“Prince Ethan,” it squeaked as we climbed down from the carriage. It had an odd accent, as if English wasn’t its first language. “Welcome to Mag Tuiredh. My name is Fix, and I will be your escort to the throne room. Please, come with me. The Iron Queen is expecting you.”
My stomach churned, but I swallowed my nervousness and followed the creature across the road, up the steps and through the massive iron doors to the palace.
Things sort of went to hell from there.
* * *
Meghan’s castle was pretty impressive, even I had to admit. I was expecting it to be old and slightly run-down on the inside, but the interior was bright and cheerful and very modern. Though it did have a few strange features that reminded you that this was still Faery, no matter what. The hallway of trees, for one, with glowing bulbs lighting the way through metal branches. And the computer mice that scurried over the floors on tiny red feet, chased by gremlins and clockwork hounds. One wall was covered in enormous brass and copper gears that, from what I could tell, served no purpose except to fill the air with deafening creaks, ticks and groans.
Kenzie stayed close to me as we followed the Iron faery through the hallways, but she couldn’t stop staring at our surroundings, her eyes wide with amazement. I refused to be as captivated, glaring at the Iron fey passing us in the halls, trying to keep track of directions in this huge place. Fix finally led us down a long, brightly lit corridor, where Glitch bowed to me as we passed him in the hall. A pair of massive arching doors stood at the end of the corridor, flanked on all sides by armored knights.
“This is the queen’s throne room,” Fix explained as we stopped at the doors. “She and the Prince Consort are expecting you. Are you ready?”
My palms felt clammy, my stomach turning cartwheels. I nodded, and Fix pushed both doors open at once.
A huge, cathedral-like room greeted us as we stepped through the frame. Decorative pillars, twisted with vines and coils of tiny lights, soared up to a vaulted glass ceiling that showed off sun and sky. Our footsteps echoed in the empty chamber as we followed the guide down the strip of red carpet. The room was obviously used for large gatherings, but except for me, Kenzie and Fix, the floor appeared empty.
A large metal throne stood on a dais at the end of the room, and I noticed Grimalkin sitting on a corner step, calmly washing a paw. Rolling my eyes, I looked up at the throne itself.
And…there she was. Not sitting on the throne, but standing beside it, her fingers resting lightly on the arm.
My sister, Meghan Chase. The Iron Queen.
She looked exactly as I remembered. Even though it had been years since I’d seen her last, and back then she had been taller than me, she still had the same long, pale hair, the same blue eyes. She even wore jeans and a white shirt, much like she had when she’d lived at home. Nothing had changed. This Meghan could be the same girl who’d rescued me from Machina’s tower, thirteen years ago.
My throat ached, and a flood of confusing emotions made my stomach feel tight. I didn’t know what I would say to my sister now that I was finally here. Why did you leave us? Why don’t I ever see you anymore? Useless questions. I already knew the answer, much as I hated it.
“Ethan.” Her voice, so familiar, flowed across the room and drew me forward as if I was a little kid once more. Meghan smiled down at me, and any fears I had that she had changed, that she was some distant faery queen, were gone in an instant. Stepping from the dais, she walked up and, without hesitation, pulled me into a tight hug.
The dam broke. I hugged her back tightly, ignoring everyone else in the room, not caring what they thought. This was Meghan, the same Meghan who had looked out for me, who’d gone into the Nevernever to bring me home. And despite my anger, despite all those dark moments when I thought I hated her, she was still my sister.
Come home, I wanted to tell her, knowing it was useless. Mom and Dad miss you. It’s not the same since you left. And I’m tired of pretending you’re dead, that I don’t have a sister. Why did you always choose them instead of me?
I couldn’t say any of those things, of course. I’d tried, when I was younger, to get her to stay, or to at least visit more often. It had never worked; no matter how much I begged, pleaded or cried, she would always vanish back into the Nevernever, leaving us behind. I knew she would never abandon her kingdom, not even for family. Not even for me.
Meghan drew back, smiling, holding me at arm’s length. I noticed with a strange thrill that I was taller than her now. A weird sensation—the last time I’d seen my sister, she’d had several inches on me. It really had been a long time.
“Ethan,” she said again, with such undeniable affection I instantly felt guilty for thinking the worst of her. “It’s good to see you.” One hand rose, brushing hair from my eyes. “God, you’ve gotten so tall.”
I held her gaze. “And you haven’t changed a bit.”
Guilt flickered across her face, just for a moment. “Oh,” she whispered, “you’d be surprised.”
I didn’t know what she meant by that, but my stomach twisted. Meghan was immortal now, I reminded myself. She looked the same, but who knew what she had done in the time she had been the Iron Queen.
“Regardless,” Meghan went on, her expression shifting to puzzled concern. “Why are you here, Ethan? Grim told me you were in the Iron Realm, that you had used his token. Is something wrong at home?” Her fingers tightened on my arms. “Are Mom and Luke okay?”
