The Land of Faes

by D P Rowell

  Uncle Marcus coughed out a chuckle. Like a witch’s laugh with a boom. He turned back around and walked behind his desk and sat down. He reached into a drawer beside him and pulled out a fat cigar and a lighter. He puffed a few breaths of smoke and leaned back in the chair.

  “I know you all too well, little nephew,” Uncle Marcus said. He popped the cigar out of his mouth. “I know torturing you with magic would be useless. I’ll wait it out. Starve you, starve your cousins, starve your brother. If there’s anything I know you hate, it’s a lack of control. The idea that time is slowly slipping away from you and into your enemy’s hands.” Uncle Marcus put the cigar back in his mouth and signaled with his hand. The buff jag came inside the doors again and grabbed Ace by his shirt. “Bring the brother in next.”

  “No!” Ace said, “Not Cameron! You can’t do this, Marcus!” Ace screamed. The jag drug him to the door, and his ankles chafed against the navy-blue carpet.

  “How long this continues is up to you,” Marcus said.

  Ace glared at Uncle Marcus as the jag dragged him from the room and into the hallway. What else was he supposed to do? Telling him he didn’t have the stone might put Julie and Tamara in danger. He and Cameron would suddenly become of no use to him. He had no way of—

  Ace noticed something strange on Uncle Marcus’ face just before the jag dragged him out the door. His demeanor changed. His eyes fell from pride to despair. His wicked smile turned formed a horrid frown. Then, though it may have been some spell or delusion, Ace could have sworn he saw Uncle Marcus mouth the words help me inaudibly.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Pieces of a Broken Puzzle

  Ace sat miserably before the red door in the holding cell; wondering what Uncle Marcus might be doing to Cameron. His stomach cramped, and his body grew heavy. He pulled himself up and leaned his back against the wall, so he sat on the floor and faced the red door. It had been too long for Ace’s comfort. Cameron should’ve been back by now. Ace wondered what his previous observation of Uncle Marcus meant. Had it just been some sort of spell? Must’ve been. A parcel at Uncle Marcus’ level would love Ace to pity him or grow concern or attachment. Deception at its finest. Ace grew sick at the thought of Uncle Marcus winning this battle. He leaned his head back against the stone wall and clenched his stomach. He thought back to his moment in Shywater . . .

  Shywater! That’s how they could escape! Ace closed his eyes and sat straight. He wandered among his thoughts and feelings. The room around him faded to darkness and he centered his focus on finding his light again. He pictured Kareena and wondered where she might be.

  Hadn’t had a chance to speak to her since they parted ways on their mission. Maybe she’d recruited a bunch of members. Maybe the Light was growing despite Ace’s failures. A hint of hope arose in him. Until he remembered their last argument. How she warned him of his anger and its consequences. She must’ve known he’d lose his elyr. He had been foolish not to listen to her. His heart wrenched, and he lost focus of the matter. When he opened his eyes again he found only the empty holding cell. The still, dark room sank into his skin. It spoke of his continued failure. He shook his head.

  Good thoughts, good thoughts.

  He closed his eyes once more. Following a train of thought until he arrived at a memory in Shywater. When the Light took him to a dark place. The day his mother died. He recalled the instance and searched the depths of the memory. Why had Emery shown him that day? He remembered Julie hovering over his mother’s body. Stiff and rigid as Ace had been when the spell of paralysis had taken him. Uncle Marcus had rushed in the door. Perhaps he had been in the other room manipulating Julie. She couldn’t have been a witch then. She was far too young. And Grandpa still had the Emerson Stone then, so Julie would’ve been protected from any spell. But . . . Aunt Kaitlyn? Ace scratched his head. Anytime he’d thought back to the day his mother died, he remembered Aunt Kaitlyn being there, but he didn’t remember her nodding at Julie. What happened? Ace’s mind found a thought and his eyes shot open.

  “When a witch casts a spell, the first thing to go is memory,” Rio had said to him. The night the witches cast a spell on Julie, Tamara, and Cameron in Myrka. His memory? Had the spells he’d been experiencing been manipulating his memories?

