All of that was understandable for a guy with as much money to burn as Brightkin, but… the worst part was a human girl who had no business being there.
She had to be in her late teens, blonde and pretty, but she was staring up at the camera, her pupils eating up most of her eyes and a slack look to her mouth.
“Did… did he give her evanesce?” I asked, sliding the photo back.
Evanesce was not meant for humans at all. It was made of magic, and being magicless, the human brain was eaten away by the drug until there was nothing but stringy webs of it left in their skull.
Robin was unsmiling and grim when he tucked the photo back into place. “Likely. Small doses of evanesce would certainly keep a human compliant.”
I felt sick. All those mornings we’d gathered in Fairy Ferry with gossip about Prince Brightkin, and he’d been face down in someone’s ass, high on evanesce, with a human involved.
Almost as bad, I realized why Sisse had been overjoyed that Robin had dragged an extortable dryad into his house. Brightkin clearly had it bad for nymphs.
“I don’t… I don’t have to let him touch me, do I?”
Robin looked at me, really looked into my face, and must’ve seen the sickness there. Some of the sternness left his own expression, his eyes softening. “You might have to let him put an arm around you, but no, I don’t expect you to allow him to grope or fuck you.”
The word fuck coming out of his mouth was jarring. He seemed too refined for that, but there was also something carnal and dirty about it, like he’d be an animal once the pressed shirt came off.
I shifted in my seat, thinking of Gwyn’s joke about nymphs who liked bananas. “Okay. I can do this. I think.”
“You can. All you have to do is play vapid and be gorgeous, and he’ll be eating out of your hand. Your only goal is to get close to his inner circle.” Robin shuffled the papers back into the envelope and tucked them in the drawer, then slid another one open. “Now, I have two things for you. The first one is a perk of the job.”
I almost gasped out loud when he slid a shiny new box across the desk to me. “An Acorn 8? Those aren’t even on the market yet!”
The box had already been opened, and the sleek dark phone inside was nothing like my broken Dandelion+. It powered on when I tapped it, showing a background of gently waving lavender fields.
“I’ve already had your old contact list downloaded to the directory. My name is pinned for you, so you can call whenever you need help or find something.” Robin was still searching for something else, not paying attention to me lovingly cradling the phone I’d never be able to afford on my own.
“Wait.” I eyed the phone, so beautiful and unattainable only moments ago, with suspicion. “How did you get my contact list?”
“I have a contact who works in the Acorn data center.” He found what he was looking for and brought up a smaller box. “Miss Appletree. I’m the Left Hand of the Seelie Court. In less than thirty minutes, I could have someone bring up every text, every photo you’ve taken, for the past two years.”
He gave me the look that seemed to laser right through me, but all I could think about was how easy it would be for Robin to procure every single nude photo I’d taken, pixied out on sending, and deleted in the entire time I’d dated Ioin.
“That’s an invasion of privacy, boss,” I said indignantly, but I clutched the phone to my chest.
He couldn’t have the phone back. Not now. My greedy hands were already on it.
“I haven’t invaded your privacy. Yet.” The warning was clear in his voice. “All I had him do was back up your contacts to the new phone. Now, pay attention. This one you will use less, but could be far more important in saving your life in a tight spot.” He flipped open the small box.
“Are you proposing to me already? We haven’t even had dinner yet.”
Robin took a breath and briefly looked like he was debating wiping my memory anyways and pushing me out the door.
“I’m just joking, boss. Lighten up. You’re stuck with me.” I reached out to take the box and the ring within.
It looked like delicate vines woven from silver, set with a gleaming moonstone. Tiny facets within the stone shone in blue and green, with a flash of vivid purple when turned the right way.
I pulled it from its velvet cushion and slid it over my left middle finger. The silver vines warmed and compressed, adjusting to fit my finger perfectly.
“This is a ring from the Unseelie Court,” Robin said, reaching over the desk to take my hand. My breath caught in my throat when his calloused fingers ran over mine, checking the fit of the ring, but his expression was purely business. “It’s a loaner, so try not to lose it.”
“Why do I need an Unseelie ring?” I asked, a little unsteadily.
Bright blue eyes pierced me. “This will allow you to spin the shadows.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I’m a dryad. Magic isn’t really my forte, unless you’d like me to grow some rather ugly trees.”
“The magic is woven into the ring itself.” He tapped the moonstone. “Spin it around on your finger, and whisper to it: spin me a tale. Then you will be able to step through the shadows, weave them like ropes, pull them over you for cover... this is not a toy, Miss Appletree. It’s to save your life, if need be.”
I stared down at the ring and my hand, still clasped in his. He seemed to realize he was still holding mine and released me quickly, withdrawing his arms like he’d done something wrong.
“Got it, boss. Super-powered ring for emergencies only.” I took a deep breath.
Was my life likely to be in danger? The only answer to that seemed to be yes. All I had to do was picture the human girl in the incriminating photo.
That wasn’t the kind of information Brightkin would want to get out into the world. It was the kind of information someone would commit murder over. “So I’m going to need a disguise, right?”
Robin pointed upstairs.
6
Most of the upper level of Robin’s house was restricted to me. I was informed that the first room on the right was his bedroom, and that I had zero business stepping in there.
“Like I’d want to,” I muttered under my breath. Robin ignored me.
There was an armory, but the last room on the left was apparently now mine.
“Everything you need will be provided for you in here,” he told me. “Get ready. I’m bringing you out tonight to make initial contact.”
He strode away with silent footsteps, disappearing into the bedroom that was off-limits.
I locked the door and turned around to survey ‘my’ room. There was a neatly made bed and a tall wardrobe of pale wood, carved with mermaids around the sides.
Best of all, there was a small bathroom. I showered quickly, scrubbing with lilac-scented body wash and thinking about the photo.
If I was Brightkin’s flavor, so to speak, I’d want to match the glittery, lush-looking nymphs he’d partied with.
After the shower, I ran my fingers through my hair, shaking it out so it was a big mass of curls. When I opened the medicine cabinet, I found a bag of brand-new makeup and shimmering lotion.
I slapped it on liberally, making sure every inch of exposed skin would shine under the club lights, and applied thick, glassy lip gloss.