Supernaturally (18 page)

Do Ask, Do Tell

G
o!”
I shouted to Jack, still holding his hand. I didn’t want to face Reth, not on his own turf and not after what we’d done. Jack tightened his grip as the room spun around us. I closed my eyes and tried not to let the dizziness get to me.

“Okay.” Jack let go and I opened my eyes. We were in an oblong field, surrounded by orange grass that came up to our waists, feather soft and whispering secrets to the deliciously sweet breeze circling us. The field was bordered by pure white trees, bowed over under the weight of more of that blue fruit that I absolutely was not going to get within ten feet of.

“Why couldn’t we have come here first?” I asked. Some parts of the Realms I could get used to. Aside from the evil, tempting fruit, of course.

“This is all rather wearisome.”

I whipped around to find Reth standing right behind us. Again. I reached for Jack’s hand but Reth grabbed my wrist. His hand fit perfectly around the faded scar he’d left there.

“Let me save you the trouble. There is nowhere you can go—in the Faerie Realms, particularly—that I can’t find you.”

I glared. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that scurrying about like a couple of naughty children serves no purpose. Now, what are you doing here? After all the times I invited you, I’m a bit hurt that you came in with the help.”

Jack bristled next to me, glaring at Reth.

“I’ll do whatever I want,” I snapped.

“My dear, you have a shockingly underdeveloped sense of self-preservation. I would recommend avoiding the Dark Queen’s ire, as she already has a rather low opinion of the value of your life. Now.” He pulled out a pocket watch that didn’t have any hands and frowned at it. “It’s been lovely but I really must be off. Try not to destroy the meadow, if it’s not too much trouble.”

He let go of my wrist and my blood boiled. I’d had enough of him showing up, giving a few cryptic comments, and then disappearing again. I reached out and grabbed his arm. He looked at me, surprise shaping his eyebrows.

“No! Why have you been sending creatures to attack me? And what do you mean, you can find me anywhere? And if you wanted me here so bad, why are you leaving now that I’ve finally come?”

Reth smiled, his eyes liquid sunshine. “I don’t know what you are referring to, as my only goal has ever been to protect you. I would never send something to attack you. However, I think we’ve established you are nothing if not stubborn and categorically incapable of choosing the things that are good for you.” He touched my forehead, then my heart, and I flinched away from his finger. “If only your head were a bit emptier, like your soul. I will welcome you home whenever you
choose
it, but I am expressly forbidden to force you. The Unseelie Court gave Vivian no choice in the matter, and look how well that turned out. Speaking of which, are you going to leave that wretched faerie frozen forever?”

“Fehl deserves— Don’t change the subject! You never answered how you know where I am all the time.”

He reached over with his free hand and effortlessly pried my fingers from his wrist. Stupid faerie strength. “If you don’t mind, my love, your fingers are uncomfortably cold. And to answer your question, how could I not know where you are? It pains me you cannot feel our connection.”

I glared. “Bull.”

Reth laughed, the orange grass around us swaying in time, dancing to the silver beauty of the sound. “I suppose knowing your true name helps.”

He’d teased me with that before, the night I’d freed him by commanding him to take a new name. I didn’t buy it. “Yeah, well, hate to break it to you, but
everyone
knows my name’s Evelyn, so you’re not exactly special. And don’t give me this ‘real name’ crap. If I have one and you knew it, why did it take you so long to find me?” He couldn’t deny that. Faeries put a lot of stock in names, and wherever I came from, the faeries hadn’t known about me until a couple of years ago at the earliest.

When Reth met me at the Center he didn’t even pay attention to me at first. Then one day everything changed, like he’d suddenly noticed me. At the time I’d been flattered (read: madly crushing), but since I learned that the faeries were somehow responsible for my existence, it drove me a bit nuts trying to figure out how a) they hadn’t known where I was, and b) he’d figured out who I was.

Reth nodded. “Ah, an excellent story. Perhaps your friend should stay for it?”

I turned to see that Jack had been slowly edging away toward the trees. I shook my head, glaring. “No way, Jack. You brought me here, you’re staying with me until I get home.”

He sighed, flopping down to sit on the ground so the grass tickled his face. I turned back to Reth. “Go ahead.” If he was going to give me answers—really give me answers—it was worth risking a little more time in the Faerie Realms. The hairs on my neck prickled; maybe this was why he’d been so eager to leave. He knew that if I thought I was in control, I’d be more likely to stay.

Oh, I loathe him. But I had to know.

