"I died," I said. "I died and someone made a clerical error and this is heaven."
I looked around to find Billy grinning at me like a fool. He hooked a thumb at the door. "Visiting dignitaries?"
I went to the door and opened it warily, peeking around it.
Fix stood there in a set of mechanic's coveralls. His frizzy white hair floated around his head and complemented his smile. He had grease on his hands and face, and his old toolbox sat on the ground next to him. Beside him stood Lily, shapely figure showing off simple dark slacks and a green blouse. Her hair had been pulled back into a ponytail.
And it had turned snow white.
"Harry," Fix said. "How you doing?"
I blinked at them and said, "You? The new Summer Lady?"
Lily flushed prettily and nodded. "I know. I didn't want it, but when - when Aurora died, her power flowed into the nearest Summer vessel. Usually it would be one of the other Queens, but I had the Knight's power and it just sort of ... plopped in there."
I lifted my eyebrows and said, "Are you okay?"
She frowned. "I'm not sure. It's a lot to think about. And it's the first time this kind of power has fallen to a mortal."
"You mean you're not, uh. You haven't?"
"Chosen?" Lily asked. She shook her head. "It's just me. I don't know what I'm going to do, but Titania said she'd teach me."
I glanced aside. "And you chose Fix as your Knight, huh."
She smiled at Fix. "I trust him."
"Suits me," I said. "Fix kicked the Winter Knight's ass once already."
Lily blinked and looked at Fix. The little guy flushed, and I swear to God, he dragged one foot over the ground.
Lily smiled and offered me her hand. "I wanted to meet you. And to thank you, Mister Dresden. I owe you my life."
I shook her hand but said, "You don't owe me anything. I'm apparently saving damsels on reflex now." My smile faded and I said, "Besides, I was just the hired help. Thank Meryl."
Lily frowned and said, "Don't blame yourself for what happened. You did what you did because you have a good heart, Mister Dresden. Just like Meryl. I can't repay a kindness like that, and it's going to be years before I can make much use of my ... my ..." she fumbled for a word.
"Power?"
"Okay, power. But if you need help, or a safe place, you can come to me. Whatever I can do, I will."
"She had some brownies come clean up your place for you, Harry," Fix said. "And I just finished up with your car, so it should run for you now. I hope you don't mind."
I had to blink my eyes a few times, before I said, "I don't mind. Come on in, I'll get you a drink."
We had a nice visit. They seemed like decent kids.
After everyone left, it was dark, and there was another knock at the door. I answered it, and Elaine stood there, in a T-shirt and jeans shorts that showed off her pretty legs. She had her hair up under a Cubs baseball hat, and she said without preamble, "I wanted to see you before I left."
I leaned against the doorway close to her. "You got out okay, I guess."
"So did you. Did Mab pay up?"
I nodded. "Yeah. What about you? Are you still beholden to Summer?"
Elaine shrugged. "I owed everything to Aurora. Even if she'd wanted to quibble about whether or not I'd paid her back in full, it's a moot point now."
"Where are you going?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. Somewhere with a lot of people. Maybe go to school for a while." She took a deep breath and then said, "Harry, I'm sorry things went like that. I was afraid to tell you about Aurora. I guess I should have known better. I'm glad you came through it all right. Really glad."
I had a lot of answers to that, but the one I picked was, "She thought she was doing something good. I guess I can see how you'd ... Look, it's done."
She nodded. Then she said, "I saw the pictures on your mantel. Of Susan. Those letters. And that engagement ring."
I glanced back at the mantel and felt bad in all kinds of ways. "Yeah."
"You love her," Elaine said.
I nodded.
She let out a breath and looked down, so that the bill of her hat hid her eyes. "Then can I give you some advice?"
"Why not."
She looked up and said, "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Harry."
I blinked and said, "What?"
She gestured at my apartment. "You were living in a sewer, Harry. I understand that there's something you're blaming yourself for. I'm just guessing at the details, but it's pretty clear you were driving yourself into the ground because of it. Get over it. You aren't going to do her any good as a living mildew collection. Stop thinking about how bad you feel - because if she cares about you at all, it would tear her up to see you like I saw you a few days ago."
I stared at her for a moment and then said, "Romantic advice. From you."
She flashed me half of a smile and said, "Yeah. The irony. I'll see you around."
I nodded and said, "Good-bye, Elaine."
She leaned up and kissed my cheek again, then turned and left. I watched her go. And illegal mind fog or not, I never mentioned her to the Council.
Later that night I showed up at Billy's apartment. Laughter drifted out under the door, along with music and the smell of delivered pizza. I knocked and Billy answered the door. Conversation ceased inside.
I came into the apartment. A dozen wounded, bruised, cut, and happy werewolves watched me from around a long table scattered with drinks, Pizza Spress boxes, dice, pencils, pads of paper, and little inch-tall models on a big sheet of graph paper.
"Billy," I said. "And the rest of you guys, I just wanted to say that you really handled yourselves up there. A lot better than I expected or hoped. I should have given you more credit. Thank you."
Billy nodded and said, "It was worth it. Right?"
There was a murmur of agreement from the room.
I nodded. "Okay, then. Someone get me a pizza and a Coke and some dice, but I want it understood that I'm going to need thews."
Billy blinked at me. "What?"
"Thews," I said. "I want big, bulging thews, and I don't want to have to think too much."
His face split in a grin. "Georgia, do we have a barbarian character sheet left?"
"Sure," Georgia said, and went to a file cabinet.
I took a seat at the table and got handed pizza and Coke, and listened to the voices and chatter start up again, and thought to myself that it was a whole hell of a lot better than spending another night crucifying myself in the lab.