“To summarize,” Theo said, counting on his fingers, “Ruadan learned how to manipulate ley lines and tossed away his queen, and is trying to use those ley lines to tug the green land into this world. He hasn’t yet nailed the process, or what he believes the process to be, and his failures and successes are dangerous to the rest of us.” He looked up. “What do we do about it?”

At that, the room went silent.

“Can we bomb it?” Petra asked.

We all looked at her.

“I’m not being bloodthirsty,” she said in her slightly kooky, matter-of-fact way. “Okay, maybe a little bloodthirsty, although I think that’s appropriate and deserved right now. Is there some way we can bomb the green land and not have it affect Chicago?”

“This is outside my expertise,” Yuen said, “but if the green land and the missing parts of Chicago are still linked by the bubble, so to speak, I would think an explosion would affect both.”

“Could we take out the fairies working the magic?” Theo asked.

“I think that presents the same problem,” Petra said. “You take them out while the magic is in play, and you risk making things worse. Sealing off the bubble, putting the green land here permanently.”

“So, what do we do?” I asked.

Silence fell again.

After a moment, Yuen looked at my father. “I believe there was some mention of a library?”

* * *

• • •

It was my mother’s favorite room in the House, the two-story library where Cadogan’s collection of vampire law books, magical history, and modern fiction was stored. The first floor had long rows of books and space for library tables, where I knew my parents had plotted some of their escapades. A wrought-iron balcony made up the second floor, where more books were stored.

A face, handsome and topped by a messy thatch of dark hair, popped out from an aisle, gave me a narrow-eyed stare. “No food, no beverages.”

The Librarian was picky about his books.

“We don’t have any food or beverages.”

He gave us a head-to-toe looking-over. “Good,” he said, then winked at me. “Nice to see you, Elisa.” Then he disappeared back into the stacks.

I looked back at Petra, who stared, openmouthed, at the room.

“Reference books about sups are over there,” I said, pointing to the several rows in the first floor’s back corner. “So grab a table and get to reading, and let’s figure out how to stop these people.”

They nodded, and Petra wandered into the books with huge, glazed eyes.

“I always end up in Ravenclaw,” I murmured, and headed in.

* * *

• • •

Two hours later, Theo was working with Yuen on the relocation, Petra was back at the Ombudsman’s office, and I needed a break.

I pushed back the stack of books and scrubbed my hands over my eyes.

I’d worked through two dozen books, learned about wee folk, hidden people, fairy courts, and fairy hills. I’d read about the fairies’ expulsion from Europe, mostly in response to fairies using their cunning to fool unsuspecting humans—to lure them into thorny woods, seduce away their secrets, or switch a healthy human child for the sick child of a fairy.

Unfortunately, none of it had helped me come up with a plan to reverse what was happening now.

I was tired, physically and emotionally. I’d fought a literal battle tonight, and my energy was gone. I needed blood and sleep, and I didn’t want to leave Lulu unprotected in case the green land spread farther north and west.

So I said my goodbyes, agreed to meet the Ombudsmen at their office at dusk, and took an Auto back to the loft, stopping for blood along the way.

I found Lulu asleep on the couch, Eleanor of Aquitaine curled at her feet. The cat opened a single eye as I passed, closed it again quickly enough. I assumed that meant I wasn’t enough of an enemy now to merit a full growl, which I considered an improvement.

I walked to my spare room, found a coloring book featuring a pretty pink fairy with her hair in a bun, her wings shimmering with holographic stickers, propped on the pillow, topped by a paint-smeared sticky note.

“Maybe this will help,” it said.

I snorted, pushed the coloring book aside, and fell into bed.

TWENTY-TWO

I’d slept through what I assumed was a day of horror, so I pulled out my screen as soon as the sun set again and checked the latest video feed.

There was another green-land bubble in Lincoln Park, and the two existing sites—United Center and Lake Shore Drive—were complete hills and valleys of green.

Evacuation across the city was under way, humans streaming out of high-rises, carrying children and suitcases, purses and laptops, trying to escape before the fairies’ wall of green overtook the rest of the city. And because the evacuees were mostly human, there was traffic, looting, and marching against supernaturals.

Not that I could entirely blame them.

I got dressed and walked into the loft. And there she was.

Lulu Bell, whom I’d known since the day she was born, leaned against the island in a T-shirt, running shorts, and sneakers. And she was stretching out her calves.

“What the hell is this?”

She jerked and looked back. “Shit. I was hoping I’d beat you out the door.”

“I thought we agreed running was only appropriate if someone was chasing you.”

She sighed dramatically. “It’s probably time for a full confession. I’ve been running for two years now.”

I narrowed my gaze.

“I’ve run four half-marathons since you’ve been gone.”

“How dare you?”

She grinned, adjusted the laces on one shoe. “I also own a skort.”

“You monster.”

“Running’s not all bad, Lis,” she said, and began to bounce from foot to foot to warm up. “Just because your mother dragged you to a 5K once upon a time.”

“It was eight 5Ks and it was ridiculous.”

She winked at me. “I’ve run twelve.”

I threw up my hands.

Living together was going to be a test of our relationship.

* * *

• • •

I grabbed a banana and a cup of the coffee Lulu had left when she went for her run, and called an Auto to the Ombudsman’s office. By the time I’d grabbed my katana and made it downstairs, the vehicle was waiting at the curb.

I jumped in automatically. And it wasn’t until I’d belted myself into the front passenger seat that I saw I wasn’t alone.

The fairy who’d killed Tomas, who I recognized from the surveillance video, sat in the usually empty driver’s seat, checking the point of a lethal-looking dagger.

My heart began to piston.

“He wishes to see you,” the fairy said. “Resist, and you’ll become intimately acquainted with my blade. I’m sure you know by now that I’m very good with it.”

Before I could respond, a fairy outside the car grabbed my katana, and before I could launch myself after him, kicked the door closed. Then we were speeding away.

* * *

• • •

The Auto’s screen showed the destination: We were headed back to the castle. The fairies must have figured I’d take a car this morning, and had hacked my system to give it a new destination.

But I wasn’t sure why. If Ruadan wanted to take me out, there were easier and faster ways to do it. I thought of the covetous look in his eyes, the consideration and interest, and a dark and heavy fear settled in my belly. Not even the monster could push through that.

I had to ignore it, to ignore emotions, and think how to get out of this.

I considered trying to force my way out of the car, trying to survive a rolling stop outside it. But assuming I could do that on crowded streets without killing myself or someone else, I’d still be weaponless and facing down fairies.

Trying to free myself at the castle seemed like my best option. I knew the building relatively well now, and I’d hopefully be able to use that to my advantage. And given I was supposed to be at the Ombudsman’s office, it seemed likely someone would eventually figure out I was gone.

Until then, self-rescue. And hope that I wouldn’t have to gnaw off an arm.

The gate was open, the castle dark. The Auto drove over the gravel path, even though it was too narrow for a vehicle, and came to a stop outside the gatehouse.