Death Card

by A C Wilds

  I walk the few minutes down the road to the bar and notice it is packed. People are hanging out all over. The music is generic, and there is sawdust on the floor. It’s dark and smells faintly of gasoline and sweat. There is a massive bar in the right corner of the room and a dance floor on the left. Currently, people are doing shots and grinding up on each other. Great, another classy joint.

  I saddle up to the bar and ask for the menu. The bartender looks like he’s as high as a kite and not caring too much how much alcohol is in everyone’s drinks. I order the burger and fries ‘cause there are only two choices on the menu, and I hate bar pizza. Sitting back and scanning the room, I look over and see two women dancing in the middle of the room. People are gravitating toward them swaying back and forth to the music. The one woman is tall and luscious. She has chestnut brown hair, emerald green eyes, and is wearing a short black dress. My hunting senses are awakened.

  Guys surround her, so I know she is the life of this party. The other girl, while way more beautiful, looks almost pained and trying too hard pretending to enjoy herself. She is moving to the music but rejecting any of the guys that are trying to dance with her. She has long dark wavy hair that falls like ink in water. Her eyes are penetrating, and she looks so sad. For a second, I forget where I am, and what I am supposed to be doing here. I almost feel normal again. Then it all comes crashing back, and I look up noticing that the girl is looking right at me. She seems to blush and then quickly looks away. As soon as she turns around, I get up and move down the bar. I don’t need any distractions, and I can’t afford to have any other woman, human or Fae, mess up my life again. It’s not an option for us anymore.

  The bartender brings my food and places it in front of me. I begin to eat with earnest. These are the only times I get to eat like this. Life at the palace is hard for a slave, and food for us isn’t a priority for the Fae. I get a stipend when I have to go on these jobs, and I make sure that I spend every last penny of it. They say it is money to help me blend in and get the job done, but we both know it is hush money, so that I will look the other way when I have to yank someone from their home and essentially kidnap them. I bring them to a life they have no idea about, and to a family, they have never met. A lot of the higher Fae changelings adjust well because they can’t help feeling better than the rest and become arrogant to now having everything, especially if they grew up with nothing. Even so, some of them still resent me from taking away their lives. The hardest job I ever worked was when I had to remove a Fae woman from her daughter. The daughter was a halfling, so I had to help hide her and find a witch to bind her powers. The Light would have killed her. They don’t take kindly to their bloodlines being mixed even if the Fae doesn’t know he or she is Fae. Watching that little girl scream for her mother, and then watching her draw a blank when her memory was wiped, was gut-wrenching. No parent should have to go through that.

  Bringing myself back to the present, I look over at the two girls again. It seems that the vivacious one is in the middle of an argument with two of the men she was dancing with. They seem to be fighting over her. I try and find her friend and notice she is watching as intently as I am. The bigger guy on the left lifts a knife in the air and starts to throw it at the other man, but then time slows and then finally stops. I look around trying to see the Fae who froze time, and I notice it’s the Inky Haired Girl. She seems shocked that she did it. This is a very highborn Fae power that only two other nobles I know possess. So, why is this girl in a backward town like this using that kind of power? And why does she look like this is the first time she’s using it? She has to be at least in her early twenties to produce that type of power, so she should know how to wield it.

  I’m glad that I have my citrine stone on, allowing me to see through Fae glamour and being able to keep my wits about me. This could be big. I have to call this in right away. Maybe she is a rogue Fae on the run. I could get extra time off my contract for bringing in such a big fish.

  I immediately step out and call Arthur. He picks up on the first ring. “Arthur, Greyson here. Listen, I just witnessed a major time stop — nothing I’ve ever felt before. It was immensely powerful, and the Fae who wielded it looked very amateurish. Are there any nobles missing?” Arthur is human, a nice guy that made a deal with a Fae in exchange the life of his wife who was dying of cancer. She lived, but now Arthur is a slave just like I am. Except that happened over 100 years ago. That’s the thing about Fae contracts, they aren’t over ‘till they are satisfied, or your dead. Time is something that never runs out for the Fae.

