But this wasn’t her old life anymore. As much as she wished she could pick up where she’d left off, she knew in her heart there was no going back.
Besides, a dangerous zombie was hiding somewhere in the building. And then there was the call of the Keep…pressing on her with an ever-increasing siren of alarm, an urgency that warred with the ever-present ache of missing Finn and her desperation to get back to him at any cost.
4
The Unholy Piper
FINN MCKEEN TUGGED THE hood of his cloak further down over his eyes as he moved through the crowded corridor of merchants heading toward the market. From the moment he’d stepped into the kingdom of Asgar, he hadn’t been able to go forty feet without seeing a warrant posted for his arrest. Everywhere he looked, his crudely drawn face stared back with a malicious scowl. They were calling him the Unholy Piper–the evil sorcerer who’d used his enchanted music to make Empress Moria dance into the fire and kill herself.
Finn growled under his breath. As gruesome as Moria’s death had been, and at his hands, he’d done it to save the people of Asgar. The Dragon Empress had cast a veil of illusion over the land, fooling her citizens into believing they were in a bountiful, rich kingdom, when in reality they were starving and feeding on their own dead.
He shuddered as visions of the squalor and decaying corpses arose unbidden. That had been one of the darkest nights of his life. So many truths had been revealed. He’d willingly become a ruthless executioner, an abhorrent act that had nearly caused a permanent wedge between him and Fate.
His chest tightened at the painful memory. It hadn’t mattered that he was under the sinister influence of Mugloth at the time. Fate had witnessed how he’d taken delight in his ability to strip Moria of her power and seduce the empress into killing herself in front of everyone. How could he blame Fate for the revulsion she’d shown him afterwards? She’d only ever known him to be a peace-loving druid and a vigilant protector of life. Well, he intended to prove he could be that person again.
A man carrying a stack of crates bumped Finn’s shoulder. The rough wood caught the weave of his cloak, raking the hood from his face. Hunching with his head down, Finn yanked the garment back in place and ducked through an archway leading into the castle’s inner bailey. He surveyed the courtyard, where a few dozen servants were cleaning the scummy pond, hauling weeds away and tilling the ground for replanting.
Finn shook his head at the risk he was taking. He was a wanted man with a hefty bounty on his head. He must be mental to be going inside the castle. But O’Deldar was in there. The druid priest had helped him devise the plan to destroy Moria. He was also the only person who understood that the Book of Fables was a direct portal into this godforsaken place, from the one Finn had first met Fate in. A world he desperately needed to return to.
Fate was waiting for him there.
He knew this without requiring evidence. He’d probed the ether as far and wide as possible with his heightened senses, questing for the warmth of her spirit’s red-gold flame. But he hadn’t been able to feel her presence anywhere in Oldwilde. She’d crossed the fiery divide between worlds, the mystical barrier O’Deldar had once spoken of.
Finn crossed his arms, pressing them tight to his chest. Her absence ached inside him, deep down to the bone. Even his skin hurt with the want of her touch. Not knowing how to get to her was killing him little by little.
And that’s why he was willing to risk everything to find the only man who could point the way to finding his sweet lass.
5
The Letter
FATE WALKED OUT INTO a sea of red leather jackets. Most of the crowd had dressed as the main character’s gang from Magic Brew. A handful of others were dressed as the rival gangs of witches, warlocks, pixies and shadow elves.
Jessie stepped in next to Fate. “Holy crap. It’s like your book exploded in here.”
“Yeah,” Fate said under her breath. “Make sure you watch out for the dark angel. That’s the nut bar who stalked me.”
Jessie looked above Fate’s head. “You mean the one standing behind you?”
Fate turned, her gaze traveling over a gauzy, gray gown to a grim face painted white with eyes darkened into sunken hollows. “You,” she hissed as she once again tried to figure out the sex of the androgynous character standing before her. “I take it you’re @InAnguish.”
The angel nodded solemnly.
