Steal the Night (Thieves #5)(83)

“Yes, I believe I mentioned that to you after I woke up from that grenade thing you used on me,” Nim complained as she walked in the door.

Daniel’s eyes widened and Ronald explained. “It was a flashbang. We’ve found them effective on almost all supernatural creatures.”

Nim’s mouth was a flat line as she stared at the Order’s head. “They’re also very good with wards and binding magic as well. They aren’t so good with believing the truth when it stares them in the face.”

Ronald stood and gave her a deep bow. “I apologize, Lady. We’ve had trouble in the past with witches who believed they were the Lady of the Lake. Some were simply insane and some tried to use the Order for their own designs.”

The door opened and a nervous-looking soldier stuck his head in. “King Daniel, there is a…there is a thing out here that claims to be your servant. I think it’s a demon.”

“Never heard of him,” Daniel said with a smirk. “You should exorcise him ASAP.”

“Daniel,” Nim said, sighing. “We still need him. I need him to wake the wizard.”

There was a long pause. “Fine. Let him in.”

Stewart walked in with a radiant smile on his borrowed face. Gone was the skate punk clothing and in its place an immaculately made pair of trousers, dress shirt, and sport coat. His shoes were polished even out here in the isolation of the island. He had cut the young man’s hair into a trendy, fashionable style.

“He made us stop for a manicure, too,” Nim admitted, noting my surprise.

“Oh, you liked it, you little minx. Don’t lie,” Stewart said with a wink.

Nim shrugged. “I certainly like the rubbing my feet part.”

Stewart made a great show of bowing deeply to Daniel. “Your Highness, it is my greatest pleasure to find myself once again in your glorious presence. We have located the place you seek.”

“So I heard,” Daniel said shortly. “Are we close?”

“Very close, but it will be more easily accessed at an in-between time,” Stewart said. “I thought dusk would be perfect.”

That got Daniel’s attention. “Does this have something to do with the veil between worlds?”

I heard the slight hitch in his voice as he asked the question. It was important to him. We’d been searching for someone who knew how to navigate the veils as the Tuatha Dé Danann, the oldest of faeries, did. The ancient Fae had left the plane and the faery worlds attached to it long ago. The only way to access those pieces of Faery was to open the veil, but the magic was old and for the most part had passed from our plane. We’d met a group of Fae who knew how to navigate in such a fashion, but they were long gone. The only trouble was they’d taken my and Danny’s daughter with them. Daniel had been seeking a way to get her back ever since the revelation that the magical child had truly been a combination of us.

“Very good, Your Highness,” Stewart said obsequiously. “It’s very much like that. Nimue created the pocket world that contains the crystal palace and hid it from this world in such a fashion.”

“I did the same thing with Avalon,” Nim replied, sympathy creeping into her voice. “But Daniel, this isn’t what you need to know. I can create a pocket world, but I don’t know how the ancient Fae travel. I came into existence long after they were gone. I will research it further. I won’t give up.”

Daniel’s face remained passive though I knew he ached inside. It was a private hurt, and he wouldn’t dwell on it in public.

“The thought makes the king very sad,” Stewart said, looking seriously at Daniel.

“Drop it,” I warned.

Stewart’s eyes shifted to me. “It’s a private ache between the two of you. It doesn’t include the Fae creature, though he worries about it. On the one hand, the Fae creature wants the two of you happy, but he worries if you and the king resolve the trouble you will no longer have a need for him. Is it a child?”

“She said drop it,” Dev growled as he stood.

Stewart held his hands up innocently. “I apologize. You’re a very strong transmitter. So easy to read, unlike the king. He has to ache with the pain before I can see an image from him. But you, Fae creature, you’re just one big ball of ache. Deep inside you’re still the little boy everyone loved one day and wanted to toss out with the garbage the next. You would fade if these two abandoned you. I can see it clearly. You would lie down and fade from existence. It would take a while, but time would mean nothing to you because you would be dead the minute they discarded you. Everyone discards you. You’re useful for short periods of time, but you always prove unworthy in the end. When the king has his crown and a child with his queen, he won’t need you anymore.”

“Shut up,” I yelled at the demon as I crossed to Dev. His face was pale and his hands trembled slightly. Stewart must be diving deep in his head to make him shake.

“Stewart, if you don’t get out of his head, I’m going to have my soldiers cut off yours,” Daniel explained.

It was kind of cool to see six men step forward ready to do Daniel’s will. Stewart actually backed off.

“Devinshea,” Daniel said quietly, looking up at his friend. “Those are your worries, not my feelings.”

Dev nodded shortly. “I understand.”