Page 43

“It would be best if I could speak with Augustine,” I say because I don’t fear him .

He is another vampire, just like me, and one with much less experience in combat.

Besides, I have the distinct feeling he knows where Njáll is.

“But as that is not an option, I need to start speaking to the fae instead.”

Spectra frowns. “They’ll know you’re not blessed. That’s not safe.”

“It’s the only choice I have. None of the vampires found Augustine before he appeared before the Council, which means he was likely hiding wherever the high fae is.”

I still have my knife. I don’t know how much magic there is in it—I can’t tell—but it’s iron, if nothing else, so I can use it to get my own way.

“Take Sparrow with you,” Spectra says, and I shake my head.

“I can’t—”

“They’ll be fine,” she interrupts. Oh, she’s not going to take no for an answer. “They know more fae than you, and they can at least get you out of there if anything goes wrong.”

“Fine,” I mutter.

I wait with Sam while she goes inside to speak to Sparrow. He turns his attention to the wards again after a while, though I have no doubt he still has some attention on me.

That is confirmed when he asks, “So, you and Njáll…”

“What about us?”

“Are you together?”

“No.”

His eyes flick over to me. “Huh.”

“Why do you ask?”

Sam shrugs. “Seems like it would take a lot to lose a fae blessing. The Hunt is… Well, everyone knows. Everyone used to know. You don’t just get kicked out.”

No. I don’t know of anyone else it has happened to. We have lost a hunter here or there over the years, but even those are rare occurrences, what with how powerful we are.

“I cannot divide my attention,” I say. “I serve the Hunt.”

“Served.”

“Yes.”

We fall into silence again until the doors open and Spectra walks back outside, followed by a very reluctant-looking Sparrow.

“I’m sorry,” Sam says, and I frown at him. Does he mean Sparrow’s attitude? I’ve certainly dealt with worse before. “About your magic,” he clarifies, clearly reading the look on my face.

“Thank you.”

Sparrow scowls when they’re standing before me, crossing their arms over their narrow chest. “This is a bad idea,” they say, and I don’t argue because it is not as though they are wrong.

“It is,” I reply instead, giving them a smile I don’t feel. “But it’s the only one we’ve got.”

We head back to The Green Man, the pub where the two gancanagh were trying to lure Njáll outside. Sparrow pauses before we reach the door, staring up at the sign.

“This place is a shithole,” they say. “Your vampire came here before?”

“Yeah,” I reply. I didn’t know that, about this place. I came here the night Njáll did simply because Vlad told me I could speak with the fae here.

Sparrow lets out a dramatic sigh and rolls their lined eyes. “Come on , then,” they say and push past me to make their way inside.

Instinct has me irritated, ready to push ahead, but when they glance back at me, I remember that I’m no longer in possession of my magic, and they actually may have the advantage here. The thought vanishes when we walk inside, and I try to make out shapes in the shadowy, smoky space.

“We need to find out if he came here,” I say, and Sparrow nods sharply, but they don’t reply. They are cataloguing everyone too, glamour wobbling for a second, revealing eyes that are big and dark.

“Get a drink,” they say, gaze zeroing in on a fae in the corner. “For both of us. Then meet me.”

I grit my teeth—I don’t like this—but do as I’m told.

Only the fact that this might get me to Njáll faster has me moving, and I order two whiskeys because I’m not even going to pretend to drink beer.

The bartender watches me with no little suspicion, and when I realise there are other eyes on me, I feel, for the first time in a long time, the slightest trickle of fear.

Sparrow is finished with their conversation by the time I carry our drinks over. They are sitting next to a kelpie, rare in these parts, who looks me over with interest.

“I could have much use for him,” the kelpie says, but Sparrow shakes their head, plucking one of the glasses from my hand.

“No,” they reply, voice firm.

I hardly noticed their power when compared to Spectra’s, and I can’t feel it now, but there’s something in the way the kelpie ducks their head that has me frowning. Sparrow is more powerful than I thought, maybe, which is most likely why Spectra sent them with me.

“This vampire you’re looking for, then,” the kelpie says. She kicks out the chair opposite her and when she gives me a significant look, I sit down. Her smile widens.

Sparrow frowns. “What of him?”

“I know who took him, but you won’t find him.”

“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 adjust how 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 my back to. 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 not know the 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’t know .”

“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 na?ve 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’ll kill you.”

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.”

Two young selkies. I saw them while I was standing at the bar. I look at Sparrow, and they shake their head again. “I’m supposed to keep an eye on you.”

“ No. You were supposed to lead me here and help me find someone to talk to. You did that. Now go. Fuck knows what Spectra will do to me if you get hurt, too.”

They glare at me ineffectually for a few moments before they stand quickly, their chair scraping against the stone of the floor. It has gone eerily quiet. They’re allowing Sparrow to leave, I realise, and my heart thumps against my ribs.

Sparrow leans in. “Don’t be a fool,” they hiss. “We’ll find you.”

They won’t, but I nod all the same, not looking as they stride away and out the door.

It swings shut, and as I knock back the rest of my whiskey, the selkies sidle up on either side of me. They’re hardly wearing glamours at all, and the lack of my magic might come back to bite me as I feel light-headed simply looking at them.

“You should come with us,” one says, and I recognise the sound of enchantment in their voice, but I’ve got no defences left to fight it.

“Yes, come with us,” says the other. Their fingers trip down my arm and fasten around my wrist.

Sparrow will get back. Sparrow will tell them what happened, and the Hunt will come and clear this place.

I can only focus on following the selkies now.

I can only focus on them leading me straight to Njáll.