“You followed me out of the library, chased my cab and ratted me out!”
The angel’s black wings bounced as he or she shrugged and smiled sheepishly.
“What do you have to say for yourself?”
“Please forgive me?” The angel’s voice was so hushed Fate still couldn’t tell if she was talking to a skinny guy with a pretty face or a freakishly tall girl.
Fate huffed. “Only if you tell me your real name and say it in your normal voice.”
“Mortemer,” the angel confessed, his voice deep and unmistakably male.
“Mystery solved at last. You’re forgiven, Mort.” Giving him a smile, Fate sidestepped away awkwardly, until Jessie extracted her fully by taking her by the arm.
“Whoa, geek alert,” Jessie whispered as she glanced back at the angel. “And that’s saying something in this room.”
Fate shook her head. “And this coming from the person who dressed like a Powerpuff Girl all through the third grade.”
“Excuse me? I wasn’t the only one, Blossom.”
“Fate!”
Fate turned and waved at a girl dressed like a Goth witch who was pushing her way through the crowd.
“Who’s that?” Jessie asked.
“She’s the one who organized this inopportune shindig.”
Jessie stared at Fate in disbelief. “Don’t tell me you’re not happy about all this!”
Unable to pretend any longer, Fate dropped all efforts at appearing like everything was normal. “You have no idea what I’ve been through since I’ve been gone.”
Jessie rolled her eyes. “Oh, you mean I can’t relate to your celebrity life, flying all over the country, signing books for fans who are dressing like the characters from your book and wanting to throw you a big party? Boo hoo, it must be awful.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
“Oh sorry, I guess you’re referring to your other trip. The one to Neverland.”
Hurt by the remark, Fate studied Jessie, trying to figure out if she really hadn’t believed her story.
The Goth witch strolled over to them, her entourage following in her wake, carrying camera equipment, food trays, beverages and folding tables. “Set up over there,” she ordered her underlings. Removing her sunglasses, she revealed blue-gray eyes, and a love for heavy eyeliner and charcoal eye shadow. She pursed her perfectly lined ruby-red lips as she regarded Fate. “Love the digs, Fate. Could’ve done without losing the deposit on our room at the Paramount.” Flashing a brief smile, she smoothed the Cleopatra-style bangs of her wig with a long black fingernail. “But hey, we know how to go with the flow. Right, Mason?”
She elbowed the Japanese guy dressed as a shadow elf standing next to her, jolting him out of staring at the generous curves of Fate’s leather breastplate. He nodded his head so hard his anime-spiked hairstyle wobbled. “Sure. This place is dope.”
Impatience burned in Fate’s chest. How could she feel bad about mundane problems like losing a deposit when she was duty-bound to go to the Keep and protect it from being destroyed? She forced an apologetic smile. “Sorry about the last-minute switch. Uh…I never caught your name.”
“Darcy.”
Jessie gave Darcy the thumbs up. “Cool witch costume. The wig and tattoos really sell it.”
Darcy shot her a cold smile. “The hair and tats are real, sweet thing. This is how I roll all year round.”
Jessie’s face flushed red. “Oh, sorry. I thought...”
Darcy placed her full attention on Fate, her pale expression fixed into a smooth, stony stare as she
looked her up and down. “Now this is a kickass costume. Real leather and custom-made.”
“Real armor for a real warrior,” a smooth, flirty voice interjected.
Everyone turned toward the guy with long black hair dressed in a dark overcoat and wearing a dented top hat. Fate remembered him. His name was Steve and he’d come as a warlock. The last time she’d seen him, he’d been rolling around on the floor, wrestling with three demon goblins. He’d since fixed his smeared eye makeup and was back to being his self-composed, good-looking self.
Fate nodded. “Hi Steve.”
Taking his top hat off, he bowed. “That’s Rade Silverhand to you.”
She shook her head, easily resisting his charms. “How about we stick with Steve. Wouldn’t want you getting all warlocky on us again.”
