by JD MITCHELL
Gold and ivory armor glinted in the sun. Slender soldiers cut through a mixture of creatures, their helmets like hundreds of mirrors darting around the field. Ali recognized a questing beast and red caps as they fell under sword and spear. Fae warriors fought beside the gold army, a visual contrast in their black armor, but no less graceful.
The dragon screamed again. She turned in time to see it fall, a gold-clad warrior descending upon it. Ali couldn’t tell if the dragon was dead, but it lay unmoving as Nash’s drone whipped above it before ascending over the field. The sight of Nash’s drone gave her confidence that Jessica was safe.
“The Tuatha de Danann,” Red sighed with relief.
She thought Red might cry as he hastily made his way toward the field. He scrutinized groupings of soldiers before he took off at a hobbled jog. Uncertain of what to do, Ali kept pace. His destination became clear as they neared a cluster soldiers loitering near the back-shouting orders over the loud chaos of the fight.
“Redmond!” A female voice yelled. She ripped off her helmet revealing a blonde braid and brown eyes. Red ran into her arms and she embraced him, her height a few inches shy of matching his. Her eyes immediately flicked behind Red, searching the hill. “Where’s Leigh?”
Red pointed the direction of the woods. “Alive but injured. He killed Dain.”
The woman’s face flooded with relief, then shock.
A statuesque man appeared. He removed his helmet, holding it under his arm. His gray hair framed blue eyes. Leigh had those eyes. Ali recognized this man, this was Leigh’s father, Scott. He’d been at a few basketball games she begrudgingly attended.
“He did what?” Scott asked with a furrowed brow.
Ali studied the blonde woman again. She was nearly six feet in height, with slender features, giving her fierce beauty. Age showed in the creases near her eyes and forehead. This must be Leigh’s mother. Her eyes fell to Ali and lit with recognition, followed by surprise.
Does she know me?
Red held the spear forward like he offered a gift, redirecting everyone’s attention. “They stabbed Dain with this.” He nodded toward Ali.
“That’s the Spear of Lugh.” Leigh’s mother said. “Is Aengus with you?”
“He’s with Leigh.”
A laugh permeated the sounds of battle. It wasn’t manic like the gancanagh, but hearty, like someone told a good joke around a campfire.
Ali’s legs froze as she searched the field for its owner. A fortyish man wearing a white shirt soaked with blood appeared behind Scott. His shoulder-length gray hair was pulled back from his face, and his dark eyes were consumed with Red.
Dother.
The blood on his shirt wasn’t his she realized.
His laughter faded into a grin.
“Red!” Ali screamed.
Crack!
A blinding light flashed, followed by the whoosh of blistering heat. The shockwave knocked her to the ground. Her head smacked into the dirt as scorching air rushed over her body. The world snapped out of focus as the loudest firework she ever heard exploded.
Dizziness blurred her vision.
She gripped the grass beneath her, feeling dirt under her nails. Ali pushed herself into a sitting position, blinking until her eyes refocused. Multiple things struck her at once. Her hearing was dulled. The world sounded like she listened though a wall. Blood dripped down the back of her right arm over raw skin that already blistered. The metallic smell of charred flesh and blood permeated the air; the stench unbearable. She covered her nose and mouth with her hand, suppressing the urge to puke.
Red was fifteen feet behind her, slack-jawed and covered in a layer of brown dust. To her relief he was conscious. Beyond him, the center of the battlefield was a crater. Dust clung to the air, slow to dissipate into the growing smoke and fire.
A bomb.
The revelation didn’t seem real.
Dark smoke obscured her view, but she caught glimpses of the dirty armor that littered the ground. Many of the soldiers were motionless. The scene no longer held the glimmering hope of hundreds of flashing lights, only devastation. Soldiers from the fringes rushed the field, several Tuatha de Danann tried shaking the bodies of fallen soldiers and Fae warriors. The dark smoke grew thicker, blinding her.
They’re dead.
Ali wanted to scream, but she couldn’t bring herself to break the eerie silence that hung over the massacre.
