by Elle Lincoln
“They will need light first, man.” Rocco grunts as a crash echoes behind us. “Oh, thank Aladdin.” It’s the last thing I hear before his smoky form rushes past me and toward the light.
Flynn and I move slower, though I can’t help the chuckle that bursts from my lips. “Did he just thank Aladdin as though he’s a deity?”
“Yes. He’s being doing so since that damn movie came out. Don’t even get me started on his singing.” I can’t tell if Flynn is amused or annoyed by that.
“He sings the songs?” This would make an amazing karaoke night.
“Has a new spin on ‘A Whole New World,’” Flynn replies drily.
“He really is like the genie.” I step out into the dirt cellar and reality weighs me down.
“Don’t tell him or call him that, for that matter.” Flynn steps up behind me, his arms wrapping around my body like a brand. His breath shifts the hair at my nape while his lips tease my skin with soft kisses. My body, that traitorous bitch, falls right back into his arms as though I’ll forever belong there. Our bodies tangled around one another.
“Flynn.” My voice sounds breathy.
“Come back to headquarters with me.” That trail of kisses is dangerous to my libido. I won’t lie, but there is a part of me that wants to let go for a little while. Succumb to Flynn and everything that means.
Except for one little detail. “Tell me your secret.”
He spins me around, his hands trailing up under my top, his warm palms heating my spin. Trying to distract me, no doubt. “What secret?”
“Don’t be foolish. I have no doubt that whatever that creature said about a secret has everything to do with you.” His thumb rubs ever fucking closer to my breast, making my head dizzy.
“What secret do you hold?”
He has me there and he knows it when I don’t reply. This world is unkind, unforgiving, and full of questionable morals.
“Come back with me.” His breath trails over the lobe of my ear where his tongue darts in with a teasing warmth.
I groan, giving in, and grab him, ghosting us back to headquarters, moving quickly through the veil and out the other side as we stumble on the front steps. “What the hell?”
“Security measure.” Flynn grips my body, preventing me from falling on my ass on the front steps.
“I can’t ghost to your room?” How the hell did he manage that?
His lips tick up just a hair. “Not anymore, no. No one inside this building can travel at or as anything other than a mortal speed.”
“Tricky wording,” I grumble.
“Yes, and we will have to walk to my room now, or we can walk to your room?” His brow arches at that and I stumble once more.
“My room?”
“Indeed, did you think you wouldn’t get one?” He leads me inside, past the warding I bounced off of, and into the spotless lobby. Maryann has been hard at work I see. Brownies like whiskey, right? Maybe I should find some for her.
“I don’t know.” My eyes turn back toward the front as a small, little detail registers inside my sleepy brain. “Flynn.”
“Hmm?” His body is once more molding to mine, his thoughts clearly elsewhere.
“Flynn, look outside.” I track the placement of the sun in the sky—high noon. “How much time did we lose?” I mumble the last part more to myself than to Flynn, but it still does the trick. His head jerks up to look outside and this time, he stumbles.
“Impossible.” His body moves away, his eyes glued to the outdoors.
“I’m starting to hate magic,” I mutter, no longer in the mood. I head toward the kitchen instead. Perhaps one thing can turn my crappy attitude around. Food, more specifically freshly baked bread, and maybe some coffee. I wonder if there is a way to make a latte now that the brownies have taken over.
I step through the double doors and the scents of pastries, cheese, and bread assault my senses. Yeah, this is the shit I can get used to. The magic, well, maybe I’ll get there. As long as I’m not pulled into any creepy, remote destinations where there are weird creatures living beneath sands. Or lands that are dead beyond measure.
Now, I need wine. I flop into a chair at a small table along the windows. As soon as my ass hits the wood, a glass of wine appears before me.
“I made it myself.”
Startled by not only the appearance of the glass, but the small creature beside me, I damn near fall off my chair.
“Oh?” All my thoughts flee as my eyes land on a delicate little creature. I can’t determine her age, but she’s tiny. She’s no more than four feet tall, and I would almost mistake her for a child except for the delicate crow’s feet decorating the corner of her eyes. Her simple blue dress looks like Maryann’s, and the small woman’s features resembles hers.