He replaced his hat with an odd expression, faintly amused and a little disdainful. “No, you wouldn’t want to see the real warlock in me come out. As for that barbaric display earlier, you can blame the triplets.”
Fate searched the crowd for three bald, green heads, bad makeup and purple boxing robes. “Is it too much to hope they skipped tonight’s event?” She caught sight of the demon goblins the same time they spotted her. They all waved to make sure she couldn’t avoid seeing them. Fate waved back.
“Thish is aweshome!” one of them lisped through his plastic vampire fangs as he bounded over to her. His eyes grew round as he took in Fate’s armor. “Dude, check out the threadsh on thish chick. She’sh lit!”
The other two bounced around Fate like champion boxers, whistling and grinning. “Woo, you slay, girl!”
Fate smiled uncomfortably. “Good to see you guys again.”
“You remember ush?” the first one asked.
“How could I forget?”
“What’sh our namesh then?”
Caught off guard by the question, Fate scrambled to remember their names. She quickly gave up. The book signing seemed so long ago, like a dream long faded from memory.
He elbowed her playfully. “Jusht messhin’ with ya. I’m Lincoln. Theshe losersh are my brothersh, Rooshevelt and Jeffershon.”
Fate couldn’t tell them apart under the green makeup, warty noses and skin caps. “I’m sensing a theme here.”
Lincoln grinned. “Yeah, our mom’sh a freak for the dead preshidentsh.”
“Time to quit hogging the guest of honor and give her some space.” Steve stuck his walking cane out to keep them from crowding Fate–the very action that had started the last fight between them.
In one swift movement, she grabbed the cane with an uppercut swing, catching the silver end of it in Steve’s armpit. Digging it in, she forced him to stand on his toes. His look of shock matched her own.
The others jumped and backed away in awe.
“Whoa, she’sh got shome sherioush game!” Lincoln laughed. “What ish that? Karate or shomething?”
“Or something.” Fate smiled secretively as she thought back to the intensive training she’d received during her time in the Book of Fables. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized she’d honed her instincts to the point of acting without thinking. She let go, leaving Steve to catch the cane before it fell.
“Nice save, Fate.” Darcy threw Steve and the three demon goblins a warning frown. “We wouldn’t want a repeat of what happened at the library. Right?”
They all nodded their heads like kindergartners.
Jessie grabbed Fate by the arm, pulling her away from her fans. “What the heck was that? You went all Black Canary on that guy! Minus the fishnet stockings, of course.”
“That would be leather pants now, but the comic book likeness works. Believe it or not, I got really good at hand-to-hand combat and sword fighting.” Fate sighed with longing for her lost super powers. “I even had the sonic scream. I could shatter bones with a war cry.”
“Did you?”
“Well, no, I never got the chance.” She was about to say thankfully, but she kept that to herself. The only person she ever used the destructive power on was Finn. Fortunately, he’d been able to protect himself enough to survive, though the impact had flung him across the room.
Jessie stared at Fate in disbelief. “Okay, I can’t do this any longer.”
“Do what?”
“Go along with this fantasy of yours.”
Fate tensed. “You said you believed me.”
“Oh come on. I thought you were playing around. Making stuff up like you’ve always done. I kept waiting for you to drop it, but seeing what you did just now.” She lifted her hands. “You could’ve hurt that guy.”
“Only if I wanted to.”
“You need to talk to your dad about this. I don’t know what happened to you on that book tour, but I think you’ve had some sort of mental breakdown.”
Panic flushed through Fate. “No. You can’t tell him.”
“Tell me what?” her father said from behind her.
Fate whirled round. “That I’ve got a…a big crush on…that warlock.” She pointed at Steve with a grimace.
“Doodles.” He shook his head.
She usually got upset when he used her baby name in public, but she decided to let it slide due to the abnormal amount of distress showing in his face.
