Kanesha was trying to get him in the back, but he was just too fast. I dived to avoid the spell, rolling to come up next to our vehicle. My sword was on the floor in the back. I tried to get the door open, but he managed to get off a different spell.

 

One which apparently electrified the outside of our car. Neat trick. I had to give him tactical points for it.

 

So, I had to do this unarmed. I wasn’t taking Kanesha’s blade.

 

Especially as she got him in the shoulder. He hissed…and then abruptly ran.

 

His chariot charged us, although not to hit, but just to slow us down before it ran after him.

 

“What was that about? It’s steel, not cold iron.”

 

“I don’t know. Maybe fairies don’t like dwarven steel? Maybe he just can’t handle a bit of pain.”

 

Most likely he realized it was dwarven and decided not to mess with people who might be allied to dwarves. Or something. “Let’s get out of here before he comes back with friends.”

 

The car was no longer electrified. Kanesha drove. I rode a rather more literal shotgun than normal, blade next to me. But we were definitely thinking about stopping whatever that fairy was up to.

 

It couldn’t be anything good, and I wasn’t just judging by Unseelieness at this point, although that was usually a fair bet.

 

“So, what do we do?”

 

“I think…we find a place where we can talk to the Summer Court.”

 

“Good call!” Kanesha grinned at me. “Nearest wood should work?”

 

“If I can find a fairy ring.” Which might be challenging, but she pulled up in a tiny little park that was mostly trees.

 

It should work, and I started to search while Kanesha kept watch. I wasn’t about to take on a group of Unseelie fae of uncertain power.

 

But the Summer Court needed to know they’d decided to attack me. Or he had. I could be nice and assume he was acting, if not alone, then at least without direct orders from anyone else.

 

I could decide only to be mad with him.

 

And there. Fairy ring. “Wish we had a witch.”

 

Kanesha shrugged, stepped forward, and held just the tip of her sword inside the ring.

 

It shimmered, and she pulled back the blade before the portal opened. I was starting to think the dwarves had not been entirely honest about that sword.

 

Or perhaps not entirely honest with me. It would be a very dwarf kind of thing to not tell me everything my girlfriend’s sword could do so she could surprise me. And really, it wasn’t strictly necessary that I knew.

 

A fairy stepped through. Her first words were, “Point that somewhere else.”

 

Kanesha laughed, and sheathed the sword. “Happy.”

 

“Dwarven steel in mortal hands. That has not happened for centuries.” Then she turned to me. “Ah. And I see why.”

 

Aha. So it was just a dwarven steel thing.

 

“I protect those I care about.”

 

“So, what do you want?”

 

I considered it for a long moment, then, “Little problem with an Unseelie Sidhe who chose to attack me and mine.”

 

“Ah. That one. We really need to work out the best thing to do about him.”

 

I smiled. “I can help.”