RAINBOWS AND BUTTERFLIES

Was that really necessary?" Reth frowned as the faerie disappeared. "You certainly don't need more Unseelie unbound and after you."

"Not like the odds aren't already impossibly stacked against me. And if IPCA can't function, well, that's one less thing I have to worry about."

Jack stood, hands over his ears, as he nodded up at the strobe lights. "That'd be our cue."

"Fine." Taking a deep breath, I tucked Tasey into my jeans and held out both my hands, Jack on one side and Reth on the other. "Take me to the Dark Queen."

A faerie door opened in front of us and I walked through, my hands warmed by the two creatures I swore I'd never go here with again. My ankle throbbed and stung, and by now I was limping so heavily Jack finally put my arm around his shoulder for support and I leaned almost all my weight on him.

"You know," he huffed, "for such a skinny girl you weigh a ton. It's like a miracle of physics or something. Are you perhaps made of lead?"

"Again, this would be an excellent time to shut up, since I now have a Taser and a knife." Not that I'd be able to reach either one with both hands occupied.

Fortunately, for once I wasn't nervous about the infinite empty black of the Paths. I was in too much pain and too worried about Lend to care. Well, care much. But I was about to face something much worse than my worst nightmares. Odds were, if I survived and was able to look back, I'd remember the nightmares I had about the Paths fondly in comparison to whatever would happen with the Dark Queen.

After a few minutes Reth spoke. "I hate to disappoint you, but you forget that you cannot force me to do anything, my love." Before I could protest we had stepped out of the Paths and...into the kitchen at Lend's house.

"Evie!" Arianna shrieked, almost knocking me over as she threw her arms around me. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"What are you doing here? You should be with David, helping him!"

"I've been waiting for Reth and Jack to get back."

"You knew about their plan?" I asked, looking at the two cretins on either side of me.

"It was all the vampire's idea," Reth answered, sounding bored again as he wandered out the back door. "And rest assured we've now sealed this area from intrusion by any Unseelie faeries. I will not allow you to be taken again by anyone, regardless of faerie aid."

As the door closed behind Reth, Jack started to slink off in the direction of the front door. "I wouldn't," Reth said, his voice carrying forcefully even through the door.

Scowling, Jack sat down in a chair, put both feet on the table, tipped the chair onto two legs, and leaned his head back with his eyes closed. "I hate you again, Evie."

"Likewise. But, Ar, how did you know where I was?" I stepped forward to sit down and hissed from the pain. Arianna looked at my ankle and frowned, then led me over to sit at the table opposite Jack.

"Reth could tell you were back at the Center, but he couldn't feel where exactly you were or make a door there, so I figured we needed someone who knew the Center backward and forward. Once Reth found Jack"-she casually kicked out with her foot and knocked one of the chair legs, sending Jack clattering to the ground with a volley of swear words-"I knew they'd be able to get you out."

"Thanks." I smiled gratefully at her. "But I've got to get to the Faerie Realms, now." I looked at the clock and choked, panic rising even further. He'd been gone for twenty hours. I'd lost twenty freaking hours to IPCA.

"Not before we take care of your ankle."

I rolled my eyes, and she glared at me. "I'm serious, Evie. You're not going up against the Dark Queen already at a disadvantage. You can barely walk."

"And how do you propose to fix my ankle immediately? I'm not going to sit around and wait for it to heal."

She shrugged. "There's a unicorn out back."

Bleep. Of course there was. Arianna grabbed some kitchen shears and cut off the ruined ankle bracelet. I put my arm around her shoulders and hopped out the back door, where we hobbled past Reth and Grnlllll and, avoiding the path, went straight into the thick of the winter-barren trees.

I smelled it before I saw it, and the same unicorn I'd met on a field trip with Jack pranced up, pleased as anything to see me again. It wasn't mutual.

"It's so cute, isn't it?" Arianna said dreamily.

"Are we seeing the same creature? It's like a demented goat with a bone growth."

"You're going to hurt its feelings! Now shut up and sit on the ground."

I did as I was told, sticking my ankle out. "How is it going to heal me?" I asked, suddenly nervous. I pictured it licking my ankle and gagged. I could only imagine the diseases unicorn saliva had or what it carried around in its filthy, matted beard and hair.

Bleating reproachfully, it stared at me with its doleful, square-pupiled brown eyes.

"Oh, fine. Great, glorious unicorn, beloved of oblivious girls everywhere, please heal me. Now, if you don't mind."

With one last bat of its gunk-crusted eyelashes, it lowered its head and put its stubby horn against my ankle. I cringed, waiting for pain, but felt instead tingling warmth spread out, almost like having butterflies in my stomach. Only in my ankle. Butterflies...with rainbows.

The feeling of wholeness and well-being spread up my leg and into my entire body, and I couldn't stop grinning. The forest was beautiful! The tree branches, naked against the brightening sky, held unimaginable wonders. The hard-packed dirt beneath me was a treasure trove of unrealized potential, lovely for what it could eventually give life to. I could sit out here forever and just enjoy nature. I was so happy! And rainbows! Why did I keep thinking of rainbows? Who cared! Rainbows were totally awesome!

And the unicorn! I beamed at it, reaching out my hand to stroke it. There was never a creature more beautiful, more majestic. I'd spend the rest of my life out here, and we'd prance around the forest, worship the sunlight, bathe in the moonlight, and...

I shook my head, scattering the idiotic warm fuzzies that had invaded. "Whoa," I said, shoving the unicorn's head away. "That's enough of that." I looked down at my ankle, which was now completely healed, not even a scar left. I fixed a stern look on the unicorn. "I am not going to frolic in an eternal meadow of sunshine and moonlight with you, you rotten little fink. But thanks." I smiled, just enough to be nice without being too encouraging, and patted it quickly on the head.

I was going to soak that hand in bleach.

"Okay, let's get out of here." I stood, testing my ankle and relieved with the utter lack of pain. I still had an irrational desire to do an interpretive dance about rainbows, but it was a small price to pay for being healed.

"Don't you think you should-I don't know-wait? Have a plan? Get help?"

"I don't have time! Arianna, she's had him for almost a day! You don't understand what she is, what she does."

"I think you should talk to Cresseda."

"What-Why?" I narrowed my eyes. "And how did you know this unicorn was here?"

She shrugged, her normally perfect kohl eyeliner smudged. The sunlight was already getting strong enough to pierce her glamour; she probably needed to get inside soon. "I've been talking to them."

"You have." My voice was as flat as my stare and my chest.

"I think you should give them a chance. What they're talking about, what they've been through, it's not fair of you to shut them down. You don't know what it's like to want to kill things around you just because they're there. You don't know what it's like to live somewhere you genuinely don't belong." I opened my mouth but she held up a hand, cutting me off. "No, Evie, you don't. Trust me. Because as much as you think you're torn between two worlds, as much as you think you've always missed out on this ridiculous idea of 'normal' that you have, the fact of the matter is you really can live normally. Because you're alive, and you're more or less human, and you belong here. You can make your life anything you want to. They aren't supposed to be here; they never were. I think you should let them help you with this, and then you should help them. They need you."

"No, Lend needs me. And I don't care about anyone or anything else." I fought the surge of guilt that threatened to overwhelm me as her face fell. "I'm sorry," I whispered, then turned and left her standing with the unicorn. There were no rainbows here.