“I think I know what’s going on with you, and it’s time to deal with it.” Eustace glanced at the second floor landing. “We’ll talk upstairs. You too, Jessie.” Taking each girl by the shoulder, he steered them toward the staircase.
They were near the first step when Lana blocked their way. “Fate, where are you going? You need to get in there and mix it up with your fans. They’re setting up the mic so you can do the Q & A.”
Eustace brushed past her and unlatched the gated partition leading to the upstairs private quarters. “Not now, Lana. I need to speak to my daughter.”
Fate couldn’t help smiling with satisfaction as Lana went stiff and stared at him with lips pressed tightly together.
As they climbed the stairs, movement on the right side of the wraparound landing caught Fate’s attention. She glanced over in time to see Gerdie give her a nod before quietly closing the door to the upstairs apartment. Fortunately, Eustace chose the sitting area at the top of the stairs to have their chat.
Jessie stood next to the chair Fate sat down in. As Eustace took the seat opposite her, he reached into his breast pocket and retrieved his wallet. A grim frown formed on his face as he drew out a folded envelope.
Fate gulped. “Are you mad at me?” She wasn’t worried about being in trouble. Eustace had never been one to admonish or punish. He preferred to help her realize her mistakes and find ways of making fair amends. But seeing him with this unfamiliar black look filled her with shame. Could he somehow see her for the killer she’d become?
He looked at her, his slate gray eyes examining her face, hair and leather armor as if she was nothing more than a stranger. “You’ve changed.” His voice was flat with disappointment.
“I just wanted to fit in with the other cosplayers. I know I should’ve talked to you about my costume and coming here, but I wanted to surprise you.” She hated herself for her inability to stop lying.
His gazed returned to the envelope. “I never thought I’d see the day when the truth would be so hard to face.”
His words cut deep. There was no denying he saw her for what she was. He was disgusted by her bloodstained soul. “Dad, I–”
“No, wait. I have to get this out.” He opened the letter-sized paper, worn and heavily creased from being in his wallet. “Your Gran left this for me in amongst her will and testament. She hoped you’d be spared from her family legacy, but looking at you now, I’m fairly certain you’ve been affected.”
Fate’s pulse was beating so loud in her ears, she wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly. But it sounded like he was talking about a family disease. She glanced at Jessie. Had she been right? Had she inherited some sort of genetic psychosis? Had she completely imagined her journey through the Book of Fables
?
When she’d first found herself inside the book’s hidden realm, she’d questioned her sanity completely, but Finn had helped her adjust and she’d eventually come around to accepting the unbelievable. But now it looked as if none of it had ever been real, not even Finn.
Her heart imploded and tears filled her vision. “Just give it to me straight,” she croaked. “Is it schizophrenia? Is that what it is?”
Eustace looked up from the worn letter. “No, it’s nothing like that. This is much more complicated.”
“Oh no.” Fate wiped at the tears. “It’s some sort of rare thing nobody knows what to do with. What happens to me now? Are you going to lock me away for the rest of my life?”
“Well, it’s not up to me.”
Fate jumped to her feet. “What? So you’re just going to hand me over as a ward of the court?”
Eustace took Fate by the arm, pulling her gently back to her seat. “Doodles, calm down. I’m here with you. We’ll face this together.”
Fate sniffed. Her whole life she’d thought her overactive imagination had been a good thing, a fun way of escaping the harsh realities of everyday life. Instead, what she’d thought was a gift, had proven to be a curse–one that had caused her to lose her mind.
Eustace handed her the worn letter. “I want you to read this. It’ll help you understand what you’re in store for.”
The letter shook in Fate’s hand as she blinked through tears. She recognized Gran’s writing immediately and cried even more at the sight of it.
Eustace reached over and pulled her in for a hug. “Do you want me to read it to you?”
Fate gulped back a sob and nodded.
He took the letter and began reading.
My dear sweet Fate,
Fate's Keep (Fate's Journey Book 2) Page 4