Return of the High Fae

by Tom Keller

  "Thanks for that, and getting her to see me."

  "Sure, gotta take care of my friends, never know, I might need you myself one day." Her smile returned and she stood as I readied to leave.

  One more task completed on my to-do list, I thought to myself as I stepped out of her office doorway.

  I saw the Faerie, or Elf, or whatever she was made up as walking down the hallway. Talk about special effects! She was maybe 5' 2", with long straight blond hair that hung down below her waist. Totally nude, she embodied perfection. Exquisite breasts and a perfectly proportioned body that moved with a grace I would not have believed possible. She looked up at me for an instant, her blue eyes sparkling, and my body froze as I watched her go by.

  But it wasn't her beauty that stopped me, or even her nudity, it was her wings. I'd never seen anything that looked so real. They sprouted out of her back and flowed upward a foot above her head and then downward to her feet. Light, wispy, gossamer wings attached I do not know how. I watched, breathless, as she continued down the hallway. I turned around to look at Alicia still in her office.

  "Holy shit!" I stuttered. "That is the most realistic costume I have ever seen! How did she do that? The wings, they're incredible."

  She gave me a funny look. "Wings, we don't have anyone wearing wings. What are you talking about?"

  "That girl," I pointed, "the one that just went down the hallway."

  Alicia stepped around me and walked down the hallway. Following her to the end she pulled the curtain aside to look. We were behind the stage. She let go of the curtain and turned towards me. "She doesn't have any wings, what have you been smoking?"

  "What? No, no, no. Here… let me take a look."

  Walking closer, I slid against the wall next to her and pulled the curtain aside. I stared for a moment, dumbfounded, and took in all in. There on the stage was the girl I had seen. Only it wasn't her. Gone were the ears, the wings, and that vision of perfection I had just gazed upon. I'm not saying she wasn't beautiful, she was, and she was still graceful. But it was like I had glimpsed her true self a moment ago and now I was looking at her through glasses that weren't in focus. Not wanting to let Alicia think I was nuts I let go of the curtain and turned to her.

  "Sorry, you're right, I… uh… must be seeing things." I stuttered, suddenly feeling foolish. "Who is that?"

  "Oh, that's Trixie." Alicia peeked through the curtain again. "She has quite the following." She turned and gazed at me.

  "She got you in her spell, too?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "I don't know what she's got but she's got something. The guys go nuts over her. She only has to dance a couple sets a night and she still makes more money than any of the others."

  I opened the curtain again. Trixie was still on stage. There was something special about her. Even if she wasn't the Nymph I had envisioned she was still something more. I moved my eyes to the audience. I could tell they were enthralled with her performance. Then I realized something wasn't right. They were way too interested.

  The other dancers were moving about the crowded club and everyone had stopped paying attention to them. The men in the audience were all watching the stage, or to put it better, they were all watching Trixie, enthralled. I could see the girls eyeing each other, some of them shrugging, one rolling her eyes, they did not look happy. I had no idea what this girl had that they didn't, but Alicia was right, she had something.

  "You see it too," she declared. It wasn't a question.

  "Yeah, I'm guessing she isn't so popular with the other girls."

  "No, she isn't. But management fired a few that said something a ways back and now days everyone keeps their mouth shut," she said as she turned and walked back down the hallway.

  With a last look I let go of the curtain and followed her into her office. "What do you know about her?" I asked as I parked myself back in the chair in front of her desk.

  "Oh, Honey she is outta your league," she replied with a shrug.

  I might have blushed. "No, sorry, I didn't mean it that way."

  She laughed, and then continued. "Not much, she comes in, does her sets and then she leaves. Never says too much. Only thing she's ever asked for is some special bottled water so I keep that in stock. As a matter of fact, there she goes now." Alicia tilted her head up as if pointing out the doorway.

  I turned to look, but she had already gone. "Well, that's my cue," I said. "Thanks Alicia, I appreciate your help today."

  As she stood I extended my hand to shake hers but she came around the desk instead. She reached for me and gave me a hug.

