by Holly Evans
Kadrix nodded and his eyes partially glazed over.
"All witches bow to the crone,” he said. "When a witch turns from the crone they lose the vast majority of their skills. However, it would appear that this witch has designs on becoming the new crone. It looks as though she has made deals with a number of strong beings, likely including infernal ones."
"She can't become a goddess,” I said.
Kadrix's nostrils flared. "She can try, though. She has already created what you term ‘abominations.’”
"And what the fuck to do we do about that?" I said.
"We need more information before we can do anything, Evelyn. We must prepare. You clearly have magical skills, as does Quin. I do not know where they came from, but we will need every advantage we can get."
"I miss the days when the worst thing we had to worry about was rabid redcaps,” I said.
Kadrix sat in an armchair. "This is the nature of things, Evelyn. It is a cycle. A being will gather enough power and try to overthrow that above it. It stops things from becoming stagnant." The weariness threaded around his words. "Yes, stagnation is a bad thing, Evelyn. This will be unpleasant, but it is a necessity for the sake of the future."
"And the celestials are aware that this is her plan?" Quin said.
Kadrix nodded. "It would appear that way. They would not do well should she succeed, given they are tied to the current gods."
"And what is it they were trying to get from you?" I asked.
He made his infuriating hand gesture waving off my concerns. "That is not for this moment Evelyn. Look after the cub, improve your fire. That is your focus."
I glared at him. "Do not give me orders, elf."
"There is nothing else for you to do until we have more information. You have insisted on shutting yourself off from useful contacts and refuse to learn, thus, your only option is improve yourself as a warrior."
He held my strong eye-contact.
Finally, he said, "There is no shame in being a warrior, Evelyn."
Quin gave me a weak smile before he said, "So, who's staying for dinner?"
"Well, it's my home..." I said back with a smile.
The elf stood and kissed Quin on the cheek. "I shall return very shortly, I need to check a couple of things."
I was tempted to follow him. He was hiding something. Quin gave me a dark look and shook his head. Damn him and his ability to read me like a book.
Quin seemed quite relaxed about the Kadrix situation. He calmly explained that Kadrix would tell him everything when the time was right. I didn't understand how he had so much faith. Still, Raif had settled quite well. The vision had clearly shaken him, but by the time we were all heading to bed, he was relaxed enough. Lysander left our bedroom door open a crack.
"If he has further visions, I'd rather he not face the darkness alone."
I smiled and kissed him. "You're growing rather attached to that cub."
"He is our responsibility now."
I couldn't help but keep an ear on the living room as well; the vision had sounded very unpleasant, and like it or not, he was under my protection now.
We slept somewhat fitfully, each of us waking up to listen and make sure that Raif was still peacefully asleep out on the sofa. Once the sun had fully risen we got dressed and made breakfast.
Quin came out soon after with a frown on his face. "Something's wrong."
"Care to clarify?" I said.
"I feel it too,” Raif said groggily.
"Are we talking a local beer shortage wrong or something more sinister?"
Kadrix emerged. "Someone or something has tried to interfere with the network."
"As in the fae magical network that binds everything and you're all connected to?" I said
He pursed his lips. "Yes, Evelyn, that network."
I crossed my arms. "Don't treat me like a child, and tell me what that means."
"I do not know what it means yet,” he said.
We continued to make breakfast in silence. The tension slowly built before Quin's phone buzzed. Kadrix cursed about having left his phone at his flat. My phone soon buzzed. I got a text from Azfin simply asking where the fuck I was.
"Did you get the same text as me?" Quin asked.
"From Azfin?"
He nodded. Kadrix tensed.
"And what do these texts say?"
“’Where the fuck are you?’” I replied.
"Then I suggest you respond."
"Don't give them this address, we've barely had a chance to properly settle in,” I said to Quin.
A small smile flickered across his lips. "Don't worry, I'm telling them we'll see them in front of Florenc metro in fifteen minutes."
"This had better be good,” I muttered as I wolfed down my food and ran to get dressed.
We jogged down to the metro station, pushing our way through the crowds of people trying to spot Azfin. We turned the corner heading around to the far side of the metro station and saw Azfin sitting on the concrete wall with two Sidhe that I didn't recognise. They stood the moment we pushed through the edge of the crowd and stepped into the open space.
"We cannot speak here," Azfin hissed before he jumped onto the grass and walked off at a quick clip.
We were left with no choice but to follow him across the busy road to the benches where fewer people were present. He stopped in his tracks, and the three Sidhe faced us with grim expressions.
"Sabine has been taken, along with Kari and Tyrl."
I frowned. Kadrix snarled and took a step towards Azfin before he grabbed his collar and lifted him.
"What the fuck do you mean she was taken?" he snarled.
"Drop him, Kadrix,” Quin said calmly.
The elf did as he was told and took a step back, never taking his eyes off Azfin. The Sidhe brushed himself off and sniffed.
"We don't have details."
Kadrix's hands began moving, a faint red light formed around them.
"No,” Quin said clearly.
Kadrix's hands stilled, but he continued to stare at Azfin, unblinkingly.
"We don't know what or how it happened. They slipped through their defences and removed them from their beds before anyone had any idea."
