When he looked at Parker, his husband’s expression was just as fixed as if the situation was life and death, and Nick realized that itwas. Right. This was just standard fae politicking with a bit of hipster fad business thrown in.
Celandine stood, her movements flowing fluidly, every gesture graceful, even when she was clearly annoyed. She seemed to float over the floor as she stalked from the room.
No door slammed, but without the queen, the room seemed colder, a quality of warm light gone, lengthening the shadows, making the gorgeous flowers on the wall seem deadly rather than beautiful. They were trapped in a cage that could eat them alive.
Nick stared at Parker, considering. There was still that burn of alcohol on his tongue, as though he was still in his father’s office. Parker sometimes gave him the same impression, that he was making sacrifices and decisions based on a longer-term goal, one Nick couldn’t always see as clearly.
But his father would have finessed, politicked, had Nick’s mother send over a nice bottle of wine. He would have untangled that Gordian knot so carefully that no one would have remembered when it had been knotted at all.
It was the opposite of Parker’s approach. Parker always drew his sword and cut through the tangled mess, not because of frustration but because that was his strength. He could see the truth when everyone else saw an insurmountable task.
Parker took another sandwich. “These really are good; I wasn’t just winding her up. You want to try one?”
“Is this supposed to be our last meal?” Nick asked. “The conversation seemed headed that way.”
“No, no. Celandine and Balsam are still the Beyoncé and Jay-Z of the courts. She’s just flexing a little muscle.” Parker licked a sauce off his thumb, slouching back in his chair, balancing his staff between his legs.
“It seemed tense,” Nick said carefully. He had no idea whether someone was listening, and it was too ingrained in him to assume his every word was going to be recorded or repeated.
“Nah, she’s just trying to see if her new power gets her a get-out-of-jail-free card. She won’t rock the boat that much. Not over something like this.” Parker frowned, his right hand brushing over the head of his staff. “Unless this is more than an escape room.”
“I can’t see something like this being a Park Place.” Nick considered. “Unless you think they created the parasite on purpose? What would the fae want with millions of dollars?”
“I don’t know. That’s what’s bugging me.” Parker considered the room, but whatever he saw made him smile, a twitch of his lips as he looked up at the vines and flowers. “My favorite was always the greens. Pennsylvania Avenue. Pacific Avenue. And the railroads. Can’t go wrong with the railroads. You were definitely a guy who liked to control a whole side of the board.”
“Yellow and red,” Nick said. “Cheaper to build on. It’s just good strategy. No one can avoid that many squares in a row.”
The light changed, brightening, warming, until the room was a pleasant afternoon tea again. Queen Celandine swept in, her outfit an entirely different color, now with a high neck and a cloak made of spiderwebs trailing behind her, the spiders spinning more silk as she gestured to the fae with her.
The fae wore dark colors at odds with the pastels of the Spring Court. She looked disheveled, her long hair braided but small birds nesting where strands met.
“Windrose, this is Clover.” With the introduction done, Celandine perched on her seat, eyes fixed on Parker.
He didn’t seem to notice, turning to the fae left standing. “We have some questions about your business.”
“The escape room, yes.” Clover glanced at Celandine and then back at Parker. “Yes. What questions?”
“For starters,” Parker said. “How did you develop a sentient parasite that looks like alchemy?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Clover blinked in surprise.She looked at Queen Celandine, whose smirk had faded into what looked like genuine confusion before she pulled a blank mask over her face.
“Windrose, I am not sure that I understand the question.” Clover cleared her throat. “A sentient parasite? Alchemy?”
She looked at Nick as though he might have answers. He opened his mouth, the part of him that loved explaining alchemy warring with the part of him that knew giving the fae anything was a bad idea.
“Sentient parasite. Sticking to people in San Amaro like it’s made of glue. I need to know how you did it and how to stop it.Whywould be important, too, but let’s stick with the important things for now.” Parker was glaring, his eyes as incisive as razor blades.
Clover blinked, Parker’s explanation seeming to confuse her more than anything else. “Is this in the escape room? Someone has done something to my escape room?”
Her voice went up, alarmed at the turn of events.
“Why don’t you tell us about the escape room?” Nick asked.
“One of my previous clients suggested that I start one. They said it would be a good way to make money in the humanrealm and to truly see what humans are like when backed into a corner.” Clover’s lips curled up. “They were not wrong. I greatly enjoy watching the videos when I am allowed into the human realm.”
“Which is only during the Spring Court’s ascendancy, correct?” Parker asked sharply.
