure no Unseelie were lurking about. We were still alone, for the moment, anyway.

The ring was now easier to see, and it began rotating clockwise. It made a sound like surf across a beach, a constant shushing noise. The sludge in the crevices bubbled faster now, popping and burbling.

Adam’s spell was having an effect, no doubt about it.

A third tremor roiled the ground, and this time, Adam’s voice completely cracked. The rhythm of the spell was lost, though he tried recovering it. The ring stopped moving, and the dirt collapsed back to the ground in a shower of dust.

The mage went down on one knee, his arms falling completely to his sides.

From out of a crevice rose a shimmering humanoid figure covered in sludge. “No.”

How the entity uttered the word—there was no visible mouth—was a curious fact I dismissed for the moment. The floating creature covered in poisonous goop kind of took precedent in my head.

Adam let out a whimper and collapsed to the ground. Keeping an eye on sludgy, I checked Adam’s breathing. He was alive and appeared unconscious.

The humanoid descended back into the crevice.

I dared to look away long enough to inspect Adam’s face. He’d gone pale, and a quick check of his eyes revealed dilated pupils. But his breathing was steady for the time being.

Of course, we were right back where we were.

Nope. Try again.

Okay, we’re worse off than before. And what did I tell you about having a little optimism?

I’m a realist, and here’s a real news flash: your chances of saving the nexus are considerably lower than they already were.

But they’re not zero.

I wasn’t giving up yet, and I was determined to find a solution. I just didn’t have a clue where to start.

The sun rose shortly after, casting a harsh light on our predicament.

I’d felt two more tremors, and the sludge had nearly reached the top of the crevices. The fog above the source pool roiled now, tossing up plumes in an agitated state as if it were fighting for its life.

I sat on the ground with Adam’s head in my lap. He mumbled incoherently a couple of times, his body jerking. I didn’t want to know what kind of nightmares he was having.

“Melina?” His voice was barely a whisper.

“Yep. I’m here, Adam.”

His eyes flickered open. “I failed.”

“It’s okay. We can try again.” But I saw the reality in Adam’s face. He was in no condition to try again, and I didn’t have the ability to summon the energy needed to perform the spell.

Adam closed his eyes and nodded, though he might have been acknowledging my own reaction, which was not the cheerful, optimistic one I had aimed for.

A tear rolled down my cheek. I wiped it away before it fell on Adam. Was this how everything ended?

No. No, it wasn’t.

I removed the mask from Adam’s face and placed it on mine. As gently as possible, I slid out from under his head. His eyes closed again.

Adam couldn’t access the nexus, but I could. And with a boost from the mask, I had a slim chance of surviving the process. And if I could do that, I’d have a ton of power at my fingertips—hopefully, including the ability to destroy the ritual ring.

I closed my eyes and summoned the words Adam had used earlier to help me connect with the nexus source. It took a while, and I couldn’t help opening my eyes every once in a while out of fear that sludgy was going to reappear.

Eventually, my mind calmed to the point that I could focus on finding the source.

The pool’s proximity or maybe the mask upped my sensitivity. I quickly locked on to the source, which now felt like ten black holes. My consciousness stretched and thinned under the force pulling on it. I had the same panic as before—I’m losing my identity!—and mentally scrambled back from the cliff of oblivion.

Nope, nope, noppity nope. Forget this, I’m going to find another way.

I was positive that if I let go, whatever self-awareness I had would be consumed by the source. My reaction wasn’t at an intellectual level. This was the most raw and basic survival instinct, deep in my subconscious.

I ripped off the mask and tossed it away. My mind had the consistency of mashed potatoes. Sitting and breathing and recovering was about all I could handle for several minutes.

“Melina?” Adam had rolled into a sitting position and was eyeing me with concern. “What happened?”

I stabbed a finger at the source. “I tried accessing it.”

“Oh, my dear, you aren’t ready for that. Did you feel you had to?”

I nodded. “You said you only had one shot at disarming the ring, and when you failed and then went unconscious, I figured it was all down to me.”

Adam coughed. “Well, I’m afraid I’m not in any shape to try again, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have another option. I wish you hadn’t done that. You need more preparation.”

“No argument from me on that.” A headache stirred at the base of my skull. “Don’t think I’ll be trying that again for a while.”

A circle of orange light appeared on the other side of the pool.

A portal!

Also, Piter Renard!

Chapter Twenty

The Steward of House Bergamot looked like a kid who’d just been handed a key to the local candy shop. He literally clapped for joy at the sight of me and Adam sprawled on the ground.

“I wasn’t sure who was tampering with my ritual, but I didn’t dare hope it might be the two of you! The gods are surely smiling on me today!”

I struggled to my feet, helping Adam up in the process. “They can be a fickle lot, Piter.”

“Not after today,” he replied. He wore a jacket and a dress shirt over his thick frame. His dark brown eyes danced with glee at the situation. “In a few hours, the nexus will be irreversibly poisoned, and I’ll begin rolling up mage houses with some help from a few fae friends.”

“If you’re looking for a deer with glowing horns, don’t bother,” Adam replied.

Piter shrugged. “Since he failed to bring me Melina, I’ve no more use for him. So, would you like some company while you watch your future burn, or shall I give you some privacy?”

“I’d love a portal to Central Park,” I said.

“No direct flights there, I’m afraid. You’ll have to find a doorway home first.”

“A doorway works for me.”

“I’m sure.” Piter pretended to check his pockets. “Well, wouldn’t you know it? I’m fresh out of doorways, too. Guess you’ll just have to portal there yourself. Unless, of course, you can’t do that because, oh, that’s right: the nexus is killing you.”

Suffering through his pompous boasting and smug responses was nearly enough to send me screaming into the nexus source right then and there.

“I’d attempt to have you see reason,” Adam said. “But I’ve long since learned that’s a waste of time.”

Piter gave a slight bow. “Thank you for sparing me that. I think I’ll kill you more quickly than I’d planned.”

“No privacy, then, huh?” I asked.

Piter’s face lost its jovial nature, and his voice turned cold. “No.” He glanced at the nexus source, the hunger in his eyes obvious. “Not long now.”

Over his shoulder, the portal still remained open. It had to lead somewhere in the fae world, though I couldn’t tell where. The space beyond looked like a room of some kind.

Even if I could have made it through the portal, I wouldn’t have used it. Piter had to be stopped, once and for all.

If only Snowpuff were here. Or Nod. Or Adriana or Thomas or Keg or Fynch.

I put my hands in my pockets, my right one closing around the Whistle of Extinction. Maybe the nexus couldn’t be saved, but I could spare the world another minute of Piter Renard’s existence. The only thing holding me back was the knowledge I’d be killing Adam in the process.

Piter began walking towards us. My eyes caught on the mask on the ground, only a dozen feet away. Had Piter seen it, too? The coloring didn’t exactly blend in with the ground, but he was still yards away. Luckily, it had landed in the contents of my backpack, which were still laid out.

