Mercy Thompson 01-05 - THE MERCY THOMPSON COLLECTION

human enough to benefit from the guesting laws that prevented a fairy queen from killing the humans who came into her realm. She could kill me and get the book.
    She’d have been right had it not been for one thing. I didn’t own the Silver Borne; Phin did. When she killed me, all she’d get was a boatful of trouble—and I’d do my best to convince her of that once the others were free. All I’d have to do would be hold out until Adam came to get me.
    Of course, if Ariana managed to hold on to the last shape the fae took, it would make my life a lot easier.
    For three minutes, Ariana held on to the werewolf—and then it changed. The hound looked a little like a giant beagle: white with brown spots, rounded ears that hung on either side of its face, but there was no sign of the friendly expression that most beagles live and die with.
    Ariana looked at the hound she held, her arms wrapped around its throat and her legs tucked almost under its body. For a moment, nothing happened and, despite myself, I felt a great leap of hope. I didn’t want to be left alone with the fairy queen, who wanted to kill me.
    Then Ariana rolled away from the hound, who must have looked like one of the hounds her father had tortured her with, and curled into a fetal position, her mouth open and screaming, but the sounds locked in by terror. Samuel picked her up and crooned to her. Not saying anything, just giving her his voice. He hadn’t forgotten who the enemy was, though. His eyes were on the fairy queen.
    â€œFive,” said the fairy queen, sounding moderately grumpy. “I thought I might get to keep you, werewolf, too, but she was stronger than I thought.”
    Samuel snarled at her.
    I noticed that Zee’s rock, lying on the ground under the belly of the hound, who was focused on Ariana, was flickering.
    â€œSamuel,” I told him urgently. “Zee will be waiting. Get the kids and Phin , too—” Especially Phin. Any fae willing to use a black witch and allow her to torture another being was not someone I wanted to give more power to. We needed to get Phin out of here and safe so the Silver Borne was out of her reach. “Take them and get out of here.”
    â€œCan’t you help me up?” Phin asked Gabriel. He knew what we needed.
    There was a momentary pause, but when the queen didn’t interfere with Phin’s request, Gabriel helped him to his feet.
    â€œYou,” said the queen, pointing to the fae nearest to her. “You take them to Outside and let them leave. You’ll have to carry the human man.” She looked at Jesse, then glanced at Gabriel. “Go, children, and when you are outside my Elphame, be thou as thou wert.”
    The fae she’d pointed to bowed deeply and picked Phin up with the same ease that Ariana had displayed. Not all fae are so strong. Silently, Jesse and Gabriel followed him when he started out the door.
    Samuel stopped and kissed my cheek, still holding Ariana, who was shivering in terror. “Stay alive,” he told me.
    â€œPlanning on it,” I said. I gave Ariana, who was very deep into a panic attack, a wary look. I remembered her concern when she’d returned to herself last time, and so I added, “You stay alive, too. Now get out while the getting is good.”
    â€œSemper Fi,” he said, glancing down at Zee’s rock. Then he hurried after the others.
    So far as I knew, Samuel had never been a Marine. But he’d known I’d catch the reference. The Marines never leave a man behind. He’d be back, and so would Adam. All I had to do was survive.
    We all waited until the fae who had escorted them out returned. He bowed to the queen, and said, “They are Outside, safe and alive, my queen.”
    I took a deep breath, and a few seconds later Zee’s stone was just another gray rock among the roots in the floor of the cave. They’d made it with almost two minutes to spare by my rough count—though probably Zee had held the opening until he saw them.
    â€œMy bargain is done,” the queen told me.
    â€œFine,” I said.
    â€œYou will exchange the book for your life.”
    â€œNope.” I shook my head. “I’ve considered it—and decided that it is not going to happen.”
    There were no humans to protect anymore. Just me. Worry over what the witch might do if I freed her made me hesitate before I pulled my gun—and it was one