"You still smell like an ashtray, Jenkins. Don't you know that smoking will shorten your life expectancy?"
His face went hard and thin with anger. He lowered his voice and whispered, "Still the little bitch of the west, heh, Merry."
"I've got a restraining order against you, Jenkins. Stay back fifty feet or I'll call the cops."
Barinthus came up to us and offered me his arm. He didn't have to say it. I knew better than to get into an insult match with a reporter in front of other reporters. The restraining order had been put in place after Jenkins plastered my picture all over the world. The court's attorneys had found several judges who thought that Jenkins had indeed exploited a minor and invaded my privacy. After that he was forbidden to speak with me and had to stay back fifty feet.
I think the only reason that Barinthus hadn't killed Jenkins for me was that the sidhe would have seen that as a weakness, too. I wasn't just sidhe royalty, I was two deaths away from the Unseelie throne. If I couldn't protect myself from overzealous reporters, I didn't deserve to be in line for the throne. So he'd become my problem. The queen had forbidden any of us from harming the press after Barinthus's little boating accident. Unfortunately, the only thing that would have rid me of Barry Jenkins was his death. Anything short of that, and he'd just heal and crawl back after me.
I blew Jenkins a kiss and walked past him on Barinthus's arm. Galen trailed behind us fielding questions from the press. I caught parts of the story. Family reunion, home for the coming holidays, yadda-yadda-yadda. Barinthus and I outdistanced the reporters because they were hanging back with Galen. So I asked something serious. "Why has the queen suddenly forgiven me for running away from home?"
"Why does one usually call home the prodigal child?" he returned.
"No riddles, Barinthus, just tell me."
"She has told no one what she plans, but she was most insistent that you come home as an honored guest. She wants something from you, Meredith, something only you can give her, or do for her, or for the court."
"What could I possibly do that the rest of you can't?" ,
"If I knew I would tell you."
I leaned into Barinthus, running a hand down his arm and calling a spell. It was a small spell, like wrapping a piece of air around us so that noise bounced off. I didn't want to be overheard, and if we were being spied on by the sidhe no one would wonder at me doing it with the reporters around.
"What of Cel? Does he mean to kill me?"
"The queen has been most insistent, to everyone"-he emphasized the "everyone"-"that you are to be unmolested while at court. She wants you back among us, Meredith, and seems willing to enforce her wish with violence."
"Even against her son?" I asked.
"I don't know. But something has changed between her and her son. She is not happy with him, and no one knows quite why. I wish I had more concrete information for you, Meredith, but even the biggest gossips at court are lying low on this one. Everyone's afraid to anger either the queen or the prince." He touched my shoulder. "We are almost certainly being spied upon. They will be suspicious if we keep up the spell of confusion for our words."
I nodded and withdrew the spell, flinging it into the air with a thought. The noise closed around us, and I realized in the press of people that we'd been lucky not to be bumped into, which would have shattered the spell. Of course, I was walking with a seven-foot-tall blue-haired demi-god, which did tend to open a path for you. Some of the sidhe welcomed the faeriephiles, the groupies, but Barinthus was not one of those, and a mere glance from those eyes was enough to make almost anyone back up a step.
Barinthus continued in a voice that was a little too cheerful for his normal words: "We'll drive you from here to your grandmother's." He lowered his voice. "Though how you got the queen to agree to you visiting relatives before paying your respects to her, I do not know."
"I invoked virgin rights, which is why you're also taking me to my hotel to check in and get changed."
We were at the baggage carousel now, watching the empty silver of it glide around and around.
"No one has invoked virgin rights among the sidhe in centuries."
"It doesn't matter how long it's been, Barinthus, it's still our law."
Barinthus smiled down at me. "You were always intelligent, even as a young child, but you have grown to be clever."
"And cautious, don't forget that, because without caution, all clever will do is get you killed."
"So cynical, so true. Have you really missed us, Meredith, or did you enjoy being free of all this?"
"Some of the politics I could do without, but-" I hugged his arm. "I've missed you, and Galen, and... home isn't something you can pick and choose Barinthus. It is what it is."
He leaned down to whisper, "I want you home, but I fear for you here."
I looked into those wonderful eyes and smiled. "Me, too."
Galen came bounding up to us, putting an arm across my shoulders and the other around Barinthus's waist. "Just one big happy family."
Barinthus said, "Do not be flippant, Galen."
"Wow," Galen said, "the mood has plummeted. What were you two talking about behind my back?"
"Where's Doyle?" I asked.
Galen's smile wilted a little round the edges. "He's gone to report to the queen." His smile flashed back into place. "Your safety is now our concern." Something must have passed on my face, or Barinthus's, because Galen asked, "What is wrong?"
I glanced in the shiny mirrored surface in front of us. Jenkins was just outside the barrier for the carousel. He was staying back his fifty feet, more or less. Certainly far enough away that I couldn't have him arrested.