“No, Prince Keirran.” Annwyl spun, her eyes glassy. “I won’t do that, not to you. I wish things were different, but we can’t… The courts would… I’m sorry.”
She whirled and fled the room, leaving Keirran standing alone under the great tree. He scrubbed a hand over his eyes, then wandered back to lean against the trunk, staring out at nothing.
Feeling like an intruder who had just witnessed something he shouldn’t have, I eased back into the corridor. My suspicions had been confirmed; Meghan was hiding something from us. I was definitely going to have to talk to her about that, demand why she thought it was so important to keep her family in the dark.
First, however, I had to find Kenzie, before this ritual was supposed to begin. She needed to know what having the Sight really meant, what the fey did to those who could See them. If she’d really understood the consequences, she never would have made that bargain.
Although, deep down, I knew that was a lie. Kenzie had known exactly what she was getting into and chose to do it anyway.
I finally found her in the library, hidden between towering shelves of books, leaning against the wall. She glanced up as I came into the aisle, the massive tome in her hands making her look even smaller. That strange, unfamiliar sensation twisted my stomach again, but I ignored it.
“Hey.” She gave me a hesitant smile, as if she wasn’t sure if I was mad at her or not. “Has your voice come back yet?”
“Yeah.” It came out harsher than I’d wanted, but I plunged on. “I need to talk to you.”
“I suppose you do.” She sighed, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. For a moment, she stared at the pages in front of her. “I guess…you want to know why I agreed to that bargain.”
“Why?” I took a step forward, into the narrow space. “Why would you think your life was an acceptable trade for something that you have no business seeing in the first place?” Anger flickered again, but I couldn’t tell if it was directed at Kenzie, Leanansidhe, Keirran or something else. “This isn’t a game, Kenzie. You just shortened your life by trading it away to a faery. Don’t think she won’t collect. They always do.”
“It’s a month, Ethan. Two at the most. It won’t matter in the long run.”
“It’s your life!” I stabbed my fingers through my hair, frustrated that she refused to see. “What would’ve been ‘too much,’ Kenzie? A year? Two? Would you have become her ‘apprentice’? Giving away bits of your life for the inspiration she offers? That’s what she does, you know. And every single person she helps dies an early death. Or becomes trapped in this crazy between-worlds house, entertaining her for eternity.” I paused, fisting my hand against the shelf. “I can’t watch that happen to you.”
We both fell silent. Kenzie hesitated, picking at the pages of the book. “Look,” she began, “I realize you know almost everything about the fey, but there are things you don’t know about me. I don’t like talking about it, because I don’t want to be a burden on anyone, but…” She chewed her lip, her face tightening. “Let’s just say I view things a little differently than most people. I want to learn everything I can, I want to see everything I can. That’s why I want to become a reporter—to travel the world, to discover what’s out there.” Her voice wavered, and her eyes went distant. “I just don’t want to miss anything.”
I sighed. “Promise me you won’t make any more deals,” I said, taking another step toward her. “No matter what you see, no matter what they offer you, promise that you won’t agree to it.”
She watched me over the edge of the book, brown eyes solemn. “I can’t make that promise,” she said quietly.
“Why?”
“Why do you care?” she shot back, defiant. “You told me to leave you alone, to forget about you when we went back, because you’re going to do the same. Those were your words, Ethan. You don’t want me around and you don’t care.”
I huffed and closed the last few steps. Taking the book from her hands, I snapped it shut, replaced it on the shelf, and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at me. She stiffened, raising her chin, glaring at me with wounded eyes.
“I care, all right?” I said in a low voice. “I know I come off as a bastard sometimes, and I’m sorry for that. But I do care about…what happens to you here. I don’t want to see you get hurt because of Them. Because of me.”
Kenzie met my gaze and stepped forward, so close that I could see my reflection in her dark eyes. “I want to see Them, Ethan,” she said, firm and unshakable. “I’m not afraid.”
“I know, that’s what scares me.” I released her, kicking myself for acting so roughly, yet reluctant to let her go. “You’re going to have the Sight now,” I said, feeling raw apprehension spread through my insides. “That means the fey will hound you relentlessly, wanting to bargain, or make a deal, or just make your life hell. You’ve seen it. You know what they’re capable of.”
