"She tried to get a flight, but they were all delayed and canceled. So she's driving," I say.
"Do you think that's a good idea?" Devyn asks.
"At first I did… now I don't."
"Because…," Issie prompts.
"Because I think she's really the one in danger, not me, at least when it comes to the pixie king guy. I think I'm just the bait."
"The bait," Devyn says, deadpan serious like it's all suddenly making sense.
"Think about it. For almost seventeen years my mom hasn't come back here. Why?"
"It's cold," Devyn says.
"It's creepy," Issie adds.
"That's not good enough. Not with my grandmother here," I explain.
Issie looks around "Where is the ol' grandma?"
"Patrolling around outside," I say. "Okay. Wait. What was my point? Okay. My point is that my mom hasn't come back because she's been afraid to come back. She's been hiding from the pixies. But why?"
"Good question," Nick says, coming in the front door.
"Dude." lssie raises her eyebrows. "You don't even knock anymore, do you? How rude is that?"
"It's not rude. Is it rude?" Nick looks at me as lssie starts giggling and chantingrude dude, rude dude.
"Kind of, but I'll forgive you. You're interrupting, though." I pat the couch. He sits next to me. "So, my mom lived with my dad, this were guy, and weres are some of the only things that can fight pixies. But then my dad dies. He dies right when he sees the pixie king outside our window. He dies right when we need him the most."
'"That sucks," lssie says. "lssie…," Devyn warns.
"What? It does." She looks at me. "So, your mom sends you here so Betty can protect you."
"Right," I say, plucking at the string around my finger, "or to get me out of the way because she's afraid the pixie king will use me to get to her. Which he has. She didn't think ahead far enough. She sent me here, right where the pixie guy lives, and then she comes after me here, to this place where he's the most powerful."
Devyn scratches his ear. "What I can't figure out is why the pixies are here in the first place. Why here?
Why Bedford?"
Gram opens the door and comes into the living room, a big wet stain on the front of her flannel shirt. We all stop talking.
"Why don't you tell us, Gram," I say.
She pulls off her wool hat. "Tell you what?"
"Why there's so many pixies here."
"They've been up here a while. It's remote."
"Because of the iron?" I ask. "Is it because in cities the buildings are made of steel?"
"There's that. The rest of the world didn't care much when cows disappeared, didn't notice when boys disappeared," she says. "Especially before the Internet and satellite news. The rest of the world is not interested in what happens in a tiny Maine town east of nowhere. But times changed. Even the last time, the pixies had to be more careful. The state newspapers got wind of the boys disappearing."
"Why did the pixies care?" Nick asks.
She leans against the banister of the staircase, not really entering the room. "I don't think the pixie king likes taking the boys. But he has to. It's a need. He can't resist."
"So why don't people just kill him?" I want to know.
"First, not everyone knows about him. Mot even all the weres around here know. But there'd just be another one to replace him, and that one might not be quite so troubled by his needs." She gives each of us a focused look. "Do you know what I mean?"
Issie shudders and grabs on to Devyn's arm.
She continues, yanking her fingers through her hair, trying to straighten things out. "The pixie king only maintains control through power. When he's weak he loses control. Some pixies like that Ian or Megan try to take over. To do that, they have to find their own queen."
"So why Zara? Why did Ian want her?" Devyn asks. He leans forward, fingers twitching like he wants to take notes.
"I think it's because she has some pixie genes already. We already know that her mother attracts them and maybe-" "What do you mean some genes?" Nick interrupts.
"Because of who her father is."
I try to get off the couch, but Nick's hand holds me in place. "Her father is the…"
Betty's eyes flash. "You didn't tell them?"
My stomach falls into a broken place, acting just like my arm.
"Her biological father is the pixie king," Betty finishes.
Mick is the first one to react. He jumps up, his mouth wide open. He basically shouts in Betty's face.
"You always knew this?"
She nods.
His hands clench into fists. He turns on me. "So Zara's part pixie?"
"I don't know how the genes work, Nick," Betty explains. "It's not like we've done a full genetic rundown on her. She seems normal."
"I seem normal?" I mutter.
"But she's prettier than normal," lssie says.
"And she's a fast runner," Devyn adds.
"But not supernaturally fast," Gram explains as Nick stomps around the room "Nick Colt, would you just calm down? Steam is coming out your ears."
"Zara's part pixie!" he yells. His eyes flash, full of menace. "She can't be part pixie."
"Are you listening to a thing I'm saying?" Gram asks, and her face is far from happy or patient. "Her father is a pixie. That does not mean that she exhibits any pixie tendencies."
"She's a freaking pixie!" Nick yells. He looks at me like he's never seen me before and he doesn't like what he sees at all. "Jesus!"
He storms across the room and slams the door. It sends shock waves through my heart.
"Nick!" lssie yells, leaping up after him.
"He's such a wolf sometimes." Gram shakes her head. "Leave him be."
The tires of the MINI squeal. Something inside me scrunches up and heavies.
"We have to go after him," Devyn says. "He's dangerous when he's like this. Sometimes he turns."
He starts wheeling across the living room floor. lssie starts after him and then runs back to me. She throws her tiny arms around my shoulder, jostling my broken arm. "It's okay, Zara. Even if you were a hundred percent pixie, you'd still be Zara."
Tears spring out of my eyes. My throat closes up.
"He won't be stubborn forever," she says and then lets go of me, running out the door after Devyn.
Gram and I sit there for a while. I'm on the couch. She's sprawled across the big red chair.
"So much for the plan," I say. I lower my voice to a whisper, "How are we going to catch the king without Devyn and Nick?"
I'm supposed to be the bait. He's supposed to think I'm alone. Then when he brings me outside Betty and Nick will attack. They're at an advantage outside. Devyn will be the lookout. Then we'll force him to tell us where Jay is. We know he's going to come for me because he wants to use me for bait: bait to get my mom back.
"You want to bail?" Gram eyes me. I eye her.
"No. You're tough enough to take down a pixie king all by yourself, aren't you?"
"I'm tough enough to take down an entire army of those damn kings. You okay?" she asks.
I shrug and wipe at my eyes with the back of my good hand.
"I wish someone had told me all this a little earlier," I manage. "Like when I was nine or something."
She strides over and sits on the couch with me. "Ah, c'mon. We've only made a couple hundred mistakes. But you're in charge now. I think things'll get better."
She gives me a tiny fake punch on my thigh and then gives in to the grammy in her and hugs me close.
She smells like the forest and wood fires. She smells safe. I lean in and cry.
"You think he'll hate me forever?"
"He's a fool if he does."
I sniff. "That doesn't help."
"You should have seen your father when he found out about your mother," she says. "He was out of his mind."
"So why?"
"Why what?"
"Why'd she do it?"