The Lost Prince (31 page)

“It—”

“Don’t say ‘it’s not your fault,’” I whispered harshly. There was a stinging sensation in my throat, and my eyes were suddenly blurry. Releasing her, I turned away, not wanting her to see me fall apart. “I knew what that thing was,” I gritted out. “It was there because of me, not Sam. I could have physically stopped her from getting on, but I didn’t, because I was afraid she wouldn’t like me. All her dreams of riding her own horse, of competing in rodeos, she lost it all. Because I was too scared to do anything.”

Kenzie was silent, though I could feel her watching me. Around us, the faery dancers twirled in the moonlight, graceful and hypnotic, but I couldn’t see their beauty anymore. All I could see was Sam, the way she laughed, the way she bounced from place to place, never still. She would never run again, or go hiking through the woods, or ride her beloved horses. Because of me.

“That’s why I can’t get let anyone get close,” I rasped. “If Sam taught me anything, it’s that I can’t afford to have friends. I can’t take that chance. I don’t care if the fey come after me—I’ve dodged them all my life. But they’re not satisfied with just hurting me. They’ll go after anyone I care about. That’s what they do. And I can’t stop them. I can’t protect anyone but myself and my family, so it’s better if people leave me alone. No one gets hurt that way.”

“Except you.”

“Yeah.” I sighed, scrubbing a hand over my face. “Just me. I can handle that.” A heaviness was spreading through me, gathering in my chest, that same feeling of helpless despair, the knowledge that I couldn’t do anything, not really. That I could only watch as the people around me became targets, victims. “But, now…you’re here. And…”

Her arms slipped around my waist from behind, making my heart jump. I drew in a sharp breath as she pressed her cheek to my back. “And you’re scared I’m going to end up like Sam,” she whispered.

“Kenzie, if something happened to you because of me—”

“Stop it.” She gave me a little shake. “Ethan, you can’t control what they do,” she said firmly. “Stop blaming yourself. Faeries will play their nasty tricks and games whether you can see them or not. The fey have always tormented humans, isn’t that what you told me?”

“Yeah, but—”

“No buts.” She shook me again, her voice firm. “You didn’t make that girl get on that phouka. You tried to warn her. Ethan, you were a little kid facing down a faery. You did nothing wrong.”

“What about you?” My voice came out husky, ragged. “I pulled you into this mess. You wouldn’t even be here if I hadn’t—”

“I’m here because I want to be,” Kenzie said in that soft, calm voice. “You said it yourself—I could’ve gone home anytime I wanted. But I stayed. And you’re not going to cut me out of your life. Not now. Because no matter what you think, no matter how much you say you want to be alone, that it’s better for everyone if you keep your distance, you can’t go through this all by yourself.” Her arms tightened around me, her voice dropping to a murmur. “I’m staying. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

I couldn’t say anything for a few seconds, because I was pretty sure if I opened my mouth I would break down. Kenzie didn’t say anything, either, and we just stood there for a little while, her arms wrapped around my waist, her slim body against mine. The fey danced and twirled their eerie patterns around us, but they were distant mirages, now. The only thing that was real was the girl behind me.

Slowly, I turned in her arms. She gazed up at me, her fingers still locked against the small of my back, holding me captive. I was suddenly positive that I didn’t want to move, that I was content to stay like this, trapped in the middle of a faery ring, until the sun rose and the Fair Folk disappeared, taking their music and glamour with them. As long as she was here.

I slipped my hand into her hair, brushing a thumb over her cheek, and she closed her eyes. My heart was pounding, and a tiny voice inside was warning me not to do it, not to get close. If I did, They would only hurt her, make her a target, use her to get to me. But I couldn’t fight this anymore, and I was tired of trying. Kenzie had been brave enough to stand with me against the fey and hadn’t left my side once. Maybe it was time to stop living in fear…and just live.

Cupping her face with my other hand, I lowered my head…

And my nerves jangled a warning, that cold chill spreading over the back of my neck and down my spine. I tried not to listen, but years of vigilant paranoia, developing an almost unnatural sixth sense that told me I was being watched, could not be ignored so easily.

Growling a curse, I raised my head and scanned the clearing, trying to see past the unearthly dancers into the shadows of the trees. From the edge of the woods, high in the branches above the swirling fey, a pair of familiar golden eyes gleamed in the darkness, watching us.