Fingers gripped her shoulder. She flinched. Leigh’s mother stood over her, the whites of her eyes vivid against her dust covered face. She was yelling at Ali; her panicked words muffled. On the third attempt, Ali finally heard her.
“Get up!”
Ali stood; her body sluggish as she tried to understand what exploded. Several feet away Scott helped Red to his feet.
“Move,” Leigh’s mother barked pointing toward the hill.
The realization they were still in danger registered. Ali scrambled up the grass, frantically searching over her shoulder for Dother. He could be anywhere.
An unseen voice floated through the smoke sending chills through her body. “Chleachd mi na buill-airm agad nad aghaidh.”
Dother!
Red didn’t hesitate. He launched the spear with a surprising amount of strength toward the voice. The thick smoke parted as Dother stumbled forward, the spear planted firmly in his chest. He crumpled to his knees, gripping the shaft and pulling it from his breast as three Tuatha de Danann soldiers dived toward him.
“We need a Bé Chuille descendant!” Ali yelled.
She sprinted down the hill toward Dother. The spear worked once, it should again as long as they found a Bé Chuille descendant to complete all four required lineages. “Red, come on! Grip the spear with me!”
“Wait,” Red choked as he collapsed to his knees, his cold glare on Dother.
More soldiers, both Tuatha de Danann and Fae, continued to descend upon Dother, obscuring him from view.
Ali pointed at the pile of soldiers. “We need to end him.”
She looked around hoping a Bé Chuille descendant would suddenly appear.
Red coughed, sounding breathless. “The Tuatha de Danann will deal with him.”
She gestured wildly toward Dother; her shaky voice driven by the memory of Grace. “He must die!”
Red’s brows knitted, but the soldiers dragged Dother by his arms carrying him from the battlefield.
“I can’t.” He wheezed, collapsing face down into the earth.
Scott was at his side in seconds. “Redmond, where are you hurt?”
Ali ran toward Red, skidding to a stop.
Scott flipped Red onto his back and placed his hands on Red’s chest. A bright light glowed from Scott’s fingers before it seeped into Red’s chest and toward his extremities.
Red gasped and his eyes flew open. He pushed himself into a sitting position.
“You’re okay,” Scott breathed.
Wild-eyed, Red twisted towards Dother who appeared unconscious as they dragged him off the field. There must have been twenty soldiers surrounding him as they disappeared from sight.
Red attempted to stand, but Scott placed a hand on Red’s shoulder stopping him. “The Tuatha de Danann have Dother. He’s done.”
Looking reluctant, Red glared after the spot Dother disappeared. He remained that way until Scott grasped under his left arm. With a pained expression Red slung an arm over Scott’s shoulder. Together they stood.
“What’d Dother say?” Red asked, articulating his question one word at a time as he sucked breath. “It sounded like Gaelic.”
Scott spoke slowly as though he was unsure of the words. “I used your weapon against you.”
Red seemed confused, then his eyes lit with understanding and his brow tightened. For a moment Ali didn’t understand his irritation. Did Aengus bring a weapon?
It’s not like Aengus or Red would have told her. Then it clicked.
Oh my fudging dog.
She realized where the bomb came fro
m. Dother stole it from the tunnel. They’d all seen it in his hands, but foolishly assumed the bomb detonated. She’d seen Dother flipping the switches on the device. He must have disarmed it.
Ali surveyed the field. The smoke grew thicker, and it became harder to breathe. The damage was devastating, but a new question twisted through her thoughts.
“Why did he use the bomb now? Why not earlier?” Ali asked Red.
Red’s forehead wrinkled in contemplation.
“Oh no,” Leigh’s mother whispered, her voice shaky as her mouth fell open.
“What?” Red asked. He winced, then shifted his weight.
Scott answered, his eyes on Leigh’s mother. “He waited for Tuatha de Danann.”
Ali pursed her lips. “How could he know you were coming? We didn’t even know.”
Scott gripped Red tighter. “We couldn’t penetrate the barrier. It was strong one minute, then this morning it snapped like a twig.” His eyes fell back on Eva, his complexion paling. “Next thing we knew, the Fae were frantic about this attack and we came running.”