"Can someone explain what the fuck has happened to me?" I said.
"Someone kidnapped Kadrix's lover and two young Sidhe last night,” Quin said icily.
"The witch?" I asked.
The Sidhe ground their teeth together and exchanged a dark look. The black haired young man gave a sharp nod.
"It is suspected, yes."
"She wants something of ours," Azfin growled.
"And she thinks that we'll barter,” Kadrix spat.
"How do we get them back?" I asked.
"We start with where they were taken from,” Quin said.
The Sidhe looked between them. "We wouldn't usually allow you near our homes. However, these are not normal circumstances. Follow us."
They had seemed to speak as one. The Sidhe were creepy little shits sometimes.
We followed them at a quick walk through the neighbourhoods, twisting and turning. I had no doubt that we were taking the convoluted route to their homes; it was wasting time, but I wasn't going to pick that fight.
"They are beasts," the straw blond growled with a glance back at Lysander and Raif.
Lysander bared his teeth at them and put his shoulders back.
"They are of use to us," the black-haired one said.
I picked up my pace and walked directly behind them.
"If you want us to help you find your kin, you will be polite about my hounds. Understood?" I growled in the black-haired one's ear.
His nostrils flared, but he gave a nod and said nothing else.
After a few moments Raif quietly said, "You consider me one of your pack?"
I shrugged. "I wasn't given much choice."
"I am of more use than people give me credit for."
"I have faith that you'll prove that,” I repl
ied.
A swore I saw a flicker of a smile cross his lips.
Kadrix was fuming. Quin was doing his best to keep a leash on his elf, but magic still kept rippling around Kadrix's hands. I wasn't sure how I felt about that, given that Sabine was his lover. On one hand, he should have been pissed; his kin were taken from their beds. On the other, I didn't like how attached he was to that Sabine; he was supposed to be with my brother. I reminded myself that not everyone worked the way I did, and that perhaps Quin could be happy in a non-monogamous relationship.
We finally arrived at a pale pink building. The Sidhe all tensed before they waved their hands as one unit and the air around the building shimmered.
"We do not plan on making a habit of this," the black-haired male growled.
"Then you'd best look after your kin a little better, hadn't you,” I growled back.
He narrowed his eyes and bared his sharpened teeth.
Kadrix fixed his gaze on him. "You have wasted enough time. You have potentially got three fae killed. "
The black-haired fae lowered his eyes and bowed to Kadrix. "Understood."
We were led up to the third floor. The elevator ride was very tense as everyone squeezed into the small space, pressing bodies together. We all burst out, eager to be free of each other as soon as possible. The dark-haired one passed a key to Azfin.
"We need to look for anything that could be of use," Azfin said.
Kadrix watched the key being exchanged; his mouth tightened.
"And why do you have a key to Sabine's home?" he asked icily.
The Sidhe was foolish enough to flash him a rather proud grin before he licked his lips. Quin held Kadrix back as he tried to launch himself at the Sidhe.
"The clock is ticking,” Lysander said.
Kadrix composed himself, but the dark-haired Sidhe was dismissed by Azfin. We all piled into Sabine's flat, not that I had any idea what I was supposed to be looking for. I had to assume that if there was a ransom note, one of the Sidhe would have found it. Raif pushed past me; he sniffed the air while his eyes raked over the simple furniture. The plush couch squeezed against a dark coffee table that sat a few feet in front of a TV. He paused and sniffed around the kitchenette before he vanished into what I assumed was her bedroom. Kadrix followed him with a small frown on his face. I peered at the kitchenette; there was a faint green line hovering over the section near the sink. I shook my head. I was losing my damn mind.
"Are you ok, Evelyn?" Lysander asked.
I nodded and gave him a small smile. Quin threw some pink and lilac powder in the air. It sparkled before it settled into a delicate web of lines, the broadest of which sat right where I could see the green line.
"What is that?" I asked Quin.
"Fae magic.” His lips were pursed and he was distracted as he looked over the floating web.
I hadn't realised that it was a literal web; they'd always described it as the network, the web, but I hadn't understood what they meant. Seeing the thin lines floating just above head height was a surreal experience.
"Why is that one," I gestured at a the one I saw over the kitchen counter, "lower and broader than the others?"
His eyes flicked to the Sidhe who were crowded into the bedroom. "That is where she was harmed and some magic was thrown around."
I narrowed my eyes at it. "But it's a straight line, shouldn't it be splattered or something?"
He smiled. "It's complicated."
I glared at him; the condescension grated on me.
Kadrix was grinning when he emerged from her bedroom with Raif just behind him. "The cub can see and smell magic. He will be of use. Sabine was alive when they took her, and is believed to still be alive."
"We will be borrowing the lycan," Azfin said.
Lysander growled. I crossed my arms.
"Not without me, you won't be."
I didn't trust the Sidhe was far as I could throw them.
"Evelyn,” Kadrix started.
"No. You are not experimenting on him. You are not using him. He is under my protection, and I will damn well protect him,” I said.
