The King's Leash (The Fay Morgan Chronicles Book 7) by Katherine Sparrow

We will return with greater powers,” I said. With Lila, I thought, hoping she could destroy the thing with her greater magic.
    I stepped into the boat and Merlin came right behind me. We huddled together while all around us the world looked tranquil and pristine.
    On the far side of the pond, we waded into the shallow waters and cleaned off the drying spit and malingering scents of the attack. We scrubbed ourselves, over and over again, as though this was Lethe water and could clean our memories as well.
    We dragged our sopping selves out of the pond only to be surrounded by hundreds of faeries again. They sat in trees strewn with flashing lights and in vines full of glitter and party streamers.
    Merlin and I had already promised the Queen and King of this hill that we would be back. There was nothing more to say, and I did not offer false platitudes as we walked through them. They had been living with this terrible thing for who knew how long. We’ll be back, I silently thought. We’ll come back and destroy that thing.
    Merlin turned as we came to the door that led out of the hill. “Keep a watch on the spreading rot, and flee from your hill, if needed,” he said, loud enough for all to hear.
    “As though we could go topside and walk through your land unaccosted?” one flower faerie asked tartly and licked her protruding saber fangs. “As if out there would be any safer?”
    Neither of us had an answer to that.
    We opened the door and stepped outside. The sky spattered rain. The air was full with the smells of gasoline, dust, and pollution. All of it was honey to me. The world had never looked so beautiful. I glanced back at the faerie door, and was not proud of the pulse of fear that thrummed through me. I had the disquieting thought that I could walk away and never have to see that gray monster again.
    “And now, Wizard?” I asked, as flecks of rain hit my cheeks.
    “You must go to Lila and fill her in on all that has happened. Have her, and Adam if he’s at your shop, do their Google-thing to seek information on that monster.”
    I nodded. “And where will you be?”
    He swallowed. “At Morgan’s Ephemera, soon enough. I need a bit of time to do my own research. To think,” he said vaguely. He shifted from side to side.
    “Excellent,” I said, and watched the telltale signs of his body whenever he lied. I had, long ago, learned to hide such things from him. Though, in truth, the skill had only brought me strife and sadness. “But be quick about it. We don’t want to leave that thing,” I gestured behind me, “running amok.”
    We walked together down to the street, where I held up a hand and gestured for a cab. It pulled over. I opened the back door and got in.
    Merlin leaned in and gave me a peck on my cheek. “I won't be long, Morgan. We will not leave the fae folk to face that thing on their own.”
    “Agreed,” I said.
    The cab idled as I watched Merlin walk swiftly away.
    “Where to?” the cab driver asked with a thick, Russian accent.
    I waited a long moment. “Nowhere,” I said and thrust a twenty-dollar bill into his hand.
    I got out of the cab and closed the door quietly behind me.
    Half a block ahead of me, Merlin reached into his bag without slowing. I knew not what spell he used, but it was some sort of motion accelerator. He activated it and a moment later, with every step forward, he blurred and moved a dozen steps. Within a couple of strides he was at the end of the block. He would soon be out of my sight.
    “ Dilyn ,” I said touching the three rubies that rested on my collarbone, strung through with a silver chain.
    The three red stones rose up and snapped free of the necklace with sharp tugs.
    They flew toward Merlin's back. One followed ten feet behind him, the other twenty, and the third stayed close to me. The spell would let me track him through the city, no matter how quickly he moved. That would probably be good enough, but I decided to be doubly cautious.
    I reached