Not entirely. Thanks to my little Ash clone, the Summer Court was in chaos, scrambling over each other looking for him, but our escape wasn’t entirely without problems. We ran into a lion topiary that needed to be cut down, and ice-boy’s disguise finally shattered when he drew his sword to battle the creature. Of course, right after that, we ran into a squad of Summer knights and played a rousing game of catch-me-if-you-can before we finally escaped into the hedge. With the knights hot on our heels, I led us down a twisting tunnel of bramble that got smaller and smaller until it abruptly came to an end.
Ash muttered a curse and looked around as the sound of booted feet crashed toward us through the branches.
“Did you take a wrong turn, Goodfellow?” he growled.
“Relax, ice-boy. I know what I’m doing.” Fishing under an old log, I pulled out a simple green cloth, ripped and torn with use. Shaking it open, I hung it on a pair of thorns then peeled it back to reveal a narrow hole in the brambles. Ash ducked through carrying Vi, and I followed, tearing the cloth away as I did. The wall of thorns vanished, and the sounds of pursuit cut out as suddenly as if you flicked off the TV. As darkness closed in, I sighed in relief.
“Where are we?” Ash whispered close by.
I snapped my fingers, and a cheerful fire leaped up in a stone fireplace, illuminating a small log cabin with wooden floors and pillars made of live trees. A thatch roof covered the ceiling, and small animals peered at us from the corners, more curious than afraid.
“Welcome,” I said, grinning at Ash, “to my humble abode.”
Ash gazed around the tiny cabin in wary amazement. “This is your house, Goodfellow?”
“One of several.” I shooed a fox out of an armchair and sank down into it with a sigh. “I like to have a little place I can retreat to, to escape the craziness of the court, to relax without anyone knowing where I am.”
“To hide out when Oberon is ready to kill you.”
“Ouch, ice-boy. Be nice in my home, will you? Don’t make me regret bringing you here.” I leaned back in the chair and propped my feet on a nearby footstool, crossing my legs. “Don’t worry, this place is in the mortal world—no one from court can sense where we are anymore.”
Ash looked relieved. “So, we’re out,” he murmured, glancing back at the wall where, a few seconds ago, we had supposedly come straight through the wood. “We found the ‘violin’ and got out of the Summer Court.” He looked at the sleeping girl in his arms and sighed. “So, I guess the only question is, what do we do now?”
I pointed to a bed in the corner. He approached and laid the mortal atop the covers, surprisingly gentle for a Winter prince. I didn’t remember him being so careful before he met Meghan. Vi stirred a little and muttered “Mommy” in her sleep, but didn’t wake up.
“Leanansidhe will be waiting for us,” I said as the fox jumped into my lap and curled up again, wrapping its bushy tail around its nose. I absently stroked its short red fur. “She’s probably on her way right now.”
“Yeah.” Ash sighed, crossing his arms as he watched the girl. “How do you want to do this, Goodfellow?”
I thought a few moments, then swung my feet off the stool and rose, dumping the fox to the floor again. It gave an annoyed bark and trotted out the door. “Don’t worry, ice-boy,” I said cheerfully, and walked upstairs to grab something. “I have one last little trick up my sleeve.”
Chapter Six
And Robin Shall Restore Amends
“Darlings!”
Standing in the long grass in front of the cabin, Leanansidhe beamed at us as we stepped outside, the girl still fast asleep in the prince’s arms. “You found her, darlings! I knew you would. I had complete faith in your abilities. Oh,” she sighed, bringing a hand to her chest, “I wish I could see the look on Titania’s face when she discovers her little toy is missing.”
Ash stepped forward. “Our deal is finished,” he said firmly. “We found what was stolen and brought it back to you. I’ve upheld my end of the bargain. I owe you nothing else.”
“Of course, darling.” Leanansidhe smiled at him. “You’ve done a marvelous job. So, if you would just set her down there, dove, my servants will take her off your hands.”