I stepped closer to the pack, then stopped at Piter’s command.

“Stay where you are.”

I’d cut the distance in half, but that wasn’t enough to grab it before Piter noticed. I had to hope he didn’t recognize it for the artifact it was.

For the moment, I let Adam call the shots and ran down my options in case he tried something: attack Piter, make a run for the portal, or, well, that was pretty much all I could come up with. The odds in either case weren’t great.

Piter walked within ten feet of us but stayed on the inside of the ritual ring. “Shame you didn’t take my offer, Melina. You and I could be ruling both worlds right about now.”

“Who are you kidding?” I replied. “You were only ever out for yourself.”

The Bergamot mage cracked up at that. “True, true, guilty as charged. But it sounded great. Right out of a movie.”

“Been practicing, have you?”

He waggled his hand. “I tried out a few lines, if I’m being honest.”

“I hope you have one ready for when the tables turn,” Adam said.

Piter checked his watch. “And how much time do I have before—”

The fireworks show that engulfed Piter was worthy of any Fourth of July I’d experienced. A rainbow of colors and lights completely surrounded the mage. Adam had one arm lifted in Piter’s direction, but he was already swaying. I dove for the mask.

“Get to the portal, Melina!” Adam shouted.

I got to my feet, and before I could reply, the ball of light exploded. A force tossed me back to the ground. I saw stars, even a few planets and a couple of moons. Without waiting for my vision to clear, I slapped the mask on my face and started fading.

Was it working? Had Piter already seen me? Where was Adam, and was he okay? I had no clue, so I simply focused on disappearing from Piter’s view.

The steward fumed and cursed, and I heard shuffling to my left. Adam groaned, and I heard a slap, followed by another groan.

My outline is beginning to disappear. My outline is hazy. My outline is gone. The rest of my body is slowly disappearing, too.

I pretended I was back in the Rave Cave, practicing fading with Fynch and not facing down death at the hands of a fellow steward.

My head has vanished. Now my arms are invisible. Now my legs have disappeared.

Rushing the process wasn’t going to help, but I still couldn’t see straight. I tried not to imagine what torture Piter was putting Adam through.

The scuffling resumed, but I stayed exactly where I was until my vision cleared. What I saw stopped my heart.

Piter had dragged Adam to the edge of the pool. The mage’s body was limp, and blood trickled from his nose. Piter stood over Adam and kicked him in his side. Adam barely moved, which told me just how bad off he was.

I can’t say exactly how it happened, but the sight of Piter literally kicking an old man opened the floodgates of anger I’d been accumulating over the past few weeks.

The persecution of the fae by the mages.

The Manhattan Seelie who had wanted nothing more than to live in peace but had been preyed on by Unseelie for centuries.

The reckless danger people like Piter posed to the world who should have known better but used their power for their own selfish ends.

The list went on, but it all ripped through my head in a split second. The fury blew my intellectual fuse, and I reacted purely on emotion.

I didn’t just seek the nexus source, I wanted to consume it. I wanted to be consumed by it. I wanted its power, and I knew exactly how I was going to wield it.

The only reason I managed to ignore my instincts this time was the fact that I was barely thinking. I mentally dived into the source, begging to become part of it, and I did.

The power grew, filling my body until I feared I couldn’t contain it any longer. The initial flood of fury eased, and I regained control of my consciousness.

I wasn’t lost in the pool of energy, and my identity was still intact. Better than ever, actually.

I felt like a god. Like I could rework the world around me. Like nothing was beyond my ability. Like it was time to be a little fickle when it came to Piter.

With barely a thought, I froze him in place as he was about to kick Adam again. I ignored Piter. He was a bug. A mite. An insignificant grain of sand. He represented no threat to me, nor did he possess value.

I leaned down and touched the ritual ring, willing it to cease to exist. And it did.

I walked to Adam and waved my hand over his face, willing him to be healed. And he was.

The change in the nexus source was immediate after I’d removed the ritual ring. The power became purer and more intense. I would rework Earth to my preferences, and I had more than enough power to do it. For that matter, I’d bring the Unseelie to their senses or their knees. I’d bring peace to these two worlds and bridge them one way or another.

The nexus power continued flowing into me, and it felt amazing.

And then it all stopped like a faucet being turned off.

The power was gone, and I was back to being just plain old Melina Morgan from Cold Creek, trapped in a physical body that was tired and achy. My old fears returned—hello, anxiety, good to see you again; welcome back, crushing sense of responsibility for saving others—to the point that I was nearly debilitated.

“Just rest, Melina. You’re going to be fine.”

“Adam?”

His face swam blurrily above me. He nodded. “You saved us. You fixed the nexus, Melina. You did it.”

I smiled and said, “Awesome. Wake me in about a year.”

Chapter Twenty-One

The sun hung high above me.

That didn’t track with my internal clock, which said it was still nighttime, but I also had no idea how long I’d been out. I was stretched out near the nexus source, my head resting on my pack.

I removed the Montirado mask from my face and rolled over, expecting to be greeted by dozens of complaining body parts. Aside from a little stiffness in my back, I felt amazing.

“There she is,” Adam said. He sat on the edge of the pool, which was no longer covered in fog. The crevices remained, though the sludge poison was gone. “How are you feeling?”

“Has it already been a year?” I stood, rolled my shoulders, and looked around. We were still alive, which was good. We were still in Daggers, which maybe wasn’t.

Adam laughed and sprang to his feet, his gracefulness at odds with his almost-a-century-old age. “Closer to three hours.”

The mage wasn’t just acting younger, he literally looked it, too. “And I don’t feel as good as you look. What’s your secret?”

“Nothing complicated. Lots of water, exercise, and knowing someone who can access one of the most powerful sources of magic in the world.” He chuckled at his own joke.

I stepped closer to the source. With the fog gone, I could see the contents. Theoretically, anyway. No matter how hard I concentrated, the energy of the source refused to come into focus. It blurred, and my eyes involuntarily slid away until I was looking somewhere else. My brain couldn’t process the little amount of information that made it through.

I had a vague sense the energy looked kind of like clouds or cotton candy, except it was constantly churning but also still.

“Don’t bother trying too hard,” Adam said. “Mortals, even mages, aren’t capable of seeing its true nature.”

I held my hand over the pool. It was probably my imagination, but for a brief moment, I swore part of the energy reached towards my hand before retreating. Sensing its power no longer required effort. I could have found the source blindfolded if I had to.

“So, what exactly happened, and where’s Piter?”

“I’m a little fuzzy on things before you healed me. I suspect Piter was killing me, just as I suspect you had faded. Once you’d healed me and the nexus source, I had my full mage powers. Piter was not pleased about that, let me tell you.”

Some of Adam’s words summoned snatches of memories, though the details were hazy. “That’s right. I healed you using the energy from the nexus source.”

