So, while it’s great that he’s so drawn to Morgan, I’m only freaking human. Rys is still being careful to give me space. It stings to watch Jim flirt with Morgan while Nine and Riley are almost sickening in how close they are. And then there’s me.
Is it a surprise that I find any excuse to slip away?
Rys watches me go. The first time I left, he let me, only calling a gentle warning not to get too lost. And I get it. Now that we found the Winter Queen and Morgan is at least entertaining the idea of discussing peace with Oberon, it’s now up to Rys and Nine to… I don’t know… negotiate with her.
I always knew contracts and bargains were big in Faerie. This? It takes it to a whole other level.
Riley offers to come with me. Jim… doesn’t. Morgan has pulled up a chair for him next to her and he rarely strays from it. And it’s not like I expected him to. It’s just… I have to get used to this and, whoa, it’s way harder than I thought.
I turn Riley down. I need my space. I need to think. Honestly, I never thought we’d track down the Winter Queen as quickly as we did, mainly because I never, ever dreamed that it would be Morgan. The longer the negotiations last, the closer to an agreement they get. We’ll be heading back to the Seelie Court soon and then what?
I don’t know. And I’m too much of a wimp to ask.
I can’t go home—not to the human world, at least—so what’s next for me? Do I go with Rys? I’d like to, but ever since Jim’s trade, nothing’s changed between us. Not really.
Ugh.
It’s been three days since Morgan blew Nyx apart with her magic. Three looooong days and I’ve spent most of them walking around this part of the Cursed woods. It reminds me of my days back in the city, when I would lose myself to the nearest park, just blowing off steam while I thought. I don’t go too far—I don’t really want to get lost lost—and maybe I got too complacent, knowing Morgan’s house is still nearby because I do the one thing I could never do while I was taking a walk in my city park.
I stop paying attention to my surroundings.
Big mistake, Hel. Huge.
The first thing I notice is the bloom of strange orange smoke around the height of my belly button. I hear someone drawing a deep breath, the bright reddish light in his pipe flares vividly, before I the rasp
of a voice calls out, “Hello there, girly.”
Oh, come on. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
I focus on the shadows. And there he is.
“Grimly. I thought you were gone.”
“Aye. I was. But now I’m back.”
“Let me guess,” I say sarcastically. “You still want Morgan’s hair.”
“The Winter Queen? Ha. She froze my buyer, so what’s the use in getting on her bad side now? No. That debt’s dead and gone.”
“So what do you want with me?”
Grimly grins. He grins and I know in an instant that I’m in deep shit.
“I told you, girly. I’m a collector. I collect things. And I’ve come all the way back to collect you.” He bites down on his pipe, keeping it hanging out of his mouth as he reaches beneath his ragged, dirty cloak to pull out a length of gold chain. He stretches it between both hands but, as I watch in horror, it glows a terrifying yellow color before it starts to grow. “That Seelie noble of yours wants you back something awful. I aim to collect that bounty, too.”
Oh, fuck no.
I don’t even know how that gold chain will work. Is it a leash? A different kind of cuff? No clue, but I remember the line of faerie folks connected by a chain just like that being marked for execution.
And Seelie noble?
Veron?
No way in hell.
I refuse to let Grimly get anywhere near me with that chain. I take one look at him, feel my heart lodge in my throat, and I book it.
I don’t care if I get lost, so long as I lose him. His angry shout chases after me and I have no doubt in my mind that so is the creepy gnome. I’ve got the height advantage, my longer legs helping me pour on the speed, but Grimly has his nose. If he’s determined enough, he’ll find me.