by Clara Martin
Charles nodded. “What happened?”
“I ran out into the woods – the Unity Shelter backs up against them. I spent the next four hours wandering around. The staff eventually called the police, because they couldn’t find me.”
Charles frowned. “Did you tell them what the men said?”
I shook my head. “No, the men – I realized later they were hallucinations – had told me not to tell. But that’s the nature of schizophrenia. You don’t realize when you’re sick. You think you’re perfectly fine.”
Charles looked at me sadly. “Eileen, do you trust me?”
I frowned, confused. “Yes,” I said simply.
“Eileen,” he said gently, “You’re slightly psychotic now. Even if I wasn’t half-fae –”
“We need to talk about that, by the way. Why didn’t you tell me Faolain was your…”
“Eileen.”
“…half-brother?”
“Eileen, you’ve been without your medication for over twenty-four hours, and you’ve been under stress. I can sense that you’re not well, and just now you answered to something no one else could hear –”
“That was Sheldon!” I burst out.
“Who’s Sheldon?” he asked gently.
“My co-worker,” I said miserably, “at Unity Shelter.”
“How would Sheldon be here, in Northern Sun?” Charles waited a moment. I didn’t answer. “There’s nothing we can do right now because we don’t have your medicine,” Charles said, “but as soon as we get back, promise me, Eileen, that no matter what, no matter what happens to me, promise me you’ll go to a doctor.”
“Charles –”
“Promise!” Charles held my gaze.
“I promise,” I whispered.
“Touching,” Eamon said, coming into the room, “but we need to move.” He gestured at the guards. One of them prodded me forward. The other held Charles back. “The other two from the strike team are being brought in, my lord.”
“Well, hurry them up,” Faolain said impatiently. “We’re losing time.”
“My lord!” One of the guards rushed in, his face white. “My lord, the woods! They’re on fire!”
“What?” Faolain swung around, his face hard.
“The woods are aflame!” the guard insisted.
I sniffed the air. Sure enough, there was the distinct scent of smoke. I turned slightly and caught Charles’s eye. He frowned. I knew what he was thinking: Be ready.
“Yes,” Joe agreed from right next to me. “Be ready, Eileen. And don’t listen to what Charles says. You’re not sick.”
“You’re perfectly well,” Sheldon added.
“I don’t know anymore,” I whispered.
“Eileen,” Charles said from behind me, his voice full of confidence, “remember what I said. They’re not real.”
“Enough of this,” Faolain snapped. “Eamon. Take ten of the guards and go deal with the burning woods. Make sure the rebels aren’t hiding there. We’ll wait here until you return – someone take the strike team back to their cells. They can wait, too –”
Eamon glanced at me, a single, fleeting glance, and motioned at the guards. Half of them filed out of the room, leaving me with just two and Faolain. At that moment, the doors opened, and two more entered, bringing Vu Mariner and Jim O’Rourke of Strike Team Three with them.
“What?” Faolain demanded, striding towards them. “I told you to take them back to their cells –”
I moved. Twisting, I grabbed one of my guards by the waist and pushed him into a second guard. As he fell, I kicked him and then grabbed forthe sword hanging at his waist. The guard yelled and grabbed for me, bringing me to the ground. I went for his neck, savagely twisting it, and heard a thump behind me. I swung around to see that Vu had used his chains to choke out one of his guards and Joe was savagely kicking the second. I grabbed the first guard’s sword while the second guard was still struggling up and quickly ran him through. Then my legs froze.
“Good try,” Faolain said lazily, “but not good enough.” I shifted, trying to move, but my legs were stuck to the ground. I flashed back to when he’d stuck my feet to the ground at the embassy.
“He can’t bespell cold iron!” Charles said urgently, still trapped by golden flame. “Don’t let go of the sword, or he’ll trap your hands, too!”
I frowned. I had a better idea. Without warning, I threw the sword directly at Faolain. His eyes widened, but before he could move, it struck him directly in the stomach. He folded to the ground with a thud, and I felt my legs begin to move.
