by Rory Miles
Dante runs from his room and shoves a small bag into my hands. I don’t have time to check what’s inside because Beelzebub’s fist hits the door three times.
“Open up, incubus.” His angry voice spurs me into action.
I rush to Naomi’s room, carefully open her window and climb out. Beelzebub knocks again and I hear Dante yell, “I’m coming! Give me a minute, you big brute.”
Lucky for me, the city lights are bright and I easily find the lock pin and pull it loose. The black metal stairs squeak loudly as they extend toward the ground. Their apartment is on the sixth floor, so I have to hurry if I want to avoid being caught.
Just as I start down the stairs, Naomi pops her head out of the window. She’s winded but she whisper-shouts, “You have five minutes. I don’t think we can distract him much longer than that. Get your butt out of Chicago.”
I nod, and mouth thanks as she slams the window shut. Dante and Naomi’s powers can hold Beelzebub off long enough for me to get far away from the building, but he will be hot on my heels when he breaks through their allure. Hauling ass, I rush down the stairs, running my hands along the railing in case I fall. When I’m down to the second floor, I jump over the railing and land on the concrete in a crouch. Small rocks crunch underneath my shoes as I run out of the alley and onto a crowded sidewalk.
Shoving a man out of the way, I jump into a taxi and place the bag Dante gave me in my lap.
“Sorry,” I shout to the man before giving the driver instructions to take me to the airport. The taxi pulls from the curb and speeds away—much to my relief, I didn’t get a careful driver. The turn he takes jostles me to the side, but I don’t yell at him for being crazy. Right now, I need crazy.
My eyes widen when I take a moment to check the bag. Devil below, there’s at least $5,000 and a change of clothes. When the driver pulls up to the airport drop-off, I pay him with a hundred-dollar bill and hop out before he can make change.
Only when I’ve made it past security without question—thank you succubus powers—and am sitting in a seat while the plane engines whir to life do I take a deep breath. That was too close. I hope with all my demon heart Jasper wasn’t captured.
The flight is nonstop and takes way to long, but once I’m walking through the Albuquerque Sunport, I feel a little more at ease. Since I left my phone at Jasper’s, I have to flag down a taxi instead of calling an Uber. After dropping another hundred on a cabby, I’m down to $4,200. The flight was pricey since it was last-minute, but I have plenty of cash to last me a few weeks.
Jasper’s place is quiet and dark. It’s slightly after eight o’clock at night, and I cast cautious glances around the street when I rush to the door. It’s unlocked, but there are no signs of anyone searching his house. My heart wants to take this as a good sign, but I know better than to hope for the impossible. Beelzebub is a notorious hunter and he can fly faster than any vampire can run.
Spotting my phone on the counter, I unlock it and check my messages. There is one from Rem and one from Naomi. I click on hers first. They were able to distract Beelzebub for an entire hour, but he was not very happy when he broke the allure. I smile at her warning to be careful, and send her a quick text to let her know I’m okay for now.
The hairs on my neck rise, and I suddenly feel exposed sitting in Jasper’s kitchen. Alone and with Beelzebub hunting for me, staying here is out of the question. Clicking through my messages, I pull up the conversation with Rem and fire off a quick text.
Me: Need a place to lay low. Can I stay with you?
Next, I send a quick message to Micah and Anakin, letting them know I’m okay and finding a place to stay. Once I’m certain Beelzebub won’t follow them, I’ll let them know where I am.
I go use the bathroom and clean up a bit, brushing out my long hair and washing my face. The routine calms me and when I reach my phone, that prickling feeling that I’m being watched has subsided. Reading Rem’s words, I let out a relieved sigh.
Rem: Yes. I’ll come pick you up; send me the address.
I tap out Jasper’s information and wait while the typing bubbles flash in the message. He’s only fifteen minutes away. That’s just enough time for me to eat some Hot Cheetos. I’m not hungry, but stuffing myself full of the delicious snack helps my mind from wandering back to all the bad things that could be happening to Jasper.