  "Don't be a stranger, baby," she whispered in my ear. She took my hand and led me out of her office and back to the exit, which she opened. "And tell Hailey hi for me."

  I went through the doorway and waved goodbye and then headed back into the dimly lit alley. As the door closed, I looked around, wondering where the girl had gone. Except for the cars there was nothing visible. I shook my head as I walked to the car. First it was talking dogs and now there were Faeries. Or was it Elves? Hell, did it really matter?

  I sat in my car with the engine running for a minute or two just watching the lot. I couldn't figure it out. It had looked so real. I knew she couldn't really have had wings, but, damn, I saw them. What was happening to me? But I had seen the audience's reaction. She had done something to them and it was clear the other girls saw it, too.

  So I was seeing and hearing things, but as for the girls at Darlings, ouch, that had to hurt. Just imagine what has to be going through their minds as they do a seductive lap dance and suddenly their customer forgets they exist. Talk about a blow to your self-esteem. Not to mention the bottom line if he doesn't tip her. Hell with it, I gave up trying to figure any of it out. This wasn't the place.

  I put my car into gear and made my way out on to Highland. Making a left at the light, I headed towards Las Vegas Boulevard and the freeway. Eyeing a 7-11, I changed my mind and cut across several lanes of traffic and pulled into a parking space. I needed coffee.

  Chapter 5

  It must be my night for pretty women. As I went through the doorway I saw the clerk ringing up something for a nice looking gal. She was in her mid to late 30's with light brown hair to the middle of her back. Not magazine pretty, more a wholesome-type look. The kind of girl your mother would probably like. But there also was a subtle hint of sexy about her, just barely peeking out. She was well-dressed, casual style, in pressed black jeans and a black shirt that sparkled when she moved and showed just a hint of bosom. But it was her eyes that grabbed me and they grabbed my soul. They were as green as emeralds.

  At first glance I had thought she might be wearing contacts, but when I took a second look, they were all hers. I was a sucker for green eyes. I gave a smile and a hello as I walked by. She just nodded and continued towards the exit, barely noticing me. Oh well, what did I expect, this was 7-11 for God's sake, not a pick up joint.

  I grabbed a coffee, paid the clerk, and went back to the car. The Oakey exit was blocked by a limo. I'd seen that they sold hard liquor inside so I guessed a customer needed to make a purchase. I turned to exit on to a side street when I heard a commotion.

  Barely illuminated by the street lights, the woman I had just seen in the store was being taunted by two twenty-something's in a red Corvette, their lights dimmed. This was an industrial area so there really wasn't any place for her to go. I rolled the passenger side window down and heard them arguing. I could hear them calling her "Lilly" and making lewd remarks.

  Some people say you shouldn't get involved but that was never my style. Besides, I was armed and knew a few tricks. Still, it would have been better if someone else knew I was here. In the police world backup is never far away. When you're a P.I. you're usually on your own but that's the breaks. Maybe I should have dialed 911 but I just didn't think about it. I gunned my car and drove towards them. Stopping behind the Corvette, I switched on the brights and stepped out of the car.

 
By now one of the guys had the woman by the arm against the storefront. He was reaching for her breast with his other hand and she was struggling. The other was still taunting her, rhyming words with Lilly. I couldn't make it all out, something like "Little Lilly needs my willy," or some silly nonsense like that. I had a sudden vision of a scene from A Clockwork Orange, and then I intervened.

  "I think that's enough, boys. Fun's over," I declared, just loud enough for them to hear.

  They both looked at me, then the one holding her arm sneered. "Back off, twat, this is not your affair."

  Say what? I don't think I'd ever been called a twat before. The other guy walked towards me. Normally, I'd have known better than to let someone get that close but it was too late.

  "Beat it," he threatened, shoving me in the chest.

  He snarled, he actually snarled, and I could have sworn his eyes shifted somehow.