“Eileen!” Charles reached me and lifted me into a hug, spinning me in a circle. He quickly set me down. “We need to move. Mariner, O’Rourke, let’s go. We don’t have much time.”
We began to run. The guardhouse was silent as we ran through it. As we passed one hall, I saw the little girl who’d cleaned up my vomit standing there, frozen. She smiled slightly as she saw me run past. I slowed.
“No,” Charles said, pulling me up to him
“But –“
“We don’t have time, and she’d slow us down.” He pushed me forward. “We’ll be back. Move!”
We ran from the guardhouse and into the woods. Part of it had been burned back, and some trees were still smoking. I narrowed my eyes. “Was it rebels?” I called to Charles.
“Run!” he ordered.
We dashed into the forest, helter-skelter, and I was gasping and panting, tripping on undergrowth, cursing under my breath as I narrowly avoided trees. We ran and ran, perhaps a mile, perhaps two, until Charles finally held up his hand. We slowed to a walk. I bent over double, gasping.
“Keep moving,” Charles said. “We’re not safe yet. Mariner, take point. O’Rourke, rear guard.” Vu and Jim spread out into a column while Charles dropped into the middle to walk with me. He placed his hand on my shoulder. “All right, Eileen?”
I glanced over. Joe and Sheldon were standing next to me, looking just as winded as I was. “Never again,” Joe said, panting. “Never – again.”
“I’m a shelter worker,” Sheldon added, “not a runner.” His suit was rumpled, his tie askew.
I smiled at Charles. “We’re fine.” I gestured at Joe and Sheldon.
Charles looked at me sadly. “Eileen,” he said quietly, “tell me what you see.”
I frowned. “Don’t tell him,” Sheldon said quickly. “You can’t trust him.”
“My two friends Joe and Sheldon,” I said slowly. “Joe is a captain in the Army. Sheldon – he’s a friend from Unity Shelter.”
“Eileen,” Charles said slowly, “the men you see… are they… real?”
I frowned. “They tell me they are.”
“Do you see them all the time?”
I paused. “I hear them all the time, even when I’m on my meds. But… I don’t usually see them unless I don’t take my medication.”
“That should tell you something, Eileen,” Charles said gently. “It should tell you that they’re not real.”
Tears stung my eyes, and I turned my face away. He grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him.
“Eileen. My heart. You need to know that I’m going to get you out of here. But you also need to remember your promise to me.”
“I promised you I’d see a doctor,” I said angrily, wrenching my chin away from him. “I meant it, Charles.”
“And that you’ll tell him, and be honest, about what you’re seeing, Eileen.”
“Charles…” I sighed. “We’re in the middle of fae territory. We have no weapons, we have no food, no water, nothing but our guts and or wits. And you want to have this discussion now?”
He pulled me tightly against him and buried his face in my hair. “You threw a sword in Faolain’s gut,” he said, his voice muffled. “A psychotic woman with no magic threw a sword in Faolain’s gut. I was so incredibly proud.” He paused. “We’ll get out of here. We’ll talk. I’ll tell you about my parentage. We’ll go to dinner. And then we’ll go back to work.”<
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I hesitated. “I should probably tell you that by now, I’m probably fired.”
“What?!” Charles turned to stare at me.
“Charles, I set out to look for you. I was kidnapped on the drive to Pennsylvania. But… I got a tip your team was being moved.” I was careful not to mention Eamon or my bond with him. I didn’t think I could stand Charles’s rejection. “I tried to tell Anna and Garrett, but they rejected it as not credible.”
“So, what did you do?” Charles spoke calmly, but a muscle clenched in his cheek.
I swallowed. “I went out to find you myself.” I made myself meet his eyes. “The police – at least I think they were the police, though I’m not so sure – they helped me, gave me maps, a weapon. Then, as I was driving, I was kidnapped.”
Charles went pale with fury. “Eileen,” he said, sounding as though he were forcing himself to keep his voice down, “I can’t believe – what did you think –” He took a deep breath. “I am going to kill Maria Santos. She had no right to involve you in this.”
