Keegan started pacing, I noticed Minka back up a few steps and start walking in a circle around our pack. Her eyes were pinned on Isabella, looking her body up and down. The female skyborn was aware of it too; her eyes snapped down to glance at thefairy.
“You’re skyborn, aren’t you?” Minkaasked.
Isabella was a tough Latina chick. She didn’t cow. She justnodded.
Minka seemed absolutely delighted. “You know, I could send a security detail with you. That way you’d have a better chance at surviving when you lure the druidsaway.”
Keegan stopped pacing. “What kind of securitydetail?”
Minka strode towards the alpha. “A dozen fairies and threetrolls.”
I made a choking sound at the wordtroll; everyone looked at me as I turned it into a cough. Keegan stared at Minka, impressed, not in the least bit surprised at the existence of trolls. Freakingtrolls!
‘That’s what her boyfriend is!’Logan said, next to me.‘I thought they’d all died when Faeryfell.’
My eyes flicked over to the boyfriend, who’d made no move from the jeep to join us, and remained leaning up against his ride. I was guessing he was wearing some kind of illusion, because he didn’t look like a troll to me. Not that I had any idea how a troll was supposed tolook.
“What do you want in return?” I asked her outright. I knew she was after one of Isabella’steeth.
She gave me a bit of a glare and put on hand on her hip—my hip. “I want her molar for Paisley,” she admitted, pointing toIsabella.
Isabella didn’t look fazed. She just shrugged. “Deal.”
My eyes bugged out and I bee-lined it over to the skyborn. “I don’t think you understand, she wants your tooth so her friend can to eat it and grow like five feettaller.”
Isabella laughed and placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’ve dealt with fairies before. It’s just a tooth. It’ll growback.”
Her complete "okayness" with the situation shocked me into silence. I looked over to Danny, who looked like he might faint. I think he and I were the only ones horrified bythis.
Minka clapped her hands together and squealed. “Perfect! They’re on theirway.”
Oh my God.She used her hive mind to contact them. Why couldn’t fairies and elves be the loving glittery folk from my childhood fantasies, not these tooth-eating monsters of reality? I promised then and there to never lie to my future children about the Tooth Fairy who leaves money under children’spillows.
“Let’s get going. He’s got Nadine!” Gear growled, bringing my thoughts back to the pressing issue athand.
Minka raised one eyebrow at him and sniffed the air in his direction. “You aflier?”
He glared at her, as if annoyed by her taking charge and asking everyone questions. “Yeah. I’m ahawk.”
She nodded. “I can’t scout close to the castle anymore because I’m so big. If you shift, I’ll give you directions and you can relay how many of the druids fall for the luring away plan. I’m pulling Paisley from the castle stakeout to help yourfriends.”
He seemed to consider her proposition. She had a point. We knew there were about a hundred of them, but how many would fall for Isabella and Marco’s plan to be lured away? Ten? One? Fifty? I was hoping forfifty.
Gear looked to Keegan, who nodded. “Doit.”
Gear started peeling off his clothes, not wanting to waste a moment, and I noticed Minka take an extra-long look at his chest and abdomen, not caring that her boyfriend was rightthere.
‘She’s freaking me out,’I toldLogan.
He smiled next to me.‘Fairies are cunning tricksters with poor socialskills.’
Hah! You could say that again. Gone was the sweet Tinker Bell of my childhood.RIP pixiedust.
“Alright, we’ve rented a few SUVs,” Minka declared, clapping her hands. “They are around the corner. Everyone get in and follow our Jeep. We will lead you into the woods that border the property where your friend is beingheld.”
The crowd dispersed, Minka went to Gear’s now bird form, and started explaining directions on how to fly to the castle. I saw Keegan walk over to have a quick word with Isabella and Marco, and a few shifters who it looked like he was going to send withthem.
Danny strode over to me and glared at Minka. “Who put her incharge?”
