Page 99 of What Fools These Immortals Be
“Why not?”
She taps her fingernails—too sharp—on the table, and I take a sip of my drink to give myself something to do. When I adjusthow I’m sitting, I feel the weight of my knife at my hip. Is it still spelled enough? Magic leeches out of it, eventually, and I can no longer sense how much remains inside.
“There’s one here.”
Sparrow’s frown deepens into a scowl, and when it becomes obvious they’re not going to get her to elaborate, I ask, “Who?”
“One of the court.”
Fuck. I know we have a high fae running around, and every sign points towards him having taken Njáll, but one of the court? That’s an Unseelie, and a powerful one at that. As far as the Huntsman’s told us, the queen tolerates no weaklings in her orbit.
“Why would he—” Sparrow cuts themselves off, eyes darting around the room.
A room I have mybackto. I don’t like that.
“Easier pickings here,” the kelpie replies with an elegant shrug. “Seelie have been running scared. They’re not going to put up a fight. What are the humans even going to do?”
My mouth is dry. “The Hunt…”
“How many can your Hunt stop?” she asks, dark eyes fixing on me. “How many can you protect?”
Me? Hardly even myself if he has enough supporters, and as a member of the court, he will. They’ll watch and they’ll wait, and if he takes control, they’ll flock to him in droves, ready to tear this world apart.
Sparrow shakes their head. “He went after the vampire deliberately, then?”
“I expect so.” Like all fae, she cannot lie, but she may notknowthe truth. “The Hunt are a threat. So are other non-humans. Eliminating the threat first… It’s a smart move.”
“And what about you?” I ask.
“Excuse me?”
“What side are you going to be on if this high fae takes over?” She fixes me with a mulish glare. “You’ve been here for a while, clearly. It won’t be the same with him in charge, I bet.”
“You don’tknow.”
“I can guess.”
I can. The humans aren’t as helpless as she thinks, but I can’t bet on the high fae being as naïve as her. Enough magic and power will still cow them. And that isn’t even necessary, should he decide to rule his new court from the shadows—humans are very good at explaining away the strange things they see that they do not understand.
“How do I find him?” I ask, and Sparrow makes a small sound.
“He’ll find you.”
There’s something in her tone. “What do you mean?”
For the first time, she seems not to want to answer. She flattens her lips together, then sighs and speaks. “There have been questions… about the Hunt.”
“He’ll know,” Sparrow says quickly. “He’ll know right away what’s happened to you.”
I meet their gaze steadily. “That’s good. He’ll underestimate me.”
“He’llkillyou.”
Perhaps, but I can take my chances. I know how to face the fae—even the high fae—and all I need to do is see if he has Njáll and, if he does, get Njáll out.
“Is there anyone here who will take me to him?” I ask the kelpie.
She sits back in her chair with a sigh. “Half the pub, I reckon. But over in the corner, there are a couple of them who’ve been watching you since you walked in.”
