Speculation over Titania's visit buzzed around Meridian most of the following day, prompting a dozen Fae to stop by my office with questions I couldn't answer. The general response was a kind of tribal pride that our Tir and it's few dozen inhabitants had caught the attention of Oberon's queen.

"Her visit was good press." Zeffie said, lounging on the oversized bed. "Once news gets out Meridian's population will probably double." She took it in turns with Amy to provide me with a private secretary during the two hours I set aside every day for Tir business and formal meetings, helping me sort between important conversations and frivolous assaults on my limited time.

"I can't keep up as it is," I complained, checking my phone. There were five more people on the schedule and I had to leave for college in a few hours to complete my lab requirements for the semester.

"You're doing fine, Tom," she tipped her head to look at me, then went back to painting her nails. "You can always appoint a chancellor to help with the small stuff."

"Great, you're hired."

"Not a chance," she chuckled. Zeffie usually treated me like she was one of the girls, part of our inner circle, and most of the time I appreciated it. Many of the others were either too deferential or too forward.

"How much can we afford to grow? There are a few unused cottages and a handful of rooms in the basement, but. . ."

"I wouldn't worry about that," she said. "If they finish opening up the Tir below we'll have room for a few thousand, at least."

I nearly choked on my reply. "A few th—how?"

"I know you haven't been down there because of the men and kids, but I wish you could see it. It's pretty impressive once it starts to spread out. A proper city."

"And nobody's ever stumbled across a whole city directly under Redgrove?"

"It's deeper than they'd go without a damn good reason, and there aren't many ways to get there. Besides, Fae have had a lot of practice keeping humans out of their business."

"The big conspiracy, right."

"Sure, but not just that," she said soberly, "Humans mess everything up. The only good thing that came from the incursions was forcing Fae into hiding."

"Come on, we're not that bad."

"Enough of them are. And it's not 'we,' Tom. You're one of us now."

Zeffie was one of the nicest Fae I knew, but she'd been raised in the Winter Court and still had a few of their prejudices. I learned to write them off as semantic. Most Fae had physical characteristics that set them apart, and required a glamor to walk among the natives, but apart from a bit of extra muscle, I looked the way I always had. Despite her convictions, I still walked in both worlds.

"How are you doing over there?" I asked to change the subject.

"Buzzed but coping. I know how you affect me, so I can mentally edit out the attraction without losing the morale boost. As long as you don't touch me again."

"That was an accident. You shouldn't have dropped your glamor."

"Oh, now it's my fault?" Zeffie replied, grinning as a dark shadow rippled across her skin.

"That's not what I said, and now you're teasing me."

"Nuh uh."

"You only tease when you've been around me too long."

"Stop trying to kick me out. Let's get through this list and I'll go take a cold shower or work it off in the gym with Rachel."

Two of the Fae waiting for an audience wanted more provisions because Chloris was rationing produce until the gardens came in. Meg followed to let me know she restored the runes Saphielle changed. I had to give the girl credit. Though she clearly disliked me, I received a daily status report from her in person. Then Almithara made her daily attempt to gain a private audience but gave in when she couldn't get Zeffie to leave. Finally, princess Radegund brought a new offer from her father, chief of the duende, a populous, dwarf-like clan somewhere in Iberia. She'd been sent to seal a traditional alliance between her people and the Tir through marriage. I politely declined with a formal apology and assured her it wasn't necessary, which, as usual, pissed her off.

"This is how it's done." Zeffie slipped off the edge of the bed after Radegund slammed the door behind her. "She'll keep trying, just like Almithara."

"It's not how I do things," I countered. "What I do to people is permanent."

"Ideally, so is marriage, that's the whole point of tying it to the alliance. Everyone trying to get your attention knows it's for keeps, and they know it won't be exclusive. You can't avoid it forever."

"So I've been told, but morals and ethics aside, if I start saying yes to everyone I'll never leave the bedroom."

"That doesn't sound so bad," she giggled.

"Okay that's enough. Out."

"Aww!"

"Go! You need to cool down. I'm under enough pressure."

Zeffie left with an exaggerated pout, but I heard her giggle again on the other side of the door. Katherine was a bad influence on her. The lampades knew what the withdrawal from my touch would do to her and she kept her distance, so I wasn't as concerned as I pretended, but after spending too long in my company, she became a merciless flirt, and I wasn't invulnerable to it.

