Chapter 7

The restrooms on the luxury box level of the United Center are really quite nice. It seemed a bit of a shame to mark the floor, but it was only chalk and I really needed a circle at the moment. I shoved away a pang of guilt at taking the handicapped stall, too, promising myself to get an answer as quickly as possible as I sank into lotus position. I pulled a smooth grey stone from one of the pockets in my duster, and began to concentrate on it.

"Audire, audivi, audium," I intoned, focusing my will. It was an experimental communications spell I'd worked out after a near miss with Elaine a while back. It was glitchy, but it was all I had. Maybe someday I'd even refine it, if I had the time. I repeated the phrase again, and then several more times until I felt the connection snap into place.

"Hoss?" came the somewhat cranky voice of my mentor, Ebeneezer McCoy, "What're you callin' so late for, boy?"

"Late? Oh, yeah." It was almost midnight in Edinburgh. "Sorry, got a bit of a quandary, sir. I was hoping you might have some thoughts."

"This about that Seventh Law thing?"

"Heard about that, did you?"

"The Senior Council takes that stuff seriously. Rashid went off to look for breaches in the Outer Gates."

"Honestly, sir, I don't know what I've got with that. I've encountered a couple people who claim to be from a different Universe, and gave me some evidence that makes me inclined to believe them."

My teacher frowned, or at least sounded like he did. "Another Universe? Sounds fishy to me. What corroboration do you have?"

"Physical evidence and personal knowledge. And the Summer Knight admitted that a thrid person is currently being held as a guest of the Summer Court."

"Damnation, boy, haven't you had messed with the Sidhe enough? Don't make the mistakes your mother did."

My mother - called Margaret LeFay because of her influence in the realms of Faerie. "I didn't know!" I complained. "They sandbagged me, twice over here. I got hired by two extra-universals to find their companion, and that trail led to the Nevernever. Then there was an appointment E- er, a friend referred me for. Turns out that this big shot Hollywood guy turns out to be Robin Freaking Goodfellow."

"What?" exclaimed McCoy.

"That's pretty much my reaction too."

"Hoss, what did he ask you to do?"

"That's what I called you," I said, and explained Puck's request in detail.

"Why now?" my mentor said, his voice thoughtful. "Doesn't make any sense."

"I was taught that Oberon was dead, sir."

"That's the story we put out, yeah. Must've been thre or four Merlins ago, made that call. Only a few of us on the Senior Council know the truth. And you too now, I guess."

"Lucky me," I said.

"That knowledge comes with a price, Hoss," he said seriously, "You're getting on the radar of some damned scary folks. You need to step carefully."

"Tell me about it," I responded, "So any advice on what to do about the case?"

As he started to talk, I found myself yawning involuntarily, and the spell wavered before I could stabilize it. "Sorry, sir. getting a little tired here. What did you say?"

"Hate to be in your shoes, Harry. But seems to me there's an opportunity here. We need an ally in the war with the Reds - if you get Oberon out, he'll be in your debt. If we can get the Sidhe to throw in with us, Winter and Summer alike, we can put those vampire bastards down for good."

"Are you sure, sir?"

"Listen, boy, don't go getting yourself killed doing it, but yeah. I ain't ordering you, but we need this, and you doing this thing, it might even change some minds around here."

I scoffed, "Yeah, I'm sure that the Council will get their heads out of their collective ass and give me credit for something at some point in my lifetime. I mean, that's a couple hundred years if I don't get myself killed trying to save those same cranially constipated asses."

"Hah," he said, "Funny. Now I'm probably not going to be available for the next couple days - the Merlin's cooked up something down in Italy somewhere, but I want to wish you luck, whatever you decide to do."

"Thanks," I said dryly. "Have fun in Italy."

He made a grunt, and then the connection was gone.

