Wondrous Strange

of his mouth go numb. A hollowing, paralyzing sensation crept down his throat, flooding through his chest. The terrible cold spread upward into his brain, a wave of ice behind his eyes. Helpless in the Siren’s iron grip, he felt her sifting through his memories. There was a tearing sensation deep in his mind and then a small, aching emptiness.

She’d taken a lullaby. The only memory he possessed of his mortal mother from when he was a baby. From far away, he heard himself sob once. Then he was falling backward; Maddox caught him and lowered him gently to sit with his back against the stone wall surrounding the park.

Through watering eyes, Sonny looked up to see Chloe standing statue still, eyes closed, her long fingers pressed to her lips. Maddox glared at her before turning back to Sonny, concerned.

“I’m all right,” Sonny said, trying to make himself believe it. “I’m all right.”

Chloe opened her eyes. “I’ll tell you now about the girl, Sonny Flannery.”

“Do you think she was telling the truth?”

“I didn’t hear a lie in her voice. And I don’t think you did either, Sonn.”

Sonny was silent.

“Sensitive information,” Maddox said carefully. “And it’s probably safe to assume, based on the Black Shuck attack, that we’re not the only ones to possess it.”

They leaped-Maddox nimbly, Sonny less so-over the stone wall and dropped into the undergrowth.

“Someone is after that girl, Sonny,” Maddox continued. “And now we know why.”

Sonny feared that Maddox was right, and that fear sent a wave of sick misery washing over him. “Do you think Chloe has told anyone else?”

“Dunno. She’s still alive, so…probably not.” Maddox put a hand on Sonny’s shoulder. “Doesn’t really matter. One way or another, somebody besides us knows. And word like that gets out. Won’t be long before the whole of the Otherworld knows.”

Sonny nodded, lost in the enormity of their discovery.

“Sonny…you’ve found the Faerie king’s daughter.”

XIX

“Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania!”

Gadzooks! Kelley smiled to herself. Jack really does have a great set of pipes!

She composed her expression into one of ethereal displeasure. “What, jealous Oberon,” she intoned with silky anger as she stepped from the upper platform down to where Gentleman Jack awaited, elegantly arrayed in a velvet cloak. His thick hair was swept back from his regal brow, and he looked every inch a king.

Kelley hoped she could pull off “regal” even half as well. She stood as tall and straight as she could and, as she reached the platform where Oberon stood, threw herself into the scene.

“Nice work, Kelley-you looked born to fairy royalty out there today.” Jack saluted her with his coffee cup. They were on a break and had retired to the greenroom after Quentin had finished running the scene through a few times.

Kelley leaned back in her chair and returned Jack’s salute with the cup that he’d poured for her out of his treasured thermos. It was awesome coffee. And, Kelley thought, what the heck: she actually deserved it. Despite another night of bad dreams-including the live-action ones-Kelley had to admit she’d done a wicked job in that scene.

Even Quentin had been uncharacteristically generous in his praise of her.

“Hnng,” he’d muttered. “You missed the hot spot for your light cue. Half a step downstage next time, please.”

For the Mighty Q, that was positively effusive.

And it had been so easy. The entire scene was about Oberon and Titania and the fact that the Natural Order of Things was being turned inside out by the squabbles and quarreling of these two powerful beings-all over the matter of a changeling child. The scene was fraught with stubborn pride and miscommunication. Kelley had drawn on personal experience and channeled all of her frustration and annoyance with Sonny Flannery into the scene and her relationship with Oberon. Talk about motivation.

After the break, Quentin wanted to go over the whole scene once more with the addition of the fairy attendants and Puck, so Kelley had remained in costume. But the brocade corset made her warm, so she went out into the courtyard for some air before they called her back to the stage.

Sitting on one of the old stone benches was a slightly bedraggled-looking Sonny Flannery. Kelley bit back a smile. But as she approached, she could also see that his expression was drawn. She stopped in front of him, sipping the last of her coffee.

“You’re a real glutton for punishment, aren’t you?” she asked.

“You have no idea,” Sonny muttered through clenched teeth, not meeting her gaze.

“If you’re here to apologize for last night, forget about it.” She couldn’t help the tone of her voice-she felt immediately defensive, remembering how he’d spoken to her the night before. “Your friend saw me safely home and, since I didn’t hear about anyone getting bitten by a rabid dog on the news this morning, I assume that Animal Control took your call seriously, at least.”

Kelley leaned on the back of the bench and regarded him. Sonny sat with his elbows resting on his knees and his fingers laced. He seemed as though he was struggling to find something to say. Or, perhaps, to find a way to say it. Kelley wished he would just talk. The silence stretched out between them.

“Kelley…,” he said finally, “you’re in great danger.”

She straightened up and turned to go back inside.

“Kelley, wait!” Sonny was in front of her, blocking her path. Fast-but maybe not as fast as she was used to with him. “Didn’t you hear me?”

“I heard you. I’m just trying to be polite.” She stared up at him. “My parents taught me that it’s not nice to laugh at people.”

Sonny grimaced in frustration. His eyes, she noticed, were red-rimmed and gleamed with an almost feverish intensity. “Your parents didn’t teach you that.”

“Pardon?”

“They-whoever raised you-they were not your real parents.”

Kelley blinked at him.

“Did you hear me?” Sonny demanded. The vein at his temple pulsed, and Kelley thought he might actually have some kind of a meltdown right there in front of her. His breathing was ragged. “Did you?”

“Stop asking me that!” She took a step back. “What on earth are you talking about?”

Sonny pitched his voice low, as if he was afraid to be overheard. “Kelley…look, I know that this will come as a complete surprise to you. But…you are the daughter of a king.”

She tried not to laugh. “I’m the daughter of a doctor.”

Sonny shook his head. “I know that’s what they told you, and I know that’s what you want to believe, but-for your own safety-you must trust me.”

“Because I’m the daughter of a king,” Kelley answered back, matter-of-fact, and crossed her arms over her chest, ignoring the pull of the elastics holding on her fairy wings. She suddenly wished she’d taken them off before coming outside. “A real king?”

“Yes.” He nodded.

“I understand.” Kelley smiled sweetly.

“You do?” He breathed deeply, a glimmer of relief shining in his eyes.

“I really do. You are a mental case.”

Sonny’s expression hardened again. “They lied to you. They did it to protect you, but it was a lie.”