“Not this time,” I promised him. “We’ll have to have a talk about boundaries, though.”
Unlucky for me, I had recent experience in that area. Lucky for her, I hadn’t managed it well either.
Guess it would be a learning curve for us both.
“Let’s move out.” I made a twirling gesture with my hand. “We don’t have long.”
The others got moving, but I had trouble convincing my feet to get with the program. Plain and simple, I didn’t want to turn my back on Midas. I was afraid he might disappear.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Then you’re not going to be much use herding roaches.”
“Okay,” he amended. “I am leaving, but I’m also coming back.”
After a quick check to make sure we were finally alone, I had to ask, “Are you sure?”
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
“What you heard in Savannah…” I wet my lips. “It’s all true.”
“No one told me a thing.”
That shocked me enough I stumbled back. “What?”
“I didn’t ask them, and they didn’t volunteer information.”
“You visited Linus and Grier.” I clenched my hand on the rail. “I thought that was why.”
“I thought that was why too, but I couldn’t bring myself to violate your privacy that way.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this last night?”
“I wasn’t sure you would believe me. I hoped you would open up to me if I shared my past with you.”
“I thought you knew.” A pit formed in the middle of my stomach. “I thought you made peace with it and that’s why you came back.”
“I was there when most of it happened,” he admitted. “I had already formed my opinion of Amelie, but I want to hear Hadley’s version of the story.” He toyed with the lights. “I want to understand, and you’re the only person I trust to get the details right.”
During the darkest time in my life, he had been in Savannah with his sister’s pack. He might have stayed there if Tisdale hadn’t put her foot down and demanded her heir return to Atlanta. As he had in Faerie, Midas sacrificed himself for his sister. He let her stay in a city she had grown to love, with her new friends, free of her mother’s shadow, and come back to drape the mantle of beta around his shoulders.
“You guys will have to finish this later.” Bishop snapped his fingers out the window. “Let’s roll out.”
“He’s right.” I had no trouble climbing through the window with the fear of my past chasing me. “We should go.” I glanced back at Midas. “You’re coming?”
“I meant what I said.” Midas caught me by the hand. “I’m not going anywhere.” He shrugged. “Except to the roach parade.”
Now I couldn’t decide which made me more nervous. The upcoming spectacle or coming clean with Midas on my own terms. Either way, I was glad he would be there for both.
Twenty-Five
Eustice greeted us at the mouth of the alley in his dog form, wagged his tail, and invited us to follow him to the entrance. I could see through the glamour, so I led the others right to Smythe’s door. He greeted us with a backpack strapped on, a headset around his neck, and a duffle in each hand vomiting speakers.
“You’re late.” He shuffled out the door. “I can’t feel my hands.”
“Let me help.” I took one bag, and Midas the other. “Better?”
“Ah, no.” Smythe flexed his fingers. “I still can’t feel a thing, though it might be the excitement.”
“I’m sure that’s it,” I comforted him. “We’re all on edge.”
“The refuge is prepared?” He smiled up at me. “They’ll be safe there?”
As gross as I found roaches, I hated lying to the guy. “Everything is in order.”
I didn’t know the details, and I didn’t want to know them. I was leaving the ugly bits up to Bishop.
Bishop couldn’t lie. He was fae. That didn’t mean he couldn’t tap dance around the truth like Gene Kelly.
“The roaches will get the sendoff they deserve,” he said, a gleam in his eye. “Trust me.”
Smythe babbled about the wonders of roachkind until I tuned him out in favor of strategizing with Bishop. It was that or throw up my breakfast.
Midas hung back with the other gwyllgi, but his stare itched between my shoulder blades.
Remy was gone, up to the rooftops, but she had her cell with her. The OPA was on surveillance duty, and she was coordinating with them to ensure the gwyllgi rounded up any roaches that broke from the herd.
The streets were eerily quiet as we walked the predetermined route to check it for obstacles or gawkers. Police radios crackled in the distance, and voices reached us every so often, but the sentinels were doing an A-plus job of keeping any curious citizens at a safe distance.
“We’ll set up here,” Smythe announced. “This area is perfect.”
The spot on the lawn he had chosen in Olympic Centennial Park looked the same as all the others to me, but he would know best.
A tinkling lullaby grew louder and closer, and I reeled in Ambrose as I spotted an ice cream truck rolling into view. “How did that get past the sentinels?”
“Oh.” Bishop glanced over. “That’s our ride.”
A Remy hopped out, jogged over, and tossed Bishop the keys. She kept right on going without a word.
“You rented an ice cream truck?” I ignored the rumble in my stomach. “Why?”
“Normal roaches can run up to three miles per hour. Who knows what top speed is for these guys?” He jingled the keys in his palm. “We need a way to keep up with them that won’t put us at a disadvantage.”
“And snacks?”
Not that I was complaining about that part, mind you.
“The sound system, kid.” He shook his head. “Think about it.”
I was too busy wondering if they had cleaned out the coolers full of ice cream to focus on technical details. I loved those chocolate taco things. I hadn’t had one in years.
A high-pitched noise, almost violinlike, rent the night air, and Smythe began cackling like a mad scientist.
“Here
