dustbin every time she wants to mess with us humans.”
She flushed at the note of exasperation in his voice. “She has
her own rings, but of course those may not be used upon pain of death.”
“Pain of death? I think we’re well past that risk, don’t
you?”
She turned at the next corridor and sped into the darkness. A
few wisps had caught up with them while they debated; a bad sign, since the
black dogs would be following the same trail. But the faint light let them move
faster.
“There are places in the phaedrealii that remain the same no matter how the illusions of the
court change,” she told him. “One of those will be a permanent gate, our way
out.”
“Find the closest.”
The featureless hallway turned sinuous, curving so that they
could see neither far ahead nor far behind. The gray walls echoed with their
footsteps.
From behind, the hounds bayed again, an eager note that
threaded through the curves to taunt them.
Josh grimaced. “Not good.”
“We’re almost there.” Adelyn pulled them around another
curve.
Raze the Ruiner stood in the way, almost—but not
quite—invisible in his gray robes.
Adelyn gasped. “No.”
Josh sprang ahead, spear raised.
The vizier slashed out. The wide-bladed athame shone in his
hand and knocked the spear aside.
Josh staggered toward the wall but instantly whirled, the
pistol in his hand. “Back off,” he snapped. “Unless fairies fly faster than iron
bullets.”
The vizier paused, hand still raised with the dagger exposed.
“I am not here to fight you.”
“Really?” Josh challenged. “The knife must have confused
me.”
Raze chuckled. “Such a simple human.”
“But better armed.”
Slowly, the vizier lowered the athame and sheathed it at his
belt. “As humans have always been.” He turned his fathomless gaze on Adelyn. “I
take it you found the missing Hunter.”
She lifted her chin. “You might stop us, but not him. And he
will find a way to free others who weary of the Queen’s reign.”
Raze sneered with scorn as withering as Josh’s iron. “Who do
you think will reign in this Queen’s stead?”
She hesitated. “I don’t know.”
“The walls of the phaedrealii are
crumbling, and what the Queen holds, she holds only with the power of her
madness.” The vizier shifted his gaze to Josh. “Your world stands to lose even
more, should the phae break their bonds.”
Josh held his hand out to Adelyn. “Whatever I lose, I won’t
lose her.”
Raze smiled thinly. “You think your world is ready for a
snake-haired girl who cries a king’s ransom in jewels?”
With the warmth of Josh’s hand over hers, Adelyn took a step
forward. “His world is cows and dogs and stars and other runaway phae . They take me as I am.”
The vizier’s lips twisted toward a laugh. But in the end he
only sighed. “Then take this too: a message to the Hunter and his sylfana who would fight a war against the Queen. Tell
him there are battles even a phae cannot
imagine.”
Closer now, the black dogs howled, as if in agreement.
Raze lifted his head. “You are more of a menace here than gone.
So go.” He stepped aside.
Without another word, Josh dragged her past the vizier.
She glanced back once before Raze vanished behind the curve of
the hall. Gray on gray, he should have seemed part of the corridor itself.
Instead, he seemed to float, cut off.
She shuddered. She had been that lonely too. But no more.
She gripped Josh’s hand as they fled.
A blast of light from behind them rattled the hall and she
stumbled. Josh dropped the spear to haul her upright. Before he could grab the
weapon again, a chunk of the ceiling fell toward them.
She yanked him onward as the corridor shuddered with crashing
debris.
There was only one way out now. They ran.
Until the next curve brought them to a wall of steel.
Chapter 13
Josh slapped his hand against the doorway. It was a
double door, floor to ceiling, the giant padlock in the middle
She flushed at the note of exasperation in his voice. “She has
her own rings, but of course those may not be used upon pain of death.”
“Pain of death? I think we’re well past that risk, don’t
you?”
She turned at the next corridor and sped into the darkness. A
few wisps had caught up with them while they debated; a bad sign, since the
black dogs would be following the same trail. But the faint light let them move
faster.
“There are places in the phaedrealii that remain the same no matter how the illusions of the
court change,” she told him. “One of those will be a permanent gate, our way
out.”
“Find the closest.”
The featureless hallway turned sinuous, curving so that they
could see neither far ahead nor far behind. The gray walls echoed with their
footsteps.
From behind, the hounds bayed again, an eager note that
threaded through the curves to taunt them.
Josh grimaced. “Not good.”
“We’re almost there.” Adelyn pulled them around another
curve.
Raze the Ruiner stood in the way, almost—but not
quite—invisible in his gray robes.
Adelyn gasped. “No.”
Josh sprang ahead, spear raised.
The vizier slashed out. The wide-bladed athame shone in his
hand and knocked the spear aside.
Josh staggered toward the wall but instantly whirled, the
pistol in his hand. “Back off,” he snapped. “Unless fairies fly faster than iron
bullets.”
The vizier paused, hand still raised with the dagger exposed.
“I am not here to fight you.”
“Really?” Josh challenged. “The knife must have confused
me.”
Raze chuckled. “Such a simple human.”
“But better armed.”
Slowly, the vizier lowered the athame and sheathed it at his
belt. “As humans have always been.” He turned his fathomless gaze on Adelyn. “I
take it you found the missing Hunter.”
She lifted her chin. “You might stop us, but not him. And he
will find a way to free others who weary of the Queen’s reign.”
Raze sneered with scorn as withering as Josh’s iron. “Who do
you think will reign in this Queen’s stead?”
She hesitated. “I don’t know.”
“The walls of the phaedrealii are
crumbling, and what the Queen holds, she holds only with the power of her
madness.” The vizier shifted his gaze to Josh. “Your world stands to lose even
more, should the phae break their bonds.”
Josh held his hand out to Adelyn. “Whatever I lose, I won’t
lose her.”
Raze smiled thinly. “You think your world is ready for a
snake-haired girl who cries a king’s ransom in jewels?”
With the warmth of Josh’s hand over hers, Adelyn took a step
forward. “His world is cows and dogs and stars and other runaway phae . They take me as I am.”
The vizier’s lips twisted toward a laugh. But in the end he
only sighed. “Then take this too: a message to the Hunter and his sylfana who would fight a war against the Queen. Tell
him there are battles even a phae cannot
imagine.”
Closer now, the black dogs howled, as if in agreement.
Raze lifted his head. “You are more of a menace here than gone.
So go.” He stepped aside.
Without another word, Josh dragged her past the vizier.
She glanced back once before Raze vanished behind the curve of
the hall. Gray on gray, he should have seemed part of the corridor itself.
Instead, he seemed to float, cut off.
She shuddered. She had been that lonely too. But no more.
She gripped Josh’s hand as they fled.
A blast of light from behind them rattled the hall and she
stumbled. Josh dropped the spear to haul her upright. Before he could grab the
weapon again, a chunk of the ceiling fell toward them.
She yanked him onward as the corridor shuddered with crashing
debris.
There was only one way out now. They ran.
Until the next curve brought them to a wall of steel.
Chapter 13
Josh slapped his hand against the doorway. It was a
double door, floor to ceiling, the giant padlock in the middle
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