Ash didn’t release the girl. I felt him hesitate, then take a furtive breath. “Now,” he continued in a quiet voice, “what will it take for you to let her go?”
“What?” Leanansidhe blinked, staring at the Winter prince, who faced her calmly. “What did you say, pet? I’m not quite sure I heard you correctly.”
I quickly stepped up beside him.
“She’s a kid, Lea.” The Exile Queen spun on me, bristling like an enraged cougar. “You can’t keep her like this. She has a family, somewhere. She needs to go home.”
“I am her home, pet.” Leanansidhe swelled indignantly, her copper-gold hair whipping madly around her. “And the girl belongs to me! Ash, darling.” She glanced at the Winter prince. “I cannot believe this. Your own queen does far worse to the humans in her court. And you—I know what you have done to mortals over the years, you and Goodfellow both! How dare you judge me? Have you gone soft, darlings? Have you forgotten that we are fey?”
Jeez, pissing off two volatile faery queens in one day. We must hold some kind of record. I stepped up before Lea could turn Ash into a harpsichord.
“Not at all,” I said quickly, smiling in the face of the enraged Exile Queen. “Calm down, Lea. It’s not like we’re going to take the kid and run. We’re prepared to offer a trade.”
Leanansidhe calmed somewhat. “A trade, darling?” she mused, feigning disinterest, though I knew she was curious. She couldn’t help it; it was part of our nature. “And what, may I ask, could you possibly offer for the girl’s freedom? The price will be high, my pet, just so you know. The girl is one of my favorites, after all. I’m afraid that your offer will have to be quite—”
I reached into my shirt and held up a mirror, letting it flash in the sun. A small, golden hand mirror, with jeweled flowers around the rim and silver vines curled around the handle. It sang as I brought it out, a sweet, piercing note that made all the nearby birds start chirping and drew a curious pair of deer out of the forest.
Leanansidhe’s eyes went wide. “That…that is…” She blinked at me, astonished, then threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, Robin, you naughty, brilliant boy. You did take it, after all. How in the world did you manage?”
“That,” I said, “is a very long story. One that should be told another time.” I tossed the mirror in the air and caught it again, holding it out to Leanansidhe. “So, Lea, do we have a trade, or not?”
“Take the girl back to her family, pet.” Leanansidhe plucked the mirror from my hand with obvious delight. “I found her in some tiny little town in the Ozarks. She can probably tell you where she lives…I haven’t had her for very long. In any case, I believe our business here is concluded.”
“One more thing, if you would.” Ash stepped forward before the Exile Queen could depart. “Grimalkin. We need to find him. You said you knew where he was.”
“No, pet.” Leanansidhe admired herself in the mirror’s surface, pleased as a full cat. “I said I could perhaps point you in the right direction.”
“And what direction would that be?”
Leanansidhe tore her gaze away from the mirror, smiling at us. “Well, darlings,” she said, waving an airy hand, “there is a trio of witches who live somewhere in the Wraithwood. I would start there. It is as good a place as any. Now, my pets, I really must dash. I have a violin to replace. Good luck finding Grimalkin. If you do manage to catch up to the devious creature, be a dear and tell him I said hello. Ciao, darlings!”
A swirl of glitter and light, and we were alone.
Ash sighed. “The Wraithwood,” he said, shifting the girl into a more comfortable position. She mumbled and snored in his arms. “That’s…unfortunate. I was hoping we’d never have to go back.”
I grinned at him. “What, you mean because of the ogre tribe we pissed off, or the giant dead god we accidentally woke up?”
“You accidentally woke up.”
“Details.” I waved my hand. “So, are we going to get this adventure started, or what?”
Ash shook his head, but I saw the shadow of a smirk on his face. “You know I’m probably going to kill you soon, right?” he muttered as we headed off into the trees.
“Old news, ice-boy.” I chuckled, falling into step beside him. “And you know I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”