Page 19 of The Unseelie War
“Isn’t that dangerous?” She tapped her fingers on her thighs. “Aren’t I liable to damage something? Rip a hole through space?”
The arched eyebrow on his face said it all.
Yeah. She’d done about as much damage to the world as she was probably liable to do, wasn’t she?” Letting out a sigh, she shut her eyes and…pictured her friends in her mind’s eye.
Using her connection to the Web to sense their locations felt like trying to tune into a radio station through static—she could catch glimpses of familiar presences, but the signals kept shifting and distorting as the merged realities continued to settle around each other.
It was dizzying. Which she didn’t realize until he put his hand on her shoulder to keep her from toppling over backwards.
“Sorry.” She chuckled. “I still don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Nor should you be expected to.” He moved to stand behind her, draping his arms around her to hold her gently to his chest. “Go ahead. Try again.”
The feeling of him at her back, the warmth of his presence, the smell of him—like a forest, the citrus sharpness—it gave her something to hold on to. Literally and figuratively. Leaning back against him, she rested her head against his chest and took a deep breath.
“It’s like scanning for a signal on an old radio. Too much static.” She realized he probably didn’t even know what a radiowas.Whatever. “There’s too much noise, all at once, layered on top of itself. If I try to pay too much attention to it, it’s overwhelming.”
“The Web was never meant to exist in a physical space. Your consciousness is having to adapt to processing reality on multiple levels, simultaneously. Never mind the simple fact that adjusting to becoming the Weaver would be problematic enough.” He kissed the top of her head. “You are doing just fine. Breathe. And focus on the one who is closest to you.”
The one that was closest to her?
Well.
That question had a complicated answer.
None of them werereal.So that made it a difficult conversation. She supposed Nos was the exception there, but he…also kind ofhatedher. Or at least didn’t trust her, or want her around—and it turned out for a damn good reason.
But when she’d needed someone there with her, when she’d neededanyone?
There.
That was the answer.
She tried to visualize it. Maybe it was some part of her going back and latching on to Ibin’s military story, she wasn’t sure. She used the radio metaphor—tried to picture herself sitting at the console of Mission Control. Switches and knobs and screens that displayed green text on a dark green background.
There, blinking on the radar, was a blip.
It wasn’t much, but it was a direction. “That way.” She opened her eyes and pointed. “Whatever isthat way,we’re goingthat way.”
He was smiling down at her with a mix of pride and…could she even say it? Did she dare?
Love.
He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles. “My Weaver, you never cease to amaze. Lead the way.”
Her cheeks went a little warm as she headed off down the street. It quickly devolved into the Back Bay area, far faster than it had any right to. It was a surreal mixture of Victorian brownstones, stacks of library books that jutted from sidewalks like crystalline growths, and patches of trees and overgrowth from Tir n’Aill that had claimed entire sections of city blocks.
“So. We can assume Valroy is gathering for war. Seeing as he now has his chance to eliminate humanity and enslave the Seelie.” She tucked her hands into her pockets. “I guess my question is…what’reyourplans?”
“For now? I suppose I will say that I have none.” He stepped carefully around a tree whose roots had grown through and split the asphalt. “If you are asking after my motives, which I believe is the root of this conversation?—”
“Yay,pedantry.”She sang out but smirked at him playfully.
He hitched at the interruption but kept talking. “—then I am forced to concede they will remain the same, if the actions of the fae remain the same.”
Ava took a moment to consider his words. “If Valroy is waging a war, you’ll try to kill him. If the fae do…fae stuff,you’ll try to kill them all.”
“A crass, if effective summary, yes.” He looked off, thoughtfully. “As we have already addressed. Though, I am attempting to withhold any large works of magic or shows of power as it may…upset the tenuous situation that we have found ourselves in.”
