by Holly Evans
I bowed my head and tucked my blades away; I knew better than that. I should have restrained myself better. Azfin swallowed hard and backed away from me.
"My deepest apologies, priestess."
"What is this about the hellmouth?" she asked coldly.
"There has been movement from the infernal realm. The energies are flexing and shivering. Something is trying to find a way through."
I ground my teeth, we were supposed to be done with that.
Haeyl said, "What are the celestials doing about this? Surely they know."
"Nothing," Elise spat.
I waved my annoyance. "The celestials are nothing more than pathetic messengers, they have no power here."
"They fucked us," Kadrix growled.
I laughed, a harsh unamused laugh. "They allowed a 'rogue' through."
Azfin raised an eyebrow at me. "A rogue?"
I gave a shrug and smirked. “Yea, you know. A hot-tempered, wrathful, arrogant, asshole who hasn't learnt he's not supposed to kill us. The usual."
Azfin growled and dragged his fingers though his hair. "I tire of this."
"You and me both,” Elise muttered.
Kadrix snuck up next to me, I made a note to tell Quin to put some bells around his elf.
"Standing here complaining about life isn't going to fix our joint problems," he said coolly.
I was a little surprised to hear sense coming from him. Azfin eyed him darkly.
"And what do you suggest we do, alchemist?" he growled.
Kadrix rolled his eyes. "Does my position in the world matter so greatly?"
"You're an elf from a strong bloodline. You bring shame to that," Azfin said with a sniff.
Kadrix shook his head. "I am an alchemist. I bring pride to my family via a very profitable business and a strong connection to the city."
Azfin narrowed his eyes and looked the elf up and down. "You have too many secrets, elf."
"And you don't?" Kadrix replied lightly.
I cleared my throat. "And how are we stopping the next wave of infernal bullshit from hitting my city?"
They all looked at me sharply. I smiled sweetly. I didn't care what their views were; the city was mine. I was the one protecting it, therefore I was the one claiming it.
Seventeen
Lysander had appeared after a short while of poking at the fae; I needed to vent. If I couldn't be violent, and I had no one to screw, then I saw no reason why I couldn't rile the fae. A smile played across Elise's lips as she finally relaxed and laughed at Azfin, who became more and more uptight.
A splatter of blood marked Lysander's cheek; I narrowed my eyes at him and dragged him back outside.
"Where were you? What were you doing?"
He held my eye-contact and said, "I was solving a small problem."
I sighed but didn't press the topic any further. I couldn't help but run my fingers over his silver collar; it fit him perfectly.
"Do I hurt you, Lysander?"
I couldn't look at his face. His fingers brushed my cheek, his warm breath soon followed.
"Sometimes, mistress."
His lips were dangerously close to mine. Panic filled me, I took a step back and took a deep breath, relishing the crisp air of spring. He thrust his hands into the pockets of his jeans and leaned back against the wall, trying to look casual despite the hurt that marked his face.
A yowl came from inside, an almost feline noise that cut through the air. I ran into the church to see Haeyl pacing around the room while the others looked at the smashed phone on the floor.
Azfin said, "Enough, Haeyl. Speak."
Haeyl's eyes took on a golden glow, claws extended from his fingers, his ears pointed. I hadn't seen a Sidhe change into their natural form before. He calmed himself before it took hold entirely; the temperature of the church kept fluctuating as he did so.
"Marielle. She has been found."
"Found?" Azfin said sharply. "What remains of her."
A knot of dread formed in the deepest pit of my stomach.
"Who is Marielle, Haeyl?" Elise asked gently.
"A nymph, my dear nymph."
Azfin stood taller and said, "Marielle was under our protection. A nymph that no one had wanted. Haeyl had a tenderness towards her."
Elise vanished, leaving us to deal with the distressed Sidhe. She re-appeared within a minute in tight jeans and a fitted shirt.
She pulled a blazer over the top and said simply, "Take us to her."
The Sidhe gave small nods. Azfin's hand fluttered to Haeyl's shoulder but quickly left it again.
Strahov park is very popular with nymphs, so it was hardly unexpected to find her remains weren't far from the church. We wove our way down the winding and complex paths for a few agonisingly silent minutes before we cut into the trees and were confronted by the mess. An elf and a Sidhe, neither of whom I recognised, were standing watch over her remains. Her head remained entirely untouched, her long pale hair flowing out behind her as though caught in an invisible breeze. Her face betrayed nothing of the pain she must have endured, her expression one of peaceful resignation.
Her body, the remains of it at least, was scattered across an area half the size of my living room. An arm was caught in the lower limbs of a tree, her legs were strewn on the bare earth, while her internal organs were very firmly external in a heap near her pelvis.
