The Iron Legends: Winter's Passage\Summer's Crossing\Iron's Prophecy (8 page)

“What do you want me to do?” I muttered, gazing out into the
night. “Stick a knife in his back when he’s not looking? Is that what you’re
ordering me to do now?” My gut clenched at the thought. “You don’t think Meghan
will have something to say about that? I’d never be able to hide that from
her.”

“You need not do anything,” Oberon continued quietly. “Only
expose the prince when you are in the Summer Court. Titania will do the rest.
His blood will not be on your hands—you would only be doing what a true servant
of the Summer Court would do. When the prince is gone, Meghan Chase will come to
you for comfort. And all will be as it should.”

I couldn’t answer. I could almost feel Meghan against me,
shaking with sobs as she mourned her Winter prince. I could feel my arms around
her as I whispered that it would be okay, that she still had me, and I would
never leave. And then I wanted to kick myself in the head for thinking that.

Oberon watched silently. “Robin Goodfellow,” he murmured.
“Despite our past differences, I consider you my most trusted servant. We are
old, older than the Winter prince. We have known each other a long time. But
sometimes, I wonder if you realize you are still part of the Summer Court. It is
your home. You do not need anything else.”

I clenched my fingers, feeling the branch splinter under my
touch. If Oberon saw, he wasn’t concerned.

“My daughter is truly one of us now,” he went on. “Immortal. A
queen of the fey. You have all the time in the world to make her fall in love
with you. It would not be hard—the two of you are already very close. I know you
would find a way to be with her, even in the Iron Realm. Once you put your mind
to something, Robin, there is no stopping it. But you must be rid of the Winter
prince before she can see you.”

I didn’t answer. I felt the Seelie King draw back, preparing to
go. “The choice is yours, of course,” he said as the fire died down and the
plants around us stopped their crazy writhing. “My hunt will take me far from
Arcadia, far from the whispers of mischief plaguing the Summer Court. Do what
you will, Robin, but remember, if you love my daughter, this could be your only
chance to be with her in the end. Otherwise, you will lose Meghan Chase to the
very one who has sworn to kill you.”

A warm wind hissed through the grotto, stirring the fire and
the leaves. When it faded, the space was empty, save for me. The Erlking was
gone.

Chapter Three

MY MISTRESS WITH A MONSTER IS IN LOVE

Ash returned a few minutes later, sweeping into the
grotto without preamble, carrying a brace of rabbit, which showed he had indeed
been hunting. He tossed one at my feet, and without a word we began cleaning
them, working in silence as the night closed in around us.

Kill Ash? Betray him to the Summer Court? What was Oberon
thinking? As if I could do anything like that, even if it was technically
Titania who would strike the fatal blow. And she would, too. Ash might be a
prince, but Titania was a queen. You did not screw around with the queens of
Faery; at least, you didn’t go toe-to-toe with them, especially in their own
court. Even I knew that. And with Oberon conveniently absent, Titania wouldn’t
spare the Winter prince. She would utterly destroy him.

I couldn’t do that to ice-boy. Even after all the years of bad
blood and fighting between us, even though he probably
would
try to kill me someday, and actually go through with it, I
couldn’t leave him to the mercy of Titania.

But…if I didn’t, Meghan would never love me. My princess, the
girl I’d do anything for, would never see me, never look at me the way she did
Ash.

What made him so special? What did he have that I did not?

“You’re awfully quiet.”

I blinked and looked up from skinning the hare. Ash knelt a few
feet from the fire, bent over his task, his hunting knife working with smooth
efficiency. “Wh-what?” I blurted, a little too quickly.
Oh,
that was brilliant, Goodfellow. Fix it, now
. “Me?” I continued,
feigning shock. “Why, ice-boy, whatever do you mean? Could it be that you’re
actually concerned?”

He didn’t look up as he continued. “You’re hiding something,”
Ash said calmly. “If I can hear myself think through your chatter, that means
something is up. Or about to go very, very wrong. Anything you want to tell me,
Goodfellow?”

Damn, when had ice-boy become able to read me? That was
something I was going to have to work on. “Yes,” I answered, forcing a grin. “I
think turning you into a squirrel is the easiest way to sneak you into Arcadia.
What do you think? Or, if you prefer, I could probably turn you into a mouse. Or
a bird. Or a rabbit!” I looked at the skinned carcass in my hands. “Though that
might go badly if Titania has her hounds anywhere about…”

“Never mind.” Ash sighed, shaking his head. “I’m sorry I said
anything.”

“Ooh, I know!” I snapped my fingers. “A chameleon! That way you
can perch on my collar and blend right in. It’s brilliant! And you’d make a very
handsome chameleon, don’t you think, ice-boy?”

Ash rolled his eyes and bent lower over his task, tuning me
out. I kept talking at him, useless, idle words that neither of us took
seriously. It was a shield, a barrier for my real thoughts, which I couldn’t
shut away no matter how hard I tried.

Why are you here?

