Magic in Her Hands

by Jessica Elias

  And then nothing.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Chapter 15

  Masaru grabbed Isela's arm, pulling her back before she decked Laura. "Probably a good idea," Laura sneered, turning to kick the bumper of the car. "I haven't decided not to kill you, you fat bitch."

  "Going for my weight, really mature," Isela shot back, pulling her arm out of Masaru's grasp. "Do you really want to go there while Priscilla is kidnapped? By someone that wants to kill all of us?"

  "I don't like you!" Laura exploded, spinning to meet her. "You've always been such a bitch to me. You insulted my favorite dress with a smile on your face, and you went on being Priscilla's friend like nothing happened."

  "You don't even like Priscilla," Isela pointed out. "You were always saying nasty things about her."

  "To get you away from her! I mean, it worked for Miranda."

  Isela rubbed her head. The amount of stupid… "Okay. I'm not going to get into that right now. Why did you want to do that- you know, I don't want to know right now. I just want Priscilla back. Where would she be going?"

  "I don't know. All I know what I wanted revenge against you for saying my dress made me look fat and so that woman gave me the power to get revenge on you as long as I got her Priscilla."

  "What the-" Isela closed her eyes, composing herself. "I don't even remember the dress. Let it go, Laura. It's not that important. What we need to do is find Priscilla. You don't know anything?"

  Laura sighed. "I guess we can go to where I got Nighe. Pegasus."

  "… Wait." Isela lifted an eyebrow. She knew that bar. She had a hookup there once. Laura didn't seem-

  "My brother took me there with his boyfriend." Laura sighed. "I don't like bars, okay?" She rubbed her arms. "I would have rather gone to a coffee house or dinner but they wanted to go to a bar. So what?"

  "Nothing," Isela murmured. "So the woman found you there?"

  Laura nodded. "I was outside waiting for them to finish paying for the drinks when she came up to me. We talked, she gave me Nighe, she told me she needed Priscilla, and we went on our ways."

  "You're not telling us everything," Masaru rumbled, his voice even rougher with anger. "Tell us where she would have taken hime-sama and you'll get to keep your head."

  Isela nodded as Laura's eyes popped wide. She would completely let Masaru kill Laura over this. All of this, just… so she could get revenge over a petty comment on a dress that Isela couldn't remember? Laura would deserve it. She would deserve everything that Masaru would give her. It almost got to the point Isela told Masaru to do it anyway, they at least knew something about Pegasus, when Laura took a deep breath. "We exchanged numbers," she told them. "I don't know what you can do about that, though. I mean- can you track her that way?"

  "Can you do something with your Fae with a phone number?" Isela asked Masaru, disappointed when he shook his head. What could they do, then? She rubbed her bare arms, suddenly quite aware she was still in her pajamas and barefoot. But she didn't have time to go back and get freaking shoes and clothes on. Priscilla was in danger.

  Masaru took her arm again, pulling her aside. "I will take you back to the house," he told her quietly. "And then I will-"

  "We will," Isela interrupted. "I want to find Priscilla too. I-" She shook her head. "I want to find Priscilla," she repeated, her arms shaking slightly.

  He looked at her for a moment, then bowed slightly to her. Slowly, he turned to the car. "We must figure out what to do about your boss. He appears not to be waking any time soon."

  Isela looked over at the car, thinking. It might not be safe to take him with them. She let out a breath, looking sidelong at Laura. But she sure as Hell didn't trust him with Laura, after everything that happened. What to do… "Would he even be okay if he woke up?" Isela asked. "I mean, Leanan Sidhe…"

  "His Fae will be fine. She has suffered a wound that forced her to retreat, but she is still contracted with him. That does make him useless in battle while she recovers. Unlike…" He eyed Laura. "Bean Nighe visibly broke her contract. So her fate does not matter to us. Much as her former contract's fate does not matter."

  Laura's face grew stormy.

  Isela didn't correct Masaru.

  "We can certainly call for an Uber. Tell them he had a few too many drinks," Masaru continued, thinking.

  Isela nodded. "We should do that. Get Lawrence out of the way. He might be unconscious, but he means something to us. Unlike Laura here."

  "You're a bunch of assholes, you know that? I've told you what I know!"

  "Not everything." Masaru narrowed his eyes as Isela turned to call the Uber. "You are avoiding something."

  Laura's eyes slid away.

  "What is it?"

  "It's nothing."

  "Fine." She'd had enough. Laura just kept lying to them and it was going to cost Priscilla her life if this kept up. "You know what. Masaru?"

  Laura's eyes went wide as Masaru's hand went for his katana. "She said she needed her energy! That she was going to kill Priscilla!"

  Isela froze.

