by Casey Knight
“I found him. If you come down almost directly below the web you’ll see him.”
We picked our way back through the dense tangle of trees, limbs, and shrubs. Finally, we reached the web and made our way down another ten feet when we spotted the man. Traygen wound his way in and out of foliage until we found a place to land. I went over to check the man and the area for any clues to help us determine what occurred here. The man was dead and I found no obvious cause of death. No bite marks, no wounds, period. It was possible he fell to his death, but I didn’t think it likely. I sent out my senses to probe for any signs of supernatural activity. I moved through the immediate area until I felt a subtle shift in the energy. I needed to be sure, so I walked further away and moved in a different direction. I thought I now knew what killed the man. But I needed to make absolutely certain.
“Tokem, I need you to return me to the first site. Traygen and Corbin, can you secure this area and call for the bodies to be transported? I believe I know what happened here, but I need to check the first site. I think you two should stay above the tree line until help comes to retrieve the bodies.”
“Lauren, be careful, our lives together have just begun.”
“It took me long enough to find you. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Will you two knock it off before you bring a tear to my eye?”
I glared at Tokem and he blew me a kiss before he landed on my handlebars. We moved back to the place where we located the first body. It didn’t take me long to discover what I looked for. Satisfied, we headed back to where we left the others. They just finished loading up the first man and Tokem volunteered to show them the second body. We left the portable universe and transported back to the Four-Courts. We assembled in the conference room to review what we knew and wait for Tokem to return.
“They just loaded the second guard. What do you want to do with security?” Tokem asked.
“If I can make a suggestion, I think we should just seal it and place guards outside the entrance. I know it might telegraph the coordinates, but it isn’t safe for anyone to stay inside there right now.”
“Lauren, do you want to fill the rest of us in. What did you find?” Traygen inquired.
“I almost missed it; in fact I did at the first site. But when we landed the second time, I caught the faintest scent of magic. If we’d found the body any later, it might have dissipated, leaving no trace at all. I asked Tokem to return me to the first victim, and I checked the site again looking for any evidence or signature of magic. And again I found it.”
“So, what do you think happened? Out with it, woman. What are you waiting for - a drum roll?”
“Tokem, unless you want to see the taxidermist, you need to get a grip. I think they were both killed by the familiars of the jaguar and the spider. If I am correct, then whoever animated those animals can communicate with them without being inside the universe. The million dollar question is, who is animating the familiars and why did they kill the guards? They must know they risked tipping us off to their existence and their ability to control their familiars.”
“Correct me if I am wrong, but aren’t the fae the most likely culprits? I mean, I guess wizards are capable of creating a familiar. Yet, it usually is a form of glamour.”
“Corbin, you are correct. In fact, the Unseelie are the most adept at it. And technically, I could create a familiar, but it isn’t something I’ve perfected. But if it is the fae, why activate them now? Once the games start, it would be almost impossible to differentiate one form of magic from another. It also doesn’t explain why the first man we found was drained of blood.”
“Lauren, I asked Jason and the council to speed up the autopsies on the dead men. We should know by tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I think we need to post guards outside the universe. Until we know what we’re up against, there is no sense in risking anyone else’s lives. I’ll see to it now,” Traygen said as he left the room.
“What is your plan for inspecting the other universes? Or do you think we need to have a chat with the designers to see if they know anything regarding the familiars?”
I considered Corbin’s question and decided for the time being we wouldn’t let them know we knew anything concerning the existence of the familiars. Until we identified who killed the guards, we needed to proceed carefully.
“Lauren, what is it?”
“I’m sorry, I was mulling over your question. I think for now we won’t let anyone know we’re aware of the familiars. Depending on what the autopsies tell us, we may or may not tell them. I mean it is entirely possible the second man fell and broke his neck, and that a real jaguar broke the first man’s neck.”
“True, but it doesn’t explain why the first man was drained. No vampire killed him, and a lycan would’ve torn his throat out. Elves would not have done it. The fae and wizards are both capable and since they’re also fae, demons can drain a person. The question is why, and why now? If they’re trying to gain an advantage, they’d wait until the games were underway.”
“Why indeed? And unfortunately, we still have three more universes to inspect. We need answers and soon. Corbin, can you contact your father and see if the vampires have been warring with any of their competitors? I’ll contact Jason and see if he is aware of any disputes.”
“I’ll see to it now.”
I left and went to contact Jason. He transported within minutes of my summons.
“Lauren, what’s up?”
I filled him in on what we’d found and what we suspected. Then I asked him if he knew of any current disputes. He snorted before telling me the question was as inane as asking if there were cars on the freeway during rush hour. He made a valid point. But this appeared bigger than the usual garden-variety pettiness. He didn’t say anything for so long I thought he wasn’t going to answer me.
“I’ve heard rumors of a power struggle between the fae courts.”
“Tell me something I don’t know. Queen Mab still has a price on my head. The Unseelie hate humans.”
“I am aware of Mab’s vendetta against you. She is rumored to have raised a considerable army of demons and Kelpies. Queen Aerlene of the Seelie fae is raising her own army.”
