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"Okay. " Jack let go and I opened my eyes. We were in an oblong field, surrounded by orange grass that came up to our waists, feather soft and whispering secrets to the deliciously sweet breeze circling us. The field was bordered by pure white trees, bowed over under the weight of more of that blue fruit that I absolutely was not going to get within ten feet of.
"Why couldn't we have come here first?" I asked. Some parts of the Realms I could get used to. Aside from the evil, tempting fruit, of course.
"This is all rather wearisome. "
I whipped around to find Reth standing right behind us. Again. I reached for Jack's hand but Reth grabbed my wrist. His hand fit perfectly around the faded scar he'd left there.
"Let me save you the trouble. There is nowhere you can go-in the Faerie Realms, particularly-that I can't find you. "
I glared. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that scurrying about like a couple of naughty children serves no purpose. Now, what are you doing here? After all the times I invited you, I'm a bit hurt that you came in with the help. "
Jack bristled next to me, glaring at Reth.
"I'll do whatever I want," I snapped.
"My dear, you have a shockingly underdeveloped sense of self-preservation. I would recommend avoiding the Dark Queen's ire, as she already has a rather low opinion of the value of your life. Now. " He pulled out a pocket watch that didn't have any hands and frowned at it. "It's been lovely but I really must be off. Try not to destroy the meadow, if it's not too much trouble. "
He let go of my wrist and my blood boiled. I'd had enough of him showing up, giving a few cryptic comments, and then disappearing again. I reached out and grabbed his arm. He looked at me, surprise shaping his eyebrows.
"No! Why have you been sending creatures to attack me? And what do you mean, you can find me anywhere? And if you wanted me here so bad, why are you leaving now that I've finally come?"
Reth smiled, his eyes liquid sunshine. "I don't know what you are referring to, as my only goal has ever been to protect you. I would never send something to attack you. However, I think we've established you are nothing if not stubborn and categorically incapable of choosing the things that are good for you. " He touched my forehead, then my heart, and I flinched away from his finger. "If only your head were a bit emptier, like your soul. I will welcome you home whenever you choose it, but I am expressly forbidden to force you. The Unseelie Court gave Vivian no choice in the matter, and look how well that turned out. Speaking of which, are you going to leave that wretched faerie frozen forever?"
"Fehl deserves- Don't change the subject! You never answered how you know where I am all the time. "
He reached over with his free hand and effortlessly pried my fingers from his wrist. Stupid faerie strength. "If you don't mind, my love, your fingers are uncomfortably cold. And to answer your question, how could I not know where you are? It pains me you cannot feel our connection. "
I glared. "Bull. "
Reth laughed, the orange grass around us swaying in time, dancing to the silver beauty of the sound. "I suppose knowing your true name helps. "
He'd teased me with that before, the night I'd freed him by commanding him to take a new name. I didn't buy it. "Yeah, well, hate to break it to you, but everyone knows my name's Evelyn, so you're not exactly special. And don't give me this 'real name' crap. If I have one and you knew it, why did it take you so long to find me?" He couldn't deny that. Faeries put a lot of stock in names, and wherever I came from, the faeries hadn't known about me until a couple of years ago at the earliest.
When Reth met me at the Center he didn't even pay attention to me at first. Then one day everything changed, like he'd suddenly noticed me. At the time I'd been flattered (read: madly crushing), but since I learned that the faeries were somehow responsible for my existence, it drove me a bit nuts trying to figure out how a) they hadn't known where I was, and b) he'd figured out who I was.
Reth nodded. "Ah, an excellent story. Perhaps your friend should stay for it?"
I turned to see that Jack had been slowly edging away toward the trees. I shook my head, glaring. "No way, Jack. You brought me here, you're staying with me until I get home. "
He sighed, flopping down to sit on the ground so the grass tickled his face. I turned back to Reth. "Go ahead. " If he was going to give me answers-really give me answers-it was worth risking a little more time in the Faerie Realms. The hairs on my neck prickled; maybe this was why he'd been so eager to leave. He knew that if I thought I was in control, I'd be more likely to stay.
Oh, I loathe him. But I had to know.
"No doubt you remember when we met. " He smiled, and I hated that he knew I remembered every minute we'd ever spent together. Honestly, exes. As if they weren't bad enough in general, mine had to be immortal and a quasi-deity. Good thing I was done with immortals.
Ah, bleep. But Lend didn't count as an immortal.
"When I discovered your unique abilities at IPCA, I told my queen about you and she wondered if here, finally, was the Empty One that was created and then"-he paused, and a brief shadow clouded his radiant face-"lost. "
"You didn't create me!" I shouted, surprised at my own vehemence. "You're lying. You probably stole me and changed me, like you stole Jack and who knows how many others! But I got away. "
"If you say so. "
"Shut up! Tell me the truth or I swear I will burn this whole place down!"
Reth had the nerve to look amused. "It would appear your new friend is a poor influence. Still, I can see this is bothering you. Although I am not allowed to give this information to anyone outside the fey, you are, for the moment at least, in Faerie, which could be construed as being within the fey, now, could it not?"