  Then held out her hand, screaming. "Kelpie!" When her Fae sprang forth, eager, she wrapped her arms around its neck. "Please say you can track Priscilla by tracking Titania," she whispered against its mane. "Please tell me you can do that." Kelpie nuzzled her, not answering her question as Isela whispered her plea over and over into its neck. Finally, slowly, Kelpie pulled away, changing into her humanoid form, and pointed. Isela's heart leapt into her throat, and she turned to Masaru. "Follow Kelpie."

  Masaru nodded. "You." He glared at Laura. "Follow the Fae."

  Laura just nodded, dumbly as they all got back in the car.

  ------

  Bean Nighe's loss was quite sad, but acceptable. And if everything went well, she would see it when Bean Nighe would be able to return to this world. That would require for this to go well… Devi walked over to Priscilla, feeling the charge of Priscilla's Queen against her skin as she bent down. "Hello."

  "Who…" Her eyes weren't focusing yet. Good. The drug was working. The Seelie Queen didn't need to be summoned quite yet. "Who are…"

  "It doesn't matter to you, does it?" she asked pleasantly. She reached out, feeling a zap as she brushed a lock of dark hair out of her face. "I just wanted to introduce myself before I kill you."

  Priscilla froze, her eyes wide.

  Devi patted Priscilla's face. "Don't worry. Your death will be used for something. You will bring about a glorious new world, only with the spill of your blood." She stood again, going to one sigil. It wouldn't activate until blood spilled on it, but she wanted to make sure it was written correctly.

  Then she looked back at Priscilla. "Don't look like that," she chided. "You look far too hopeful. No one's coming for you."

  And she went back to her work, humming to herself.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Chapter 16

  It was a good thing they had left Lawrence with one of Priscilla's neighbors, explaining he had too much to drink and an Uber was coming for him. But the fact the neighbor acted like nothing out of the ordinary had happened made Isela think, especially now… "Normal people can see the Fae, right?" Isela whispered to Masaru in the backseat, seeing Kelpie sitting on the hood of the car in her naked woman form while they idled at a red light, pointing. Both of them looked over at the tired twenty-something, obviously having just finished a closing shift at wherever he worked. "I mean, he's not looking at Kelpie."

  "I would think they could," Masaru whispered back. "In my experience, they usually-"

  "People who have the capability to form a contract can see the Fae," Laura told them. "Yeah, I didn't know that either until I came up with the idea how to get rid of Caren. I could kind of see a Fae wanting to make a contract with her… if she just stood and fought instead of ran and got eaten."

  "I'm still not against Masaru chopping your head off," Isela reminded her. She had killed Caren… now she knew for certain. And she couldn't do anything about it. She co
uldn't turn Laura in because she had used supernatural means to do it. She wished she could. Her ex would be more than happy to arrest a murderer. And Laura had killed one of her friends. But the only thing they could do about it would be… nothing. She couldn't turn her in because she had no proof, and she couldn't kill her. They weren't that that kind of people.

  Well, maybe Isela wasn't. Masaru's thumb ran over the hilt every time she mentioned it, moving as if to push it free. And she was okay with that.

  The light changed and Kelpie disappeared. Laura drove along where Kelpie had pointed, sighing explosively. When Kelpie appeared again, pointing briefly before disappearing, she jumped then followed hastily, slamming on the brakes to make the turn in time. Isela hissed as she was thrown forward, the seatbelt locking and bruising her. "Drive better!" Isela snapped at her in Spanish.

  "Fuck you!"

  Masaru stared at her with a blank look. It was a vicious thrill she felt at that look, knowing she had spoken a language Masaru didn't understand this time. But Isela didn't have time to explain because she suddenly had the feeling of Kelpie being sucked back into her. She shivered, her hand reaching out. "Stop, stop here."

  Laura pulled over, bewildered. "What are you-"

  Without saying a word, Isela peeled out of the backseat, looking around. This was a row of warehouses, lonely this time of night. But Kelpie stopped navigating, melded back into her… Kelpie was scared. She had to be. That had to be the only reason why she wasn't out, the only… Queen Mab had to be around here. Kelpie didn't want to be around Queen Mab. Isela whipped around, swallowing. She had no idea where to look, and the unpaved road was starting to hurt her bare feet.

  Masaru came up beside her, hand pressing against her back. "Did your Fae-"

  "She's around here." Isela looked at him. "What about you? Does your Fae-?"

  He closed his eyes, then looked to one side. "The Queen must be nearby," he muttered. "The Lady is restless. But she's usually only this restless if hime-sama is right next-" He broke off, looking at Isela speculatively. His eyes ran over her as he thought, then he closed them. Slowly, he took a deep breath, opening his eyes. "She wants me to protect you." Quietly, he added, "She's at odds. Tell me where to go."

  "Find Priscilla."

