Devon’s orange eyebrows shot up. “Aillen? Is that what he’s calling himself?”

“Is that not his name?” Silver stood and walked toward the younger version of his boss, reluctant to leave the warmth of the fire, but needing to understand.

Maybe if he could hear the conversation between Aillen and Duvslaine, he’d finally figure out what was going on.

“—welcome your assistance, my dear,” Duvslaine was saying, his voice smooth and unctuous.

Silver thought he sounded like a tank of oil just before it spills into the ocean, coating all of the wildlife in its path.

Aillen slipped his hand with the red envelope into the folds of his forest green cloak and then pulled it back out empty. There must have been pockets in the voluminous garment.

Silver stepped right up to Aillen and put his own hand into the cloak, feeling for the pocket. He found it and pulled out the red rectangle.

“What’s inside?” asked Devon from behind him.

Silver cocked his head at his friend. “You don’t know?”

“Not specifically.” Devon grinned. “Let’s check it out.”

Eagerly, Silver tore into the envelope, tossing the red wrapping aside to unfold the official-looking document inside. “It’s a deed of some kind,” he said. He scanned the legalese covering the page. “It’s for a parcel of land, zoned for commercial use, at—” he stopped and lifted his eyes to meet Devon’s. “It’s the land the Swanky Seven is built on.”

Devon whistled, a shrill chirp of surprise. “So, Duvslaine is connected to the motel, where you work, and which is owned by Kaelen. Who is still alive.”

Silver frowned, letting the deed flutter to the ground. “Kaelen is Aillen’s actual name? He’s supposed to be dead?”

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“He died shortly after this party,” said Devon with a grim nod.

“Okay, so if Aillen and the deed isn’t what you intended to show me here, what is?” Silver ran a hand over his hair.

Devon waved a hand, indicating the whole room. “Really, it was just to set the scene for the whole situation. I showed you who Rosza is with her little stormpushing demo. Now I’m showing you who Duvslaine is and what he’s all about. Next I was planning to show you Rosza and Duvslaine fighting, and then finally the battle in which Duvslaine showed his true colors and was banished from Faerieland forever. The battle, incidentally, in which Kaelen supposedly perished.”

Silver stared at Devon. “Honestly, you couldn’t have just explained all of that to me? You had to drag me into this weird visionscape and get me all soaking wet?”

Devon grimaced, his posture wilting. “It’s been a long time since I’ve interacted with humans,” he admitted. “At least humans who aren’t stormworkers.”

“I am a stormworker, though, right?” Silver pointed out.

“Trained stormworkers, then, with knowledge of Faerieland and its connection to the human world,” Devon amended. “I wasn’t sure how to vocalize it. Honestly, vocalization isn’t my strong suit. I’m just a warrior.”

Silver’s eyebrows shot up. “Just a warrior? So even Fae have absurd self-esteem issues, huh?”

Devon stared at him, confusion in his eyes.

“Look,” said Silver, taking Devon’s arm and gently steering him back toward the chairs in front of the fire. He guided his old friend into a chair and crouched down in front of him, peering deep into his azure eyes. “You have worth. You have grace and strength and you’re very brave. You protect your people from harm. Your intelligence runs on a different track than mine or Fiona’s or anyone who lives more in their head—” He touched Devon’s forehead. “—and less in their body.” He spread his hands, moving them through the air in front of Devon’s powerful physical form to indicate the entirety of his bodily strength. “But it is still intelligence. You are not ‘just’ a warrior, my friend. You are a hero. A gladiator. A—” he struggled for another word. “A damn ninja!”

“Am I?” Devon’s eyes were wide and watery.

“You bet your ass you are.” Silver put his hands on his knees, leveraging himself back up to his feet, and held out his hand. “Now, you and I are going to save the world.”

Devon put his blue hand in Silver’s pale one and pulled himself up as well. “Yeah! Wait, how?”

“I have a thought,” said Silver. “Let’s go back to – wherever we were when you pulled us into this vision thingy.”