“Oh, yes.” Excitement shines in her brown eyes. She flutters above me, and for the first time I realize she has gossamer wings. My eyes must bug out for a moment, because she glances over her shoulder. “I’m a halfling. Mum is Maryann and me dad is or was a pixie. Very forbidden,” she explains in hushed tones.
“I’m Mae.” Unsure what to do, I hold my hand out, which she places her tiny little hand in, and shakes vigorously.
“Oh, I know!” She smiles with, yes, sharp little teeth. “I’m Berda. Go ahead, take a sip!”
I shake my thoughts away and pick up the glass before me. I swear the deep red liquid holds just a hint of sparkle. Shrugging it off, I take a sip, expecting it to be heavy and bitter, but instead I moan, and the liquid explodes on my taste buds. “Oh, my goddess.” I glance at the wine as though it’s some sort of ambrosia. “What is this?”
“There’s a fruit like that of a mortal orange, but with deep red liquid inside. Grows in the Realm, or so it did.” She jerks her head toward the courtyard, and I realize for the very first time, as I look at the trees holding this fruit she speaks of, that it indeed looks like an orange. “Flynn says that’s why he carved out the inside of this building. He couldn’t move the trees.”
“Smart man.” I take yet another sip. It’s sweet, but not overpowering, as though there is just a hint of sugar. However, it’s lighter than expected, the wine somehow quenches my thirst. “I hope the alcohol content isn’t too high.”
She lets out this tiny little giggle. “Depends on what kind o’ creature ye are.”
I cant my head to the side, knowing that’s a very tricky response. “What’s the fruit called?”
“Tort.” She places her chin in her palm as she watches me sip from the glass.
“Tort.” I smile as the wine warms my body. “I like it. It’s very good.”
“Worth staying here for?” Flynn sidles up to the table and just as quickly, Berda is gone.
“You scared her away,” I complain with a pout. I can’t even recall the last time I nurtured a friendship other than Argos. Plus, I like the halfling.
“She favors you, not I.” He reaches down, grabbing my wine glass and swallowing the rest. “Come, we have a bit of an emergency.”
I place my hand in his with a sigh. May as well just stay awake until I drop. Who needs showers anyway? Apparently not me, even with the temptation of a long bath. “What could possibility be an emergency?”
“My father is missing.”
“Good riddance,” I grumble.
He stops, turning slowly to stare at me with that serious look that would scare a lesser woman. “I don’t think you quite grasp the situation. If my father is gone, chaos will reign. I understand your intent to overthrow and kill him, but remember there are thousands of those loyal to him. It isn’t a move that can be made in mere weeks. There must be a strategy to it. With him gone, there will be thousands to contend with. And that, my love, is something we are unprepared for, because they are already blaming you.”
Well. Shit.
Chapter 13
Mae
Memories threaten to suffocate me as we enter the lobby. It’s also a reminder that the man standing beside me is more like
his father than he will ever admit.
Unfortunately, this time, the enforcers are there to be seen. They step from the shadows, sneering at me, many with their hands on the hilts of their swords and knives. The shifters ride the edge of human and beast, catching my scent as I pass.
Feeling unsafe, I grab my scythe from the veil, and hisses echo all around me.
“Don’t be foolish, Mae.” Flynn spares me a scathing glance. “You’ve killed dozens of their brethren with that weapon, did you think they would take that well?”
Somehow, I feel the fool as I send my weapon back to its hiding place. I carry the false assumption that those here, working for Neit, are here because they have no other choice. Much like the sisters. I never once gave thought to the idea that many would be there by choice. As we move through the vast hallways and high ceilings, with tapestries tapping against the walls with our passing movement, I’m aware of the enforcers following at our backs.
I sure as hell hope Flynn was the only one who warded against forms of teleportation, because I’m not against jumping out a window to get the hell away from here.
