I shudder at his tone.
“If you feel the same way, by all means, leave Devashire again. I’d love to bring you back into the fold.” He flashes that psycho smile that makes bile rise in my throat.
I’m relieved when Godmother appears in my doorway, her commanding presence reaching into the room. It’s the first and only time I’ve ever been relieved to see Godmother.
“Ah, you’re awake.” She gives my tormentor a once-over. “Donovan, what the hell are you doing here? I thought we had an understanding.”
He smiles his weirdly blue smile. “Just checking in on the woman of the hour. I’m on my way out. I’ve filled Sophia in on our agreement. She’s officially off our roster… unless she decides to cross the border again, and as a law-abiding citizen, her daughter’s passport has been reinstated.” With one last glance at me, he scurries out the door and hopefully out of my life for good.
“That man is damaged in ways I never knew humans could be,” Godmother says with a low grunt. She sits down in the chair Donovan vacated. It’s then that I notice a flower arrangement in her hands. She sets the small vase on the end table beside me, and I breathe in the scent of red roses and purple daisies.
“Thank you for visiting,” I say, although after watching her torture Chance, I’m ready for her to go. “Is Seven okay?”
“He’s fine. Although for security reasons he’s opted to recover at home with a private nurse. With the news of his father’s arrest going public, Seven is now chairman of Lucky Enterprises and head of the Delaney empire. A lot of responsibility comes with the role and plenty of risk. There are many who would like to disrupt that dynasty.”
I can only imagine. I knew Chance’s imprisonment would change Seven’s life, but I’ve never lived that lifestyle. I’m sure there’s much I don’t understand about what he’s going through. “So Chance is finally behind bars.”
“Our prisons don’t have bars.” Godmother’s dark eyes twinkle.
“That’s right.” Ashgate, the fairy prison, is a mountain with cells carved into its depths. Criminals are magically sealed inside. “Behind stone.”
She gives a dark chuckle. “I owe my thanks to you for taking him down. Brilliant to use his own blue iron against him. I assume you obtained it from his stores. It would be illegal to bring it into Devashire.”
“Of course,” I say immediately. She doesn’t need to know about Kiko. Besides, a human gave her to me at the Dragonfly Club. I simply brought her back again. That’s different than bringing something in that originated on the outside. “Did you know Chance once poisoned Seven with blue iron?”
“I am aware,” she says, lifting her chin. “Although back then we lacked enough proof to hold him accountable. Now we have five pixies willing to give details of their horrific abduction, not to mention testimony by you and Seven. It’s enough to put him away for a very long time. He won’t be able to buy his way out of this one.”
“He admitted to us what he did,” I say. “Yissevel was a convenient way to dispose of the bodies. But he also said there was more, some big plans Seven didn’t know about. Do you know what he was talking about?”
Godmother smooths the front of her gown. “Unfortunately, no. But when I interrogated Chance, it was clear to me that he’s lost his mind. He’s been drunk with power for so long he thinks of himself as a god. Whatever he was up to, you can be sure it stops here. We confiscated the silver he was using to travel to Shadowvale. It’s safely with the guardians now.”
I remember the mirror I saw when they were hauling me out of the hunting cabin. So it was a portal. I heave a relieved sigh that it’s in good hands, although a little voice in the back of my head would love to know how he got it in the first place.
“What he said… It was so disturbing. He made it sound like Lucky Enterprises wanted to destroy Dragonfly. Like he had plans to subjugate humans.”
The knowing smile that turns Godmother’s full lips creates a dimple in her dark cheek, as if she finds the concept wholly amusing. “Do you know why we named the park Dragonfly Hollow when we established it in 1864?”
I shake my head.
“Dragonflies sparkle, Sophia. Humans are fascinated by their colors and their beauty. But they are also the deadliest predator in existence. In fact, they catch over 95 percent of their prey thanks to their almost supernatural agility and focus. They ambush their quarry, hovering just out of sight, then attacking from below or behind. Their game is torn apart and consumed immediately, and their appetite is insatiable.
“Humans… all they see is a shiny insect, bright with fragile wings. They assume it is a creature created for their pleasure, when in reality the dragonfly owns their world and their space. Dragonflies have been the apex predator of their environment since before humans existed.
“We are the dragonflies, Sophia. There are fewer of us than there are humans, just as there are fewer dragonflies than mosquitos. But we are the more powerful beings. They think they are in control. They think we are a beautiful dalliance. But we take from them exactly what we want and need, and they bring it to us willingly. We help them, and they help us. Just as the gods intended.
“After the Civil War, there were those who felt we should abandon the old ways, eschew peace, and free the unseelie to conquer our human attackers and take control of the Americas. I was of the mind that no blood need be shed to conquer. The secret to subjugation is finding a person’s weakness. That’s how you bring them to their knees. We’ve done that with humans. They worship us with their dollars.
“Thankfully the Guardians agreed, and so together we created this place and the peace we enjoy. Chance is not the first to suggest that the fae could and should have more: more power, more money, more glory. None of them have ever understood the value of peace. Power doesn’t always come by the sword. It isn’t bought with the shedding of blood. That is a human fallacy us fae have no time for. It comes with the adoration of hearts and minds. It comes with control. What we have now is as good as it gets, Sophia. And as long as I’m in charge, it will remain this way.”
I stare at her for a good long moment, her power looming thick in the room. The only thing I can think to say is, “I’m glad it’s you in charge.”
She smiles and tips her head in my direction. “I’m glad you think so because we have business to discuss.”
I blink nervously.
“You solved this case. Dragonfly couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Then am I right in assuming that I’m officially free of our bargain?” I hold my breath hopefully.
