by H A Titus
He snorted. "Don't insult me. I know you've spoken to Galen Shaughnessy and Henry Blair. One of them had to have told you. It's what I get for trusting idiots."
"Yeah, yeah, and I know, you must think I'm a special kind of stupid," I shot back. "But do you know where Henry Blair is? How about Shaughnessy?"
Drake stilled, and his eyes glittered. "You'd offer me their locations in exchange for the pathstone. You do realize that I'm not likely to welcome them with open arms?"
I shrugged, tried not to feel sick. Would he actually take the offer? I couldn't believe it. That had been a shot in the dark.
Drake sipped his drink. "Interesting move from someone allied with the Seelie. Not at all what I'd expected, so points for that."
I shot a smirk at Larae. She stared at me, hands clenched, eyes dark purple. Good. Let her get pissed. Apparently the cocky act was getting on her nerves. I'd have to remember that.
Before anyone could speak again, a loud chime echoed through the room. I jumped. Drake and Altru both froze. When a louder, more insistent chime sounded, they both darted up from their chairs and ran for the door.
Eliaster. I got up and started to follow them.
Larae grabbed my arm. "Where do you think you're going?"
Crap, I don't have time for this. I spun around. Her eyes twinkled, and she had a cruel smile on her lips. My heart sank. She knows we're up to something.
I didn't even think—I reached up and placed my right hand over her hand on my arm. I felt the gem come in contact with her skin and mentally reached out. Obey. The room pulsed, and phantom glowing lights flickered into the space around me. Glowing green vines twined around my arm, trapping her hand underneath mine. They snaked up her arm and shoulder and dug into her neck. Larae's eyes flashed an unnatural, poison-green for a split second, and her hand went limp.
Oh my gosh. It worked. I blinked again, and the vines and flashing lights vanished. Faint traces of mist swirled around our clenched hands. I pulled Larae's hand from my arm and gripped her wrist tightly.
"What have you done to her?" Blodheyr snarled, standing from his chair.
I glanced over at the older fae. His hands were clenched—no sign of a weapon, but I couldn't be too careful. I pushed Larae between me and Blodheyr and wrapped my arm around her neck. She wasn't resisting me, but her movements were stiff and clumsy. I got the feeling that I only had tenuous control and that if my concentration slipped for even a second, her mind would be her own again.
But for now, I was in control of the situation, and it felt … good. I could feel Larae's pulse against my arm, and for a split second, I was tempted to squeeze just a little harder. Guilt and disgust washed over me. After this, I was going to destroy this stupid relic.
I raised my hand toward Blodheyr so he could see the ring on my finger. "Stay back and let me leave in peace."
His thin lips twisted into a sneer. "Do you think you're some hero of old, able to use our relics, boy?"
His choice of words struck me. Humans had never been able to use relics—had they? I pushed the thought away. Not the time to think about it. I backed up, out the door and across the open hallway to the stairs, dragging Larae with me. Drake stood at the top of the stairs, fists clenched by his sides, and panicked shouts and yells echoed from downstairs. I got close enough to the railing to see what was going on.
The entire crowd had pushed to one side of the foyer, staying well out of the way of the fight below. Banshee and Eliaster traded blows back and forth, while Aileen and Cori stood to either side, holding off the three Sons of Carmen with knives and shouted threats.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Drake turn, and his eyes widened at the sight of me and Larae. I swore and shoved Larae at him. They tumbled to the side of the balcony, and I dashed down the staircase as fast as I dared.
"Eliaster!" I yelled, skidding onto the marble floor and scrambling toward him.
Eliaster glanced at me. Mistake. Banshee lunged and snapped her arm around his throat, dragging him to his knees. Her free hand went for his jacket pocket.
Eliaster elbowed her, grabbed something from his pocket, and threw it toward me. "Catch!" he yelled.
I snatched the smooth, polished piece of white granite from the air. As soon as my fingers closed around it, as soon as it came into contact with the ring, a massive concussion slammed into my chest. I flew backward and rolled, coming to a stop when I hit the stairs.
