by A W Hartoin
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
I LAY NEXT to Miss Penrose, watching her breathe. Her cool hand was between my warm ones. I’d done as Ibn had instructed. I went through everything he had shown me from imagining her heart to the cell structure. And I did it right, although I kind of regretted it. I’d seen Miss Penrose’s heart when I held her hand and it was a fearsome sight swollen to twice its natural size and beating so slow I could feel the effort in every pump. It’s one thing to know an illness is there and quite another to see it.
I couldn’t tell if the spell had done any good. She looked the same. Lips faintly blue. Hands icy cold. Legs swollen and discolored. Maybe it wouldn’t work and I was risking everything for nothing. I pushed the thought out of my head. I could do it. Ibn thought so. Lucien thought so.
My eyes drooped and other unpleasant thoughts visited. The ghosts standing up for me in the catacombs first. Bentha hadn’t said anything to my parents yet about the cure. He’d told everyone about getting there and back, only mentioning the riots a little. I told them what I had to do, but didn’t say that I had to take the disease into my body. I could just see Mom’s face, if I told her that.
Then there was Daiki. His face kept coming back to me. I missed him. That face that had kissed me and had liked my warlike tendencies. How many other guys were like that? I gazed out the window at the darkening skies over Paris. There were probably hundreds of guys that would like my abilities in this city, but they would all be crazy.
Iris darted in front of the window, her face beaming. “Come quick. The exterminator’s here.”
“Very exciting.”
“It is. Come on.” Iris yanked me upright.
I was about to tell her I was too tired when I saw Mom eyeing me from across the sill. She’d been watching me like that since we got home. I swear she counted how many bites I took at dinner. She hadn’t made any demands yet, but she was on the edge.
“Okay, but what’s so exciting about an exterminator?”
“You’ll see.”
I flew behind her to the kitchen. I never flew behind Iris in my life, but she didn’t notice how slow my wingbeats were. She darted over the kitchen table and scooped up Horc, who was still eating his dinner, seven courses of meat.
“Where are we going?” he asked. At least that’s what I thought he said. It was hard to tell with his mouth so full of pork, beef, and chicken.
Iris led me to the living room. We flew over Evan who was snoring on the sofa so loud that the wind threw me off balance.
“Where are we going?” I yelled.
Iris dropped down to a man behind the sofa on his knees peering into one of the rat holes. He had on overalls a lot like the ones Earl and Stanley favored and he, too, smelled like cigarettes and bacon.
Rebecca stood next to him, swaying on her feet she was so tired. “Is there anything you can do?”
The exterminator stood up and wiped a dirty handkerchief over his face. “I can do something, but it will not be simple. I must consult with my colleagues.”
“Don’t you have some traps we can use tonight?”
“I do not have the right kind of trap, madame.”
“You don’t have rat traps?”
“I do.”
“Then use those.”
“What I have is not for your kind of…rat.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. When can we get this taken care of?” asked Rebecca after a huge yawn.
“I will be here tomorrow morning early. I suggest you take a sleeping pill.”
Rebecca held up an orange bottle. “I will.”
“I will go.” The exterminator turned and fixed me in his gaze. A thrill went through me. I rubbed my eyes. I was so tired maybe I was seeing things. Then he winked at me.
“I will go into the hall,” he said to me.
“Um…okay,” said Rebecca. “That is the way to leave.”
Iris flew in front of me. “See. Isn’t it cool? He saw me first. Can you believe it? I was first.”
“I believe it,” I said. “You should always be first.”
Iris beamed and Horc swallowed his meat. Well, most of it. The rest was stuck between his teeth. I think he liked to store it for snacks later.
“Follow that exterminator,” he said. “He has something remarkable to say.”
“How can you tell?” I asked.
“He revealed that he’s a seer in the most dangerous city in the world. He has something to say.”
Iris and I zipped up behind Rebecca as she walked him to the door. I wasn’t so tired anymore. The exterminator went through the door and we flew out quickly, following him to the elevator. He pushed the button and looked around before speaking to us. “Hello, mon cherie. You have a big problem.”
