“That might be true,” I said as Kenzie mumbled and shifted against me, making it hard to concentrate. “But that doesn’t mean you’re responsible for them, Keirran. It doesn’t mean you have to help them find a way to live.”
“Doesn’t it?” Keirran looked at me, blue eyes gleaming. “If not me, then who? The other courts won’t help.... They’ll want the Forgotten destroyed. My parents are responsible for bringing their queen into the world again. And...and it’s because of me that they’ve turned to Mr. Dust for the glamour to exist. Because I told the Lady to find another way.” He sighed, resting his chin on his knees. “I’ve made a huge mess of everything, Ethan,” he murmured, narrowing his eyes. “I have to find a way to fix it, but Annwyl comes first. Once she’s safe, I’ll talk to my parents and the other courts about the Forgotten, and we’ll try to find a solution together. But not before I make sure that Annwyl goes home.”
He winced, clenching his fists as his brightness flicked and dimmed a little, before returning to normal. Alarm coursed through me. “It’s the amulet, isn’t it? Does it hurt?”
“I knew what I was agreeing to,” Keirran murmured. “I’ll gladly pay the price, if it means she will live.”
His words stung, even though they weren’t directed at me. I glanced down at Kenzie, sleeping peacefully in my arms, and wondered if there wasn’t something I could do. Some contract or deal that would make her well. But it was so risky, taking that chance, making a bargain with the fey. Annwyl’s own words came back to me: The price would be so high. Cheating death, even if it’s not your own... Even our kind avoids making that type of bargain at all costs.
And though I didn’t want to remember, Guro’s words slipped into my head, haunting me, the memory of his grim, final warning.
You can’t save everyone. Sometimes, you have to make that decision to let them go.
It was those words, more than the fear of goblins chewing on my extremities, that kept me awake the rest of the night.
* * *
I didn’t exactly sleep, but sometime near dawn I must’ve dozed, because when I opened my eyes, Kenzie was peering down at me. The sight of her lovely face, filling my vision first thing in the morning, coaxed a tiny smile from me. “Hey,” I murmured, reaching up to smooth her hair back. “Did you sleep all right?”
She nodded. “You?”
“Not a chance.” I wrapped my arms around her waist, drawing her closer. “But I could definitely get used to waking up like this.”
She actually blushed. I glanced past her at the empty cave with the smoldering fire pit, and frowned. “Where’s Keirran?”
“Hunting, I think. He took Razor and left a few minutes ago, but he said that he would be back soon. I didn’t want to wake you, so I didn’t say anything.”
“So, it’s just us again, huh?” Gazing into her eyes, I found myself unable to look away. Here we were in the Nevernever again, about to pay a visit to the very dangerous Queen of the Seelie Court. A queen who had the power to turn us both into tulips if she thought it would be amusing. Who hated Meghan’s family and anyone associated with them. I had a crapload of things I should be worried about—faeries, bargains, soul-sucking amulets—but when Kenzie was this close, everything around me sort of faded to insignificant white noise, and all I was aware of was her.
A very dangerous issue, and one I would have to work on...later. Right now, no one was around, we were fairly safe and I could afford to let down my guard. “Can you think of anything we could be doing,” I asked, unable to keep the grin from my face, “now that we’re alone? In the few seconds before Razor comes in and interrupts, that is?”
Kenzie smiled. Putting her hands on my shoulders, she leaned down and kissed me, and I closed my eyes.
It didn’t last long. A buzzing laugh echoed overhead, making me wince. “Kissy!” cried an obnoxious, high-pitched voice, gratingly loud in the silence. “Kissy kissy, funny boy! Ha!”
“Go away, Razor,” I called, still holding Kenzie close. She giggled and pulled back, and I released her just as Keirran stepped through the waterfall into the cave. The curtain of water didn’t actually touch him, I noticed; it drew aside, just like the mist of the Between, to let him through unsplashed. Seeing us, he offered a small smile, though it was tinged with longing. I knew he was thinking of himself and Annwyl, and how, even if he saved her life, he would likely never see her again.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better,” he said to Kenzie, holding a branch that had several tiny berries hanging among the leaves. They glittered like strange green jewels as he sat down, raising the branch like a peace offering. “The Summer Court isn’t far—will you be able to make it?”
She nodded, plucking one of the small fruits and staring at it curiously. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Sorry about last night. I think I just needed a few hours’ sleep. And food. Food is always good. We really need to put together a travel kit for the Nevernever or something.” She tossed a berry into her mouth, then offered a clump to me. I took it warily.
“Are you sure—” I began.
“Yes, Ethan, they’re safe for humans.” Keirran gave me a slightly exasperated look. “I know the wyldwood like the back of my hand, including what will and will not turn humans into rabbits. I learned from the best, so relax.”
