“I understand. And, as soon as we’re done here, you can do all the looking you’d like,” the king says indulgently. Phew. He doesn’t sound mad. “But, first, I want to tell you why I called you all here.”

“Helix told us, my king,” Nine says. “He also made sure we understood that my mate owes you for your help.”

“Well, I did kill my former consort for your mate.”

Riley huffs. Holy shit, she actually has the nerve to huff in front of Oberon before she snaps, “You would’ve killed the Fae Queen anyway.”

Oberon’s green eyes glitter. “Well, yes. But that doesn’t change the fact that Melisandre is dead at my hands. That was my favor to you, Shadow. Are you going to deny me one now?”

Nine opens his mouth. I’m willing to bet that, whatever he’s about to say, it won’t go over as smoothly as Riley’s retort. She obviously agrees. Quickly, she grabs the Unseelie’s hand, squeezing it.

Nine closes his mouth with an audible click.

Next to me, Rys laughs under his breath.

Riley shoots him a sharp look before glancing up at Oberon. “You’re right. And it’s not like you’re asking me to chop off anyone’s head. It’s just a peace-keeping mission, right?”

“I’m sorry. A what?”

“Didn’t Helix explain my mission to you?”

“No, my king,” Rys says, that same teasing tone returning to his voice, covering up his obvious surprise. I guess, from a former Seelie soldier used to killing in the name of the Fae Queen, he hadn’t been expecting a peace-keeping mission to prove he’s loyal to the Summer King now. “He was too busy threatening Elle with imprisonment.”

Oberon sighs. He actually sighs. “Of course he did. Serves me right. I only told him to make sure to get you two here by any means necessary. Well, I can’t fault him. He did what he was told. And, hopefully, so will you two.”

“I can’t answer for Elle, but you have my loyalty.”

I don’t know how he managed to get that out—I can’t answer for Elle—since that’s all he seems to do. What a crock of bull. If I wasn’t so worried about offending the Summer King, I’d point that out.

Instead, I say, “If it keeps me out of jail, you can count me in.”

Oberon grins. “That’s what I’d hoped you’d say.”

It could be worse.

That’s all I’m thinking as I walk through the Seelie portal, heading back to Rys’s house.

Oberon did a much better job explaining what he wanted with us than the Seelie captain ever did. Turns out he knows all about the growing rebellion that we caught wind of when we were still in Siúcra. He knows about it—and he wants to stop it.

I guess it has something to do with how recently he regained his crown—but only he one that belonged to the Seelie Court. The former Fae Queen ruled over all of Faerie for the last two centuries. Now that she’s dead, Oberon is Summer King again. But, he tells us, he has no intention of being the Fae King.

The only way he can prove that—and end the whisper of an uprising before it gets any louder—is by forming an alliance with the mysterious Winter Queen of the Unseelie Court.

And guess who’s the lucky foursome he wants to approach her with an offer of peace?

Oh, and did I mention that no one has actually seen the rightful ruler of the Shadow Realm since Melisandre ascended as queen of the two courts more than two hundred years ago?

Still, I agree. What choice do I have? It’s a crazy mission to find the missing Winter Queen or jail. And, no matter what, I will never willingly choose fairy jail again.

Too bad my scarred Seelie doesn’t agree.

Rys waits until Helix closes the Seelie portal behind him, leaving us alone in Rys’s front room, before he whirls on me.

“No.”

“You say this ‘no’ word a lot,” I immediately retort. “Is it supposed to mean something to me?”

“Leannán—”

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