by R. R. Virdi
Kelly looked past me, eyeing the crowd. “I kind of think it is.”
She had a point, but I had one too. “Being scared is okay. It’s a reminder you’re human.”
“That’s what scares me here. Being human—normal—in a place where everything is a monster. You didn’t see how they were looking at me.” She shivered, pulling her hand from mine and hugging herself.
“I know, Kelly. I saw enough. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry you had to experience that. But this is where we are. Nothing can change that, but you can change how you process it. Let yourself be scared, but don’t let it stop you from doing what you have to. Being scared is natural, keeps you alive. Don’t let it trap you though, Kelly.”
“Yeah?” Her voice shook. “I’m open to suggestions on where to start.”
I took her hand in mine again and tugged gently. “How about right here?” I took a step back, leading her into a slow, rhythmic, back-and-forth shuffle. It wasn’t anything fancy. That wasn’t the point. It’d keep her mind on something else.
Kelly tried to keep her eyes on me, but the allure of our surroundings and company proved to be too much. She glanced around us every few seconds. “It’s a lot to process. They all look so normal, but—”
“They’re not. I know. How do you want to process it?”
Her lids fluttered, and she faltered for a step. “I have a choice?”
“Sure you do.” I led her into a small circle of easy footwork. “You always have a choice.”
“I don’t know. Things make sense, like math. It’s logic, rules, numbers, and formulas. You plug things in and get results. It’s not like that here.”
I shook my head. “No. No, it’s not. That’s okay though. There are other rules, and, if you take the time, you’ll learn ‘em. You like having things add up. They won’t always in here, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make sense of a lot of it. You’re a blogger—a recorder, right?”
“Yeah?” She quirked a brow.
“Process it like that. Take it all in, take it all down, and make notes. Keep a journal for yourself. Works for me.”
“Like an encyclopedia of the paranormal?” Kelly slowed and I could see her working through the notion.
“Exactly like one.”
Her expression softened, and she looked, dare I say, at ease. “I think I can work with that.” She smiled.
I returned it. “Glad to hear it. Change of subject. Ortiz. You see her around?”
Kelly gestured with her head.
I followed the direction to spot a flash of carnation.
The Daoine and Ortiz were locked in a fast-paced dance set to a different tune than the one being played in the hall. A large smile was plastered over her face.
I must’ve stared longer and harder than I thought because Kelly pulled on my hand. I turned to her.
“You just had this look on your face,” she said.
“What kind of look?”
“Like your puppy died. You looked like you wished you were dancing with her.”
My insides ached, and images of Daniel and Ortiz flashed through my mind. I suppressed them. “Yeah, it’s part of the fine print with the job. I’m bumming Daniel’s body. He had some strong feelings for her.”
Kelly opened her mouth but said nothing.
A part of me—a part of Daniel, I wagered—didn’t want to move on from speaking about Ortiz. I ignored that part. “You have any idea where our foxy invite went?”
Kelly stared past me and then gave me a knowing look.
My shoulders sank and I sighed. I glanced over my shoulder. Lyshae was several feet away and drawing closer. “Speak of the devil.”
Lyshae rolled her eyes. “Now, now. Better the devil you know—”
“Than the one I don’t? Like the one you sold me to.” I glared at her.
She exhaled through her nose and mouth in a heavy huff. “Please, don’t be so melodramatic. Besides, there are more than enough devils for you to deal with back in New York.” A lopsided, self-satisfied smirk spread across her face.
I didn’t have a clue what Lyshae meant by that. But it was clear she felt I should have gotten it. Perhaps she was toying with me. It’s not as if it’d be a new thing for her..
Her smirk vanished as she eyed my injured arm. “What happened?”
“Our host.” I held my glare.
“Vincent, for your own good, and—more importantly—mine, would you please stop angering the beings I need?”
I waggled a finger in admonishment. “It’s not always about you and your needs. That’s selfish.”
