Page 73 of The Unseelie War
“Anything.”
“Promise me that whatever happens tonight, you won't sacrifice yourself trying to protect me. I can handle myself in a fight, you saw to that, and I need to know you're not going to do something stupidly heroic.” She poked him in the chest.
Nos smiled, and for the first time in longer than he could remember, it felt genuine. “I promise. As long as you promise the same.”
“Deal.” She rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him, and it was everything he had dreamed it would be and more. Real, solid,chosen—not because she had been created to love him, but because she had decided to.
When they broke apart, both of them were smiling despite the circumstances.
She lifted her pistol and shot him a lopsided grin. “Let’s go save the day, eh?”
By the stars, he loved that woman. “Let’s.”
Serrik was forcedto do the thing he wished to do the least.
He had to speak with the half breed.
Puck was a…fascinatingcreature. The only offspring of a Seelie and Unseelie, as far as he was aware. Though he could not be certainof that. He had, of course, been trapped in exile for so much of his existence as to render it nearly total. Only enough of his life had been spent outside the Web to establish his hatred of his fae brethren.
Almost by design.
Another reason not to trust what was to follow this evening.
But, with a sigh, he ventured off into the opera house in search of Goodfellow. It was not hard to find him, as Puck was having what appeared to be an animated conversation—nay,argument—with a mirror.
As someone who was quite accustomed to such illusions having more meaning than they might at first portend, Serrik paused in the shadows to watch the exchange. But the mirror was matching his movements, and did not seem to respond to his movements in any unnatural way.
“No, you absolute moron, I said theMaze, not thePhase,” Puck hissed at his reflection. “The big scary tree in the middle of Valroy's personal nightmare realm, not the bloody moon cycles! We’ve already done that bit!”
“Everything all right?” Serrik asked, approaching with his usual measured pace. He had reverted to his human form for easier movement.
“Oh, just coordinating with my other selves,” Puck said cheerfully, turning away from the mirror. “Existing in all places at once is so complicated. Past me thinks he knows better than present me, and future me won't stop being cryptic about what's going to happen. It's like herding cats, except the cats are all me and we all have different opinions about causality. Andeverybody forgot the donuts.How can you forget the donuts in an apocalypse? Rude!”
Serrik had no knowledge of what adonutwas, but he assumed it was a food item. And utterly irrelevant to the moment. “I…see.”
“No, you don't, but that's fine. Most people don’t.” Puck clapped his hands together, and the mirror behind him cracked into a spider web pattern. “Right! Transportation to one heavily defendedhorrifying murder tree, coming right up. Hope you're not afraid of squishy blood floors.”
“That is…not a concern," Serrik replied dryly. “The heavily defended part, however…”
“Oh, that." Puck waved a hand dismissively. "Details. Trust me, I have a plan.”
“I have heard tell that your plans tend to involve a great deal of unpredictable.”
“Well, yes, but that's rather the point, isn't it? I am Chaos Incorporated,trademark symbol”—he made a ding noise—“and chaos is unpredictable, and unpredictable is exactly what we need right now.” Puck's grin was sharp and entirely too confident. “Besides, it's not like we have a choice. The tree needs to be destroyed, and you're the only one here who might actually be able to do it.”
Serrik stared at him flatly. “I am aware.”
Puck's expression grew serious for a moment. “Are you certain about this? Once we start, there's no going back. Valroy will throw everything he has at you.”
“I am certain.” He clenched his hands at his sides. “This needs to end. One way or another.”
“Right then.” Puck began tracing symbols in the air, and reality shimmered around them like heat haze. “Hold on tight, and try not to look down. The space between spaces can be a bit disorienting if you're not used to it.”
“Puck,” Serrik said, just as the world began to dissolve around them.
“Yes?”
“Do not risk your life in this act. The others will need your aid if I fail.”
