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“Clover worked like that,” he said grimly, “but the magic… It’s hard to explain. Something is wrong with it.”
“Trinity?”
He raised a brow.
I didn’t buy for a second that he actually cared, but if there was even a chance that he did… “That’s what we call it at the hospital. Because it’s not good or lucky or happy anymore. Not fun. Not safe. It’s not four-leafed clover anymore. It only looks like it.”
“Clever.” His lips pinched, but he finally sighed. “Until we figure out what’s gone wrong, I need to fill the gap.”
“Yes, because different drugs are the answer,” I said dryly. So much for him being part of the solution.
“Paint fae as the villains if you like, but humans are their own worst enemies. They crave happiness so desperately that they’ll do anything for a moment of it, even if it’s going to destroy them.” His eyes examined me briefly, something unreadable moving in them. “Getting clover off the streets won’t fill the hole it leaves behind. The Infernal Court has something that will.”
“So, you’re inviting everyone here to do a drug deal, and that requires formal wear?”
“It’s much more complicated.” He sighed and took another drink. “It requires ritual fuckery and pissing contests and other bullshit.”
I could tell what he thought about that.
The seamstress stood, casting one final weary look in my direction. “You can take that off. We’re finished for now.” Before I could thank her, she vanished along with her partner.
“I will never get used to that,” I muttered, gathering my skirt carefully to avoid the pins before stepping down.
“Nipping?” he asked.
“Why not just call it teleportation?” I replied, plucking the glass from his hands.
He tracked me as I took a drink, his mouth twisting into a bemused line. “We’ve been nipping for thousands of years, but, yes, by all means, let’s modernize it.”
I took another swig, appreciating the way the liquor burned down my throat, and changed the subject. “So, ritual fuckery and pissing contests? Did you put that on the invitation?”
“Two of our most beloved pastimes, but don’t worry, there will also be food and dancing.”
I traced the cuts and grooves of the crystal glass. Did he really expect me to flutter around in a ball gown, making small talk and hanging off his arm? “That sounds fun.”
“It isn’t.” He raked a hand through his hair, a tattoo winding its way around his knuckles. “However, securing an alliance with the Infernal Court is the only option we have.”
“But all the courts have to come?” I sipped again. “Why?”
“Some would say tradition, but it’s more superstition. When deals are struck between courts, especially shadow courts, everyone wants a say.”
I shook my head, still trying to understand. A deal sounded simple enough, but Lachlan seemed to be dancing around something bigger. “Because the shadow courts are bad?”
His nostrils flared. “I’m afraid it’s not that black and white,” he said tightly. “Although, the light courts are pretentious enough to think they’re better than us.”
“So why the differentiation? Why worry about the opinion of the light courts?”
“Fae magic exists on a spectrum of lightness and darkness. It has nothing to do with morality,” he added when he saw my confused expression. “Believe me, a Hallow Court fae is just as likely to hunt down someone who breaches his territory as we are. But each court’s magic operates differently. At the Nether Court, we draw off the magic that runs deep underground in cold, dark places. The Infernal Court draws off the molten power at the Earth’s core.”
“And the other courts? The Hallow Court and the…?”
“Astral Court,” he answered. “They draw off the energy above us. The sun. The stars. The Hallow Court draws off the air. If you ask them, their magic comes from heaven itself. That’s probably why they think they’re above us. In a way, they are. Quite literally.”
“I thought the fae hated humans. Why make me go?”
“I assume you don’t want to hang out here while everyone else is having a good time.”
I did, actually. But the way he said it suggested he would not be having a good time himself. “We could just take a few nights off.”