“I involved myself,” I snapped. “I was coming with or without her help.”
“Eileen.” He said my name as though it were a prayer, “if we weren’t in the middle of fae territory, we would not be having a calm and reasonable conversation.” He grabbed my hand, his eyes wild. “What were you thinking?”he whispered. “Do you know how much danger you put yourself in?”
Ahead of us, Mariner froze and raised a hand. Then he dropped to the ground. Charles immediately pushed me to the ground behind a tree and covered me with his body. I could feel his body heat soaking into me, his hard body pressing into mine. I caught my breath and heard the sound of tromping in the underbrush.
A voice filtered through the brush. “My lord, I could swear they passed this way.”
“So you’ve said,” came Eamon’svoice, sounding bored. “I’ve yet to see any evidence of it, however.”
Eamon and five guards came into view. Eamon looked around, his expression tired, and his eyes caught mine. He winked. I shifted and felt Charles shift back against me. “Stay calm,” he whispered. I nodded slightly to show I understood.
“No, Sergeant” Eamon said, “There’s nothing here. We’re wasting our time. We need to get back to the guardhouse to ensure Prince Faolain is safe while he recovers from his wound.” He snorted. “Let the humans go – they’re marked men now.”
“Yes, my lord.” The guards saluted sharply and turned and walked away. Eamon winked at me again and followed.
We remained still and silent until the last footstep had died away. Then Charles stood silently, panther-like and graceful, and held his hand out to me. He lifted me to his feet and looked around. “Rally up,” he called softly.
Jim and Vu stood, shaking themselves off. Joe winked at me and sauntered back to his position at the end of the column. Vu took point once more.
“Don’t worry, Eileen,” Charles said quietly as we moved out. “We’ll keep you safe.”
I glanced at Joe and Sheldon, who were moving with us. “I know you will,” I said quietly. “I know you will.”
We moved steadily for the rest of the day and night, not stopping for breaks. I talked to Joe and Sheldon as we moved and was delighted to discover when another old friend, Emma, joined us. I told Charles about her and explained that I hadn’t seen her since I had worked at the Unity Shelter. “It’s been so long!” I exclaimed.
“I see,” he said quietly. “Who is Emma?”
“Emma is the daughter of a co-worker,” I explained. “Don’t you see her?” I waved over to where Emma was walking next to Joe. Emma was explaining to Joe how her pet dog, Cuddles, had gotten in trouble for chasing a ball through the house.
“I can’t see her, Eileen.” Charles gently touched my face. “Eileen, we’re almost out of the forest. Remember your promise.”
I laughed. “I remember, Charles. B I’m fine. I don’t need a doctor.”
Charles grabbed my hand. “You promised me, Eileen.”
“I did.And I’ll go.”
“All right.” Charles released some of the pressure on my hand but didn’t let it go.
At last, the woods started to thin, and we saw the first house, a small, battered, wooden affair. I smiled ecstatically.
“Eileen,” Charles said softly.
I looked at him. “Yes?”
“If you were in your right mind, I’d kiss you right now.”
Ahead of me, Vu pumped his fist in the air once in exultation. “Welcome to human land, folks!” he whooped.
“Let’s get to a road,” Charles murmured. “We’ll take the road to a city – the closest one should be Waynesburg. Hopefully, we can hitchhike, and we won’t have to hike. That would be a very, very long hike.” He paused. “I can call the NVRA in Waynesburg, and they’ll arrange transport. And you, my dear” – he gave my hand a squeeze – “will go straight to the hospital.”
“Why?” Emma asked. Charles didn’t answer. I repeated the question.
He sighed. “Eileen, you’re slightly psychotic – it’s been over two days since you’ve had your medication. I won’t sugarcoat it. You’re seeing things, you’re hearing things, and” – he put his hand under my chin – “you promised me you’d go to the hospital. If you don’t go, I’ll put you over my shoulder and cart you there myself.”
“I promised I’d go,” I snapped. “Even though I’m fine.”
Charles sighed again.
