Fixing Fae Problems

by Isa Medina

  Cruz tapped her leg with her baton. “Try me.”

  “No need for bloodshed,” Lord Velei said before addressing Har-mon. “] think you know who I am, do you not?”

  “Lord Velei,” was Harmon’s stiff response. “What are you doing here?”

  The enforcer jerked slightly at the name, but to her credit, she didn’t put her baton away.

  The Fae Lord fixed his attention on me again, a faint smile on his lips. “I am not completely sure, but I had this sudden, urgent desire to make my way to this old building.”

  I winced.

  “And I am not the only one, I understand. I believe there are others already here?” Lord Velei continued, his gaze moving to the opposite

  side.

  Mathews stepped into view. “Lord Velei,” he said.

  “The hell are you—” Harmon stopped himself with a cough and a clearing of his throat. “Mathews, I didn’t expect you here.”

  “] believe that is the point?” Lord Velei suggested.

  I was tempted to stab something with the dagger and hope it poked one of his eyes out. Lord Velei wanted the Keeper, and he wouldn’t allow any sort of deal to go through unless he was part of it

  Harmon rounded on Aidan. “You set me up!”

  Even Lord Velei rolled his eyes at that one. “I see your Council still employs the brightest of your peers,” he murmured in a way that carried clearly into everyone’s ears.

  “Lord Velei,” Harmon said tersely, hands fisted at his side, “this is a Council matter, and it doesn’t require your presence. We are in charge here on the surface, as you well know, and we shall take it from here.”

  Ener snorted. Lord Velei’s placid smile widened. “I do not mind

  going back to revisit our agreements, councilman. Why, I believe there

  are other branches of the Council present, are there not?”

  How did he know, I wondered in shock as Aster gave up her hiding place and came around a wall.

  “Who are you?” Harmon asked, outraged. His enforcer had taken a few steps back and looked about to jump ship. I didn’t blame her—she was here to apprehend Aidan, not dive into whatever hole Harmon might dig for himself.

  “Magical Ethics Commission,” Aster answered in a strangled voice. Her eyes were plates fixed on Lord Velei. He did cut a great figure in his billowing shirt, fitted vest, loose pants, and knee-high boots. His black, straight hair fell in silky strands all the way to his waist, and his golden pupils were awe-inspiring. All he needed was a sword to complete the dangerous-cool ensemble.

  Harmon faced Aidan again. “You’ll go to any lengths to keep your dirty hands on the Institute’s artifacts, won’t you?” he said with a sneer.

  “Framing me so you don’t have to give up the vault’s information. Are

  we going to find that there’s nothing there? That you sold everything off?”

  Very nice. I wanted to clap at the deft return, except that he was batting for the other team.

  “There are many witmesses who can attest Greaves does not deal with the artifacts confiscated by the Institute,” said a new voice— Victor’s. “Lord Velei,” he added with a small bow in his direction.

  Damn seeker going above and beyond its duties.

  “Who else did you call, man?” Harmon demanded.

  “Seriously,” muttered the enforcer, eyeing everyone warily.

  “Greaves?” Mathews asked in a serious tone.

  We were losing his support. What had started as a fishing expe-dition had ended up with a zoo. Was Lockhart going to make an appearance next?

  “Yes, Greaves, explain yourself” Harmon pressed in a pompous

  tone. The itch to use the dagger rose again.

  The need to impart pain and punishment must’ve shown on my face, because | caught Lord Velei pursing his lips and shaking his head at me. Whatever. I scrunched my nose at him and returned my attention to the part-Fae.

  Aidan was saved from having to answer Harmon by the arrival of two more part-Fae dressed similar to Cruz. More enforcers. Wonderful.

  I took a slight step backward. We were one argument away from all chaos breaking loose, and if push came to shove, I’d create some distraction to give Aidan enough time to escape.

  “Greaves,” one of the newcomers said, “you have broken the agreement with—”

  He didn’t get to finish. A sudden rumble shook the building; a loud howl pierced the air. I covered my ears, scanning our surroundings. Everyone dropped into defensive stances, surprise quickly replaced by deep wariness.

