by Skye, Sariah
“Yep,” Trystan replied, glowering at the two young men walking tentatively down the dark street.
They looked exactly as I remembered from the frat party we crashed. Dylan had piercing light blue eyes that stood out against his pale porcelain skin and hair black as night. Hunter was a hair taller, with soft brown hair and big brown eyes, and they were both cut and stacked just like the guys and incredibly attractive. As a cambion their seductive nature didn’t work on me, but even I couldn’t deny their appeal. Not as hot as my men of course—but who was?
However, I was appealing to them. A cambion was basically incubus ambrosia, so I tried to keep myself as unappealing this time as possible. Unlike the last time I forced myself in a provocative dress and heals, this time I wore ripped jeans, one of Mathias’ gray t-shirts that was stretched out at the v-neck, tucked into my jeans and belted, Xander’s black zip-up hoodie and knee-high black boots because it was cold. I left off the makeup, and piled my hair in a messy bun on my head. I probably looked homeless. So, much more like myself.
Rounding the corner, they huddled together; there was a definite apprehension tightening their shoulders and clenching their jaws. Trystan cackled wickedly next to me, cracking his knuckles and rolling his shoulders out. “Och, this should be fun.”
“Let’s go boys,” Xander said, patting a dagger he had hidden under his shirt.
As normal, Rhys didn’t bother with pesky car doors; he just blinked out of existence and back again, right in front of the two unsuspecting “baby” incubi.
The guys snorted evil laughs as the two of them jumped about five feet in the air and shrieked like scared little children.
“Crazy arse bastard,” Trystan muttered under his breath, shaking his head. “Let’s go, luv.”
We filed out of the vehicle, following behind Mathias who was menacing in a tight gray tee and black pants. Dylan and Hunter hadn’t had the fortune of meeting the former gladiator yet, and it was clear by their wide eyes they were horrified.
“So, you’re the assholes that manhandled my fiancée, huh?” Dylan was slightly closer and he flinched as Mathias swiped out his thick arm and grabbed the incubus by the shirt, pulling until he glared straight down at him with extreme menace.
“Whoa, Romanello. We already dealt with this weeks ago. These two aren’t manhandling anyone anymore, right?” Bash asked pointedly, narrowing his eyes in a glare at the both of them.
A panicked Hunter shook his head quickly. “No we haven’t, I promise!”
“Where you been then, gentlemen?” Trystan demanded, giving them a menacing stare.
“Just hiding out. We left St. Cloud like you said, and we’ve been going in and out of the different suburbs around here ever since,” Dylan insisted, his voice partially hoarse from Mathias’ rough treatment.
“It’s okay, handsome,” I said, gently patting his back. He looked down at me and his stern expression melted into a warm smile. “They barely got a chance to touch me, thanks to Rhys.”
“I aim to please!” Rhys said triumphantly, and I gave him a little nudge.
“Jordan?” Hunter said, surprised.
“It’s Ava, really,” I corrected. We watched Hunter’s brown eyes roam over my body, hovering a bit too long for the guys’ liking on my breasts which I still couldn’t hide well under a loose t-shirt.
“That’s quite enough of that,” Bash growled, giving him a rough shove.
“Sorry,” Hunter replied, sheepish, running a hand over his shirt to un-rumple it.
“Now, tell us about the witch. What did she want? Is she still nearby?” Xander asked, getting down to business.
“No, we were around the Mall of America area,” Dylan replied, “trying to find work. Not easy to find with no identification and home address.”
Bash sighed, glancing at Mathias, having a silent, telepathic conversation. Mathias nodded barely, and Bash turned to Hunter. “We can help with that if you help us. Depending upon how helpful your information is, that is.”
“She came to us when we were in the parking lot. At least we were able to keep a car,” Hunter explained. “It was a dark corner and she said she needed us to ‘work’ again. Two-thousand dollars if we complied, she just needed to drain our energy.”
“We didn’t have much, mind you,” Dylan said, with a frown. “As you said, we stop before… well…” His cheeks flushed bright red.
