“You wound me, prince.” Puck looked anything but hurt, and I crossed my arms. “Um, I guess you’re still mad about that whole harpy fiasco. I swear, I thought those caves were empty.”
“How did you overlook a hundred harpies nesting in that cave? Did the giant carpet of bones not tip you off?”
“Oh, sure, complain now. But we found the trod to Athens, didn’t we?” Ariel a blinked, looking back and forth between us. “Wait, wait,” she said, holding up her hands. “You two know each other? Traveled together?”
She frowned and looked at us both. “Are you friends?” I snorted. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“Oh, best friends, lady,” Puck said at the same time, giving her a wink.
“Ice-boy will deny it until the mountains crumble, but you know how hard it is for him to admit his feelings, right?” 48/387
“But, you’re Summer.” Ariel a glanced back at me, confused. “Robin Goodfel ow is part of the Seelie Court, right? Isn’t it against the law to conspire with Summer fey?”
“Conspire?” Puck grinned, looking at me. “That’s a nasty word. We don’t conspire, do we, prince?”
“Puck.” I sighed. “Shut up.” Turning away from him, I drew Ariel a close, ignoring the way Puck’s eyes lit up gleefully. “The answer to your question is yes,” I told her quietly. “It is against the law. And within the borders of Arcadia and Tir Na Nog, Robin Goodfel ow and I are enemies. We will both readily admit that.” I shot Puck a look, and he nodded, still grinning.
“But,” I continued, “here in the wyldwood, the laws, though they’re not completely f lexible, don’t extend quite as far. Puck and I have been known to…bend the rules a little. Not always, and not often. But, he’s the only one that can keep up with me, and the only one who doesn’t care that I’m part of the Winter Court.” Ariel a pulled back and looked at me, her sea-green eyes intense. “So, you’re telling me that you, a prince of the Unseelie Court, are admitting to breaking the law and conspiring with the Winter Court’s sworn enemy on a regular basis?”
I held my breath. Though I’d known this day would come, I’d been hoping to bring up my…association…with Puck on my own terms. That the Summer Court prankster had forced the issue wasn’t surprising, but what I feared most was being forced to choose where my loyalties lay. Ariel a was still Unseelie, brought up to hate Summer and everything in it. If she decided Puck was the enemy and that we had no business involving him in anything that wasn’t a fight to the death…
what would I do then?
49/387
I sighed inwardly. I was a prince of the Unseelie Court. I would always side with my court and kith, there was no question in my mind. If it came down to that choice, I would turn my back on Puck, turn my back on our years of camaraderie, and choose Winter. But that’s not to say it wouldn’t be hard.
Ariel a stared at us, and I waited to see what she would do, how she would react. Finally she broke into a teasing smile.
“Well, as I’ve seen how Ash treats his ‘associates’ at the Winter Court, I’d have to say you must be an exception to the rule, Robin Goodfel ow. I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance.” She glanced at me and winked. “And here I was afraid that Ash didn’t have any friends.” Puck roared with laughter. “I like her,” he announced as I crossed my arms and tried to look bored and annoyed. They both giggled at my ex-pense, but I didn’t care. Ariel a had accepted my “association” without reservation or judgment. I didn’t have to choose. I could keep the best of both worlds without sacrificing either.
I should’ve known it would never last.
“Prince,” said Puck’s voice, drawing me out of my dark thoughts, back to the present. “Prince. Oy, ice-boy!” I blinked and glared at him.
“What?”
He smirked and nodded to the sky, where a massive wall of black clouds loomed overhead. “There’s a nasty storm coming. Furbal suggests we look for shelter, since this area has a reputation for f lash f loods. According to him, we should reach the seer sometime tomorrow.”
“Fine.”
50/387
“Wow, aren’t we chatty today.” Puck shook his head as I strode past him, sliding down a washed-out gully to where Grimalkin waited at the bottom.
Puck followed easily, continuing to talk. “That’s the most you’ve said to me in two days. What’s going on, ice-boy? You’ve been very broody lately, even for you.”
“Leave it alone, Puck.”
“And here I thought we were doing so well.” Puck sighed dramatically as he matched my pace down the slope. “Might as well tell me, prince.