by Jo Palmer
“You’ve tried,” Ada stated, nodding. “Unfortunately, it makes sense. And Prince Ace was researching locations Grydern may favor. Was he successful?”
“He has narrowed down five locations. Two are exact spots, the others general areas.” Divij tapped the map. “Ace has marked them each in blue with different symbols, which he has clarified at the bottom, sides, and top of the map.”
Nate and Ada studied both. They meant nothing to him and as she didn’t comment, probably nothing to her either.
“Got a plan for that?” He asked.
“We’ll do your Tremor Hammer first. Grydern may turn up, and we have the opportunity to follow him to his hiding spot. Now.” Chase pointed to the markers beside him. “We’re breaking everyone up into teams of three or four, each assigned a different color. The magic that the fairies, imps, and immortals have placed in the Hammer could very well uproot more than one piece so we must have a few teams ready to go to different destinations.”
“That’s good,” Ada said slowly. “How many pieces was the bowl broken into?”
“The records state four, but there is no telling how many have been chipped or broken further apart out there in the world.”
“Shit, didn’t think of that.” Nate scrutinized the map. “Is there any way to direct the Hammer to only unearth a section of the world at a time?”
“Of course.” Div inclined his head. “But we do not feel there is enough time to do that. We shall perform a global coverage this first time and are prepared to grab all the pieces that turn up. Hopefully Grydern will be caught, and with the retrieval of Ada’s imp friend, we can take a more designed approach to the remaining pieces, if there are any.”
“Good point.” Nate agreed.
“You do have good ideas, friend.” Chase smiled. “And thankfully this is not as destructive as most.”
“Me destructive?” Nate scoffed. “Demon, I wasn’t the one who tore a big frigging hole in the side of the fucking council chambers.”
Chase’s lips twitched at the memory. “Ah, yes. Good times.”
“Here come the troops,” Div announced, turning in his seat toward the double doors.
Two dozen or more creatures filtered into the large meeting room and were quickly seated and quiet. A lot were sentinels, the rest magically powerful creatures that would be going to assist. Chase broke everyone present into teams. Each would have to have a creature, such as fairy, demon, or immortal who could shift, because they needed to get to the unearthed pieces of bowl as fast as possible and return with them.
Nate checked to make sure his cousin Blaine was covered in both areas. He was; Ruine and the imp Princess Missy were going with him. Severo was remaining behind to begin aligning the bowl pieces, with magic if necessary, so if another trip was needed in the future, he would be handy.
Div was with a sentinel imp and a demon; Chase a fairy and a vampire; Dare was with Lucio and an imp, and so on. Nico was remaining to liaise with the High Council and royal leaders and to put cover-up strategies into motion if required. Penny was with Nate and Ada. No one, for once, protested or grumbled over the matchups, and everyone was assigned a section of land.
“Let’s get going!” Ace rubbed his hands together excitedly.
“Are we ready?” Chase studied everyone quietly, and at their nods, he waved a hand at Div. “Proceed.”
“Be prepared, the vibrations from the Hammer can cause slight disorientation. Do not shift if disorientated, you could end up far off course and exposing yourselves to humans. The effect will only last a second, wait for it to pass.” Div advised.
The room fell into silence, everyone watching, some with excitement, some anxious. Nate could smell the emotions and had to ignore them so they didn’t make him jumpy. They rose from their seats, everyone moving into their assigned groups around the table, Nate crowding close to Penny and wrapping an arm around Ada’s waist. Penny placed one hand on Nate’s arm, the other on Ada’s.
With a flourish, Div raised the Tremor Hammer high above his head and lowered it with speed.
The next second they were shifting.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The feel of a piece of ceremonial bowl rising from the bowels of the earth was like a modac slug burrowing through her body leaving a cold, slimy trail.
OK, so she’d never had a disgusting modac slug, an overgrown everyday earthworm with a touch of magic and native to Galdo, burrow through her before. Thank the Gods! But she’d read a chapter from one of the old torture tomes which described the ickiness so felt completely justified in using the comparison to what she was currently experiencing.
