by Richard Amos
She giggled, I laughed too, and the day was reset to the happy default.
Good. I was determined this would be a Sunday of nice.
We made our way down to Rembrantplein, more out of curiosity to see how much of a scene Dad and Orla were causing down there.
Just before we reached the end of the road leading into the heart of the action, a scream ripped through the day.
“What the hell was that?” Jake yelped.
Didn’t take long to find out.
Chaos in Rembrantplein.
A young woman running around the square, vomiting pods of many colors. Blue, then green, pink, yellow, and purple spew. She tripped, puking over a man who got too close. He screamed as the pod engulfed him, falling to the ground in a fit. She vomited on him again as the violence of his thrashing intensified.
Oh, no.
The woman crawled across the ground, begging for death. But people were too panicked, keeping out of her way, most of them too tangled up with morbid curiosity to run away.
I have to do something…
“We’re out of here,” Jake said. “Not this. Now with Lou here.”
She was too close to danger. Even if I was itching to get in there and help, walking away was the best thing to do with my daughter in tow.
It didn’t come naturally, though.
I hesitated.
“Dean? Come on.”
“I am. I am…”
“Help me!” the woman screamed.
My job was to help, to protect…
No. It wasn’t. Protect my family first. My job was to investigate, to help to solve cases, to try and make the world a better place.
“Dean!”
Make up for the past… How many more years was I going to put myself through this? My family? Myself? What if they ended up dead because of something I couldn’t change from back then? What if—
What if you walk away from the job?
I can’t do that!
“That’s it,” Jake proclaimed. “I’m going.” And he was, hurrying away, heading back up the road to the bridge crossing the Amstel—in the direction of Waterlooplein.
“Jake! Wait!” I ran to catch up with him. Louise was sobbing, watching me over his shoulder. “Baby! Wait.”
He paused.
“Don’t run off like that.”
His breathing was rapid and shallow.
He was terrified.
“I’m sorry….” He struggled with the words. “I have…to get…her home. She can’t see…this. I know you want to help, but not like this.”
Sirens. Blessed sirens. “You didn’t need to run like that.” I didn’t say it angrily. I know he panicked, and I rubbed his back as we continued to walk. “It’s okay, baby. It’ll be okay.” His body was a forest of trembling.
I stroked Louise’s head, gave her a kiss, reassured her too.
I hated seeing her cry.
“Your dad… Orla…” Jake said. “They were down there.”
I hadn’t seen any sign of them or the fae guards. The chaos had kicked off too quickly. Were they trapped in a coffee shop or bar? It would be the best place to be, heavily guarded or not. Spewing pod made that woman extremely dangerous. All it would take is for her vomit to hit you, and that would be the beginning of the ride.
“Louise first,” I said. “Come on. Let’s get—"
Outside of Waterlooplein Metro Station, there was Izzie and the twins. Elena Ricci was chewing gum, her brother sucking on a lollipop.
“Well, well, well,” Izzie said. “Here’s Jake and Dean, and over there is chaos. How funny. Follows you around.”
“Hilarious,” Jake retorted. As he went to move to the escalator, they moved to block him. “Don’t even try me.”
“Threats with your daughter in your arms?”
I stepped in front of my man. “As he said, don’t try it.”
Izzie looked behind me. “Why aren’t you jumping into action? What’s wrong, coward?”
I drew a deep breath. “Why don’t you go and have a look yourself?”
Her features were a lot more weasel-like than I’d realized. “You see what you’ve done to this world, Jake?”
“Yeah, keep on blaming me.”
We went to walk away, she ran at us.
I sprang into action, dagger out. “Come any closer, and I’ll cut your head off.”
She stopped, grinning. “I’d love nothing more for you to be out of the way when you’re banged up for taking my head.” She wiggled her brows. “Then Jake’s fully ripe for the plucking.”
“Speaking of plucking,” Jake jumped in, “maybe you need to lay off the eyebrows for a while. Give them a chance to grow back and actually have a shape. Please don’t tell me you pay someone to do that to you.”
He really couldn’t help himself. Still, it wiped the smile off her face.
“Joke all you want,” Elena countered. “Laugh, think you’re clever. The joke will be on you.”
“Yeah,” Emilio added. “And we’ll laugh forever over your corpse.”
Louise was wailing now.
“It’s okay,” Jake said soothingly. Again, he went to move away, and they moved with him.
“We’re not done talking,” Izzie said. “You can go when I say you can.”
That was it. They’d had enough airtime. “I’m counting to five,” I said, “and if you’re not gone, you’ll be hobbling away. Got it?”
She flashed her yellowed teeth. Reminded me of a Hyena. “The day is coming.”
“So you’ve said. Come on, baby.”
“Baby!” she shrieked. “He calls another man baby as if he is his wife. Disgusting. God said Adam and—”
It happened so quickly I wasn’t sure I was seeing it at first.
Fae guards came rushing into action, circling us and the entrance to the Metro station. Blocking any way out. Glowing pink hands, weapons drawn.
The twins gasped in unison
“What is this?” Izzie demanded. “Fae? Disgusting fae?”
“That would be correct.”
