“She can’t hold you, no matter what bargains she makes,” Patrick said, testing the words and hoping he spoke the truth.
Medb let go of Cairbre’s arm and walked toward Patrick, her guards parting smoothly to let her pass. Wade’s eyes widened, but before he could panic, Patrick put himself between the teen and the immortal headed their way.
“Uh, if she can’t keep me, does that mean I can eat this apple-looking fruit?”
Patrick rolled his eyes but didn’t turn around. “Wade.”
The sound of the teenager taking a bite out of something with a lot of crunch came from behind him. “What?”
“You’re grounded.”
“I’m already grounded.”
“Then you’re grounded more.”
Medb offered Wade a smile Patrick would never trust as she came to a stop before them. “You can stay, if you like, dragon kin. The Unseelie Court would never turn you away.”
“Wade has a pack,” Patrick told her. “Ours.”
“Human lives are worthless to one as long-lived as the fledgling will be.”
Patrick never took his eyes off Medb, the queen’s smile full of secrets he knew he wouldn’t like. “Doesn’t fucking matter. Wade belongs with us.”
“Such loyalty. A pity it is wasted.” Medb looked over her shoulder at Gerard, her hair swinging around her thin body as she did so, moving as if it were alive with things Patrick couldn’t see. “Well, Cú Chulainn? Have you decided?”
“We have an accord,” Gerard said in a grim voice as he rapped the butt of his spear against the onyx floor.
The heavy electric feel in the air shifted to something lighter. A promise had been witnessed, and once again, Patrick was a bargaining chip. At least this time, he was able to leave on his own two feet.
Medb returned to her throne carved from the dead tree, with its bloody, thorny vines that moved to accommodate her. She studied them from her seat on high before nodding at Gerard.
“The crossroads will find you,” Medb said.
Jono pushed past the guards blocking his way with a snarl, striding over to Patrick. He immediately dragged both hands and wrists over the sides of Patrick’s neck, scent-marking him, before framing his face.
“Let’s get you home, yeah?” Jono said in a low, angry voice.
Patrick nodded, taking a steadying breath. He refused to look at Gerard as the others came closer. “Yeah.”
Home sounded great, for however long they could stay there before needing to cross the veil again.
“This tastes like an orange,” Wade said, taking another bite of the half-eaten, dark purple fruit in his hand.
“So, so grounded,” Patrick muttered.
14
They walked through the veil,pulling free of the clinging mist that marked the separation between worlds. They arrived in a copse of snow-covered trees, night having fallen on the city when they’d previously left it with the sun high in the sky. Crossing through the veil from Tír na nÓg back to the mortal plane made Jono’s stomach churn for a couple of seconds before everything settled. The winter chill was colder than he remembered, the icy wind making him shiver unexpectedly. Jono wondered how much time they’d lost while past the veil.
The distant sound of cars was abruptly overtaken by the beeps of everyone’s mobiles connecting to the nearest tower. Jono pulled his out, unwilling to remove his left arm from where he’d draped it over Patrick’s shoulders. In the light from all their screens, Jono could see everyone’s breath puffing in the air as they all took stock of messages and voicemails coming through.
“It’s Decembersixteenth?” Wade exclaimed. “We weren’t even gone an entire day!”
“Time runs slower past the veil in Tír na nÓg. It’s normal that we lost about a week on the mortal plane for the amount of time we were beyond the veil.” Gerard scowled down at his mobile. “We only have five days left until winter solstice. That’s not enough time.”
“Oh man, I’m going to have to retake my class, won’t I?”
“Let’s head back to my place. Your team is probably there, Gerard,” Sage said.
