“She hasn’t threatened my life yet,” I reasoned. “Unlike the man we’re asking her to help us stop.” I looked over at him. “We have to stop the Älvolk. This will help us do that.”

At the hotel, we checked into our room. We just got one room this time, only partially to save money. My savings were gone, and Pan had just enough to get us to Sweden. After that, I had no idea what we would do next, but I tried not to think about the fact that I was basically a homeless drifter now.

I didn’t have time to worry though, at least not yet, and I hurried to shower and dress. Since my hair was still wet, I did a quick fishtail braid. For my eyes, I did bronze on the lids with a smoky liner, and I paired it with a maxi dress dyed like an ombré sunset.

Pan looked gorgeous in snug jeans and a burgundy dress shirt, but I hardly had time to notice it because we were out the door and on the way to the palace.

The guard at the door let us in, but he waited with us in the foyer while the butler went to see if the Queen Regent would see us or not. I had tried to plead my case, but he refused to listen to anything beyond my name.

We waited long enough that I had started counting the snails on the walls to keep myself from freaking out. Pan kept shifting from one foot to the other and sighing.

A door slammed somewhere deeper in the palace, followed by bare feet stomping loudly on the cold stone floors. Then she appeared at the top of the steps, already in her dressing gown, which I should’ve guessed, since it was after six P.M.

“Why do you keep coming back?” Bodil asked, sounding incredulous as she descended the stairs toward us. “Have I somehow mistakenly given you the impression that you have a standing invitation to my home? Because you do not.”

“I need your help,” I said.

She glared down at me, her arms firmly folded across her chest. “I am not a magic fairy here to grant you wishes. I am the ruler of an entire kingdom. Who in the hell do you think you are to ask anything of me?”

I glanced over to the guard, and then I looked back at Bodil and tried to give her a knowing look. “Please. I promise this will be the last time I ask for your help.”

Her nostrils flared as she glowered at us a moment longer. “I’ll give you ten minutes, nothing more.”

“Thank you,” I said, but she didn’t say anything more as she strode down the stairs in a huff, her long robe billowing out behind her.