“One of these days, Vincent, you will learn that a little selfishness is not a bad thing. It goes a long way.”
“Like being a lady of the Neravene?” I eyed her.
Her smile made its way to her eyes. “See? You are learning. Exactly like that.”
“Yeah, and in case you’d forgotten, those kind of power-plays always come with a cost. They always come back to bite you in your ass.”
“Are you still sour over your debt being handed to the White Queen?” She had the grace to give me a look of mock shame.
“Sour?” I was sure my eyes doubled in size as I gawked at her. “You traded me like I’m not worth a damn thing. Heck, don’t you know regifting is rude?”
Lyshae’s mouth hung open. She stared at me like she was caught between laughing and disbelief. “Vincent, the very reason I sold your debt to her is because you are worth something.” She jabbed a finger into my chest. “Besides being useful as a blunt instrument, you are a soul.”
My brain went blank, and I was certain my facial expression mirrored that.
“I thought you would have learned this by now. Everything is for sale. You would be surprised what can be bartered. Even you—what you are—is a commodity in this world. A valuable one, I’ll have you know. What do you humans have to offer? Your bodies? Surely, they are worth something. But you, Vincent, you have something more precious.” That uncomfortable, hungry light returned to her eyes.
“I resent that remark.”
“No, Vincent, you resemble it. That is the point. You humans think your souls are something priceless. It is time you learned that nothing is sacred, and sometimes, the things you believe to be the most sacred of all—priceless—have a price indeed. Many are willing to pay it, sacrifice it for something else. Those who know how to cultivate that demand, even create it, can garner great power and fast.” The light intensified to the point where I felt her eyes would start smoldering.
I gave her a sideways look that I hoped would temper her creepy, hungry stare. “Why do I have the feeling we’re not just talking about what’s happening here?” I made a circular motion with my hand to encapsulate our surroundings.
“I am talking about the Neravene and the mortal world. Do you understand?”
I didn’t, but I didn’t want to give that away. I nodded.
“They are linked. You know this. Mortals are among the most eager and foolish to embrace what the Neravene can offer. Their lives are fast and fleeting—driven by invisible leashes of impulse pulling them to their next desire. Emotion, not logic, rules their lives. It makes them...what is the word? Suckers.”
My good hand balled into a fist.
Lyshae noticed it. “Vincent, after hearing all of what I said, now what do you think of souls? That is when you are really worth something. Your bodies decay. Your souls do not...entirely, at any rate.”
What? My heart skipped before doubling in pace.
“That is why I am here. Because you had value to me. Two-fold. Your body for the White Queen’s use and, your soul, in the event it comes to that.” She gave me a smile that revealed her canines. “Remember that.”
My teeth ground as I caught Kelly’s look.
She’d been hanging onto Lyshae’s every word and processing it. Her face said she was close to believing it. I wasn’t going to let her.
My voice and the look I shot Lyshae could have extinguished t
he blue flames around the hall. “You’re wrong, you know. We’re worth more than that. Stick around, and I’ll show you.”
Lyshae took a step back and averted her gaze. “I think this party has gone on for too long. We should leave.”
I arched a brow. “Oh, why?”
The familiar sensation of a veil surrounded me.
“Because I have robbed the White Queen.”
Not how I wanted to die.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“You did what?”
Lyshae hissed and shot me a reproachful look. “Quiet, fool! I cannot veil our conversation long enough for you to calm down.”
I bristled. “This is monumentally bad. Hell, throw in a heap of suicidally stupid as well.”
Lyshae’s eyes narrowed, and she looked around in panic. “Are you quite done?”
“No...” I trailed off as I realized why she was looking around.
The Kitsune had veiled us from sight as well. Something that, ironically, would not go unnoticed. A party of paranormal beings and gods take note when some of the guests pull a Houdini and vanish.
It’s frowned upon. There’s no end of skullduggery one could get up to if they disappeared. It meant many of the guests would be working to take down her veil...possibly listen in.
If any of them heard what Lyshae had done.
