by Amy Sumida
Chapter Seventeen
We started at Painswick. It was easier for me to remember if we went in the order we had gone in before. Because of the unpredictability of our mission, most of the Squad had stayed behind but they chose to wait for us at Pride Palace so they'd be together if we needed them. Before we left, I went upstairs and put on the emerald pendant Odin had given me. It could hold god magic—a handy trick since I was full up and couldn't take any more without giving some up. I was hoping the emerald could hold fey magic as well but, more than that, I was hoping that it wouldn't have to.
All of my men insisted on coming along and then there were the other faeries, and, of course, Torrent—the star of the show. Thor, Artemis, and Pan also decided to join us. Pan said that as a god of wild magic, he might be needed, but I think the prospect of sitting around with Horus, who was even more irritable than usual, had been so terrible that watching Torrent destroy magic was the lesser evil.
Our team came out of the Aether and onto the hill that overlooked the picturesque town. It was night in the United Kingdom so Painswick was alight with street lamps and the glow from windows. Up where we were, the only light came from the moon but it was more than enough for us.
Mallien stepped toward the plot of land we had warded, one hand lifted to feel for the magic. “The ward is holding well.” He looked back at us. “Are you certain this is the course you wish to take?”
I looked around at the group and then we nodded.
“Do we need to act together to lower the ward?” Lugh asked.
“No, it only takes one of the original casters to break a ward.” Mallien held up his hands, fluttering his fingers as a child does out of a car window, and then brought his arms down sharply. A flash of light, gone in a second, was the only indication that the ward had broken. That and the sudden appearance of fey flora.
Mallien stepped back and waved Torrent forward.
“Torr”—I grabbed his arm—“if it starts to feel wrong, if you get any indication that the magic is attacking you, stop immediately. Don't try to be a hero.”
“I'll be fine, V.” Torrent took my hand and squeezed it.
“Okay,” I whispered.
Torrent stepped up to the edge of the fey land. He didn't hold his hands out or speak; he merely gazed upon it. But as he stared, his vivid green eyes brightened and started to glow. The glow coated the fey plants, giving them a sickly hue—a slimy color I associated with zombies, ghouls, and Halloween in general. The plants gave no indication that they were being attacked; the flowers continued to sleep, their petals closed for the night, and the grass lay dormant. But they began to absorb that disturbing glow and then vibrate. The whole of the infected land shivered very slightly, making it seem as if my vision had gone blurry.
We held our breath, every eye focused on the sight of a god killing faerie magic. I don't know how the others felt, but I was uncomfortable. My stomach clenched and a fluttering tingle of anxiety bloomed in my chest. Every part of me screamed that this was wrong—this was murder. It wasn't the release of energy that happens when a god or faerie dies. The magic wouldn't return to its source. This was an end.
But it was a peaceful end.
The plants separated into tiny pieces, forming a cloud that reminded me of the one in the Imleag. Golden light lifted from the soil and was sucked into the green glow of Torrent's magic. Particles floated in the lime-green cloud. They swirled in calming patterns. A pause came, like a deep inhalation, and then an exhale. Torrent's glowing gaze dulled into its normal color as the green cloud before him diffused. It simply spread out into nothing and left a rough circle of bare earth behind.
A collective, relieved sigh filled the clearing.
Torrent turned around and smiled. “See? Everything was fine.”
“Well done, Torr!” I rushed forward and hugged him. “I knew your magic would save us one day.”
“Save us?” Torrent whispered as I pulled back.
“You're going to save the entire world tonight, Torrent,” I declared.
“I am?”
“Not that you haven't done it before.” I winked at him. “But this time, you're doing it all by yourself.”
Torrent beamed at me and I had to blink rapidly to keep from shedding a tear. Torrent had been like a child when we first met—unsure, innocent, and in desperate need of love. He'd grown up under my care and had become a wonderful man but there was still that innocence in him—that need to do well, especially in the eyes of the people he loved. That was the joy I saw in his face—the pure pleasure of a child who had made his parent proud.
“Where's the next one?” Torrent asked eagerly.
Chapter Eighteen
It was going well. Smoothly. Rapidly. Every site succumbed peacefully to Torrent's magic and simply faded away. I even texted Teharon and told him to let everyone know that things were going great and we were nearly finished. Then, in the middle of the final unmaking, I received a text.
I looked down at my phone and frowned. The text was from Lieutenant Austin Wright of the Lexington Police Department—AKA Cowboy Cop. It read: Is there something I should know?
Azrael raised a dark wing to block us from Torrent and whispered, “What is it?”
“It's Austin.” I stepped away from the gathering and Az followed me. The other men looked at me askance but I waved off their concern; it was probably nothing.
