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little.”
    “You’re sort of creepy, you know that, right?”
    He glanced down. “Oh, I don’t dress this way in the Fae world, normally. I was watching you in the mortal world.”
    “That…doesn’t make things any better.” I tapped my fingernails against the knife as I thought. I glanced at Anwynn. “And you didn’t smell him?”
    Her lip curled. “Does it look like I have two noses? You told me to track the sprites. Besides, there are ways to hide from a grushound. Expensive ways, but I’d wager he has the means.”
    In the distance, between the tree branches, the market bustled. The noise carried to us in a murmur like the rustling of wind through dried leaves. “Right.” I turned back to Dorian. “So what was that about the unicorn-purified water?”
    “You won’t find any in the market.” He reached into the breast pocket of his tuxedo jacket and pulled out a faintly glowing vial. “Because I bought the last one.”
    Did I mention that Dorian had tried to kill me the first time we’d met? I pulled my hand from my pocket, just so I wouldn’t be tempted to draw my sword again. “So you’ve followed me around, and now you’ve got the only vial of unicorn water I’ll be able to obtain in a reasonable amount of time. What’s your game here? Why me?”
    “I’m not as shortsighted as the rest of the Fae, especially now that you’ve been granted legal status. Let’s just say that you’re my special project.”
    “If this involves rubbing lotion on my skin and a hose, I’m not interested.”
    Dorian blinked. “Why would I…what?”
    I closed my eyes and shook my head. The cultural divide between the Fae and mortals was so wide, I sometimes felt that straddling that gap would split me in two. “Never mind. Just speak plainly. What do you want for the vial?”
    He pulled a silver crown of leaves from the bag at his side. “I want you to transform this.”
    I took the proffered crown, bemused. It was cold and heavy in my hands. The detail on the leaves was impeccable; I could feel each vein beneath my fingertips. “Transform it into what?”
    “A hat that looks like a duck defecating on the wearer.”
    That…begged more questions. I hefted the circlet. “And this is…?”
    “A crown.”
    I gave Dorian a flat look. Was it just my imagination, or did the Fae like to avoid answering questions? “What is it exactly? ”
    He sighed. “The ancestral crown of the Evar family. It has a charm crafted into it—if you wear it, you can hear lies. But you have to wear it.”
    Anwynn, behind me, began to huff, the hound equivalent of laughter. “Oh, I think I like you, Prince.”
    Dorian spread his hands wide. “Their king insulted my family, and I’m just paying him back a little. Only a Changeling will be able to undo the magic, and you’re the only living Changeling, so… I stole his hat. It’s harmless, really. He doesn’t have to wear the crown if he doesn’t want to.”
    I raised an eyebrow. “Are you in the habit of making enemies?”
    Dorian grinned and shook the vial of unicorn-purified water. “And allies.”
    “Not allies,” I said. “Business associates, maybe.” I turned the crown over in my hands. I wasn’t stupid. If I changed this circlet, the king of the Evar family would know it was me. There were no other Changelings. I doubt he could link me to stealing it. But even if he couldn’t—what did it say about me, that I was willing to do this for Dorian of the Caervohns? I might find other Fae on my doorstep, looking for favors. Or, even worse, it might make me appear weak. And among the Sidhe, that was like being an injured fish in a school of sharks.
    But what other choice did I have? I could keep looking for unicorn-purified water, and maybe I’d even find some. But I’d lose time—time I probably didn’t have.  Whoever the cloaked man was, I needed to apprehend him before he and his sprites caused more havoc, or even worse, got someone killed.
    “Fine. We