For Meghan. That was the obvious answer. I was here for Meghan.
Because I loved my princess and I wanted her to be happy. Even if her happiness
meant she was with someone else. Even if that someone else was my arch rival. I
wanted her to be happy.

Don’t you think
you
could make her happy?

I could. If she had picked me, I would’ve given her everything.
I was the one who could make her laugh, who showed her the wonders of Summer
magic, who had taken a bullet for her without question. (Which, by the way, hurt
like a mother.) I was the one who protected her from her cruel human classmates,
who walked her to and from the bus every day, who remembered her birthday when
everyone else, even her own family, forgot.
Princess, why
couldn’t you have chosen me? Wasn’t I good enough? Or is this my fault for
waiting? For not making a move sooner?

Damn. I’d thought I was over this. I’d thought I was fine in
the friend zone, but I couldn’t get Oberon’s words out of my head. The Erlking,
though he could be a manipulative, heartless bastard sometimes, was right. As
long as Ash was around, Meghan would never see me as anything more than a
friend.

So, you have to ask yourself, Goodfellow,
who is more important? The woman you love and would do anything for, or the
rival who has vowed to kill you one day?

I watched Ash, brooding into the fire, his back to me as he
poked at the flames. My once-friend turned enemy. What would the ruthless
Unseelie prince do, were he in my position?

Abruptly I stood, making Ash glance back warily. “Going
somewhere, Goodfellow?”

“Just for a walk, princeling. But I’m touched that you care.” I
smirked at him, and he turned away, back to the fire. I made a face at his
shoulder blades. “You know, I’m getting a little tired of talking to a stone
wall,” I continued, walking to the edge of the grotto. “I think having a
conversation with a dead fish would be more rewarding than yapping at you.”

“It’s never stopped you before.”

“See? That’s what I’m talking about.” I rolled my eyes. “But
you’ll have to excuse me for needing some time alone, Prince. I have to figure
out how I’m actually going to smuggle your icy carcass into the Summer
Court.”

He looked up sharply. “I thought you had this planned out.”

“Oh,
now
we’re interested in a
conversation, are we?” I chuckled and laced my hands behind my head. “Don’t
worry, ice-boy, I’ll figure something out. I always do.”

He watched me, silently. I stared back, still smirking, daring
him to say something, to argue. Finally he sighed and turned back to the
fire.

“It’s your court,” I heard him mutter. “You know it better than
I.”

Yeah, it is,
I thought as I drew
back and left him, walking into the forest.
It is my court;
I’m part of Summer, and you’re supposed to be my enemy, Ash. Do you ever
think about that? How you’re walking into enemy territory with someone who
is supposed to be loyal to the Seelie Court?

I hadn’t been entirely straightforward. I already knew how I
was going to sneak his royal iciness into Arcadia, right under the nose of
Titania and the Summer Guard, without anyone knowing he was there. It would be
challenging; Ash was a Winter prince through and through. You couldn’t just slap
a fake mustache on him and hope for the best, not with his glamour aura.
Fortunately I’d been doing this a long time. If anyone could get a Winter gentry
into the Summer Court unseen, it would be yours truly.

No, I just needed time alone. Time to think. Time to plan.

Time to figure out what I really wanted to do.

* * *

“No.”

I rolled my eyes. “Ice-boy, come on. At least I’m not turning
you into a lemur. This is the only way to get into the Summer Court without
everyone knowing you’re…you.”

“There has to be another way.”

“There isn’t.” I crossed my arms and glared. We had reached the
border of Arcadia, and stood at the edge of the wyldwood, gazing across the
river to the Erlking’s lands on the other side. A wooden bridge, blooming with
wildflowers, spanned the gulf, and two Summer Knights guarded the far side. Ash
and I stood in a cluster of pine trees, watching them across the river, the
churning rapids masking our hissed conversation.

“It’s a
disguise,
Ash,” I said
again. “An illusion. We have to mask your Winter glamour with my Summer glamour,
and we have to change your appearance so that people don’t freak out the second
you walk into the court. Really, it’s the only way. How did you think this was
going to go?”

Ash sighed, tilting his head back. “You’re enjoying this far
too much.”

“Well.” I shrugged, biting down a grin. “I can’t say anything
there.” He glared ice-daggers at me, and I raised my hands. “Do you want to get
into Arcadia, or not?”

“Fine.” He made a frustrated, helpless gesture. “Do it. Let’s
get this over with.”

“Thought you’d never say so.” I pulled him farther back into
the trees, calling my magic as I did.

“Hold still,” I told him as he crossed his arms and tried to
look bored and annoyed. “This won’t take long, but I have to weave Summer
glamour into the illusion so that it’s strong enough to hide your Winter aura.
If you were a redcap or an ice-gnome, it wouldn’t take very much, but you’re
you,
so this is going to be considerably more
challenging.” I felt my Summer magic settle over him, felt it recoil from the
icy chill of the Winter glamour surrounding him like a suit of armor, and
frowned. “Ice-boy, stop fighting me. If you want to get this stupid favor over
and done with, this is the only way. You have to let me help you.” He snorted,
and the protective cloak of Winter glamour vanished.