My phone flashes with a series of alerts and I wash the orange dust from my fingers before I pick it up.
Anakin: Where are you?
Micah: Don’t do anything rash.
Micah: We miss you.
Anakin: WHERE ARE YOU?
Me: I miss you too. Can’t make any promises and I’ll let you know soon.
Once this is all over, I can’t wait to spend quality time with them. Time when we aren’t arguing over the past. They’ve missed so much and walked into the middle of my drama with the royals without even knowing it.
I hear a car pull up outside. Giving the phone one last look, I lock the screen and head to the door. Since I’m expecting Rem, I’m very surprised to feel the essence of a powerful fae outside Jasper’s. Remembering that same essence from the night Lucifer left the claiming rose, I prepare to find a way to slip past the fae. Beelzebub probably called in the cavalry. At this point, I suspect he is the one working with the fae.
There is a soft knock at the door, and I hear Rem say, “Shera?”
Shit. The fae got Rem.
Now I have no choice but to fight. I can’t leave Rem with one of the fae; there’s no telling what they’d do to him.
Straightening my spine and putting on a fuck-you face, I head to the front of the house. Before I unlock the deadbolt, I drop my glamour.
“Leave the human be and we won’t have a problem,” I growl the words as I swing the door open. “Rem?” I ask when I see him standing alone in the dark. The fae essence tickles my senses and I glance around.
“Where is it?”
He wrinkles his brow. “Where is what?”
I step out of the house, warily glancing around for the powerful creature. When my shoulder brushes against him, I swing my gaze to his. A million thoughts race through my mind, but all I can say is, “Fae.”
A ripple of understanding flashes across his face.
Stepping away from him and into the adobe wall of Jasper’s garage, I point my finger at him. “You’re fucking fae.”
He holds up his hands. “It’s not what you think.”
How did he conceal his essence from me? I slept with him; there’s no way I’d miss the distinct fae taste of his energy. Unless he’s of royal descent; those are much stronger and have the ability to conceal themselves with glamour. Which at this point, Rem being royal fae is entirely possible. Fuck. My human is a royal fae.
Still at full strength, I pivot and kick him in the stomach. When he bends at the waist and curses, I run to his car which is idling on the curb. Strong arms wrap around my waist and I scream. Rem grunts when my elbow slams into his stomach but he doesn’t let me go.
“Shera, calm the fuck down. I’m not here to hurt you.”
With all the fight of a wildcat, I claw and pull at him. I may be stronger than most of the royal demon line, but even Lucifer would struggle to match the power of fae royalty. His ability to withstand my allure and demon strength further confirms my fears.
“Who are you?” I ask as the fight leaves my body.
Aside from keeping me trapped in his arms, Rem hasn’t used any of his fae powers. This is the only reason I stop fighting, hoping the few hours we’ve spent together will keep him from killing me.
“I’ll tell you everything, but not here. We have company.”
“Shera, step away from the fae.”
Beelzebub stands underneath a streetlamp; the dull yellow glow highlights the anger lining his face. Devil below, could this day get any worse?
Rem loosens his hold and sets me on the ground. His arms stay wrapped around me as he turns us.
“Where
’s Jasper?” I ask Beelzebub.
He glares at Rem, but says, “I’ve taken care of him.” His words make me sick to my stomach, but he doesn’t seem to notice and continues speaking. “Let her go, you have no right to her.”
When Rem says no, Beelzebub takes a step forward, shoulders tensing. I move back in Rem’s arms, feeling his body press firmly into mine. Whatever power I’d felt from Rem is nothing like what I feel now. A dark wisping cloud forms around us and I bite back a cry of surprise. Rem is Unseelie.
The devil you know is better than the one you don’t, but before I can go to Beelzebub, the shadows fill up the space surrounding me and Rem and I feel something tugging me. I feel my eyes round in fright and I glance at the prince, begging for help with one simple look.
“Shera!” he roars my name and lunges at us. His fingers pass through the ever-growing shadows.
A scream tears from my mouth as fae magic rips my body from Earth. The last thing I see is the look of horror on Beelzebub’s face.
