Mercy Thompson 01-05 - THE MERCY THOMPSON COLLECTION

In the morning, I’d feel bad about the man who’d stuck his neck out to help me in defiance of the Gray Lords, who loved books and old things—and who’d had a grandmother who’d called him and worried about him. As things were, I needed to keep my wits. I was tired, and Adam’s pain and fatigue were starting to trickle through me as our bond chose this inconvenient time to begin to mend itself.
    â€œYou will not tell the wolves,” she said. “That is the first step. I will know if you break your word. Then I will take the boy and redouble my efforts to see you dead.”
    I glanced at the wolves around the table. “You didn’t seem so anxious to kill me that you would risk my mate’s ire yesterday morning.”
    She hissed. “When I have that which is silver borne, I shall have no need to fear. Not wolves, not Gray Lords. The only thing that saves you at this moment is that it might take some time after you die for it to reveal itself. If you make this too difficult for me, I will risk it.”
    â€œWhat did you want me to do?” I asked her.
    â€œTell me you won’t tell any of the werewolves about me, about what you have, and that Gabriel is in any kind of distress or danger.”
    â€œOkay,” I said reluctantly. “I won’t tell any of the wolves about you, about the thing I have that was Phin’s, or about Gabriel’s current danger.”
    â€œYou will not tell any of the fae. Not the Gray Lords, not the old fae who was at your place of work this morning.”
    I looked at Darryl, and he nodded grimly. He’d tell Zee for me.
    â€œI will not tell any fae I know about you, about the thing I have that was Phin’s, or about Gabriel’s current danger.”
    â€œI can’t force you to adhere to that agreement,” she told me. “That magic is no longer mine. But I will know the instant you break your word—and our deal will be off. This young and beautiful man will be mine, and you will die.”
    Jesse’s cold hand gripped mine. She and Gabriel had been sort of dating for a while. “Sort of” because he was concentrating on school since he needed scholarships for college.
    â€œAll right,” I told the fae.
    â€œSecond. You will bring this thing to the bookstore and give it to my knight of the water.”
    Fishy Boy, I thought. Though Knight of the Water didn’t ring any bells. Maybe it was a title rather than a type of fae.
    â€œNope. I’m not bringing it to the bookstore to your knight.” One of her people could kill us all, and leave her not foresworn. We needed to deal only with her.
    â€œYou will—”
    â€œNot trust you unless it is a full exchange. You bring Gabriel, and I get him safe and unharmed in exchange for this thing I will bring you.”
    â€œI cannot bring you Gabriel unharmed,” she said, sounding amused.
    Mary Jo gave a very soft rumbling growl, and I poked her to stop it. Maybe the fae wasn’t paying attention. She’d heard the earlier sound Jesse had made, but as Bran liked to tell me, you can have the best senses in the world, but if you forget to use them, they can do you no good.
    â€œNo more harmed than now,” I said. “Himself, in his own mind, his body no more bruised than it is at this instant.”
    â€œThat I can manage,” she said, still sounding amused.
    â€œI would consider death as further damage.”
    She laughed. The sound was beginning to get on my nerves. “So distrustful, Mercedes. Don’t you read your fairy tales? It is the humans who betray their bargains. Get a good night’s sleep . . . Whoops, too late. Rest, then. I’ll call you at this number sometime tomorrow when I have a chance to organize a safe meeting place.”
    I wracked my brain because she was too happy, like she knew something we didn’t.
    â€œGabriel is the only human you have,” I said, suddenly worried that she had more hostages.
    She laughed again. “You don’t really think I’ll answer that, do you?”
    And she hung up.
    â€œDoes anyone know what area code 333 belongs to?” I asked.
    â€œThere isn’t one,” said Ben. “No 333, no 666. Phone company doesn’t officially believe in numerology, but they have a lot of customers who do.”
    â€œYou want me to call Zee right now?” rumbled Darryl. “Or does he get grumpy when you wake him