We go up several flights of stairs, coming out onto a floor with rich burgundy carpet. All along the way, men and women stand in the doorways, watching us. At the end, a set of double doors sit open. My spine tingles in warning just as one of the enforcers breaks the unspoken agreement not to attack me.
However, Rhia is nothing but thorough in her training, even during those few times. In mere seconds, my scythe is sitting at his neck, while a knife in one of his hands just barely sinks into the flesh of my stomach.
“Tell me, how dedicated are you to this life?” I whisper for his ears only. Sweat beads on his round face, his bulbous nose flaring in and out. Shifter then. Or troll, since he’s fucking huge. Yet, he slowly backs down, aware that one small scratch of my blade will kill him.
“If you’re done, please come this way.” That voice.
I jerk around as Alloysius stands in the doorway at the end of the hall. “What the fu—”
“Now, Mae, I hope you’ll watch your language while here.”
I glance at Flynn as I struggle to control my anger. I thought... I thought he was on our side. What about the thought of family? I know I’m related to this bastard, I just don’t know how yet. But it’s all about to go out the window as I clench my scythe tighter.
“Now, Mae, don’t be angry with me. I wasn’t aware Neit would place me in charge if he were ever to go missing.” He speaks in dry tones that only aggravate me further.
“You bastard.”
He rolls his eyes. “Come, and watch your tongue.”
“I swear on my gram’s life, I will never fucking help you again,” I growl.
He slams his fist into a desk, the first time I’ve ever noticed such emotion steaming from the vampire. “Enough!” He spins on me, but Flynn has already moved us to the other side of the room, pushing me into a corner. I have no idea how he moved that fast. I’ll dissect that morsel later, but for now I’m thankful for his fast feet and quick thinking.
“Watch your tone.” Flynn’s body is rigid, an unmovable statue with calm menace rolling off him. It’s a side I knew he was capable of, but one I have yet to see.
“I apologize.” Alloysius gestures to the entrance where enforcers shut the heavy double doors, locking us in the room with just the vampire.
I step out from behind Flynn, my anger seemingly gone. A sense of wrongness permeates the air, something that went unnoticed mere moments ago when my anger surfaced. “What is it?”
Alloysius shakes his head, pointing to his ears while his eyes look up to the corners of the room where little black orbs sit.
I don’t have time for games, so I grab Flynn’s arm, ghosting to Alloysius, and pull them both through the veil before settling in a pocket between reality and the otherworld. “Speak, vampire.” I shudder, forgetting how much this place distorts the voice.
Alloysius’s eyes widen while he shakes his head from side to side. “I had no idea.”
Frowning, I try to look around, seeing what he sees. It’s like a blanket has settled over the world. Everything is overlaid with a hazy film, while shadows move in the distance, reapers moving souls to their next life. Allowing others to rest or wander until they are ready. “What?”
“This is where we go then?”
But it’s Flynn’s impatience that breaks the moment, not mine. “My father?”
“Oh, yes, forgive me. I truly had no idea he had arranged for me to take over if he were ever to go missing. Not dead, he’s too cocky for that. I’ve only met your father once and I assume he is playing a game with me.” I almost feel guilty for lashing out at the vampire, he looks... disoriented.
“Your time here is limited, please get to the point,” I urge.
“Oh, yes. Sometime this morning, Neit went to his greenhouse to water his plants, he took two enforcers with him. Each placed at opposing entryways. He was there one minute and then just gone.” Alloysius stares at me, his brows pulled low and his lips pursed as though he’s holding back from sharing something.
But he doesn’t need to speak. I know what he’s thinking, After all, I just proved to those watching that I am, indeed, the number one suspect here. “Shit,” I grumble, pulling us back into reality.
Enforcers flood the room, their palpable anger thickening the air as they silently demand the return of their god. I pinch the bridge of my nose, the situation weighing heavily on me. “I didn’t take him. Whose word will you trust?” To that, I glance at Alloysius as Flynn places his back to mine.
“Mae, I’m not sure, but they know they cannot kill you lest they invoke Morrigan’s wrath.” Alloysius throws his hands up, at a loss for words.
