I sank to the ground, holding Lend and blinking against the cold, bright sunshine streaming down on us. The gravel of Lend’s driveway dug into my knees, but I didn’t care.

We were here. We did it.

I looked up at Reth, the sun behind him creating a blinding halo around his head. “Thank you,” I said, tears streaming down my face. “Thank you.”

He reached down and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, then leaned over and put his fingers briefly on Lend’s forehead. I reached for his hand, but without a word he turned and walked away.

“Evie? Evie! Oh my— Lend?” Arianna started toward us, then ran into the house and yelled something. She sprinted back, joined by David.

“Is he okay? What happened? Is he—”

I shook my head, then nodded, not knowing what to say. All I knew was that he was here, with us. I had no doubt I’d pay for what I’d done to the Dark Queen. She couldn’t be killed by something as simple as a silver knife; all I’d done was borrow more time. Time that never should have been mine to begin with, so what was another threat of death hanging over my head? With Lend here I didn’t care. I’d take her wrath, all of it, anything.

David reached down and took Lend out of my arms, straining but carrying him into the house. Arianna helped me up and I cried out with pain. My feet had finally thawed.

“What did you do?” she asked, horrified, but I just shook my head, taking her arm for support and hobbling after David. I needed to be where Lend was.

We made it to the house and I tracked smears of blood on the hardwood before I sat heavily on the floor next to the blue couch where Lend was lying. He was still breathing evenly, for all appearances deeply asleep.

“Do you think he’s okay?” I whispered, looking up at David, whose worry and heartbreak mirrored my own.

“I’m sure he is.” David’s face turned into a mask of bravery as he smiled and knelt next to me. “Evie, what you did, I can’t even begin … thank you.” He wrapped me up in a hug and I buried my face into his shoulder.

“I had to bring him back.”

He nodded against my head, and even though I knew he was as terrified as I was, I let myself lean against him and pretend for a moment that he was my dad, that I had someone like that who could be strong for me when I didn’t have any strength left. I wanted Raquel here. I wanted Lish here. I wanted the mother I’d never known. But I could pretend Lend’s dad was enough.

“Evie, we need to fix your feet,” Arianna said when I let go of David and sat back against the edge of the couch.

“Yeah, they kind of hurt. But there is no way we’re letting a unicorn inside the house. You’d never get the smell out.”

We both choked out a laugh. Arianna and David wanted to carry me out to the unicorn, but I waved them away. I wasn’t leaving Lend’s side until he woke up. I put my head down on the couch next to Lend’s. He would wake up soon. He had to wake up soon.

“Do you think Cresseda would know something, be able to help?” I asked.

“She might. I’ll go see.” David nodded and hurried out the door.

“So, how did you pull this off?” Arianna asked, sitting next to me with her legs against mine.

“I have no idea. But Jack helped before he got hurt and had to leave. And Reth did, too. I wouldn’t have been able to do anything without Reth. He was kind of amazing, actually.”

“Guess there’s a first time for everything.”

“Seriously.”

I saw my purse across the room and asked Arianna to hand it to me. I pulled out my phone to see several missed calls and texts from Carlee. The most recent read: “where r u meg said u were supposd to email her dance plans shes pissed and wont stop bugging me. also my mom is making me watch white christmas please call save me must go shopping.” I hesitated, then texted back. “Lend sick. Not fun. Will call when better.”

Please, please let me be able to call her soon. She texted back immediately, as usual, offering soup. If only.

I looked up as Donna came in with David, her usual exuberantly bouncy step subdued. I was hit with a wave of guilt. I hadn’t even thought of Kari or Nona or Grnlllll this whole time. Now that I had Lend back, everything I’d been avoiding came rushing in.

“Donna, is Kari—” I couldn’t finish the sentence, but Donna gave me a brave, heartbroken smile, then shook her head.

“I’m so sorry. And Nona?”

“It’s too early to tell,” David said softly, but it didn’t sound hopeful. “We’re going to take Lend to the pond. There are a bunch of paranormals down there; they might be able to help or tell us something, and Cresseda wants to see him.”

David put his arms under Lend’s knees and arms, picking him up with a sharp exhalation, then cradling him and walking out the door.