Adam shook his head. “You didn’t just heal me of my wounds. You literally cured my condition.”

“You’re no longer dying?”

“Well, in the long run, yes, but my run just got a lot longer thanks to you.” He winked at me. “Anyway, once Piter saw I was whole again and that you were drawing on the nexus source, he fled. I’d have stopped him or pursued him through the portal, but if I had, you’d be dead.”

Great, the jerk got away. Guess we’ll be dealing with him for a little longer.

“If Piter was gone, how was I going to die?”

“You were on the verge of being consumed by the source. That’s the danger Thomas was trying to prepare you for. An untrained mage accessing raw magic energy will lose themselves and become part of the source itself. Even experienced mages occasionally succumb. I almost lost you completely. Another few moments, and I would have.”

More memories washed into my consciousness. I had this queasy feeling I was planning on killing Piter in cold blood, which I would never have done. And there was a sense of becoming a god, but that seemed far-fetched. I remembered being consumed with revenge and anger and hubris.

“I think I wanted to kill Piter,” I confessed.

Adam shrugged. “And? You think you’re alone in that? Do you know how many Seelie would celebrate his death?”

“Even so, I’m not worthy of judging whether he lives or dies.”

“Killing him would save a lot of other lives,” Adam countered quietly.

“Yeah. Maybe. But I’m still glad I didn’t. And I’m grateful you stopped me before I did. Thank you, Adam. I guess that’s twice you’ve saved my life.”

“And yet, only one more time than you’ve saved mine.” He picked up my pack and handed it to me. He’d put everything back inside. “But we’re not done yet. You feel ready enough to travel?”

I slipped on the pack. “Depends. How are we getting out of here, and how are we going to evade the Unseelie who have likely surrounded Daggers?”

“I may have my mage powers back, but I’m no longer a steward, so I can’t portal us anywhere. But you can, Steward Morgan.”

“It’s no good. I’ve tried before. My aim’s off.”

“I suspect with the source no longer being poisoned, you’ll have far better results. And I can give you an assist.”

I nodded and focused on creating a portal to Lingate’s house. As usual, I felt the energy flowing from me to my target destination. But like an arrow being moved off course by wind, the energy was going to miss the target.

A portal to an open market appeared. I closed it before anyone could walk through.

“See?” I said.

“Please try again. But take it slower this time. Don’t rush to the target.”

I focused my attention and pictured the portal opening in Lingate’s home. I lingered on the target, seeing the details of the space, then I started directing magic energy to the target.

As before, the energy was going astray, but just as I was about to declare failure, it corrected. A crosswind of sorts put it back on course, and the portal opened in Lingate’s kitchen.

“What did you do?” I asked.

“Like I said, I provided an assist. Think of it as guardrails on a bowling lane. I sufficiently narrowed the possible trajectories to make it more likely you would find your target.”

“Well, whatever you did, it worked.”

Adam gestured towards the portal. “After you.”

I stepped into the healer’s home and instantly felt something was wrong. “Hello! Dee! Lingate!”

Snowpuff?

I got no responses. The place was empty. I feared the village Unseelie had stormed the house and taken Dee, but nothing looked disturbed. The door was closed, and I even confirmed it was locked. I kept trying to contact Snowpuff but without success.

“She’s not here, Adam. Neither’s Snowpuff, which means they’re probably no longer in the village.”

Adam stood by a workbench and lifted a note. “I believe I know where they are.”

The note had been left by Piter.

I have your friends. Come to the Dullahan’s house in Inverlloche if you want to see them alive again.

- Piter Renard

Steward of House Bergamot

I rolled my eyes at the over-the-top Hollywood trope. The guy was so predictably cliché. But that didn’t make him any less dangerous.

I peeked through one of the window’s curtains and was relieved to find the front yard empty. A few Unseelie moved up and down the street, and the village appeared unaware of our presence.

“I think we’re safe in here for the moment.” My stomach growled. “I’m usually not a fan of burglary, but I think I can sleep just fine raiding Lingate’s pantry.” I had no proof she was working with Piter or had turned over Dee, but her absence didn’t put any points in her Can Be Trusted column.

Adam rummaged through the cupboards. “Any idea where Inverlloche is?”

“No. But Thomas told me stewards can portal to any location, even if they haven’t been there. I mean, I’ve done that before back home, so I should be able to do it here, right?”

“I should think so, especially if I’m helping.”

I searched the kitchen for the bottomless cup but didn’t find it. My thirst overcame my fears, and I filled the water containers from the kitchen sink. Adam pulled together a couple of plates using the remaining food from my pack.

We sat down at a small table and ate in silence. I wouldn’t have described our eating style as ravenous, but I didn’t slow down until my plate was literally picked clean.

“Nod’s still missing, and Dee and Snowpuff are in the hands of Piter. I’d love to find Nod before we go knocking on the Dullahan’s door. If Nod’s alive, can’t I target a portal at him?”

Adam frowned and said, “As far as I know, portals can only target locations, not people.”

I pushed my plate away. “I’m not leaving anyone behind.”

“A most noble position and spoken like a true steward.” Despite the affirming words, Adam’s eyes gave him away.

“You don’t think we can save everyone,” I said.

He spread his hands. “I think we’ve saved the nexus, which will save many lives, beginning with Wren. She can continue providing safe harbor for the Manhattan fae. Our odds of finding our missing friends are less attractive, if I’m being honest. But I’m not leaving your side, Melina, that much I promise you.”

Someone knocked on the front door, and we both froze. A few moments later, there was more knocking. I was already spinning up a portal if we needed to flee. Minutes passed before I worked up the courage to walk to a front window. I pulled back the curtain an inch. No one was there.

“They’re gone, but I think that’s our cue to get out of here.”

“Inverlloche?”

I picked up my pack. “No sense putting it off.”

With help from Adam, I opened a portal to whatever waited for us at Inverlloche.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The few details I remembered from the reliquary’s entries on Dullahans involved death—not a great association, given our impending meeting with the Unseelie. The reliquary alluded to a connection between Dullahans and the Celtic God, Crom Dubh.

Possibly the original headless horsemen, Dullahans sometimes carried their heads and sometimes had no head at all. They rode large black horses between graveyards and those on the verge of death. And because that wasn’t enough, they often wielded whips made of human spines.

It wasn’t a shock to step across the portal and find myself standing in front of a small castle surrounded by a stone wall. Adjacent to the wall was a large graveyard.

Hello, pet.

Snowpuff! Where are you?

Inside the Dullahan’s castle. Dee is with me, but I’m afraid neither of us are in any condition to escape. I’m sorry, pet, but I failed to protect Dee. The mage burst into the goblin’s home, and Lingate used a spell to incapacitate me.

All I care about is you’re both still alive. Adam is with me, and we’re going to figure out how to rescue you, okay?

And the dwarf?

I don’t know. I’m not even sure he’s alive.