When I reached an area far enough away from Torrent that I could speak without disturbing him—and where I had enough bars to make a call—I called Austin. Azrael lifted his wings again to give us some extra privacy.
“Vervain, what in tarnation is going on?” Austin's Texas drawl sounded strained.
“What do you mean?”
“Is there something magical going on?”
“Well, yeah. Didn't Ben come by and warn you?”
“No. Who's Ben?”
“One of my lions. Sorry. He must have forgotten about you. Uh, we're dealing with a situation. Magic has leaked into the Human Realm from Faerie and Torrent is currently destroying the remaining pockets that separated from the realm. You shouldn't be affected, though. Texas didn't have any leaks.”
“Well, now, I dunno 'bout all that, but I've just responded to an emergency call. Ol' Mrs. Tucker said sumpin' was happenin' over at the Wilsons' place. She saw lights and thought it was looters. It's not looters.”
“You wanna be a little more specific?”
“I'm standin' in front of a patch of grass with an apple tree in the center of it, the likes of which I ain't ever seen. This grass, it's meaner than a mama wasp; it keeps tryin' to stab me. The grass, Vervain! And the apples on this tree look like what apples dream of bein', you know? They're shiny and red and they belong in the Garden of Eden or a damn fairy tale. Not in Texas. These ain't Texan apples and I don't like 'em, V! Get 'em out of my town or I'm libel'ta pull a George Washington and chop this motherfucker down.”
“Holy hand grenades,” I whispered. Then I pushed past Azrael's wings and shouted, “Torrent, stop!”
But it was too late. The glow from Torrent's eyes was fading as he turned to look at me and the cloud of green before him was already dissipating.
“What's wrong?” Torr asked worriedly.
“Vervain! The grass is spreadin'! It's growin' faster than a sneeze through a screen door!” Then came a yip and the sound of shuffling.
“Austin?!”
“I'm ah'ite,” he panted. “My boots have seen better days, but I'm still in one piece.”
“Good. Send me a picture of where you are. Not the angry grass bit but somewhere we can trace to safely.”
“I don't have to,” Austin said cryptically. “You've been here before.”
“What?” I growled. “Where are you?”
“The Wilsons were that couple those snakes killed. You know, the house they squatted in.”
“You're at the snake house?” I nearly shrieked.
“Yep.”
“We'll
be right there.” I hung up.
“What's happened?” Arach demanded.
“A patch of fey land has just sprouted in Lexington, Texas,” I announced.
“Texas?” Arach frowned. “Was there a rath in Texas?”
“No,” I said grimly. “Guess where it is.”
“The snake house,” Viper said. “We heard you.”
“You mean that place where the Adroanzi were holed up?” Trevor asked. “The house with the tunnels?”
“That's the one,” I confirmed.
“And now, there's a patch of faerie land there?” Azrael asked.
“A patch that grew larger just as this one went away.” I waved at the barren dirt left in the wake of Torrent's magic.
“It didn't die,” Mallien said in a hushed, almost reverent tone. “It just retreated.”
Chapter Nineteen
“Why here?” I asked as we all stood and stared at a perfect apple tree—the kind of apple tree that's only found in Faerie.
It was afternoon in Texas and Austin was right, the apples were the most beautiful, glossy red fruit I'd ever seen on Earth. It didn't escape my notice either that the tree wasn't just perfect in appearance but was also the perfect representation of Faerie. If you'd asked me to choose a tree to symbolize the realm, it would be an apple tree. Apples are sacred to Faerie. But...
“Why would it sprout in this particular place?”
“Am I right to assume that you performed magic here before, Queen Vervain?” Mallien asked.
I thought about it. “Odin and Viper shifted here, but I don't recall doing anything more magical than tracing.”
“It must have been enough,” Mallien murmured as he crouched beside the grass and held a hand just above the blades. They stretched straight, trying to reach him. He cautiously lowered his hand and the grass wrapped around his fingers in welcome. “Fascinating.”
“More words, please,” I demanded irritably.
“I believe the magic fled when it was threatened and it sought sanctuary,” Mallien said as he stood. The blades of grass clung to him as he pulled away. “It came here because it sensed you.”
“There are other places I've been that would have a stronger feel of me,” I argued. “Hell, I was standing right beside the spot it was in previously.”
“It would want somewhere further away from where it was being attacked. Perhaps this place was where you've been most recently?”
“I don't think so.” I tried to remember my last visit to Earth. “I was at Austin's house more recently than here and if we want to go with magical remnants, I would imagine that a cave in a state park outside the city of Austin would have far more traces of my energy than here. I touched the Nine Great Magics there.”
“I don't know if it's a matter of quantity.” Mallien shrugged, his stare still on the grass. “Magic travels along the easiest path. Perhaps this was the first trace of feyness it caught. Or maybe there are remnants here that are stronger than in other places. Did you experience something especially emotional here?”