  “None that I’m aware of. It sounds like this could be that special case they were talking about a while back. Ok, let’s change direction here. Forget the changeling, and bring her in. We’ll let Him decide what he wants to do with her. If it’s who I think it is, this could mean early retirement for me and possibly half a reduction on your contract. Logan’s too,” he says almost enthusiastically. I know he hates this job as much as I do, but being in the Fae’s service for over 100 years would make any man talk about kidnapping an innocent girl sound fun if it meant getting out.

  “No problem, Art. See you back sooner than expected then. I’ll be heading out after extraction. You can expect me back in less than 24 hours,” I say as I end the call. Heading back inside, I see the girl making her way over to the bar. She looks flushed and almost out of it. I don’t think she knew what she was doing. I hope this pays off. She seems more scared than anything, and I hate when they put up a fight. A piece of my soul is still good, and I want to hold onto that for Logan.

  I squeeze in next to her just as she is asking the bartender for water. “Hello,” I say, with as much swag as I can muster.

  “Uh... hi,” she squeaks back. She looks instantly nervous. Almost like she has no idea how to speak to the opposite sex. This seems weird because apparently, this girl is gorgeous so she should have loads of practice. This makes me even more curious and interested.

  “Come here a lot?” I ask with a smirk. I want to see her smile, and since this is the only bar in town, I think she’ll see my humor.

  “No, actually I was dragged out tonight by my best friend. What about you? You're not from here, so what brings you to Pete’s?” she says, but not with the smile I was hoping for. It almost seems like she’s trying to get rid of me. I’m having way more fun than I should.

  “I’m just passing through while heading down south to a conference for work. I’m staying at the Hellebore Inn, and the front desk said this was the only place that was open for food and drink at this hour.”

  “Yeah, this small town doesn’t have much in the way of tourist attractions. Just mostly working-class families. Pete’s is the only bar in town,” she says, as the bartender is back with her water. She picks it up and moans while she takes a sip.

  “Seems like you’re really into that water,” I say, laughing a bit. This girl is sexy as hell, and I wish I were that glass pressed to her lips.

  “Guess so. I was doing a lot of dancing before and must have built up a thirst.”

  “I know. I was watching,” I say with a little bit of heat added to my voice. This chick is doing all the right things to my hormones, and it’s getting harder to stay on course. My body is almost responding for me, instead of the other way around.

  She goes to grab the water on the bar but stumbles a bit and misses the glass. She gets a green look in her face and looks like she is going to be sick right there. Before I know it, she is bending down in front of the bar sucking in air. This must be the first time she has used that magic. She has no idea how to handle the after effects.

  “Hey, are you ok?” I ask, while bending down to her level.

  “Yeah I’m ok. Can you just hand me my water?” she asks, as she closes her eyes. I straighten back up and grab her water. Before I bring it down to her, I slip a sleeping potion from my ring into her water without anyone noticing. I can tell already that this girl won’t come easy, and I have to make this extraction clea
n and fast. If this could mean half my contract off, I have to take a chance. She grabs the water from my hand and gulps it down in one chug.

  “Woah there. Maybe you had too much to drink?” I say, grabbing her elbow to steady her as she tries to take a step forward. I want her to have a little bit of reassurance. The potion won’t kick in fully until about 2 minutes from now, so she needs to walk to the car for this to work. I don’t need her friend showing up and blowing the whole thing.

  “No, I only had one, but for some reason, I feel a bit strange,” she explains, while shaking her head a little to try and clear it. I know the feelings this potion brings on. I helped develop it. I want the user thinking they drank just a little too much and have them second-guessing their choices. This leaves more room for persuasion and fast extraction. I call it Go Along Potion because the user usually goes along with whatever I suggest.

  “Is it weird for me to ask you to walk me to the bathroom? I’m not feeling so good, and I want to see if my friend is in there so she can take me home,” she says a beat later.

  “Sure, just point me in the right direction,” I say, hiding a smile. This is turning out to be easier than expected.