  The red door flung open and banged against the wall. The towering jag stood in the entry and tossed Cameron inside. Ace’s older brother fell to the ground and curled up in pain.

  “Cameron!” Ace ran to his side. Cameron’s body looked unharmed, but he clenched his stomach as if he were about to throw up. “You okay? What did he do to you?”

  Cameron groaned a few times and rolled around. He sat on all fours and coughed, then wiped his mouth. “I’m fine, little bro.” Ace threw Cameron’s arm over his own neck to help him crawl to the wall.

  Once they had settled themselves, Cameron said, “He just keeps putting different spells over me. The last one twisted up my stomach and I felt some sort of sharp pain. It was really strange.”

  Ace shook his head. “I’m sorry, Cameron. I don’t know what to do.”

  “It’s okay, we’re gonna get out of this,” Cameron said. He looked at Ace, “He wants to know where the Emerson Stone is.”

  Ace and Cameron eyed each other silently a moment. Surely there were cameras and microphones in their holding cell. Ace couldn’t risk admitting they don’t have the Emerson Stone out loud. His eyes pleaded with Cameron. Cameron’s eyes spoke back. Without a word, they expressed their understanding of the situation and what to do about it. Uncle Marcus thought they had the stone hidden somewhere. Best to keep it that way.

  “What did he say he’d do if we don’t give it to him?” Ace said.

  Cameron brushed his hair back through his fingers. “He showed me video of Julie and Tamara tied up. Threatened to hurt them if I didn’t tell him where the stone was.”

  “He told me the same thing,” Ace said.

  They sat the next few moments in silence with their backs against the wall. When would this be over? Just as soon as he’d saved Julie and Tamara from Grudge and Lag in Hillrun, they were captured again by Rio.

  Grudge and Lag! They also had shown Julie and Tamara over video! Pieces of a broken puzzle fixed themselves in Ace's mind. He remembered the black dust from his uncle’s sleeve. It didn’t fall out because Ace knew he was a parcel, it fell out because Ace called him out on an immediate truth he was lying about! He didn’t have Julie and Tamara! His lies were crumbling.

  “Cameron!” Ace said.

  “What?”

  Ace looked around the room and then back to Cameron. He whispered and tried not to move his lips too much. “Did Uncle Marcus use magic on the Peppercorns in front of you?”

  Cameron looked strangely to Ace. “What are you talking about?” he whispered back.

  “Uncle Marcus, when he showed you the Peppercorns. Did he use his magic on them?”

  Cameron silently looked at Ace a moment, then slowly shook his head.

  Ace smiled and stood. He tripped from the soreness of his knees at first. But after a moment of stumbling he eventually rose to his feet and walked to the door.

  “Ace, what are you doing?” Cameron said.

  Ace banged on the metal door with all his might. It rang like thunder each time his fist made contact.

  “Hey!” Ace yelled, “I’m ready to tell you where the stone is! You hear me? I want outta here!”

  Cameron slowly rose to his feet and grabbed Ace’s shoulder. “Ace, what are you talking about?”

  Ace jerked his shoulder free and banged on the door some more. “Hey! Come get me! You win, alright? I’ll tell you where the stone is!”

  “Ace—”

  The door burst open and knocked Ace and Cameron to their backs. The giant jag reached down and grabbed Ace by his shirt once again.

  “Hey, I can walk myself, alright?” Ace said.

  The jag grunted, ignoring Ace, and dragged him from the room into the hall.

  “Ace! W
hat are you doing? Ace!” The jag slammed the door and silenced Cameron’s plea.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The Masked Hunters

  Ace fought his dragging ankles this time and tried to walk along with the jag dragging him. He slipped a few times and nearly fell. He grabbed onto one of the jag’s arms to hold himself up. The jag opened the door to Marcus’ office, threw Ace in, and slammed the door shut. Ace kept his composure a little better this time, tripping and falling to the desk but catching himself with his hands. Uncle Marcus sat behind the desk as Ace helped himself stand.

  “So,” Marcus said, “you say you can tell me where the stone is?”

  Ace smiled at his evil uncle. “You’re bluffing.”