I understand how he feels.
“Will you accept the word of a djinn?” Flynn’s voice stops the room just as Rocco billows in, his smoky black form staying just slightly transparent. He’s never far from the two of us, and yet I get the feeling he is far from happy about Flynn’s words.
Magic had a balance, and I don’t believe Rocco wants the demand of his magic.
“Who is willing to sell their soul for the answer?” Rocco’s voice turns deadly, sending a chill up my spine. The consequence of his magic is now apparent as the room remains quiet. “I didn’t think so. Remember that. Mae and Flynn were with me, trapped underground for over fourteen hours. Will you accept that answer?”
One man steps forth, his face ruddy, and his eyes lit with anger. His uniform is soaked through with sweat. So, a diehard Neit fan. He’s definitely about to sell his soul. “No. I’m willing to make a wish.”
This only pisses off Rocco, his own anger barely controlled as he snarls, “You foolish beast. Do you have any idea what a djinn does?” He steps close to the man. “Do you?” His voice resounds in the room, trembling with emotion.
“Yes. I. Do.” He holds his head high. “For my soul, I wish to know if Mae took our righteous god, Neit.”
“You fucking idiot.” Rocco hardly gets the words out before the man arches back, his mouth open on a soundless scream. Light crawls its way from his mouth before shooting into Rocco, who stands with a sneer, even as his skin pinkens and his power increases, rolling off of him in a wave. “Mae and Flynn were trapped underground with me for fourteen hours, including the time your righteous god was kidnapped.” Rocco turns to leave the room, choosing to walk instead of smoke out. But before he leaves, Rocco throws his parting words over his shoulder to the rest of the room. “I am no fucking genie, you’d all do well to remember that. Your soul is now mine, your reincarnation forfeit.” Then Rocco ghosts from the room.
“You sold your soul for that?” Flynn is equally as annoyed by the outcome of this entire situation. “You could have asked him to find Neit!”
“I... What have I done?” The man’s eyes widen and he runs from the room, probably in search of Rocco to attempt to get his soul back.
“Can he give it back?” I quest
ion Flynn.
His humorless laugh is answer enough, yet he still answers, “As of right now, no. Rocco has been searching for that answer for as long as I’ve known him.” He looks down at me, his brows raised.
The library. I close my eyes as I fully understand why Rocco was excited about that damn library. His answers may lie there. I swallow any response I may have and turn back to Aloysius, my chin raised. I can’t imagine what sight I present to him right now. I haven’t showered in hours. I feel grimy and disgusting. My clothing is covered in dirt, I can feel a hole at my knee, and my trusty leather jacket, worn in just right, hugs me as though it’s the only comfort I shall find here.
It just may be.
“You speak the truth.” Alloysius falls into a chair, rubbing his brow as if he suspected me. I can see why he would. Honestly, I don’t really know why that burns me as much as it does. We have no true history. Just speculation and lies.
“Do you have any surveillance?” I jerk my head to the orbs in the corners of the rooms.
Alloysius emits a humorless laugh. “That isn’t how they work, although it would make life easier. Technology is beginning to be greatly missed.”
“I have no doubt that before long, everything will be back up and running.” It’s just the way of mortals. Ever tinkering to make things better than they were before. It’s as though they just can’t help themselves.
“You are most likely correct.” He turns to Flynn. “I know you don’t like me, and I understand your reasons, but tell me now if you know of anywhere your father would have gone.”
Flynn seats himself in a worn chair by the window. The room is arranged as if it was once an office. A beautiful cherry desk rests on one side, while couches and chairs bracket a fireplace. Alloysius sits behind the desk, weary and worn, looking so different from the man that snuck into my kitchen only days ago to drive me to take down Neit.
How quickly this world changes and priorities get shifted at a moment’s notice. No doubt Alloysius is changing his priorities. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be here, regardless of Neit’s unofficial summons. I can’t even begin to guess at where his motivations lie. “Are you absolutely sure he was taken?” I challenge Alloysius, as a new thought arises.