by Julie Kagawa
Page 43
Kenzie was silent, though I could feel her watching me. Around us, the faery dancers twirled in the moonlight, graceful and hypnotic, but I couldn’t see their beauty anymore. All I could see was Sam, the way she laughed, the way she bounced from place to place, never still. She would never run again, or go hiking through the woods, or ride her beloved horses. Because of me.
“That’s why I can’t get let anyone get close,” I rasped. “If Sam taught me anything, it’s that I can’t afford to have friends. I can’t take that chance. I don’t care if the fey come after me—I’ve dodged them all my life. But they’re not satisfied with just hurting me. They’ll go after anyone I care about. That’s what they do. And I can’t stop them. I can’t protect anyone but myself and my family, so it’s better if people leave me alone. No one gets hurt that way. ”
“Except you. ”
“Yeah. ” I sighed, scrubbing a hand over my face. “Just me. I can handle that. ” A heaviness was spreading through me, gathering in my chest, that same feeling of helpless despair, the knowledge that I couldn’t do anything, not really. That I could only watch as the people around me became targets, victims. “But, now…you’re here. And…”
Her arms slipped around my waist from behind, making my heart jump. I drew in a sharp breath as she pressed her cheek to my back. “And you’re scared I’m going to end up like Sam,” she whispered.
“Kenzie, if something happened to you because of me—”
“Stop it. ” She gave me a little shake. “Ethan, you can’t control what they do,” she said firmly. “Stop blaming yourself. Faeries will play their nasty tricks and games whether you can see them or not. The fey have always tormented humans, isn’t that what you told me?”
“Yeah, but—”
“No buts. ” She shook me again, her voice firm. “You didn’t make that girl get on that phouka. You tried to warn her. Ethan, you were a little kid facing down a faery. You did nothing wrong. ”
“What about you?” My voice came out husky, ragged. “I pulled you into this mess. You wouldn’t even be here if I hadn’t—”
“I’m here because I want to be,” Kenzie said in that soft, calm voice. “You said it yourself—I could’ve gone home anytime I wanted. But I stayed. And you’re not going to cut me out of your life. Not now. Because no matter what you think, no matter how much you say you want to be alone, that it’s better for everyone if you keep your distance, you can’t go through this all by yourself. ” Her arms tightened around me, her voice dropping to a murmur. “I’m staying. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere. ”
I couldn’t say anything for a few seconds, because I was pretty sure if I opened my mouth I would break down. Kenzie didn’t say anything, either, and we just stood there for a little while, her arms wrapped around my waist, her slim body against mine. The fey danced and twirled their eerie patterns around us, but they were distant mirages, now. The only thing that was real was the girl behind me.
Slowly, I turned in her arms. She gazed up at me, her fingers still locked against the small of my back, holding me captive. I was suddenly positive that I didn’t want to move, that I was content to stay like this, trapped in the middle of a faery ring, until the sun rose and the Fair Folk disappeared, taking their music and glamour with them. As long as she was here.
I slipped my hand into her hair, brushing a thumb over her cheek, and she closed her eyes. My heart was pounding, and a tiny voice inside was warning me not to do it, not to get close. If I did, They would only hurt her, make her a target, use her to get to me. But I couldn’t fight this anymore, and I was tired of trying. Kenzie had been brave enough to stand with me against the fey and hadn’t left my side once. Maybe it was time to stop living in fear…and just live.
Cupping her face with my other hand, I lowered my head…
And my nerves jangled a warning, that cold chill spreading over the back of my neck and down my spine. I tried not to listen, but years of vigilant paranoia, developing an almost unnatural sixth sense that told me I was being watched, could not be ignored so easily.
Growling a curse, I raised my head and scanned the clearing, trying to see past the unearthly dancers into the shadows of the trees. From the edge of the woods, high in the branches above the swirling fey, a pair of familiar golden eyes gleamed in the darkness, watching us.
I blinked, and the eyes vanished.
I swore again, cursing the rotten timing. Kenzie opened her eyes and raised her head, turning to glance at the now empty spot.
“Did you see something?”
I sighed. “Yeah. ” Reluctantly, I pulled back, determined to finish what we’d started—later. Kenzie looked disappointed but let me go. “Come on, then. Before he finds the others. ” Taking her hand, I strode out of the ring, parting ranks of fey as I did. Just inside the tree line, Keirran and Annwyl waited at the edge of the shadows, their backs to us.