I half sat up, blinked, shook my head. My vision swam, and my ears rang like I'd been in the center of an explosion. I slowly opened my hand, feeling like my fingers had been glued together, stiff and unwieldy. The blue gemstone on the ring had cracked, one of the pieces missing. The pathstone lay in my palm, untouched.
Voices filtered through my brain. I rolled to my side, tried to push myself up. The world rolled with me and dumped me onto my back again.
"Josh!" Aileen's voice sounded as if it were underwater.
I turned my head toward her in time to see a black tendril of glamour snake forward, throwing her to the ground. Where was Eliaster? Cori? I couldn't hear them anymore. I rolled up to my hands and knees and tried to push myself to my feet.
Someone kicked me in the back of the legs. I pitched forward. My hands slipped on the slick floor, and my forehead cracked against the stone floor. The world went black.
CHAPTER 32
ELIASTER
I kicked, feeling Banshee's arm around my neck tighten. Black spots swam in my vision.
"Why'd you have to show up here?" she hissed in my ear. "Of all people, I didn't expect you to be stupid enough to try to steal from Drake Airgead."
I reached back. Sure enough, she was leaning close enough that I could get hold of her hair. I dug my fingers into the strands closest to the nape of her neck and yanked as hard as I could. Banshee screamed and staggered, loosening her hold just enough for me to wrench free.
A deep whumph concussed the room. I looked up and saw Josh go flying, hit the ground, and roll. My stomach lurched. What had hit him? I dashed forward, and out of the corner of my eye saw Aileen do the same, yelling Josh's name.
"Hold!" Drake Airgead's voice rang out across the room.
I heard a slithering rush across the floor. I looked down in time to see a flame of glamour whip around one of my ankles. I crashed to the ground, kicked and scrambled upright before the glamour could latch onto the rest of my body. It enveloped both legs to the knee and with a crackling sound, crystalized. Instantly, a dry chill seeped through my pant legs. I reached down and pressed a hand against the substance.
Ice.
I looked up, panic nearly making me sick. Aileen was on her knees just a few feet from Josh, clawing at black glamour wrapped around her throat.
Black. That was Larae's. I looked toward the stairs. Sure enough, there she stood, halfway down the stairs. A thick thread of glamour wrapped her hand and streaming down toward Aileen. Where was Cori? I looked around and spotted him off to the side, two of the fae who had attacked them pinning his arms behind his back.
Crap. Both of our allies were down.
I looked back to Josh. He was slowly getting up, shaking his head as if he'd been stunned. What had happened to him?
Altru kicked Josh in the legs, sending him tumbling forward. Josh's head cracked into the stone floor and his body went limp.
"No!" I shouted, trying to lurch forward. The ice held my feet fast.
Drake looked at me, eyes darkening.
"Don't worry, sir," Banshee said from behind me. "I'll deal with him."
I flinched as her gun pressed into the back of my head. Clenched my hands into fists. "Banshee, don't."
"Stay quiet," she hissed, her voice cracking. "Just, please, Eliaster, stay quiet before he kills you."
Drake clasped his hands behind his back, looked at the remaining crowd of fae who had all stepped as far away from the conflict as they could. I could tell some of them had fled as soon as the fighting had started, but there were still a good
twenty to thirty people in the room.
"Leave," Drake snapped at them.
Without a word, they all obeyed. As the fae hurried out the door, I kept my eyes on Josh. He was still breathing, thank the Almighty. It tore at me that I couldn't break free of the glamoured ice binding me in place and go to my friend. The glamoured mist swirled around us all, but it never actually touched Josh's body. It skimmed around his legs and torso, giving him an eerie halo.
As the last few fae left, Altru walked up to the front doors and pushed them shut. Then he stepped back, grabbed Josh by the collar, and hauled him up to his knees.
Pieces of the ring Josh had worn clinked to the floor, along with the stone. Altru glanced up at Drake.
Drake nodded, eyes as dark as chips of ice.
Altru slapped Josh.
Josh gasped in shock and jerked upright, hands clawing at Altru's arm. Before he really had time to recover, Altru slapped him again. Josh's head snapped to the side, and he went limp again, but his eyes were still open.