  Uncle Marcus raised an eyebrow and stood slowly. “Bluffing?”

  “You don’t have Julie and Tamara.”

  “Yeah? What makes you so sure?”

  “Show them to me again,” Ace said.

  The parcel chuckled and slid the chrome video projector across the table. At the touch of his finger the image of the Peppercorns returned.

  They laid in the same position crying the same timid cry as before.

  “So, they haven’t moved in the past few hours, huh?” Ace said.

  Uncle Marcus chuckled. “Fear is a crippling thing.”

  “You would be torturing them in front of me right now if you actually had them. You’re a terrible liar, Uncle Marcus.” He rubbed his finger on the desk where the black dust remained from his last encounter. “A terrible liar indeed,” Ace said, eyeing the black dust as he rubbed it between his finger and thumb.

  The parcel gave Ace a menacing stare. He stepped around the desk to meet Ace on his side. He leaned his spotless, manicured face close to Ace's. “Well done, little nephew. Can’t get by you, can I? Tsk, tsk,” Uncle Marcus reached over and turned off the chrome video projector. He sighed. “I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to do this.” He touched his right ear. “Bring in the older brother.”

  Ace’s eyes widened. “Don’t do this.”

  “I’m not, Ace . . . you are.”

  Uncle Marcus thrust his arm forward and Ace flew to the wall. His back slammed against the bookshelves and dozens of books dropped to the floor. The paralysis took him. A moment later the jag burst through the door and threw Cameron inside.

  Uncle Marcus! Ace thought. Please . . . please don’t do this!

  Just tell me where my stone is, and all of this will stop

  I . . . I can’t!

  Very well.

  Uncle Marcus used his other arm and twisted it wickedly. The bones in his fingers popped, and Cameron clenched his stomach as he lay on the carpet before the desk.

  “Ugh! Ahh!” Cameron yelped as he rolled over on the carpet floor.

  Cameron! Cameron!

  Where is the stone?

  Stop, Uncle Marcus, stop this!

  Where’s the stone?

  “Ahh! Ace! Ace!” Cameron yelled. His went red as the blood rushed to his head. His neck bent as he jerked his head backwards in pain. Ace’s eyes went between Cameron’s torture and his wretched uncle. He had no choice but to reveal the truth.

  I don’t know where it is!

  Uncle Marcus looked at Ace, both arms still extended as he continued casting his spells.

  You’re lying.

  Tears flowed from Ace’s eyes though his paralyzed face remained still.

  I’m not! I’m not! I swear, I have no idea where the stone is!

  BOOM!

  Uncle Marcus let down his arms and the spells left both the Halders. Cameron rolled over and coughed. Ace fell to his hands and knees.

  BOOM!

  The room shook, and the books rattled on the shelves. Ace looked up as Uncle Marcus stared at the door with his hands extended forward. Ace ignored his frightened uncle and crawled to his older brother quickly.

  “Cameron! Are you okay?” He rolled Cameron over to notice his face beat red. Cameron nodded and coughed a few more times.

  BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

  The explosions grew closer and louder. Ace and Cameron sat up and watched the door with Uncle Marcus.

  “What’s happening?” Ace said.

  No one responded. Uncle Marcus grabbed Ace and held him in a choke hold. His other hand he held by Ace’s head, ready to cast a spell if need be.

  “Either one of you makes a move I don’t like, and Ace’s head gets squashed. Understand?” Uncle Marcus said.

  Cameron and Ace nodded. Ace’s body shook with fury. He wasn’t going to sit still and let Uncle Marcus call the shots anymore. But just before he sought to make another move, the door to the room burst open. A tall man walked inside. At first, Ace thought it was the jag from before. But once the man stepped inside he saw the large jag lying unconscious on the floor beneath him in a straight jacket of anti-magic. Then he noticed the man who stepped in possessed a lankier physique. Dressed in all black. Looked like a bullet-proof vest was strapped around his chest. He wore long sleeves and pants, and black tennis shoes. Over his head was a helmet of matte black. The helmet covered over his face. His right eye glowed red, and his left eye was dark and reflective. Chipped white painting made up the faint image of skull and crossbones over the face of his mask. In his hand he held a chrome AMR. His knees slightly bent, and his rifle in front of him. This was a trained hunter. Knew what he was doing.