  All but Lord Velei.

  Bright light gathered in his left hand, turning the planes of his face into sharp-edged shadows and highlighting his devilish, utterly savage smile. A crystal blade emerged from his fist—long, elegant, slightly curved. Wicked.

  What did he know that the others didn’t?

  The sunlight pouring into the building dimmed, the air grew heavy, the shadows elongated.

  On the far wall of the warehouse, a pool of black, oily goo formed. It grew and grew and grew until the whole surface was covered by it. And it didn’t stop there—it moved onto the other walls, onto the ceiling, onto the floor, black tendrils spreading like vines of death.

  Cold sweat gathered on my lower back. I had seen this before. In the Bowels of Hell when Sullivan’s Fae hound had chased us. But this… this was no hound. My blood chilled as a bump formed in the middle of the goo, a gigantic lump that stretched forward and sideways. Whatever this creature was, it was huge.

  Shouts filled the warehouse, but I was too stunned by the creature coming through to register them.

  “Maddie, go!” Aidan’s voice. It didn’t fully register either.

  The goo broke, sliding around a solid surface, revealing an enormous skull—narrow and long and black like obsidian with equally black holes for eye sockets. A darkness broken only by the golden pinpricks of the creature’s pupils. It moved forward, revealing a pair of curved hors and a row of protruding bone running down its neck. A giant claw scratched against the floor—one of three on each forward paw.

  Lord Velei rushed forward and took a tremendous leap onto the lowered skull, sinking his crystal sword right on its center. The creature howled, showing the rows of pointy white teeth filling its jaws.

  Lord Velei kept his balance, aided by his sword still embedded into the creature’s skull. Ener joined her lord, unsheathing her rapier and avoiding its claws to plunge it deep into the creature’s leg muscles.

  The creature howled again and bucked forward, finally dislodging

  Lord Velei. The Fae Lord jumped to the floor, rolling away from a swipe, sword still in hand, savage enjoyment radiating from him. Ener struck on the other side then retreated.

  “You,” Mathews ordered, “go outside and make sure nobody comes near. You two, help with the creature.”

  The creature was now almost fully out of the goo, a sharp-toothed goat-like head followed by the sleek sinew and bone of some kind of muscled cat with a row of bones running from its neck toward its lizard tail. More bones protruded from its elbows, from the tops of its paws, from the sides of its hips. Its blood-curdling howl filled the warehouse again, rattling the surviving windows along with my bones.

  And then, another kind of screech filled the air, one that came from a hundred different mouths and not one. What I thought was a bony crest on its back wembled and took sudden flight.

  Shouts of warning mingled with bird cries as the flying monsters

  began to dive-bomb us. One came for me, and I slapped it away. It was

  some bizarre combination of bat and dove. It snapped its beak at me from the floor and tried to peck at my legs.

  Giving no cares, I punted it right into the wall. It slammed with a croak and melted into oily goo. I shuddered and turned to watch the fight.

  A bright flash announced Dream Devourer’s appearance. Aidan was right by one of the creature’s legs, slicing muscle with the blade. Oily blood spattered his chest.
In a smooth motion, he spun and brought the sword right against the creature’s flank.

  Magic tingled the air. Ener avoided a bite of the creature’s long jaws and pressed her hand against the bone. The creature screeched and reared back; the smell of scorched flesh filled my nose. One of the thing’s paws smacked into the Fae and sent her flying.

  An enforcer used the distraction to jump in and sink a steel dagger into the creature’s elbow, perhaps seeking to snap a tendon.

  The birds dove on the enforcer, but Cruz was there, smacking the

  things with her baton. Another flash. Dream Devourer was back, being re-summoned somewhere under the creature’s belly. I stepped forward, trying to see through the creature’s legs, my heart suddenly louder than the howls and cries—creature and human. If Aidan got caught by one of its claws…

  The creature spun, seeking Aidan with its jaws, its claws leaving deep gouges in the concrete floor. Aidan lunged sideways and rolled out of the way. The enforcers leaped back, avoiding its reptilian tail.

