by Alexia Purdy
“You don’t believe me? Trust me, it’s been hours. The damn guard fell asleep and needs to be disciplined. I need to get out of here, and I need to shower. I demand to see Atieran. I should be good to see him now, and he should be fine to see me if he’s transitioning as well as I am. How is he doing?”
Craig inhaled sharply, looking like he didn’t want to have this conversation yet. Oh, I was going to make him have it if it was the last thing I did.
“He hasn’t transitioned as smoothly as you have. He’s in a coma right now. He’s in a hospital bed inside the iron room, and we’re pumping him with fluids and trying to wake him up, but after the seizure—”
“Wait, what? He had a seizure? No, this can’t be right. I need to see him, please, Craig. You must take me to him.” My brother nodded and left the safety of the doorway as he came closer, wrinkling his nose at me and eyeing me from head to toe.
“I hate to say it, Sis, but I think you need to shower a lot more than you need to see Atieran.”
I stopped scowling at him and shook my head, but it was no use. He wasn’t going to take me to Atieran if I didn’t take a shower first.
“Fine. Lead the way to the showers.”
After getting a good scrub down and a new set of clothes, I followed Craig back down to the basement where the second iron room sat. Outside the door, he turned toward me and asked once more if I truly wanted to see Atieran this way. I could change my mind and wait until he was better, but I shook my head. Who knew, maybe seeing him would help wake him up. Either way, I needed to see him. Something inside told me I needed to get closer to him.
Outside in the halls, without the iron room to keep me weakened, I could still feel a slight prickle of the connection with the faerie clan. I was going to have to stay in the iron room with Atieran for a while, because it was obvious I was going to need at least another day or two before my connection would break completely. I didn’t mention it to my brother. I could handle it. It was probably just my precognitive abilities that kept me attuned to the connection. Unlike the humans around me, I could now sense the magic connected to the faeries floating all over the place.
I begged for Craig to hurry, and he finally swung the door open. I pushed past him without another word. Once inside, the small tingle of connection wasn’t any weaker. In fact, it felt stronger now that I was near Atieran, and that scared me the most. How could our connection to the clan still be so strong, especially with the iron surrounding us? We approached the bed where Atieran was sleeping peacefully despite the medical equipment surrounding him: IVs in his arms, a blood pressure cuff, an oxygen monitor, and EKG cables attached to his chest. There were even leads attached to his head, studying his brain waves. It scared me to see him like that, but I knew it was necessary. I was relieved they’d made sure he was comfortable, especially if he’d had a seizure from all the iron.
“Is he okay?” I turned toward Craig, throwing him a questioning look.
His response wasn’t one-bit reassuring. “I told you he had a seizure, and he hasn’t woken up since. We’ve done all we can, and if he comes to at all, we don’t know how he’ll fare. Nothing we do elicits any kind of reaction from him. The doctors are afraid he might never wake up.”
I nodded and turned back toward Atieran, scooting closer and reaching out to touch his hand, slipping my fingers through his and giving it a good squeeze. The moment I did, he took a deep breath, which shocked both of us. We stood stunned, throwing frightened glances at Atieran.
“That’s crazy,” Craig said. “He hasn’t reacted to anyone else touching him or speaking to him. Maybe you can jostle him out of this coma. I don’t know why, but maybe you guys have some sort of connection.”
I hoped he was right. I squeezed Atieran’s hand once more, and again he took another deep breath. He was trying to communicate with me, anyone could see it. There was something between us, and maybe that small thread of connection I had felt down the hallway wasn’t from the faery clan at all but from Atieran trying to reach out. I leaned forward so he could hear me as I spoke.
“Atieran, it’s Amy. If you’re in there and need help, just follow my voice. Come back to us. I need to know what’s going on and what I can do to help you. You have to let us know what you need because, honestly, we’ve never successfully done this with someone who’s been in a faery clan for so long. Transitioning you back could kill you. I guess the seizure proves that. Give me a sign or something, let me know what I need to do to help you.”
