up.” He tossed his head, flicking scarlet hair out of his eyes. “I will make sure you’re safe, Miss Appletree.”
He opened the passenger door for me, and I carefully climbed in. The leather seat cradled me, silky smooth and black as night.
When he got in behind the wheel and pushed a button on the console, I was trying to touch as little of the seat as possible. “Boss. I’m getting glitter all over your car.”
Everywhere my skin touched left a streak of shimmer behind. It was my worst nightmare. Getting lotion all over a car I wouldn’t be able to afford if I slaved away my entire life.
He looked at the shimmer on the seat, then my bare legs, and shrugged. “Occupational hazard of hiring a honeypot, I suppose.”
But under the roar of the car starting, I could’ve sworn he muttered, “Worth it.”
Then Robin sent the car careening down a dark passage, towards a shining, mirror-like wall.
I closed my eyes and gripped the seat to brace for impact, questioning the sanity of working for a man like this.
But we didn’t hit a wall, there was no breaking glass, and I heard a car horn blare outside my window.
I opened my eyes. We were speeding down the Mainway, the largest highway in Avilion, and Robin merged us into the traffic like it was second nature.
He noticed me looking at him. “It’s a portal,” he said defensively.
“You could’ve warned me.”
“It deposits the car in any empty space on the main highway.”
“I would’ve liked to know we weren’t about to die. That’s all I’m saying.”
Robin wrapped his fingers around the steering wheel, cheerfully speeding up and passing a blue oceanic sports car painted with electric yellow stripes. “There was absolutely zero chance of death.”
My heart was still pounding in my throat. I realized I was clinging to my seatbelt for dear life and slowly pried my fingers away. I had to admit, it was a hell of a great method for getting on the Mainway, which was usually backed up.
“Okay. So… what should my name be?” I looked out the window as we rounded the Seelie Palace. At night, the spires were lit like white fire, gleaming in shades of azure, scarlet, and gold. “I can’t go introducing myself by my real name.”
“Look in your bag,” he said. “I took the liberty of making you a fake ID.”
I’d left my real ID in the pocket of my Fairy Ferry shorts, which were currently in a heap on the bedroom floor of his house, but the wristlet had something hard and thin inside, pressed up against my phone.
I pulled out the fake ID and held it up to the passing lights. My picture was on it, but the name read Cress Willowtree.
I briefly considered asking him to change it to Cress Bananatree, smiling to myself.
“Is something amusing?” Robin asked, glancing at me.
I shook my head. “No.” I tucked the ID away carefully.
“All right… Cress,” he added, clearly testing out the name. “Your goal is to make initial contact with Brightkin, that’s all. Hang out, dance with him, make him trust you. Getting into his VIP room would be a bonus, but not a necessity tonight. If you can get his number, even better.”
“You’re the fixer. Don’t you already have it?” I fiddled with the strap on the wristlet, a growing ball of nervousness in my stomach.
It had all seemed so easy back in Robin’s house, but now that the moment was coming, I wanted to throw up a little bit. I’d have to talk to the actual Seelie Prince, something I’d never imagined in my wildest dreams.
Or nightmares, I corrected myself, thinking of the photo.
“It’s not about me getting the number,” Robin said. “It’s about him trusting you enough to hand it out. If you can’t get into VIP tonight, we’ll have another chance later.”
I nodded, still picking at the strap. I needed to start thinking clearly if I was going to be working for the guy who basically ran the Seelie kingdom on Titania’s orders.
“Hey.”
I glanced over at Robin, trying not to look as sick as I felt. What if I screwed everything up and ruined his chances?
“Can you handle this?” He drew the car to a stop, and I realized we’d left the Mainway. We were on the border of Mothwing Falls and Sobek Street, on the last neon-lit stretch of Mothwing before it gave way to Unseelie territory.
I watched a Fae with crocodile skin disappear into the shadows, his slit pupils