A pause, then, I’m very sorry. I know how much he means to you, pet.

First things first. Are you bound or tied up?

No. But they will harm your friend if I attempt anything. The human mage has a knife at her throat.

I clenched my fists, though I wasn’t exactly surprised by Piter’s cowardice. Okay. Stay ready in case my plan doesn’t work.

You have a plan? I mean, good. You have a plan.

Unseelie of all manner had gathered around the castle: red caps, goblins, trolls, boggarts, kelpies, and more. I spotted two farrows in the crowd, and a fetid lurked not far away.

“Steady, Melina,” Adam whispered. He took the lead, and I followed.

As we approached the castle gate, the crowd drew back, leaving us with a clear path. We wouldn’t be dying at their hands just then, but I knew Piter would do everything in his power to ensure neither Adam nor I ever made it back to the physical plane.

The black metal gates noisily creaked open, and we walked through, following a stone path to a large door at the front of the castle. The Unseelie hung back at the gate, presumably by order of the Dullahan or perhaps Piter. I spared a few glances back, but they remained safely behind the wall.

The front door opened all by itself, and, with a deep breath, I stepped inside. The place could have been any European medieval castle, though the decorations were decidedly not what you’d expect. I saw no standing suits of armor, and the room was richly decorated with furniture. The walls held paintings as large as a small house, and the vaulted ceiling was tall enough for a short balloon ride.

A set of double doors at the opposite end of the room stood open.

At Adam’s suggestion, I’d keep the Montirado mask on my face and the whistle in my pocket. I also kept the beginnings of a portal creation at the front of my mind. We’d agreed it should lead back to the nexus source, the idea being the Unseelie wouldn’t be likely to immediately follow us there. We could regroup and portal safely to Seelie territory, drawing on the nexus source if I had to.

I didn’t tell Adam that I wasn’t comfortable doing that. I shuddered at what I’d almost done the first time, and I feared what I would be capable of if I tried again. I was perfectly fine being one of those stewards who stepped down because they couldn’t or wouldn’t wield the power of a nexus.

“Welcome.” The Dullahan lounged on a massive, wooden chair. If he weren’t sitting behind a crypt, I’d have presumed it was a throne. His voice was scratchy and ragged, its source unclear. His head was nowhere to be seen.

Adam and I stopped a dozen feet from the crypt.

Dee sat to the Dullahan’s left side, and Piter stood behind her. Sure enough, he held a thin dagger at the side of her neck. This was the vision I’d had of Dee when we hugged outside La Guardia!

The steward smirked at us, and his cocky arrogance was having me reconsider my earlier hesitation about removing him from the land of the living.

Dee looked out of it, like she was about to fall asleep. I called her name, but she didn’t respond. That said, she looked unharmed. If she was lucky, she’d been tranced and wasn’t fully aware of what was happening.

Snowpuff had curled up in her lap. Dee absently petted the wyrm, though it had a robotic motion to it, as if she were being puppeted.

More Unseelie lined the room on the left and right, including Lingate. I pointed a finger at her. “You promised to keep my friend safe until she healed.”

“So I did. Once she was healed, our pact was complete.”

I couldn’t ignore the fact that Lingate had saved Dee, but I was still disappointed that she’d turned over my friend to Piter so easily.

The Dullahan got to his feet and pulled back the loose cloak to reveal a dull black chest plate. “I am the executioner in these lands, and you have both been deemed fit for sacrifice.” The Unseelie reached to his side and drew a longsword. Dark flames rose from the blade.

Well, I guess he’s cutting right to the chase. I kind of thought there would be at least a little negotiation.

“We are mortals and do not recognize your authority,” Adam politely replied. “We therefore kindly refuse to be killed by you.”

“Kill them,” Piter hissed. “You promised me that.”

“Whatever pact he’s made with you, he won’t keep it,” I said to the Dullahan.

“If he attempts deception, he will pay for his deceit. Until then, I have no quarrel with him.” The Unseelie turned part way around to address Piter. “And I made no such promise to you. I kill for my own reasons, mortal.”

If they hadn’t struck a pact, there was still a chance to convince the Dullahan to let us go. We just needed to find the right incentive.

Adam cleared his throat. “I ask that you release the mortal and the wyrm and allow them to accompany us safely back to the physical plane. In exchange, we promise not to kill everyone in this room.”

While all eyes were on Adam, I’d brought the whistle to my lips.

Piter stared at me. “You and your friends will never set foot outside this castle.”

“Which is why I said everyone,” Adam replied. “Well, everyone except Melina. You’ve made it clear you plan to kill us, so there’s no reason for her not to use the artifact in her hands.”

“It’s a trick,” Piter said. “Kill them now.”

A reedy, strangled sound came from the Dullahan. “You are bluffing.”

“No,” Adam said. “I assure you the artifact is real and will snuff the life of everyone in this room except for Melina. Test us if you must but know you will all perish.”

Please believe him, please believe him, please believe him.

Piter struggled momentarily. His face turned from confidence to confusion and then back again. “She’s bluffing. She won’t do it.”

A dearg stepped forward. Adam lifted an arm. “Don’t. I’m confident we can reach an agreement that doesn’t end in bloodshed. We simply want to leave in peace.”

The Dullahan’s blade pointed at Adam. “Yet you threaten us all with death. You are a typical mortal.”

“Guilty as charged, then, though that doesn’t change anything. Please, Dullahan. The greatest display of power is never showing it at all.”

The Unseelie sighed and said, “I believe you would have used your weapon already if you had the courage. There will be no peace today.”

This was the moment when I was supposed to use the whistle and kill everyone in the room. One breath, and it would be done.

Piter? Gone.

The Unseelie in the room? Vaporized.

Just me, alone and far from home, standing in a room of death. I’d watch Dee, Adam, and Snowpuff die untimely and undeserved deaths. And maybe I’d be able to portal to safety out of the castle. I’d probably find a doorway back home.

But one home would forever be missing my best friend. The other home would never again welcome back Adam or Snowpuff. There would be holes in my life that could never be filled.

Pet, it’s okay. You can do it.

My eyes moved to Dee, and I realized I couldn’t go through with it.

I can’t, Snowpuff.

That’s okay, too.

I lowered the whistle. The headless Unseelie’s blade came up, and he moved around the crypt.

“I have something to offer you, Dullahan,” I said.

Adam looked at me with confusion.

Another plan, pet?

Yeah, but it’s my last.

A whip made of bones appeared in the Dullahan’s free hand, and he cracked it across the crypt. “Do not toy with me. You have nothing I value.” He lifted the whip again.

“How about a ring from a Seelie royal member?”

The Dullahan lowered the whip. “An interesting offer, but unless it has powers of some kind, it is not enough to buy your life.”

Piter shifted anxiously. “Dullahan, we had a deal.”