Orla.
A section of the wall of soldiers parted, and she walked through, coming to a stop by my side. She thrummed with power. Statuesque, regal.
Izzie spat on the ground. “Fae bitch.”
“Such aggression in front of a child.”
“It’s okay, Lou,” Jake said, smoothing Louise’s hair. Her sobs were soft now, her face fully buried into the safety of him.
Izzie spat again. “Mind your own business.”
“Actually, these people are my business. I won’t be going anywhere. However, I would suggest you make a sharp exit.”
“Why should I?”
Orla stepped forward, Izzie moving back with a sneer. “That hair of yours has so much grease on, I’m sure it would make a pretty fire.”
“What?”
“You heard me. If you persist on pursuing this route, I will make sure every road leads to pain.”
“Don’t threaten me, bitch. Who do you think you are?”
Her guards surged forward. The twins squeaked, and even the hard-faced Izzie cracked.
“Okay, okay.”
Surrender happens when a sword is inches away from your face.
“You win. For now. But—”
“Silence,” Orla warned. “We don’t want to hear your voice anymore. Is that clear? No voice, no face. I want you gone. Out of this city.”
Izzie glared at her, then me, saving her most sour look for Jake. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t need to. It wasn’t like we didn’t know the Conclave spiel by now.
The three of them turned to leave, the guards backing off, parting to let them through.
They didn’t get very far. “You’re nothing but fae.” Izzie stopped, pausing. “Nothing. God doesn’t love you, but he does me.” She spun, pulled a gun. “I won’t be told to leave by the likes of you.” The twins pulled their guns too.
Not so much of a surrender.
Th
e guards went to move.
“Can you move fast enough to stop all three of us?” Izzie yelled. “Try us! Move, and she dies, and so does Dean Tseng. Two fae for the price of one.”
I was staring into the barrel of her gun.
“We will end all of you. Jake Winter will die, and so will everyone he loves. The rot can’t spread. You’ll see. You’ll all see! We’re the power here. We’re—"
“Oh, shit!” Jake gasped.
Louise.
Her eyes were pure pink fae magic, her mouth open, her body frozen stiff. The same pink magic pulsed in her open palms.
Everyone was frozen but for me, Jake, and Orla.
“Her power…” Orla breathed. “This is her power.”
Fae guards, passersby, the Conclave scum, all of them statues.
My daughter… The last time the threat was too much, she’d done this. It’d spread further afield now. Even the vehicles on the road had stopped.
I seized the opportunity, taking the guns out of the enemy’s hands.
“Lou?” Jake said softly when it was done. “Come back to us, Lou. It’s okay.”
She slumped into a limp, snoring pile in his arms, her magic dropping.
“What…what happened?” Izzie groaned, grabbing her forehead.
The guards fell on her and the twins, dragging them away, kicking and screaming.
“You don’t have the authority!” Izzie wailed. “Where’s my gun? Help me! These fae are kidnapping us!”
No one moved to help them from what I saw.
Louise. Her power. My head was spinning.
A hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
It was Orla’s hand. “Thank you for scaring them off.” I stepped forward, her hand dropping away, then turned to face her.
Was that hurt on her face?
“Of course. What awful people,” she said.
“They are,” Jake added. “Thank you for the help.”
“Anytime. I almost don’t want to return to Faerie while they’re running around.”
Louise looked up, sniffling. “Grandpa?”
She was awake? Last time she’d had to sleep it off. I was rooted to the spot, watching her, still taking in the second display of her power.
He swept into the circle, arms outstretched. “You’re safe. Oh, thank goodness. What a terrible mess that was.” Jake solidified as he came close. “My poor Louise. Don’t worry, grandpa’s here now.”
Had he been frozen too? I hadn’t spotted him outside the circle.
Grandpa’s here now? What was that supposed to mean? That he was safety and comfort? Not us? That we wouldn’t have been able to deal with the situation without him and Orla to intervene?
Bastard! What an absolute bastard!
“Dean?” Orla asked. “What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing.”
Her eyes roamed to my balled fists. “It doesn’t look like it.”
“I’m fine.” Curb the anger. Don’t rise to things. Slap a smile on my face, straighten up. “Really. It’s Louise we should be worrying about.”
I went to my girl, kissed the top of her head. “We’re going home now, darling. Okay?”
“You’ll be escorted,” Orla said, clicking her fingers at the guards.
“There’s really—”
“I want to make sure my son and grandchild get home in one piece.” Dad’s voice was overpowering, dramatic as always, and serving the purpose of getting as much attention as he could.
It worked. The gathering crowds loved it.
In the name of manners, we let Dad and Orla inside for tea.
Two days in a row with their company.
Surprisingly, Jake had insisted.
So, we sat together in the living room. Jake and I were on one sofa, him ramrod straight, and them on the other facing us. Louise sat in Dad’s lap, completely calm with a book about Mars in her lap. Now and again, she’d interject to show him something interesting. He’d lap it up, taking a keen interest in every word.
When was the showman going to crumble?
“What happened to the pod-born?” Jake asked.
“One of my guards,” Orla said. “He put a sword through her head.”