The shift brought them to water ravished rocks at the edge of an ocean, Penny swaying precariously as she tried to get her bearings.
Nate planted a firm hand on her arm, stabilizing her. “Where are we?”
“I’m guessing a coastline in Africa somewhere.” Penny peered at the land, trees, and sky.
“Think you’re right.” Nate pulled out his iPhone and texted. Every group, when arriving at their location, text and armed the tracking device in their phones. This way if anything went wrong, they were easily located, and help could get here fast.
“Where’s the piece?” Brownie Ada looked around sharply. “Someone’s coming.”
“I feel it too.” Penny spun around, holding her hands at the ready like weapons. “The piece is at the bottom of the ocean. Do you think you can jump in and grab it, Nate?”
“Not a chance I’m leaving you two up here to face whatever turns up. Use your magic to pull it up.”
Two separate groups popped in around them. One the good guys, the others not so good Penny guessed from Nate’s reaction. The werewolf was bristling up and claws curling. Penny was ready and willing to fight. Getting one was probably not going to happen, not with Ruine, Blaine, and the imp princess, Missy, here now also. So she’d get on with what she was able to do and rushed to the edge of the rocks knowing that the others would protect her. Standing on the very edge, Ada standing between her and the now fighting creatures, Penny crouched and placed both hands palm on top of the gentle waves. For a moment there was no sensation, not even a tingling zing, so she slipped her hands beneath the water and as expected got a full blast of magical energy from the ceremonial bowl.
“Water and currents have power and magic all of their own.” She murmured, concentrating on pulling the piece of bowl upward.
“Immortal, it’d be best if you retrieved the piece quicker.” The brownie said a little agitatedly.
“Problem?” Penny asked distractedly.
“A few more enemies, I have no idea whether they are Revmiras or drones of Grydern’s, have joined the hunt.”
That caught Penny’s attention. “How many?”
“At least a dozen.”
“All strong?”
“Physically and magically. Of course, our side is more than holding its own, but I would feel better if we had that piece of bowl already in our possession and moved securely out of here.”
Penny felt sweat pop on her forehead. There was something holding the bowl from her. “I like that you are expressing your faith in our guys, Ada, that’s an improvement.”
“Improvement?” The brownie sounded quietly suspicious.
“Yes, Remi did mention you have a slight aversion to other creatures. Damnation! Right, I need some of your strength.” Penny reached up, grabbed Ada’s arm and jerked the brownie down to kneel beside her. “Whoever locked this piece into the ground did so with a great amount of magical strength. I’m going to need you to help me. Can you do that?”
“Yes.” The brownie said decisively. “I wasn’t aware you could take magic and power from another.”
“Very few can, and it is not something we do without permission. I can’t without permission, but as I get older and stronger, I will be able to. Dareios can sap anyone of their power without a touch, Ace is pretty good at it, and of course my cousin Divij is right up there. Though if the other
creature they’re trying to take power from is strong also and resists, well it could mean a bit of a struggle.”
“Do what you have to do.”
“Thanks. I am going to babble for a moment as it helps me to do this, so excuse my nonsense and if I say anything private or personal, please treat it like client privilege.”
Ada smiled. “Very well. Have at it, sorceress.”
Penny felt a little warm glow inside. “I am touched by your faith in me, and apologize as this won’t be comfortable for you. I’m not as skilled or powerful as those I mentioned before, and I could drain you more than I intend. Anyway.” Penny gripped one of Ada’s hands tightly and held the other over the water while casting a quick glance at the fighting creatures. “More on both sides have arrived. This may be the only piece that has surfaced. Hold on, Ada.” She drew in a sharp breath at the same time she took power from the brownie. “You are quite amazing. Resourceful and highly intelligent, I am really going to enjoy us being great friends. And we are, brownie, Remi always predicted. Anyway, don’t tell my kind I said this, but did you know the most magically powerful creatures are actually the fairies? Yes, they are pure magic, every cell, blood, bone and the rest. Of course, immortals are right up there, as are the demons and imps. We’re probably next, immortals that is, then the imps and demons…piece is nearly here, you’re doing great, Ada.” Penny was sweating, her focus on the piece but worried she was taking too much from Ada. “I’m sorry, really.” She felt Ada going lax and looked around frantically. “So close, I’ll stop—”
“Don’t…for Remi…take everything from m-me, I’ll r-recover.”