“Tell me about it,” I said.
“There’s an infestation in your apartment.”
“We are aware,” said Horc. “Rats.”
“Not rats. Rats do not stink in this way. You have a fairy infestation.”
Our mouths fell open. They really did, just like you read in books. I’m surprised my jaw didn’t hit my chest.
“You mean there are other wood fairies in the walls, stinking the place up?” I asked.
“We don’t stink,” said Iris.
“Speak for yourself,” said Horc.
The exterminator chuckled and lit a long brown cigarette. “Not fairies like you. A fairy as in a creature of the fae.”
“What are we dealing with?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I will have to devise a trap. I need you to stake out the holes tonight and see if you can find out what it is, so I can use the right bait.”
“Excellent. I will make a plan,” said Horc.
“You’ll make nothing,” I said. “It could be dangerous.”
“I don’t believe so,” said the exterminator. “It would’ve eaten you already.”
“That is not a comforting thought,” said Horc.
He shrugged and stepped into the elevator. “See you in the morning.”
We flew back to the apartment door, but it was closed. Great.
“We might fit through the keyhole,” I said.
“Maybe we could go outside and bang on the window,” said Iris.
“We must hurry,” said Horc.
“Why?” I asked.
“I’m hungry.”
“You just ate.”
“Time for round two.”
Just then the door swung open and Mom flew out in a panic. “Matilda! Iris! Horc!”
“There they are,” said Judd, grinning under his thick hair that was covering his face to the nose.
“Thank goodness. What are you doing out here?” asked Mom.
“The exterminator had to tell us something,” I said.
Mom calmed down when she heard that, but it didn’t last long, just until I said the word infestation. We landed on the kitchen table by Dad and Tess, who were eating chocolate croissants and laughing.
“I love Paris,” said Dad, holding up a flake of pastry. “Have you ever seen anything so perfectly delicious?”
“Ambrose, we have a situation,” said Mom.
Dad dropped the flake. “I knew things were going too well. I should’ve kept up my fencing lessons.”
“We shall resume,” said Bentha. “Right after we form a plan.”
“A plan to do what?” Dad went all shifty-eyed. My love of plans didn’t come from him.
“Iris,” I said. “You tell it. He saw you first.”
She blushed and told the tale of being seen in great detail.
Mom waited as long as she could stand it. “You said there’s an infestation?”
Iris nodded vigorously and I stood up. “I’m going to check on Lrag and Miss Penrose.”
Mom waved me away and I flew to Tess’s bedroom intending to take a nap before staking out rat holes. I flapped in and saw the Marfisis kneeling beside Miss Penrose. They’d rolled her on her side and had one of her wings outstretched.
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sp; “Hey! What are you doing?” I yelled.
They jumped up as I landed and backed away.
“Nothing, Matilda,” said Mrs. Marfisi.
“She was moaning. Yes, moaning. We thought she was hurt,” said Mr. Marfisi.
“Why were you looking at her wing?”
“Just checking?”
“Just checking for what?” I asked.
“Nothing. She’s fine. Absolutely fine,” said Mrs. Marfisi.
“You’re doing a good job with her.” Mr. Marfisi stepped toward me. “Your efforts won’t be forgotten. I assure you.”
“Whatever. Don’t bother my patients again,” I said.
“We won’t.
The Marfisis left in a flurry of wingbeats and I took their place next to Miss Penrose. Her wing looked fine.
A red hand touched Miss Penrose’s shoulder. Lrag sat up, still rosy but with more focused eyes. “They didn’t hurt her.”
“What were they doing then?”
“I can’t tell you. They were very excited about her wing. They didn’t say why.”
I stretched Miss Penrose’s wing out. The fine network of golden veining at the joint throbbed slowly, showing her weakness. I tucked her wing and rolled her on her back. She remained sleeping through it all. If a person didn’t know how to take a pulse, those veins were the best way to gauge a heart rate. That was the way Grandma Vi first showed me, then we moved onto the wrist and neck. Most fairies don’t like you looking under their wings, probably because it’s the hardest place to wash.