  Without warning something inside me snapped and I saw red. I'm not talking about anger although, that was certainly part of it. I mean literally. My perception of my surroundings had changed. I don't know what it was; call it adrenalin mixed with some unknown hormone, call it a shattering of the spell Meredith told me about. It doesn't matter, because suddenly everything was different. There was a red tinge and the world was no longer in darkness. It wasn't infrared, it was something else. Things slowed down and I could see...and hear...almost everything. I'd swear I could even hear the beating of their hearts.

  I had no clue what was happening but everything was in perfect clarity. I could hear the sounds of cars, animals, and people, even those blocks away. I could tell you the exact height and weight of each attacker. Hell, I could tell you what they had in their pockets just by the sounds the coins made. One was 6' 1", 203 pounds, and there were 2 quarters, a dime and 3 pennies as well as a coin I didn't recognize in his left pocket.

  The other, well it doesn't matter, he had a rod of some kind in his pocket and I saw him reaching for it. From I don't know where, power surged through me. I lunged forward and grabbed Mr. Beat It by the throat and lifted him into the air. I twisted around and slammed him into the trunk area of the Corvette. He groaned loudly and I could feel the metal yield with the force.

  The other one pushed the woman down hard and ran towards me, his face and body starting to contort into something not quite human.

  Before he could reach me I shot my arm forward and did the same to him. Smashing him into his partner, I watched as he changed back to normal. While they were stunned I pulled the rod from the second one's pocket.

  "Let me go!" Mr. Beat It cried out.

  I squeezed, and then caught myself before I went too far. Don't ask me how. Whatever was surging through my body was difficult to control. Hell, I didn't even know if I could control it. Holding them down with my arm, I examined the rod I had taken from him. It was not like the ones I had seen in the pictures. This one reminded me of a scepter. It was about 18" long with a handle that was hand carved of hard wood, it looked like oak. One end held a blue jewel which looked as if the wood itself had grown around it to hold it in place.

  "You two weren't planning on using this, were you?" I asked, pointing the tip just inches from Mr. Beat It's face.

  "No, really, I wasn't...I, I'm sorry...she's just a Lil, man!"

  I didn't know what a Lil was but it didn't matter. I rolled the scepter in my palm and it became an extension of my hand. The tip burst into a bright blue flame. His eyes widened as he tried to back away but there was nowhere for him to go. I watched as he grimaced, the bright flame of the rod now just inches from his eyes.

  What the hell! I was freaking out and liking it at the same time. I wasn't sure what I was doing but events were out of my control. I slowly pulled the scepter away and grabbed both of them by the throat again. Although they looked human I sensed there was more to them. I'd seen the one boy try to change into something else. Could it have been a wolf? I wasn't sure but I was so hyped up it didn't seem to matter.

  "This is my town," I declared. Oh God, did I really just utter that cliché? "If you come here again or go anywhere near this woman you will not find me so merciful." Merciful? Where did that come from? Then I relaxed my grip enough for them to speak.

  "I promise...we're going," Mr. Beat It sputtered, gasping for breath. The other one nodding frantically, his head moving up and down so fast I thought it was going to fall off.

  "Go," I commanded as I lifted them up and pushed them down off the trunk of the car.

  They scampered towards the side of the Corvette, never looking back, and scrambled into their seats without even opening the doors. I heard the tires squealing as they drove off, the burned rubber smell permeating the air. As they turned down a side street towards Main, I heard the roar of the engine fade.

  I stepped back and leaned against my car, my vision slowly returning to normal. I felt...drained. What the hell was going on? Was I was having a dream? Maybe I was still in the Darlings lot sleeping in my car. But it didn't feel like a dream. I looked at the scepter again; the tip dark, cold, no fire burning within it. Could all this magical crap be real? I was too tired and confused to think. I just wanted to sleep but then I remembered the woman.

  She was on the ground, her back up against the storefront, a look of total astonishment on her face. Gathering myself up as best I could I stuck the scepter in my belt and covered it with my shirt. I walked over to her and knelt down. "Are you ok?"

  "What are you?" she asked.