Craig brought over a chair for me then turned toward the door. Before he left, he glanced back. “I’m heading back to bed now. I’m tired, but there’s a cot there to the side for you if you get sleepy again. I know you probably won’t want to leave. Just press that button on the bed for the nurse, and let them know if there are any changes. The doctor and nurses are also on call, okay?”
“Thanks, Craig. Get some rest.”
He gave me a curt nod, turned, and left. I heard him turn the lock back into place. The room was padded like mine with the exception that this one had a hospital bed with a half dead faery lying in it. I kept hold of his hand and leaned forward, placing my chin on my arm as I watched him breathe, hoping I might be able to channel my psychic energy to reach him. I had to discover what was wrong. If only I could get through to him.
“Talk to me, Atieran. Show me what needs to be done. Show me how to end the coming war.”
Chapter Nineteen
* * *
Amy
His finger twitched, and I flinched, wondering if I’d imagined it. Could it have all been in my head? I didn’t think so. I had felt it more than seen it in my peripheral vision, and I could swear it had sent a snap of a spark through our touching skin. My heart sped up as I leaned over Atieran and studied his facial features, hoping to catch another minute movement.
“Atieran?” I whispered as I waited.
His eyes flicked open, and his very human brown eyes stared back at me, unfocused at first, but within seconds, they slowly narrowed onto me, focusing on my face as I stood several inches from him. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed me by both my arms, his fingers digging into them as I yelped in surprise.
Pain ripped through me, and I screamed as I tried to shake him off. The only thing holding me up was the bed I was now luckily sitting on while in Atieran’s grip. A myriad of voices echoed through my mind, bouncing off the insides of my skull as if it were an abandoned hallway full of screaming ghouls, amplifying their calls as I waited for my head to explode.
“He’s coming,” Atieran whispered, eyes wide, the whites of them standing out starker than before. I noticed his eyes had not completely returned to their human state—there was a hint of black at the back of his sclera, still hanging on, making the spheres look tainted and dirty at the edges, almost demon-like. I gasped at this, horrified at the state he was in.
“What? Atieran, wake up! Who’s coming?” I managed to mumble before another screech of voices stabbed into my brain, and I had to hold on to him for dear life to keep from falling off the bed. He held on to me as well, his eyes unfocused as he listened to the voices as they melded into a chorus, then into one very familiar voice.
Return to your rightful place. You are not one of them. You belong to us.
It was Atieran’s brother, the Faerie King Azariah. I was sure of it. His voice pounded my thoughts into jelly, and I shook my head to try to loosen his grip on my jumbled mind. It did no good, and both Atieran and I held tightly together as the immortal spoke to us.
You will return home, or I will be forced to take extreme measures.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I felt warm, salty tears drip off my cheeks from the strain.
Never, I thought. I’ll never go back.
A laugh echoed in my head, slicing my coherent thoughts in half. My stomach lurched.
Then it was Atieran who was speaking.
You must let us go, Brother. We are no longer of the clan. Atieran’s voice joined the noise in
my skull, but it didn’t hurt like the others did. I was certain we were not the only ones in pain from the faerie king’s grip over us. The entire faery tribe had to be on their knees, wailing in pain. I swallowed as I wondered how one being could obtain so much power over so many individuals. It was horrifying on every level, and as I forced myself to take quick, shallow breaths through the pain, I swore I’d sever it if it was the last thing I’d ever do.
You don’t own us. You will never have power over us again, I snapped in my head.
The buzz in my brain dulled for a moment. I almost thought it was over until suddenly, a shooting pain stabbed my temples, and I slapped my hands to my head, afraid if I let go, it would explode. Atieran did the same.
I will not be defied. You leave me no choice, human. You’ll be sorry.
A second later, both Atieran and I were released, and we dropped back into the bed, heaving as we sucked in deep, hungry breaths of air. Sweat dripped down my brow and neck, drenching my clothes. Shivering beneath the chilly air of the sterile room, I peered up at my newfound friend.
