I knew there was a pattern. There is always a pattern, even in the most twisted madness. And it's so obvious now. Everything he's done has had one major development. One that has gotten worse each time.
He's just like the rest of us. He's running.
Pan's story has cast him as many things—the fun kid who brings excitement and adventure, the thoughtless brat who refuses to grow up, the villain who steals children. Unlike me, he's not running from his story. Unlike Hatter and Edmond, he isn't embracing it either.
So, what is he running from? Or what is he running to?
We know he wants to start his own Fae-only land. He wants to rule. Pan always ruled in his stories. He ruled the Lost Boys and Girls and some mermaids and fairies.
Ariel, Hook, and Wendy have been following his trail across the globe like he's searching for something. They'll be here in a few days, apparently the Jolly Roger has some suspicious malfunctions. Bo's been helping track him and sending them alerts. She's excellent at finding patterns as well. I tape a copy of the map she's been keeping on the board.
What is Pan looking for?
It must be relics. He's shown up with two new ones already. Powerful ones.
So far, he's caused most of his chaos in France. He had no control over the location of the Hunt a couple months ago, but he took advantage anyway.
I exchange my blue marker for a green one and draw lines connecting the dots. What's connected to France?
Basque Country.
The location of the new Camelot.
What has each of his plans caused?
"He's trying to break down the relations between Fae and humans," Bo's voice is almost reverent. I didn't notice her return.
I nod, unsurprised she sees it. "Yes. Because if the humans hate us and want us gone, it won't be long before we have no choice but to find somewhere to hide or separate. He's forcing our hands because he knows most Fae will never follow him over Arthur."
Arthur is the one ruler who can bring us together. Even with all the other Fae kings and queens, the legend of his return seems tailored directly to us. Especially since he hasn't actually returned like everyone else. Mostly due to assassinations. He and Gwen have never lasted long.
"Was he trying this last century?" Hatter asks.
I shake my head as I stare at the board. "I don't think so. I think he was just letting his story drive him back then. This is why he disappeared for so long. He was planning this. There's no telling what other relics he's discovered. I'd love to know how he's finding relics that have no actual proof of existing." I'm Head Librarian. It's my job to find long, lost relics and it pisses me off he's finding ones I don't know about.
"Where do the princes fit in?" Hatter asks.
"I'm the Head Librarian, so the Beast makes sense just to knock me off my game. The other two, and him included, would make good soldiers."
Bo taps her lips with a marker. "They're princes though. Would they follow him?"
We still have too many questions and not enough answers. "I'd have expected their egos would get in the way and prevent them from getting anything done, but they've been in prison a long time and he saved them. And who knows what he's promising them in return."
Jackie squints at the board. "How does this help us though? Sure, we know why he's doing this, but we still don't know how or what he's going to do next."
"Maybe not yet, but we will. Knowing his motivation will help us guess his next moves."
The others keep talking, but it becomes a quiet buzz in the background for me. I keep fussing with my white board, adjusting the files and photos to try to squeeze out more info.
A thrill runs up and down my spine, raiding goosebumps on my skin. I'm going to catch the bastard. He will not outsmart me. A giddy grin takes over the bottom half of my face.
"It's good seeing you back to your old self."
I meet Hatter's eyes. "It feels good." He saw what Bo's disappearance caused me. I hope he hasn't told her. She did what she needed to do, and I don't want her burdened with guilt. I don't blame her anymore.
Hatter and I walked through the darkness of her abandonment together. Without him, I'd still be suffocating in London with books as my only companions.
The bell tinkles on my door and Dantès strolls inside, a massive black bag slung over his shoulder. "Ready to go battle a dragon?"
Shit. I forgot to tell them.
Chapter 19
Bo and Jackie are still complaining about my forgetting to mention the dragon when we arrive at the woods. We only have a few minutes until sundown.
Hopefully, the dragon shows.
I can't figure out why Pan hasn't had the dragon attacking all of Paris. Maybe I'm wrong about what he wants. Or maybe he's saving it for something bigger. He has to be in control of it to keep it hidden. What's his play?
Either way, the poor beast will probably have to die. We don't have the equipment to capture it.
If I doubted Edmond's findings before, the stench of burned, rotting carcasses banishes the doubts. There are several dead animals scattered around, stripped of flesh and still smoking from the dragon fire.
Definitely its hunting grounds.
"Spread out. We're going to want to surround it."
Bo stays close to me while everyone else obeys my command. I roll my eyes, but don't comment on it. She'll be in the air soon enough. She's the only one here who can fly. Worry for her clogs my throat. Those tattoo wings of hers take her places we can't help her. I can still see her plummet to the ground after battling Pan.
Bo refuses to tell me how she came to convince Mother Goose to give her those tattoos. Goose is notoriously picky about who she gives her ink to, and it's unheard of to have two Goose tattoos.
The chatter of the forest creatures falls silent and my flesh prickles. Hatter sucks in a sharp breath from somewhere on my left. He can sense Fae.
The dragon is here.
I grip my sword tight while my eyes dart about, searching the dark for any sight or sign of the monster.