I stepped over Miss Penrose and laid Lrag back on his pillows. “You need a fresh coat of foam.”
“If you must.”
“I need you back. It’s not the same without you. Did you know Bentha can see dead humans?” I scraped the old foam into a big bowl. That bloody meat smell just never goes away.
“Yes. The dead are almost as annoying as Bentha,” said Lrag with a smile.
“Don’t tell me you can see them, too.”
“Only when they don’t see me. My appearance frightens them. It’s one of the only advantages to being a teufel. I scare the dead.”
“That’s a pretty big advantage.” I applied a new coat and the smell made me queasy.
Lrag took my hand. “When will I be on my feet again?”
“There aren’t a lot of notes on teufels in Grandma’s books, but I think it’s all about your color. When you’re your regular red again, you’re well.”
“Put some more foam on me, please.”
I slathered it down his arms and had coated his feet when Iris flew in. “Dad has a plan.”
“To do what? Catch another Home Depot fairy?”
“To catch whatever it is in the wall. It’s so exciting. Come see.”
I rinsed off my hands and told Lrag to get some sleep. He closed his eyes, but he wasn’t happy about it.
Dad was in Judd’s room with the Home Depot fairies. He watched while they constructed a cage the size of a bowling ball out of forks and wire.
“What’s the plan, Dad?” I asked.
He grinned at me and said, “We’re going to catch it. Look at that construction, tight as a teufel’s fist. They’ll be no escape for that stinky creature.”
Iris looked at me and I shrugged. There were so many flaws in Dad’s plan, I couldn’t bring myself to start making the list.
“What do you think?” Dad asked.
“It’s a good cage,” I said.
It was an excellent cage with three rows of forks strung together with wire. All of the Home Depot fairies climbed around on it, twisting the wires and closing gaps.
“I think it looks like art,” said Iris.
“The art of war.” Dad charged over and climbed up the cage.
“Dad’s sounding pretty tough.” I couldn’t stop smiling. The art of war. Dads love a project. “What’s he saying?”
Iris leaned against me. The weight wasn’t great for my ankle, but I let her. I’d missed her terribly. “He says they need a handle for Judd.”
“Great idea, Dad!” I yelled.
Mom landed next to me with her arms crossed. “Don’t encourage him.”
I didn’t answer. I wasn’t sure what to say. At least she was speaking to me again. I didn’t want to wreck it.
“You know this won’t work, right?” said Mom.
“It could work,” said Iris. “The cage is beautiful.”
Mom snorted. “The exterminator can take care of this tomorrow. All we need to do is find out what it is, not capture it.”
“Dad’s having fun,” I said.
She raised an eyebrow. “Capturing a possibly dangerous creature in a fork cage is fun?”
“Absolutely.”
“Is it fun for you?” she asked quietly.
I sucked in my lips and measured my words carefully. “I don’t usually capture anything.”
“You know what I mean.”
“I don’t like killing if that’s what you’re asking.”
Mom watched me closely. “But you’re not unhappy about it.”
“I’m happy to be alive. I’m happy Dad’s alive.”
“What do you think when it’s happening?”
Iris took my hand and said, “She does what she’s good at. That’s okay.”
“Killing is not okay,” said Mom.
“Never?” I said. My palms went tingly and I squeezed my hands into fists.
“Not never.” Mom hid her face in her hands.
“Matilda is good,” said Iris. “She saved Easy and me and Dad. She never hurts anyone just to hurt them.”
Mom lowered her hands and I was surprised to see tears in her eyes. “You’re not what I expected.”
“Sorry, I guess,” I said.
She grabbed me and hugged me tight. “I’m so scared for you.”
“I’m okay.”
“I thought you’d be a gardener.”
Iris and I burst into laughter. Mom soon joined us. Dad and the Home Depot fairies stopped working and stared at us laughing hysterically. The Marfisis come out from their hiding place, holding each other and frowning.
“It’s okay,” I managed to get out. “Mom thinks I should be a gardener.”