The accusation struck Ali like a physical blow.
The Sons let the barrier fall. They knew the Tuatha de Danann would come.
Her body numbed. Not once did they consider the Sons would want the Tuatha de Danann to escape. Her eyes swept the scorched ground. How many had the Sons killed?
Ali’s vision swam. She doubled over to keep from passing out.
“Take me to Leigh,” Eva pleaded. “I need to know he’s safe.”
Charred flesh invaded Ali’s nostrils again. She choked, desperately wanting to flee.
“Follow me,” Ali breathed.
Eva gripped Red under his other arm, helping Scott carry him up the hill. As they walked, Ali couldn’t shake the image of Dother laughing before the explosion. Disbelief faded into anger as they hurried down the hill and along the outside edge of the forest. By the time she saw Leigh sprinting toward them, she shook with rage. Aengus staggered behind him using Malvina as a crutch. Sawyer slowly trailed behind Malvina; his eyes downcast.
Leigh slowed as he approached Ali, then his gaze shifted behind her. A tear streaked down his cheek he rushed past Ali and embraced his mother.
“I thought,” Leigh’s voice cracked as Eva squeezed him.
“We’re here now,” Eva said shushing him.
Scott squeezed Leigh’s shoulder while supporting Red with his other arm. “What happened?” Aengus demanded as he neared. Sweat poured from his temples as he panted.
Eva wiped an angry tear from her face, releasing Leigh from her grasp. Her sharp gaze fell to Aengus. “An explosive detonated.”
“What?” Aengus moved in the field's direction.
“It’s over,” Scott said. “There’s nothing left to fight.”
Taking a wobbly step, Aengus stumbled and almost collapsed. Malvina was quick to support him. His hard eyes bore into the skyline. “Where did they get an explosive?”
Red unhooked himself from Scott and stood on his own. He still looked awful but appeared to breathe easier. “The tunnel.”
Aengus closed his eyes and swallowed, opening them again. “Is Dother dead?”
Scott shook his head. “Captive.”
“He won’t live long,” Eva seethed.
Aengus looked from Eva to the distant smoke. “How many?”
“More than I care to count,” Scott replied firmly. “We need go back and help.” He looked at Eva and nodded toward the way they came.
Aengus’s features drew together. “I’ll stay behind. If anything happens, I’ll come find you.”
Scott eyed Aengus, then looked at the darkening smoke. “Eva, Leigh is fine. Our absence is becoming inexcusable.”
Eva gripped Leigh’s arm tighter. “What if there’s another device?”
Aengus shook his head. “Dother’s final hand was played.”
“Mom go help Dad. I’ll stay with Red.” Leigh nodded in encouragement.
Eva looked at Leigh, her motherly concerns written in the downturn of her mouth.
“You’ll stay with them Aengus?” Eva asked.
“On my honor.”
Eva hugged Leigh a final time, then followed Scott toward the demolished battlefield. Everyone stood in silence, watching Leigh’s parents jog out of sight.
Aengus winced, drawing Ali’s attention. Malvina gripped him tighter as he stood taller and considered Red. “I will handle the repercussions.”
“I’m not letting you claim responsibility for the bomb,” Red said flatly. “We’re in this together.”
“In fact, we are not,” Aengus said. His blue eyes sinking deeper into his sockets. He looked tired and defeated. “It was my decision to use explosives, and I’ll challenge anyone who states differently.”
Well, this was the motherlode of shit storms.
“Will we get in trouble for the tunnel?” Ali asked.
Aengus’s lips flat lined. “It’s best I go before the council and explain my actions. My solo actions. They can do far less to me than they’d like, unlike the rest of you.”
Her heart sunk.
“I was in the room,” Red said.
“Redmond, you are an honorable friend, but never repeat that stupidity aloud,” Aengus said. “Leanan and I placed those back-up explosives without your knowledge.”
Red opened his mouth and shut it. Ali realized there was no argument. She bore witness to Red and Jessica’s bewilderment when the larger set of explosives ignited.
“I have it under control,” Aengus said with a grim smile.