“No doubt you remember when we met.” He smiled, and I hated that he knew I remembered every minute we’d ever spent together. Honestly, exes. As if they weren’t bad enough in general, mine had to be immortal and a quasi-deity. Good thing I was done with immortals.

Ah, bleep. But Lend didn’t count as an immortal.

“When I discovered your unique abilities at IPCA, I told my queen about you and she wondered if here, finally, was the Empty One that was created and then”—he paused, and a brief shadow clouded his radiant face—“lost.”

“You didn’t create me!” I shouted, surprised at my own vehemence. “You’re lying. You probably stole me and changed me, like you stole Jack and who knows how many others! But I got away.”

“If you say so.”

“Shut up! Tell me the truth or I swear I will burn this whole place down!”

Reth had the nerve to look amused. “It would appear your new friend is a poor influence. Still, I can see this is bothering you. Although I am not allowed to give this information to anyone outside the fey, you are, for the moment at least,
in
Faerie, which could be construed as being within the fey, now, could it not?”

“You lost me at ‘although.’”

He nodded, apparently satisfied. “Yes, that works out nicely. Now that you have come to the Faerie Realms of your own free will, which was my queen’s stipulation, it opens all sorts of possibilities.” He held out a hand. I didn’t take it, couldn’t take it, and his smile had a strangely soft edge. “Now, now, Evelyn. No need to be frightened.”

I clenched my jaw, glaring. I was
not
scared of him. And I wasn’t scared to finally get some answers. Oh, who was I kidding. I was terrified. There were so many things I could find out that I didn’t want to know. Nothing good would come from what he was about to tell me. But that didn’t change anything. I had to know.

I gave him my hand.

He tucked it in the crook of his elbow with a condescending pat. “I do believe I missed this.” He turned and we walked through a door that was now in front of us. A panicked yelp sounded and I was nearly knocked over as Jack grabbed me, barely making it before the door closed.

Reth sighed impatiently. “Must he tag along?”

I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten to demand it. Five minutes with Reth and I was already being stupid. “Yes, he must.”

Jack took my free hand and the three of us walked together through the darkness. I wanted to ask where we were going, but I didn’t want to give Reth the satisfaction of hearing how terrified I was. He’d know the second I opened my mouth.

He opened a door and we stepped out into blinding sunshine. I was disoriented, like when you go to a movie in the afternoon and come out to dark night. How did it become day again? It was late when we left my apartment. Were we on the other side of the world or something?

“Faerie Realms screw with time,” Jack muttered, as though reading my mind.

“So where are we?” We had come through a white cinder block wall, facing a massive parking lot. I glanced up and down, wondering what mystical place had such demanding parking needs. And women’s restrooms?

Reth, rather than answer, walked along the sidewalk. Jack and I had to scurry to catch up. As we turned the corner, I stopped dead in shock. Of all the places to learn about who I really was—what I really was—this one hadn’t crossed my mind as a possibility.

We were at a NASCAR race.

“What on earth are we doing here?” I should have known better than to trust Reth. He’d never been one for jokes, but of course he’d pick now to get a sense of humor. No doubt he thought this whole thing was hilarious. He turned to me, no trace of laughter in his real eyes, shining beneath his faerie-hiding glamour.

“I think it high time you meet your father.”

Family Reunions Always Suck

M
y
father?” I stared at Reth, trying to process what he’d said. “I’m going to meet—I have a father? And he’s
here
?”

The pack of multicolored logo-plastered cars roared past on the track, separated from us by a massive chain-link fence and a maintenance area. It was too much to process. In spite of Reth and Vivian’s claims that I had been “made,” I had a father. A father who was going to NASCAR races instead of, say, taking care of me.

Reth surveyed the scene around us, his face a picture of disdain. “Unfortunately, yes. This way, please.” He wove his way through the crowds wandering to and from their seats. I nearly got beer spilled on me three times, but everyone moved for him, most (male and female) pausing to stare dazedly at his glamoured glory.

“So,” Jack said as we started up an infinite set of concrete steps through the stands, “this is exciting!”

“Can we not talk?” I was finally getting some answers, and I was scared bleepless.

Reth turned to a section of booths that looked far nicer than the aluminum benches everywhere else. He opened the door to the first and gestured for me to go in. Trembling, I walked through. The plushly furnished booth had four armchairs and a side table littered with empty Coke cans.

In the center chair overlooking the race sat a man with shoulder-length hair such a rich brown it looked like polished wood. His back was to us and he leaned forward, intent on the race.

“Do be a good boy and get me something to drink?” Reth asked Jack, shutting the door in his face before he could come in. The man in the chair hadn’t turned around yet, and Reth narrowed his eyes in annoyance. “Lin.” The man waved us away with one perfect, slender hand.