“Before you get off, right,” I finished for him, with a roll of my eyes. “Seriously, so immature they are?” I said leaning into Rhys, and he put a hand to his mouth to hide his noisy chuckle at the little inside joke.
“Right?” He agreed.
“Right,” Mathias said, with a faint grin. “So that was it? She just asked for energy?”
“She said she’d be back tomorrow, she had something to take care of first. But she expected us to be ‘stocked’,” Hunter said.
Mordred, who’d been fairly silent until now, stepped forward. “Anything else you can say about her? Did she seem weak? Did you see her use her magic at all? It’s kind of like this,” Mordred replied, waving his hand in the air and summoning some of his dark magic; it was like a dark cloud swirling and twisting in his palm.
“No, nothing like that. She was dressed normally—jeans and a t-shirt—and that was it. She barely spoke to us,” Dylan said. Bash looked at the group of us suspiciously.
“And this is the first time you’ve seen her since we last saw you? You’re not lying?” Bash turned the sachet he carried over in his hand, dumping some of the white powder into it and rubbing his hands together. He held out both hands. “Take them.”
Both incubi glanced at each other hesitantly. Trystan stepped forward, giving them a menacing stare and flexing his arm in front of him for emphasis. “You better listen, boys. Or else I’ll turn into my bird again and peck your eyes out!”
Quickly they each took one of Bash’s hands, and Bash started firing off questions.
“Is this really the first time you’ve seen Nadina? Was that all she asked for was just to drain your energy? She didn’t say anything else about a war, or soldiers or anything?” Dylan and Hunter trembled under the siphon’s intense stare, as the truth powder worked and did what it was supposed to.
“No, we promise,” Hunter said quickly, and Dylan nodded fervently.
Bash paused, and dropped their grips, obviously satisfied. “Okay, I believe you.”
My arms were crossed over my chest and I eyed them cautiously. I noticed their clothing was a bit dirty, and they had dark circles under their eyes. “Where are you guys living? Like actually living?”
Dylan shrugged. “We have no money and no place to go. We’ve been sleeping under bridges and in my car.”
I sighed, feeling myself frown and I elbowed Mathias. “There has to be something we can do. It’s not their fault they were changed.”
Mathias ran a hand through his hair and grumbled lowly from the back of his throat. “Yeah… as much as I hate to admit it…”
“We’d really appreciate it. I promise we’ve done everything you’ve asked since we’ve seen you,” Hunter insisted.
“Yeah, we can do something. But we can’t do much until we get back,” Bash said, and suddenly with a bright idea, I snapped my fingers, running off to the Suburban to grab the keys out of my purse; specifically the house key to the place I once shared with my mother. Summer had officially moved out, and my mother’s side had been empty for a while.
I returned and handed Dylan the key. Mathias arched a suspicious brow but he didn’t protest. “This used to be my house. Well, it’s still in my name but I no longer use it. The utilities are turned off, but at least it’s a safe place to go for now.”
Gratefully, he took the key and clutched it in his palm. “Thank you. Really… this is amazing.”
“And, we’re really sorry for what happened at that party,” Hunter blurted. “He was right, we were out of control.”
“Aye. Well as long as you continue to do
what we ask, we’ll help ya,” Trystan said. “But the moment you even fart wrong—”
“—we won’t!” Dylan insisted quickly.
“It might be a couple of weeks but we’ll be in touch, all right? Thanks for your help. You’ll be sure to contact us if you hear anything else?” Bash asked again, and again Dylan nodded quickly.
“You sure you don’t remember anything else?” Mathias asked thoughtfully, tapping his chin with a finger. “Seems like a lot of hassle to go through just to get a bit of energy.”
“The powder doesn’t lie,” Bash said, holding up his hand.
“I’m guessing these aren’t her only ‘victims’,” Xander pointed out wryly, and Mathias shrugged in agreement.
“She really didn’t say much. Just that she was going to need a lot, because she had something to do,” Hunter said, bewildered.
“She what?” Bash demanded. It was a fairly innocent statement that meant anything to anyone else but for Nimue?
“But—what though?” Trystan asked.
