Page 80 of The Innocent Sleep

“Your lady did, in the true Faerie,” I said briskly, cutting him off. “Your lady encouraged it, because it made you a more useful tool if you could move among the humans without standing out. This version of October has never learned to fight, but when pressed, her body remembered enough to defend itself. You can drive the car.”

Simon frowned, then stuck his arm out toward me, fingers curled and heel of his hand pushed forward.

“Cut me,” he said, and it was somewhere between a command and a plea. “If the memories of this ‘driving’ are in my blood, I need them at the surface.”

I extended one claw, carefully nicking the meaty part of his thumb and withdrawing as blood bubbled to the surface. Simon pressed his hand to his mouth, a strangely intimate gesture that reminded me far too deeply of October. I turned my face away as he swallowed.

Then he paled and staggered, catching himself against the car. August cried out, wordless and alarmed, rushing to support her father before he could fall.

“It’s all right, poppet,” he said, looking at her, a trace of blood still on his lips. “It seems that in the interests of simplicity, some parts of the story were omitted. But he’s right. I should know how to operate this contraption. It’s a bit more practical than the variety I was inclined to favor.”

“Overjoyed as I am to hear you describe driving my car as something you ‘should’ be able to do, I think this is where I leave you to it,” said Theron, tossing Simon the keys. “I’d say to bring it back in one piece, but if everything goes well, this reality may never have existed, and who’s to say whether it’s a real car or not?”

“Please don’t start the philosophical conversation around whether this car is an illusion Titania created,” I said. “Let’s just get on the road before something else goes horribly wrong.”

“Your hospitality has been impeccable, and my house owes you a great debt,” said August. She curtseyed to Theron, deeply. “If there’s ever anything you need, you only have to call on us.”

“Much appreciated,” said Theron. He looked to Simon. “You taught this one manners.”

“I did my best,” Simon agreed. “August, get in the car.”

“The doors on the back open,” I supplied. “Once inside, pull the strap to your left across your chest and insert the tab into the buckle. In the event of an accident, that belt will keep you from being expelled from the vehicle.”

There ended the bulk of my automotive knowledge, and I was proud of myself for being able to convey even that much. August and Garm got into the back seat and fastened their seatbelts. I relaxed, very slightly, and watched as Simon offered his own bow to Theron and got behind the wheel.

This was it, then: the place where I could show just how brave I was capable of being for my beloved’s sake. I took a deep, uneasy breath and got into the front passenger seat, fastening my belt and resting my hands against the dashboard.

“I believe we’re ready,” I informed Simon.

“You know where we’re going?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” said Theron. “Tell the car GPS where you want to go.”

“The what?” Simon and I asked, in unison.

Theron leaned in the open driver’s-side door, tapping a display on the console. “Where did you say you were meeting your friends?” he asked.

“Muir Beach,” I said.

“All right.” He kept tapping. A list of names appeared, Muir Beach among them, and he selected it from the display.

“Calculating route,” announced the car.

“How . . . novel,” I said, stiffly.

Theron withdrew. “Just do what the car says,” he said. “It’ll get you there.”

“I will follow its instructions assiduously,” promised Simon, and turned the key, looking somewhat surprised when the engine actually responded. He began pulling away from the parking area, and I was relieved when he didn’t hit the King and cause a new problem for us to deal with.

Remaining in human form as Simon drove was difficult, although slightly simplified by the fact that he drove with a degree of exquisite care that October had never demonstrated in her life. Even when she was driving normally, she had a certain disregard for safety that never failed to put my teeth on edge. Simon, on the other hand, drove as if he had just learned the art, coming to a complete stop whenever indicated, observing speed limits, and signaling every lane change. It was almost pleasant in comparison to what I’d been expecting.

Garm and August goggled out the windows, eyes wide, absorbing absolutely everything around us.

“Human police arrest people for driving poorly, do they not?” asked Simon.

“I believe that’s a part of their purpose, yes.”

“What happens if they decide I’m driving poorly? It’s too close to sunrise to safely spin a human disguise and expect it to hold up.”