Penny could feel the object just below the surface, so close to her fingers but was afraid she would injure the brownie by sapping her completely of her magic and strength. As much as she wanted that piece, to stop Grydern’s creatures from getting it and to get Remi back, it wasn’t in her to risk another. By letting go of Ada, breaking that connection, she would lose the piece of ceremonial bowl. From what she could feel, it would not just sink back to the bottom of the ocean; it would conceal itself once again as per the magic originally cast upon it. Then Grydern would have the opportunity to snag it.
“I have to let go, Ada—”
“Don’t you dare,” a very feminine voice with a firm edge stated clearly. “Here.”
Penny was jolted by Princess Missy of the imps placing a hand on her arm and practically blasting power into her. In an instant the piece of bowl hit her fingers, Penny gripping it tightly and jerking it out of the water.
One of the other sentinels had arrived and was laying a now unconscious Ada down, Penny not able to spare a glance or concern right now.
“Help me break the magic over this.” She said to Missy.
Between them they concentrated, but the magic was ancient, and from what Penny could feel, cast in blood. That was dangerous and ill-advised, only ever used in dire situations. Probably all those years ago it was necessary, now damn near impossible to break when in such a rush and on the edge of a battlefield.
A shadow fell over them. “Allow me.”
With nothing more than a simple wave of his hand, Prince Dareios of the fairies disabled the magic, it floating away as though never been.
“Where were you before I had to drain a brownie?” Penny gave a weary smile. “She OK?”
Dareios glanced at Ada, unemotional as usual. “She made the sacrifice herself?”
“Yes. She’s really awesome.” Penny wrapped the broken piece of bowl in the airtight container and sealed it with magic.
“A dynamo in the hearing earlier today…as was Remika,” Missy said quietly.
With a wave of his hand, Ada’s eyes blinked open, and she gasped, expression shocked. With another wave of his hand, he took the container from Penny via magic then strode off to his sentinel companion, Lucio.
Ada sat up with a jerk. “What happened?”
“Gracious, I do think Dare gave you a boost of magic!” Missy squealed. “Holy Goddesses!”
“My thoughts exactly.” Penny grinned tiredly. “You OK, Ada? I’m sorry I sapped all your energy and magic—”
“You got the piece of bowl?” As usual, the brownie got right to the important points. No mushiness allowed.
“Yes. Royal fairy hotness took it.” Missy’s eyes trailed after the eldest fairy prince. “Shame he has no real emotions.”
“Yes, why is that?” Penny stood and dusted herself off, then helped Ada up. “I’ve always been curious, but everyone clams up.”
“It’s said he was born with the usual fairy nature, though not as frivolous as most. But over the years he slowly lost all animation but for rare occasions.” Missy shrugged. “A curse some say, others say black magic, while there are those who adamantly swear his soul mate passed a long time ago, and with the creature, half his soul died.”
Ada rolled her eyes and dusted salt and grime from her tailored pants. “Always a story. It appears there are prisoners that can be interrogated.”
Nate looped over, eyes carefully surveying all three of them and lingering on his brownie. “You OK?”
“Fine. We have the piece. The prisoners?”
“They won’t know where Grydern is. They’re pawns, nothing else. Drones that Grydern uses to do his bidding.”
“You won’t know until their minds are searched,” Ada said sharply. “They may have seen Remi.”
“Divij and Chase will interrogate. Good job with the bowl retrieval, ladies, but next time I’d prefer no one got drained.”
