"Yeah, that one. After he resigned and disappeared, Cromwell's been a bit easier to work with. I mean he's still pretty strict with the rules when we're on the job, but this?" she reached out and took my hand. "Bring him home to me? Please?"

I set the backpack on the porch and took her into my arms. "I'll bring both of them home."

She gave Kyle a hug, and even Bastien, before she left.

Bastien had the staff in his hand and pointed at the bag. "You have everything we need?"

"Bastien-"

"I will not hear it."

"This isn't your fight. You know how I feel about him-"

He reached down and touched my chin. "Sa fait pas rien, cherie. This affects you. I told you. I will bring that b.a.s.t.a.r.d back just to see the smile on your face and I will know," he grinned and his canines still looked a bit long. "That I was the one who returned it."

I wasn't going to admit I really wanted him with me. I felt safer with Bastien beside me. It was like having my own private Wookie. Only...he was nicer to look at.

Kyle stepped forward and put his arms around me. "You be careful."

I pushed him back. "You're coming with me."

"I can't leave Arden. Sam, she's the only family I have left. And if she pa.s.ses before you get back-that leaves me standing between Blackwood and his bid to take this land."

"Take this land?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "He mentioned taking Arden's land and her holdings. What the h.e.l.l kind of deal did Arden make with him?"

Kyle waved his hand. "Long story. I'll be right here, minding the fort, and making sure Cromwell does what he said he'd do. And someone has to keep the shop going."

"I don't plan on being gone that long."

"Just in case." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring. It looked like a plain silver band. "This is an alloy, but it's mostly made up of iron," he dropped it into my hand and then gave one to Bastien. "Arden had them made for her people when they first started dealing with Faeries."

Bastien slipped it over his ring finger. "Is it magic?"

"Its properties are poison to Faeries. You grab one of them with that hand and that ring will start a nasty reaction."

I tried the ring on as well. The only finger it fit was my left-hand ring finger. I looked at my ring and then at Bastien's. He wiggled his eyebrows up and down. I pointed at him. "Don't even."

He held up his left hand and moved the finger, but said nothing.

"c.r.a.p, maybe I should go with you."

I put my hand on Kyle's arm. "No...I think you're right about staying. And the fewer that go in, the easier it's going to be to do what we have to do and get out."

"You got a plan?"

I gave him a withering look. "What do you think?"

"Good G.o.ddess, have mercy." He followed Bastien and I to the barn where a s.p.a.ce had been cleared. Crwys's Mustang sat silently on the other side and I thought of Levi. "Sweet Lord and Lady. I need to call Levi and tell him."

"No," Kyle said. "The less he knows the better. He's dealing with Prescott right now."

"Oh...so," I looked around. "Where's Grey?"

Mom?

I'm not going, baby.

What? Why not? You've been there before. I could use your help.

She didn't answer me for a few minutes but when she did, her tone was sad and I thought I caught a hint of fear. I spent eighteen years of my life in the service of Medbh, baby. Thinking of you. Missing you. Cursing Dionysus and everything he did to me. Now that I'm here and I'm free of Alfheim...I just can't.

I felt a little betrayed, but I could understand. I didn't want to go back either. That one experience of being a fountain statue was enough to put the fear of Faerie in me. But I was stronger now, and I wasn't going to let anything stop me from bringing Crwys home. I love you, Mom.

I love you. Come home safe.

"Sam?"

"Grey's staying here. Watch her, Kyle." I checked the backpack on my back, grabbed a few water bottles from a case on the nearby shelf, took the staff from Bastien and held his hand. "Here goes nothing." I raised the staff and slammed it into the dirt the same way I'd done in the woods with Ben.

Everything happened the same, even down to the sparkling ring of purple lights, just visible in the dim light of the open barn. I looked at Bastien. "Ready?"

"Oui."

I thought of Hob's garden and the world twisted once again.

TWENTY.

A few tense muscles relaxed when Bastien and I landed in exactly the same place. In fact, I was pretty our feet were in exactly the same place mine and Ben's had landed.

I turned to look again at the iron gate and the grotto just inside. I didn't see any movement past those bars as a warm breeze moved the purple and green leaves of the gnarled trees framing the entrance. Dandelion seeds floated in the air, spinning but never quite landing on the ground. The gra.s.s reached to my thighs, and I stepped aside but kept my hand on the staff. I was a bit too close to Bastien.

But when I tried to pull Bastien's hand from mine, he held it tight. "Let go."

"Not till I know what that small is."

I sniffed. The only thing I smelled was Arcane, which to me, smelled like rotting, raw chicken. "Maybe it's the Arcane? The place is made of it." I looked at the ground again to see if I could find any of the sparkling black dust I'd been warned about. I didn't see anything through the thick gra.s.s.

He finally let go of my hand and I jerked the staff out of the ground. I felt the vibration again and the circling purple sparkles disappeared. Somehow I knew I'd shut down the staff.

Holding the staff, I realized carrying it around was going to prove c.u.mbersome. I wasn't a staff user. Didn't much care for them, though I'd seen a few Ceremonial Magicians who thought they were cool. "This is going to get in the way and I'm not about to leave it somewhere."

"Oui. Can you change it?"

"Change it?" I looked past the staff to his face. Bastien looked worried, evident by the deep crease between his brows. "What's wrong?"

"Je sais pas," he said as he straightened and sniffed the air. "I sense something...familiar."

