“Remember what I told you when we first met,” he said. “I am not your enemy, even if we do at times find ourselves at cross-purposes.”
I remembered him saying that, though he’d also pointed out that he wasn’t my friend, either.
Thinking about our first meeting, I remembered the Erlking warning Finn and me that we had an imposter in our midst. A “token of goodwill,” he’d called it.
“It’s been a pleasure speaking with you,” he said, and I realized he was about to hang up.
“Wait!” I said, surprising myself.
I thought I was too late, but a moment later the Erlking said, “Go on.”
“Why did you warn me about the imposter the other day?”
“I suspect you’re clever enough to figure it out on your own. But then I’ve put you into a stressful situation, and I suppose that isn’t conducive to clear thinking.” He managed to say that without sounding particularly condescending, though I don’t know how he managed it.
“I want something from you, Dana,” he continued. “I want it very badly. If your enemies should kill you, they will ruin my chances of getting it. I am highly motivated to keep you alive.” He laughed a little. “You may not feel it, but you are safer now than you have been from the moment you first set foot in Avalon. I will not let any harm come to you.”
What the hell was I supposed to say to that? Thank you? Uh, no.
It didn’t occur to me until after he hung up that the Erlking was suggesting my life had been in danger when I’d been out with Fake-Lachlan. But the imposter had been meaning to kidnap me and take me to Aunt Grace. Aunt Grace wanted me alive, so she could use my powers to usurp the Seelie throne.
Either the Erlking was lying to me, or Aunt Grace’s plans had changed.
Chapter fourteen
Over the course of the next few days, I tried to act as normal as possible under the circumstances. On Thursday morning, I had my regularly scheduled lesson with Keane. I still sensed a bit of strain between us, but on the whole it wasn’t too bad. I manufactured reasons to leave my safe house at least once a day, craving the sunlight and fresh air. Well, this was Avalon, so I got rain, fog, and fresh air instead.
I still hadn’t nerved myself up to calling Kimber, and every day that passed without me calling just dug the hole deeper. In my gloomiest moments, I wondered if I’d been wrong when I’d blamed my mom and her embarrassing addiction for my inability to make friends in the past. Maybe I just wasn’t good friendship material.
On Friday, I started my morning with a trip to Starbucks to replenish my coffee supply. Even though the Erlking had already done his worst, my dad still insisted I not leave the safe house without two guards, so I had Finn and Lachlan with me. I wondered resentfully if it had ever occurred to Dad that I’d had two guards with me when the Erlking had taken Ethan, and that those guards had proved useless.
My mood had sunk to an all-time low. I’d spent hours trying to figure out how I could help Ethan, and I didn’t have a single workable idea to show for it. My mind kept circling back to the same territory, the same useless ideas playing endlessly in my brain. I didn’t know who I thought I was kidding, how I thought I could defeat the Erlking when no one else could. It all seemed so hopeless …
While I was waiting for the nice lady at Starbucks to ring up my purchase, I heard the rumble of motorcycles approaching, and my day went from bad to worse. My stomach clenched with dread.
How did the Erlking keep finding me? Avalon is small, but it’s not that small. It couldn’t be a coincidence that of the handful of times I’d left my cave since he’d arrived, I’d run into him three times.
The other customers all fell silent, as did the baristas. Everyone turned to stare out the large picture windows that looked out onto Avalon’s main road. Finn’s magic prickled over my skin as he and Lachlan closed ranks around me.
“Don’t worry, Dana,” Finn said. “Neither Lachlan nor I will fall for any tricks he might pull.”
That wasn’t what I was worried about, but I didn’t bother to correct him. My instincts told me that the Erlking wasn’t going to attack anyone today. He’d already made his move when he’d captured Ethan. And I knew he was going to rub my face in it, remind me just what my refusal to make a deal with him was costing Ethan.
I should have closed my eyes, turned away, ducked into the ladies room. Anything to avoid letting the Erlking’s strategy work. Instead, I stood motionless by the window and watched as the Wild Hunt came into view.
The Erlking was at the head of their pack, as usual, though he wasn’t wearing his helmet. His hair blew free in the wind, and even though he was the enemy—no matter what he claimed—I couldn’t help noticing for just one moment the wild, masculine, dangerous beauty of him.
Then my eyes were drawn to his Huntsmen. Unlike their leader, they were all wearing their helmets, faces obscured behind the darkened visors. My eyes roved frantically from one to another, wondering if one of those nameless, faceless Huntsmen could possibly be Ethan. At first, they all looked the same to me, the differences in height and build not enough of an identifier. But then my eyes caught on the rider bringing up the rear. The height and the build were right for Ethan, but that wasn’t what drew my eyes to him. What drew my eyes were the wisps of blond hair that trailed from under his helmet.
There was not a hint of skin or hair showing on any of the other riders. Their bodies were completely encased in their leathers, and if any of them had long hair, it was kept under their helmets. Except for that one rider. It was not a coincidence.