by Alicia Fabel
“Seamus?” Kale glanced around. We’re in Brasil?
Seamus cocked his head, scanning Kale with narrowed eyes. “Boss?”
“Don’t call me that or I’ll knock your head off, Seamus.”
Seamus grinned, satisfied. “It is you,” he said in a thick cockney accent. “That beast of yers tried to pretend he was ye. Like I wouldn’t know the difference.”
“I’m sure he has a good reason.” Right?
I’m supposed to see if his band of little thugs will help us with mighty-bitch.
Kale scrubbed his face. That was going to make Seamus intolerable. “Seamus, I need your help. Someone took my friends, and I need help to get them back.”
Seamus’s face contorted into joy. “I am here to serve ye.”
“You should know, I’m not the Guardian anymore,” Kale informed him.
“Ye’ll always be my Guardian,” Seamus insisted.
“And I’m trying to save Earth with all its humans,” Kale added.
Seamus frowned, nodding seriously. “Can’t say I understand why ye’d do such a thing, but if ye say it’s what we must do, it’s what we’ll do.” Seamus bowed from the waist.
“Blast. Don’t do that.”
Seamus turned to the others. “Go tell yer women farewell and collect yer gear. We’re goin’ to help the Guardian and be his best servants.”
The band spread out in separate directions across the moors.
“Ye be leading us, yeah?” His lip pulled up. “Not that beast that calls itself a horse.”
I am in fact a horse, Ferrox pointed out.
A demon one.
Still a horse.
“I’ll lead us when we’re ready to face our enemy,” Kale assured. “But for now, I’m going to let Ferrox lead.”
“Why would you let him take charge?”
“I lost someone,” Kale said honestly.
“The girl with the funny magic?” asked Seamus.
“Yes.”
“This woman we’re goin’ ta battle against, she took yer lass from ye?”
“Yes. And I cannot go kill her yet.”
“I get yer need to rage,” said Seamus. “Let that anger simmer inside ye. Let it grow, but keep it controlled so ye can hurt her the best ye can.”
“That’s what I plan to do.”
“And once ye’ve made her pay for what she’s done?”
“My time in this world is done. I have nothing more I can give.”
“So ye’ll go into the Infernal pits until the torture erases your anger.” Seamus spat on the ground. “It’s a coward’s way out.”
Kale clenched his teeth.
Told you it might be time for some killing.
“Will you still help me?” Kale asked Seamus.
“Oye. But before it’s done, I’m going to convince ye that ye are needed.”
“The meadow is not what you’ll remember,” Kale said. “It has other people to run it now, and they don’t need me.”
“Ye think the meadow is all yer needed for? Yer the one who helped the small people when no one else would. We know about yer penchant for saving the mothers too. If ye aren’t here to help the ones no one cares about, who will?”
Kale wanted to say that Vera would, because that had been the plan. He was supposed to make things safe, and then she’d be the advocate for those the world looked down upon. But she was gone. “My friends will help.”
“The cat and goat?” Seamus shook his head. “They be good people, but the world won’t listen to them. Won’t respect them.”
“I do not have as much authority in this world as you seem to think.”
“Oye, ye do. Why else do people do what they’re supposed to? Cause they know ye’ll come for them if they don’t.”
“They won’t fear me once they know I’m powerless.”
“My people haven’t forgotten what ye once were—The Terror of the world. And ye were just a boy with no magic at all. People don’t care so much about ye being part of the meadow. They know to listen to ye and fear ye if they don’t hold up the rules. Before this is over, I’ll make ye see that.”
“If you say so, Seamus.” Kale was done trying to convince the leprechaun otherwise. “When your clan is ready, take them to the world-gate. I’ll leave it open for you. Just make sure you check in—no sneaking in and making problems. The meadow has a lot of people, and we need to keep everyone calm.”
“We’ll be proper.”
“If any of your men tries to go through another gate or leave the meadow, the wards will stop you. But if they don’t, there’s a dragon who’ll swallow you whole.”
“Things must be serious if ye got a dragon to come out of hiding to fight for ye.”
Kale didn’t mention that the dragon was mainly there for a girl. “Things are very serious. The world is changing again.”
“Be about time, boss. About time.” And with that, Seamus turned to make preparations of his own. He whistled for his rabbit to follow.
Want me to take the lead? asked Ferrox
Do you want to?
Up to you. I’m happy to sit back and watch if you’d rather.
Never known you to prefer that, Kale prodded, and Ferrox promptly backed away. What’s up, Ferrox?
Don’t be a fool. Do you want to be present for this or not?
I’ll stay.
Fine. Ferrox slipped into the background.
Kale didn’t try to follow the demon because he obviously didn’t want to talk, but something was bothering him. Was it Mimi? Kale hadn’t considered how losing a friend might be difficult for Ferrox to process. So Kale left him be. He would hold it together long enough to destroy Marianna.
Addamas looked up from the sofa when Vera burst through the front door.
“Satyr, get your filthy hooves off my coffee table,” called Marianna from her seat at the loom. She wasn’t weaving anything, just sitting there, running her finger over the framing. “How’s that tempestarii magic feel?” Marianna asked Vera. “Are you hungry? Made your favorite—gingerbread.”