Traveling to Faerie is terrifying. Demons are not built to travel through the magic of the living land. An array of colors bursts across my vision as my essence splits into a million pieces. Lost and swirling in a technicolor vortex, I try to lift an arm to feel around for Rem but my body does not respond. In fact, I can’t feel my body.
With a strange sense, that isn’t sight, I see the vortex pulsing as the parts of my being flit around and crash into one another. A bright flash of light blinds the new sense and suddenly I’m thrown onto the softest ground I’ve ever felt. My fingers tremble as I run them over the yellow, velvet-like forage. Whatever the plant is, it ripples and begins to purr underneath my touch.
I yank my hand away and roll onto my back, shielding my eyes from the bright sun. At least the sky is still blue and the sun yellow. Hearing a man groan near me, I scramble to my feet. Rem is clutching his stomach and cursing in a language I don’t recognize. Scanning my surroundings for a weapon, I pick up a bright orange stick-looking thing and then scream when it bites my palm.
“Fuck freaky fae fucks,” I say and launch the stick across the clearing we are standing in.
There are several of the same sort of orange twigs sticking straight up from the yellow ground and they howl when the one I threw lands with a soft thud.
At the sound of their screaming, Rem shoots to his feet and his gaze finds mine. Something catches his eye behind me and he turns white as a ghost.
“Shera, run!”
Glancing back, I see a ten-foot-tall orange tree running straight at me. Faerie quakes with her angry strides and a mouth filled with ugly bark-teeth opens and chomps. I scream and duck, rolling on the velvet plant life toward Rem who is obviously the lesser evil. He scoops me up and sprints in the opposite direction.
The ground starts rushing by under his feet like a treadmill and I shake my head, trying to make sense of this senseless world.
Rem’s fae speed is the only thing that saves me from the angry tree beast. When the yellow foliage turns lime green and large, normal-looking trees loom overhead, he slows down.
I pat his arm and he stops, setting me down and bending over to catch his breath. Warily eyeing the plant life, I spin in a circle with arms raised.
“What was that thing?” I ask, glancing at Rem when he stands and dropping my arms.
His hands rest on his hips and he shakes his head. “You woke the fearann beò, the living land.”
“So you’re the Lord of the Court of Life?” I try and remember the fae courts and whether they’re Seelie or Unseelie. “No, that’s not right, is it? Court of Life would be Seelie.”
His essence is far too shrouded with darkness to be Seelie. Every Seelie I’ve tasted—not that I’ve had many, because fae are sneaky shits and can’t be trusted—has had a lightness about them, something Rem is severely lacking.
“Lady Chaka rules the Court of Life.”
I nod, as though I knew that all along. “Right, and you are?”
He shushes me, steps closer and pushes me behind him. Seeing as I’m in unfamiliar territory and I almost got eaten by an orange tree, I let his shushing slide without comment.
Those same shadows from before curl around me. Only this time, I don’t fight them when I see why Rem stepped in front of me. A massive, jet-black jaguar passes by us. She is three times as large as the ones on Earth, and her yellow eyes sweep over where we stand. She sniffs, eyes dilating when she smells something worth hunting.
I stiffen, biting my lip to keep from whimpering. I’m not ashamed to admit that Faerie scares the living shit out of me, especially when I can’t feel my demon powers.
Rem’s hand tightens around my wrist and the shadows grow so thick I can almost feel them covering me like a second skin. The jaguar tilts her head and sniffs around again. With an irritated growl, she turns and leaves. When she disappears into the trees, the shadows covering me fall away.
“We’re not welcome guests in Seelie land.”
“Why the fuck did you drop us here then?” I hiss the question at him.
He grunts, grabbing my hand and sending me into another vortex of color. I’m kept upright this time since his arms are still wrapped around my waist.
Glaring at the gorgeous bastard, I say, “Give me a bit of a warning next time.”
His fingers press against my stomach and he says, “Would you rather fight with me while the cat stalked us?”
