He steps closer. “Why would I tell you anything?”
“Because you have nothing left to lose. Maybe if you contribute something useful, Godmother will show you mercy.” There is no way in hell Godmother would ever let Chance out of here, but I have nothing else to offer.
“You truly are an accomplished liar,” he says through his teeth. “I’m not even sure you realize what a rare and valuable talent that is for a fae. Some of us can’t lie at all. We can deceive, we can mislead, but lying like you are to me now, as you look me in the eye—by the gods, I’d say that’s as rare as being able to resist a bargain.”
I don’t bother denying it. I’m running out of time. “Then what do you want?”
“You’d bargain with me?”
“Within reason.”
He hesitates, his gaze sweeping down my form in a way that makes my skin want to peel off my body. “Make Seven come and visit me. Don’t deny you have power over him. You’ve had your filthy pixie stinger in him since he was a child. If you tell him to come, he’ll come.”
“And in return, you’ll tell me who’s responsible for the murder.”
He chuckles. “I’ve been here, little bird. I don’t know who committed the murder you speak of.”
“But you have a guess. Someone you were working with who wanted to pick up where you left off.”
“Yes.”
“You tell me who that is, and I’ll ask Seven to visit.” I will ask. He’ll never come.
“Do more than ask.” He sneers. “I want him here.”
“We’re running out of time, Chance.”
“Deal,” he says quickly.
I make the gimme motion with my hand.
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, the one you seek isn’toneat all, but he whose crown is in his bones, and they whose hunger has grown and grown, and she whose hatred is cast in stone. Blood shed by one is blood shed by all.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Based on his earlier comments, I knew more than one person was involved in his scheme, but this poem is utter nonsense.
“You have my answer. You asked who was responsible for the murder, not for a specific name. I told you the truth.”
I scoff. “Fine. I said I’d ask Seven to visit. I didn’t promise when.”
He hisses. “Filthy bird.” He pulls his shirt over his head, staining it with blood. “Let me show you what I do with your kind.” I cringe as he runs his palm down his swollen stomach and it slithers under his waistband and into his pants. Mercifully, that’s when the stone slams into place. My time is up.
The light shifts to the silver tray, and I empty the gum onto it. The only sound is the pounding of my heart in my ears as the pale hand reaches for my offering. This time I don’t wait to see what happens. I start for the exit, walking as fast as I can without breaking into a jog; I don’t want to call attention to myself or make too much noise. But when a head-splitting screech comes from behind me, I launch into a full-out run.
I’m not fast enough. The creature rushes me from behind, that pallid hand snatching my ankle. I fall, my wings flapping uselessly as I hit the ground hard. My elbows and forearms sting where they slap the stone, but remembering the warning of the warden, I don’t make a sound. What will happen if I scream? Will more come? I don’t want to find out.
Circular mouths suction to the skin of my ankle, digging in, hurting. I kick at it, freeing myself long enough to flip over. Above me, a faceless thing seethes. At least I think it’s seething. It has no mouth and only two indentations where eyes should be. Its nostrils, however, flare angrily. Its body is humanoid but strange, light gray and too long with multijointed limbs. There are holes on the sides of its head but no ears.
It reaches for me with one hand, fingers formed into claws, and I see that the mouths on its palms are lined with tiny sharp teeth. I smell berries and realize my “offering” is stuck and strung between several of the orifices, forming a sticky mess that lowers toward my face. I hold my breath to keep from screaming and turn my head, trying to put distance between me and it.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see the hand stop just a centimeter from my face, and a soft golden glow forms a barrier between us. The thing screeches again in frustration, leaving my ears ringing. Slowly I shift my head and see that the coin around my neck, the one Seven gave me, is the source of the glow. It pulses gently in the hollow of my throat.
For protection. Thank you, Seven! I crab-walk backward, away from the creature.
My foot extends beyond the coin’s glow, and it grabs my ankle again. I wince from the pain and pull the coin away from my skin by the chain, directing the glow at the unseelie and trying to get my feet under me.
That’s when I hear a thump and another thump. Something red bounces near my hip and rolls toward the creature. An apple. Another one rolls on the other side of us. The creature sniffs like a dog, turns on its haunches, and pounces, taking the apple into its hungry grip.
I use my wings to help me to my feet then half run, half fly for the exit. I’m winded and shaking by the time I reach Saul, who is pointing his gun toward the darkness behind me and holding the empty basket the apples had been in. The gate warden is signing angrily at him.