Vera heard the smile in Marianna’s words but couldn’t force one of her own. The weaver had known everything all this time and had been killing left and right. She wasn’t the woman Vera had known.
“Vera?” Marianna prompted.
“I’m not hungry,” she said. “Where’s Mimi?”
“Upstairs,” Addamas answered. “Wearing grooves in the floor while watching an army gather in her realm.”
Vera turned and headed for the stairs. They might not be able to stop an army from gathering, but they could do something. She paused with a foot on the steps. “Marianna, what do you know about what I’m planning?”
“I only know that you’re doing what you’re supposed to.”
“Care to tell me more?” Vera asked.
“You’ll figure it out.”
Vera clenched her fists and headed up. She tapped at the door, and Mimi opened it, looking like she needed a good rest.
“I need your help,” Vera told her. “We’re going to free your people from that army.”
“My people? You mean the genies? Marianna said they’re the ones who started the army.”
“Now it’s out of hand, and they need to be saved from their stupidity.”
Mimi chewed her lower lip.
“Hard to forgive your father’s side?”
“Hard to believe they deserve saving,” Mimi replied.
“They don’t want any part of what’s going on out there. And I don’t think they’re terrible. They’re just scared, like everyone else in this world, that someone’s trying to take away their freedom. Will you at least come to meet one?”
“A genie wants to meet with me?”
Vera squinted one eye. “Technically, he doesn’t know you’ll be there.”
“Because he wouldn’t have agreed to meet if he had,” Mimi said.
“I don’t know. At this point, he might have, but I didn’t have a chance to tell him.�
�� Vera gave Mimi a reassuring smile. “I think it’s a good thing.”
“I’ll come, but I don’t trust them.”
“What about Addamas?” Vera asked.
“Oh, heck no. He’d probably start a brawl in the first ten seconds. He’s more bitter about what that side of my family has done to me than I am.”
“Love makes people crazy.”
Mimi’s face brightened. “Are you speaking from personal experience? Did you go back to Lemuria?”
“Didn’t have to. It turns out, Alalana pulled a fast one on Kanaloa.” Vera tapped her chest. “My heart is right here.”
“I wondered. If you still cared that much about everyone without it, I couldn’t imagine your capacity to love with it. Does Kale know?”
“I told him right before he watched me die.”
“We need to get him a message.”
Why didn’t I think of that? “You know where Marianna keeps her messengers?”
“On top of the fridge.”
“They’re all gone,” Marianna called from the bottom of the steps. “Got rid of them this morning.”
Vera’s nose flared. For freak’s sake, why can’t anything go my way? And why can’t demon links work between realms? That would be great right about now… Okay, not really. If demons could do that, they would wreak havoc.
“He’s going to be a mess,” Mimi said.
“As long as he doesn’t lose himself completely.”
“When are we meeting with the genie?”
“Middle of the night. Will you be able to get away without Addamas knowing?” Vera whispered. Hopefully, Marianna wouldn’t say anything.
“He’s sleeping on the couch at the moment.”
“Umm,” Vera was thinking about the creaking front door so close to the couch.
“I’ll let him back in our room,” Mimi conceded, obviously thinking the same thing. “And make sure he’s sound asleep.”
“I don’t want to know what you two do behind closed doors.” Vera backed away.
Mimi grinned. “He’s pretty good—”
“No! Lalalala.” Vera dashed into her room with Mimi laughing behind her.
20
“I cannot believe I’m breaking into my own throne room.” Mimi led Vera down a secret passageway that was supposedly only used by Heliopolis’s rulers.
“I cannot believe you sat on their book of names all this time.”
“If I’d had any idea that the reason they were trying so hard to take the throne from me was because of a book hidden inside that hunk of metal, I would’ve given it to them. And saved us all some frustration.”
“Too bad the morphs have a dark history of using the genies to do their bidding, or they may have considered that an option. Instead, they lost their crap the second a morph was sitting on the throne again.”
Mimi looked troubled. “I had no idea about any of that either.”
“It’s not like you grew up in a hub of people, what with your mother trying to hide your existence.”
“Yeah. But I feel like I’ve failed half of my people and had no idea. Why didn’t my tutors tell me that part of our history?”
“Based on what I’ve heard of previous rulers, I imagine they thought if they upset you, you’d remove their head or intestines.”
“If it were that easy to get me murderous, my tutors would’ve been gone ages ago. Back when they were putting me through etiquette training.”
“You’ve been trained in etiquette?” Vera teased.
Mimi growled. “And now I can be proper when I’m supposed to be.”
“Someday, you’ll have to show me.”
Mimi put a finger to her lips. On the other side of what looked like a thick curtain, a door opened and closed. A guard inspected the throne room. Once they left, Mimi poked her head out to look around and then waved Vera to follow.
“They make rounds every fifteen minutes, so we need to hurry.”
They moved quickly to the monstrosity of a throne. “Umm, Mimi, is this ‘hunk of metal’ by chance made of pure gold?”
“Stupid, right?”