I managed to climb to my feet by pulling myself up on the support bar, dislodging a piece of wadded up toilet paper from my leg as I did so. I unlatched the door to the stall, briefly stopped to wash my hands and splash some water on my face. I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling the headache coming on. I steadied my breathing, then headed back to tell one of the most infamous Faeries in literature that I was going to take his case.

As I approached the door to the suite, the muffled sound of voices within made me pause. Two voices, male and one that I couldn't quite identify. I wasn't going to take any chances, so I set about excluding the background sound of the fans wandering the level and Listened in.

"Your Majesty is well aware that I am not one of her subjects, nor are my actions at all in violation of the Accords" came Bonham's voice, "And that I am duty bound to my liege and lord."

"Nevertheless, I have claim upon the Wizard." came a rasping voice that I now recognized as belonging to a Malk called Greymalkin. He was a scary son of a bitch, and the last time I'd seen him, he was serving as the mouthpiece for the Winter Queen. Mab. Crap crap crap. What was she doing here? I immediately withdrew the question. If everything were on the level - yeah, I know, fairly unlikely with the Fae - then freeing Oberon represented at the best a loss of power for the Queen of Air and Darkness. At worst? Depending on how pissed the Faerie King was, she might end up replacing him in his prison. Or worse.

"Your claim is tied to your current bargain, your Majesty. Of course, you may wish to ask a favor of the wizard that he not pursue this task, if such is your wont. But you've just the one Favor left, do you not, and you would lose your claim on him. Would you take that gamble, O Queen, and risk everything? You know that he is insufficient to the task as it stands. A simple gamble on your part that you and your Summer counterpart can prevent him from gaining the prize. Else ask your favor and be quits with him. He is at the door now, awaiting your decision."

I took that as my cue to enter, and grasped the doorknob, being rewarded with a painful stab of static electricity. Mab again. "Your Majesty," I said with a slight inclination of my head to Mab, "What an unexpected pleasure." My mind was racing with the idea that Bonham had offered - that Mab might want me off the case so badly that she'd use the last of the agreed upon three favors, freeing me from her influence and the last vestiges of a teenage boy's foolish bargain.

She turned to face me, impossibly beautiful and yet with unmistakable anger in those catlike eyes. "Do not pursue this, mortal," came the Malk's voice, "You cannot apprehend the consequences if you were somehow successful, and it will likely cost your life to make the attempt. My sister and I cannot permit you to unleash Oberon on our lands."

"Then ask me not to," I said, "Use your last favor. You know I'll jump at the chance. Otherwise, since I've already accepted his job offer, I'm doing the job."

She turned her icy - hah - stare on me. "Choose wisely, wizardling. Know that all Sidhe under Winter and Summer alike will stand in your way, should you continue in this pursuit. You will not survive, and I shall be deprived of my Knight."

"I'm not your Knight, and I've got no plans to ever take the job."

"Mortal plans are ever so fleeting," she said. "As ephemeral as your mortal lives. Perhaps this undertaking will gain you the only escape possible, and perhaps not. You may seek the security of the grave, and whatsoever may follow, but I assure you, you cannot possibly comprehend what the hobgoblin asks of you."

With a flash, she and the Malk were gone.

"And without even saying goodbye," my mouth stammered, my breath condensing in the air.

"You have an answer for me," Puck said, with a small uptick at the corners of his mouth.

"Yeah," I said, "dammit. I do have an additional request, though. I do this, and Oberon resumes his lordship and dominion over the Sidhe, he throws in with the White Council against the Red Court."

"Acceptable," he said. "Freedom for my liege in exchange for freedom from your debt to Mab and the enmity of the Erlking, and an alliance against the Vampires."

"Don't forget my fee," I reminded him. "I'm already working one case pro bono, and the rent's due soon."

"Done, done, and done," he said, offering his hand.

Knowing I was going to regret this, I reached out and shook it. I pulled out the stick he'd given me from a pocket in my duster and looked it over. "And this thing? What does it do?"

"Suffice to say one seeking a King may find it … useful."