Emerald City Dreamer (56 page)

"
Good. There's a shop on the Ave called Gargoyles. It's run by a woman named Gayle. She's human, but she also buys and sells articles of interest to the fae, and a nymph lives there, too. Other faeries live there, but we can clear them out beforehand. Hell, half of them are probably at your house right now anyway."

"
Don't say that, Jina. It gives me the creeps."

"
Sorry. Jett's going to end the siege as soon as I get off the phone. Be there tonight at seven-thirty. If you want insurance, leave a note in your house saying where you went. Gayle runs a respectable business, and doesn't want to be investigated, so she'll be motivated that you return home safe and sound, no missing persons reports. Got it?"

"
I'll be there, with Gretel and Hollis."

"
No. Only one of them. And no weapons."

Jina seemed hell-bent on being an outsmarty-pants, but Sandy had the biggest ace up her sleeve. "Fine. I'll bring Gretel then. No surprises, Jina."

"
It will be good to see you again, too."

Sandy hung up.

No weapons. Sandy hadn't sworn to that
at all
. A small dagger ought to be enough to hide. Just in case Pogswoth couldn't do his job.

JINA ENTERED THE STORE, relieved to leave the permanent nighttime outside. She'd spent a lot of time soaking in the tub to get good and warm, and she had an extra-hot latte in a paper cup, but she still worried. This
had
to go well.

Dried leaves crunched under her feet. The last time she'd been here, it had been just a shop. A shop full of human wonders, yet still just a shop. Now under Jett's geas, Jina could sense the secondary layer, movement in the nooks and corners, faeries not just figurines, but alive and breathing.

They were a little early. Gayle leaned against the counter tallying the day's receipts. She smiled. "Lady Jett." She dipped her head slightly in respect. "Come on in. We just closed."

"
Thank you for letting us meet here," Jett replied.

"
Anything I can do to keep the peace between the dream and the world. And from what Jina told me on the phone, Sandy may become a new customer. Jina, it's good to see you again."

Gayle left her paperwork and wandered around the room, shooing away the fae. "Fly away, my darlings, hobble and walk. Come back tomorrow."

She showed them to a circle of folding chairs that had been set up in the back next to a large off-white fountain where a carved goddess poured an endless trickle of water into the basin. A space heater pointed toward one chair, and Jina sat as close as she could without setting herself on fire. Jett sat down beside her.

Jina half expected Sandy to pull something. If she did, the geas would kick in. She'd chosen every word carefully. She felt a little proud of herself for thinking like a faerie; though she worried it might have to become a habit.

She heard a splash, and saw the nymph perched on the edge of the fountain flicking water with her toe. She was larger than Jina had imagined, nearly two feet high, wearing a ragged dress that managed to be all the shades of a Seattle winter sky. She had no wings, which surprised Jina just a little bit. Instead she was surrounded in mist. She smiled coyly and stood to face Jina, her arms crossed.

"
This is Phaesyle, the genius loci of this place," Gayle said. "She lived here when this was The Unicorn Pub. Before they built that, she lived in the trees, and before that, she lived in a pond on this very spot. The Greeks would have called her a hyade. A rain nymph."

Phaesyle stuck her tongue out in disdain at such an imperfect introduction, and climbed up the statue, just like a cat. She sat on the top on the head of the goddess, her knees up around her ears, her hands between her feet.

"
And I'm pretty sure she started the fire way back when. She refuses to confess. We've worked things out, and now we're a team. Aren't we, Phaesyle?"

The faerie smiled prettily, and leaned her head sideways against her knee.

The door jingled and admitted Sandy and Gretel. Neither looked happy. Sandy shot Jina a confident, knowing look, before turning an icy glare on Jett.

Gayle locked the front door behind them and politely showed them each to a chair.

"
Everyone here can help each other," Jina said, leaning down to rub her hands in front of the heater. "I'm hoping we can cut most of the haggling and go straight to the agreement."

Sandy glanced at the door and shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

"
We're all on the same side," Jina continued. "Jett finds scared, lost fae. Faeries who might become twisted like Haun. Instead of leaving them to their fates, she teaches them."

"
Why should I care about that?" She bit her lip and her eyes darted to the door again. Was she thinking of running out?

"
Just imagine if she had saved Haun from his wicked stepmother as a child. Jett hunts in her own way, protecting seelie fae before they become corrupted. Before they can hurt anyone. Ezra was seelie," Jina said, "and it was a mistake to kill him. As a hunter, I would hope to never make that kind of mistake again." As soon as Jina finished, she took up the latte from between her legs and drank half of it.

Jett's look could have killed Sandy right then. Sandy fidgeted. There it was again, that quick glance towards the door. Was she expecting Hollis?

"
I... Ezra was..." she stammered.

"
It's okay," Jina said, holding her hands out between them as if she could break up their fight of chilly glances. "Ezra is still alive, and he's forgiven us. He's an old spirit, innocent like I'd been saying. He's found peace now."

"
What are you talking about?" Sandy snapped. "I'm glad we killed him."

"
I don't think you are."

"
I don't have
any
regrets," Sandy said with the firm conviction of a zealot.

The door jingled and Sandy looked up expectantly. Jina looked up and saw no one there.

"
Never mind," Jina continued. "It's--"

Water splashed on her pants from the fountain, instantly cooling her skin. She jumped to her feet.