Oh, crap.
The next instant, the air seemed to pull away from me. Lyshae’s veil had been torn from around us.
“Whoa, where did you two go?” Kelly looked between us.
I swallowed and ignored her question. If we had reappeared, someone was behind it.
“They were having a conversation—in private, it seems.” The White Queen seemed to appear out of thin air. She stared at Lyshae and me, her lips spreading into a smile. “What about, I wonder?”
I bit my tongue to keep from mouthing something witty that’d get me killed. “We were just leaving. The food here has given Kelly an upset stomach.” I leaned towards the queen, putting a hand to the side of my mouth. “Between you and me, it’s bad.” I should have tried harder about keeping my mouth shut.
Lyshae’s eyes widened like she wanted to hunt for a foxhole.
Kelly glanced at me, then the queen, catching on quick. “Yeah.” She pressed a hand to her stomach. “I’m not feeling that great.”
Bless you, kid.
I stepped back, taking her by the arm. “See? Poor gal. So, thanks for the grub and the dance. Five stars. Hospitality gets a three and a half on account of the wight and this.” I waggled my damaged arm. “Can’t win ‘em all.”
Lyshae used my blabbering to move from the scene. She wasn’t as stealthy as she thought.
The queen blurred past us, stopping several feet ahead of the Kitsune.
Lyshae froze and exhaled a sharp huff.
The White Queen walked towards Lyshae in slow, measured steps. She placed a hand on Lyshae’s shoulder, and the fox spirit quivered.
I’d never seen Lyshae intimidated like that. It spoke volumes about the queen. It said more about Lyshae’s decision to rob her. The Kitsune wasn’t stupid. Whatever she’d stolen must have been worth a lot, and not in the monetary sense. There wasn’t much that appealed to the trickster. Money—she had tons of that.
Lyshae had dragged us here for a power grab. The thing about power is, there’s always more up for a grab if you’re willing to pay the price. Lyshae seemed willing.
So what did she steal?
The White Queen appeared to loom over the Kitsune. She flashed Kelly and me a look. “You two may leave. The little fox and I have something to speak about.” A cruel slit of a smile spread across her face like a gash in a block of ice.
I almost felt sorry for Lyshae, then I remembered what she’d done, and I got over it. “Well, you girls have a nice talk. I’ll be taking my friends and going.” I smiled at Lyshae.
Her look was a silent plea. It stopped me in my tracks.
I shut my eyes and exhaled in resignation. When I opened them, Ortiz and the Daoine were walking towards us.
The pair had enough sense and caution to stop several feet away from Lyshae and the queen’s conversation.
The faerie bodyguard appraised the situation and stepped towards the pair. He addressed the queen without making eye contact. “What’s happening here?”
One of the queen’s brows twitched, as did a corner of her mouth.
“Oh Queen and host.” The Daoine gave her an apologetic look.
“The newly risen Lady Lyshae and I are going to have a talk. I’ve given your party leave but for her, of course.” The queen looked to Lyshae.
The Daoine bobbed his head in acquiescence. “Of course. We should be leaving then.” He turned to Ortiz without pausing to give Lyshae a second look.
Damn. Talk about loyalty. Then again, the Daoine gave the impression that he was under a deal much like mine. Doesn’t make a guy sympathetic to the woes of a tricky fox spirit.
It was highly unlikely the White Queen would kill Lyshae. If she meant to talk, that’s exactly what would happen. That meant Lyshae would walk away, and walk away pissed. She’d remember who left her ass to hang and who didn’t.
The Kitsune had me on a few debts. I doubted she’d let me go, but if I played this right, she’d remember that I came to her aid. I could cash that in somehow.
Two can play when it comes to brokering deals and earning favors.
I moved towards the queen and Lyshae. “Ladies, I’m sure what you two have to talk about is important, but do you mind if I borrow Lyshae for just a few moments?” I gave the queen my best smile.
I’d seen more emotion in frozen patches of sidewalks than the look the White Queen gave me.