Rachel was scheduled to accompany me to school that evening, but she'd been pulled into a meeting with the Highwood elves. As my Grand Marshal, Rachel was technically responsible for enforcing policy and providing physical defense for the Tir. It was just a formality, but the Fae took it seriously. The elves declared themselves her police force by default since they were the only cohesive group with combat training.

"Kelly won't meet with me if I don't bring a chaperon. Can't you postpone?" I asked. Rachel closed the gate then tapped the iron cage and I shifted my balance as it began descending to the lower levels.

"Not if I want them to take me seriously. It might seem stupid to you, Tom, but we're building a community here. This is important."

"So are my grades." I had reasons beyond my GPA for maintaining my performance at school, and Rachel knew it, but she was unmoved.

"Ask Kath."

"She's down in the Tir tonight. That's why she asked you to go with me."

"Then get Becks. She's just got her nose in the Glim and she can do that anywhere."

"You know she doesn't want to go."

"Boo hoo." Rachel leaned on the iron railing. "She needs to get out, build up her confidence."

"What if I order you to go with me?"

Rachel laughed. "If you ever have the balls to go through with it." She turned toward me as the crane began lowering us into the shadows. "Tom, you know I've got your back no matter what, but we can't sit around and wait for you to take the wheel. I'm following the orders you'd be giving me if you gave a damn about being in charge."

I knew she was right, and hated the fact that she said it aloud. "I'm trying, Rach. This isn't easy."

"Since when has easy been a requirement?" We reached the dim hall that led to the courtyard and she stepped outside. "You know what we've both been through. You push forward or you die. I'll send Becca up, just tell her she's going with you, and don't take no for an answer." Rachel shut the gate and the cage responded to her unspoken command, lifting me back to the main floor.

As predicted, Becca resisted. She'd always been an introvert, but ever since the Fae moved into our home, she passionately avoided contact with the outside world. I supposed I understood, especially after confronting Caratacos, but Rachel was right. She needed to get out and I didn't have another option.

"It's not safe," she said, hugging the Glim awkwardly. It was huge, thick, and heavy, covered in wood and bound in iron, not the kind of thing you'd want to lug around all day. "If the Fae find us outside the wards, they can follow us back."

"I've been making this same trip for months, Becca, it'll be fine."

"You didn't have an artifact with you."

"We'll wrap the Glim in a blanket. Please, I really need your help. You'll like Kelly, and we don't have to go anywhere else, I promise."

She swallowed and glanced quickly around the common room. Everyone else was either in their cottages or in the Tir, and we stood alone.

"I'll do it for you," she said finally, but she was unfocused, on the verge of panic.

"Becca?" I said, reaching toward her. "This isn't just about a trip to the lab, is it?"

She jerked away from my touch, as though it burned her. "No! I mean, it's just—" I'd seen her like that before, when she had something to say but wasn't sure if she could. Or should. "Can we just get it over with?"

When we met she was living on her own, working a full time job and attending classes online, and she managed all three successfully. Since returning to Meridian she came out of her shell, especially among the Fae, even more after receiving the titles of Royal Counselor and Mistress of Antiquities, referring to the artifacts left in our possession. Like Rachel, she worked hard to honor her role, but she hadn't left the island in almost a month. At first she made excuses, but recently just suggesting she get out often triggered her anxiety.

Redgrove was still covered in a light dusting of snow which reflected the street lights, making the night seem less oppressive. Becca held my hand as I drove, still trembling, and remained silent.

"You know I don't want to nag you, Becca," I began.

"But you're going to."

I was more relieved than annoyed at the iron in her reply. "Yeah, because I hate seeing you like this. What's wrong? The last time you kept secrets, you had a vision about Rachel's death. You can't expect me not to worry."

"I was wrong about that."

"You were pretty close. We all nearly died in that attic."

"Please stop trying to make me feel better," she said, as desperate was she was upset, which heightened my worry. I resolved to talk to Katherine about her as soon as possible.

I pulled into the lot outside Tory Hall and held the door for her as we stepped into the frigid air. I treasured my evenings at the lab, virtually alone for an hour in a world of science, then chatting about normal things with Professor Kelly Barnes. That night was different, not only due to Becca's anxiety. My evenings with the professor were rapidly coming to an end, and if I ever wanted her to help me with a cure, I had to make a move soon. I approached the glass doors of her classroom and announced myself with a knock.

Kelly looked up and greeted us with a wave. "Good evening, Tom," she said when we entered. "I thought Rachel was coming tonight."