  She points over to the far end of the bar, and we begin to make our way over. The crowd is making it difficult to move through, and I wonder if we'll have enough time. As the hallway comes into view, her feet start to drag a bit, and I have to hold her up to continue the charade of walking. The exit is just past the bathrooms, and as we approach and then walk past the women's room, I see the full look of comprehension in her eyes when she realizes asking me to walk her back there was a mistake. It’s another couple of seconds, and she passes out completely in my arms. I hoist her up in a fireman’s carry and walk out the exit door. Quickly stepping back to the hotel, I unlock the car and gently lay her down. I grab my stuff and start on the road to the Light. It took me less than 30 minutes to kidnap her. This has to be some new record for me. I hope this girl is worth it.

  Taken

  Azra

  My mouth is dry. It feels like there are a thousand grains of sand rolling around in there. I try to crack my eyes open, but the light is too bright. My eyes are heavy, and it feels like there’s a marching band in my head. How much did I have to drink last night? The bed I’m lying on is too soft to be mine. It doesn’t feel right. I try to open my eyes again. God that light sucks. I try blinking several times, and my eyes finally focus. All I can see is pink, and the realization hits me like a sledgehammer. This is not my room.

  I give myself a minute trying to remember what happened last night. I feel bits and pieces coming back, like the bar, and Noli getting into an argument with those guys. I remember that there was another guy who I was talking to at the bar, and then I remember that I stopped time. Holy shit, that happened. I’ll have to revisit that one later because my brain just can’t process that type of information right now. At the moment, there are more important questions to answer: where am I, and how did I get here?

  I sit up and place both feet on the floor. Looking around, I know for a fact this isn’t my room. It looks like a child’s room. All pink and girly. There are dolls everywhere, and it’s covered in flowers. I’m sitting on a white wicker bed staring at myself in the mirror on top of the six-drawer dresser. I look like shit. My hair is all matted, and I have mascara and eyeshadow all over my eyes. I still have my clothes on from last night, and only my shoes are missing, thank the gods for that. I don’t want to think about what could have happened while I was knocked out. Where the fuck am I?

  Then it hits me — the guy from the bar. I didn’t even get his name. He must have put something in my water; I would never have felt like this with only one drink. How could I be so stupid? I was too trusting to let him lead me through the dark hallway to the bathroom to find Noli. Oh, my gods! Noli! She must be going out of her mind looking for me. Shit, I need to get out of here.

  I slowly raise off of the bed and take a tentative step forward. My legs are shaking, but I can manage. I see my shoes in the corner of the room, so I slip them on and proceed to the door. I press my ear against it and listen for what is behind it. I hear a few muffled voices, but they don’t seem to be coming from right outside. I turn the knob and slowly inch the door open. The voices get louder, but they still aren’t coming from right outside this room. I stick my head out of the doorway and look both ways. The coast is clear for now.

  I walk down the hallway lined with floral wallpaper and family photos. It looks like something out of a 1890’s Victorian magazine. Whoever lives here is stuck in the past. It doesn’t take me long to get to the stairs. Everything is carpeted, so my footsteps are muffled. There is a door directly at the bottom, and if I can get to that, maybe I can walk right out of here. Sounds easy enough, right?

  When I’m about half-way down, I hear someone approach. “Ah, you’re up. Excellent!” says a female voice. I turn around and see a senior woman of about 70 staring back at me. She is short and round with graying curly hair. She looks like the typical grandma who is into Bingo and teddy bears. This explains the decor.

  “Who are you, and where am I?” I say, a little annoyed, because fuck this lady, I have no idea what’s going on. I continue slowly making my way towards the bottom of the stairs.

  “My name is Greta, and you are home, dear. We are happy to host you here and make you as comfortable as possible,” she says wistfully, like this is something she has been dreaming about.

  “Uh, listen lady. I don’t know what you smoked this morning, but this isn’t my home, and I am not staying here. Now tell me what the fuck is going on before I start flipping out.”

  “Oh my, such language. We will be having none of that in this house, young lady.” She looks offended. Like I broke a cardinal rule. But before I can begin to argue my way out of this, the guy from last night makes his presence known in the doorway. I am still standing on the last step of the stairs, so the door is just within reach, but I know if I try to make a run for it, he will stop me. Fuck!

