“You know what? I think I liked you better when you were dying.” I smiled to soften the words.
A second later, Laurie opened his eyes. His beautiful silver eyes, which caught a weak ray of light coming from above, making them glimmer like the surface of a lake doused in moonlight. They found me instantly, and my stomach fluttered as a soft smile curved his lips. Moving slowly, Laurie raised his hand and touched my cheek with the tip of his finger. To catch a tear, I discovered as he lowered it again. The water rested on his skin like a tiny diamond.
“I thought we’d lost you,” I whispered, trying to explain the tears away.
Luther made a sound deep in his throat that conveyed his impatience. Startled, my gaze flicked back to him. “Giselle. Please show our… guests to the surface,” he said.
The wererat Luther had barked at earlier stepped forward, her posture screaming reluctance. Laurie’s expression sharpened, and he got to his feet. The healing may have closed his wounds, but it hadn’t restored him to full strength, because he stumbled instantly. I hurried to catch him, and Peeks and Gil shifted to form a wall behind us. Laurie grunted and put his arm around my shoulders, the only outward sign he gave of how much the injuries had weakened him.
All at once, the creatures in the tunnels scattered, their whispers and hisses bouncing off the bricks. As the Rat King turned to do the same, he and I exchanged one final, lingering look. His eyes shone with hatred. I’d humiliated him, bested him, and the fact that I was female made that fact all the more painful for him. I was tempted to flash a taunting, catty smile, but I’d rubbed the king’s face in my power enough for one night. After another moment, I adjusted my hold on Laurie and turned my back on Luther Knopf.
Somehow, I suspected this wasn’t the last time we’d see each other. And the next time we met, I’d need to be ready.
The four of us walked away, our path once again lit by Peeks’s lantern, which had miraculously survived the past few minutes. Though I half-expected our newfound freedom to be a trick, no one tried to stop us. We had only gone a few steps when I remembered the sword that I’d dropped at the start of everything. Laurie’s sword had been lost, too. But both of my hands were occupied, and I wasn’t in the mood to put one of them in the filthy water in search of our lost blades. Mourning the loss of such a lovely weapon, I tamped down the regret and pressed on.
Minutes ticked by. The quiet returned in full force, broken only by passing cars and our footsteps. It once again seemed as if we were completely alone in these tunnels. I knew better now. I scanned every shadow and movement, wary that Luther would still try to double cross us. Eventually, Laurie’s weight eased off me, and his gait became smoother. But he still didn’t pull away, and neither did I. His warmth felt like a gentle campfire against my chilled, damp skin and his solidness was a constant reminder that he hadn’t died in this horrible place. I saved him. I saved him. I held Laurie tighter, pretending not to notice his sideways glance, and chanted the thought over and over until I believed it.
At long last, Giselle halted. She made a sharp gesture, and I followed it to the other end of the tunnel. Just like the ladder we’d climbed down to get into this place, a second ladder awaited. At least this one was on dry ground. I turned to thank Giselle, but she’d already left, of course. I caught a glimpse of her tail, snapping with obvious irritation as the darkness swallowed her whole.
“Let’s go before they change their minds.” Gil started toward the ladder.
I was about to follow suit when Peeks’s voice stopped me. “I’m afraid this is where we part ways,” he said.
Gil didn’t bother pausing or saying his goodbyes—he was too desperate to escape the smell assailing his vampiric senses. I heard the sewer grate scraping against the road as he pushed it out of his way.
In the meantime, I turned to face Peeks. Because we were holding each other, Laurie turned, too. Without a word, the smaller faerie held out the beautiful sword that Tabitha had dropped from her claws. I’d thought it was lost forever. Clever Peeks, who crept so quietly and peered around corners. He must’ve searched for it while everyone else had been watching me.
Finally dropping his arm from my shoulders, Laurie stepped forward and accepted his sword. He’d already regained some of his strength, and he held it up without difficulty. He studied the intricate blade, and I studied him, admiring his lithe profile. Unaware of my scrutiny, Laurie refocused on Peeks and said, “I owe you a debt, Peeks of bloodline Sarwraek. You have served me well tonight. I won’t soon forget that.”
Peeks dipped into a graceful bow, his copper hair gleaming from the light of his lantern. “You will always be my king, Your Majesty. Throne or no throne.”
His words reminded me of Lyari. They couldn’t be more different, and yet, their hearts were the same. Bruised. Brave. Loyal.
“Come with us,” I said impulsively.
Peeks looked at me. For the first time since meeting him, he smiled. It was faint, barely more than a slight tightening at the corners of his mouth, but it was a smile. “I appreciate the kind offer, but I have a family here. I am content,” he replied.
Despite all he’d done to help me, I realized I knew little about him and his life at the Seelie Court. I did know what mattered, at least—that he was nothing like his father. “If you ever come to Colorado, you’ll always have a place to stay,” I told him.
He didn’t respond this time, and it felt like we’d said everything there was to say. I started to head for the ladder, realizing that I’d left a newborn vampire alone on the street. A street where a human could walk past at any moment.
“Thank you for killing my father,” Peeks said. My gaze flew to his, startled, and Peeks smiled again. This one was slightly crooked, a little sad, and somehow made him look more like Jassin than ever before.
I wasn’t sure how to answer. No one had thanked me for murdering their parent, and saying you’re welcome didn’t seem appropriate. Slowly I said, “You know, I used to think there was nothing good about him, but now I think I was wrong. There was one good thing.”
Peeks rewarded me with yet another smile, and then he was gone, moving just as silently as Giselle had. The creak of the lantern handle faded with him.
“Thank God,” Laurie muttered. He took hold of my arm and propelled me the rest of the way down the tunnel. “I was worried you were about to pick up another stray.”
“It’s probably for the best, considering I’m pretty busy with the ones I already have.” I shot him a pointed glance and pulled free.
Laurie sniffed. “I am not a stray, you petty creature. I am magnificent.”
We reached the bottom of the ladder, and I faced Laurie to give him one of my usual comebacks. The words faded on my tongue as he raised a hand and, with the barest of touches, brushed a strand of hair out of my face. I caught myself staring at him again, drawn like the moon to the sun. And just like the moon and the sun, the bond between us felt impossible.
As we stood there, I remembered what I’d heard Laurie say to Collith, that night I had eavesdropped on them in the woods. His soft voice sounded through my memory. This… thing with Fortuna snuck up on me.
It had snuck up on me, too. I couldn’t pretend otherwise after what happened tonight. But that sort of relationship with Laurie wouldn’t lead to a happy ending, and I didn’t need a Telling or a time-traveling faerie to tell me that.