"Something came up," I replied. "I don't think you've ever met Becca."

The shy girl stepped forward reluctantly, still hugging the Glim tightly in front of her, like a shield. "Ma'am."

The professor smiled warmly and extended a hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, but Becca didn't reciprocate. She didn't even make eye contact. Kelly gave me a look of quiet concern, then tried again.

"How do you know Tom?" she asked.

"I drank his pop by mistake." My heart skipped a little at her answer. That was the moment I infected her with the toxin in my blood, a stupid accident that turned her life upside down. Thankfully, Kelly didn't press for more.

"She worked in a storage facility near campus and we crossed paths a few times. She's been a good friend to Katherine and me."

"Tom was right about you," Becca said suddenly, and Kelly shot me a suspicious glance.

"About what, exactly?"

"You're beautiful."

I cringed again at Becca's answer. Since getting to know the woman behind the doctorates, I couldn't avoid a growing attraction. It scared me at first. I still feared my stupid powers had somehow affected my desires, amplified them until I couldn't interact with a woman without my mind turning to sex, but my relationship with Kelly was more than that. Her appearance was secondary to our friendship.

It took the professor a moment to recover, but she dropped the subject, cleared her throat, and gestured to my workstation. "I took the liberty of getting you set up so you can get started right away."

"Thanks, Kelly."

"And I was thinking about tomorrow. It's our last evening together."

"I know, I'll finally be out of your hair and you can read your trashy novels in peace."

"Stop that. I wondered if you could stay an extra thirty minutes this evening to complete the last chemistry lab and turn in your conclusions on the Purkinje neuron experiments. I could sign off on your final course requirements tonight."

My heart sank a little. "I—I suppose I could."

"Good," she smiled. "Then you can bring Katherine and Rachel with you tomorrow evening for a little celebration. You're more than welcome to join us, Becca."

Becca looked at me quickly as though seeking permission, then nodded. "Thank you."

The fear of losing that final night put some urgency into my steps, but it occurred to me that Kelly's plan might work in my favor. With Katherine, Rachel, and Becca present I'd be a lot more comfortable working fairies and magic into the conversation.

Half an hour into the evening, Kelly approached Becca and began stubbornly chipping away at her insecurities. As my professor, I'd always considered Miss Barnes a bit reclusive, keeping her distance from both students and faculty, but Kelly was clearly a people person. Becca eventually relaxed and opened up a little until she resembled the girl I met at the storage unit, a little awkward but personable.

The extra work didn't take long. I'd finished my study on neurotransmitters the week before, and the chem lab was mostly predictive math involving chemical balances. After dropping my notes on the professor's desk, I joined them at Becca's table.

"We were just talking about you," Kelly said as I took a seat across from her.

"That's not a sentence any man wants to hear."

"It hasn't been all bad," Kelly teased. "Though there were a few plot twists. I didn't know you were living with these three girls."

I shot Becca a quick look and she didn't meet my eyes. "It's not information I usually volunteer. People misinterpret it."

"I'm not judging you, I'm just surprised you're comfortable with it, considering your condition."

"It's not always easy," I said truthfully. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't share that information. It's not common knowledge, and I don't want to cause trouble."

"I don't see how it would, but I understand," she said, her brown eyes fixed on mine. "We all have our secrets." She had shared her deepest regret with me and I never told anyone, not even Katherine, but every once in a while Kelly would elude to it in conversation while she studied my reaction. I hoped I hadn't given her cause to worry.

"It seems silly to try and throw even a small party in the science wing," she continued. "I was going to invite you to my home, but perhaps it would be more convenient to meet at yours?"

"No!" I said too quickly. "I mean—it's not—I really don't think you'd be comfortable there."

She grinned, "Believe it or not, I've seen messy houses before."

"It's not that," I assured her. What else could I say? The courtyard at Meridian was designed as a ballroom in the center of a garden with a freaking waterfall. There wasn't a space within a thousand miles more ideal for a party. But how would I explain an invisible island, a warehouse transformed into a modern fairy village, and more than forty residents, most of whom couldn't pass for human? Becca glanced between us, reading my discomfort and Kelly's curiosity, then sighed as if making a difficult decision.

"Miss Barnes, do you think magic could exist?" she asked out of the blue. I almost clapped a hand over her mouth, but forced myself to relax. A spontaneous reaction would be far more suspicious than Becca's question.

"Magic?" Kelly mused, giving Becca a playful grin, as though it were simply a game. "What kind? Dragons and fireballs, or whispering spells over a boiling cauldron?"