“The ring comes with a locum pledge.” I pulled Adriana’s ring from my pocket. “You can have it in exchange for the safe passage of myself and three friends back to my world.”

Pet, where did you get that ring?

From Adriana. Why?

Do you have any idea what you just did?

The Dullahan took a single step, but it somehow closed the gap between us. I smelled damp soil and decay and had to fight the urge to gag. The horseman’s gloved hand took Adriana’s ring, leaving an icy coldness where he’d touched my fingers.

He said, “I accept your gift and will ensure you and your friends are safely returned to the physical world.”

Piter howled in frustration. He dropped the blade from Dee’s neck and came at the Dullahan. “We had a deal!”

The horseman raised a gloved fist, and Piter vanished. Dee’s eyes flew open, and she jumped to her feet, sending poor Snowpuff tumbling out of her lap. The wyrm flapped furiously, turning her fall into a graceful land.

“Morgan, am I ever glad to see you!” She hugged me hard.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through all this.”

The Dullahan sheathed his sword, and the whip of bones disappeared under his cloak. “There is a doorway in the graveyard. Follow me.”

We might have just pulled this off!

I just had to ask about Piter. “May I ask what you did with the mage?”

The Dullahan growled. “He shall never bother you again.”

Good enough for me.

In fact, I was pretty pleased with myself. Piter was gone, Dee and Snowpuff were rescued, and Adam had been saved from his purgatory pocket verse.

Adam followed the Dullahan, slipping up to my side. “What did you offer him?” He whispered.

“Adriana’s family ring.”

The look on his face sent a chill down my spine. “I truly wish you hadn’t done that, Melina.”

“What did I do?”

You just sentenced Adriana to a lifetime of servitude to the Dullahan, pet.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Stop!” I screamed at the Dullahan. The horseman ignored me and walked out of the castle. “I’ve made a mistake! I didn’t know what I was doing!”

Adam grabbed me by the elbow. “Don’t. We’ll save Adriana, but we should leave while we can.”

The mage is right, pet. We should leave now.

But I couldn’t stop myself. I couldn’t believe that Adriana had willingly and literally put her life on the line for me, and I was gutted I’d just handed her over to an Unseelie.

“I demand you return the ring!”

The horseman drew his sword again, and I took a step back. Snowpuff leapt between us, ready to attack. But there wasn’t going to be another headless body in the graveyard, at least, not that day. The Dullahan tapped a headstone, which began rising out of the ground.

Below the headstone was the doorway, which slowly rose up until it was tall enough to walk through. Beyond was another graveyard, also bathed in the darkness of night. It looked like Earth, but I couldn’t tell which part.

“Return to your world, and our pact will be complete.”

“Not without the ring.”

An animalistic growl from the Dullahan triggered another step of retreat. “Stay, and I will slay you where you stand.”

Adam looped an arm around me and grabbed Dee’s hand. “Kind thanks for your hospitality, Dullahan.” Before I could stop him, Adam had pulled both of us through the doorway. It snapped shut a split second later.

Snowpuff!

I’m here.

The wyrm materialized into view at my feet.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“Who cares, as long as we aren’t in the fae world,” Dee replied.

“No argument here,” I said.

“The better question is perhaps when,” Adam mused. “My sense of time was warped while I was trapped in the pocket verse, and the fae world didn’t improve things much. But I think it may be Christmas Eve. Or thereabouts.”

“What?” Dee said. “I was supposed to be home by now! My parents are going to have a hissy fit!”

The headstones around us were written in English. If I had to guess, we were back in the U.S. Turned out I was right.

“This is Marble Cemetery in the East Village,” Adam announced. “We’re literally a dozen blocks from House Vervain.”

I looked around. We were alone, and there was very little light in the cemetery. I removed the mask from my face and opened a portal to the Vervain kitchen. “In you go, everyone.”

I was the last to go through. Adam called out for Thomas. I called out for Keg and Adriana and Fynch. Dee ran to get her phone and call her parents.

I would very much like some nourishment.

Oh my gosh! You must be starving, Snowpuff.

It was difficult to resist eating an Unseelie.

I’m sure.

I pulled four thick, raw steaks from the fridge and stacked them on a plate. “I’ll get you more as soon as I find Adriana.” I walked to the door, anxious to find the elf.

I’m finished but I require more sustenance.

I turned. Sure enough, the plate was empty. Um . . .

But I can wait.

Thank you!

I found Adriana halfway down the stairs, dressed in a set of pajamas. She stood next to Adam and Thomas, who were locked in a rib-crushing embrace. Adriana and I silently waited. The two men may as well have been on another planet, and I couldn’t have been happier for them. Tears lined their cheeks and threatened to do the same to mine.

I looked up at Adriana and tilted my head. Downstairs.

She nodded, stepped past the two men, and followed me to the kitchen. “Are you hungry?”

“Sure. Maybe some toast and coffee?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you.” I threw five more steaks on a plate for Snowpuff, who finally announced she was full, then I collapsed in a chair and closed my eyes. I was already drifting off when the smell of buttered sourdough toast, apple butter, and fresh coffee pulled me out of my near slumber. “My gosh, this is amazing, Adriana, thank you.”

“I’m sure you’ve got more than a tale or two to share, but it can wait until tomorrow.”

I shook my head. “Actually, no, it can’t. At least, one of them can’t wait. Hey, what day is it?”

“December 23rd.”

I let out a huge sigh. Dee was supposed to have gotten home tonight. She’d be late getting home, but she’d still be able to celebrate Christmas with her family. That was one less thing to worry about, though it didn’t make my next question any easier to ask.

“Adriana, why did you give me your ring and tell me to use a locum pledge? I mean, why didn’t you tell me what it meant?”

I caught the shift in her expression, her relief suddenly mixed with resignation.

“You gave it away.”

“I’d have never done that if I knew what it meant.”

She smiled. “Which is why I did not tell you. But you must have been in danger, and since you are here, it worked.”

I banged a fist on the table. “And now you have to become a servant for a Dullahan for the rest of your life!”

“What’s this?” Thomas asked from the doorway. “What Dullahan?”

Adam looked at Adriana, and the unspoken exchange between them broke my heart. Thomas and Adam came into the kitchen, followed by Keg and Fynch.

“Yeah, what’s going on?” Fynch asked.

“Melina gave Adriana’s royalty ring to a Dullahan, along with a locum pledge,” Adam explained. “She didn’t understand the consequences. But if she hadn’t given it to the Unseelie, we wouldn’t be here right now. We’re alive because of her decision, and together, we’re going to find a way to save Adriana.”

For a brief moment, House Vervain was whole again. But it wouldn’t stay that way unless we figured out how to release Adriana from the locum pledge. I’d gotten Adriana into this mess, and I was going to get her out.

And not just her. Nod was still out there somewhere, hopefully alive.

“And Nod,” I added.

“Where’s Nod?” Keg asked.