A faerie hand.

My stomach sank. No. No, not that. Anything but that. It couldn’t be—he couldn’t be—
I
couldn’t be. Reth put his arm around my shoulders, steering me gently down the two steps to the window. When Lin’s face came into view there was no denying it. His glamour was fuzzy, as though barely there, and his face had all the faerie features. Far-too-big almond eyes, delicate nose, full lips, ageless skin. But his eyes, an unnaturally emerald green, were ringed with red as though he hadn’t slept in days. I’d never seen a faerie besides damaged Fehl look anything but pristine.

“Lin,” Reth said again, his golden voice hard.

“Oh, go away. Thirty-three’s making a pass.”

I looked at Reth, not wanting to watch the strange faerie anymore. He set my teeth on edge, something about him making me instantly wary, tired. There was something there, something that tickled at the back of my mind. Please, don’t let it be recognition. Reth looked disgusted as Lin cracked open another can of Coke and chugged it.

“Melinthros,” Reth said, his voice ringing powerfully through the box.

The faerie snapped his eyes up, finally looking at us. “Watch it, pretty boy. I’ve got a nasty headache and if you go throwing around my name, things are liable to get ugly real quick around here.”

Since when did faeries call each other “pretty boy”?

Lin turned back to the race. “No!” he shouted, throwing his now empty can against the glass. Then, a wicked smile cutting across his smooth features, he whispered something under his breath and flicked a hand toward the pack of cars zipping by. The car in front flipped onto its side, sliding as bits of it flew off and sparks trailed the ground. The cars behind smashed into it and each other, unable to avoid the wreck. One bright yellow car slammed into another and flipped over the top of it, crushing the roof before spinning off into a wall.

The entire thing took less than ten seconds, and then the track was a mess of smoke and colorful pieces of what used to be cars. An announcer buzzing in the background let off a long string of swearwords, declaring it the worst crash in the course’s history.

Lin sat back, a pleased smile on his face. “I love this sport.” He grabbed another Coke from the floor and drained it, wiping his mouth before he looked at Reth. “What are you doing here again?”

“I’ve brought your daughter.” Reth’s voice was devoid of emotion as it destroyed my life. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t process this, couldn’t tell whether the room was spinning or I was. Reth’s grip on my shoulder tightened, steering me to one of the chairs. I sat heavily, staring at the floor.

I wasn’t part faerie.

I couldn’t be! It didn’t make any sense.

Oh, bleep, when had anything in my life
ever
made sense?

“That’s not her.” Lin frowned, holding his hand near the ground. “She’s about yea high, doesn’t talk much, cries a lot. Bound to be around here somewhere.” He looked over the top of one of the chairs as though three-year-old me would be there, playing.

Reth’s golden eyes darkened. “Yes, that was an accurate description, fourteen years ago when you lost her.”

“I didn’t lose her.” Lin straightened indignantly. “She’s—” He paused, scratching his head. Then he looked at me, squinting. “Well, fancy that. You’re right. Pale, tragic little thing, isn’t she? Still, here she is and she is here. Go take her to the queen or whatever it is she was for. I forget. Ooh, they’re clearing the track!”

He stared, transfixed, as what was left of the cars were leveraged off the track while paramedics carried out several people on stretchers.

I looked up at Reth, my lips trembling. I didn’t know which was worse—that my father was a faerie, or that he spent the last fourteen years oblivious to the fact that I was missing. Reth’s mouth was pursed, his full lips smashed into a single disapproving line.

He picked up a can, holding it with the tips of his fingers as though it were contaminated. IPCA had discovered, at great loss, the only thing from our world that affected faeries was carbonation; it was like hard liquor. Which made my father a faerie alcoholic. Of course. Brilliant. Reth set the can gingerly back down. “This is why I avoided court business. Mixing our fates with humans’ never ends well. It’s disgraceful. This is what comes of forcing a faerie to live outside our Realms. We’ve
all
become tainted by the nonsense and decay of this world.”

“Reth.” I whispered so that my voice wouldn’t crack. The tears were already out, but I didn’t want to lose it. Not here. Not in front of that thing that was my father. “Please. I don’t understand any of this.”

Brushing off the seat, he sat in the chair next to me. “I’d hoped he could explain, but once again it falls to me.” Reth fixed his depthless eyes on mine and took my hand in his. There were none of the forced flames from before, just reassuring pressure, like he was trying to anchor me. “I suppose the idea for you started about twenty years ago.”

He traced a finger tenderly down my cheek. “It was a very bad idea from the start.”