"Both, maybe. Or parts of each. Anything that changes the rules."

"That's an interesting question." She sat back in her chair, unexpectedly giving it serious thought. "I suppose that depends on the rules. Science breaks its own expectations every time we learn something new."

"I mean more than that," she said, opening the Glim, and again I had to restrain myself. This was what I had wanted for weeks, what I'd been too afraid to do on my own. I wasn't sure Becca was the best person to bring it into the light. "This is a magic book and it has a lot to say about rules."

"It's been a long time since I played role-playing games," Kelly said. "Which one is this for?"

Becca looked up, startled. "You play?"

"I was part of a D&D group in college."

"Really!? You don't seem like a..."

"Like a nerd?" Kelly laughed. "I'll have you know my library contains as many fantasy books as romance novels."

Becca's glowing expression slowly gave way to a new resolve. "Miss Barnes—"

"Call me Kelly. Tom's rule extends to his guests."

"Okay, um—can I show you something?"

By then my nerves were raw, torn between letting Becca run with it, and dragging her out the oor. "I don't think—" I began.

"Please let me do this," she said with a quaver in her voice. Beneath her determination, she was terrified. She knew why I wanted to work with Kelly, that my goal was to find a cure for the addictive toxins in my blood, and she vehemently spoke out against it. Our relationship aside, I was her connection to magic, and forcing her to give that up would be more painful for her than tearing off a limb. She spoke up anyway.

"What do you want to show me?" Kelly encouraged.

Becca pulled on the cord around her neck, drawing the hagstone out of her shirt, but instead of asking Kelly to look though it, she held it in her palm and spoke in a whisper, "Solas."

From the hole in its center, the hagstone began to glow with a brilliant violet light. I couldn't hide my own surprise. As far as I knew, Becca needed the Rohine to cast a spell. This was entirely new.

"Oh. . ." Kelly said, bemused, addressing Becca as she would a child. "That's pretty cool. Is it an LED?"

"No, it's just a way to reach the Veil. I could show you more with the staff, but it's not here."

Kelly gave me a cautious, sideways glance and I knew Becca was missing the mark. "I see. Maybe you can show me tomorrow."

"Tomorrow will be too late," Becca sighed.

"It's okay," I tried to intercede again. "You don't have to prove anything."

"It has to be now. I wasn't sure before, but I saw it. In the mirror."

An involuntary shiver went up my spine and for a moment I forgot Kelly was in the room. The mirror was a wooden scrying bowl, part of the druids' magical hoard Miss Gold had given me, and it had a habit of predicting catastrophe.

"What did you see?"

"A red spider," she said distantly. "Wicked eyes covered by gold coins. A poisoned needle. A dark hotel room. A forbidden question." Becca's shifted her focus to me. "She'll need your help soon, and you have to be ready."

Kelly sat for several seconds with a furrowed brow and an open mouth, as if trying to find the right words. "Maybe it's time for you both to go."

"No," Becca shook her head. "I know I sound crazy, but I'm not. You'll see it either way, but if we wait until tomorrow you won't be ready."

I was growing less and less sure I wanted to recruit Kelly as every insecurity I had about the Fae surfaced. The professor's expression, a mix of confusion and pity, reinforced my doubts.

"Let's talk about this back home," I suggested, taking Becca's hand, trying to twist my expression into an unspoken apology.

"Sure," Kelly said, her relief plain. "I look forward to tomorrow, Tom, I'll send you my address." She extended a friendly hand to Becca. "Perhaps I can drag you away from your friends to talk about D&D."

"That would be nice," Becca sighed. "But we'll have different things to talk about."

Becca accepted the handshake and squeezed. She stood that way for a moment as if making up her mind, then she looked back at me with a pained expression and said, "I'm sorry."

Before I could react, she went up on her toes and kissed me. Something like fingers inside my skull teased the knot of power lurking in the back of my mind, uncoiling it against my will for the second time in two days, and a surge of thought, like water through a hose, lit up Becca's anima in an explosion of color and light. But it didn't stop there. She became a conduit, feeding power into Kelly through their touch. Ribbons of deep red and the smell of apples washed over me as the phantom lights surrounding Professor Barnes blossomed, fueled by the magic of a leanan sidhe.

It was over in a second, but the damage had been done. Both girls collapsed to the floor, Becca in tears, and Kelly gasping for air as her eyes rolled in their sockets.