The Faerie Guardian

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Ugh!” I stamp the floor with my newly transformed heel. “That traitorous thief!” Nate must have taken the disc the same night we returned from the labyrinth. Why? To give it to Zell? To use it himself?

“Violet? Is there a problem?”

Now is definitely not the best time to ponder Nate’s motivations. “Nope. Everything is just damn peachy. Let’s go.” I slam the drawer shut with such force that the table bangs against the wall. I slowly count to five before turning around. Ryn has already opened a doorway in the air and is tapping his foot impatiently. I take his outstretched hand and step into the void with him, doing my best to keep my mind blank.

As the darkness of the faerie paths dissolves, I find we’re standing beside a road lined on either side with tall trees. High above us, they reach across the road to touch each other, like hands joining to form a tunnel. At the base of each tree is a small light.

“This is the road that leads up to the mansion,” says Ryn.

“Okay. So now we wait for some human guests to drive by and we ambush them, is that right?”

“Done.” Ryn points past me into the trees. I turn, but can’t make anything out until I take a few steps away from the road. Then I see the sleek black edge of a car sticking out from behind a bush.

“When did you do this?”

“Just before I came over to your house this evening. I stood in the middle of the road and waved my arms around like an idiot. After the driver pulled over, I stunned him and threw one of those sleeping bombs into the back to put the two guests to sleep.”

“You wasted energy on stunning someone?”

“He’s human; it hardly took any effort at all. I think I used up more power moving the limo into the trees.” Ryn walks past me and opens one of the doors. “Climb in,” he says. “And mind the bodies.”

I bend slightly and look inside the car. The interior is long and spacious with plush seats, several television screens, and a compartment full of drinks and glasses. On the floor of the vehicle lie two unconscious humans. I straighten. “I don’t feel right about this, Ryn. Maybe you should have gone to the Guild and told them what you know. They can deal with this the official way.”

“The official way? Do you know how long the official way would take? These are members of the Unseelie Court we’re dealing with, and you know what a delicate balance exists between the courts. The Guild would have to be extremely careful not to upset that balance, and by the time they’ve gone through all the right channels, anything could have happened to Calla.”

“And what are you going to say when you get her safely home and everyone wants to know how and where you found her?”

“I don’t know, I’ll figure out some story. Right now all I care about is finding her.”

I put my hands on my hips and stare down at the ground. If I had a little sister and she went missing, I sure wouldn’t wait around for the Guild to find her. So who am I to tell Ryn he should be doing anything different? Decision made, I hold my skirt up and climb into the car.

“Okay, here’s the invitation.” Ryn hands me an ornately decorated card. “Don’t lose it. And here’s a mask for you. I’ll be in the front compartment making sure the driver does what he’s told.”

“What are you—Actually, never mind. I don’t think I want to know.” I pull the door shut and read the names on the invitation. Anton and Julia de Rossi. I wonder how they got involved in the fae world. It’s against the Law, of course, but members of the Unseelie Court don’t seem to concern themselves much with things like laws.