His appearance matched mine, but instead, he stared angrily at the door, nostrils flaring as he caught his breath.
“Azariah… your brother… he wouldn’t dare step into the boundaries of the city, would he?”
“I’m afraid he’s already coming for your mortal city, Amy.”
I shook my head, straightening slowly as the pain ebbed away as the king’s magic faded. “How do you know?”
“He has powers like no one else in the clan. None of the others will be able to enter the city, but my brother… the king… he has enough power to do so if he so pleases. He’ll drain them all to do it. It’ll protect him from the iron, and he’ll be able to walk right in.”
“What? What good would that do for him to come here alone?”
Atieran turned, his shiny brown eyes staring hard at me as a tear slid down his cheek. Despair swam in them, a pain I could not erase, ever.
“He’ll come for you and me. Many will die for it. I shouldn’t have tried to escape. There is no sanctuary from the magic of the fae. The devil approaches, and there is no stopping this kind of power.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“The magic the king possesses takes away any semblance of the man he once was and turns him into a dark creature. I know he seemed kind when you met him, but do not be fooled. He can control the elements, those not of iron, and make a shield that can withstand the metal, allowing him to terrorize the city and come here to take me away. Even though he is my brother, there will be no bargaining. He is himself no more; he has not been for centuries. After siphoning more power from the other fae, he’ll be unstoppable.”
“Would he risk his people to capture us? Wouldn’t he kill them in the process?”
He blinked at me, frowning. “I don’t know. He could if he uses too much of their life force. He wants to take you back too. You and I are the ultimate prize. We’d save the faery race. That’s what he believes.”
“The hell he will. He’s got to be on something if he thinks I’ll ever return.”
Atieran closed his eyes, slumping in the bed. “You don’t get it. You see… he’s already won. He will decimate your friends here. He’ll take what he wants by force, and no one will be able to stop him. No one is safe. He can kill with just a touch, a thought. He’s that powerful.”
“You think so?” k'1`2
He flicked his eyes open and studied me curiously, as though I was a puzzle he couldn’t solve. “I don’t think. I know.”
“Magic has rules. Even I know this. He cannot do such things and get away with it. It’s what the Agency was made for. We were organized to regulate nuisances like your brother. What he’d be doing… it’s genocide. He’s not thinking straight if he thinks he can save his clan by killing them all.”
“I realize that, but there is nothing like fae magic. It runs wild, like a cyclone, an unstoppable force of nature craving to consume all in its path. You cannot fight it. He cannot fight it.”
“Yes, but even the mightiest storm can be weathered. We just need to come up with solutions, not whine about problems. Tell me you know of a way to stop your brother. Please. There has to be something.”
He tilted his head, curiously watching me as I got to my feet. I held on to the side of his bed, making sure I didn’t fall over. My legs remained shaky, and the fog in my head kept threatening to overtake me again. The confusion on his face told me more than he could ever say in words. He was at war with himself, conflicted. Would he be able to help me, or would he be a hindrance in this upcoming battle or even choose his brother’s life over ours? How could we fight this unstoppable force without Atieran’s help? He had to know something.
His lips pressed into a line as he slowly exhaled. “There is one way, but the likelihood of success is minimal.”
I leaned on the bed once more and stared directly into his eyes. “It’s worth a try. What is it?”
Chapter Twenty
* * *
Jay
Apparently, getting yanked out of my sleep in the wee hours of the morning was the theme for the week. I loved my sister, but I was ready to kill her myself.
“What?” I blinked up at Craig, who was dressed and frowning down at me.
“How can you sleep at a time like this? At least be ready. I sleep with my fatigues on. You’re in your boxers. Dude, get up. They called about Amy again.”
“It’s too darn hot.” I yawned, sitting up and stretching. “What the hell is going on now?”
“She wants to talk to us.”
“Can’t it wait until morning?”
He shook his head. “No. She said it’s urgent. The nurse came racing over to wake me up from my bunk. You must’ve scared her before, because she politely asked me to wake you up myself.”