Everyone laughed at that, except the Home Depot fairies. They never laughed. Mom wiped her eyes and hugged me again. “Your father thinks I should get out of your way because of what you can do. But I’m not going to. No matter what happens, I’m still your mother and I’m going to tell you what to do.”
“Great,” I said, laughing again. “By the way, the gardening thing kind of saved Miss Penrose.”
“What do you mean?”
I told her about the vermillion’s door and how we found the way in because of her plant obsession.
“So you were listening,” said Mom.
“I tried not to, but it got in anyway.”
She hugged me. “Now I want you to go to bed. Don’t tell me you’re okay. I know my baby. You are exhausted. Go to bed. Dad and Judd will handle the creature in the wall.”
“What about me?” asked Iris. “I want to help.”
“Fine, you help and Matilda will sleep,” said Mom.
A weight lifted off my shoulders. I don’t know if it was because Mom was okay with me again or because I’d been ordered to sleep. Without another word I rushed off to bed and cuddled deep under the quilt Mom had made me before I got my fire. I smiled at the plants she’d embroidered onto every square. She had a plan and I’d never even realized it.
Iris shook me awake at dawn. “It’s happening!”
I yawned and peeled Rufus off my face. “What?”
“The creatures. Come on!”
We found Dad in the kitchen, standing beside a table leg and rubbing his hands. Mom, Lucrece, and Horc were there behind him not looking quite so enthused. The Marfisis arrived with Tess and Judd and we all hunkered down under the table. There was a small plate on the floor with a heap of rat poison in front of a rat hole in the latticework of the
kitchen cabinet base. D and the rest of the Home Depot fairies stood on the countertop, holding the fork cage above the hole. It was all very exciting or it would’ve been, if something had happened.
After a few minutes I couldn’t stand it anymore. “What are we doing?”
“I’m sorry,” said Mom. “I forgot you can’t hear them. The creatures are in that cabinet.”
“What’s with the poison?”
Judd laid flat on his belly next to us. “I think they’re eating it. So we’re using it as bait.”
“They’re eating the poison?” asked Iris.
“Something’s happening to it. You got a better idea?” Judd grinned.
Bentha stalked over, sword drawn. “We are on the cusp of a great discovery. A new creature of the fae. A poison eater.”
Iris clapped her hands. “Gerald will be so happy.”
I had my doubts. A new creature discovered in the middle of Paris? Come on.
“Maybe we should back up,” said Mom, wringing her hands.
“I will defend you with my life,” said Bentha.
“That won’t be necessary,” said Dad. “I have it under control.” He gave a thumbs-up to the Home Depot fairies. They ignored him as usual.
“I’m hungry,” said Horc. “I need meat. I’m practically wasting away.”
Lucrece pulled a lint-covered hunk of something out of her pocket and gave it to him. I shuddered and walked in front of them so I wouldn’t have to see Horc eat it.
The cabinet shook. The Home Depot fairies swayed and lowered the fork cage so that it was over the hole. The cabinet rattled again.
Dad pushed me back. “Stay behind me.”
“Seriously? What are you going to do? Whittle them to death?” I asked.
“Don’t insult your father,” said Mom.
“It’s not an insult if it’s true.”
“Quiet.”
The latticework rattled and the top right popped out of the frame. A puff of smoke seeped out from diamond-shaped holes.
Dad yelled at me. “You can’t make fire!”
“It’s not me!”
Another puff came out of the hole followed by a snout. It was red with two oversized nostrils filled with orange flames.
“Oh shit!” said Judd.
For once no one chastised him. We stared at the snout coming slowly into the kitchen. Long, thick whiskers waved around and felt the edges of the hole as if they were fingers. The snout was quite long, kind of like a crocodile, with sharp uneven teeth that pointed every which way. It yawned and a purple tongue plopped onto the floor with a wet splat. The thing surged forward and the whole head emerged. It had large purple eyes with yellow slits like a horen and six horns, three on each side of its head. They curved like corkscrews and had shiny gold tips.