“Help?” I asked Arianna and Donna. They stood on either side of me and I put my arms around their shoulders. Donna’s were lean and sinewy, powerful. Arianna’s were frail and felt like I would break her if I put too much weight there. It couldn’t be helped though.

We’d barely made it to the trees and already my feet were in such agony I didn’t know how I’d get down to the pond. “I’m sorry.” I gasped. “I can’t. Where’s the unicorn?”

“Probably by the pond. Want me to run ahead and try to bring it here?” Arianna asked.

“Allow me,” Reth said from behind, scooping me into his arms like I was nothing and striding down the path with his usual graceful gait. Arianna and Donna were quickly left behind.

“Reth, I …” I paused, then took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

“Whatever are you sorry for?”

I shrugged. “How about threatening to kill you, for starters.”

“That is an excellent place to start, although I must tell you those threats were rather more endearing and humorous than frightening.”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. You really came through for me when no one else could, and I know Lend wouldn’t be here without your help. So thank you.” I leaned my head against his shoulder and it seemed like he almost missed a step, but then he continued on as graceful as before. I lifted my head back up, staring ahead and straining for my first glimpse of the pond. “Why did you do it? Help me, I mean. I know you don’t love Lend.”

His golden voice was as deliciously warm as it had always been, wrapping around me in a comforting blanket, insulating me from the bite of the December air. “No, but I do love you, silly creature that you are.”

I nodded. I felt like I should say something back, but I honestly had no idea what that something was.

We came out of the trees to even more paranormals and elementals gathered around the banks. The water was still frozen solid, but a small hole near the banks boiled furiously, steam dancing into the air.

David saw me and shook his head. “I thought he was waking up for a minute on the walk here, but he didn’t.” He laid Lend gently on the ground in front of the ice hole and Cresseda appeared in a geyser of water.

Reth kept me in his arms, angling me so I could see everything. The unicorn, bless its dirty, filthy heart, trotted up and set to work on my feet as they dangled in the air. I focused as hard as I could on Cresseda to try and avoid being overwhelmed by the rainbow-sunshine-butterfly-moonlight happy cloud the unicorn was creating. It mostly worked, although I had to shake my head and wipe off several goofy, sloppy smiles.

Cresseda’s voice had an undercurrent of storm water, angry floods, and tsunamis breaking the surface of her normal tranquillity. “What of the traitor queen?”

I raised a hand. “I kind of stabbed her. In the neck. She’s probably not happy.”

Cresseda nodded, her clear features reflecting the sunlight in a fierce way, almost painful to look right at. “You have my gratitude, Evelyn.”

“Will he be okay?” I asked, my voice catching.

Cresseda reached out a water hand toward Lend and was quiet and still for almost a full minute. Finally, she nodded, and her voice rang with the melancholy of the tides. “He is still ours.”

I let out the breath I was holding. He’d be okay. He’d be okay. It was all worth it.

I motioned and Reth set me down, my feet still tender and raw, which surprised me. They weren’t as bad as they had been but last time the unicorn had healed me completely. In answer to my unasked question, Reth said, “I am afraid that, as I said, my patch did more harm than good. A unicorn’s magic cannot combat my own.”

I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. We did what we had to. They’ll get better eventually.”

Cresseda nodded at Reth. “Son of the Light Court, all is not forgiven, but I thank you for your service to my son. And I trust you to never reveal or use my Lend’s true name again.”

“That’s how you could find him?” I asked, looking up at Reth, but for some reason he avoided my eyes. Of course it made sense that Cresseda would have given him Lend’s true name (although I’d had no idea he had any besides his normal one). Reth knowing my true name meant he could find me anywhere, anytime ….

Instantly.

“Wait a second,” I said, everything clicking into place. “You—you could have found him immediately. You knew exactly where he was the second she gave you his name. So our little detour through the horrors of faerie land—” I closed my eyes and shook my head. Of course. Of course Reth wasn’t being selfless by helping me. He just wanted me to see what the Dark Court was doing, how they were hurting people so I’d be more sympathetic to what the Light Court and the paranormals wanted me to do. The entire thing—always, like always—was just another way to manipulate me.