I chuckled. “Sophia? She’s scared of me? I guess I might’ve snapped at her the last time. Damn. What does she expect waking up a sleeping soldier?”
Craig crossed his arms. “Oh, and I don’t like to sleep in? I just don’t threaten the person waking me up like they have a death wish.”
“Hey, I prize my sleep.”
“Whatever. Get ready, and we’ll go see what Amy wants.”
I bobbed my head up and down again, stifling a yawn as I reached for my clothes dangling off the edge of the bed. After dressing swiftly, I pulled my boots on and ran my hands through my short hair. Good thing I wasn’t a pretty boy who needed time to get assembled; that wouldn’t fly at the Agency. There was always a lot to do, and taking one’s sweet time would be frowned upon.
I approached Craig, who was waiting for me on a bench in the adjacent locker room. I motioned to him that I was ready, and we headed out toward the iron rooms. I hoped Amy was doing okay; she’d stayed the night in the faery guy’s room. He was at the bottom of my “trust” list, so I hoped there wasn’t a problem.
We arrived on the underground floor and motioned to the guard to let us pass into the room. Inside, we found Amy pacing back and forth, chewing on her nails, hair wild and face flushed. Upon seeing us, she dropped her hands and skipped toward us.
“You guys need to let me out. We have a serious situation going on.”
Atieran peered at us stoically from his hospital bed, looking much improved from his previous state of unconsciousness. He was now looking human, which was impressive considering it had been centuries since he’d been so. It was hard to not scrutinize his appearance. From what we knew about transitioning faeries past the assimilation stage, he should be dead from the strain on his body. He was supposedly special, but I remained wary of the guy.
“The faery king is coming. He can still speak to us through the iron,” Amy explained. Her wide eyes and panicky voice made the hair on my neck stand up. I’d never seen her so disheveled and apprehensive. She’d been the queen of calm and collected through all the previous missions we’d been on. What would get her nerves all jangled up?
“Wha
t? That’s impossible. He shouldn’t have any power to get through the iron walls. It’s their kryptonite.”
She shook her head. “He’s figured out a way.”
“How?” Craig asked, his suspicion matching my own.
“I don’t know how, but he spoke to us in here, while the room was sealed. He’s coming for us. It may only be him, or he may have figured out how to bring his army with him, but he’s already threatened to retrieve Atieran and me. We should prepare. Now.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” I stepped forward, bracing her with my hands on her shoulders. “What lies has this faery stuck in your head? There’s no way the faery king can penetrate these walls. Even if he comes with his army, this is a fortress made of iron. It’ll cause them great pain to even attempt it.”
“You have to listen to me.” Amy flicked her gaze between us, her eyes filled with wild concern. “He’s coming, and nothing we do will keep him away.”
I’d never seen her like this, ever. I had to admit it was more than worrisome, and both Craig and I fidgeted at the prospect of the Agency under attack by some feral faery king.
I turned toward the man now sitting up, watching us with great interest. “What can we do to stop him? Why don’t you offer up any solutions? You know more than any of us how your king works.” I turned back toward my siblings. “He more than anyone would know how to stop his brother, right?”
I moved toward Atieran, but Amy stepped between us, her hand on my chest to stop me. I glared at him, not wanting to push my sister out of the way, but if I had to, I just might.
“Please, don’t. He’s all we’ve got against the king.”
“Then ask your boyfriend here what will stop his brother. If he cares for you at all, he’ll help us.” I turned toward her, reserving a glare for them both. I hoped she hadn’t jumped to this guy’s side. If we’d lost her support, what would happen to the Agency? To the soldiers?
She nodded, swallowing before dropping her arm and looking over her shoulder at Atieran, who sat staring down at the white, crisp sheets covering his legs, wringing the edges with his fingers. Covering his torso was a hospital gown. It was hanging off a muscular frame; these faeries weren’t wimps. This guy was clearly strong and able. At about six feet, four inches, Atieran was a good inch taller than Craig, the tallest among us. I wondered if the entire faery tribe was so well built, or just him. I hoped it was the latter.