“I would mind, awfully, as a matter of fact.”
My smile slipped at the thought of irking the queen further.
The queen dug her nails into Lyshae’s shoulder, causing the Kitsune’s legs to quake.
I don’t know what possessed me to rush to the Kitsune’s side. “Stop!”
The White Queen did. Her fingers flexed and straightened, leaving Lyshae’s shoulder. She gave me a flat look. “Excuse me?”
“You made your point. Lyshae can’t leave. You want to have a girl-to-girl talk, got it. You don’t have to hurt her to get the point across. We all got it.” I showed her my injured arm. “You’re powerful. All your guests know it. No need to rub it in our faces.”
Her eyes narrowed, and I got the feeling another piece of me might end up fractured. “Be careful, Little Spirit.”
I reached out with my good arm, sliding it around Lyshae’s waist to help brace her. “If whatever you have to say can’t wait, then say it here and now, in front of all of us.”
The White Queen gave me a look that could’ve made a sauna feel like an ice bath.
“Very well.” The queen leaned forwards, keeping her eyes on Lyshae. “I know what it is you took.”
Oooh boy. My heart felt like it had somersaulted and failed to right itself.
Lyshae’s body went taut in my grip.
“I am inclined to let you keep it, Lyshae.” Her voice was disturbingly flat and hollow.
Lyshae’s ears twitched, and her lips trembled. “At what cost?”
“One that I choose.” The queen smirked. “Perhaps none. Perhaps you are trading one mistress for another.” She gave Lyshae a knowing look.
A flood of questions raced through my mind.
Lyshae nodded and muttered a thanks that I almost didn’t hear.
The queen stepped back. “Now, you may leave. I advise you do so before your theft is discovered by the party that gifted it. It would not do to anger another power in the Neravene tonight, Little Fox.”
I looked at the pair before settling my gaze on the queen. “You know you said that aloud, right?”
Both women flashed me a look that said I was an idiot.
“Explain it to him, will you?” The queen waved a hand at Lyshae before turning to leave.
&
nbsp; “She veiled us, Vincent. From sight. From sound. One that I didn’t even notice until she had dropped it.”
I let out a low whistle. “How about we follow her advice and get out of here before you tick off anyone else, huh?”
“Yes, thank you, Vincent. Things could have gotten unpleasant.”
I pointed to my discolored arm. “Too late. More moving. Less talking.” I led the way, beckoning the others to follow as I headed towards the way out.
The Daoine and Ortiz moved to the outside of our party, sandwiching us between them. They did have the best sense of awareness. It was a smart move on their part.
I picked up my pace, keeping my gaze fixed on the exit alone. A small prickle atop my left forearm almost forced me to look down. I ignored the impulse, but a part of brain refused to let go.
Just how much time have I lost?
I shook my head clear and passed out of the castle. A quick glance over my shoulder showed me my friends had made it through without issue. I breathed a sigh of relief.
Ortiz led Kelly away from the paranormal members of our group and came a few feet from my side.
Lyshae and the Daoine stopped in front of me. The former stared at me and then over her shoulder into the castle.
“Well, that was mildly unsettling.” Lyshae fanned herself with a hand, downplaying the torrent of anxious thoughts I imagined rushed through her skull.
“Yeah, that’s one way to put it. You robbed a freaking Queen of the Neravene. She’s going to take it out of your ass, you know?” I cast an unwary look at the castle as well.
“Vincent, please keep my ass out of your thoughts. Besides, it is not anything I cannot handle.” Her voice shook just a note near the end.
My eyes narrowed. “Of course you can. But...in the off chance you can’t, remember my debts are tied to you. If you go down, I get handed over to another of your contingency debt holders. Kind of tacky if you ask me. I’m not big into being shared.”
Lyshae gave me a weak smile.
“So, what is it? Spill.”
Ortiz stepped up, staring between Lyshae and me. “Robbed?” Her gaze settled on Lyshae and hardened.