Kenzie offered a fruit to Razor, but the gremlin wrinkled his nose, bared his teeth and scampered to Keirran’s shoulder. The prince sighed. “However, there is another thing I wanted to discuss with you,” he said, sounding reluctant. “I talked to a local dryad about the state of the Summer Court, and she gave me some potentially bad news. Oberon isn’t there at the moment. He’s off hunting with his knights, somewhere in the Deep Wyld. No one knows when he’ll return.”
Kenzie looked confused, but I groaned. “That means it’s just Titania holding court now.”
“Yes.” Keirran raked a hand through his hair with a grimace. “Which will make things challenging. I was hoping to send a request to Oberon—he usually allows me to visit Arcadia without much trouble. But now that he’s gone, I’m either going to have to sneak us past the border and risk punishment for trespassing or send the request to Titania, who will probably deny it out of spite.” His eyes narrowed to cold blue slits. “And I can’t afford that. We don’t have time to spare.”
“So, how hard is it to sneak into the Summer Court?” Kenzie asked.
“Not difficult” came a familiar, bored voice near the entrance of the cave. We spun, Razor hissing furiously, as two golden eyes blinked into existence, regarding us lazily. “Provided you know where to look. And do not blunder into any guards. But I suppose that is too much to hope for.”
We leaped to our feet, and Grimalkin yawned, raising a hind foot to scratch an ear. “Hello again, humans,” the cat purred, as Razor screeched a loud “Bad kitty!” that made Keirran wince. “Still getting into trouble, I see.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
APPLE ORCHARD OF DOOM
“Bad kitty!” Razor buzzed again from Keirran’s shoulder. His huge ears flapped as he bounced up and down. “Evil, bad kitty! Shave off fur! Throw kitty off mountain! Burn, burn!”
The prince sighed.
“What do you want, Grimalkin?” Keirran asked, putting a hand over Razor’s head, muffling his snarls, hisses and death threats. “Did my parents send you to find me?”
“Please.” Now that he had everyone’s attention, Grimalkin closed his eyes and began washing his paw. “Do you think I have nothing better to do than scurry about like a clueless mortal, searching for another clueless mortal? No, human. The Iron Queen and Prince Consort do not know I am here. They are both busy looking for you.” His yellow gaze slid to me. “Both of you.”
Keirran and I shared a glance. Something didn’t seem right. That Grimalkin had found us wasn’t unusual, but why would he come looking in the first place if Meghan hadn’t sent him? The cat never did anything for free. I remembered something Annwyl’d said earlier that week—that she hadn’t been able to find Grimalkin, he was either unreachable or ignoring her inquiries. Where had he been? Why was he here now?
“How did you find us?” I asked, frowning at the cat. “And if you knew we were going to be here, why didn’t you let Meghan know?”
The cat yawned. “Must you be so tedious?” He sighed. “I am not a dog, to come to every ruler’s beck and call. And chasing down the Iron Prince as he goes gallivanting across the mortal world seems very tiresome. I knew you would come here, eventually.”
“How?”
“You ask a wearisome amount of questions.” Grimalkin stood and stretched, curling his tail over his back. “Honestly, I do not know how mortals came up with that ridiculous phrase ‘curiosity killed the cat.’ Certainly they have never been around the lot of you.” Straightening, he gazed up at me, waving his tail. “Come, now. Time is of the essence. Do you wish to get into the Summer Court or not?”
“What?” I blinked at him. “How did...?” The cat stared at me, and I raised my hands. “You know what, I don’t care anymore. You’re here to take us to Titania, right? Fine. Lead the way.”
“Finally.” The cat sniffed and gave me a look of triumph. “I never thought I would see the day when a human said something sensible.”
* * *
It was obvious when we crossed the border from the wyldwood into Arcadia. The dark, murky twilight of the wyldwood fell away, and the sun blazed down on us, hot and bright. The forest was suddenly full of color, the leaves were extra green, the flowers screamingly bright, almost to the point of ridiculousness. Birds chirped overhead, bees and other insects spiraled through the air, some monstrously big. When an orange-and-black bird landed on Kenzie’s shoulder, I jumped, only to realize it was a huge butterfly with wings the size of dinner plates.
“This way,” Grimalkin said, slipping through the rails of a wooden fence, the kind that kept in cows or horses. “The mound and the entrance to the Summer Court are on the other side of this field. We are not far, but I will issue this warning only once. Do not, under any circumstances, steal, pick up or take anything from this property. I would suggest you hold your breath for the duration of the passing if I did not know humans are quite incapable of not breathing. Such an inconvenience, but we shall have to deal with it. Let us go.”
“Wait, I know where we are,” Keirran said, looking reluctant as we slipped over the fence into the pasture. “Puck took me here once. Father was furious. This isn’t a good idea, Grimalkin.”
“Mmm.” The cat seemed unconcerned, leaping onto an old log to face us. “This is the quickest way to the Summer Court, and all the other entrances will be guarded,” he stated. “We can find a way around, but it will take time. I thought you wanted to reach the court as quickly as possible.”