“He held off an Unseelie army that was pursuing us, and he bought me the time I needed to escape. I haven’t seen him since. I’m guessing he’s still in the fae world, but honestly, I don’t see how he could still be alive.”

Keg looked ready to punch a hole in the wall. Or the refrigerator. Or anything, for that matter. “He’s trapped over there, and we’re all trapped here.”

“Just you three fae,” I said. “Thomas, Adam, Snowpuff, and I can head back. I’ll take the grove and retrace my steps. I’ll find Nod, and I’ll negotiate with the Dullahan. Maybe there’s something we have in the armory that he’ll take.”

“I wouldn’t feel good about giving him access to anything from the armory,” Keg said. He quickly added, “Of course, I’d give him the entire armory if it meant saving Adriana, but anything he’d exchange for her ring is going to be mighty powerful, if you take my meaning.”

“How long before the Dullahan comes to collect Adriana?” I asked.

Adam shrugged. “Not long. Less than twenty-four hours, I should think. He’ll present himself to House Vervain and demand she be turned over.”

“Let’s hide her at Wren’s castle,” I suggested. “That will buy us time.”

“That will buy us the Dullahan’s ire,” Adam warned. “If he suspects you’re not holding up your end of the pact, he’ll deem his promise of safe passage to be null and void. I can’t predict what he’ll do at that point.”

I proposed a few more ideas—I take Adriana’s place, we say I did it without her consent, we claim it’s not really her ring—which were all promptly shot down. Either we delivered Adriana, or we risked the Dullahan bringing an army to Manhattan.

We continued discussing ideas, pausing only when someone rang the doorbell. Thomas answered it and returned to the kitchen with Glimmer.

“I see House Vervain is back together under one roof,” the sprite said with relief.

“For now,” I replied. “How’s Wren?”

“Better than I’ve ever seen her. Clearly, you fixed the nexus.”

“And permanently sidelined Piter Renard, thanks to the Dullahan. But all that came at the cost of Adriana’s life.” I gave Glimmer a heavily abbreviated summary of my time in the fae world, including Nod’s MIA status. “Our little reunion may not last.”

“Yeah, I got it. Wren sent for you, Steward Morgan. Maybe she can help.”

I looked at Adam.

“Go,” he said. “We’ll keep Dee safe and won’t give up Adriana until you return.”

I opened a portal to the inside of Wren’s castle. “I’m going to hold you to that, Adam.”

I was pleasantly surprised to find Dexx with Wren in her top floor sitting room. He looked relieved to see me.

“I heard what you did, Steward Morgan, and on behalf of the Techgnome Bros, we’re forever in your debt.” He gave me a deep bow.

“I’m grateful for your friendship, Dexx. Will you be returning home?”

“For a bit, but I’ll be back. And the bros will always be at your service.” The gnome turned to Wren. “With your permission.”

She nodded, and he retreated down the stairs.

“I take it Dexx had nothing to do with the nexus poisoning?” I asked.

Wren shook her head. “There’s no evidence, and I would be surprised if he had. I like to think I’m rather good at judging character. But I believe you have some tales to tell, hmm?”

Wren listened to my story while we sat in the topmost floor of her castle. I yawned a lot and tried keeping my summary as brief as possible. She interrupted a lot, asking questions and demanding details, especially about Nod’s showdown with the Unseelie and the Dullahan.

Wren’s all-white eyes were as inscrutable as ever, but a smile played at the corners of her mouth. “You’ve had a busy few days, Melina.”

“The understatement of the century,” I muttered.

“Yet you accomplished something that’s earned my eternal gratitude. And you saved my life, as well.”

“I’ve been trying to balance the books lately.” She tilted her head at that. “My poor attempt at humor. I helped save Snowpuff from the Dullahan and helped Adam make it back home.”

Wren nodded. “And that’s for starters.”

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t know?” I shook my head. She looked genuinely surprised. “Melina, I’m not entirely sure what you did at the source, but the fae who have been trapped here on the physical plane? They’re no longer locked out of their home.”

Wait a second . . .

When I’d accessed the energy of the pool, I was going to use the power to bridge the fae and mortal worlds.

“So the Manhattan fae can go home if they want?” Wren nodded. “That’s incredible.”

Wren gently tapped the floor with her umbrella. “You’re incredible, Steward Morgan.”

“So incredible, I obligated a dear friend to live out her life shackled to the whims of a Dullahan.”

Wren leaned back and waved a hand. “Oh. That. I’ll have a talk with him. Adriana will not have to fulfill her locum pledge.”

“Everyone said the Dullahan wouldn’t exchange the ring unless it was for something really powerful. It would have to be something he valued far and above the right to Adriana’s servitude.”

“Exactly. I’ll offer him his life for the ring. Oh, don’t look at me like that. I doubt I’ll need to kill him. He’s wanted to expand his territory in the fae world for a while, and I can make that happen. Trust me.”

I held up Nod’s silver charm. With more than a pinch of sarcasm, I asked, “Don’t suppose you can bring Nod back home with this?”

She frowned in disappointment. “Certainly, girl.” She held out her hand, and I gave her the charm. Holding it between her palms, she chanted a spell. A powerfully disgusting smell filled the room.

“What in the anvil’s—” Nod said. He had his axe raised, poised to strike. Swampy leaves and mud covered his clothes, which left no doubt about the source of the foul odor. Nod lowered his weapon and looked around. He bowed low when he saw Wren. “Old Noddy is most grateful. Please name your price for saving me from a fetid.”

“Avail yourself of the baths downstairs, and we’ll call it even.” She snapped her fingers, and the dwarf vanished, along with the smell. “Well, after my Winter Solstice was rudely interrupted, I’m feeling I should be allowed to throw another party in two days.”

“That’s Christmas. I was hoping to spend that with my dad back in Cold Creek. Actually, now that Adam’s back, I was thinking of going home permanently. I haven’t had a chance to tell anyone at House Vervain, but I don’t think I’m cut out to be a steward.”

“Says the mortal who isn’t even a full mage and yet survived a trip to the fae world, cured a dying nexus, saved her friends, and negotiated everyone’s safe return home. But on second thought, you’re probably right. You aren’t steward material.” She grinned to let me know she was joking.

I looked out at the night and the Manhattan skyline lining the park’s border. Wren wasn’t totally wrong. I’d accomplished things I’d never have believed were possible a month ago. Heck, I’ve had countless experiences I’d have never believed a month ago.

I wasn’t the same Melina Morgan who had left Cold Creek just a few weeks ago. That Melina Morgan had spent her entire life hiding from the fae and living in dead zones. Her only goal was to stay unnoticed and live as small a life as possible, because attention could be fatal.

Most of what Old Melina thought was true about the world was wrong, and there was a lot she hadn’t even known about until two strange men popped into her back yard and literally opened a door to another world.

None of that really answered the question about my future, though.