“Uh-huh,” Vera said distractedly. “You know that little gold rose right there would buy me a loft in any city I want, right?”
“And my little throne-keeper would take off your arm if you tried to desecrate my throne.”
“That thing?” Vera leaned close and surveyed the golden beetle that sat in the center of the throne’s seat.
Mimi ran a finger across one wing. It came to life and scurried under the chair to hide. Vera shivered. “That’s disturbing.” She peered into the shadows under the throne. “It stays under there?”
“Until I leave the area. Then it will take up sentry position again.”
“That would wig me out to have it down there.”
“It’s kind of comforting. It has no loyalties except to the true ruler. If anyone gets too aggressive or unruly while I’m holding court, a hiss from down there will remind them that I am untouchable.
“Plus, your double-trouble brothers, who hide in the curtains.”
Mimi smiled fondly, prying at the seat and pulling on the arms of the chairs.
“I thought you said the bug would dismember anyone who desecrated the throne.”
“Anyone but me. And I’m not trying to desecrate it. I’m looking for a compartment that could be hiding a book.”
“You should probably hurry,” Vera urged. “Marianna said if we get caught this will all go to hell in a handbasket quick.”
“I noticed that she had no scruples against drugging Addamas, so he wouldn’t know she was marching her house across the realm tonight for this bit of B and E.”
“I’m pretty sure she has no scruples, period.”
“I think she means well,” said Mimi.
“Hitler thought he did too.” Vera shook her head. “Doesn’t mean they aren’t wrong and sick in the head.”
Mimi kicked the throne leg. “Are you going to help me?”
Vera raised both brows. “And get chewed on by a metal bug? No thanks.”
“I have no idea where it could be. Or if it’s really here.”
“It is,” Vera assured.
“Oh, he was telling the truth, was he?”
Vera flinched. “You know about that.”
“I figured it out.”
“Kale thought it was best if we not tell anyone. I don’t know why.”
“I think I do,” Mimi admitted. “Addamas and I have talked a lot about all the little things that fell into place to get us to this point. Stupid stuff mostly. But he told me that when the satyrs had him on the mountain, they kept asking about you and your abilities. He said he felt like they were trying to get something specific about you, but he didn’t know what it was.”
“Did they hurt him?”
“Nah, he was more confused than anything. He said one kept asking if you read minds and how you seemed to know things you shouldn’t. Addamas just said you were observant—he didn’t know.”
“Why would they want to know that about me? What would it matter to them when they were kicking my butt off their mountain anyway?” Vera wondered.
“I’ve wondered that too.” Mimi threw her hands up. “I give up. There’s nothing here.”
“Can you ask your beetle friend?”
“He doesn’t work that way.”
The clack of approaching steps reached Vera’s ears. “We’re out of time.”
Mimi ran her hands along the seam of the seat again and then growled. “Beetle-sweet, can you help me out here?”
Vera raised an eye at the endearment but kept her mouth shut. The big bug crawled from under the chair and onto the seat as if Mimi had summoned it. Its pinchers flexed for a moment. Vera had a strange feeling it was assessing them, and then it spread its wings. Underneath, was a small book, no bigger than the palm of Vera’s hand, but almost as thick as it was wide. The steps echoed louder through the empty halls. Mimi grabbed the book and stroked one of
the pinchers. “Thank you, beetle-sweet.”
When they turned to leave, the beetle whined. Mimi turned back to shush it gently. “I’ll be back. I promise.” That seemed to satisfy the bug. It settled in the center of the throne, wings folded back into place.
“What do you mean she vanished from the meadow?” Kale bellowed at the twin moron brothers. Seb glared back defiantly, but Pili had the decency to look contrite. First, they’d let Mimi be taken, and then let the strange daayan girl run away.
Pili held out a sheet of paper with a gate drawn on it. “We thought you should see this.”
“She drew a gate,” Kale observed. “Any idea where the inspiration for this gate is located?”
“That’s what we were trying to tell you,” said Seb. “It’s in the meadow.”
“I’ve spent days staring at all the gates,” Kale informed him. “I’ve never seen that one.”
“That’s because it’s new.”
Kale tried to process that, but all he could think was, damn the Infernals, this cannot be good. “Show me.”
The brothers turned in unison and led Kale through the pandemonium in the meadow. He spotted flashes of red. Seamus’s clan was there, and that was probably part of the problem. He also spotted a nymph and witch fighting over rights to be under a willow tree near the dorm. Someone tossed a pack out a window. It landed with the sound of crushing glass and then the whole pack combusted as the sounds of arguing escalated above. A satyr was attempting to woo a centaur female. Based on the look of the male galloping at them from across the meadow, that would not end well.
“Where’s Mother?” Kale asked.
“Last I saw, trying to diffuse her coven. The alchemists showed up and took over the top floor, which the coven claims they had a prior claim to.”
“There are enough rooms for everyone,” Kale said. “Half of these beings will sleep in the trees and on the grounds tonight.”
“I don’t think anyone is comfortable being in such close quarters.” Pili stepped aside as the satyr from earlier barreled past with a centaur on his heels. “Should we stop that?”
“It’s not our problem,” Kale replied.