Page 81 of The Vanishing Throne

‘Any ideas, then?’ I ask Derrick.

‘If you insist on going through with your reckless plan,’ he says, inching back to inspect the coat, ‘you’ll need something to direct Aithinne once you go through the veil.’

He’s zipping around me so quickly to check his stitching that I give up trying to track him. ‘Like what?’

‘Brìgh, perhaps,’ he says. ‘Sìthichean used it in the past to trap human essence within the bulb of the plant to feed on later. If we trapped some of yours, Aithinne might be able to use it to track you.’ He stops to think, his wings buzzing. ‘Then again, maybe it won’t work.’

‘Maybeit won’t?’

Derrick shrugs. He starts undoing stitches at my shoulder, then pinning and sewing again. ‘I can’t be certain. You could just die and not come back at all.’

Helpful. Very helpful. ‘Where might we find some?’

‘I hear it grows along the river on the other side of the door, but I don’t go in there.’

We don’t go in there. Never go in there.

As if he reads my mind, Gavin says, ‘No. Don’t even think about it.’

I suppose it wouldn’t be wise to point out the obvious: that Gavin had absolutely no problem asking the fae beyond the door to torture me when I first arrived.

I set my jaw and look away from him. ‘We can ask Aithinne to retrieve it, then.’

‘I wouldn’t have her do that,’Derrick says. ‘You risk her energy interfering with yours in thebrìgh. It might obscure your path through the veil.’

‘Then we’re going to have to go through the door.’

Derrick stops, just finishing up a stitch. ‘I wasn’t suggesting that, either.’

‘Do you have a better plan?’

‘Well, no.’ He looks over at Gavin, as if to say,Can you help, please?

Gavin puts up his hands. ‘Don’t look at me for ideas. I just got to keep my body parts.’

Derrick glares. ‘Fine.’ He buttons me up. ‘There. Now you don’t look quite so horrid.’

I sigh. ‘Can you find Aithinne?’

‘She’s probably behind the door with the others. She leaves a trail down there that smells like snowdrops and rainy mornings.’ He looks resigned when he sees the look on my face. ‘Very well. Let’s go.’

Derrick flutters out of the closet past me and follows Aithinne’s scent through the darkened labyrinthine tunnels to the faery door beyond the field ofseilgflùr. When we reach the door, he runs his fingers over the carvings and sniffs. ‘Aye,’ he says, ‘she’s definitely in there. God, this is a terrible plan.’

I step up to the door and press my ear to it, but I hear nothing, not even the lulling music that drew me to it the first time. Now that I’m close, I realise the symbols look like they’ve been burned into the wood. I breathe in the scent of ashes and grip the door handle.

‘Wait,’ Gavin says. ‘Perhaps Derrick should go in first and see if it’s clear.’

Derrick hovers next to me and levels him with a glare. ‘Oh, I see. Just throw the pixie to the wolves, eh?’ At Gavin’s confused expression, he adds, ‘It’s not safe for me in there, either, you outrageous arsehole. They think I’m a traitor for having Aileana as a companion and for letting humans stay here. Good god, don’t you knowanything?’

‘Gentlemen,’ I say sharply. I check the blade at my hip and glance at Gavin. ‘I’m going in. If you aren’t, then step back.’

Derrick immediately flies to my shoulder and sits there. ‘I’m going, too. Just in case this silly plan fails.’

Gavin reluctantly steps up beside me. ‘I suppose I ought to come with you to make sure you don’t start a war.’ He looks at me sharply. ‘No killing. If you slaughter any of them, you void the treaty. It’s the only thing stoppingthemfrom going after everyone in the city.’

I hate the reminder of the treaty. What Catherine told me still doesn’t make this right. It’s like housing a lion with the cage door wide open. ‘Fine.’

‘Promise me.’

---