I nodded. “They’re fine,” I said, freeing myself and stepping back. “At least, they were fine when I left.”
“How long ago was that?”
“About two days? Faery time?” I shrugged, nodding to the gray lump of fur on the dais. “Ask him. The cat had us tromping all over the wyldwood. I don’t know how long it’s been in the real world.”
“They’re probably worried sick.” Meghan sighed, giving me a stern look, then seemed to notice Kenzie hovering behind me. She blinked, and her brow furrowed. “And you brought someone with you.” She beckoned Kenzie forward. “Who is this?”
“Kenzie,” I replied as the girl stepped around me and dropped into a clumsy curtsy. “Mackenzie St. James. She’s one of my classmates.”
“I see.” I caught the displeasure in her voice, not directed at Kenzie, but that I would bring someone into the Nevernever, perhaps. “And did she know anything about us before you dropped her into this world?”
“Oh, sure,” I said flatly. “I talk about seeing invisible faeries every day, to whoever will listen. That always goes over so well.”
Meghan ignored the jab. “Are you all right?” she asked Kenzie, her voice gentle. “I know it’s a lot to take in. I was about your age when I first came here, and it was…interesting, to say the least.” She gave her a sympathetic smile. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m okay, your…uh…your majesty,” Kenzie said, and jerked her thumb in my direction. “Ethan sort of gave me the crash course in everything Faery. I’m still waiting to see if I wake up or not.”
“We’ll get you home soon,” Meghan promised, and turned back to me. “I assume this visit wasn’t just to say ‘hi,’ Ethan,” she said in a firmer voice. “That token was only supposed to be used in emergencies. What’s going on?”
“Wish I knew.” I crossed my arms defensively. “I didn’t want to come here. I would’ve been perfectly happy never seeing this place again.” I paused to see if my words affected her. Except for a slight tightening of her eyes, her expression remained the same. “But there’s a bunch of creepy fey hanging around the real world that I’ve never seen before, and they really didn’t give me a choice.”
“What do you mean, they didn’t give you a choice?”
“I mean they kidnapped a friend of mine, a half-phouka, right from school, in broad daylight. And when I tried to find him, they came after us. Me and Kenzie both.”
Meghan’s eyes narrowed, and the air around her went still, like the sky before a storm. I could suddenly feel the power flickering around the Iron Queen, like unseen strands of lightning, making the hairs on my neck stand up. I shivered and took a step back, resisting the urge to rub my arms.
In that instant, I knew exactly how she had changed.
But the flare of energy died down, and Meghan’s voice remained calm as she continued. “So, you came here,” she went on, glancing from me to Kenzie and back again. “To escape them.”
I nodded shakily.
The Iron Queen regarded me intently, thinking. “And you said they were a type of faery you’ve never seen before,” she questioned, and I nodded again. “A new species, like the Iron fey?”
“No. Not like the Iron fey. These things are…different. It’s hard to explain.” I thought back to that night at the dojo, the ghostly, transparent faeries, the way they’d flickered in and out, as if they couldn’t quite hold on to reality. “I don’t know what they are, but I think they might be kidnapping exiles and half-breeds.” I remembered the dead piskie, and my stomach churned. Todd might already be gone. “A dryad told me all the local fey are disappearing. Something is happening, but I don’t know what they want. I don’t even know what they are.”
“And you’re sure of this?”
“These things tried to kill me a couple days ago. Yeah, I’m sure.”
“All right,” Meghan said, turning from me. “If you say you’ve seen them, I believe you. I’ll call a meeting with Summer and Winter, tell them there could be a new group of fey on the rise. If these faeries are killing off exiles and half-breeds, it could just be a matter of time before they start eyeing the Nevernever.” She paced back to her throne, deep in thought. “Mab and Oberon will be skeptical, of course,” she said in a half weary, half exasperated voice. “They’re going to want proof before they act on anything.”
“What about Todd?” I asked.
She turned back with an apologetic look. “I’ll put out feelers in the mortal realm,” she offered, “see if the gremlins or hacker elves can turn anything up. But my first responsibility is to my own kingdom, Ethan. And you.”
I didn’t like where this was going. It didn’t sound as if she would try terribly hard to find Todd, and why would she? She was a queen who’d just been informed her entire kingdom could be threatened soon. The life of a single half-breed wasn’t a high priority.
Meghan glanced at Kenzie, who looked confused but still trying to follow along as best she could. “I’ll have someone take you home,” she said kindly. “I’m sorry you had to go through all this. You should also be aware that time in the Nevernever flows differently than time in the mortal realm, which means you’ve probably been missing for several days now.”
“Right,” said Kenzie, a little breathlessly. “So, I’ll have to make up a really good story for when I get home. I don’t think ‘stuck in Faeryland’ is going to go over well.”