CHAPTER 74

"Enough!" The queen's wings swung down and a hot wind blew across the court, scattering some of the flying servants who cried out in alarm. She floated off the ground, her aura expanding around her, giving her the appearance of a tiny star. "You are an abomination, Caretaker. You stole faerie magic, and suffused it with your very soul, and for that, I would kill you."

"Then do it. Let's see the brave queen smash the puny mortal." He raised his arms and turned so everyone could see him. "I'm just a defenseless human, after all, so show everyone how brave you are, Tinkerbell! Blow me away!"

There was a collective groan from the crowd as the fae scrambled over each other to get a better view of what was about to transpire, but the swirling mists suddenly closed in on them, leaving Mike and Beth alone with the queen of the fae. He turned to face her, and saw that her face was contorted in a mask of rage.

She summoned a swirling ball of fire, light and shadows with her hands and held it over her head. It sizzled and popped like water on a hot skillet, and Mike took a step toward her.

"Oh please. What are you gonna do with that?" He stepped between her and Beth, just in case. "I've already figured out you can't directly hurt me."

The queen's face fell in shock, and the ball of magic popped like a bubble, sending a wave of crackling energy along the ground.

"How?" she asked.

"Simple. Somewhere out there is a written agreement meaning that you provide my home with an escort to the afterlife. I'm willing to bet that there is a clause in there that prevents you from getting rid of Caretaker's you don't like, and from directly commanding your subjects to harm him or her."

"You can't know that."

"Ah, but I do. You said you would kill me for what I've done, and yet, I live. Why is that? Why have us dumped in the middle of the woods and trick us into walking into those stupid bird things instead of just blowing my head off the minute I arrive?"

"The slaugh are not birds," she corrected him.

"Whatever. Why not just have someone give me shitty directions and trick me into going home? Or have Sulyvahn bring me here directly so you can bash my head in for laughs? 'Cause you can't do it, and you don't want the others to know that their all-powerful queen can't smash a measly human. You were hoping I would have an accident while I was here and could move on with your day." He knelt down by Beth and gave her a shake. She was motionless now, and he gave her another concerned shove. "What did you do to her?"

"The mist has put her to sleep. I was hoping it would do the same to you, and I would be rid of your presence, but it appears that you have developed quite the resistance to it. It's a defense mechanism made for humans, but clearly you have strayed too far from your own humanity. Do you even know what you have become? Because I do not, and I have seen the very mists of Creation itself. You are new magic, and I do not like it one bit." She slumped down in her throne and scowled. "So I'm afraid we are at an impasse, Caretaker. I could send you back home, but I fear you would darken my doorstep once again to humiliate me further."

"You're right. I would. So let's try again. I want Cecilia back, and I won't stop until you give me what I want." He crossed his arms. "And don't even think about threatening Beth again. The Rat King is very close friends with her, and I bet I could convince him to chew enough holes in this place to collapse it."

The queen laughed. "You threaten me with planar oblivion? You think very highly of yourself."

"We've done it once already. A demon took her from us, so we blew up his dimension."

"I doubt that..." She inspected him closely now, her eyes searching his. "I cannot believe it, but somehow you speak the truth."

"I do. Cecilia appears unharmed for now, but if you decide to punish her on my account, I will dedicate my life to swiss-cheesing this place. If you think I'm beyond caving in your kingdom, then look again."

"Foolish child. I would never harm one of my own." The queen seemed genuinely upset at the idea, her pale cheeks darkening. "It is not her fault that she was tricked into a dalliance with a mortal."

Mike shook his head. "There was no trickery involved. It just happened and it was mutual. The thing about the magic was an accident, and I'm sorry if it offends you, but you need to move on. Now tell me what you want from me so that I can move on, too."

She gave him a hard stare for nearly a minute, but he didn't back down. He had gambled on the queen being unable to hurt him and had no other ideas on how to get the queen to listen.

"Do you love her?" the queen asked. The question caught him off guard, not just because of the content, but how the queen asked it. There was fear in her voice, but he couldn't imagine why that would be.

He chose his words carefully, fully expecting a trap. "I love her as I do the others in my house. I'm still learning about those feelings myself, and my situation is quite unusual, but yes, I do."

"I see." The queen stared him down for several moments, contemplating his answer. Suddenly, her face blossomed into a sinister smile. "Okay, then."

She clapped her hands, and the loud boom that came from them blew the mist away, revealing the entirety of the court once more. Excited cheers and jeers could be heard from every direction as the fae awaited what would come next.