“We have to find her,” Kenzie insisted. “We have to get that amulet before it’s too late. Did she say where she was going, what she was looking for?”
Leanansidhe sighed. “I have no idea what she’s looking for, darling,” she said. “But I do know where she went. Not that it will do you much good.” She sucked on the cigarette flute and puffed out a long stream of smoke that curled through the air like a lazy river. “The Summer girl has gone to the border of the wyldwood,” the Dark Muse intoned solemnly, “and past the River of Dreams. Beyond the territories of Summer and Winter, into the Deep Wyld.”
I felt a chill in the large, cozy room.
“The Deep Wyld?” Kenzie echoed, sounding intrigued. “What is that? Another region of the Nevernever?”
“Yeah,” I muttered, recalling the bits and pieces I’d picked up over the years about the Deep Wyld. Not much, but I did know that it was the deepest and darkest part of the Nevernever, a place into which the normal fey rarely ventured. No one knew much about the Deep Wyld, what it was like, what kinds of things lived out there. “Kind of like the wyldwood, but...bigger. It’s supposedly the oldest part of Faery.”
And probably the most dangerous.
“Exactly, darling,” Leanansidhe agreed. “The Deep Wyld is the vast, untamed wilderness of the Nevernever, beyond the courts and the wyldwood and anything familiar. Only the bravest or most desperate venture across the River of Dreams and into the Deep Wyld. And many that do attempt that crossing never return.”
“Really?” Of course, that news did nothing to deter Kenzie. Another region of Faery that was even more mysterious and dangerous than most? I could practically see her eyes sparkle at the thought. “But why would Annwyl go into the Deep Wyld?” she asked.
“Not a clue, my dove,” the Exile Queen said flippantly. “It is said that many ancient secrets and forbidden knowledge lie in the darkest regions of the Deep Wyld. If Annwyl is searching for something in particular, whether it be knowledge or power, that is not a bad place to look. However, tracking a Summer sidhe through the wyldwood is difficult enough. If they do not want to be found, it is nearly impossible to find them. Tracking a Summer sidhe through the Deep Wyld, which is vaster, darker and infinitely more dangerous, is another matter altogether. You cannot simply rush after the girl with no hint as to where you are headed, darlings. You are going to need some sort of guide.”
“We have Grimalkin,” Kenzie pointed out, glancing at the cat on the piano bench. His eyes were closed. “He can show us the way, right?”
Leanansidhe sniffed. “Contrary to what Grimalkin would have you believe, darling, he does not know everything about everything in the Nevernever. Shocking, I know. But if you are going to attempt to find the Summer girl all the way in the Deep Wyld, there is only one who will be able to help you. And I believe our darling Grimalkin knows exactly who I’m talking about.”
“You cannot be serious.” Grimalkin’s yellow eyes opened a crack and he glared disdainfully. “Summon him? To track a Summer faery through the Deep Wyld? I cannot say if he could even be bothered to respond to such a request.”
“He would come if you asked, darling.”
The cat flattened his ears. “I suppose if there is no other way,” he said in a disgusted voice. “Though someone is going to owe me a very large favor when this is over. But worry not, humans.” He gave me a slitted-eyed look of exasperation. “I will take care of everything, as usual.”
“There is,” Leanansidhe said, and the slightly evil smile was back on her face, “one more tiny little problem. You see, the Deep Wyld lies on the other side of the River of Dreams, which isn’t a short walk from here, darlings. It will take you many days of travel through the nastiest parts of the wyldwood to reach it. How do you intend to get there?”
“Walk, I suppose,” I muttered, though the thought of tramping through the wyldwood for days on end wasn’t pleasant. And I was all too aware that we were running out of time. “Unless someone can think of something better.”
“Well, I have a suggestion, darling.” The Exile Queen waved her hand, and the cigarette flute writhed away into tendrils of smoke. “I’m just starting to put my trods back together, and it just so happens that I have one working again. It leads into the wyldwood, to a spot very close to the River of Dreams. Still a day’s walk from the river, but it will get you to the border much faster than if you hiked there from here.”
Instantly suspicious, I crossed my arms. “Uh-huh. And what would the catch be? You’re certainly not going to let us use that trod out of the goodness of your heart.”
“Why, darling, what an awful idea. We can’t have rumors like that circling around, can we? Think of the damage to my reputation.” Leanansidhe chuckled, as if the thought was ludicrous, and shook her head. “Besides, Ethan Chase, you and the prince have caused me no end of trouble. Some would argue that you owe me.”
“Fine.” I sighed. “I guess I’ll give you that.” I raised both arms in a shrug before letting them drop to my sides. “Let’s get it over with, then. What do you want?”
“Ethan, wait.” Kenzie edged forward and turned us away from the Exile Queen. Lowering her voice, she whispered, “Let me bargain with her. Leanansidhe isn’t mad at me, not like you and Keirran—the price might be lower if I deal with her.”
“No, Kenzie,” I murmured, and took her hand. “It’s my turn now. You’ve done so much already, made so many deals. I know you would do this without a second thought, but...I think it’s time for me to share some of that burden.”