  That was the second time someone asked me that in as many days. Once again, I didn't have an answer. But at least this time the question made sense.

  "Doesn't matter, are you ok?" I asked again.

  She started to get up and I reached to help. She grasped her hand in mine and I wearily pulled her to her feet. When she was up, she didn't let go. She just held onto my hand for a moment and then she slowly released her grip. "Why did you help me?"

  "Why did I help you?" I repeated, my other problems forgotten for a moment. What kind of a question was that? What do I even say to that? "I'm sorry, maybe I missed it, but you looked like you could use some help."

  "Most of your kind wouldn't have gotten involved," she replied, abruptly, as she brushed off her clothes.

  My kind? Maybe she'd have some answers. "What does that mean? What kind wouldn't have gotten involved?"

  She looked at me with a quizzical expression on her face. "I may not know who you are but even an idiot could tell you are Fae."

  "Even if I am Fae why shouldn't I have stopped them?"

  "The Were are creatures of the Fae, your realm. Why would you defend me to spite them? Am I not but a Lil to you?" Her face became angry but I could tell she was puzzled. "There is no love lost between our kind, or have the rules changed after all these years?"

  She was definitely not acting like a damsel who'd been in distress. But crap, if we weren't supposed to like each other, why did I think she was she so damned hot?

  Wait? Did she say Were? As in Were-wolf or maybe, Were-something-even-worse? And what the hell was a Lil? Shit, what was going on here? I was back in the fantasy novel. Maybe I was in a coma somewhere like on that British TV show. Damn, I didn't even know the characters, let alone what part I was playing. Now there were rules as well. But I needed answers and she might be my best hope. I could go to Milagre, but could I trust him? Hell, could I trust her?

  Suddenly I remembered why I had intervened, as it were, and no "your realm" or forest bullshit changed that. Damsel in distress or not, I was getting pissed.

  "Listen, lady...what is your name, anyway?" My change in tone surprised her.

  "Delia, but..."

  "Listen, Delia," I interrupted, folding my arms in front of my chest. "I don't know what you think I am or for that matter, what rules you think I should follow." I wasn't being exactly truthful, so what else was new? "I don't give a damn who those punks were. Where I come from we don't let strangers paw a pretty gal and we don't ignore a woman in distress."r />
  Well, maybe I did care if they were Werewolves but why bother her with trivia?

  Her features softened, and what might have been a smile began to appear but she caught it before it could emerge. "I'm sorry, it, you just surprised me." She looked down at the ground for a moment as if I might have embarrassed her. "It's just...never mind, thank you."

  "You're welcome. Now, why don't you let me give you a ride home or to wherever you're going? That way, I won't have to worry if you make it safely or not."

  "No, I'm just going to work, it's not far," she replied but I could see she was unsure.

  I needed answers, but to be truthful, I also wanted to spend more time with her. There was just something different about her.

  "Please, I insist," I said, trying to smile. "I promise I won't bite."

  She giggled and it felt wonderful to watch. I walked her to my car and opened the door for her. She paused a moment, then got in. "I wouldn't have let them go too far, you know. It is not forbidden to protect oneself from harm," she commented, placing her hand on my leg as if to reassure me. Forbidden, what the hell did that mean?

  "Right, well," I pointed out, "it looked like they were harming you from where I was standing."

  "My life was not in danger, there are rules, you know."

  Who makes up these rules? What the hell was that about? I threw my hands in the air. None of this was making sense. "So let me get this straight. They can paw you and maybe rape you, but that's ok. I mean, as long as they don't try to kill you." It was my turn to look at her like she was crazy.

  "What kind of screwed up rule is that?"

  "You really don't know, do you?"

  I just looked back at her without saying anything. I was tired, frustrated, and almost didn't care anymore. Maybe it was the fight; maybe it was just irritability at being thrust into a world that had so many screwed up rules. Hell, I wasn't even sure if it was still the same world I had gone to bed in two nights ago. At the moment, though, I just didn't have an answer, but I was tired of saying no.