Reth fixed his eyes on mine. “You have my word that you will come to no harm while in my care.” He waved a hand at Jack. “And you have my word that if he does anything I find even so much as mildly annoying, he’ll never walk again.”
I bit my lip, torn. Reth was the easiest way to get out of here. But if I couldn’t find Raquel, I could at least leave a token of my gratitude for a lovely stay. Both to show IPCA what I thought of their attempt to force me to work for them again and to maybe, just maybe, give myself an advantage in the upcoming confrontation with the Dark Queen.
“I need the IPCA faerie names,” I said.
“Whatever for?”
“None of your business.”
“Impossible,” Jack said. “Trust me. If they were findable, I would have found them. They don’t have records anywhere—computers or paper—that we can get to.”
“Okay then, Reth. Can you get any of the IPCA-bound faeries here fast?”
He frowned. “I will do what I can.” He walked through a faerie door that appeared on the wall, leaving me alone with Jack.
“So,” Jack started.
“Talk again and I’ll tase you,” I answered.
He sighed, then slid down the wall to sit on the floor. He started whistling after a few minutes, but I tapped my finger against Tasey and he shut right up. As far as I could tell in the sealed, windowless, underground nightmare that was the Center, it was probably the middle of the night, since no one was bustling down the corridors. Not that I had issues with tasing anyone besides Bud, but I’d just as soon avoid any confrontations.
For now.
After what felt like an eternity but was probably only a couple more minutes, a faerie door traced its way back onto the wall and Reth walked out, followed by two faeries. Each was as beautiful as the other, perfect, ethereal, obnoxiously serene. They eyed me with cool detachment; either they didn’t know who I was or they didn’t care.
“This is it?” I asked.
“All the faeries that aren’t in use right now.” He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at them. “And both Unseelie.”
“Doesn’t matter, I’ll take what I can get.” I turned to face them, ignoring the slight brain fog that being around that much faerie glamour always induced. I wasn’t going to stare dazed and slack-jawed at them, tempting as it was. “I have a proposition for you. First, you tell me your true names.”
Faeries were far too beautiful and otherworldly to roll their eyes, but the slight shift in expression they exhibited was probably the equivalent. It made me feel like the lowest creature on the planet, not even worthy of breathing the same air they did. Stupid faeries.
“You waste our time, child,” the faerie on the left said. Her hair was the color and texture of snowy soft goose down and her long, white eyelashes popped against her nut-brown skin. Of course, her glamour dimmed all her real looks, but I could still see them.
“I don’t. You tell me your true names, and I’ll give you three commands. The last of which will be to choose a new name, which will free you from obeying any more commands. Ever.”
That got their attention.
“Do you speak the truth?” asked the other faerie, his eyes so ice blue they actually made me shiver.
“Ask him.” I jerked my thumb toward Reth.
He nodded, reluctant. “You remember my presence here. She freed me.”
Well, when Reth had Lend at knifepoint, yeah. But this was a very different case. And this time I wouldn’t precede the named command with a command to disregard everything IPCA had told them, which meant that they’d still have to abide by all those not-hurting-people rules. I hoped. I wasn’t sure, but I really, really hoped.
“I will do it,” said Goose Down Hair faerie. “Anything is preferable to walking these fools through the Paths for eternity. And to own my name again would be a wondrous thing.”
“Good.” I looked at the other faerie, and he nodded. “Reth,” I said, “take Jack down the hall so he can’t hear their names.” The last time Jack had had a faerie name, he used it to command Fehl to hurt me as much as she could without killing me, hoping I’d drain her. I wasn’t going to risk him overhearing one.
Goose Down Hair faerie stepped up to me and leaned down, her lips nearly brushing my ear as she whispered her name. “Theliantes.”
I smiled. “Theliantes, before going home, cause as much havoc for IPCA as you can without hurting anyone. Theliantes, help me one time when I ask it of you. And, Theliantes, choose a new name.”
She straightened, her white dress spinning around her as she smiled, sharp teeth eager. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, then her glamour melted away, revealing her in full faerie glory, positively glowing with power. Reaching out a single finger, she touched my cheek. “Until you need help, then.”
Her laugh sounded like birds on the wing as she threw open a faerie door and disappeared into the wall.
“Your turn,” I said to the Ice Eyed faerie. I had only just finished the three commands when the alarms blared.
Was that really necessary?” Reth frowned as the faerie disappeared. “You certainly don’t need more Unseelie unbound and after you.”
“Not like the odds aren’t already impossibly stacked against me. And if IPCA can’t function, well, that’s one less thing I have to worry about.”
Jack stood, hands over his ears, as he nodded up at the strobe lights. “That’d be our cue.”
“Fine.” Taking a deep breath, I tucked Tasey into my jeans and held out both my hands, Jack on one side and Reth on the other. “Take me to the Dark Queen.”
A faerie door opened in front of us and I walked through, my hands warmed by the two creatures I swore I’d never go here with again. My ankle throbbed and stung, and by now I was limping so heavily Jack finally put my arm around his shoulder for support and I leaned almost all my weight on him.
“You know,” he huffed, “for such a skinny girl you weigh a ton. It’s like a miracle of physics or something. Are you perhaps made of lead?”
“Again, this would be an excellent time to shut up, since I now have a Taser and a knife.” Not that I’d be able to reach either one with both hands occupied.
Fortunately, for once I wasn’t nervous about the infinite empty black of the Paths. I was in too much pain and too worried about Lend to care. Well, care much. But I was about to face something much worse than my worst nightmares. Odds were, if I survived and was able to look back, I’d remember the nightmares I had about the Paths fondly in comparison to whatever would happen with the Dark Queen.
After a few minutes Reth spoke. “I hate to disappoint