  “Look who it is. The scumbag who put something into my water and dragged me to gods know where. What the actual fuck dude?” I ask him, with all the venom I can muster. My head is still killing me, and he is still hot, even the next morning. I stare a bit longer than polite. This makes him smirk at me, and I scowl in response.

  “Scumbag? That’s taking it a bit far, don’t you think? I simply brought you to where you belong, Fae.” He says the last world with almost a growl. What is his problem? I’m the one that is supposed to be pissed here.

  “Fae? Are you fucking crazy?” I’m not a fairy, nor am I some mythical creature who turns into one.

  “Yes, Fae. You used your powers last night. That’s when I realized what you are, and I brought you here to the Light Court so that you can be reunited with your real family,” he says. Then, he turns and points to the little old lady. “This is Greta Long, and her husband Harry is in the kitchen making breakfast. They are your new hosts, and this is your new home.

  “This is so not my home. I have a home, and this is not it.”

  “You were given up when you were a baby. It’s not my place to go into, but let’s say the human you replaced was put to good use here. You are Fae, and the Earth realm has never been your true home.”

  I stare at him because what the hell else is there to do? What he said isn’t true. I can feel it. I don’t belong here, and he knows it. So why would he say all that? Why bring me to this house - to Greta and Harry Long?

  “What’s your name?” I ask, because if I am going to punch someone in the face, I want to know what to call them after.

  “Greyson,” he deadpans. No emotion, no sorrow just facts.

  “Well Grey, I hate to break this to you, but I know that I don’t belong here. I am going to walk out of that door and go home. No harm, no foul. If you try to stop me, I will take action. I know some self-defense and am pretty good with a kick to the dick, if you know what I mean. Move out of the way and
let me go,” I spew out like word vomit, because I am so nervous that he is going to try to stop me. This is insanity! I start looking around, expecting Noli and a camera crew to jump out and tell me I’m on some prank show. I make a move for the door, and the steps directly in front of me.

  “Listen, Sabrael. You’re not leaving.”

  “Who the fuck is Sabrael? My name is Azra!” I yell at him. He is starting to make my blood boil. I start to get the same feeling I got at Pete’s before I froze time.

  “That is the name your parents gave you at birth. You have no choice, and absolutely no chance, in getting out of here. This is your new reality. If I were you, I’d get with the program real fast, march your cute little ass into that kitchen, and behave like the good girl I know you can be.”

  I take a breath, because if I don’t, I am definitely going to dick-kick him. “First of all, my ass is not little. It’s a big voluptuous ass, and it deserves to be recognized as such. Secondly, fuck you! I will not be behaving like some mindless drone and going anywhere with the likes of you ever again!” I am screaming at this point. My arms are shaking, and my face feels like it’s on fire. I am starting to vibrate with energy and before I know it, my hands raise of their own volition again. I expect for time to stop again, but instead, everything around me is blown across the room in a violent gush of force. Both Greyson and Greta go flying into the walls opposite of where I am. It’s like I took all the energy in the room and pushed it away from me, causing them to be thrown. I don’t question it because it’s pretty kickass.

  I run for the door. It’s not locked, which is lucky, because where would I even find a key? Throwing the door open, I am greeted by more sun. This place is like a freaking movie set with all the lighting. I look around quickly and notice we are in some neighborhood. The air is colder here, so we aren’t in Virginia anymore. I run as fast as I can, hoping that I don’t run into anyone. This town is deserted. There isn’t another soul out here. I keep running. There has to be an exit somewhere, even if everything looks the same. I notice a tree line in the distance and figure it’s the best place to try and take cover to figure out my next move. As I break through the trees, I hear shouting from a whole bunch of people behind me. I steal a glance around and notice they haven’t seen me yet. I run faster. I come to an abrupt halt when the forest suddenly ends. There is a bubble of some sort preventing me from moving on. This really must be some kind of movie set or something. Crap! What am I going to do now? I look around and see a bunch of bushes tightly grouped together. There is just enough room for me to squeeze in and hide. Just as I am fixing the branches to look normal again, I hear voices. It’s Greyson and someone else.