Was it in Manhattan, surrounded by a new family of fae and friends? Or was it back in Cold Creek, with Dad and a town full of people who had watched me grow up? Could it somehow be both?

As if she’d read my mind, Wren stood and said, “Get some sleep, Steward Morgan. The world can rest safely tonight, and so can you. Decisions like these are best made in the brightness of day and with the clarity of a well-rested mind.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Iportaled back to House Vervain and found Dee waiting for me in the kitchen, along with the others. Snowpuff was contentedly curled up in Dee’s lap.

“Everything okay with your folks?” I asked.

She nodded. “They’re good now. I rebooked my flight for tonight.”

“I can portal you to Cold Creek whenever you like. Skip the lines and all that.”

She made a frownie face. “Thanks, but I think I’ll stick with non-magical travel for a while.”

I couldn’t blame her for that. And I knew she’d be processing what had happened for a while. We were both exhausted, but she had something else going on behind her eyes, something I remember feeling all too well: what have I gotten myself into?

Yet, Dee also seemed at ease around the Vervain crew. She scratched Snowpuff behind the ear and sipped a coffee like this was all totally normal.

“Wren sends excellent news, Adriana. She said she’s going to take care of the Dullahan.”

Everyone looked at me like I’d sprouted another head. Thomas said what I’m sure they were all thinking. “How?”

“She said she’d help him expand his territory in the fae world, and that he’d take that in exchange for the ring. I don’t really know what she meant, but she seemed confident about it.”

“More land means more power,” Adriana replied. “I am not pleased that I am the cause for an Unseelie to gain more influence in my world.”

“I agree that’s rarely good,” Adam said. “But I trust Wren won’t tip the scales too far. In fact, giving the Dullahan a boost will likely trigger some dissension amongst the Unseelie. The internal squabbling would mean a temporary reduction in the conflict between them and the Seelie.”

“And I have even better news,” I continued. “Wren summoned Nod back to the physical plane. He’s at her castle right now.”

“You saw him?” Keg asked.

I nodded. “He was muddy and super stinky but otherwise in perfect health.” Sitting in the kitchen and knowing everyone I cared about was no longer living under the threat of imminent danger brought a relief I hadn’t felt in years.

With Piter out of the picture, I figured the mage community would back off from their persecution of the fae. But even if I was wrong about that, all fae could now return home. No matter how you looked at it, the fate of the Manhattan fae was looking better than ever.

Adam said, “We’re sorry to see you go, Dee. We’ll be having a small celebration tomorrow night.” He addressed the following to me and Dee. “In fact, we’d love to have the pleasure of your company, but we also understand you probably want to spend some of the holidays back in Cold Creek.”

“Gosh, that’s awfully nice,” Dee said. “But I do have to head back. I’ve got work on the 26th.”

Adam looked to me for a moment. He must have caught the conflicted expression on my face. To his credit, he didn’t prompt me for a reply. “Of course. House Vervain will always open its door for you, Dee.”

I yawned. “I’m sorry all, but I absolutely have to get some sleep.”

Dee stood, cradling Snowpuff in her arms. “I wouldn’t mind some shut eye, either. Good night, all.”

I said good night and walked out with Dee.

“Dashford, I’m sorry for all the lies. If I’d told you the truth, none of this would have happened.”

“I forgive you, Morgan, as long as you promise not to keep any more secrets from me.”

“Deal.”

I looked at the whiptail resting against Dee’s chest. “She’s really going to miss you, Dashford.”

No, I will not.

Oh, come on. You’ve never been that cuddly with me.

I mean I’m not going to miss her because I’m going to accompany her back to her home.

I felt a surprising pang of sorrow. With her soul fully recovered, Snowpuff could go anywhere she wanted, including back to the fae world. She could have even stayed at House Vervain, but she was choosing to go with Dee. I’m not going to lie. I felt a little jealous.

“I’m going to miss her, too,” Dee said and gave her a gentle squeeze. She stopped mid-step on the stairs and looked at me in confusion. “I just heard a voice in my head. Tell me I’m not going crazy.”

“What did you hear?”

Dee’s eyes slid down to the wyrm. “‘You won’t have to miss me, pet. I choose to accompany you home.’”

Is that true, Snowpuff?

Yes. You and I have a special connection, but I wish to see more of the world. And your friend does not have the same abilities you do. I feel an obligation to protect her.

Some would call that a maternal instinct.

Human interaction?

Yes. Human interaction.

Then I suppose I possess a maternal instinct.

“Dashford, Snowpuff can communicate telepathically. She says she prefers to go with you.”

“Get out. Seriously?” She held up Snowpuff so she could look the wyrm in the eyes. “You want to come home with me?” There was a pause, and then Dee grinned and hugged Snowpuff. “Me, too. Me, too.”

I hugged Dee goodnight and climbed the rest of the stairs to the steward’s quarters. Ignoring my fatigue, I took a long shower and debated whether my clothes were salvageable. I wound up tossing them in the hamper in a gesture of optimism.

It wasn’t until I fell into bed that I realized Snowpuff hadn’t referred to me as pet since we’d left the fae world.

I woke to my alarm and the smell of a feast. Literally.

I tossed on some clothes, dragged a brush through my hair, and headed downstairs. Someone was cooking up a storm, and I heard laughter from below. I passed the dining room, where the table had been set for a meal.

House Vervain, plus Dee and Snowpuff, were in the kitchen. Keg, Adam, Thomas, and Adriana were tending to various dishes while Dee, Snowpuff, and Fynch sat at the kitchen table.

The imp noticed me first. “Melina! You’re up!”

“Hey, all. What’s going on?”

Adam wiped his hands on his apron. “We decided we couldn’t let Dee go home without a proper sendoff. Call it a farewell feast before she has to head to the airport.”

“Sounds great to me. Wish I had time to bake some sourdough bread.”

“I took the liberty,” Adriana replied and pointed at two loaves cooling on racks. She rubbed her thumb and fingers together. “A little baking magic.”

The crumb had a lovely dark burnish, and the bread smelled amazing. “Can’t wait to try it, Adriana. Anything I can do to help?”

The elf glanced at the clock. “Take out the Beef Wellington in two minutes, would you?”

“Sure.”

The kitchen was filled with smells that wrapped me up in memories of holidays past: cinnamon and cloves; turkey and potatoes; bread and cake. The laughter and sounds of cooking were added touches that warmed my heart.

At my first encounter with Adriana, she’d remarked, “I believe the kitchen is the heart of every home,” and I’d agreed with her.

That afternoon in House Vervain was the perfect reminder of how true those words were. As if to underscore the point, Nod showed up, freshly showered and smartly dressed. The silver shield charm was even back in place.

“What’s all this then?” he bellowed. “Someone fixing to feast and didn’t invite Old Noddy?”

Keg grinned and ran to the other dwarf. “You’re looking better than you have a right to be, cousin.”

Cousin?

“You two are related?” I asked.

