Cold Days (The Dresden Files 14)

Karrin blinked up at me several times. "Excuse me?"

I kept thinking about it, following the logic. "That's why Mab sent me to kill Maeve. She's no different from Titania. She knew it needed to be done but . . ."

"But what?" Karrin asked.

"Maeve is still her little girl," I said quietly. "Mab isn't human, but there are . . . remnants in all the Sidhe. Mother Winter called Mab a romantic. I think this is why. Mother Summer went on and on about how humans have influenced the Sidhe. That's what this whole thing is about."

"I don't understand," Karrin said.

"Mab loves her daughter," I said simply. "She won't kill Maeve because she loves her." I let out a bitter little laugh. "And there's the kind of symmetry here that the faeries are crazy about. I killed the last Summer Lady. It's only fitting that the same hand deal with the Winter Lady."

My brain was running along with my mouth, and I stopped talking so that I could poke at the logic of the theory that my instincts-or maybe my heart-told me was obviously true. If Mab wasn't out to wreck the world, if she hadn't been taken by the adversary, then someone else had been lying to me. Someone who shouldn't have been able to lie.

"Okay," Karrin said. "If not Mab, then who is going to pull off this apocalypse ritual magic?"

I kept following the lines of logic and felt myself grow abruptly cold. "Oh. Oh, God. All this time." I turned and started for the door. "Outsiders. At the end of the day, this is all about the Outsiders. We've got to go. Right now."

"Harry," Karrin said.

I turned to face her.

"Why won't you explain . . . ?" She frowned. "You don't trust me. So you're going to keep me close just like the others."

I looked down at the floor. "Don't take it hard. I don't trust myself right now."

She shook her head. "This is the thanks I get."

"It's Halloween," I said. "It's the night when everyone looks like something that they aren't." I turned toward the door. "But I'm about to start ripping off masks. And we'll both see where everyone stands. Come on."

Chapter Forty

I had a word with Toot-toot once we were outside, and by the time the Munstermobile rolled out of the lot, we had a ring of tiny, nigh-invisible escorts pacing us, making it their business to dislodge any enemy tiny observers our foes might have sent to keep tabs on us. It didn't make me think that we would avoid the attentions of enemy Little Folk altogether, but every little thing I could conceal from the people working against me could prove to be a critical edge.

Karrin saw the car's paint job again, rolled her eyes, and declined my offer of a ride. She followed us on her Harley. Molly rode shotgun with me, holding her backpack on her lap. Molly was a big believer in shaping the future by way of carrying anything you might need in a backpack. Tonight it looked particularly stuffed.

As I drove, the burn in my calf continued every time I worked the clutch or pumped the brake, getting slowly worse beneath the layers of gauze Butters had wrapped it in. The rest of my lower leg was tingling and itching, too, but at least the wound wasn't soaking through the bandages.

What the hell had that dart been? Why plug me with it, unless the Redcap thought it would kill me?

"I, uh," Molly said as I pulled the Caddy into the marina parking lot. "I got you something."

"Eh?" I asked.

"I had them rush it out this morning and we got it this afternoon. I mean, you know. As long as I was using Thomas's card anyway."

I blinked. "You embezzled funds from the White Court to get me a present?"

"I like to think of it less as embezzling and more as an involuntary goodwill contribution," she said.

"Careful," I told her. "You don't want to get entangled with Lara and her crew. Even owing them money isn't smart."

"I didn't borrow it, boss. I stole it. If they weren't cautious enough to stop me, that isn't my problem. They should be more careful who they hand those cards to. Besides, they can afford it."

"The entitled younger generation, I swear," I said. "Well-done." I found a space big enough for the Munstermobile and parked, then set the emergency brake and killed the engine. "What is it?"

Molly got out of the car. "Come see."

I started to, but she hurried impatiently around to meet me, digging into her backpack. I shut the car door behind me and she presented me with a paper-covered package tied with string.

I opened it by tearing paper and snapping string, and a long leather garment unrolled.

"Dunh nuh nah nah nunh," Molly sang, singing the opening riff from "Bad to the Bone."

I found myself smiling and held up a long coat of heavy black leather, like one of those old cowboy dusters, except for the long mantle hanging down over its shoulders. It smelled like new leather and shone without a scuff mark to be seen. "Where the hell did you find an Inverness coat?" I asked her.

"Internet," she said. "Security Guy helped me shop for it."

"You don't know his name?" I asked.

"His name is Guy, and he's building security," Molly said. "Security Guy."

"And he did this for you why?" I asked.

"Because I'm pretty and because he might have gotten a gift certificate out of the deal."

"Remind me to never give you one of my credit cards," I said, and I put the coat on.

The weight of the leather settling around me was familiar and comforting, but this coat wasn't the same as my old coat. The sleeves were a little longer, and fit better. The shoulders were a little narrower, and actually matched up with mine. The mantle hung down a bit more. The pockets were in a slightly different place. Most significantly, it didn't have the layers of protective enchantments that took about half a working week to lay down.

But . . .

Yeah, I decided. I could get used to it.

I looked up to see my apprentice grinning widely.

I put my hand on her shoulder for a moment, smiled, and said, "Thanks, Molls."

Her eyes shone.

Mouse piled out of the car and hurried over to sniff the coat, tail wagging.

"What do you think?" I asked him.

"Woof," he said seriously.

"He thinks it suits you," Molly said, smiling.

"Goofy motorcycle cowboy meets Scotland Yard?"

Mouse wagged his tail.

I grunted as Karrin pulled in and parked her Harley far down the row from the Munstermobile, in a motorcycle parking space. She eyed me as she came walking up to us, then Molly, and gave her an approving nod. "That's more like it," she said.