Swallowing Darkness

Chapter Thirty-Two

Specialist Gregorio spoke into her radio, and relayed the response to us. "The prince says he wants Princess Meredith to return with him to the Unseelie Court so they can protect her," she said. "Say again Sierra four."

She turned in her seat to look at me. "He says he wants to take you back to the court so they can crown you queen. Isn't he the competitor for that crown?"

"Yes," I said.

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Rumor says he tried to kill you."

"He did."

She gave me a look to go with the eyebrow. "And now he's just going to give up?"

"We don't believe it either," Rhys said.

Her eyes flicked to him, but came back to settle on me. The radio crackled, and she hit the switch again. Dawson's voice came tinny, but a few words were clear, "with child... conceding."

Specialist Gregorio turned back to me. "The prince says that now that you're with child, he'll concede the throne, because it's best for the kingdom." She didn't even try to keep her disbelief out of her voice.

"Tell him that I appreciate the offer, but I am returning to Los Angeles."

She relayed the information. Dawson's answer was quick. "Prince Cel says he can't allow you to leave faerie carrying the heirs to the Unseelie throne."

"I'll just bet he can't," Rhys said.

"He and his people are blocking the road. We can't run them down," Gregorio said.

"Can we drive past them?" Doyle asked.

She got back on the radio. The answer: "We can try."

"Let us try," Doyle said.

Gregorio said, "Princess, permission to speak freely?"

I smiled. "I didn't think you needed my permission, but if you do, you have it."

"How stupid does this Cel think you are? No one would believe this shit."

"I don't think he believes the princess is stupid," Doyle said. "I believe that the prince is deluding himself."

"You mean he honestly expects her to go with him quietly, and us not to fight him?"

"I believe that is his plan," Doyle said.

"You'd have to be crazy to believe that," Gregorio said.

"You would," Doyle said.

The woman looked at all three of us. "Your faces have all gone blank. You're trying not to let me see what you're thinking, but your blank faces say it all. You think he's crazy, as in certifiable."

"I do not know what certifiable means," Doyle said.

"It means crazy enough to be committed to a hospital," Rhys said.

"He is a prince of faerie. Such personages are not committed to insane asylums," Doyle said.

"Then what do you do with them?" she asked.

"They tend to die," he said, and even in the darkened car I could see that hint of a smile again.

Gregorio didn't smile back. "We can't kill a prince of anything for you guys."

"I didn't call you in to do our killing for us," I said.

"Why did you call us in, Princess?"

"To get me the hell out of here, Gregorio. You saw the Seelie simply leave rather than try to fight you. I thought that no one would be willing to confront the American military."

"You thought wrong," she said.

"And for that, I am sorry."

The line of cars began to move to the far side of the road, scraping against tree limbs, but since the Humvee was supposed to be able to stand up to artillery fire, a few branches wouldn't faze it. The trick was, would Cel and Siobhan simply let us drive away? How crazy was he, and where was Queen Andais, and why wasn't she keeping a better leash on her son?