“Why haven’t we heard anything concerning this? And why let the fae host this if they’re preparing to go to war?”
“You know as well as I do they’ve battled for ages and it is their turn to host. We couldn’t refuse based on rumors and speculations. Besides, we thoroughly vetted their design team. We found nothing on any of them. Do you want to fill me in on what you’ve found so far?”
I went over what we’d established and what we suspected. By the time I brought Jason up to speed, Corbin had returned.
“Hello, Corbin.”
“Hi, Jason.”
“What did your father have to say? Was he aware of anything that might shed some light on things?”
“He doesn’t think the White Court or Jade Courts would have anything to do with this and nothing to gain. He isn’t sure what the Red Court is into, but he doesn’t think they’d profit from sabotaging the games or even disrupting them. He ruled out the Black Court. Yet, he can’t rule out a lone wolf. There are likely agendas he’s unaware of.”
“Jason, what about the wizards?”
“Lauren, if there are any, they are acting on their own accord. The council would have nothing to gain and much to lose if anything goes wrong while they are providing security. It would certainly reflect badly on us. Yet, as Corbin said, it doesn’t mean someone isn’t acting independently. How do you plan to handle this going forward?”
“We are waiting on the autopsies to find out what killed our guards and we are placing security outside the universe until we know what we are up against. Things are still proceeding as planned. Until we get to the bottom of this, nothing changes. We are still preparing to have the wizards move the universes once we inspect them all. Tomorrow we are proceeding to the second one. If we don’t run into any more tr
ouble we may get through the third.”
“Let me know if you need more help and keep me posted.”
Chapter Three
The next morning, we met in our conference room. The autopsies came back on the two dead guards. As we expected, both died from broken necks. The first man had claw marks on his shoulders. Jaguars are excellent climbers and it would appear one killed the guard. The autopsy did not determine how he was drained. He had no puncture wounds. The only way I know it was possible is with a spell. Elves, fae, and wizards use incantations, even though the council forbids dark spells.
“We are running out of time. There are still three universes to inspect. I suggest we table this for now. We won’t know for sure unless we catch someone in the act. Now we have confirmed magic was used in some fashion. I’ll set my bracelet and staff to alert us to the presence of any new magic. Unless anyone else has a better idea.”
“Lauren, what is the second universe?” Corbin asked.
“It is a desert environment. Everyone should suit up and we will meet at the transport in half an hour.”
The design team had provided us with one piece suits and facemasks. If you asked me, we looked like a hazmat team. The design team had no sense of style. These things were about as sexy as the Michelin tire man. The only thing hot about these things was my skin. By the time we got to the transport, sweat was dripping down my back. We boarded the vehicle and were shown our next mode of transportation. It was all we had to convey us around this God forsaken hellhole. The description of this place warned of gruesome menaces. There was no way I was putting my toe on that sand. Why in the hell did the design team feel the need to supersize every lethal snake, scorpion, or thorned plant?
When we reached the cargo compartment, I couldn’t believe what they expected us to travel in. It looked like one of those airboats they use in the Everglades. This one seated four, and everything except the giant propellers was encased in a fiberglass looking bubble. The hull was also glass-reinforced plastic. I looked at Traygen and he raised his eyebrows in question. Corbin didn’t look much happier. Tokem, of course, seemed oblivious, as he would be flying. All I could think was, hell no. One of the transport guards was explaining to Traygen how to operate the thing. Once the man finished, Traygen checked out the boat. When he seemed satisfied, we climbed aboard. No one needed to tell me to buckle up.
The transport flew low over the desert and then ejected us out the back of the cargo hold. I nearly wet my pants when we sailed through the air. Traygen turned on the giant propellers and we shot forward until we hit the sand. We bounced a few times until Traygen got the hang of the thing. It was like riding a giant snowboard or surfing the sand. When I finally pried my fingers from the armrest, I took my first look around. There were sand dunes as far as I could see in every direction. The seemingly endless dunes were occasionally sprinkled with haphazardly placed boulders, or a thorny patch of barbed cacti. We were carving up the sand like snow on a downhill run.
Our instruments told us the temperature was a balmy 120 degrees. We still saw no signs of life. When we crested the next dune, we spotted small trees and shrubs on a thin strip of land below the dunes. Traygen headed us in that direction. As we descended, we had to avoid several large depressions or craters. As we climbed out of one, a giant scorpion blocked our path. The transport was equipped with artillery and Corbin prepared to fire if needed. I personally would have blasted first and asked questions later. Fortunately, for the scorpion it made no move in our direction.
We slowed near the trees and looked around, and now I understood why the scorpion had ignored us. He had backup. There among the trees I spotted at least two other scorpions. Traygen saw them too, and he started to move out of their way. Unfortunately, they were extremely fast, and before we could get clear of the nearest one, it hit our vehicle with its tail. I was sure our bubble would shatter, and it cracked. Corbin took several shots at it and it fell back, but not before I saw the runes.
“Traygen, make another pass over our scorpions. Try to get their attention.”
