“
I jumped up, my hands in the air. “Yes!”
Lend laughed. “Okay, looks like I need to make a run to the grocery store. Do faeries hate wheat or white bread more, you think?”
“Get bread with raisins,” I said. “Everyone hates raisins.”
Jack was bouncing, obviously excited. “That’s all we need, right?”
“We need Reth.”
“No,” Lend and Jack whined in unison.
“Come on, you two. Reth knows the Faerie Realms better than you do. Jack, you didn’t see where the people were; it might take you a while to find them, and that’s time we can’t afford to lose. And Reth’s getting worse; being there might give him more time.”
Lend scowled, grabbing the car keys off the counter. “Fine. But I’m really getting tired of his stupid smirk and prissy clothes.”
Jack nodded. “And his voice that sounds like it’d even taste good. Really, it’s overkill. Best to have only a few absolutely perfect traits—for example, my hair and eyes and sparkling personality—so you don’t overwhelm them.”
“Aww, are you guys jealous of how pretty Reth is? That’s kind of adorable.”
“You know I could look exactly like him,” Lend said, frowning darkly.
“Please for the love of all that is good and holy, never, ever wear Reth. That’s the stuff of nightmares.”
That brightened his face a bit and he left me with a lingering kiss and a promise to be back with every loaf of bread we could carry.
“Well, go find your stupid faerie boyfriend,” Jack said, lying down on top of the counter and drumming his fingers on his stomach. “I haven’t filled my quota for pissing off the Dark Court yet this week.”
“We are going to blow your quote sky high.”
He held up a hand and I high-fived him as I walked past and out of the house toward the trail. Yet again. I should have invested in a dirt bike or something given the amount of mileage I was getting out of the path between the house and the pond.
”
”