Kadrix smiled. Azfin and the other Sidhe stepped up behind him. I stood a little taller and put my shoulders back; I was not going to be railroaded or pushed around. I didn't give a shit how much danger those Sidhe were in, Raif was under my protection.
“Lives are at stake," Azfin growled.
"Then you'll have no problems stopping wasting time and bring me along to watch over Raif,” I replied.
They passed a look between them, their mouths tightened, their eyes darkened before they finally nodded.
"So be it,” Azfin said.
Raif grinned.
I stepped aside from the doorway and said, "Lead the way."
The other two missing Sidhe lived three buildings away. Apparently there were a lot of Sidhe in that neighbourhood. I tried to make a mental note of it for future reference and investigation. Their flat was larger and more modern than Sabine's had been. It was bright and full of modern Swedish furniture. Once again I leant against the door as the Sidhe looked around. Faint blue and green lines criss-crossed over the sofa and exploded in front of the large window overlooking the courtyard. I walked over and tried to touch them; there was the fainted of tingling in my fingertips, but I could have imagined it. I could have been imagining the entire thing. The Sidhe and Kadrix were busy discussing something in the bedroom; they had been taken from there. Quin threw his magic revealing powder, although I was sure he had a more eloquent name for it. The sparkling dust clung to the lines and highlighted more. The web was cracked here, whereas it had been smooth and intact in Sabine's flat.
I glanced back at Quin before I gestured up at a prominent crack on a larger thread that went directly across the centre of the room. "What's this?"
He frowned. "I'm not really sure; Kadrix has been quite closed about the finer details."
I pointed at the window where the eruption of lines was. "That's where more magic was thrown around?"
He smiled. “Yes, it seems they put up quite a fight. There are three lines there, the attacker was hit."
I peered at it, trying to pick out three separate threads. I couldn't see it. It was a mass of lilac powder to my eye.
The chatter coming from the bedroom increased in volume and excitement. Lysander was on my heels as I cautiously approached. I never quite knew what to expect from Sidhe, especially in these situations. The room was lit up like a light display, bright coloured lines filled the air just below the ceiling. Raif was pointing to a small red orb in the middle of the bed; his eyes were dancing. The Sidhe circled around it slowly. Kadrix finally threw some of his own magic at it. The orb coughed and spluttered before it sat still again. Raif leaned a little closer to it.
His cocked to one side, his mouth tightened. One of the Sidhe huffed and went to grab the orb.
Raif knocked his hand aside before he shouted, “Out!”
It was too late. The room was filled with a blinding white flash. I was thrown against the wall by what felt like a rolling wave. Someone shouted in pain. My body wasn’t responding to my commands. I lay sprawled on the floor in an undignified heap while I waited for the effects to subside.
Once I finally came to fully, I looked around to assess the damage. Lysander was trying to sit up. He put his hand on my thigh.
“Are you ok, Evelyn?” he asked as he scooted closer.
I was in pain, but nothing unbearable. Kadrix was stroking the side of Quin’s face as he tried to help him stand. I got my feet under me and tried to see around the bed to check on Raif.
“Raif?” I called.
He groaned in response. Lysander was on his feet first, but I wasn’t far behind him. The lycan cub had propped himself up against the bed. Blood trickled down his jaw and was beginning to soak through his shirt.
I knelt in front of him. “How badly are you hurt?”
He curled his lip and gave a small shrug. “I’ll be ok in a minute.”
Lysander gave him a dark look. I lifted his shirt to look at the damage myself. He tried to get his legs under him to stand, Lysander pressed down on his shoulder.
“Let Evelyn help,” he said firmly.
Raif smiled and relaxed back against the bed. I checked him over as gently as I could. His lycan healing had already kicked in. The broken skin had healed over and the bones were knitting well.
The Sidhe on the other side of the bed were muttering and spitting something in their fae language. I stalked around the bed and glared at them.
“You did this. You should have let Raif continue checking it instead of trying to snatch it like a petulant child.”
The Sidhe bared his sharp teeth at me. I drew my blades.
“You harmed people close to me,” I growled.
“Evie, we’re ok. There are bigger things to worry about,” Quin said.
I ground my teeth and walked away. Not every fight is worth having.
The Sidhe had gone their separate way while the rest of us went to Elise’s church. She was pacing around the area in front of her altar when we arrived.
“They’ve been taken for the ritual,” she said.
Her hair was scruffy, strands fell into her face, and her eyeliner was smudged.
“Do you know what this means?” she asked no one in particular.
We stood as a small group at a safe distance while she continued to pace. “If she completes this ritual, she will be one step closer to being a god. A power vacuum will form, that will allow the infernal realm easier access to this plane.” She paused and looked at us, her bottom lip trembling. “She’ll crack open the magical networks and leave them vulnerable while she drains them. Her coven will become even more powerful. More demons will come into our city.”
I pulled her into a hug as her legs threatened to crumple beneath her. Quin walked ahead of us as I led her into the living area. The familiar scent of her favourite white tea soon started unfurling from the kitchen area. Elise relaxed a little when the sound of water being poured came from the kitchen.
Once everyone was seated and Elise had relaxed, Lysander said, “How can we stop her?”
“We must find the location of the ritual and stop it.” Kadrix said.