“Are you out of your mind? No, scratch that, I know you are. Did you see what that thing did to our bubble?”
“Tokem, I need to get a picture of the scorpion’s stinger.”
“Lauren, there is no need to be rude.”
Traygen didn’t say a word as he made a wide circle around the scorpion and dove low over it, strafing it as we flew by. I got what I needed, and we moved away from the arthropods.
“Let’s get out of here. I think we’ve seen enough.”
Traygen called to have the transport pick us up and we were back in our conference room within the hour. I gathered my thoughts and then I told them what I suspected.
“I think we’ve been going about this all wrong. The universes are already compromised. I saw runes etched in the rocks near the scorpions. We found familiars in the first universe and there are likely familiars in all of them. These familiars can be activated from the outside, so moving the universes is pointless. We need to focus on who is behind this. Any ideas?”
Traygen had been quiet during the ride back on the transport and during my explanation. He looked lost in thought. If anyone would have valuable insight, it would be Traygen. He was over a hundred years old and his family had a vast research library. I used it when we were searching for him. His people also had an extended and turbulent history with the fae.
“Traygen, were you going to say something?” I prodded him.
“As Lauren knows, my family has a long and stormy past with the fae. My ancestors banished the Seelie to the underworld. It is my understanding their foes were half demons that they encased deep in the earth. The demons were called Fomorian warriors. They were a giant race of brutal semi-divine killers. They used magic and were particularly adept at using the natural forces of fog, wind, storms, and disease. A nasty bunch that have vowed to exterminate the Seelie, and if they have aligned with the Unseelie and Mab, it would be war.”
“There is only one way to find out. Corbin, would you be willing to speak with Queen Aerlene? She will know if there is anything going on. You can use your rank as a prince of the Black Court. She will not harm you for fear of causing trouble with the vampires.”
“I will request an immediate meeting.”
“When you get your reply, let me know and I’ll teleport you to the meeting. I cannot enter their realm. Although I have no quarrel with Queen Aerlene, I can’t risk Mab finding me anywhere in their territories.”
“Lauren, you are about as welcome as the plague.” Tokem quipped from well out of my reach.
“It will take a flick of my wrist and a small spell to silence you.” For emphasis I sent a small jet of water at his head. He had to jump to avoid getting hit.
Corbin dispatched his contact to Queen Aerlene, and I decided to read up on the Fomorian’s. I needed to teleport myself to the library at Traygen’s ancestral castle. I nearly collided with Prince Trevor when I popped in unannounced.
“Lauren, how nice of you to drop in on us,” he said with a chuckle. “How are you and Traygen?”
“We are fine, and I apologize for dropping in unannounced. I was hoping you had something in your library on the Fomorian warriors.”
“They’re a horrible lot, and I’m sure you can find something. I’ll show you where the books on the fae are located. How is Traygen?”
“He is wonderful, and he suggested I check your library, which is why I didn’t send word beforehand. How are the king and everyone?”
“Lauren, we’re all well. Please give our love to Traygen.”
He showed me to an area of the library devoted exclusively to the fae. It looked like this might take a while, so I called in reinforcements and summoned my husband. Traygen arrived several minutes later. I told him I could use his assistance. He sat down and started.
“Not so fast, Love, I just spoke with Trevor. You should say hello to everyone. This can wait until you return. Besides, maybe your fathe
r can direct us to something and narrow the search for us.”
“If you insist, I won’t be long. Have I told you today that I love you?”
“Not often enough.”
He gave me a hug and went to find his family. I looked at the books to see if they were in any order. Not that I could tell, so I pulled books from the shelves and thumbed through them. I had skimmed a few when Traygen returned and went to the shelves and pulled down books.
“My father suggested these four. We can split them and maybe we can direct our search more efficiently.”
We both took a book and began skimming. I could tell immediately this was more what we were looking for. My book gave a history of the fae and how they ended up in the underworld and why they split into two courts. I read for an hour before I found my first reference to the Fomorian warriors. It seemed their two Gods were Morc and Legon. Morc was the god of Chaos; Legon the god of Wild Nature.
Legon could harness the forces of nature much the way I could, but it was Morc who got my attention. As the god of Chaos, he was as funny as a heart attack. He was one of the main reasons Traygen’s father had banished the fae from Ireland to the underworld. Morc’s warriors were giant demons that used their magic to kill and plunder Ireland. Then I found what I was looking for. The Seelie Court entombed the Fomorian warriors in the center of the molten earth core. They hadn’t been seen in over a hundred years. They were bound to the earth by a series of spells. I skimmed through the second book but didn’t find anything to add to what I had already found.
“I may have found something here,” Traygen said. “It says Queen Titania and her wizard bound the warriors and left them guarded by a swarm of stone dragons. If either warrior breaks his bond, the stone dragons will come to life and kill them.”
“That’s basically what I found. There is a reference to the Fomorian’s being entombed in the center of the earth and bound by spells. I also found a reference to them using familiars in battle. I have a bad feeling about this. We better get back.”