My stare went to Viper. “You could say that.”
Viper grimaced. “We had an argument.”
“Here?” Mallien looked over at me.
“In a way. This was where I came when I was especially upset with Viper.”
“That would leave a mark.” Mallien nodded. “Odd that it was drawn to your anger.”
“It was more fear than anger,” I admitted. “And sorrow.”
“Ah, that explains it.”
“How so?” Viper demanded.
“The magic was in pain and afraid,” Mallien said. “Like is drawn to like.”
Viper cried out suddenly and we all spun to see him holding his bleeding nose. Arach stood nearby, his arms crossed, chin lifted, and a satisfied expression on his face.
“What the fuck?” Viper growled at Arach as he swiped away the blood.
“I promised Vervain that the next time I saw you, I'd break your nose for the pain you put her through,” Arach declared. “Mallien just reminded me of my vow. Pain and fear, Viper.” Arach's glowing eyes narrowed furiously. “Strong enough to draw magic to it. You did that to her.”
“Arach.” I shook my head.
“I always keep my promises, A Thaisce.”
“All right, lizard.” Viper swiped the blood from his healing nose. “The next time you have an argument with her and you upset her, I'll remember this. You've just given me permission to kick your ass when you screw up.”
“I don't screw up,” Arach growled. “And call me lizard again and I will show you just how incorrect that label is.”
“Hey!” I shoved myself between the men and glared at both of them. “The last thing we need right now is to fight among ourselves. Grow up!”
Both men looked away.
“The magic was in pain,” I whispered as I knelt beside the grass. The blades stretched toward me like the arms of a child. “And scared. I'm so sorry.” I stroked the long blades and they stroked me back. I looked up at Arach. “You said they weren't sentient.”
“They aren't, A Thaisce,” he said gently as he crouched beside me.
“Then how did it feel fear?”
“We don't know that it did,” he murmured and laid his hand beside mine in the grass. “That's only a theory.”
“What do we do now?” I whispered.
“I would suggest that we purchase this property with all haste,” Mallien said. “But, for now, we should cast another ward.”
“So, we're back to where we started,” Re said, his metallic gold eyes gleaming in the sunlight, their shine at odds with his grim expression.
“That's your solution?” Austin demanded. “You're gonna toss a ward on it and call it a day?”
“We are not calling it a day. We're containing this until we can come up with a permanent solution,” Trevor explained.
“There's one more option.” I laid my hand on my emerald pendant as I stood.
“No,” Arach said firmly.
“The Trinity Star won't let the magic hurt me.”
“You don't know that, Carus,” Azrael said firmly.
“We don't have any other options.”
“Hey, now.” Austin held up his hands in the universal whoa gesture. “If doin' this is gonna hurt you, I agree with them. Put your ward around it and think it over. No one's comin' out here anytime soon and I doubt anyone's gonna buy the place. 'Specially not after a double murder happened here. Let's try to come up with a better solution before you go riskin' yourself.”
“Okay,” I gave in. “I guess it wouldn't hurt to wait a few days.”
Tension flowed out of my men, their broad shoulders relaxing as if their strings had been cut. Then a sharp crunching sound interrupted us and we all swiveled to stare at Pan, who was standing in the middle of the fey land with an apple in his hand. The apple had a bite missing and Pan was chewing with a look of pure bliss on his face.
“What are you doing?!” Lugh shouted.
“What?” Pan took another bite. “No sense in letting these apples go to waste. I couldn't resist; they're just so damn shiny. And this is a really... good...” The apple fell from Pan's limp hand and then he fell onto all-fours in the grass.
“Pan!” I shouted and ran for him.
Pan made a strange, braying, roaring sound as he straightened and stood in one flowing motion. Azrael grabbed me and yanked me back. Then we all stared in wonder and horror as Pan held out his arms, threw back his head, and continued to make triumphant and disturbing noises. His body thickened and burst through his clothing. Scraps of fabric fluttered to the ground, revealing a muscular torso that ended in a furry belly. The dark fur flowed down, over a pair of goat legs that spread in a masculine stance.
Pan straightened his head. His hair had grown down to his shoulders and the tiny horns that usually hid in his curls were no longer hidden. They extended at least six inches longer than they had before, curving like those on a ram. His hazel eyes were glowing,
his lips stretched in a naughty grin, and his pointed chin was tipped by an equally pointed beard. He looked mischievous, sexy, and very, very naughty.
“What a rush!” Pan hooted. He pointed at me and asked, “How you like dem apples?” Then he laughed hysterically.
“Pan?” I asked warily. “Pan, are you okay?”
“Does he look okay?” Kirill whispered, his stare locked on Pan.
“What has it done to him?” Lugh asked Mallien.