Ali wanted to believe him, but it concerned her how the TDD might view this situation. All previous indications suggested they weren’t to be trusted.
From around the corner came two gold clad soldiers. One supported the other as they hobbled toward her group.
Aengus’s tone shifted. “The Harts are sending survivors this way. We must do our best to help them.”
Ali watched the soldiers approach as a gentle hum whirred above her. She glanced up, shielding her eyes from the sun. It was Nash’s drone. Jessica would see her face and know she was all right.
The drone only remained for a moment, then circled back toward the carnage. Nash was operating the craft and likely in search of Grace. Her heart dropped at the realization he’d only find her corpse.
Twenty Nine
The rest of the day passed in a blur of gold armor, black spandex, and smoke. As more and more wounded headed her direction, Ali worried Dother might have another trick in store. But nothing happened.
By nightfall the Tuatha de Danann had killed, or contained, most creatures and began removing captured sprits to the otherworld. The dragon, while severely maimed, was alive and returned to its home. This gave Ali a twisted sense of comfort. They hadn’t killed everything.
The creatures that died were laid on large pyres that burned throughout the night. When Ali asked why they burned the bodies, Leigh explained the evidence must be eradicated from the human world quickly and efficiently. Fire solved both.
The Fae, Pixie, and Tuatha de Danann armies were in worse shape. Half of the pixies vanished, and an upward of sixty percent of Tuatha de Danann and Fae armies had perished. The Tuatha de Danann collected their own fallen with less tact than Ali preferred. This was because of the locals, or as the Tuatha de Danann called them, ‘the mortals.’ Curiosity got the best of the nearby residents, which sent the Tuatha de Danann into spin control. However, it also meant they heaped dead soldiers into the back of covered trucks and hauled them away.
As for the locals, the Tuatha de Danann explained the incident as American’s filming a new action movie without proper documentation. The story gained credible traction and spread like wildfire. Several residents arrived in an attempt to be extras but were dismissed under the guise that filming had wrapped.
Aengus was whisked away the moment a high-ranking official spotted him. No one bothered to speak with her, Jessica, or Sawyer. Leigh’s parents had ushered t
hem onto a bus and sent them to Aengus’s palace with the surviving Fae. Leigh and his family joined a day later. Apparently the Tuatha de Danann were still deciding what to do with them. Leigh said it would take months for the counsel to sort the situation.
To make matters worse, Leigh was antsy. His carefree attitude and friendly demeanor dampened the moment the palace walls confined them. Ali attempted to start a few conversations with him, but he seemed content to pace the halls, uttering as few words as possible. Which was an improvement over Sawyer, who refused to talk.
On the third afternoon Red finally resurfaced. Ali and Jessica were attempting to watch a movie in Aengus’s theater room. When Red appeared in the theater doorway, Ali immediately hit the pause button. The screen froze, and the lights brightened, neither of which woke Sawyer who dozed next to her.
Jessica was on her feet in seconds.
“Hey.” Red briefly smiled, but he didn’t take more than a step inside the room. He shifted his weight, glancing at his feet before his gaze settled on Jessica. Ali slumped further into her chair. The Tuatha de Danann were about to further complicate their lives.
“I came to an arrangement last night,” Red said.
Jessica pressed her lips together and crossed her arms, her steely expression sliding into place.
Was this the moment Red broke Jessica’s heart? Again? Ali was finally on team Red and he was about to the screw it up. She was tempted to ask Red if he’d turned into a complete prick-hole, but she bit her tongue. This wasn’t unexpected, Red had explained the rules from the beginning.
“I agreed to join the council as a junior member under the tutelage of my aunt and uncle,” Red said.
“That sounds promising.” Jessica nodded, but her eyes hardened.
Ali cringed.
“It was conditional,” Red said. He hesitated but stayed focused on Jessica.
Ali looked away. She couldn’t stand to look at Jessica’s face when Red dropped the bomb. Jessica wasn’t good enough for the stupid TDD. Not good enough for Red.
“Are you free Saturday?” Red asked, his voice apprehensive.
This caught Ali’s attention. She looked up to see a hopeful expression on Red’s face.