Altru hit him three more times, the sound echoing in the eerily-quiet ballroom. I snarled and wrenched my feet again, nearly toppling over. I wanted nothing more than to close my hands around the bastard's throat.
Josh collapsed on the ground, and Altru stepped forward, raising his hand again.
"That's enough!" Aileen suddenly yelled. She tore free of the black glamour around her and ran forward, pushing between Josh and Altru. She reached back, gripping Josh's arm.
Altru looked up at Drake again. In the respite, Josh turned his head to the side, choking and gagging. He spit out a wad of blood and mucus.
The muscles in Drake's face twitched. "You dare to betray me like this, and now you're asking me to show him—to show a human—mercy?" he snarled at his daughter.
"Josh isn't alone in this," I said, digging my fingernails into my palms. "Take on someone your own size, Airgead."
"Shut it!" Josh snapped, his voice thick.
Drake glanced over at him. My blood turned to ice. The Unseelie's eyes had gone a dull, flat gray. Drake Airgead smirked and raised his hand, glamour coalescing around it. "So the human did have a handler. Figures. Let me guess, one of Tyrone's lackeys?"
"Better than that, sir," Larae said from beside Drake. "That's Eliaster Tyrone himself."
A sneer curled Drake's lips. "So Cormac Tyrone sent his own whelp to steal from me. Bold move. Too bad he's going to lose his only living heir tonight."
I squeezed my fists tight, feeling as sick as if he'd punched me in the gut. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a faint glow rising from my left arm.
"Get out of the way, Aileen," Drake said.
Aileen's eyes flared, but she said nothing.
"Gren. Control your sister." Drake shot a glance at his youngest son. "She's obviously not thinking clearly."
Gren's jaw clenched, and he stepped forward. Aileen balled her fists and struck at him, but he caught her wrists and dragged her out of the way. She screamed and kicked, but he quickly spun her around, trapping her back against his chest and pinning her arms crossed over her own chest. He leaned forward, speaking quietly in her ear. Tears tracked from the corners of her eyes and trickled down her chin.
I glanced up the stairs. Larae and Blodheyr stood at the top of the steps. Black flames roiled around Larae's hands, but she stayed still, her flat purple eyes fixed on Josh.
Altru grabbed the back of Josh's jacket and jerked him onto his knees again. Josh glared at Drake as the fae walked down the steps and stood in front of him.
"Maybe I'll squeeze your neck until your head pops off," Drake said. "Or maybe your heart. That sounds more satisfying. How's that sound, Eliaster?"
I snarled. My entire left arm felt like it was burning now, the glow from the tattoos so bright that it was shining through my sleeve. I lowered my left hand, rested it against my leg. My fingers just reached a shard of ice that was digging into my thigh.
Josh shifted slightly, and something glinted at the edge of his jacket sleeve. A knife? Where'd he get a knife? He shot a sideways glance at me.
Aileen. She'd passed him the knife somehow.
"Sir, look out!" Altru shouted.
Josh shot to his feet with a yell, the knife in his hand flicking out at Altru.
I closed my eyes and imagined my glamour flaring. Imagined my fingers pressed against the screen of a computer. Stoked the fire in my chest, my rage and fear, and imagined channeling it into a burst of glamour that flowed through my tattoos, down my fingers, and into the ice, blasting it apart.
Something cracked against my leg, and pain slammed my hand. As if I'd slammed my fist against the marble floor. The ice around my legs shattered into glamour mist.
I swiveled to face Banshee, flexing my hands, ready to knock the gun away. Her eyes widened and she took a step back. Then she lowered the gun and looked away.
She'd given me a chance.
I laughed and dashed forward.
Josh and Altru were locked in combat, Josh's knife flickering as he struck over and over at the tall bodyguard. Altru dodged from side to side, arms bleeding from a few minor gashes. I sprinted for them, slammed my shoulder into Altru.
Altru staggered forward.
I looked up, scanning the room for Blodheyr and Larae. Where had they gone ...? Something moved in the corner of my vision. Drake flung his hand forward, glamour flaring out at me. I ducked, felt it brush my side and slice like a razor. Pain knocked me to my knees. I gasped and clamped my hand to my ribs. It came away bloody.
