Wondrous Strange

boot. “All right, all right,” he said. “It wasn’t a serious suggestion. Bunch of whining-”

“Shut up, Fenn,” Godwyn said, fixing the muttering Janus with a warning stare.

“But what about the king?” Selene asked. “He’ll take his daughter back to the Otherworld, whether she wills it or no.”

“He hasn’t yet,” Maddox said. “Auberon knows about her-he already went to the theater where she works and spoke to her-but she’s still here.”

“Why?” Bellamy asked.

“Because he probably wants to make her think it’s her own idea when she does finally go,” Aaneel said.

“She’s not going anywhere!” Sonny snarled, surprising himself by the vehemence of his reaction. The one place Sonny did not want Kelley, he realized, was the Otherworld. He did not want her living her life among the Fair Folk, constantly exposed to their casual cruelty, their capriciousness and selfish nature. Sonny did not want Kelley to learn what it was to be like them, to become one of them. Especially not if he was still stuck in the mortal realm. Because, no matter what Fennrys might think, Sonny was not so convinced that Auberon would reopen the Gates and allow free passage between the realms if Kelley were to return with him-he too much enjoyed the tight control he had wielded ever since their closure.

Sonny took a deep breath. “Look, Auberon’s in for a surprise if he thinks this girl will meekly put her head down and fall into step.”

Beside him, Maddox chuckled. “I’ll say.”

“Even if he thinks what he’s doing is for her own good,” Sonny murmured, almost to himself.

“And why would it be that?” asked Aaneel.

Sonny hesitated; it was just a theory he had been mulling, but-as he’d told Kelley-he didn’t believe in coincidences. “I don’t think it’s just happenstance that the Wild Hunt is stirring at the same time as the king’s daughter makes a sudden reappearance. Queen Mabh has her spies in this realm. And she holds a pretty serious grudge against Auberon. What if she caught wind somehow that Kelley was alive-that she’s living in New York, but Mabh doesn’t know exactly where. Well, what’s the easiest way to eliminate one person in a crowd?”

“Eliminate the crowd,” Beni said grimly. “That’s harsh.”

“Not to mention messy,” Bryan agreed.

“Mabh likes a good bloodbath every now and then. She hasn’t had much opportunity to wreak havoc since Auberon locked her away. Now here is a perfect opportunity for a little fun and a lot of revenge.”

“It’s certainly not beyond the realm of possibility,” Godwyn said.

“Seems your little actress is in a world of trouble, Irish boy,” Fennrys laughed.

“Maybe we could stand a guard around her,” Percival suggested.

“We’re going to have our hands full as it is,” the Wolf protested. “Especially if this threat of the Wild Hunt comes to pass.”

“But we’re supposed to be watching out for people,” Percival said, bristling. “Keeping them safe. And none of this is her fault.”

“Perry’s right,” Aaneel said, rubbing at his chin. Then he turned back to the rest of the changelings. His next words were as good as orders. “We are a poor excuse for guardians if we sacrifice the few for the sake of the many in the course of our duties. The girl is blameless. She should be kept safe, if at all possible.” He turned to Sonny. “Hide her again, Sonny. And hide her well.”

“Where?” Sonny asked. “How?”

Aaneel thought about it for a long moment. The rest of the Janus stood by patiently and waited until he spoke. “Take her to the Green. She’ll be safe there. She can hide out until the threat of the Hunt has passed, and then it will be up to her to decide if she wants to go with Auberon. And if she doesn’t, then we’ll at least have the time to figure out a way to keep her hidden permanently.”

Sonny frowned but nodded. Aaneel was right. “I’ll need passage.”

“I can set you up,” Cait volunteered immediately. She flipped open the top flap on her leather messenger bag and began rummaging in its depths. “I have enough payment for two safe passages. I was going to go there myself for my next birthday but, really? The last time I went, I didn’t have such a very good time.”

“Why not?” Maddox asked. “I’ve never been, but I heard it’s something else.”

Beside Cait, Selene laughed. “One of the waiters there is an overfriendly garden gnome. Wouldn’t leave her alone.”

“The little fiend,” Cait muttered, and blushed crimson.

“He kept trying to look up her skirt and lick her ankles!”

“So anyway…” Cait glared at Selene as she handed over a red suede pouch jingling with coins. “Here you go.”

“Thank you, Cait,” Sonny said.

“Don’t mention it.” She smiled. “But do me a favor: If you see a gnome in a floppy orange hat carrying a tray of drinks about while you’re there?…Trip him.”

“Just for you.”

Back at his apartment, Sonny grabbed several hours of restless sleep, forcing himself to stay in bed long enough to recharge his weary muscles.

When he got up, he took a long, hot shower, only to find a surprise awaiting him. He saw, written in steam on his bathroom mirror, a time and place-instructions from Mabh on when and where he would have to deliver Lucky to her minions, the Storm Hags. Wiping the mirror clear, he shaved and changed his shirt three times, trying to decide on something that-if he was honest with himself-he thought Kelley would like. Then he set out to find his wayward Faerie princess.

XXVII

There was a knock on the door.

“Just a sec,” Kelley called, and put aside the old hairbrush she’d been using to try to comb the tangles out of Lucky’s mane, with little success. The Faerie horse butted at her, and she affectionately scratched his nose.

There was another knock, more insistent this time.

Kelley got up and headed for the door. “Tyff?”

The door swung inward as Kelley gave it a pull, and she saw that it wasn’t Tyff.

The largest bouquet of roses she had ever seen obscured the features of the person standing there holding them. The bouquet lowered slightly, and Kelley saw Sonny’s eyes over the tops of the peach-colored blooms.

She was thrilled and simultaneously horrified. She hadn’t been expecting visitors and was wearing yoga pants and a faded hoodie. She was also covered in reddish strands of horsehair and Lucky Charms sugar dust. Yelping, she jumped behind the door.

“Sonny! What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you.”

“You can’t.”

“You’ve learned the art of invisibility?”

“What? No!” She blinked, and stayed behind the door. “Wait. Can I do that?”

“Probably.”

“Oh…”

“May I come in?”

“No! I’m a mess! I mean-the place is a mess.” She glanced behind her shoulder to the obviously immaculate apartment beyond.

She could hear the smile in Sonny’s voice as he said, “I happen to think ‘the place’ looks absolutely wonderful,” and stuck the bunch of flowers around the door. “May I come in?” he asked again.

“Yes,” she answered. Surrendering, she plucked the bouquet from his fist.

He followed a few steps as Kelley went into the kitchen but stopped as a high-pitched whinny sounded from the bathroom. “Is that…?”

“The only horse currently residing in my apartment?” she said, filling a vase with water. “Yup. Go say hi. Just,