Uh oh. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But I needed to somehow make the staff easier to carry. Holding it in front of me, I could feel the Arcane moving inside of it and I could hear its song.

-You must consider the request deeply.- "Request?" I stared at the staff.

"Ce qui?"

I put my finger to my lips to indicate quiet and decided to keep the discussion in my head.

Request?

-The staff's matter can be changed only once. Choose a tool you can use as a staff can be used.- That sounded a lot like a riddle and I didn't have time for riddles. "Bastien, what other tool can be used the same as a staff? I'm thinking knife or sword."

The crease between his eyes deepened. "Oui."

I didn't know anything about swords. But a knife could be useful.

A knife.

-Is that your final decision?- And of course the voice questioning me set me on the road to doubt again. Yes. A knife.

Abruptly, the staff collapsed into a swirling funnel of black glitter. I backed away and moved Bastien with me. "Faerie dust," I said so he'd listen. We watched as the funnel shortened and then dropped into the high gra.s.s.

I dove in after it and retrieved it. But when I held it up, Bastien laughed. "A wooden knife?"

That's right-the sucker had changed its shape and ma.s.s, and though the carving of it was intricate and quite lovely-it was a wooden knife.

"Okay so, I won't be hurting anyone with that. Put it in my backpack." I handed it off to him and turned around so he could slip it in. Once that was done, I took a step to the edge of the gra.s.s and looked out over the wastes.

"What is this place?" Bastien stood beside me. "There are fires in the distance. Is that a city?"

I could see the spires of what I believed was the Obsidian Palace. Medbh's home had been somewhere near it. "They call it the warlands."

"It looks as if the Earth itself is in pain," he knelt down and put his hand on the edge of the gra.s.s and then drew back quickly. "It's hot!"

I did the same thing and realized he was right! "This sucks...we have to get across this to get to the palace." When I needed to venture across the warlands before, I'd used ley lines. Points that allowed me to move instantaneously between places. I looked up, expecting to see a floating sign pointing to where the line started.

It wasn't there. I moved along the gra.s.sy edge but nothing appeared. "Well," I put my hands on my hips. "I'm a.s.suming Brendi removed the ley line pathways. The sign is completely gone," I turned to look at him. "We have to get to those spires."

"Are you sure that's where Crwys and Ivan are?"

"I'm not sure of anything, but it makes sense. Brendi apparently has Crwys close by and the impression I got from Kathy was that others could see him."

Bastien turned to face the iron gate and nodded, indicating the grotto in the distance. "There is someone in there who could answer these questions, no?"

"There was an Urisk that lived here. But with the time thing," I walked to the gate's edge and touched it. "I don't know how long ago that was." I tried pushing the right side of the gate inward like I had a year ago.

A thick, brown snake charged up the iron and wrapped itself around the two end poles, securely locking the two sides together. "Hey!"

The snake stared at me and stuck out his tongue. "Hey yourself."

Oh. I blinked. "You can talk."

"So can you. But I'm betting I'm more surprised than you," it tilted its head. "What do you want?"

"Is Hob at home?"

"Hob? The Urisk?" the snake snickered. "He hasn't been here in a long time. The Winter Queen had him arrested for aiding and abiding a fugitive."

"Arrested?" Oh no. "Did you see another one like us? Tall, dressed like us, with black hair?"

"I saw a skinny one. Not as big as the wolf," the snake did this weird nod toward Bastien. "He was here. He wanted in the gate too. But the guard took him away."

"The guard?"

"Yeah, the Queen's new guard. Oh, here they come now. Tootle-loo!" The snake transformed into iron and became still.

"I am very sure we are no longer in Kansas," Bastien said. "But this is biblical, no? You and I, and a tree and a snake?"

I jabbed him in the stomach with my elbow and turned to look out over the wastes. "He said the guard was coming. Bastien, I don't know if it's a good idea to be caught by the guard because they might take us to Ivan, or if we should-"

"Hide, hide!"

Bastien and I both jumped and turned to look behind us. The high gra.s.s and a few bushes moved but we couldn't see what was shouting. It b.u.mped into my leg and then I felt it reach around my calf. "You can't stay here!"

That's when I recognized the voice. "Cordy?"

"Yes, yes! Follow Cordelia!"

The little Boggart had reverted to being invisible after I banished her. She let go of my calf and we could see her crushing through the tall gra.s.s. "They're coming!"

As if on cue, I heard and felt the beat and thunder of horses' hooves on the ground. It was the same sound I'd heard earlier with Ben. And they were getting louder. I grabbed Bastien's hand and we followed the crashing invisible Boggart into the thick brush past the entrance. We skirted the edge of the fence protecting Hob's grotto and kept our heads low before we hit solid rock.

"Cordy?"

"Sshh!" came her answer and she was beside me, smelling of vervain and juniper. "They can't see past the gate so Cordelia stays here until they go."

"Who are they?" Bastien asked as he crouched behind us.

"The guard. See? See them coming? Now we must be stone."

I sort of interpreted that to mean we had to be still and quiet. So I settled in and made sure Bastien and I were both below the top of the gra.s.s. I could just see where we came in, the gate and the edge of the mound where the grotto was to our left.

The guard turned out to be about seven armored Faeries on top of horses. The group of them reminded me of the contingent of soldiers Brendi had with her in Couturie Forest the night she took Medbh's essence. For all I knew, it might be the same group.