“And,” I added, “you promised that you’d tell me about your heritage. That’s a pretty big secret to keep, Charles.”
“All right,” Charles said after a moment. “Fair enough. You already know part of it. I’m the bastard son of the king of Northern Sun.”
“I gathered that,” I said blandly. “Was your mother a slave?”
“She was,” he said heavily. “My mother was a slave on the estate. One of the king’s personal slaves. When she became pregnant with me, she ran. That’s how she met my stepfather, who was an Army Ranger.”
He paused and then said slowly, “My mother eventually died. The things she witnessed on the estate – the things she was forced to do – they took a heavy, heavy toll on her. She never truly recovered.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
“Thank you. I was five when she died.”
We reached the road. I looked left and right. No cars were in sight. “Guess we’re walking,” I said ruefully.
“Guess we are,” Vu said, joining us. He patted my shoulder briefly. “How are you doing, kid?”
“I’m okay,” I said, considering him. Vu Mariner was half-Asian, tall, with broad shoulders, black hair, and black eyes. He had an open, friendly face and smiling eyes, which were currently haggard with exhaustion. Despite that, he smiled at me.
“Good to hear,” he said. “Don’t you worry now. We’ll get you to a hospital.”
“I really am okay,” I said. He grunted in disbelief and looked at Charles, who nodded.
“That was a good throw,” Jim O’rourke added from behind me. He gave me a brief round of applause. “Hope it killed him.”
“I don’t think it did,” I said sadly. “From the way Eamon was talking, Faolain was still alive in the guardhouse, recovering from his wounds.”
“Too damn bad,” Jim said. He exchanged a look with Vu. “That’s a fae that needs to die.”
“He does.” I remembered the feel of his hands on my skin and shuddered. Charles gripped me tighter.
“So, what now?” I asked.
Charles grinned tightly. “Now we walk towards Waynesburg. And don’t think I’ve forgotten about the hospital, Eileen. The first one we come to, you’re going in it.”
I sighed. “It’s really not –”
“Yes. Yes, it is. I’ll wait for you. But you are going to the hospital.”
“Charles,” I whispered, feeling as though I were about to cry, “I really am fine.”
“No,” he said ruthlessly, “you’re not.”
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“You’re fine,” Emma insisted. “Joe and Sheldon think so, too.” She gestured at them both.
“See?” Joe whispered. “What did I tell you. You can’t trust him.”
“Yes, I can,” I whispered, feeling tears come to my eyes. “I can trust him.”
“No,” Sheldon said gently, “you can’t. They’ll lock you up. They’ll take you away from us. We’re your only true friends.”
“You are my friends,” I said.
Jim and Vu exchanged looks. Charles looked anguished. “Eileen –“
“No,” I said. “You heard Joe, Sheldon, and Emma. Don’t try to pretend you didn’t.” I stamped my foot.
“That’s it,” Charles said roughly. He grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder.
“What? Stop!” I pounded on his back. “What are you doing?” I screamed.
“Getting you help,” he said grimly. “Hate me if you like. I’ll carry you all the way to Waynesburg like this if I must. I don’t trust you not to run.” He began to walk.
“Please – let me down.” I began to cry. “I won’t run.”
He stopped walking. “Do you promise?”
“I promise.”
“All right.” He set me gently on the ground. I steadied myself, reaching for him, and he caught me. “Eileen,” he said, his voice breaking, “I know we haven’t known each other long, but the way I feel about you – I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”
I swallowed. “Please,” I whispered, “Don’t take away my free will.”
“Eileen,” he said roughly, “Right now, you’re sick. You’re a danger to yourself. To keep you safe, I’ll do what I must. Even if you hate me for it later. You were brave enough to come after me, into enemy territory, armed with only a pistol and a compass. Knowing that, how could I fail you?”
I looked into his face. It was stony, but there were tears in his eyes.
“Boss,” Vu said quietly,“there’s a car coming.”
“Thank the Lady,” Charles said in relief. He stepped out into the road and raised his arm, flagging it down.