Page 43 of The Iron Raven

“Screw that,” I said, angry now. “If you’re so close to Fading, chasing down some big monster who nearly killed us before can’t be great for your health.”

But Nyx met my gaze, calm and unruffled, and she gave a wry smile. “I am fine, Puck. Whatever that was, it must have been a fluke, or a reaction to the sun and the Iron Realm at the same time. I know my duty, and this will not stop me from continuing the mission. I am in no danger of disappearing, at least not for a while.” I took a breath to argue, but she overrode me. “And even if I was, what could you do about it? Some things are beyond anyone’s reach.”

I crossed my arms. “You’d be surprised.”

“Regardless.” She raised her chin. “I’m coming with you. I don’t plan to return to Keirran until I’m certain the creature is dead.”

I snorted. And that would be the end of it. Unless I wanted to physically restrain her, which would probably result in a knife to the ribs, she would go chasing down the monster—the monster that had nearly killed us—with the rest of the group. Weakened, possibly Fading away, but as stubbornly persistent as the most stubborn faery I knew.

Me.

“If you are certain,” Meghan said, and gave a decisive nod, gazing around at us all. “Tonight, then. We’ll meet in the courtyard when the moon rises. And we’ll get to the bottom of what is happening in the Nevernever once and for all. Fix, if you would please show Nyx and Coaleater to the guest chambers. Puck...” She glanced at me with a warm smile. “You know the way. Now, if you would all excuse us,” she went on, and looked to Ash, who nodded grimly, “we have a few things to take care of before this evening.”

And with that, the rulers of the Iron Realm strode from the room, closing the doors behind them as they left.

Fix waddled forward, looking troubled as he turned to Nyx and Coaleater. “If you would both please follow me,” he said. “I will show you where you can rest until this evening.”

Nyx gave me a brief glance, and I shrugged. Stubborn assassin would do what she pleased, regardless of consequences. I would just have to make sure she didn’t Fade away on me, even if I had to risk getting stabbed to do it. “Don’t worry about me,” I told her as she still hesitated. “I know this place like the back of my hand. I’ll see you tonight.”

She nodded once. “Tonight,” she murmured, almost a promise. And then she and Coaleater followed the waiting packrat out the double doors. I watched them leave, watched Nyx until she had turned a corner and was out of sight, and told myself that this was not the last time I would see her.

“Well, then,” I muttered as the doors slowly swung shut, leaving me alone in the room. The stillness was suddenly resounding. “Guess I’ll go see what kind of trouble I can get myself into.”

“You’re falling for her.”

It was early evening in the Iron Realm. The sun hung low in the sky above the Iron Palace, and the clouds were streaked with pink. I had wandered down to the palace gardens because, one: they were the closest thing to a forest I could find in Mag Tuiredh. And two: I was bored and trying to avoid the temptation to start a gremlin riot in the castle. Meghan had not been amused the last time.

So, I was leaning against a metal trunk in the sprawling palace gardens, watching a flock of tiny blue birds flit around a steel fountain, when a deep, familiar voice echoed behind me. I glanced up to see the Ice Prince himself at the edge of the walk, watching me with a look of wry amusement.

“The Forgotten,” Ash said, as if there were any question as to who he meant. “Nyx. I’ve seen that look before, Goodfellow. Not often, but enough. You always seem to go for the ones that can kill you.” He shook his head with a faint smile. “She’ll be fine, by the way. There are no further signs of Fading. I spoke to a healer, and he believes that as long as she stays out of the sun, she should be all right. So, you can stop worrying and tell me how you two met.”

Relief for Nyx flared, but it was drowned in the flood of memories that roared through me as soon as I heard his voice. “Is that why you came out here, ice-boy?” I drawled, pushing myself off the tree trunk. I felt Robin Goodfellow’s evil smile tugging at the corners of my mouth, the demonic, toothy grin that made kings blanch and dragons hesitate, and forced it back.Not yet, Goodfellow. Not here.Patience.“Was castle gossip not juicy enough today?” I went on, smirking at the former Ice Prince across the courtyard. “Or were you just curious about my new lady friend?”

“You’re avoiding the question,” Ash said, frowning. “But yes, as a matter of fact, I was curious. About a lot of things.” Abruptly serious, he took a few steps toward me, his expression grave. “Meghan is worried about you,” he went on. “We both are. You’re not acting like yourself.”

“Is that so?” I challenged. “And how do you think I’m acting, ice-boy?”

“I’ve heard the stories, Puck. My brothers would sometimes tell me about the Puck of the woods, the Robin Goodfellow that caused so much chaos and pandemonium, even they were hesitant to face him. For a long time, I thought they were exaggerating, that they were simply trying to scare me. Because the Puck I knew wasn’t like that.”

Ash hesitated. He had stopped a few feet away, those bright silver eyes boring into me. His posture wasn’t overly cautious or suspicious, but an aura of wary concern surrounded him.

I snorted and turned away, gazing out over the gardens, because if I kept looking at him, I might be tempted to start another feud right here.

Ash didn’t come any closer, either. Though I could still feel that intense gaze on the back of my neck. “But then,” he went on, “the more I got to know you, the more I realized those stories weren’t exaggerations. Because I’ve seen that side of you, Puck. Not often. And never without cause. But every once in a while, when you’re truly angry and think I don’t notice, I see the Goodfellow everyone was afraid of.”

“Observant of you, ice-boy,” I said without turning around. Anger was stirring, not vindictiveness or spite, but real anger, and I clenched a fist to shove it back. “What exactly is your point?”

“My point is that I see him right now,” the Ice Prince finished in a somber voice. “More than I ever have before. He showed up today, in the middle of the Iron Palace, with horns and hooves and that look in his eyes, and he hasn’t left yet. And that worries me. Meghan doesn’t know this side of him, she hasn’t been around long enough, but I’ve seen what this Robin Goodfellow can do, and I know what he’s capable of. So my question to you is, what exactly did that creature do to you, and when do we get the real Goodfellow back?”

“How do you know thisisn’tthe real me?” I turned, smiling broadly, and saw Ash stiffen for the barest second. “Maybe I’ve been playing a huge, elaborate prank on you for years. Or maybe this is who I always was, I just never showed anyone.”

Ash didn’t smile. “If that were true,” he said, in an almost pained voice, “then we would still be enemies. The journeys we had, the times before Ariella, where we traveled to all corners of the Nevernever, those years would have never happened.”

“Yeah,” I husked out, and suddenly, both daggers were in my hands. I didn’t know what I was doing; I didn’t know where this rage was coming from, but now that I’d started down this path, I couldn’t seem to stop. “Here’s a notion, Your Highness,” I said, pointing at him with one dagger. “Did you ever think thatmaybeI never quite forgave you for stealing her away from me all those years ago?”

“We are way past that, Puck.” Ash’s voice was soft; he hadn’t drawn his weapon or even put a hand on his blade, but his whole posture was stiff.

“Really?” I sneered. “How long did you try to kill me after Ariella died, Ash? How many years?” I swept my other weapon up, pointing at the towers of the Iron Palace looming overhead. “More than the years you’ve spent with Meghan, that’s for damn sure. And for what?”

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