"What did this?" Azfin snarled.
The elf, his auburn hair tied back in a messy braid, refused to look at Azfin.
"It appeared to be a celestial," he said quietly, his eyes fixed on Marielle's face.
Azfin and Haeyl looked at us with a stony glare. I stepped forward.
"Do not blame us for this," I snarled.
Lysander was at my side, his teeth bared in preparation.
The Sidhe's expression flickered and shimmered as they fought to hold onto their fully human forms.
"The celestials came to you. You are connected to them."
"Connected does not mean in control of,” I snapped back.
Elise knelt by Marielle's head and stroked her hair tenderly, she whispered something under her breath. Her body took on a pale silver light and became nothing more than a faint mist.
"Say your goodbyes peacefully and quickly, Haeyl," she said firmly.
Haeyl looked between her and the mist before he crouched down as near as he dared and whispered something in rapid-fire fae.
Azfin gave a small nod and said, "Thank you, Elise."
She smiled and stood by my other side while Quin and Kadrix walked around the perimeter of the scene.
"Are you sure it was a celestial?" Elise asked the unknown elf.
He spread his arms out gesturing around the scene. “That's what it looked like. Big guy, golden celestial energies. He took off just as we got here."
"No more details are needed. For Haeyl's sake," Elise said coolly.
The elf bowed his head to her and showed the palms of his hands. "Sorry, priestess."
She smiled gently. "You did nothing wrong, yet."
The elf lifted his head; the Sidhe that had been with him slipped away, or tried to. Quin and Kadrix blocked his exit route.
"What do you know?" Kadrix asked.
The Sidhe backed away, careful to avoid the remnants of the mist. "Nothing that Essan hasn't already said."
Panic edged his words.
Quin moved closer to him, his shoulders back and expression stony. He'd made lycans back down, one little Sidhe wasn't going to stand up to him.
"Please... I know nothing. I just don't want him to find me," he whimpered.
"You bring shame on your bloodline," Haeyl spat.
The Sidhe paled.
"Please understand," he begged.
"She died in agony. What did you do?"
The Sidhe dropped to his knees and lowered his head.
"There was nothing I could do. She had already passed when I arrived."
The elf walked closer and put himself between Haeyl and the Sidhe.
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"He speaks the truth. I got here first, the celestial had just taken her life when I got here. He vanished before I could draw any weapons or magic."
Haeyl's face flickered with rage, but he stood and gave a small nod of acceptance. "Fine."
Azfin placed his hand on Haeyl's shoulder and squeezed it gently.
"She is at peace now, friend."
He looked to Elise. "Thank you."
Elise smiled. “It is as my lady wanted."
Azfin nodded to himself. "Your relationship with the gods isn't our way, but I am thankful for your help. Now, we must find this celestial."
I looked around the group hoping one of them had a solution, because I was lost.
Elise said, "the others said he could not be tracked."
Anger bubbled up through her body, making it taut; her fists clenched as she fought for her familiar calm. The Sidhe growled and paced, their feet leaving heavy marks in the soft ground as they drove their anger into their stiff movements.
"Nothing can hide from our kind for long," Haeyl finally snarled.
Eighteen
The group had dispersed not long after Haeyl's promise. Kadrix and Quin headed over to their alchemical workshop, the fae returned to whatever hole they hid in, and I was left with Lysander. Waiting. I paced around the living room, trying to pull up any contacts or information I might have to track down the celestial. Elise was speaking to her lady. I was tiring of being the soldier; the desire to be connected to magic, to be something more, was growing. I slumped down on the sofa. I didn't know how I felt about that. I'd been happy as the protector and the guard dog for years, but things had changed. The stakes had been raised, and I felt as though I needed upgrades to keep up. Being pushed out of the group wasn't something I relished or was used to. Nor did I intend on becoming used to it.
Lysander snarled and dropped to his knees. White fire shot down his spine and he bent over further, as though pinned to the ground by an invisible weight. I rushed to his side and tried to stroke his hair; he snapped and snarled when I pulled back at the shock of the pain from the fire. He swallowed hard and relaxed for a brief second before he exploded upwards; the fire vanished, but his lips remained pulled back in a snarl.
"That fucking witch."
I tilted my head. "Excuse me?"
His nostrils flared and his fingers flexed. "I had a word with that witch you fucked."
I squared up to him; any empathy I made have had for his pain soon faded. "You did what?"
He ran his finger over his split lip and his cheek where the blood had been earlier.
"He put up something of a fight, but I thought he'd learnt his place."
I glared at him as I grabbed a good handful of his hair and dragged his head down to my height.
"Hound. What did you do?"