  Masaru looked around. Then he took her hand gently, pulling her to one warehouse. Isela could hear Laura clomping along behind them and didn't care. She just walked with Masaru, picking her way over the gravel to the warehouse. "She's here?" Isela gripped his hand tighter as he nodded, feeling her feet hurt slightly. But she didn't need to worry about that. She needed Priscilla. "Let's get her."

  They opened the door, entering.

  Masaru instantly had to free his hand, pulling out his gun and pointing it at the woman in the middle of the warehouse, bent by Priscilla's side. The woman sighed, gesturing as a wall of Faceless came between them and her. "I should have known you would eventually come for her," the woman said. "Her Knight, correct? And you, woman… friendship, hm?" She paused. "And Laura. Revenge, I suppose."

  Laura didn't answer. Isela frowned, looking over at her, seeing her jaw work.

  "I gave you so much… I gave you a Fae, and you were so useless. No matter." The Faceless came closer, undeterred by Masaru. "Start with the traitor."

  Something stirred. Laura bowed her head.

  "Hm? Little Laura, are you-"

  Laura stomped her foot and screamed.

  It wasn't a normal scream. It reached into Isela's soul, shook her to her core. She started to cry without realizing it, looking over at Laura. And that's when she saw another face transposed over Laura's, a white woman with long, disheveled red hair, screaming with her. Isela dropped to her knees, putting her hands to her head, trying to block it out, trying-

  The scream ended in a gurgle.

  When Isela looked up, ice pierced Laura's throat, chest, and stomach, three large icicles piercing her. The Fae - it had to be a Fae - disappeared. When Isela looked back over towards the Faceless, Masaru was rushing towards them. His katana came out, one Faceless's head falling instantly.

  And as the Faceless fell, Isela could see the woman, looking frightened. "A Bean Sidhe," she said, her voice shaking. "They don't contract. They just show up. She had to just be wailing about Laura's death. She couldn't-"

  "Let's test that," Masaru rumbled, turning to her.

  The woman stood straight, and suddenly… Queen Mab loomed above her. "Come. To your death, Knight."

  And Masaru…

  Sheathed his katana, falling to one knee.

  His Fae rose from the floor, holding an ethereal sword. She was a lovely woman, but soaked to the bone as she handed him the hilt of the sword. When he took the sword and stood, she disappeared, leaving him with something that didn't quite seem real. Isela slowly stood, wondering what was going on, why he had something not quite real.

  "Isela-hime." Isela jumped, realizing it was being pointed at her. "Please escape with hime-sama. I'll keep them busy."

  Isela didn't ask how. She just looked over at the woman and Queen Mab… and saw the fear on Queen Mab's face. Whatever Masaru had was deadly. Dangerous. Isela swallowed as he rushed forward, engaging Queen Mab. But instead of watching, she ran for Priscilla. Her eyes were watching what was going on, but she looked… drugged. Isela picked her up, turning for the door.

  Suddenly, a thunderclap sounded overhead and the roof was torn off. Isela stumbled with Priscilla in her arms, slipping into a pool of blood. Laura's pool of blood, she realized, that touched the weird markings on the floor… "Oh no," she whispered, pulling Priscilla closer. She knew for certain that was not good. Not at all. "Oh no."

  The woman cackled as Masaru backed away, the ethereal sword still in his hands. "Come! Come to me, Yidhra! Come-" She broke off suddenly as she looked up, her face growing horror as Queen Mab disappeared. "No, no-"

  "Isela-hime, go!" Masaru yelled, still holding the sword. "I'll cover your escape."

  Isela didn't look up. She had a feeling she would not want to see what was above. "Masaru…"

  "Nng…" Priscilla pawed at her shoulder. "Go."

  No. Isela stood, holding her hand out to call Kelpie.

  Then shuddered as something passed through her, making her fall to her knees, her vision nearly blacking out. She looked up, seeing what appeared to be Faceless- no they had faces… She had to call Kelpie…

  Kelpie neighed in her ear. Go. Leave. Take Priscilla and go. Save the world.

  She closed her eyes.

  And scooped up Priscilla as Masaru rushed forward. Isela ran for the door, feeling something cut her foot as she did so. But she ignored it, still running, still trying to go. Masaru was behind her, fighting those monsters even as she saw them come closer to the woman, to Masaru, and she could hear the woman scream as one of the monsters leapt at her, the last thing Isela saw before she turned, holding Priscilla closer-

  Then suddenly, the scream cut off in a horrible gurgle.

  When Isela turned around, the woman was gone, only a bloodstain remaining. Something also remained around her, something black. And thick. And… she didn't know what it was. The air was still. Too still. Masaru looking around, the same black and thick fluid dripping from his ethereal sword as he searched for an enemy. But there was none, just… an empty warehouse. His hand opened, and the sword disappeared, back to wherever it came from. Then he came over to Isela, holding out his arms to take Priscilla.