Laurette made a hand gesture, and the Fae’s lips pressed together while his eyes went wide.Theo saw the fury in them.It was an expression he’d seen before, and he huddled closer to Peter.It was an instinctive reaction, and he felt sorry for it a moment later.Peter clearly isn’t okay, and I’m acting all dainty.
Laurette examined his nails while coiling the silver chain around his fingers.“As I was saying, we’ll drop them there.My cousin or—to tell you the truth, I’m not exactly sure how we’re related.It’s like the issue of who owes who; involved, way too complicated to keep track of, and boring.”
“Boring isn’t the word you use for incest, actually,” Theo said.
Laurette shot him a grin.“Right you are.I do like the incisive comments.Anyway, we’re not big fans of incest.It’s simply a large and branching family tree.”
Chambord sniggered, and this time, it was Gertrude yanking the silver chain around his neck.
Laurette looked amused about that, then went on.“Can you imagine that?Marrying cousinsandowing them?It would be entirely terrible.Besides, it’s more of a Fae thing.And a habit of human royalty, if memory serves.All I know is that me and the lord beyond the moors are family, and I can talk them into finding a use for these three, conquering the territory, and maybe cleaning this fucking hovel and making it livable again.Do you still intend to collect your things and come live in the human realm, Cloudtree?”
Cloudtree nodded.“Yes.That is unchanged.There is naught that holds me here, nor—”
“Yes it is.Go get your things, then, like Theo suggested.Gertrude!Get ready.We’re leaving.Chop-chop and all that.Everyone ready to go?”
There were groans of agreement all around.
By the time they had delivered the three Fae to an Elven lord who seemed all too happy to take them off their hands so long as it meant getting Laurette gone too, Peter’s face really looked drawn.Theo felt useless.He was envying Corvin, because Mike would at least lean on him, while Peter just kept smiling and assuring Theo that nothing was the matter.
It had Theo pissed off and ready to tell Peter so to his face when they stepped into a circle of standing stones in the garden of Laurette’s maybe-cousin’s palatial home.
“I will not miss you.Please don’t visit again,” said the cousin, their hair a shimmery light brown instead of Laurette’s gold.
“I shall attempt not to!Especially not for any sort of official gatherings or the like.Thank you for the honeyberries.Toodles!”
As it had when they’d traveled to Faerie, the air around them shifted, the colors spun and spiraled.The sounds returned, the chimes and the gong, and Theo’s ears popped.
With a bright flash, everything stopped.A look around told Theo they were pretty much where they’d started, in Laurette’s garden.The transition was jarring.After getting somewhat used to Faerie’s brightness, the colors Theo had known all his life seemed dimmer now, deeper and darker.Not dull exactly, but also not like he’d always seen them.
He wasn’t sure what to make of it, and as they picked their way back through the garden with all its flowers, Theo now wondered if the blooms had been selected to reacclimatize visitors from Faerie to what was normal here.
“That was exciting, wasn’t it?”Laurette held the door back into the house open for them.“Though perhaps we shouldn’t do it again.Not that anyone got themselves kidnapped intentionally at all—that would be a rude suggestion.Who’d like to stay for cake?”
“I have to take Mike home, make sure he rests,” Corvin said.
“Peter’ll drive you.”Theo turned to Peter.“Right?”
“Of course.”
He looks so fucking tired.What’s wrong with him?
Theo nodded and went back inside first, unfastening the clasp at his throat.
“I’ll just—”
“Theodore.Let me help you with that.”
Despite himself, Theo stopped and turned, raising his chin so Peter could help him with the cloak.
Laurette walked past them.“You did well for a first-timer to Faerie.”He glanced at Peter.“And you did well for a vampire in Faerie, Viking or otherwise.”
Peter’s lips pressed tight before he said, “Thank you, Lord Laurette.”
“Phew, why so formal?We’re all friends here.Gertrude!Make tea.And maybe coffee.Cloudtree’s probably never had a flat white, so get on that, please.”
He walked off, and just as he did, the clasp gave, and the fabric of the cloak rushed off Theo’s shoulders.Peter caught it.
“There.All done.”
