But I also got to wear comfortable clothes—jeans and a leather jacket I’d gotten pretty fond of—and, most important of all, I first drove to King’s Court Café and got myself a large pumpkin latte so I didn’t have to drink any gross weed water with the rest of the monarchs.
All of these things combined into one glorious picture as I drove up to the meeting point—the parking lot of the local library—where the other monarchs were waiting with their much fancier cars.
Fell—leaning against a Rolls-Royce and looking shockingly modern in a black suit—arched an eyebrow at me as I climbed out of my truck. “Is the Night Court so poor you’ve had to take up farming?”
I fished my latte out of the door cupholder, then locked my truck. “Nah. I just figured if I got the chance to run you over, I should bring something that could get the job done.”
Fell looked mildly alarmed at my statement of violence.
I sipped my latte, reveling in the pumpkin flavor. “Oh, that’s good stuff.”
Fell leaned back and put on what were probably ridiculously expensive sunglasses. “You are worse than a savage mongoose.”
“Yeah, thanks. What are we waiting on?” I waved to Verdant, who offered me a timid smile before she left her car—some kind of Mercedes, I think—and joined me in front of my truck.
“The Paragon has to take us to his pocket realm.” Verdant glanced around the parking lot, looking fit for the red carpet with her beautiful green evening gown.
“I see. Hey, King Birch, is Flora okay?” I asked.
Birch—dressed similarly to Fell, except hecommittedto his Court, so his tweed jacket had threads of blue, and he’d chosen a sort of burnt orange slacks—stiffened. “Why do you ask?”
I squinted at him. “Because she’s not here.”
“She opted to stay home,” Birch said.
“And where is your dear consort?” Rime of the Winter Court asked. Besides me, Queen Rime was probably the most casually dressed as she was in dove gray slacks and a white sweater that looked incredibly soft.
Apparently, tonight the fae had chosen costumes appropriate for “sophisticated business moguls.” Given that their clothes were usually a cue on how they were going to act, I dearly hoped we weren’t going to be making and breaking alliances all night.
“He didn’t want to come,” I said. “Said he had some stuff to do,” I lied.
In reality, Rigel had just informed me he wasn’t coming, and that was that. But it was always fun to tease the other monarchs, particularly because it made Fell’s tan complexion turn as pale as a ghost.
“I’m glad you came regardless, Queen Leila.” Solis strolled up to me, looking very fatherly with his gold turtleneck and wool coat.
Birch made a noise of dissent, drawing Verdant’s ire.
“Are you an animal, now, that resorts to grunts to communicate?” she demanded.
“You’re rather brave considering only a few weeks ago you would havegroveledto me on behalf of your stag,” Birch said.
Verdant stiffened. “Take that back!” she snarled, green magic curling around her like vines.
“As if you could make me.” Birch shook a finger at her, his magic—a sparkly blue—clouded around him like smoke.
“That’s enough, children!” The Paragon popped up in the center of our circle. Unlike us, he was not dressed for modern times, but wore a silvery blue robe and a massive scarf that wrapped at least three times around his neck. He adjusted his spectacles and peered around at us. “I must thank you for coming, but remind you all you aremyguests. There shall be no threatening each other during this—what is that?”
The old fae zeroed in on my drink and clutched his long gray beard as he stared at it.
“Pumpkin latte,” I explained.
The Paragon tilted his head at me, then relaxed. “An excellent choice. Right, then. Gather around, children! It’s time to go—to my pocket realm!”
Once we’d all gotten within a step or two of him, the Paragon yanked out a pink coin purse and snapped it open.
Either the coin purse contained a gate, or itwasa gate itself—I didn’t know for sure, because a puff of air made me squeeze my eyes shut. I felt the ground move under my feet, and when I cautiously opened an eye, we were in a room.
I should explain. Since he’s the top dog of the fae, but isn’t sworn to a Court, the Paragon got his own personal slice of the fae realm. It was small in comparison to a Court’s realm—rumor had it that it included a whole house and several acres of land—but that’s why it’s called a pocket realm.