That was the last thing I heard before my vision went white and I fell to the ground.
Chapter Seventeen
“Avalon…”
The voice was barely a whisper, light and carried on the wind, beckoning me to open my eyes. I pressed my fists to them and ground gently, willing the confused haze away so I could see again.
Something isn’t right… another voice spoke, louder in my head. I winced at the uncomfortable way Excalibur heated and thrummed on my wrist.
“I know something isn’t right,” I replied out loud keeping a hand on the blade but not allowing it to transform until I knew for sure what was going on. Was this a dream? I’d certainly had my share of bizarre ones lately. A talking sword? Relatives in my head? Maybe that’s all this was… just something new. Or I was insane, either one.
“Ava?” I felt something soft against my cheek and I willed my eyes to open all the way and adjust until finally, I was looking into the concerned, beautiful face of my aunt.
“Morgause?” She nodded singly and held out a hand. That’s when I noticed I’d collapsed in a heap on the dirt floor. No, not floor…ground, that was carpeted with soft moss and grass.
I grasped Morgause’s hand and she pulled me up. “What’s going on? How am I here?” I glanced down at myself; I was still wearing my jeans and t-shirt. “It looks like the Avalon I used to see in my head but…not?” As I looked in the distance I saw barely anything but white, and the faint silhouettes of some trees. “Am I here? Or…?”
“You are, more or less. Your conscious is, anyhow,” Morgause replied with a bob of her head. Her expression was lined, furrowed with worry.
“Oh god. What is happening?”
She clasped her hands together and bowed, her jaw trembling gently. “Avalon has been… attacked.”
“Attacked!?” I cried out in surprise and horror. “How? Bash’s wards—they’re impenetrable!” The sword at my wrist practically screamed and without full recognition of what I was doing, I grabbed it, willed it larger, and held it out before me in a defensive pose.
“They are, but they didn’t penetrate the wards. They gained access another way, though I’m not sure how,” Morgause replied solemnly.
“Who is it? Morgause—who?” I demanded, fearing the worst.
“Shadow fae.”
“Nimue?” I asked, and she nodded.
My heart sank like a ship full of water to the bottom of the sea. Bile rose in my throat. “How bad is it? What can I do?” I could swear the sword spoke in my head, uttering a dozen or so angry curse words.
“Bad, Ava. Real bad,” she replied. “I’m afraid Igraine…has fallen.”
My empty hand flew to my mouth, feeling like I’d just been punched in the gut. “Grandmother?”
Morgause nodded. “I’m afraid we’re not strong enough to heal her. There’s still a chance if you can get here, but…”
“But?” I demanded frantically.
“She is not the only one.”
“Oh god… Why can’t I see?”
“We’re shrouded. We cannot fight them off, we are not soldiers. All we can do is hide in the mists,” Morgause said. “A dozen of us fell before we realized what was happening.”
“Oh no…oh fuck! How?”
“Portals seemed to be ripped from ground and just grew. They looked human but…not. They attacked us with their shadow magic and now they linger, searching, trying to find the rest of us,” Morgause said.
“Why though? Looking for Rhys and me?” I questioned, feeling the tears sting and burn at my eyes before they threatened to fall.
“Whoever controls Avalon controls the gateway to earth. With us out of the way their pathway to humanity is quicker and easier,” Morgause explained. “Best I can describe it. As long as just one of us stands though, they are unsuccessful.”
“And if we all fall?” I asked hesitant to hear the answer.
“You are a cambion. You are nearly impossible to kill so as long as you are here, there is always hope. The rest of us aren’t important. I came to warn you so you could take cover. You cannot come back here until the fae have disappeared. If you are captured, that means the end of Avalon, the end of humanity, essentially,” Morgause said sullenly, and I let out a quiet whimper.
“So…you’re just willing to die? I can’t accept that. The guys will come, they will save you!” I insisted, but she rose a hand, the sleeve of her white, gossamer robe billowing gently in the light breeze.
“You cannot. Even if you do, by the time you get here everything will be gone,” Morgause said morosely, and I shook my head.
“No…” I fell to my knees, the tears openly falling. “That can’t be.”
