Chapter 15 In Which the Scenery Changes #4
“Oh no, you do not,” I shrieked, shoving away from the table so hard that my chair fell over again. “No, you do not turn into a vine monster! This is not your pain.”
I was roaring by the end, hands flat on the table, hunched over and staring at him.
Aram cleared his throat. Everly had ducked under his arm and buried her face against his side. “The human is right, of course.”
Just like the flash of a watch reflecting sunlight on a wall, the rage died. I felt foolish, and dull. I leaned back and picked up my chair. “I’m so sorry.” I sat down again.
Sahir’s arms remained suspiciously vine-y, but he managed to maintain a corporeal form. “Do not apologize.”
“You cannot go home,” Grumps said, staring at me. His eyes were so old, his features so subtly off. Just slightly too sharp, slightly too wide. I felt further from humanity than I ever had. “You will die in the crossing. So you must seek another answer.”
Aram cleared his throat.
Everyone turned to him.
“I know of one who may have an answer,” he said, staring at a point above my right shoulder.
“A friend from youth and companion through many trials. A man of honor and decency. A great and powerful magic user from a line of great and powerful magic users. And the only man alive who might truly understand the magic behind your imprisonment in Faerie.”
I fought down my desire to strangle him to death, revive him, and then strangle him again. He’d probably taken drama class with the Gray Knight and the Princeling; it wasn’t his fault the school systems in Faerie only taught Suspenseful Reveals and Dire Predictions.
“Who is this person, good-brother?” Sahir asked, probably sensing my murderous intent through our incontrovertible soul bond or something.
“Roman, of the Wild Fae,” he said. The stillness that fell over the table felt foreboding.
“The Princeling promised to introduce me to Roman, if I complete the tasks he has set out for me,” I said.
Aram’s keen eyes found mine. “What was your bargain, child? The exact phrasing.”
My forehead furrowed. In books, people always remembered prophecies and bargains.
“I don’t remember,” I said. “Let me check my emails.”
I pulled my phone out and searched for emails to the Gray Knight.
When I found the relevant chain, I held the phone out across the table. Sahir took one look at Aram’s expression and took the phone from me. He cleared his throat, sighed for effect, and read it out:
You will teach my people of humans, whenever they ask and whatever they ask, for ten years. For that period, you will also retain your job—this should be manageable for you. And if you can complete both of these tasks to my satisfaction, then all of my resources will be laid at your feet.
Aram nodded. “And he told you that his resources included Roman?”
“Yep.”
“The bargain is poorly worded,” Aram said, looking at Grumps. “I imagine the Princeling did not expect the human to think about it overmuch.”
Grumps shrugged. “The bargain provided him with an immediate service, and”—he glanced at me—“I assume you work as many hours as Sahir?”
“More, usually,” Sahir said.
“Then by keeping her in her job, he has effectively ensured she will have no time to search for an escape.” Grumps took another helping of yogurt. That dude probably had a fantastic gut biome. Did the Fae have a similar anatomy to us? Did they host gut bacteria?
“If Roman is truly the Princeling’s best guess—” Aram cut himself off.
But Rijska had lost patience. “If Roman is the Princeling’s best guess, then the poor girl has no reason to wait over nine more years in this… state”—she gestured at me, which I took mild offense to—“when you can end her anticipation with an introduction!”
But Aram shook his head. “Would it were that easy, love,” he said.
“As you remember, Roman passed through our home some days ago. He did not share with you his destination, but I will do so now. He has taken a project in the Queen’s realm, the restoration of some ruins at the edge of her sacred wood.
He anticipates that he will stay in her realm for…
” He counted on his fingers. “I think two human years at least.”
“You mean past the Queen’s soldiers on the roads?” I clarified.
He nodded. “Yes, and in the heart of a Court where a human can be destroyed on sight.”
This was displeasing information.
“And you think Roman will know how I can avoid exploding myself?”
Aram shrugged. “At the least, Roman can perhaps explain some measure of his father’s magic. If he grants you nothing else, he will grant you knowledge.”
Sahir and I exchanged a glance. He seemed to be thinking Is knowledge worth dying for?
I was thinking An entire quest? That’s so much walking.
“Roman will not grant us knowledge for nothing,” Sahir said. Aram made a face like Obviously not, you absolute child.
“If you choose to pursue him, tell Roman that I grant you leave to call in my favor.”
I glanced at Rijska, curious what she thought about this situation. She was staring intently at her plate. Fair. If Jordan had brought some strange girl to dinner and told Thea and me that he planned to escort her into enemy territory, I would likely also not want to get involved.
“Won’t the Princeling be angry?”
“Your bargain has not forbidden this quest,” Grumpy said, munching on a lettuce-adjacent purple leaf. She had a little plant fiber stuck in her teeth. “You may seek Roman on your own at any time.”
“Do not tell us what you decide,” Aram cautioned. “So that we cannot betray your trust, even under duress.”
Rijska rolled her eyes. “You are quite dramatic, husband,” she said. “Do not scare the human.”
“Or the child,” Grumps added, looking at Everly. She’d fully buried herself in her father’s armpit.
Aram opened his mouth, as if to begin some philosophical diatribe about the nature of truth and fear.
Grumpy patted my hand. “We will discuss this no more. Let us eat with our son.”
I looked at Sahir; his dark eyes shone.
“Miriam, my brother is the truest soul I know,” Rijska said. “He will help you.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, still looking at him.
He shook his head. “Everly.” He glanced down at her. “Are you in school?”
The little girl peeked out from under her father’s arm.
And we continued with our meal.