"Give us Liam's real name," I said.
"You believe me?"
"I do."
He smiled and looked relieved. "Steve Patterson, and it's just Steve, not Steven. He always hated that his whole first name was a nickname."
I took my hand back and he let me go reluctantly. "I have to call the police and tell them his name."
"I understand." But his eyes had filled with tears and he turned to gaze up at Frost, who still had his hand on his shoulder. It was as if any touch from us was better than no touch.
I called Lucy and gave her everything we had. "You believe this Donal wasn't involved?"
I looked at him gazing up at Frost as if he was the most beautiful thing in the world. "Yeah, I do."
"Okay, I'll let you know when we have Patterson. I can't believe he's one of our own. The media are going to go apeshit."
"Sorry, Lucy ..." but I was talking to empty air. She was on her way to catch our murderer and we were left with Donal who had been doomed from the age of twelve to want only us. Who knew that our magic worked so well on film? And was there any cure for it?
Chapter Fourty-three
Patterson wasn't home or at work or anywhere that the police looked for him. He'd packed up and simply vanished. But a whole human man was easier to find in L.A. than a demi-fey smaller than a Barbie doll. They finally put their pictures up on the news as persons of interest who might have information on the killings. They were afraid of what the fey community might do if the news got out that they were our suspected killers. I had mixed feelings because saving the taxpayers the cost of a trial had its appeal.
That night I dreamed about the last murder scene. But it was Royal suspended from the top of the arch, his body limp in death, and then he'd opened his eyes, but they'd been clouded like the eyes of the dead. I woke covered in sick sweat, calling his name.
Rhys and Galen had tried to pet me back to sleep, but I couldn't go back to sleep until they woke Royal up and brought him to me. I had to see him alive before I could go back to sleep.
I woke up sandwiched between Rhys and Galen, with Royal on the pillow by my head curled up and looking somewhere between a child's daydream and a very grown-up fantasy.
He woke with a lazy smile and said, "Good morning, Princess."
"Sorry I woke you last night."
"That you care enough about me to worry so is not a bad thing."
"It's too early to be talking," Galen mumbled into his pillow and then snuggled lower in the bed so he could hide his eyes against my shoulder.
Rhys just rolled over and threw an arm across my waist and part of Galen. I could feel that Rhys was awake, but if he wanted to pretend he could.
Royal and I lowered our voices and he moved down the pillow so he could snuggle against the side of my face and whisper into my ear. "The other demi-fey are jealous," he said.
"Of the sex?" I whispered.
He traced his hand along the curve of my ear the way a bigger lover might caress a shoulder. "That, but to be able to grow in size is a rare gift among us. None here in this house can do it except for me. They are wondering if a night with you would do the same for them."
"What do you think?" I asked.
"I don't know if I want to share you with them, but I am like all new lovers, jealous and infatuated. We've even been approached by some demi-fey who are not ours. They want to know if 'tis true that I've gained such a power."
Rhys raised his head, done with pretense. "What did you tell them?"
Royal sat up next to my face, wrapping his arms around his knees. "That it was true, but they didn't believe me until I showed them."
"So you can do it at will," Rhys said.
He nodded happily.
"What do you think would happen if we went down to the Fael and you changed in front of everybody?"
"Merry would be pestered silly by other demi-fey wanting to be big."
I looked at Rhys, and Galen raised his head. "No, Rhys, no."
"It's been two days and the police still have no clue where they are," Rhys said.
"You are not going to make Merry into bait for these monsters."
"I think that's up to Merry," Rhys said.
Galen turned his unhappy face from him to me. "Don't do it."
"I think Bittersweet wouldn't be able to resist," I said.
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of," he said.
"We'd have to run it by Detective Tate," Rhys said.
Galen propped himself up on both elbows and looked down at all of us. "You woke up screaming, Merry. That's just from seeing their victims. Do you really want to put yourself out there as a potential victim for them?"
In truth, no, but out loud I said, "I know I don't want to go to another murder scene, especially if I could flush them out into the open."
"No," Galen said.
"We'll discuss it with Lucy," I said.
He went up on his knees and even nude and lovely he was so angry that it wasn't sexy. "Does my vote not count at all here?"
"What kind of ruler would I be if I kept myself safe and let more of the fey die?"
"You gave up the damned crown for love; well, don't do this for the same reason. I love you, we love you, and this human has some of the most powerful enchanted items that the oldest among us have seen in centuries. We don't know what he's capable of, Merry. Don't do this. Don't risk yourself and our babies."
"The police may not even let me play bait. They seem worried I'll get hurt just by the media."
"And if the police say no, you'll still go down to the Fael and have Royal show off, won't you?"