"Where is it?" Bo's mutter barely disturbs the air, but the dragon still screams in rage, a stream of fire lighting up the night.
"Does that answer your question?"
She snorts and checks her gun for the fourth time. Her lion explodes from her forearm and rings around my legs, busing into me like a cat, almost knocking me over. I guess he's guarding me.
"Don't die."
"Same to you."
She leaps into the air, inky tattoos bursting from her back.
"Be careful." My whispered words don't reach her, but they make me feel better. She's too reckless with her life. It irritates me that she's such a hypocrite when it comes to my life. At least I base my decisions on logic, not impulsive bravery.
The dragon screams again, from a different location, but no fire to give it away.
A howl answers the dragon.
Red has transformed into wolf form.
I can't see Bo anymore, but Hatter is still at my left, the glow from his lime green suit a beacon in the night. I bend down and brush my hand against rocks and branches on the ground. They quiver to life, ready for my commands. I can't send them blindly into the air with Bo somewhere up there.
And Hatter can't shoot.
She's supposed to drive the dragon to ground so we can attack. We're useless from down here. Come on, Bo.
Birds explode from the trees, shrieking in unison. My ears ring and I wince at the clamor. The dragon roars and dives toward us.
Finally.
Chapter 20
Bo's lion abandons me and joins Red's wolf at the dragon's chest, their teeth sinking into its sensitive flesh. Hatter's gun bangs as he aims for the wings.
Dantès, Jackie, and I slash with swords and fury. My rocks and branches sacrifice themselves to draw the dragon's fire. The small illogical part of me twinges as I imagine their death screams.
The night sings with blades, teeth, fire, and blood.
The six of us ar
e a perfectly synchronized team, like we practiced for this. Something else is at work here. I've never been in a fight like this before. Usually we split off and focus on different enemies. But this is different. Without seeing the others, I still know exactly where they are and what they're doing. I've only ever done this with Bo, but only after years and years of fighting side by side, back to back.
There's a magic at play here, but for now, I don't question it. I revel in it.
The dragon tries to lift into the air again, but its wings are too damaged and Bo's birds still dive bomb its face. It breaths out a stream of fire directly at Dantès. I fly through the air and slam him into the ground, landing on top of his chest. His hands grip my hips and he grins up at me.
"Thanks for the save."
"You're too useful with that blade to sacrifice yet." I push off of him and hold out a hand to him.
He takes my hand and I pull him to his feet. "You haven't seen how useful I am with a blade."
I blush and laugh, releasing his hand.
Side by side, we dive back in with our swords. My arms ache and I'm soaked with sweat and sticky with dirt and sap.
We need to end this. Now.
I call out Bo's name over the clamor.
"I'll try again." She yells back from somewhere in the darkness. "Pull back."
We stop firing and slashing at the dragon, giving Bo a chance to bring him under her control.
Grimm, let this work. I don't want to kill this magnificent creature. She's beautiful, emerald scales and violet eyes and wings. But we can't let Pan have her, the damage he could do is too terrible to even consider.
"It's not working."
"I have something that might. Bo, get clear." Dantès yells loud over the dragon's screeching.
He bends down to his bag and pulls out a rocket launcher and brings it to his shoulder. He stares down the barrel, his face calm and set with determination, and fires. It's not a rocket that slams into the dragon, but a net.
The dragon screams and fights against the rope trapping her, but it only twists around her body more.
The dragon strains, trying to fly again. Damn, it's not working. Dread pools in my stomach and hardens to stone. I adjust my grip on my blade. It should be me. It's my responsibility.
I take a step forward, my feet leaden and eyes on fire with rage and sadness.
The dragon slumps fully to the ground, her eyes closing and a sad sigh whining from the back of her throat. I freeze, my sword half raised.
Bo soars down and lands beside me, a stream of blood running from her nose. "I think I broke whatever connection she had with Pan. The net helped snap her focus, so thanks for that. Whatever Pan's using is strong. If she hadn't been so worn down by the fight, I wouldn't have been able to."
"Are you alright?"
She wipes the blood from her face. "Yeah. It took a lot out of me. That's never happened before."
Hatter hovers at her side. "You usually have trouble with Fae animals."
"Yeah, but not like this. This was similar to the Wild Hunt unicorns and hounds."
Dantès lowers the rocket launcher. "I hate to interrupt, but what exactly are we going to do with the beast now?"
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. We can't leave her here, but the six of us aren't exactly equipped to carry her back to the prison. And we want to keep this from the humans so we can't exactly toss her on the back of a truck and drive her through the city.
Bo straightens. "I'll deal with it. I'll wake her up and we'll fly back to the prison. But we can't leave her there. We need to get her to the habitat."
"I'll arrange it." Guilt wells. I should have taken care of it long ago. I'm slipping.
Bo becomes very protective of the animals she uses and befriends. The poor dragon. She didn't ask to be brought over to this confusing world. She certainly didn't ask to be locked up for decades and then have two people fight for control of her mind.
"I'll meet you back at your club. You needed to go tonight and I could do with a drink. Take them with you." Bo kisses Hatter's cheek.