“She left,” I respond with an indignant sniff, ignoring the way his touch makes my heart beat in erratic patterns. I’m still not certain if he’s friend or foe.
He gives me a pitying look. “She did not.”
I glance away from him, trying to make out the new land he dropped us in, but the dark clouds above steal away any light. Glaring up at them, I notice that they aren’t clouds but those same shadows that concealed me from the jaguar.
Removing myself from his arms, I step away from him. “Well, at least you brought us to the right place this time. I assume you’re Lord of Darkness or something?”
“I’m Lord Draven of the Court of Shadows.”
I narrow my eyes. “So you lied about your name and your nature.”
“Concealing my nature wasn’t exactly lying, and Rem is the name I go by on Earth.” His lips twitch, like he’s fighting a laugh.
“What do you want from me?” There’s no reason for him to be in Erma’s book of willing humans. He wanted me to find his profile and seek him out.
Something screams in the distance; it almost sounds like a cat in heat. I shiver and step closer to Draven.
“Why can’t I feel my demon power?”
He pulls me close, pressing his body to mine. “This is my land, you need not fear anything here.”
I grimace. “That’s great news.”
“And to answer your question, Faerie has to accept you before you can use your powers in her land.”
My brow scrunches as I try to understand that. “How exactly does she accept me, and what happens if she doesn’t?”
Draven—since he lied to me, I refuse to think of him as lord of anything but dicks; and Lord of Dicks doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, so Draven it is—ushers me down a path I can barely make out. I never imagined I’d be the woman stumbling along next to a man, yet here I am in a strange world trying my damndest not to fall, clinging to him while I walk, no less.
“I’ll tell you everything, but I’d prefer a drink and some food since it’s going to be a long conversation.”
Not seeing any holes in that logic, I follow Draven toward a gothic castle, complete with three spires and a black flag flying atop the highest one. The path turns from dirt to cobblestone as we cross a bridge. Something rushes underneath; I assume it’s water but without light to see, I can’t be certain it isn’t blood or some weird fae liquid.
The gothic theme sticks around as we step into the warmth of the castle. Fires blaze in several hearths in the large room we pass by. I guess there’s no electricity in Fa
erie. Luxurious black couches and chairs are sprinkled throughout the room and large candelabras stand next to the seats, casting a warm glow over the room. I’ve only been in castles a few times, so I’m not really sure what one calls this particular room.
Draven continues down the hall, so I stop lingering to take in the magnificence, then quicken my pace to catch up. We pass several large rooms, all just as finely decorated, before we come to a small kitchen. There’s a small woman, like two feet tall, kneading dough on the counter. The stool she stands on puts her around chest height.
“Sewyn,” Draven greets her.
She startles and nearly falls off the stool. Draven reaches out to help her find her balance. Standing up as tall as a two-foot fae can get on a three-foot stool, she holds a hand over her chest.
“My Lord, you frightened me. I did not expect you home for several years.”
Years? That’s quite a long time for a fae lord to be away from his home, but then I remember time in Faerie is not like time on Earth or Avernus. If I recall correctly, a day on Earth is several weeks here. Using that logic, he’d planned on staying in the human world for a few months.
“Yes, well, I’m home now. I trust you’ve kept everything in order?”
She gives him a sharp nod, and he smiles like a proud father. I guess since she’s so little, viewing her as a child isn’t much of a stretch. Tilting my head, I consider the resemblance between the two and am disappointed when I find none. Sewyn is petite, but appears to be full-grown. She also has very pale skin, almost translucent, and the purple hair twisted into a top-knot is 100% natural.
A different breed of Fae then.
“Do you mind if I grab some food?”
Her brows pull down. “I do mind, My Lord. Go sit with your guest and I’ll prepare the meal.”
He begins to protest but she growls, much like a dog, and he holds up a hand.
“All right. Thank you, Sewyn.”
Casting her gaze to me, she finally acknowledges my presence. “Who’s the human?”
I sputter. Never have I been mistaken for a human, and I’m rather offended she thinks a creature as magnificent as myself would be one.