“Yes,” Kenzie agreed, and suddenly took my hand, sending a shiver up my arm. “But I’ve also spoken with a talking cat, fought a dragon, and watched the Iron Realm light up at night. I’ve seen a faery queen, climbed the towers of a huge castle, flown on a giant metal insect, and made a deal with a legend. How many people can say that? Can you blame me for not wanting to let it go?”
“And if it gets you killed?”
She shrugged and looked away. “No one lives forever.”
I had no answer for that. There was no answer for that.
“Hey.” Keirran appeared at the end of the aisle, and we jumped apart. His gremlin grinned manically from his shoulder, lighting the shelves with a blue-white glow. “What are you two doing?”
He gave me a half wary, half hopeful look, unsure of where we stood, if we were cool. I shrugged, not smiling, but not glaring at him, either. It was the best I could offer for now.
“Nothing,” I said, and nodded to Kenzie. “Futilely trying to convince stubborn reporters not to go through with this.”
She snorted. “Hi, Mr. Pot. Meet Mr. Kettle.”
“Kenzie.” Annwyl stepped forward. Her hair was loose, falling down her back in golden-brown waves, petals and leaves scattered throughout. Keirran watched her, his face blank, but he didn’t say anything. A tiny glass vial gleamed from her fingertips as she held it up. “Leanansidhe told me to give this to you.”
I clenched my fists to keep from dashing the vial to the floor. Kenzie reached out and plucked it from her hand, holding it up to the light. It sparkled dully, half-full with amber liquid, throwing tiny slivers of gold over the carpet.
“So,” she mused after a moment, “is it ‘down the hatch’ right now and, poof, I’ll be able to see the fey? Is that how this works?”
“Not yet,” Annwyl said solemnly. “There is a ritual involved. To gain the Sight, you must stand in the middle of a faery ring at midnight, spill a few drops of your blood onto the ground, and then drink that. The Veil will lift, and you’ll be able to see the Hidden World for the rest of your life.”
“Doesn’t sound too hard.” Kenzie gave the vial a small shake, dislodging a few black specks that swirled around the glass. “What’s in here, anyway?”
Keirran smiled. “Probably best you don’t know,” he warned. “In any case, Leanansidhe has a trod that will take us to a faery ring. There’s a catch, though. When the full moon shines down on a faery ring, the local fey can’t resist. We’ll probably run into a few of them, dancing under the moonlight. You know, like they do.”
“Well, then it’s a good thing I’ll have you two around to protect me.” She glanced my way, a shadow of uncertainty crossing her face. “You’ll be there, right?”
“Yeah.” I gave her a resigned look. I’d say what a stupid idea this is, but you won’t listen to me. I only hope the cost will be worth it.
“So,” I muttered, looking at Keirran, “where is this faery ring?”
He grinned, reminding me suddenly of Meghan, and my stomach clenched. “Not far by trod, but probably farther than you’ve ever been,” he said mysteriously. “This particular ring is several thousand years old, which is vital to the ritual tonight—the older the ring, the more power it holds. It’s somewhere deep in the moors of Ireland.”
Kenzie’s head jerked up, her eyes brightening. “Ireland?”
“Yay!” Razor crowed, bouncing up and down on his shoulder. “Sheep!”
Chapter Seventeen
The Faery Ring
“Better hurry, darlings,” Leanansidhe announced, walking into the dining room with a swooshing of fabric and smoke. “The witching hour is fast approaching, at least where you’re headed. And it will be a full moon tonight, so you really don’t want to miss your window.” She glanced at me, wandering back to the corner of the room, and sighed. “Ethan, darling, why don’t you sit down and eat? You’re making my brownies very nervous with all that pacing.”
Too bad for them, I thought, chewing a roll I’d snagged from the dining-room table in the middle of the room. The table was enormous and covered with enough food to feed an army, but I couldn’t sit still. Keirran and Kenzie sat opposite each other, talking quietly and occasionally giving me worried looks as I paced around them, while Razor cavorted among the plates, scattering food and making small messes. Several redcaps, dressed in butler suits with pink bow ties, skulked back and forth, cleaning up and looking like they really wanted to bite the gremlin’s head off. I kept a wary eye on them every time they approached Kenzie, tensing to jump in if they so much as looked at her. They reminded me of the motley that had chased me into the library and set it on fire, leading to my expulsion. If they made any threatening moves toward Kenzie, even a leer, they were going to get an expensive china plate to the back of the skull.