Next to her, a wrinkled, warty, wet head broke the surface of the pool like a monster being born. Jina started to reach for her iron knife, before remembering she'd promised no weapons and didn't have it.

Phaesyle jumped down from the goddess and grabbed his hair, but Pogswoth ignored her. He climbed out of the pool and stepped dripping onto the floor. Phaesyle bit at his forehead, but he just brushed her off like a bug.

"
First the crows, now rain imps," he said. He shook water off himself and it sizzled when it hit the heating element. "I hate water furrows."

Gayle and Phaesyle backed away. Jett wrapped a protective arm around Jina. Sandy and Gretel did not move. They appeared... triumphant.

"
You didn't," Jina whispered, glaring at Sandy.

"
Someone had to save you," she said.

"
You korrigan, are not invited here," Gayle said. Phaesyle perched on her shoulder and glowered.

"
Think I care?" he said. He lifted a sword. Jina's own katana. He leveled the sharp tip a foot in front of Jina's eyes. "Don't try that sticky glue spell," he said. "Iron will fell you as easily as it felled Ramon."

"
Save Jina first," Sandy said, looking at the korrigan. "You promised."

"
Think I'm a deal-breaker?" Pogswoth said, inclining his hear her direction. "Potato bath," he said to Jina.

"
What?" Jina asked.

"
Yer cure. Just take a bath in water used to cook potatoes. I told you that in the first place, when yer boyfriend caught the chilblains."

"
There," Sandy said, turning back towards Jina. "I told you I had a plan to save you. You didn't believe me."

Jina narrowed her eyes at Pogswoth. "A potato bath? Do you think I'm stupid?"

"
It's truth," Pogswoth murmured. "I'm no deal-breaker."

"
It's an old Irish remedy," Jett said. "I should have remembered."

"
Will it stop the chill?" Jina pressed, trying to gather as much warmth from her latte and the heater as she could.

"
Yes, yes, yes," Pogswoth said, "and cure yer frostnip."

"
Will day still be as night?"

Pogswoth grumbled.

"
Well?"

"
I promised is I'd save you and halt the curse. Done both."

"
But?"

"
Faestroke is faestroke. Damage is done. If I cut off yer finger using glamour, it wouldn't grow back just 'cos I turned off the magic."

"
Jerk," Jina muttered. She whirled on Sandy, ignoring Pogswoth's blade. "So you made some kind of deal with this liar? You of all people, Sandy?"

"
Why not?" Sandy asked. "You've been pushing me to bargain with faeries."

"
Except now he has a sword pointed at my face."

Pogswoth held out his other hand as if asking to dance. "Maybe you should come along, Jina, and have a nice life with me. I'll even let Trey go, since you'd never find him to rescue him."

Jina threw her latte at Pogswoth. The top popped off and the pale brown liquid dripped down, adding stains to his frayed scarf.

As soon as he was distracted, Jett rushed to Jina's side and hooked her arms protectively around Jina's right arm.

"
No," Jina said. "I will find him. I know where you live."

"
Then you'll know where to forward yer mail!" He reached out and grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her away from Jett with a strength she didn't suspect. Jett lost her balance and fell forward.

"
Fiagai, you kill the elf," he added as he dragged Jina toward the fountain.

"
I can't!" Sandy shouted. "I swore a geas! You were supposed to kill her!"

Jina planted her feet and he just kept on dragging her closer to the fountain, which wasn't that far away to begin with.

Jett recovered her center and tried to come between Jina and Pogswoth while staying away from the deadly sword.

Sandy pulled out a knife. "Let her go!" she shouted. "Both of you!"

Jett backed away, coming to a stop between Sandy and Jina.

Sandy waved the knife at anyone who looked like they were going to come near.

"
You too, korrigan!" Sandy cried. "You were supposed to kill the elf. This wasn't part of the deal!" she cried.

Jina kicked at Pogswoth but it only made her lose center and she fell. He didn't have far to take her; she made sure it took his every effort.

To show her how little effort it took, he began to sing, "Sunday, Monday, Tuesday..." He wasn't even out of breath.

"
He was supposed to
rescue
you!" Sandy shouted, the knife quivering in her hand.

"
I didn't need rescuing.
Now
I do! Kill
him
, not Jett!"

Sandy turned slightly and seemed to be considering it. With her head turned, Jett swung her fist and punched Sandy in the face. She reeled and stumbled. Jett smiled at her hand as if it was the first time she'd ever tried such a thing.

Pogswoth still sang his infernal song, and had her at the fountain. "Tuesday..."

"
Wednesday," Jina sang.

Pogswoth paled, his jaw tightening. His eyes pierced her through. "Damn all, you've given me a new day." He threw Jina to the floor. "Now I have to give you something!"

He dropped the sword and started rooting through his pockets.

"
Give me Trey."

"
Think I'm witless?" Pogswoth said.

"
Then why not give me the day back?"

"
Fat chance," Pogswoth said, patting his striped scarf. "Ah, this will do." He tugged off the scarf and handed it to Jina.

Jina grasped it and yanked, catching him off balance and pulling him to the floor next to her. As they both struggled to get up, Jett appeared holding a heavy bookend in the shape of a throne.

"
Kneel!" she shouted, ramming the throne into his face. His skull bent in such a way that would have killed a normal man. Pogswoth clutched his bleeding face.