15
“We made a bargain with Medb,and we have until winter solstice to complete it,” Patrick announced.
Tiarnán paused in writing on his legal pad, looking up as Patrick and Jono entered the main conference room of Gentry & Thyme. “That was unwise.”
“I’ve made worse decisions.”
Jono snorted softly from behind him. “No need to be proud about that.”
Tiarnán leaned back in the leather seat, staring at them. “What was the bargain?”
“That’s between us and Medb. We’re here to find out what’s been going on with the Wild Hunt and the Sluagh while we were past the veil.”
Patrick wasn’t about to disclose what they’d bargained for with Medb. Finding the Morrígan’s staff was critical, but he had a feeling Tiarnán wouldn’t appreciate that retrieving it would come at the price of his Summer Lady. Not that Patrick had any plans to give her—or himself—over to Medb.
Tiarnán set down his pen and got to his feet, reaching for his gold-tipped wooden cane as he did so. Tiarnán was impeccably dressed, and no one would mistake him for human, despite the trappings of a human-style law firm around them. Patrick eyed the wooden cane he held, wondering if it was a weapon or an artifact along the lines that Setsuna carried.
He wasn’t going to ask and looked up to meet Tiarnán’s violet-eyed gaze. This conversation could’ve been done by phone, but Patrick had wanted to see if Jono could get anything by way of smell off the fae lord.
“Secrets are unbecoming of the bargain we made,” Tiarnán said.
“You breathe secrets, mate,” Jono retorted.
Patrick crossed his arms over his chest, the motion easier after waking up with healed bruises and mostly healed burns. Victoria’s potion and poultices had worked wonders, but they hadn’t fixed everything. Only time and rest could do that.
“If you’re not going to help, that’s going to keep you out of favor with Brigid,” Patrick said.
It was a wild guess that maybe struck home, and maybe didn’t. Tiarnán was too long-lived to give away anything by way of expression of body language. Patrick hoped something closer to the truth came through his scent for Jono to get.
“Our bargain is not Brigid’s concern,” Tiarnán said.
“Isn’t it?”
“It is our duty asdaoine sídheto keep our children safe. I do my duty here, on the mortal plane, because it would be remiss of me not to.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It is all you are getting.”
Patrick shrugged. “Brigid didn’t seem happy you’d offered us an alliance.”
“I will honor it in her name.”
Patrick wondered if the promise was meant as an insult or not. You never knew with the fae.
“What about the Wild Hunt and the Sluagh? They’re still pulling people off the streets. How often did it happen while we were gone?” Jono asked.
Tiarnán turned his head to look out the wall of windows that oversaw the Manhattan street below and the tall building across from them. Patrick couldn’t hear the sound of traffic through the silence ward wrapped around the conference room, but he knew it was the usual rush-hour mess on a Friday morning.
“Often enough,” Tiarnán said slowly.
“Your queen could earn some PR points by calling them off.”
“Brigid does not control either. If she did, they would not be hunting here.”
“But they are, and both are after someone. We just don’t know who.”
“Their target may not necessarily be the same one.”
