Merle muttered something under her breath, but I couldn’t make it out.

“Our ancestors left the Otherworld, because they didn’t agree with what the ruling court was doing. They were killing our world and turning all of us into monsters. We did not come here to do the same to your world,” he explained. “And we will do everything to ensure the prince and those who follow him do not succeed.”

“Most of the fae here are descendants of the summer court,” Brighton explained. “They started escaping before the gateways were closed because they were being hunted.”

“Hunted much like your friend Tink and his kind were—hunted to near extinction,” Tanner said. A wistful look crossed his face. “He is the first brownie I’ve ever seen, but my parents spoke of his kind. What you’ve done to save him is awe-inspiring.”

I glanced over at Ren.

He rolled his eyes.

I grinned.

“The fact that you took care of him, healing him when he was injured, and kept him hidden told me that we could trust you.” Tanner inclined his chin. “It is also how we knew we could trust Ren.”

It’s a good thing Tanner didn’t realize the antagonistic nature of their relationship. Something completely random occurred to me. “Did you guys try to seek me out before this?” I asked.

“No,” Tanner replied. “Why do you ask?”

I glanced at Ren. “Before . . . before the whole thing with the prince, a fae followed me into a parking garage in the city. Where you parked that Monday night? I was looking for your truck,” I explained. “Anyway, he didn’t do anything. Before he got the chance, a female fae showed up, killed him, and then literally impaled herself on my dagger.”

Tanner blinked. “That was not us.”

“Any idea what could be behind that?” Ren asked.

He shook his head. “I will put some feelers out. See what I can find out.”

I turned as Merle approached me from the side. She looked calmer than the last time I’d seen her. Her blonde hair was smooth, and her eyes were alight with curiosity and intelligence.

Merle clasped my cheeks. “Did he plant his seed?”

I cringed. “Can you never phrase it like that again, ever?”

“Did he?” she demanded.

“No,” Ren answered, standing beside me. His hand was still on my back. “We got her out in time.”

Merle’s eyes held mine. “I need to hear her say it.”

“Merle,” Tanner said quietly.

She ignored him too. “We need to know for sure.”

“He didn’t,” I said, feeling my cheeks heat. “I swear.”

“Good.” Merle smiled, and then hugged me before stepping back. “I would’ve hated to have to kill you.”

My eyes widened.

“Mom,” exclaimed Brighton from where she stood by the table.

“What?” Merle shrugged as she walked over to one of the chairs and sat. “If she was carrying the prince’s child, we would have had to kill her. It’s a fact.”

Faye cleared her throat as she walked to stand beside Tanner. “We wouldn’t have had to kill her. There are other options.”

“Why didn’t you just kill me, though?” I asked Faye. “That would’ve taken care of the problem. You had plenty of opportunity.”

Ren stiffened beside me.

Her expression tightened. “We do not believe in killing humans, no matter the situation.”

I arched a brow. “You might want to tell Merle that.”

Merle chuckled as if I had suggested Faye tell her about a new pot roast recipe.

“She is human,” Faye replied. “Humans tend not to value life.”

Deciding it was time to change the subject, I focused on Merle again. “Why did you tell Brighton that Ren would know what to do with the info in the journals?”

She smiled faintly and nodded in his direction. “The young man has trust in his eyes.”

I opened my mouth, but I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. When I peeked at Ren, he was grinning at his booted feet.

Tanner gestured for us to sit in the chairs. Ren and I did so. “I know you have a lot of questions and there is a lot we need to tell you, but we don’t want to overwhelm you. Faye has explained that the last few weeks have been . . . stressful for you.”

I tensed. “Stressful” isn’t exactly the word I would have used. It was also something that I didn’t really want to go into right now.

Ren leaned forward, resting his elbow on his leg and his chin in his hand. “Let’s focus on the most important part,” he suggested, tone firm. His gaze slid to me. “They know how to send the prince back to the Otherworld.”

“What?” I sat up straighter. “How?”

Tanner leaned against the desk and crossed his ankles. “You want to take over?”

Faye didn’t look like she wanted to, but she started talking anyway. “When my family left the Otherworld many decades ago, they took a very special, very powerful crystal from the head of the king’s throne and brought it into this realm. The crystal was then taken by the Order for safekeeping. Or at least, that’s what they said. Their decision to move the crystal without our permission created . . . a rift between our two kinds.”

I wondered if that was why the Order and these fae stopped working together, but a rift didn’t seem like a big enough reason to have everything about their union now stripped from our history.

I thought of the crystal Val had taken from the Order the night the prince had come through the gate. Since I had spoken to Miles about it, I really hadn’t thought about it. Granted, a lot of things had been going on, but I knew where that crystal was. “The prince has it.”