"You'd be dead before it happened," said Garvin.
Sparky glanced at him, challenge in his eyes, and then at Alex, who shook her head minutely. Sparky sighed. "OK," he said. "Take me to your leader."
I wished again that I knew where my sword was, but perhaps it was for the best. Four against one was not good odds, especially not these four.
The Warders came forward, weapons drawn, Amber stepping between me and Alex and Fionh and Tate steered Alex and Sparky away from Blackbird and I, separating us. Something passed in a glance between Tate and Alex, and for a second I wondered what had been said between them up on the hill, but then they slid away into darkness.
"Amber," said Garvin, "see if you can find anything of the orb, or the other items, and bring them back to the Courts. Niall, give her a hand. The court will be in session just as soon as the Lords and Ladies are assembled. You'll want to be there," he said as he turned and followed.
Amber stayed between me and the rest of the Warders until they faded into the dark. I thought perhaps she was less comfortable with the situation than was evident from her actions, but maybe that was speculation on my part. I knew she would do her duty whatever happened.
When they had gone, she nodded and walked up the hill to look for what was left of the orb.
"Why didn't you do anything?" I asked Blackbird.
"What would you have me do?" she asked.
"I don't know, come up with some rule that you can't arrest someone who's saved the universe?" I suggested.
"You know as well as I do, if the Courts summon you, then you're summoned," she said. "It will do them no good to run. Besides," she said, "your daughter is taking responsibility for her actions. She's growing up, Niall."
"She is, and will continue to as long as they don't execute her and the lad she's with. You know as well as anyone what the mercy of the Courts is like."
"The Courts are just, by their own values. We just have to make sure they make the right decision."
"And how," I asked, "are we going to do that?"
"I have a proposal," she said.
TWENTY-TWO
Alex sidled up to Blackbird under the watchful eye of Fionh. "When's Dad getting here?" she said.
"He'll be here," Blackbird told her. "Don't fret."
"I thought he was coming back with you," she said.
"He had to go and see someone first. He'll be here as soon as he can."
"There's always something more important," she said.
Blackbird turned to face her. "Child, there is nothing in the world more important to your father than you. Believe it."
"Then where is he?" she asked.
"Patience," she counselled.
Alex looked across at Sparky, standing between Tate and Amber. He grinned at her, but she could tell he was nervous. She had already played twenty questions on the subject of the Courts, their inner workings and what might happen to them. He hadn't been cheered by it.
He'd quietly suggested that they make a break for it, until she explained that even if they escaped they would spend the rest of their lives being hunted, always looking over their shoulders. Alex'd had her fill of that, and when it came to it, so had Sparky.
So they waited.
When the door to the Courts opened, Alex visibly jumped. Garvin beckoned them in. "They will see you now."
Blackbird smiled reassuringly and shepherded them through the double doors.
"Where's Dad?" she mouthed at Blackbird.
In response, Blackbird mouthed the word, soon.
Garvin stood by the door until they were through. "Tate, Amber, keep watch from here." He pulled the door closed as Fionh went through.
Alex had been in the courtroom when it was empty, and in daytime. At night with the court in session it felt entirely different. Whereas before the sunlight had streaked in through gaps in the shutters on the high windows, now the only lit area was the central design of a seven pointed star patterned into the floor, around which were arrayed seven thrones. The rest of the room was shrouded in shadow.
Alex looked up at the inside of the dome, and was reminded somehow of the strange little church at Kilpeck where Eve retrieved the orb. The creatures carved into the stone around the door of the church were not unlike the ones portrayed in the frieze inside the dome. She thought again of their attempt to bring back unicorns and manticores. She still didn't know what a manticore was.
"Come forward," said Kimlesh, from her seat at the end of the arc of thrones.
Alex glanced at Blackbird and received an encouraging nod. She stepped forward onto the star that was patterned into the floor. After a moment, Sparky followed her and they stood together. Out here she felt more exposed, and the sense of a brewing storm intensified. A shrug from Sparky confirmed that it was none of his doing. Even so, a thread of power prickled across her skin.
"Well come," said Kimlesh. "Alexandre, you have returned to us in unexpected circumstances."
"Yeah, well," she said. "Shit happens."
There was a sound that might have been a hiss behind her. Someone had drawn a weapon — a reminder perhaps that manners were required. She was well aware that this was a dangerous game, but she was done with arse-kissing. She wasn't here to beg.
"And this is…?" Kimlesh said.
"This is my friend," Alex said. "Lords and Ladies, this is Sparky. Sparky, meet the Lords and Ladies of the High Court of the Feyre."
Sparky looked uncomfortable for a moment. "Pleased to meet you," he mumbled.
Mellion leaned forward, his silver chain glinting as his dark eyes focused on Sparky, who shifted uncomfortably under his inhuman gaze.
"You would do well to remember where you are," said Lord Krane, who lounged in the throne at the centre of the group.
Alex met his gaze unflinching. "Yeah," she said. "And you would do well to remember that there still is a where, and a when, which there wouldn't be except for us."
"You have a high opinion of yourself," said Teoth, folding his arms, "which conveniently neglects to account that you are at least partially responsible for the events that transpired."
"We didn't know what she was going to do," said Alex.
"Then perhaps," said Barthia, "you should be more careful with whom you associate."
"She would have found someone else," said Alex. "It wasn't us she needed, just three people who were stupid and naive enough to follow along."
"Then you acknowledge your culpability," said Yonna. When she received a blank look, she tried again. "You accept the blame for your part."
"I 'spose," said Alex.
"That in itself is enough," said Krane.
"If she'd found someone else," Alex said, "we wouldn't be having this conversation. You and everyone else wouldn't exist. From what she said, we'd have never existed." She shrugged, "I don't understand that bit."
Teoth leant forward. "An unravelling of causality. Interesting."
"We've heard enough," said Krane. "Let's not complicate the issue."
"There is still the matter of our promise," said Kimlesh.
"What promise?" asked Alex.
Yonna spoke. "We promised your father that you would have a place in the courts, if you came into your power."
"That's hardly relevant now," said Krane.
"A promise is a promise," said Kimlesh. "Would you have me break my word?"
"What about me?" said Sparky.
Kimlesh shook her head. "There was no such promise regarding you, my child."
"I'm not a child," said Sparky, "and I'm not yours."
Alex thought a little of her defiance had rubbed off on him, which was not necessarily a good thing.
"The ruling of the High Court takes precedence over a single court in matters that affect us all," said Krane. "There is no doubt in my mind that this affects all of us. Indeed, it could be said to affect everyone and everything."