“Keirran!” I called, breaking into a jog, Kenzie sprinting to keep up. Keirran didn’t turn, and I tapped his shoulder as I stopped beside him. “Hey, we’ve got company—oh. ”
“So nice to see you, human,” a voice purred from an overhead branch. Grimalkin sniffed, looking from me to Keirran, and smiled. “How amusing that you are both here. The queen is not at all happy with either of you. ”
Chapter Eighteen
The Fey of Central Park
Keirran visibly winced.
“What are you doing here, cat?” I demanded, and Grimalkin turned a slow, bored gaze on me. “If you’re here to take us back to Meghan, you can forget it. We’re not going anywhere. ”
He yawned, sitting up to scratch an ear. “As if I have nothing better to do than play nursemaid to a pair of wayward mortals,” he sniffed. “No, the Iron Queen simply asked me to find you, to see if you were still alive. And to make sure that you did not wander into a dragon’s lair or fall down a dark hole, as you humans are so prone to doing. ”
“So she sent you to babysit us. ” I crossed my arms. “We don’t need your help. We’re doing fine on our own. ”
“Oh?” Grimalkin curled his whiskers at me. “And where will you go after this, human? Back to Leanansidhe’s? I have already been there, and she will tell you the same thing I am about to. ” He yawned again and stretched on the branch, arching his tail over his back, making us wait. Sitting back down, he raised a paw and gave it a few slow licks. I tapped my fingers impatiently on my arm. From the few stories Meghan had told me about the cait sith, I’d thought she might be exaggerating. Now I knew she was not.
“Leanansidhe has a lead she wishes you to follow up on,” he finally announced, when I was just about ready to throw a rock at him. “There have been a great many disappearances around Central Park in New York. She thinks it would be prudent to search the area, see what you can turn up. If you are able to turn up anything. ”
“New York?” Kenzie furrowed her brow. “Why there? I thought New York would be a place the fey avoid, you know, because it’s so crowded and, um…iron-y. ”
“It is indeed,” the cat said, nodding. “However, Central Park has one of the highest populations of exiled fey in the world. Many half-breeds also come from that area. It is a small oasis in the middle of a vast population of humans. Also, there are more trods to and from Central Park than you would ever guess. ”
“So, how are we supposed to get to New York from Ireland?”
Grimalkin sighed. “One would think I would not have to explain how this works to mortals, again and again and again,” he mused. “Worry not, human. Leanansidhe and I have already discussed it. I will lead you there, and then you can flounder aimlessly about to your heart’s content. ”
Razor suddenly blipped onto Keirran’s shoulder with a hiss, glaring at Grimalkin. “Bad kitty!” he screeched, making Keirran flinch and jerk his head to the side. “Evil, evil, sneaky kitty! Bite his tail off! Pull his toes out! Burn, burn!” He bounced fur
iously on Keirran’s shoulder, and the prince put a hand over his head to stop him.
“What about the queen?” he asked over Razor’s muffled hisses and occasional “bad kitties. ” “Doesn’t she want you to return to the Iron Court?”
“The queen asked me to find you, and I did. ” Grimalkin scratched an ear, not the least bit concerned with the raging gremlin threatening to set him on fire. “Beyond that, I am afraid I cannot be expected to drag you back if you do not wish to go. Though…the prince consort did mention the phrase, throw away the key, at one point. ”
I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I saw Keirran gulp. Razor gave a buzz that sounded almost worried.
“So, if we are done asking useless questions…” Grimalkin hopped to a lower branch, waving his tail and watching us with amusement. “And if you are all quite finished dancing under the moon, I will lead you to your destination. We will have to cut back through Leanansidhe’s basement, but she has several trods to New York due to the amount of business she conducts there. And she is not exactly pleased with all the disappearances in her favorite city, so I suggest you hurry. ”
“Right now?”
“I do not see the point in repeating myself, human,” Grimalkin said with a disdainful glance in my direction. “Follow along or not. It makes no difference to me. ”
* * *
I’d never been to New York City or Central Park, though I had seen images of them both online. As seen from above, the park was pretty amazing: an enormous, perfectly rectangular strip of nature surrounded by buildings, roads, skyscrapers and millions of people. It had woodlands, meadows, even a couple of huge lakes, smack-dab in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world. Pretty damn impressive.
It was no wonder that it was a haven for the fey.