“Distantly, but yeah,” Keg replied.

The fae world was a lot smaller than I realized.

Together, we transferred dishes to the adjacent dining room, and I could almost hear the table groaning under the weight of the food and drink. Keg had brought out ale, and Adriana had produced a couple of bottles of wine from the kitchen. It wasn’t at all like Millie’s holiday party at her restaurant, but it had the same heartwarming vibe.

Adriana gestured at the table and said, “Sit, eat, and be at ease.”

We took our places. Fynch sat at his imp-sized table and chair on top of the dining room table. Snowpuff had reluctantly left Dee’s lap for a spot next to Fynch. Adam remained standing and lifted his glass of wine.

“I can’t begin to address all the events that have transpired over the past three weeks, but I feel comfortable commenting on their outcome. House Vervain has a new steward who rose far and above her duties and has set the bar for serving this house and those who rely on it. To Steward Morgan.”

Nod and Keg pounded the table, Adriana nodded in approval. Fynch cheered.

Adam waited for silence before continuing. “Of course, Melina had help. Snowpuff, Nod, and Dee all played a part in our collective success. House Vervain is indebted to you, and you will always find an open door here.”

Adriana stood and said, “It warms my heart to see a full table and know the world is a little brighter. I am grateful to count you all as friends and family.”

We clapped in approval, and the meal officially got underway. Dee told stories about our adventures back in Cold Creek. Nod and Keg shared tales of mischief and mayhem from their childhood. It was a lovely time, but for me the highlight came at the end of the meal.

Fynch’s wings lifted him into the air, and he produced a set of cards, which he fanned out face down. He flew close to me. “Melina, would you be so kind as to pick a card? Please don’t let me see it.”

“I’d be honored.” I selected a random card. The Queen of Diamonds.

“Please replace the card.” I did. “And now, I’m going to shuffle the cards while using my magic powers to identify the specific one. Please help me, Melina, by imagining that card, but don’t say it out loud.”

“Okay.” Fynch couldn’t read minds, but he was following his magic trick routine to the letter. Nevertheless, I imagined the card.

The imp shuffled the cards for a bit, then held the deck out to me. “I have identified your card, Melina. Please cut the deck wherever you like.”

I lifted roughly a third of the cards. Fynch took the bottom half and placed it on top. “Now, I will reveal the top card, which is also the same one you picked.” He flipped it over.

The Queen of Diamonds.

My mouth fell open in astonishment. He’d really done it. He’d successfully performed a mortal magic trick.

Fynch must have taken my expression as disappointment. “Isn’t this your card?”

I nodded. “It is! You did it!”

The imp recovered quickly. “Well, of course! I’m a magician!”

The room erupted in cheers, though we were celebrating far more than just Fynch’s parlor trick.

“You sure you don’t want me to portal you home?” I asked Dee as we stood in the front hall. We’d called a cab for her to take her to the airport. She held Snowpuff in her arms while we waited.

“Yeah, I’ve had about as much magical excitement as I can muster for the time being. But I might take you up on that after the holidays.”

“Totally. We can even do Slumming Saturdays, and you won’t even have to leave your home!”

Dee smiled. “I’d like that. Does that mean you’re staying up here, then? Now that you’re a fancy steward and all that?”

“I think so. At least for now.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I can see why. You’ve got a great family, Morgan. Time to enjoy it, you know?”

“For sure. But I’m portaling home tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

“Try and stop me.”

Goodbye for now, Melina.

Goodbye, Snowpuff. And thank you for everything.

I shall expect you to bear gifts when I see you tomorrow.

I promise.

And by gifts I mean raw steaks.

I know.

I wanted to be sure.

Her cab arrived, and we said goodbye. I waved as she drove off, and the first real pang of regret set in. The pull of Cold Creek was stronger than before after Dee’s visit, despite how harrowing it had been.

I was going to portal home in a bit, spend Christmas with Dad, and the plan was to come back to House Vervain in a week or so. But would I? After being home for so long, would I still have the same desire to return to Manhattan?

I walked through the brownstone, which was still decorated for the solstice. The scent of pine and potpourri filled the air. Keg, Nod, and Fynch were in the Rave Cave. Adriana, Thomas, and Adam were in the kitchen. Laughter echoed through the place, and I considered what my life would be like if I walked away from Manhattan.

Of course I’d miss House Vervain, but could my newly expanded life still fit in the small town of Cold Creek? Did I really want to go back to technical writing for corporations? Was that what Mom would have wanted?

No, no, and no.

I was still Melina Morgan of Cold Creek, but I was also Steward Morgan of House Vervain. If those two people could co-exist, why couldn’t both of my worlds?

I opened a portal to Dad’s family room. He looked up from his chair, surprised at first and then breaking into a big smile when he saw me.

“Hey, kiddo.”

“Hi, Dad.”

That’s when I realized I wasn’t living in two worlds. My single world had simply grown; just like my family.

The End

My multiyear journey with Melina and the Manhattan fae is officially over, and what a journey it’s been!

When I first started working on the premise for Manhattan Magic, Melina was living a quiet life in Cold Creek, NC, and trying to avoid the fae at all costs. That was all I had at the beginning.

But as I explored Melina’s story, more elements surfaced, and I soon realized three things: (1) Melina wouldn’t be staying in Cold Creek, (2) her views on the fae were incorrect, and (3) she was going to (somehow) bridge the various worlds she would eventually inhabit.

And the deeper I got into the series, the more convinced I became that Melina’s secret power wasn’t her sourdough bread or her abilities to fade or use her sight; it was her stubborn insistence on challenging the status quo.

As Melina’s views changed, so did those around her. She’s a positive light in a world experiencing darkness, and her optimism became the flag around which the fae (and some of the mages!) rallied.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I found inspiration for Melina and the Manhattan fae in the middle of a pandemic or that my discovery of cozy fantasy in 2022 helped shape Melina’s tale.

Melina Morgan was a light for me when I desperately needed it, and her stories have brought me a lot of joy. I hope you enjoyed them, too, and if you did, please let me know!

scott@scottiswriting.com

About the Author

Scott Walker adamantly believes pizza is a food group, Han shot first, and Serenity is still flying somewhere out in the 'verse. Over the years, he's designed, crafted, and shared storytelling across a variety of experiences, including collaborative world building, tabletop gaming, and live-action role-playing. While Scott's imagination takes him to lands of mystery and wonder, he always returns to his hometown of Los Angeles. At least, he's pretty sure it's Los Angeles.

https://scottiswriting.com

Acknowledgments

I’m exceedingly grateful to Shavonne Clark at Motif Edits, who not only provided input on my outline but handled the line editing for this novel as well!

FAE & FATES

Manhattan Magic #4 - A Cozy Urban Fantasy

© 2024 Scott Walker

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law.

All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Published by Firefly Tales, LLC

Book Cover Design by MiblArt

ISBN: 978-1-956757-17-0