“Oh, sh-, sugar.”
“It was the kindest thing to do. The man she vomited on too. He would’ve died anyway with the way he was thrashing around.”
“Awful,” Dad added.
Jake sighed. “Those people. The police will want to speak to you, maybe the council, if they decide to get involved.”
“Not a problem. Happy to help.”
“What about you two?” Dad asked.
“What?” I stepped in.
“This is a case right up your street, is it not? Will you be investigating?”
“If we’re asked to.”
Jake’s body language told a different story.
“Asked to?”
“Sometimes the council will assign cases to us, but I don’t think they will. They’re too preoccupied with the rose case.”
“Yes.” He scratched his chin. “Incredibly strange situation, isn’t it?”
Understatement of the year.
That was it for that kind of talk. Jake got up and declared it time for games and fun. Like he was possessed by something—the need to distract and have some family time.
Dad included.
This was too alien.
The rest of the afternoon went by in a flurry of laughter, board games, and Louise falling head over heels for her grandpa…
…and Orla not taking her eyes off me.
“Grandpa is so funny,” Louise said as I tucked her into bed.
Only now was she sleepy. Would she get stronger with each use of her power?
I kissed her forehead. “Night, night, darling.”
Dad had not been frozen. He’d seen everything for himself.
“I saw, Son,” he’d whispered. “It was incredible.” Nothing more, nothing helpful. Yet.
“Night, Papa. Night, Daddy.”
“Night, babes.” Jake was leaning against the doorframe. “Sleep tight.”
A big yawn, and she was already drifting off.
I left the door slightly ajar in case the nightmares came. Today’s incident hadn’t been mentioned again, and we’d had no phone calls about it. Didn’t mean she wouldn’t wake up screaming from nightmares, though. She had before.
“Wish we would’ve stayed at home now,” I said, completely defeated.
“Come here.” Jake held me, and I burst into tears. A sudden collapse of my defenses. I wrapped my arms around him, my face buried in the crook of his neck. “Don’t let me go.”
“I’m here, Dean. I’m here.”
The nights he’d held me like this, especially the early days when I couldn’t cope with the post-trauma of Coldharbour.
“Look what I’ve put her through. She shouldn’t be in situations where she needs to do that for us. Bad things like that should never ping on her radar.”
“You didn’t put her through anything,” Jake replied softly. “Don’t put this on yourself, okay? This was them, not you. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was frightened and… Yeah. We’ll find out more. We will. For now, she’s okay. Mila will have that potion ready soon.”
There was a delay in brewing the nulling stuff. Mila had texted me this morning, apologizing.
“She’s not okay,” I said. “She saw it. Bad things. The pod stuff, those fucking Conclave scum. All she ever does is see the badness of the world. Because of me. I dragged you both into this.”
“Let’s go to the bedroom. Don’t wanna wake Lou.”
With an arm around me, he guided me off the landing and to our bed.
“And now he’s here acting like the world’s greatest grandad, and I can’t stand it,” I blurted. “What am I going to do?”
“What do you mean?”
I sat forward, elbows resting on my thighs. “I don’t know. Just feel a mess.”
He
kissed my cheek, rubbed my back. “Listen, this is a crazy time right now. Hell, it’s always a bloody crazy time. But your dad thing? Mental. I can only imagine what this is doing to you. You can talk to me about anything. You know that. Or we can sit here and say nothing. Maybe sleep. Whatever you wanna do. If you need alone time, well, I ain’t leaving you alone. But I’ll sit right next to you with my mouth shut and dive back into The Lord of the Rings. Maybe I can read to you.”
I turned my head to face his radiant blue eyes. “How many times are you going to reread it?”
“Well, I’ve planned it, so I do it once a year.”
“With all the books you keep buying?”
“Yeah. Like visiting an old friend for a hug.”
“That’s adorable.”
“I’m all about the adorable.” The tips of our noses met. “Seriously. Whatever you want.”
“Hold me.”
“Sure.”
I spread out on the bed, and he spooned me, holding tight until sleep came and took us away.
Jake Winter.
My harbor.
Thirteen
Jake
Monday again, and there’d been five more victims. All sex workers from the windows, all women with the rose painted on them. There was a manhunt for Parker Smith and Elijah Hart. The consensus was now that they were brothers working together and generally a pair of extreme wankers who may be killing these poor women. Possibly had a fae helping them out, magically manipulating pod to become those talking roses.
Extremely worrying.
At least Dean had woken up brighter this morning, Lou too. Refreshed from sleep, ready for another day.
My babies.
On the spider front, William was innocent of any involvement with the prick who’d exploded outside my house. William was the only one of the two spider people left. Globally it seemed. No trace anywhere else—Dean had looked, and I’d had a browse.
The two men didn’t know each other and only got acquainted because they’d been debating some shite about football one night in a pub. Both drunk, both not looking where they were going. Both fell into the same massive pod, with exploding bloke going further and falling into the canal the pod sat next to.
Fuck knows where the spider bit came into it. Pods worked how they worked—on a freaky level. And that’d been that. One guy who liked to walk his spider, the other a violent bastard who’d taken days to get out of my hair.