I blinked, and the eyes vanished.

I swore again, cursing the rotten timing. Kenzie opened her eyes and raised her head, turning to glance at the now empty spot.

“Did you see something?”

I sighed. “Yeah.” Reluctantly, I pulled back, determined to finish what we’d started—later. Kenzie looked disappointed but let me go. “Come on, then. Before he finds the others.” Taking her hand, I strode out of the ring, parting ranks of fey as I did. Just inside the tree line, Keirran and Annwyl waited at the edge of the shadows, their backs to us.

“Keirran!” I called, breaking into a jog, Kenzie sprinting to keep up. Keirran didn’t turn, and I tapped his shoulder as I stopped beside him. “Hey, we’ve got company—oh.”

“So nice to see you, human,” a voice purred from an overhead branch. Grimalkin sniffed, looking from me to Keirran, and smiled. “How amusing that you are both here. The queen is not at all happy with either of you.”

Chapter Eighteen

The Fey of Central Park

Keirran visibly winced.

“What are you doing here, cat?” I demanded, and Grimalkin turned a slow, bored gaze on me. “If you’re here to take us back to Meghan, you can forget it. We’re not going anywhere.”

He yawned, sitting up to scratch an ear. “As if I have nothing better to do than play nursemaid to a pair of wayward mortals,” he sniffed. “No, the Iron Queen simply asked me to find you, to see if you were still alive. And to make sure that you did not wander into a dragon’s lair or fall down a dark hole, as you humans are so prone to doing.”

“So she sent you to babysit us.” I crossed my arms. “We don’t need your help. We’re doing fine on our own.”

“Oh?” Grimalkin curled his whiskers at me. “And where will you go after this, human? Back to Leanansidhe’s? I have already been there, and she will tell you the same thing I am about to.” He yawned again and stretched on the branch, arching his tail over his back, making us wait. Sitting back down, he raised a paw and gave it a few slow licks. I tapped my fingers impatiently on my arm. From the few stories Meghan had told me about the cait sith, I’d thought she might be exaggerating. Now I knew she was not.

“Leanansidhe has a lead she wishes you to follow up on,” he finally announced, when I was just about ready to throw a rock at him. “There have been a great many disappearances around Central Park in New York. She thinks it would be prudent to search the area, see what you can turn up. If you are able to turn up anything.”

“New York?” Kenzie furrowed her brow. “Why there? I thought New York would be a place the fey avoid, you know, because it’s so crowded and, um…iron-y.”

“It is indeed,” the cat said, nodding. “However, Central Park has one of the highest populations of exiled fey in the world. Many half-breeds also come from that area. It is a small oasis in the middle of a vast population of humans. Also, there are more trods to and from Central Park than you would ever guess.”

“So, how are we supposed to get to New York from Ireland?”

Grimalkin sighed. “One would think I would not have to explain how this works to mortals, again and again and again,” he mused. “Worry not, human. Leanansidhe and I have already discussed it. I will lead you there, and then you can flounder aimlessly about to your heart’s content.”

Razor suddenly blipped onto Keirran’s shoulder with a hiss, glaring at Grimalkin. “Bad kitty!” he screeched, making Keirran flinch and jerk his head to the side. “Evil, evil, sneaky kitty! Bite his tail off! Pull his toes out! Burn, burn!” He bounced furiously on Keirran’s shoulder, and the prince put a hand over his head to stop him.

“What about the queen?” he asked over Razor’s muffled hisses and occasional “bad kitties.” “Doesn’t she want you to return to the Iron Court?”

“The queen asked me to find you, and I did.” Grimalkin scratched an ear, not the least bit concerned with the raging gremlin threatening to set him on fire. “Beyond that, I am afraid I cannot be expected to drag you back if you do not wish to go. Though…the prince consort did mention the phrase,
throw away the key,
at one point.”

I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I saw Keirran gulp. Razor gave a buzz that sounded almost worried.

“So, if we are done asking useless questions…” Grimalkin hopped to a lower branch, waving his tail and watching us with amusement. “And if you are all quite finished dancing under the moon, I will lead you to your destination. We will have to cut back through Leanansidhe’s basement, but she has several trods to New York due to the amount of business she conducts there. And she is not exactly pleased with all the disappearances in her favorite city, so I suggest you hurry.”

“Right now?”

