"You will exchange the book for your life." "Nope." I shook my head.
"I've considered it--and decided that it is not going to happen." There were no humans to protect anymore.
Just me.
Worry over what the witch might do if I freed her made me hesitate before I pulled my gun--and it was one hesitation too many.
I reached under my T-shirt, and two of the queen's people grabbed my arms.
The gun fell on the ground, and the fairy queen kicked it aside--well out of the witch's reach.
"You misunderstand," she told me.
"I will take your life, and you will give me the book with your death." "I thought I had to own the book before that worked," I said in a puzzled voice.The fairy queen stared at me.
"Did you give the book to someone before you came down here?" "Not the way you mean it," I answered.
"How would you mean it?" she said softly.
"Why would I answer that?" I asked.
The fairy queen gave a sharp nod, and the witch reached out and touched me.
I CAME BACK TO MYSELF LYING ON THE BED WHERE Phin had been.
At least it smelled like Phin, but the room was made of roots and dirt rather than marble.
I was confused for a moment, but then I woke more fully and realized that I'd never seen it without the glamour--just smelled it.
My whole body hurt, though I had no additional bruises.
I'd held out as long as I could, to give Samuel and Adam time to make everyone safe.
I didn't know if it was long enough.
I'd expected to be dead when it was over.
But I could work with unexpected results--even if it involved using a chamber pot.
That had to be what the white porcelain vessel under the other bed was.
The fairy queen had a kitchen with fridges and everything and didn't have a bathroom? I considered it a minute and decided that maybe she just didn't have a bathroom for prisoners.
After a very long time that was probably no more than an hour after I woke up, the door opened, and the queen walked in with two female attendants, and two male.
The first man was the fae who had seen Samuel and the rest out.
He was tall, taller than Samuel, with seafoam eyes.
For the first time, I realized he was the water fae who'd broken into the bookstore.
The second man was short by human standards but not oddly so.
His skin was green and rippled like the waves of an ocean at sea.
Like the fairy queen, he had wings on his back, though his were grayish and leathery and less insectlike.
One of the women was carrying a chair.