He grabs her wrist. "I'm not leaving you here alone with a dragon."
"You can't fly, so what help do you plan on being? Are you going to run after us on foot?"
Hatter scowls at her. "Fine."
"This shouldn't take me long if Belle lets them know we're coming."
I wave my phone at her. "Already sent the message."
She smiles. "And that's why you're Head Librarian."
I smile back, but not such a nice one. "We're all staying until you take off."
Bo sighs. "Fine."
"It's not so fun being treated like a damsel is it?"
"Oh, shut up."
Bo approaches the dragon, sliding her hand along emerald scales. She speaks to it in a soft, musical tone. A blaze of violet almost blinds us as the dragon opens her eyes. I shift my stance, ready to dive back into battle if Bo's control is broken. The dragon's wounds have already closed over. We didn't get close to slaying her. Which is a sobering thought. As well as we fought, we really should have brought an actual rocket launcher.
Monster hunting is not my specialty. Librarians usually go after relics and villains. Monsters aren't villains. They're supernatural animals. It's a whole new and different skill set. Next time, I'm bringing in Ann and Van.
The dragon rises on her back legs, testing her wings. Bo sings out more commands. Usually, she does it silently, but she must need the extra strength.
Bo flits into the air, leading the dragon behind her. We stay watching them join the moon and stars above our heads until they're out of sight.
Dantès sheaths his sword. "What an excellent way to spend an evening." He turns to me. "Dinner?"
I'm suddenly starving.
Chapter 21
Everywhere Edmond suggests, I shoot down as we wander through the city. I can still see Hatter, Jackie, and Red's matching grins as they took the weapons back to the Library. Bunch of meddlers.
Dantès certainly has a taste for fancy, expensive places. I prefer the quieter joints, places with good food that don't draw tourists. Not to mention after fighting a dragon, we're hardly dressed for those places.
"No. I'll take you to my favorite place other than Bo's bakery. It's not far from my shop."
He adjusts his leather jacket. "Her food is really good. I wouldn't have expected to like pastel food, but she makes it work."
"Too girly for you?"
"No, I like those colors, but it isn't natural. Blue food shouldn't exist."
"Did she give you one of those Unicorn Poop lattes?"
He shakes his head. "No."
"Make sure you get one next time you're there."
"That good?"
"Something like that." My teeth still ache from my cup of it.
He eyes me with suspicion, but I keep my expression innocent. Hopefully I'll be there when he tries it.
We reach my favorite place, and I grin at Edmond's clear skepticism. "Don't be a snob. You're the one going on and on about how brilliant I am. And look at me? I clearly enjoy good food."
"You're perfect."
"I know."
He huffs a short, surprised laugh. What? I'm over almost three hundred years old. I may look like a teenager, but I've been alive long enough to see cultures shift and change. What's perfect in the world's eyes one minute, is disgusting the next. I'm comfortable with myself and am not willing to spend my long years without cupcakes and pastries and bacon.
The hostess welcomes me by name and leads us to my favorite table at the back. Dantès and I argue silently over the seat facing the rest of the place. We end up compromising and sitting next to each other like we're new lovers who can't stand to be apart.
I don't find the thought as scary or disturbing as I expected.
Marie, my favorite waitress brings over waters. "Hey, Belle. The usual?"
"Yes, two of them, please."
"Of course. It'll be out soon. Anything else?"
"Oh, am I allowed to order something?" Edmond grins. "I'll take a glass of Bordeaux if you would be so kind."
"I'll have it right out." Marie raises her brow at me, but I just shrug. I've never brought anyone here before. Not even Bo. It's usually where I work when I need to get away from everyone and sit with my own thoughts. It's the one place no one looks for me.
"So, what am I about to eat? You didn't even ask if I have any allergies."
I scoff. "I've yet to meet a Fae who has allergies."
"Me either. Why do you think that is?"
"I read a study about it a few years ago. It's something in our makeup. We don't age, we don't contract diseases, we don't get sick, hell we don't even get zits. It was a fascinating read. Our DNA is similar to humans, but there are a few distinct differences. We have an extra strand. Those changes also explain the powers." I'm warming to my subject. I've already bored everyone else I know with this information.
"So we aren't magic?"
"Magic is really just undiscovered science."
His head tilts to the side. "Isn't that Arthur C. Clarke?"
"Paraphrased."
"What's it going to be like when all the scifi characters come to life? We've already fought one War of the Worlds. That was exciting enough."
"One word for it. I didn't realize you were there."
"Everyone was there. I really thought the humans across the globe would turn against us after that."
"No, just the US." Granted it took a few years before things got bad there. "We were ready for it, we knew it was coming."
Marie returns and sets down plates in front of us. Coq au vain. "Thanks, Marie."
"Let me know if you need anything else."
I stick my nose in the swirling steam, breathing deep, eyes closed. It's been too long since I've eaten here. Longer than a week is too long.
Dantès slices off a chunk and takes a bite. He moans as his lips close over the fork. Loudly. I chuckle through my nose.
"All right. You ordered well. This is amazing."
Charm (Black Sheep of Faery Book 3) Page 7