Drake lashed out again, too fast for me to scramble away. Josh ducked in front of me, and the fire broke in a useless spray against him.
"What are you?" Drake snarled.
"What? Not so useless after all, am I?" Josh said, grinning.
The two stared at each other. I could practically hear Drake's teeth grinding together.
To the side, Gren released Aileen and reached into his pocket. Aileen's eyes widened, and she spun to me.
"Close your—"
Suddenly light exploded over the room. An enormous wash of glamour burned over my skin as it picked me up and threw me to the floor like a rag doll. I heard panicked screams, surprised shouts, but the entire world was a blaze of dancing, pure color.
Then it was gone, leaving me in darkness. My ears rang and my head spun. I rubbed at my eyes, but all I could see were spots.
Someone grasped my arm. "Up! Eliaster, c'mon! Aileen, Cori, run!" Josh shouted.
I staggered, let Josh drag me to the edge of the room. My vision returned enough, and I looked over my shoulder, blinking hard.
Swirls of yellow-green glamour spun off Gren Airgead's arms and shoulders as he walked after us, face set into hard, grim lines. Behind him, Altru and Drake both lay on the floor, unmoving.
I stared at Gren in shock. He had done that? Had he killed them?
We pushed through the foyer and into the night air. The chill slapped me to full alertness, and I shook my head. It throbbed. My entire body ached from being tossed around like a toy.
Gren slammed the door behind him and leaned on it.
"Gren? You okay?" Aileen asked tentatively.
I noticed that a half-dozen pocket watches hung out of Gren's pockets on short chains, their lids hanging open.
"Gren?" Cori reached out, touched his brother's shoulder.
Gren shrugged away. "I just used up an entire month's worth of glamour, okay? Give me a minute." He took a few more deep breaths. "And what was that about, taking his side?" He jerked his head at Josh.
Aileen straightened her shoulders. "Cori and I are leaving. We asked Josh for help."
Something like pain flickered over Gren's face. "And you didn't ask me?"
Aileen bit her lip. "You—we didn't know—" She looked over at Cori.
"We thought you were with Drake," Cori whispered. "The few times we even tried to bring it up, you shut us down. We thought you wanted to stay."
"Of course I did!" Gren snapped. "Bec
ause your plans were all idiotic. I tried to tell you that!"
"So why'd you do that?" I asked, nodding to the door.
Gren shot me a disgusted look. "Because after what they just did? It was the only solution I could live with."
"Well, now that you did that—" Josh shrugged and glanced at me. "I mean, I don't think another fugitive would make all that much of a difference at this point."
"Yeah, probably not," I said.
Gren nodded and stepped forward, holding his hand out to Josh. Josh grasped it.
Quick as a flash, Gren's other hand slammed into Josh's stomach. Josh gasped and dropped to his knees. Gren spun around him, wrenching Josh's arm behind his back, using it to drag Josh up to his feet. My stomach wrenched as Josh screamed in pain, and I started forward, balling my fists.
"Gren!" Aileen yelled. "What the hell are you doing?"
Gren locked eyes with me and laid the flat of a blade against Josh's throat. "Come closer," he snarled, "and I will slice him open, Eliaster. You know I will."
I met his eyes and believed him. I'd do the same if I felt cornered—had done the same. I stopped, held my hands up, palms open toward Gren. "Don't," I said, and hated the way my voice shook.
"I don't want to." Gren let go of Josh's arm. "Give me the stone."
The knife bobbed against his throat as Josh swallowed and nodded. "It's in my right hand jacket pocket. You want to get it, or me?"
"Gren, why are you doing this?" Cori demanded. "What's wrong with you? I thought—"
Gren dug into Josh's pocket. He looked over at his siblings, pain creasing the corners of his lips and eyes. "I'm sorry, but we're not. We've never been. I can't live like this."
He kicked Josh in the back. Josh staggered forward, slamming into Cori. The kick was powerful enough to knock them both to the ground. Gren turned and ran.
I snatched Josh's gun from the ground and leveled it at Gren's back.
"No!" Aileen grabbed my wrist.