  And this…this giant monster wasn’t even inside Faerie. How hard would it be to fight if it had full access to its magic? Greenie’s vitality burst forward whenever we were in Faerie, his presence intensifying. | shivered at the thought of this creature becoming more down there.

  Lord Velei shouted something at Ener, who had rejoined the fight despite the red gash on her side. Aidan turned toward the three enforcers, who had apparently decided that taking care of the birds so they wouldn’t bother the Fae was the best approach, and barked an order.

  My mind was still too crammed with awe and terror, the air too full of screeches and howls, to understand what was being said.

  Aidan’s gaze rested on me for a second. His expression hardened, the line of his mouth tightening before he mouthed go.

  I shook my head before my brain fully processed the word, but he had already turned toward the creature. Something deep in me rebelled against the thought of turning and forcing my legs to carry me away from the fight. The idea was incomprehensible, nauseating. Leave?

  No.

  14

  One of the enforcers threw his dagger at the creature’s eyes. The blade bounced off, clattering to the floor, but earned a twist of the head and an open mouth full of teeth. Lord Velei and Ener used the opportunity to attack his exposed flank.

  A bird dropped on me, its claws sinking into my shoulder. I swatted it away, unable to tear my gaze off the fight. When a hand closed around my arm, I swatted at it too.

  “Maddie,” Victor shouted.

  ] jolted, turning to stare at him with wild eyes. He had a scratch on his cheek and another across the back of the hand around my arm.

  “We have to go,” he urged, pulling me toward the exit of the warehouse.

  “T can’t.” I shook myself free. “I need to help.”

  “Help how? C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

  “You go,” I said, stepping away. My gaze roamed the space. Help, I

  had said. And help, I should. But how? There were no weapons but for the occasional mound of rubble—anything not bolted down had been cannibalized long ago.

  “Dammit, Maddie. Aidan will—” Another Fae bird took aim at him. He rounded and stabbed it with a short dagger. The winged creature fell to the floor, squeaking weakly before turning into goo and melting inte the ground.

  “I’m okay,” I assured him then pointed to the opposite wall. “Help them.”

  Victor followed my gesture. Mathews and Aster were fending off a group of birds intent on pecking them to death. Victor cursed, clearly torn between staying with me and helping them.

  I gave him a small push. “Go.”

  He cursed but joined the duo in their fight against the murderous birds. On the other side of the warehouse, the fight against the giant

  Fae creature continued—a dance of leaps to deal a slice of damage, and

  jumps out of the way of the monster’s retaliatory strikes. The enforcers were dirtied, a couple well blooded. Lord Velei still wore an unholy grin of glee, his sword dripping black blood, his shirt and vest no longer pristine. Aidan was sliding under the creature, Dream Devourer cutting a path along its belly.

  The slicing, the stabbing—it was tiring them and not bringing the monster down. Perhaps its moves had grown rougher, its howls weak-er…but it appeared as if it could go at it for hours. And maybe Lord Velei and Ener could keep up, but the rest wouldn’t. I didn’t want to think about how many nightmares Aidan was accruing in this fight.

  I wracked my brain, searching for ways to help. The dagger would do nothing, even if I wanted to risk hurting one of the others. Perhaps Greenie could help somehow? It tore at my heart to call him, even if he might share Lord Velei’s joy in a good fight against a powerful enemy. But this ight…soon someone would grow too tired to evade in time and

  would end up in the creature’s jaws.

  And then, as if agreeing with my assessment, Lord Velei unsummoned his sword and used one of the forward legs to climb up the creature’s side all the way to the top of its head. Another burst of concentrated light, and a thick line—a spear—plunged right into the monster’s head, straight through, and deep into the ground below.

  The remaining birds cried in pain and dropped to the floor. The creature’s front legs buckled, and it leaned sideways. Lord Velei took a clean leap right before the creature crashed onto the ground, a look of profound satisfaction on his face.

  That spear—it had been raw, pure Fae magic. The kind that took immense power to use on the surface. And he didn’t appear remotely winded by it.