“I do not see the point in repeating myself, human,” Grimalkin said with a disdainful glance in my direction. “Follow along or not. It makes no difference to me.”

* * *

I’d never been to New York City or Central Park, though I had seen images of them both online. As seen from above, the park was pretty amazing: an enormous, perfectly rectangular strip of nature surrounded by buildings, roads, skyscrapers and millions of people. It had woodlands, meadows, even a couple of huge lakes, smack-dab in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world. Pretty damn impressive.

It was no wonder that it was a haven for the fey.

It was early twilight when we went through yet another archway in Leanansidhe’s dungeon and came out beneath a rough stone bridge surrounded by trees. At first, it was hard to believe we stood at the heart of a city of millions. Everything seemed quiet and peaceful, with the sun setting in the west and the birds still chirping in the branches. A few seconds later, however, it became clear that this wasn’t the wilderness. The Irish moors had been completely silent; stand in one place long enough, and it felt as if you were the only person in the entire world. Here, though, the air held the quiet stillness of approaching night, you could still catch the faint sounds of horns and street traffic, filtering through the trees.

“Okay,” I muttered, looking at Grimalkin, who strutted to a nearby log and hopped up on it. “We’re here. Where to now?”

The cat sat down and licked dew off his paw. “That is up to you, human,” he stated calmly. “I cannot look over your shoulder every step of the way. I brought you to your destination—what you do next is no concern of mine.” He drew the paw over his ears and licked his whiskers before continuing. “According to Leanansidhe, there have been several disappearances in Central Park. So you are in the right place to start looking for…whatever it is that you are looking for.”

“You do realize Central Park is over eight
hundred
acres. How are we supposed to find anything?”

“Certainly not by standing about and whining at me.” Grimalkin yawned and stretched, curling his tail over his back. “I have business to attend to,” he stated, hopping off the log. “So this is where we must part. If you find anything, return to this bridge—it will take you back to Leanansidhe’s. Do try not to get lost, humans. It is becoming rather tedious hunting you down.”

With a flick of his bushy tail, Grimalkin trotted away, leaped up an embankment, and vanished into the brush.

I looked at Kenzie and the others. “Any ideas? Other than wandering around a giant-ass park without a clue, that is.”

Surprisingly, it was Annwyl that spoke. “I remember coming here a few times in the past,” she said. “There are several places that are hot spots for the local fey. We could start there.”

“Good enough.” I nodded and gestured down the path. “Lead the way.”

Yep, Central Park was enormous, a whole world unto itself, it seemed. We followed Annwyl down twisty forest paths, over wider cement roads lined with trees, across a huge flat lawn that still had people milling about, tossing footballs or lying together on blankets, watching the stars.

“Strange,” Annwyl murmured as we crossed the gigantic field, passing a couple making out on a quilt. “There’s always a few of us on the lawn at twilight—it’s one of our favorite dancing spots. But this place feels completely empty.” A breeze whispered across the lawn, and she shivered, hugging herself. Keirran put his hands on her shoulders. “I’m afraid of what we might find here.”

“We haven’t found anything yet, Annwyl,” Keirran said, and she nodded.

“I know.”

We continued past the lawn, walking by a large, open-air stage on the banks of a lake. A statue of two lovers embracing sat just outside the theater, together for all time. Again, Annwyl paused, gazing at the structure as if she expected to see someone there.

“Shakespeare in the park.” She sighed, sounding wistful. “I watched
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
here once. It was incredible—the Veil was the thinnest I’d ever seen at that point. So many humans were almost ready to believe in us.” She shook her head, her face dark. “Something is very wrong. We haven’t seen a single exile, half-blood or anyone. What has happened here?”

“We have to keep looking,” Kenzie said. “There has to be someone who knows what’s going on. Is there another place we could search?”

Annwyl nodded. “One more place,” she murmured. “And if we don’t find anyone there, then there’s no one to be found. Follow me.”

She took us down another path that turned into a rocky trail, winding its way through a serene landscape of flowers and plants. Rustic wooden railings and benches lined the path, and a few late-blooming flowers still poked up from the vegetation.
Quaint
was the word that came to mind as we trailed Annwyl through the lush gardens. Quaint and picturesque, though I didn’t voice my opinion out loud. Keirran and Annwyl were faeries, and Kenzie was a girl, so it was okay for them to notice such things. As a card-carrying member of the guy club, I wasn’t going to comment on the floral arrangements.