“Thank you, Your Majesty. And, um . . . it’s Daisy,” I said. “Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. Daisy Johanssen.”

The Oak King’s smile deepened. “Yes, I know. Well done, Daisy Johanssen.”

“Thank—”

He was gone.

It happened . . . Oh, gah! I don’t even know how to describe how it happened, other than fast. Between the space of one breath and the next, the Oak King was gone and the meadow got bigger again. Sinclair Palmer and I stood staring at each other beside a white tablecloth scattered with acorn caps and a huddle of fairies.

A soft breeze blew over the meadow, bending the grasses and wildflowers.

The fairies stirred.

One of them, the Queen Anne’s lace fairy with the white hair and purple eyes, snatched the half-empty flagon of cowslip dew from the center of the tablecloth. “Thou hast what thou came for,” she spat at me in disdain, clutching the flagon to her narrow chest. “I claim the spoils of thine endeavor!”

“Go right ahead.” I pocketed the silver acorn whistle the Oak King had given me, and began folding the tablecloth. “Oh, and by the way? A little boy named Jake says hello. He helped me put this feast together, so if you ever meet him, be nice.”

She hissed at me, baring eel-sharp teeth.

I eyed her. “Also? If you make an appearance, be sure to smile with your mouth closed.”

Chapter Thirty-four

Thirty-four

Sinclair and I didn’t speak much as I drove him home, both of us pretty well awed by what we’d just witnessed.

“That was extraordinary, wasn’t it?” he asked when I dropped him off. He still sounded dazed. “Tell me that was extraordinary, because if it wasn’t, I’m really bugging out here, and I don’t bug out easily.”

I nodded. “Yeah. That was extraordinary. I don’t know anyone who’s seen the Oak King. What did his aura look like? Was it muted, too?”

Sinclair shook his head. “No. No, it was . . . huge. Like the sun rising behind a mountain.” He gazed into the distance. “Or maybe setting,” he added softly. “Like maybe it rose a long time ago.”

I thought I knew what he meant. “Let’s hope it doesn’t set anytime soon.”

“Agreed.” Returning from the distance, he gave me a fist bump and a grin. “Respect, sistah! I and I owe you one.”

I fist-bumped him back. “I and I’ll keep it in mind.”

It wasn’t quite five o’clock by the time I returned to my apartment. I checked my phone and found a text from Jen saying she wanted to come with me tonight, and would swing by around ten p.m. I sent her a text to confirm, then called the station in case there was some news no one had thought to pass on to me.