“I’m afraid so.” With a wave of her hand, the misty veil lessened and Morgause had to press a hand to my lips to prevent my horrified scream from being heard.
In the distance I could see the barn, hidden behind a wall of shadow, much like the one Nimue had attacked us with in Alexandria. Several of the witches had already fallen to the ground, some were shrieking in fear, darting for their cottages while being pursued by shadow fae. Some of them stood their ground, clasping hands and chanting spells, releasing blasts of magic intermittently. But with every one spell they performed, another witch fell with a piercing, terrified shriek.
In the middle of it all stood Morgaine and Nimue in the fray; Morgaine armed with piles of crystals and Nimue laughing evilly.
With another wave the mist returned and the scene disappeared. I gasped.
“I can’t just let you all die…”
I agree with that sentiment, Ava, the sword echoed in my mind. I frowned severely.
Great, what are you going to do from there? Glow everyone to death? Even with you, I’m not sure I’m a match for Nimue and her shadow fae.
You just need to chase them out, Ava. Trust me.
I grumbled to myself, sighing. “What can I do, Morgause? I can’t just leave.”
“You must, Ava. It is the only way to keep safe. Your protectors will take you away from here and it will guarantee Arthur cannot take control of Avalon. It is the only way. I am sorry, my niece.”
I shook my head quickly, with determination, and with another wave of her hand, the vision of Avalon started to fade, just as I heard Morgause’s piercing shriek and a blast of disconcerting, depressing cold, much like I felt in Alexandria when I’d been targeted with Nimue’s magic. And I knew, Morgause had fallen.
“Ava?”
“I think she’s coming to.”
I felt a tremor and something on my cheek as I pried my eyes open, gazing into Xander’s terrified face as he clutched me close to him, stroking my hair and whispering into my ear. I couldn’t understand what he was saying; either I was that out of it or he was speaking in Chinese.
Weakly I reached out and touched his face, needing to feel for myself that he was real. “Xan?”
Relief washed over his handsome face. “Oh thank the gods, Avie
, dearest. You scared the shit out of us. You fell and—”
“—fell? Shit!” The memories of a fallen Avalon came rushing back, and I struggled out of Xander’s grip, as four pairs of hands tried to hold me down. “How long was I out?” The baby incubi—Dylan and Hunter—watched our scene from nearby with astonishment.
“About five minutes. Ava! Not so fast—” Mathias set his hands on my waist and lifted me, assumedly before I could hurt myself.
“Avalon—I was there. It’s bad. They’re being attacked by Nimue!” I grabbed his arms and looked at him with desperation. “I need to go!”
“Ava you can’t just go in there by yourself!” Mathias began but I shook my head quickly.
“There’s no time! My grandmother—my aunt! If they’re not dead, they’re almost dead! The witches aren’t fighters—they’re healers! They can’t fight! It’s forty-five minutes to home, if we wait that long nothing will be left!” I exclaimed urgently, frantically searching for Rhys. “Rhys!”
He appeared suddenly, and must have seen the expression on my face and was instantly horrified. I reached for him, grabbing his arm tightly.
“We have to go! Shadow fae are attacking Avalon!”
His eyes widened. “Fuck—oh fuck! How did they even get in?”
“I don’t know! But they’re there—I saw them!” I panicked. “Let’s go!”
“Ava—you are strong but you’re not a fighter so much. That’s what we’re for,” Bash said softly, setting a hand on my shoulder.
“Bash! You don’t get it—everything is going to be destroyed! We won’t have a home guys!” I bit my lip, trembling with anxiety and inaction. The time to move was now, and the guys were preventing me from doing anything. Excalibur buzzed at my wrist, reminding me of its presence. “Remember, I have the sword. Xander saw me use it, I know what I’m doing. I could help—I could!” I insisted.
“It’s just a house, Ava! We’ll build another. We can’t find another you. Or Rhys for that matter,” Mathias said calmly, running his hand over my cheek, regarding me with worried, tear-glistening eyes. Rhys didn’t even utter a quip at Mathias’ momentary lapse in animosity.