Page 75 of Better in Black
“And now I can’t hold their hands anymore,” Julian said. “I can’t watch over them all the time, not even Tavvy. It feels—quiet.”
In some ways, he had sounded less like a big brother than like a father. Which made sense. Since the Dark War, that’s pretty much what Julian had been.
“Too quiet?” Emma asked.
Julian had turned his gaze away from the moon, and toward Emma. He touched her cheek, gently. “Quiet has its perks,” he said. Then he had kissed her.
In the empty parking lot, Emma didn’t tell Helen any of that—the memory belonged to her and Julian alone. But she did admit it was unsettling sometimes, to be reminded of both how much had changed and how much never would.
“I get it,” Helen said. “A few months ago, Aline and I went back to Wrangel Island on Clave business, and it was exactly like we remembered. So much is different, but”—she shrugged—“look at the Cohort. Some things will never change.”
Emma wondered if Helen still thought of her freedom as temporary—if she was still waiting for the day the Clave would betray her again. She gave her friend a tight hug. “So much does change, though, for the better. Like you and Aline back home.”
“And you and Julian, together,” Helen added. “It’s still good?”
“Disgustingly good,” Emma said. “I never thought I’d be one of those boring people who just wants to sit at home with her boyfriend or talk endlessly about how great it is to sit at home with her boyfriend, but…”
“But it’s pretty great?”
“Stupendously great,” Emma said. “And if we ever do get bored, there’s always demons.”
As if on cue, there was a greatwhooshof wind and a thunderous clap from above. Emma reached for Cortana—then relaxed, as a flying black stallion with scarlet hooves shimmered into view. It descended to the earth, alongside a glowing ivory mare, whose platinum mane was woven with flowers.
Emma bounced with delight. “Diana!”
And Gwyn ap Nudd, Diana’s scary-ish boyfriend, the leader ofthe Wild Hunt. Emma still didn’t know exactly how to feel about Gwyn. She’d had a hard time setting aside her anger at him for the harshness he’d allowed Mark to experience in the Hunt, but he did seem to have changed. He truly loved Diana—and he’d more than once saved Emma’s life, and Julian’s, and there was that time he’d helped rescue adorable little Mina from that crazed faerie nanny…but he was still absolutely terrifying.
Diana leapt gracefully to the ground. Emma threw her arms around her former tutor, as Gwyn descended from his own stallion. He bowed deeply.
“I thought you weren’t coming back until next weekend,” Emma said. “Is this your horse? Does she have a name?” She eyed the ivory mare, who eyed her back. “Did Scary Faerie Boyfriend give her to you?”
“She’s a loaner,” Diana said. “And I thought we agreed we weren’t calling Gwyn that. At least not to his face.”
“I aspire to be scary,” Gwyn said. “And I am the fey leader of the Wild Hunt. It seems accurate enough.”
Diana looked Emma up and down, her dark eyes widening. “Oh, by the Angel, is that blood?”
“Ketchup,” Emma said. “Long story. Which we can tell you if you’re here to hang out with us? Or maybe—” She eyed the stallions curiously. “You stopped by to invite us on an adventure?”
“Uh…I actually need to talk to you for a minute. In private?” Diana took Emma’s arm and drew her into the shadows of the empty parking lot.
Emma waited impatiently for her to spill. If it was too private to say in front of Helen or Gwyn, it was unlikely to be in the category of potential apocalypses. “Oh my god, Diana, are you having Relationship Drama?” Emma caught herself, realizing thathad sounded impolitely eager. “I mean, Gwyn is wild fey, you never know what they’re going to do, so has he fallen in love with a giant caterpillar or something? Or a motorcycle? Motorcycles are cold iron, so that would definitely be a forbidden love.”
Diana didn’t crack a smile, which Emma found slightly hurtful. In fact, Diana looked pretty grim.
Which was making Emma just a little nervous.
“I’m kidding,” Emma said. “Obviously Gwyn would never love anyone but you. You’re probably trying to figure out what to get him for his birthday, right? Maybe a new helmet? Something stylish that says ‘Wild, But Taken’?”
“Emma. Gwyn took me out dancing tonight at a club in West Hollywood—”
“Gwyndances? Atnightclubs?” Emma glanced over at the broad-shouldered, bearded faerie Hunter. He was watching them with a steely gaze from his mismatched eyes, one black and one pale blue. Then the blue eye winked.
“He is a faerie,” Diana pointed out. “Revels are in his blood.”
“Sure, but revels are…revels. I would have thought he’d find a mundane nightclub boring in comparison.” Emma frowned. “If he dances, and you dance, why haven’t we ever gone dancing together?”
“Forget about the dancing, Emma. This is serious.”