Ada gave an elegant snort. “That is not up to you. The piece needed to be retrieved. Unfortunately, I do not possess enough juice to adequately assist the immortal—”
“Actually, you are pretty strong,” Penny said truthfully. “That was ancient magic mingled with blood; neither I nor Missy could break it. Yeah, in the years to come, not much of a sweat, but we were struggling, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without everything you’ve got, I’ve got, and Missy has.” Penny grimaced. “Then Dare comes and waves a hand dismissively and voila! Magic disappearo!”
“Hmm, he does have that certain…touch.” Missy’s eyes lit up, mouth curving in a feminine, mischievous smile. “I wonder—”
“Don’t bother.” Nate grinned. “Come on, let’s get going. You right to shift, Penny? Missy?”
“Fine.”
“The same.”
“Right, give my cousin a lift, Missy,” Nate ordered as Blaine ambled over.
“Were there any other pieces found and collected?” Penny asked hopefully.
“One, a small slither. Could be a dozen more out there. Let’s go.”
The thought of more pieces waiting to be unearthed and magic to be fought sent a shudder through Penny. She’d have to bone up on her blood magic skills before the next bowl retrieval hunt.
So tired she hadn’t even thought of voicing a protest, or outright objecting, Ada spent what remained of the night in an opulent guest room at the werewolf compound in Galdorcwide. The bed was wonderful, the room equipped with everything she could need and in the morning she found clothes and necessities of her own had been delivered from the vampire townhouse in New York.
At this point in time, she didn’t even consider any of the consequences or repercussions of accepting anything from the wolves and vamps. She’d learned a lot and though normally she would have to be more wary and cautious, the lines were down with everyone working toward a common goal.
Breakfast was quite strange. King Thomas studied Ada for longer than was polite and then beamed at her as though she had done something especially good. It left Ada very suspicious. There were also a lot of relatives. First cousins, second cousins, nieces, nephews, Nate’s siblings and an assortment of others. The werewolf queen, Stephanie, was much more relaxed and cheerful. She reminded Ada a bit of Blaine and Nate with the same smile and a happy inner glow.
Apparently there was no time to ponder this strange behavior though as she was taken st
raight from the werewolf compound to the vampire vortex, a huge, magnificent castle that intermingled very modern with chic, gothic and antique. Every facility was catered for, every whim met in this impressive castle that was like a city within the complex with only the royal section cut off from everyday access. Here she was eyed up and again underwent numerous intent studies.
Prince Dare of the fairies was there which gave her the opportunity to thank him for the jolt of magic last night. Today she was still feeling the effects, and possibly even stronger than she was before.
Normally she disliked owing anyone anything, but in this case felt it was justified in the pursuit of Remi and the destruction of Grydern. After all, they had a common goal, were working together, and she had given her all to the cause.
Strangely enough, approaching him was far more difficult than she thought it would be. He was unapproachable, reserved, standoffish. Unattached emotionally, not just dismissive like Prince Ruine of the demons, or wanting everyone away from him like Lord Severo of the immortals. This fairy had…well, pretty much everything but lacked an elemental spark.
He lacked joy. It made Ada shiver, and for a moment she reconsidered speaking to him, but then she wasn’t one to be put off. Straightening her shoulders, she crossed the big sitting room where she was with Nate, Nico, and Lucio and stood in front of Dare who lounged on a chaise sofa gazing outside.
“Your Highness—”
“Dare or Dareios is fine, brownie.” He murmured without turning his eyes from the high windows.
“Dareios, then. I wanted to thank you for your assistance last night—”
“No need.” Golden eyes turned from the blue skies outside to look up at her. “A common enemy does make for unusual bedfellows.”
He disappeared without a whisper of air displacement and leaving Ada not entirely certain of what just transpired after steeling herself for a big, flamboyant thank you. Goddess, was that not what fairies wanted, and in most cases, demanded? A flamboyant, over-the-top, thank you or sorry? Well, that was peculiar. With a shrug she returned to the other creatures.