  “Come any closer,” Uncle Marcus said, “And this little guy won’t have a head anymore, got it?”

  The hunter stood with his rifle aiming at them. He didn’t respond.

  “Put your blaster down!” Uncle Marcus said.

  The hunter remained calm as Shywater.

  “Put it down!”

  In a somber tone, muffled behind the mask, the hunter said, “Ace . . . duck.”

  Ace’s eyes widened. He relaxed all his body weight and slipped through his uncle’s grip like he was made of butter. A thud followed the contact of the hunter’s anti-magic bullet hitting Uncle Marcus in the chest. The bullets were less than half the size of AMB bullets. Ace crawled to Cameron and they each stood and ran to the other side of the room. They turned to find the hunter closing in on Marcus. Firing two, three, four more shots on Uncle Marcus’ chest. The parcel yelled as the force of the bullets took him over his desk and to the ground on the other side. He rolled and screamed as the anti-magic swallowed him.

  Ace and Cameron stood slowly as they watched this hunter let down his weapon and relax. A moment later, five more hunters rushed in of the same outfit.

  “Area is clear,” one of them said.

  “No more hostages?” the masked hunter asked.

  “No sir.”

  The one who had shot Uncle Marcus turned to face Ace and Cameron, who were backed against the wall, not a clue who these people were. Certainly couldn’t be Sebastian. Why were they wearing the masks?

  “And,” the hunter said, “Hostages are secure.”

  The other hunters patted his shoulders and chuckled. The hunter dropped his weapon and stepped forward. Ace and Cameron jumped back.

  “Hey,” the hunter said, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “Who are you?” Ace said.

  The hunter chuckled. His voice was muffled behind his mask, but it struck a hint of familiarity in Ace.

  “You mean, you don’t recognize me?” The hunter said.

  Ace and Cameron stared blankly at him a moment.

  “Oh!” He said, “Right. The mask.”

  The hunter slowly grabbed the bottom of his mask and lifted it over his face. As his jaw came into view, Ace’s heart began to sink. Once his nose was in view, Ace already knew what the eyes of this man would reveal. But once the mask was fully off, Ace lost all control. Cameron did as well. They leaped on the man in a heavy embrace. He had the same black hair shared by Ace and Cameron, green eyes like Aunt Kaitlyn, pale skin, and a stubby five-o’clock shadow. He was their father. Colton Halder.

  “I missed you two so much,” Father said. He s
queezed them both with all his might and Ace found himself trembling as if he were trapped in a cooler.

  “Where have you been?” Cameron said.

  “Away,” Father said, “But I’m not leaving anymore.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Pirates

  Ace scooted closer to the tin barrel giving home to the fire. He hadn’t realized how cold the Neutrals became at night. He pulled his blanket over his shoulders and closer to his neck. Cameron, who stood next to him, inched closer to the fire as well. Their father stepped between them and pulled them each under one of his arms. Father had taken them to a hidden, abandoned warehouse deep in the city. Graffiti covered the walls, and piles of trash sat in scattered piles over the concrete floor. It smelled like an alley full of dumpsters, but Ace didn’t care. As far as he was concerned, he was home. Once they had arrived at Father’s safehouse, Ace told him about Sebastian and Trilo somewhere in Naraka. Father sent a few masked hunters out to find them and bring them back to the safe-house to make further plans.

  The few remaining hunters laughed together in a different room behind them. Once they’d arrived in the warehouse, the hunters took off their masks, revealing the diversity in the group. One male jag, one

  female drake, and a lady and a male human. The warehouse echoed with the sound of glass breaking as the masked hunters threw bottles against the wall Uncle Marcus leaned against. Ace jerked his head to their direction.

  “Don’t worry,” Father said. “They’re not going to hurt him.”

  “I’m not worried about them hurting him,” Ace said, “We just need him alive.”

  Cameron leaned his head out. “I still don’t understand why. He doesn’t have Julie and Tamara.”