Page 19 of A Killing Frost

“That’s not how it works here,” I said. “Marcia would have told you if you were ever at risk of doing something that would allow somebody to actually claim offense against you, but because most of the fae on the land aren’t big on frontal assaults—”

“Present company excepted,” said May, while Quentin hid a laugh in his hand.

I glared at both of them. “—we have to settle things in a different way. If someone insults you enough that you can claim offense, you can basically ask them for anything within their power to give. Seven years of servitude, or their mother’s favorite necklace, or the head of their favorite hunting dog. Anything other than murder is on the table.”

Dean looked horrified, as well he should. It was a pretty horrific concept. “That’s barbaric!” he said.

“You’re not wrong,” I said. “That’s one of the reasons it never occurred to me that there was any way my wedding invitations could put me in that position. But with Simon in the wind and some of his people still around, it’s a valid concern.”

“Andthat’swhy my parents interrupted your date?”

“Yup. They assumed, quite rightly, that I wouldn’t have considered my relationship to Simon when Tybalt and I were making our plans. Tybalthadconsidered it, and wasn’t telling me, so I’d beable to use ignorance as a defense. Now Patrick and Dianda know that I know, I need to do something about it.”

Quentin’s smile died, replaced by a look of quiet horror. “You’re going looking for Simon,” he said.

“Got it in one.”

“But he’s—you can’t—this is a bad idea!”

“Yes, he is, yes, I can, yes, it is,” I said. “Get your coat, if you’ve got one. We’re heading for Shadowed Hills.” I could tell him about Karen’s dream later. I didn’t need to make this more confusing than it already was.

“Not the Luidaeg?”

He sounded honestly puzzled, which was enough to make me pause and look at him. The Luidaeg is many things—my aunt, the sea witch, a close family friend—but when I was his age, only one of them mattered. Monster. Most of Faerie considers her the sort of thing you use to threaten children into good behavior. “Do your chores or the Luidaeg will come and carry you away.” “Listen to your mother or the Luidaeg will turn your heart to wood inside your chest and you’ll never love anyone ever again.” None of those threats are true, of course. The Luidaeg can be cruel, but only to people who deserve it, and never,neverto children.

She used to say she didn’t like kids, because it was part of how she coped with losing her own. The Roane were killed because of Eira, and the Luidaeg spent centuries watching others wear the flayed skins of her babies, until I was able to help her make things at least partially right. Not entirely. Nothing would ever give her sons and daughters and grandchildren back to her. But there were Roane in the world again, and she could no longer say she didn’t like kids without her geasa rising up and stopping the words in her throat. It was something.

Most Daoine Sidhe would have wet themselves before willingly going to the Luidaeg, or would have done it only because there was something they wanted so much they were willing to pay anything, risk anything for the chance to have it. Quentin was disappointednotto be going to her.

“I broke you,” I muttered, before saying more loudly, “No, not the Luidaeg. I don’t want her to feel like she has to offer me something, and I’m not willing to give her what Simon did. This is not a chain letter I have any interest in signing. I need him home, alive,and himself, which she might prevent. So we’re going to Shadowed Hills, to talk to Luna.”

Quentin’s look of confusion deepened, now tempered by disbelief. “Why would you want to dothat?” he demanded.

“Luna can open the Rose Roads, and once they’re open, Spike can navigate them.” I pulled the key from my pocket, holding it up so he could see the braided strands of metal that formed its head. “Before, we used this to make the Rose Roads take us to where Eira was. I need to go there again.”

Quentin put a hand over his face. Even May was gaping at me. She hadn’t heard this part of the plan. “Okay,” he said. “As your squire, your friend, and your future King, I have to ask,whyare we trying to go to the place where Eira is sleeping? She’s the worst. Like, there are a lot of awful people running around, and I think most of them want you dead, but Eira is the actual worst of a bad lot. And she’s my Firstborn, so I’m allowed to say that.”

“And I should have thought of this earlier, but why aren’t we going to Portland and asking Ceres ifshecan open the Rose Roads for us, since she doesn’t, y’know, hate you?” asked May. “She’s Blodynbryd, too, remember? She should have access. It would get us on the same Road.”

“I’m not sure how good the Rose Roads are at traversing actual distance, as opposed to moving through unoccupied spaces and emptiness,” I said. “Ceres might be easier to work with than Luna, but she could also open us a road we can’t survive.”

“I would,” said May.

“True, but we don’t know what happens to you if all the air runs out, or if you’re stabbed by too many poisoned thorns, or all sorts of other options. The only thing we know for sure about the Rose Roads is that this key,” I waved the key, “can be used to get from them to where the Luidaeg left Eira, and that they’re connected to the Blodynbryd. But roses are Titania’s thing as much as anything, so maybe they’re booby-trapped to hell and back, and we’ll only find out by getting started. Besides, we can’t go to Portland without Arden’s permission, and having her contact Siwan to confirm that we’re allowed to go to another Kingdom and that we’re not planning to overthrow the monarchy while we’re there would be way more complicated.” Also, there was the small but ever-present concern that this might be the time that Siwan said no.

Having a reputation for king-breaking is sometimes more of a problem than I would have thought it could be.

“Come on.” I gestured for Quentin to follow me as I turned back toward the stairs.

“I don’t like this,” he said, before pausing to kiss Dean on the cheek. “I’ll call you after we all get through this alive, okay?”

“Stop tempting fate,” said Dean, pushing him away. “You know I worry.”

“I know you worry too much,” said Quentin. He apparently didn’t have a coat, since he didn’t grab anything before running after me. His cheeks were flushed, and he was grinning. I gave him a curious look.

“Yes?”

“It’s nice to have something to do, is all,” he said. “Things have been sort of slow recently.”

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