“There will be a reckoning,” she tells us, and I’m not entirely sure if she means with the bogans or with us. “Until then, you are welcome to stay as our guests. I will have food and drink brought to you. Mother Crone will remain with you to answer any further questions you might have.”

“But—” Mother Crone begins.

Oh, she doesn’t like it, being stuck here with us. Truth is, I’d just as soon she leave with the rest of them, but I guess Tatiana’s making a point of some kind with her.

“There is a problem?” the queen asks.

Mother Crone shakes her head.

“Fine. Is there anything else you require?” she asks of us.

Jack and I wait for Joe to answer.

“Just to be clear,” he says, “if we were to walk out that door, you wouldn’t try to stop us?”

“Of course not. You are my guests, not prisoners. But I’d prefer you to wait here so that we don’t have to go looking for you when we have Big Dan in hand. My guards won’t be long.”

Joe nods. “Then if someone could bring me a phone, we’re good.”

“It will be done,” the queen says.

Then she sweeps out of the room—which is a good trick when you don’t have some big dress or a cloak, but she pulls it off all the same. The guards all leave, the door stays open, and it’s just us, Mother Crone, and her treekin.

Joe looks at Jack and me, then settles back in his chair, ignoring the fairies. The two of us take our seats as well, but the fairies stay on their feet.

“Do you have any further questions?” Mother Crone asks.

You can tell that asking us that took something from her. But I guess she’s a good soldier, following her queen’s orders.

Joe just shakes his head.

“This antagonism to my people’s a new thing for you,” she says to Joe. “And especially for you, Jack. Half the court has been out drinking and dancing with you and would name you a friend.”

“Respect’s something that has to be earned,” Joe says. “And it has to be maintained. You folks have just let me down, big time. First going after my family—yeah, yeah. You don’t have to argue about how you had nothing to do with it. You tried to stonewall me and let’s get one thing straight. Jilly gets hurt coming out of this, and it’s coming out of somebody’s hide.”

“You keep talking about family,” Mother Crone says. “But Jilly’s not related to you.”

“You wouldn’t understand,” Joe tells her. “Relationships don’t have the same meaning with fairies as it does with my people. Or even humans.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”