“Because he doesn’t have any way to kill her,” Jada said. “He’d have to put her back in the Unseelie prison and wait for her to die.”
Barrons smiled mockingly. “That’s not why. Both Cruce and the Sinsar Dubh covet the Fae queen’s power. The moment she’s killed, the True Magic of their race will pass to the next most powerful Fae. Historically, it has always gone to a female but legend holds if a Fae male is strong enough and the females are all dead, the matriarchy could become a patriarchy. Neither the Book nor Cruce is convinced the queen’s magic wouldn’t choose another if they killed her now.”
Christian shot Cruce a look of challenge. “So the legend is true, the power will jump when she dies, if she hasn’t passed it on first. Bring it on, bro.”
“Ah, now you call me brother. Save your challenge for another day, puppy. Your fledgling power poses no threat to me.”
“So you say,” Christian retorted.
Barrons said, “The Book believes the queen’s power might go to the Sweeper-enhanced Unseelie princess. Cruce fears it would choose Mac over him. Isn’t that right, fairy?”
The Fae prince’s eyes glittered dangerously. “You had better pray to your many puny gods—”
“I neither pray nor have gods.”
“—that never happens, because MacKayla would then be the Sinsar Dubh and the Seelie Queen, beyond deadly, capable of raining down infinite destruction on both our realms.”
Christian growled, “Which means we can trust you right up until the moment we help you kill the queen, because you’ll be both then, too.”
Cruce’s smile was all teeth. “Pretty much. Got a better idea?”
Jada said, “Once Mac has the spear back, how will we know when she heads for the place she can summon the queen?”
“We watch the Unseelie princess. After MacKayla uses her True Name to summon her, she will head straight for the queen. The moment the princess disappears, we know to go ahead and lie in wait.”
“While Mac conveniently removes the Unseelie princess from both your paths,” Barrons said dryly. “Then we remove Mac from yours.”
“Precisely. That is our deal.”
“What about Mac’s ability to sense the stones?” Barrons pressed. “Won’t that keep her from coming into wherever it is you’re taking us?”
“Her ability to sense objects of power is useless there.”
“Christian will sift me there. You will sift Jada,” Barrons ordered.
Christian shook his head. “I’m far from a reliable sifter. I’ll need to know the location so I have time to perfect it.”
Cruce spat contemptuously, “You are an unreliable sifter because you resist your true nature. You will never attain your full power until you relinquish your hold on your precious humanity. Let it go, puppy. Walk with the big dogs. Embrace what it is to be Fae, immortal and powerful beyond your wildest dreams.”
“That boat’s never leaving the dock. You’ll have to tell me where. I need practice or none of this will work.”
“Irrelevant,” Cruce said impatiently. “Sifting to that place is impossible and for good reason.”
Barrons smiled faintly, smugly, looking pleased for no reason Jada could discern, and said, “I assume you know where the Unseelie princess is?”
Cruce said coolly, “Earlier today, while I was sifting your sidhe-seers about, I took the time to drop an ancient scroll into an interested party’s hands. It contained the princess’s True Name. The bitch is already trapped in a cage of iron and wards and believes one of the new, young Seelie princes acquired the power to summon her from a long-forgotten scroll. He is another that foolishly didn’t question sudden good fortune, too busy brooding about what he deems unfair bad fortune. He awaits one of the immortal weapons to slay her.” Cruce shot Jada a look. “You will not be obliging him.”
“Why would I? I’d never give a Seelie prince the spear or the sword.”
“You might this one,” Cruce said with an amused look.
“You already summoned and trapped her without telling us?” Christian said, incensed. “What else have you done that you’ve not seen fit to inform us about?”
Jada frowned. “Won’t the Book have to eliminate the Seelie prince, too?”
“As I have already told you, fledglings don’t signify and will not for some time. They are not strong enough to attract the True Magic. Only Mac, myself, and the Unseelie princess are powerful enough to be contenders.”
“Where is the Unseelie princess and who is this new Seelie prince?” Barrons demanded.
“You will find them both at Dublin Castle. The young Fae princeling is the current leader of your New Guardians. But he will not be for long. Soon his transformation will become noticeable to humans, and they will never follow what they trap and kill.”
“Inspector Jayne is turning Fae?” Jada exclaimed, horrified. “A Seelie prince?”
“One and the same. He has been cannibalizing our race far too long to escape without price. Even now I feel birth pangs as others begin the transformation.”
“Who?” Christian demanded.
The prince said laconically, “I do not as yet know.”