  It chilled me to the bone.

  I had always assumed the Fae preferred their underground dwellings not only because of the pollution and iron on the surface but

  because that was where their magic was the most potent But this

  display… I really hoped he was simply putting on a show and his magic had been depleted by that attack.

  Hands encircled my waist from behind. “Little donut,” whispered a voice in my ear. “It’s time to leave.”

  I turned, but Ren was already dragging me to my original hiding place. And unlike Victor, he didn’t set me free through my swatting or struggling.

  “You’ve been here the whole time?” I demanded, peeved.

  “Shhh,” he said, putting a finger to his mouth. His attention was fixed on the corpse’s carcass as it slowly crumbled into vines and leaves and dirt.

  “Why didn’t you help?” I whispered harshly.

  He smiled. “And risk hurting my ego? Not all of us were made to battle, my lovely. Now, make yourself scarce while I] cover your tracks for a few minutes, yes?”

  I scowled. “I’m not leaving Aidan.”

  “You can’t help him now.”

  “But—” I bit my tongue. Ren was right. With the creature returned to Faerie and Harmon gone, the three enforcers had rounded on Aidan.

  He was holding his hands up, talking quietly but earnestly. The enforcers exchanged glances. One of them took hold of Aidan’s arm—not strongly, or with the need to dominate, but a perfunctory grip—and nudged him forward. They were taking him back in, and while I want-ed Aidan to free himself and kick their butts, 1 knew he wouldn’t do it. He had already broken his agreement about staying at his home—to go against the enforcers now would only harm his case.

  Some steps away, Lord Velei and Ener watched the proceedings, the Fae Lord’s expression back to its usual placid countenance, neither impeding nor reminding them I was still around.

  I was sure Harmon wouldn’t forget, though.

  Dammit, Ren was right.

  I gave him a last glance: he was still wholly focused on the group in

  the warehouse.

  The small window in my original hiding room was accessible through a built-in shelf, the glass long gone. I slipped outside, my legs protesting at the steeper drop on the other side, and scanned my sur roundings.

  Nobody around—if anyone was waiting, th
ey must be doing so at the front of the building—so I ran across the street and around the next warehouse, each step bringing an increased sense of déja vu. Not two days ago, I had also mun from enforcers taking Aidan in. I had run, powerless to help, and unable to do anything.

  And I was doing it again.

  By the time I reached a patch of greens by a set of train tracks, the vise around my heart and lungs was so tight, my skin so chilled in the encroaching evening, I didn’t think I would survive one more minute. | was going to burst, | thought, squeezing my eyes tightly and calling on Greenie. Pop like a grape and be nothing but a layer of pulp on the

  ground.

  Greenie’s eager tongue did nothing to abate the unendurable con-striction of my insides. 1 somehow made it onto his back, whispered some nonsense—because where was I going to go? Not my home, not the Institute, not Lord Velei’s, not the Hub, and not Lockhart’s safe house—and allowed the feeling of going under the surface, the rush of the ley lines, to take away the storm of my thoughts for a few blessed minutes.

  When we came out, I felt a fresh breeze against my cheeks, heard the rustling of leaves. Near-total darkness enveloped us, and the magic in my veins stood to attention—we were in Faerie, all right. 1 scrambled off Greenie, allowing gravity to do most of the work.

  My legs had stopped working at some point. They buckled now, landing my butt on the soft underbrush of the forest.

  What was I going to do? I buried my face in my hands. I was so

  screwed.

  For someone who took pride in seeing the best of any situation, my thoughts had turned depressingly bleak. ] was back to square one, and while I did have Aidan’s phone with me, who was I going to call? Not the Institute. Not Lockhart—with Aidan caught again, why would he bother dealing with me? Especially if he still thought his arch-nemesis had found him because of me.

  I grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it at the nearest tree. It didn’t make me feel any better.

  Greenie’s head bumped softly against my shoulder.

  “You might as well go and leave me,” I whispered. “I’m a well of bad ideas and a magnet for danger.”