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I glanced at him quickly but saw that he was teasing. Then, snapping my fingers, I said, "I know what she is! She's one of the floraeds, a rare branch of the dryad family. They really hate humans." I frowned. What to do with her? Floraeds were fairly powerful when they were near enough foliage, and we were smack in the middle of woodland central.
Morio seemed to grasp the situation. "We can't let her go. She's dangerous to both us and the mission."
"Do you think she'll understand what's at stake if we talk to her?" Delilah asked.
"Doubt it, but I suppose it's worth a try," I said. Wisteria struggled, and I gave her a cold smile. "Hold your horses, sister. Just chill out and listen to us."
I patted her down, looking for any weapons. Floraeds didn't usually carry them, but it couldn't hurt to check. When I withdrew a long, narrow tube and several wicked-looking darts from the folds of her gown, I was glad I'd taken the time to frisk her. Better safe than sorry. I sniffed the tips of the darts.
"Poison, and a deadly one at that. We're lucky we caught her before she shot one of us, or it would be all over." I motioned to Chase. "Tear that tablecloth into strips, please. We need something to tie her hands with, because if they're free, she can cast spells. We have to question her."
"Will my handcuffs work?" Chase asked, holding them out. I glanced at them. Cold steel. They wouldn't be comfortable, but they wouldn't burn her like iron. Even my sisters and I got a nasty rash from the metal, and we were only half-breed.
"They should work, but we need to bind her hands behind her back." I took the cuffs from Chase and glanced around the room, assessing our options.
Freestanding floor-to-ceiling beams were spaced evenly through the living room. I had them hold Wisteria so that her back was flat to one of the posts, then pulled her arms around back of the beam and handcuffed her. She struggled, her skin smooth as silk under my fingers. I gauged the size of her hands, reassuring myself that she wouldn't be able to slide out of the cuffs. Her fingers were slender, but not that slender.
"Okay," I said, standing back. "We're about as safe as we're going to be around her. Remove the gag, but watch her feet."
Morio lowered the gag. Wisteria coughed several times, then yanked her head up, fixing her glare on me.
"Bitch," she said, eyes narrowing. "You don't belong here—this isn't your home." •
"My mother was human. Earth is my home as much as Otherworld." I leaned in, examining her trefoil, which had started to glow. "Again, just chill. We know you're in league with the demons, and we know you were involved with Jocko's death. Probably Louise's death, too."
She flinched. A true flinch. While most of the Fae could lie without blinking, surprise lit up her expression, and I realized that she had no idea Jocko had been murdered.
"What do you mean?" she said. "Jocko and Louise are dead? Who killed them?"
"Your pals. The deviants you snuck through the portal. You told them about Louise, didn't you? That she saw you near the portal? I bet that's why she was murdered. To shut her up."
The look on Wisteria's face told me everything I needed to know.
"Wonderful," I said. "So you not only turned traitor and, by your actions, inadvertently helped murder a fellow OIA agent, but you also were instrumental in the death of a human. What happened after you let them through? Did Bad Ass Luke and his cronies tell you to go home and forget you ever saw them? Did they promise you nobody else would get hurt? Maybe feed you some line about restoring earth to her former glory? Is that what happened?"
She didn't answer, but I could tell I'd struck a nerve. I was so angry that I wanted to dispatch her right there, but I restrained myself.
"Is it true?" she asked, looking at Morio. "You're earthbound. You wouldn't lie to me, would you?"
Morio's gaze flickered my way, and I kept my mouth shut. Fox demons were excellent at illusion and camouflage. Deception went hand in hand with their nature, though I hadn't picked up on any lies from him yet. Some of the fox demons used their powers for harm; Morio had chosen a higher path.
He crossed his arms and stared at Wisteria for a moment before speaking. "I swear on Inari's heartbeat that I'm not lying. Jocko is dead, and the demons killed him." He held up one hand in a sign that I didn't recognize. "By the breath of the Rice Maiden, it's true."
Wisteria stared at her feet. "I didn't know they were going to hurt him. He was nice enough to me…" I wondered if she regretted her actions enough to cooperate with us, but then she lifted her head, her eyes cold as glacier water.
"The giant's death is regrettable, but as the humans would say, consider it collateral damage. As for Louise, what do I care? She's human, and that's all that matters. The days of raping the earth are soon to be over. We're taking it back, and this time, we won't let go so easily."
Chase sputtered, but I held up my hand for him to be quiet.
"Wisteria, when the demons get through with the land, there won't be anything for you to protect. You know what they're like," I said. "Most of them hate growing things. They despise life and abundance and have as little regard for the birds of the air and the beasts of the forest as they do human and Faerie alike."
I narrowed my eyes. "You might say they have the same regard for the natural world that you did for Louise. Shadow Wing and his crew won't rest until the land is razed. Life under the demons will be worse than life under any human you could ever despair to know."
"Bullshit!" She struggled against the cuffs. "They gave me their word—"
"Are you too stupid to live?" Morio slammed his fist against the beam next to her. "Do you really believe they're telling you the truth? Grandmother Coyote was right—the balance is totally out of whack, and nut jobs like you aren't doing anything to help. Sure, humans have wrecked the land, but what they've done won't even begin to compare to what Shadow Wing has in mind. Who are you working with? Who contacted you about helping Bad Ass Luke?"
Wisteria spat at him, hitting him square in the face. As he turned away, fists clenched, I stepped in again. "If you don't believe him, there's not much we can do, but you're abandoning both our worlds to hell by refusing to tell us what you know." When she stubbornly shook her head, I turned back to the others.
