"Zee will be waiting.
Get the kids and Phin , too--" Especially Phin.
Any fae willing to use a black witch and allow her to torture another being was not someone I wanted to give more power to.
We needed to get Phin out of here and safe so the Silver Borne was out of her reach.
"Take them and get out of here." "Can't you help me up?" Phin asked Gabriel.
He knew what we needed.
There was a momentary pause, but when the queen didn't interfere with Phin's request, Gabriel helped him to his feet.
"You," said the queen, pointing to the fae nearest to her.
"You take them to Outside and let them leave.
You'll have to carry the human man." She looked at Jesse, then glanced at Gabriel.
"Go, children, and when you are outside my Elphame, be thou as thou wert." The fae she'd pointed to bowed deeply and picked Phin up with the same ease that Ariana had displayed.
Not all fae are so strong.
Silently, Jesse and Gabriel followed him when he started out the door.
Samuel stopped and kissed my cheek, still holding Ariana, who was shivering in terror.
"Stay alive," he told me.
"Planning on it," I said.
I gave Ariana, who was very deep into a panic attack, a wary look.
I remembered her concern when she'd returned to herself last time, and so I added, "You stay alive, too.
Now get out while the getting is good." "Semper Fi," he said, glancing down at Zee's rock.
Then he hurried after the others.
So far as I knew, Samuel had never been a Marine.
But he'd known I'd catch the reference.
The Marines never leave a man behind.
He'd be back, and so would Adam.
All I had to do was survive.
We all waited until the fae who had escorted them out returned.
He bowed to the queen, and said, "They are Outside, safe and alive, my queen." I took a deep breath, and a few seconds later Zee's stone was just another gray rock among the roots in the floor of the cave.
They'd made it with almost two minutes to spare by my rough count--though probably Zee had held the opening until he saw them.
"My bargain is done," the queen told me.
"Fine," I said.