I drew more Summer magic to me and sent it toward the prince,
weaving the illusion over and around him. His magic resisted me—say what you
want about the Winter prince, at his core, Ash was incredibly strong. He knew
who he was, and someone of lesser skill couldn’t have turned him into something
he was not, even if it was just an illusion.

But I’m not your average trickster, either.

Ash’s outline shimmered and started to change. He didn’t grow,
or shrink, but his hair lengthened, falling down his back, and went from
jet-black to the color of wheat. His pale skin turned golden-brown, as if he’d
spent a lifetime in the sun, and his cold silver eyes flashed before turning a
bright, glittering blue.

His clothes changed as well, the long black coat vanishing into
mist, replaced with armor of gold and green, the proud head of a huge stag
adorning the breastplate. A fancy gold cloak settled around him, the edges
trimmed with leaves, something Ash wouldn’t be caught dead in. When it was done,
no trace of the Winter prince stood in the spot beneath the pines. A Summer
sidhe waited in the shadows, only his scowl bearing the faintest resemblance to
the youngest son of Queen Mab.

I put a hand to my mouth in mock delight. “Oh, ice-boy,
it’s…it’s…so you!”

“I’m going to kill you for this,” Ash growled, then winced at
how his voice sounded, high and clear. I bit my cheek to keep from howling with
laughter. If he drew his sword, it would shatter the illusion, and then we’d
have to go through all this again.

“Yeah, well, do it later, ice-boy. Remember, you can’t use any
Winter glamour in there at all, or the spell will unravel. That includes drawing
your sword and throwing icicles at me, so let’s not start any fights with any
Summer gentry while we’re here, okay? We just want to get in, grab the violin
and get out again.”

Ash nodded. I stepped back and tossed the same illusion over
myself, making a pair of almost identical Summer Knights. Glancing at my fellow
guard, I grinned. “Ready?”

He sighed again, raking his fingers through his now unfamiliar
hair. “Lead the way.”

* * *

The two knights guarding the bridge nodded politely as
we crossed, but other than that didn’t even glance at us. I caught one of them
hiding a smirk as we passed, but that was understandable, given the
circumstances. I didn’t think ice-boy had seen it, but I was wrong.

“Who are we supposed to be?” Ash asked as we continued into the
lands of the Erlking. Past the bridge, the heat of the summer sun blazed down on
us, warming my skin and making me sigh with pleasure. Of all the things in the
Seelie Court, I missed the sun the most. The wyldwood was too dark and Tir Na
Nog was too cold; only in Arcadia did the sun shine full and bright, and the
sweetest apples grow on the trees over the thorn fence, always ripe for the
picking. If you could get past the two cranky giants who owned the orchard, that
is.

“Oh,” I said, grinning. “Right. Names. Well, you’re Sir Torin,
and I’m Sir Fagan, and we’re two hedge knights who travel all over the
Nevernever on quests of glory for our king and court. You know, we right wrongs
and slay dragons and search for mythological treasures, stuff like that.”

“So, they’re well respected.”

“Well…” I scratched the back of my head. “Not exactly.”

Ash stared at me. “What do you mean, not exactly?”

“Ever read
Don Quixote?
” I asked.
And Ash closed his eyes, indicating that, yes, he had read it. I snickered.
“They’re very eager,” I continued, trying not to laugh at the look on his face,
“and they do have very noble intentions, I will give them that. But those two
couldn’t find their way out of a broom closet without a map. It’s sheer dumb
luck that they haven’t gotten themselves killed or eaten by now. They keep
begging Oberon to send them on noble, important quests to prove their worth, and
Oberon ends up giving them some ridiculous mission just to get them out of his
hair.”

“And, of course, these are the identities you stole for
us.”

“It’s perfect, don’t you think?” I flung my arms out grandly.
“Sir Torin and Sir Fagan are almost never at court, the other knights usually
avoid them and we have a reason to go see Queen Titania, to announce the
completion of our most recent quest.”

“And if the real Torin and Fagan happen to be there?”

“Well.” I shrugged, annoyed with his logic. “Then we’ll
improvise.”

I could tell Ash didn’t like it; he was always the
plan-for-anything type, and usually found my play-it-by-ear tactics annoying and
disturbing. But he didn’t say anything more, and it wasn’t long before we came
to the huge mound of grassy earth that marked the entrance into Oberon’s court.
Thick brambles surrounded the rise, though they parted easily before us, letting
us through, and we walked toward the side of the hill without breaking
stride.

“Anything else I should know about?” Ash muttered as we
approached the mound side by side. “Any small detail you conveniently overlooked
that might come up while we’re here?”

“Um…” I shot him a sideways glance. “Just one more small
thing.” He raised an eyebrow, and I chewed my lip. Oh, he was not going to like
this. “Torin and the queen are rumored to be…um…involved.”