Free Haven 3 Shadow Magic (Haven Series 3) by B. V. Larson

interested in the Wee Folk, but now he just wished he could get some sleep.
    Piskin cleared his throat, touching a lacy handkerchief to his lips as he did so. “I am of noble birth, yes,” he said, “but let us speak of more worthy things—”
    “Are you from Herla’s pack? Do you run before the coursers?”
    “No! No! A thousand times no, sirrah!” said Piskin, horrified at the suggestion. “I’ve nothing to do with those hotheaded turncoats and runabouts. Not a brain between the lot of them, I’ve always said.”
    Brand smiled despite himself. He nodded to indicate that Piskin should continue.
    “I represent the high-born and—” here he glanced sidelong at Tomkin, “—and the low-born amongst the Wee Folk. We feel that we’ve never been given a fair shake. We’ve never been taken seriously as a political force. This has changed, now that first Dando and now Tomkin have gained and maintained possession of the Blue Jewel. Clearly, although Dando wielded it prematurely in his own defense, the Wee Folk can and will defend their right to this source of power.”
    Brand yawned. Piskin reminded him of the lawyers that old man Silure had sent to try to argue them out of Rabing Isle. He was only two feet high, but he was clearly a stuffed shirt.
    “So, I’m here to bargain on behalf of my Folk,” Piskin continued. “We will soon be in the position to summon the Rainbow in our defense—and control it.”
    “But Lavatis is staying here for now,” said Brand. “We made a deal to that effect with Tomkin, who possesses the Jewel.”
    Piskin cleared his throat again. He paced back and forth before Brand, twirling his walking stick with easy grace each time he turned around. “This is an unfortunate detail,” he admitted. “Let me come to the crux of our offer. We wish to form a new Pact with the River Folk. The new Pact shall be one of mutual defense. You shall retain the axe and wield it in our joint effort at the head of a respectably-sized army. We shall provide information about the enemy and wield Lavatis as our part of the defensive effort.”
    Brand frowned in concentration. This was serious business, he realized. It sounded attractive, but he didn’t like the idea of enraging Oberon, nor the idea of depending on the Wee Folk for the Haven’s defense. Still, he was in need of whatever allies he could garner.
    “In principle, we’re in agreement,” said Brand. “I would propose something perhaps less grand and more immediate.”
    Piskin leaned forward intently.
    “We both need to survive this siege by the Wild Hunt. If we work together, I think the Wee Folk are more likely to retain control of Lavatis and we the axe.”
    Piskin paced a bit more. When he stopped, his eyes narrowed, and he took on the more cunning look that Brand had so often seen on the faces of his kind. “What is to keep us from taking the Jewel away to safety right now?”
    Brand shrugged. “Tomkin has given his word. And as I understand it, any of the Fae would sooner die than break their word.”
    Piskin pretended to cough into his hanky. “Indeed,” he said, “well, what if others, shall we say, decided that Tomkin wasn’t the best guardian of Lavatis?”
    “What are you getting at?” asked Brand. Tomkin too, seemed suddenly more interested.
    “What if Tomkin were to ah—lose the Jewel?” asked Piskin. He gave a suggestive twirl of his cane, ending in a light rap upon his skull that dented his top hat.
    “Thy hands would be severed first,” growled Tomkin.
    “I’m but one agent of the Wee Folk,” admitted Piskin. “But as the River Folk say, where there is one Wee Folk in sight, in the brush there are another dozen.”
    Brand frowned and Tomkin glared, but both realized that he could be telling the truth. If any type of creature could slip into Rabing Castle unnoticed, it would be the Wee Folk. There could be a small army of them nearby and they would never know. Their presence standing in front of him showed