“In this,” I qualified. “I believe they’ll use it for the greater good.”

“I despise that phrase, Ms. Lane. Atrocities have been committed in its name. What is the greater good but tyranny’s chameleon? For eons it has changed skins to sate the current ruler’s hunger for political and spiritual dominion.”

He had a point there. But in this case, the greater good was my whole world, as I knew it, and I wanted to keep knowing it. I clarified. “They think they can use it to reinforce the walls on Halloween.”

“Very well. I will bring it to you tomorrow night.”

I almost fell over. “Really?” Two surprises: Barrons wasn’t Unseelie, and he’d just agreed to hand over a priceless relic, asking nothing in return. Why was he being so nice? Was this his apology for last night?

“What’s the third thing you want, Ms. Lane?”

This one was going to be a little trickier. “What do you know about the walls between realms?”

“I know they’re paper-thin at the moment. I know some of the smaller, less powerful Fae have been slipping through the cracks, without the Lord Master’s help. The prison continues to contain the most powerful.”

His comment sidetracked me. “You know, that just doesn’t make sense. Why are the less powerful ones able to escape? I’d think it would be the other way around.”

“The walls were created from a formidable magic,” he said, “which no Fae has been able to match since. At great cost to herself, the queen wove living strands of the Song of Making into the walls of the prison, which slams the magic of the Unseelie back at them. The stronger the Unseelie, the stronger the wall; by attempting to break free, they actually join forces with their gaoler.”

Cool trick. “So, do you know why the walls are so thin?”

“Aren’t you Question Girl tonight?”

I gave him a look.

He smiled faintly. “Why are the walls so thin?”

“Because when the Compact was struck, humans were appointed to help maintain them. But those responsible for keeping them up with their rituals—the most important of which take place every Halloween—have been attacked by dark magic each time they’ve performed it over the past few years. They’ve exhausted the limits of their knowledge and power. If it happens again this year—and there’s every reason to expect it will—the walls will come down completely. Even the prison walls.”

“What does this have to do with me, Ms. Lane?”

“If the walls come down completely, all the Unseelie will get out, Barrons.”

“So?”

“You told me once you didn’t want that to happen.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s my problem.” He was looking bored again.

“This is the third action I want. I want you to make it your problem.”

“In what manner?”

“They think you can help them. Can you?”