Chapter Twenty-Eight
Sig seemed all too delighted to offer me the use of a council plane. I doubted he knew about the impending fae threat, but there were enough cases of looming danger he could choose another reason to be glad I was running away. Things were going to hell in a handbasket, and lately every time I tried to fix one problem, ten more came up to replace it.
Of course, hoping we could get to New Jersey and out of the States before running into trouble was too much to ask.
Three men stood on the tarmac when I pulled my BMW towards the plane. One wore a tailored sharkskin suit, something I didn’t think people wore anymore, and the other two were dressed like they’d fallen straight out of a game of World of Warcraft.
Fairies.
I recognized the one in the suit as Brokk, the fairy Kellen had fallen in love with. He was the main reason we’d ended up on our disastrous quest to the fae realm. But she loved him, so I had to assume he had some redeemable qualities.
He wasn’t really earning any love from me by standing in the way of my exit, though.
I put the car into park and killed the engine. “Stay here,” I instructed the boys, not totally sure they would listen. I debated grabbing my sword from the back, but it didn’t seem like a great idea to charge in swinging. I had my guns if things got nasty.
Brokk met me halfway between the plane and my car.
“Brokk.” I gave him a nod of greeting.
“Queen McQueen.” He smirked at the title while I grimaced inwardly. Being called Princess was bad enough. Queen McQueen was just awful.
“Secret is fine.”
“Very well. I gather the Oracle called you to relay His Majesty’s message?”
“She did.” Funny how Calliope was still considered the Oracle even by the fae. She was the sister to their king, yet they treated her like a mysterious, otherworldly creature.
P
erhaps it was the half-god in her that made them uneasy.
I know it freaked me out if I thought about it too long.
“Yet you appear to be leaving us.”
“Yeah, funny how you knew exactly where to find me.”
“Are you really surprised we were able to? We always know where to look. Aubrey has had his eye on you ever since you left us. He’s become quite intrigued by you.”
“I bet he has.”
“But he has begun to fear your horrible end may be nigh. He would like to see he gets what you owe him before you die.”
Wasn’t that charming?
“My horrible end?”
“Yes.”
Gee, I sure hoped Aubrey didn’t have his sister’s gift of foresight.
“Here’s the deal, Brokk. You and your knights can go back to Aubrey and tell him I still plan to follow through on our arrangement. But I have something else I need to do first. Once that’s out of the way, I will come back here and he can name his price. Deal?”
“Ah.” He smiled at me like I was a child, which given how old he must be, I probably was by comparison. “Promises to keep and miles to go before you sleep, yes?”
“If you want to phrase it like a drunk Irishman, sure.”
“Why should I believe you have any intention of returning? Would not your life be easier if you never came back?”