His expression softened as mine hardened; his eyes met mine. "I told him to leave you alone."
I ground my teeth and tightened my grip on his hair, causing him to flex his neck and try to pull away.
"That was not your place. Hound."
He swallowed hard. "My apologies."
I released him. "What happened to you?"
He snorted and straightened.
"The witch," he spat, "tried to curse me. He wasn't prepared for the level of magic within a marrok. It hurt, temporarily. Not as much as I will hurt him now."
I took his legs from under him with a swift kick and wrapped my fingers deep within his hair and wrenched his head back to look up at me and expose his throat. "You have done enough. You should not have started this. I will end it. Understood?"
He looked away. I tightened my grip on his hair and pulled his chin to look at me.
"Understood?"
"Yes, mistress," he said softly.
"Now, behave yourself. We're going to have a word with Lucien."
The hound remained uptight during the journey to Lucien's shop. I'd texted the witch warning him I was arriving, although I'd chosen to leave out the detail of the hound being with me. His mouth was fixed in a tight line as we approached the shop. I flexed my fingers and tried to push down the anger that bubbled up within me.
"Relax," I snapped.
The hound looked away from me and drove his hands down into his jeans, his shoulders slumped and rounded. I took a deep breath and prepared myself. The words had swirled around my mind on the journey over, the anger at both of them.
Fortunately, the shop was empty when we walked in. Lucien's face brightened when he saw me; it quickly turned sour when he saw the hound at my back. I held up my hand when he opened his hands and went to talk.
"You cursed my hound."
He narrowed his eyes and ran his thumb over his split lip before he tenderly touched the black bruise on his cheekbone.
"He started it."
The hound pressed against me, eager to start it again.
"Back," I growled without looking at him.
He stepped back and growled under his breath. I glared at him, he looked away and went quiet. Lucien smirked. I strode over to him and fought to keep some semblance of calm.
"No one hurts or threatens my hound. Understood?"
He opened his mouth. I placed my finger on his lips.
"No arguments. I don't give a shit if he started it. He has been reprimanded and it will not happen again. Are we clear?" I said coldly.
He kissed down along the edge of my palm, his eyes flicking to the hound.
"We're clear," he said seductively.
I raised an eyebrow. "You two will leave each other alone. I belong to neither of you."
Lucien's smirk broadened, his eyes dancing with merriment. The hound kept his head down, a growl rumbled in his throat. Lucien's hand went to my hip. I stepped back.
"Don't push it."
He gave me his best sexy pout, and I found myself starting to melt. I turned away.
"It's over," was all I said as I left with the hound just behind me.
A flicker of something white, a tall broad man caught my eye as he vanished around the corner. I shrugged. Blond men were unusual in the city; it wasn't unexpected that he'd catch my eye. My heart thundered in my chest, the emotions roiled within me. We walked along the tramline while I composed myself. It was such an absurd mess. The hound started to relax behind me, his anger melting away to guilt and sadness. My own mood shifted with his, and I cursed the bond. I never had any interest in territorial men; my life was my own, and I had demonstrated time and time again I could look after myself. Yet that hound was dangerously close to making me reconsider that stance.
We sat on a simple wooden bench and waited for the next tram. He went to sit on the floor by my feet, but thought better of it and sat a foot away from me on the bench.
I pointed to the space next to me and said, "sit."
He scooted closer, refusing to look at me. I stroked behind his ear, running my fingers over his neck in a motion that soothed us both.
"Give me time. There will be no others, but I still need time," I said softly.
It was a hard admission to make. That I was falling for an infernal beast, of all things. I didn't know how much was the bond and how much was my own shattered heart, but I couldn't deny it was happening anymore. He nuzzled his cheek against my hand and the familiar warmth of his happiness fluttered in my chest. A smile tugged at my lips, and I saw no reason to resist it. Things were looking up. My chance at real happiness was packaged differently to my hopes and dreams, but Lysander was just that. My chance at happiness.
Nineteen
The evening and night had been surprisingly peaceful, given everything that had happened. Quin had crawled into bed sometime after midnight. Lysander and I had sparred for a couple of hours to vent and keep up good practice before we curled up in bed together. The memories I'd shared with him burnt in the back of my mind, but it was becoming easier to push them aside and focus on the sweet creature that had wrapped himself around me, protecting me from the cold dark world.
E
lise had arranged a small ceremony of sorts for the nymph; we'd all chosen to attend. The celestials had caused it, yet I couldn't help but feel some edge of guilt, some unseen role that I'd played in the poor woman's death. Haeyl knelt on the earth where her body had been, his head bowed. Tears tumbled down his cheeks while he said a quiet Sidhe prayer. Azfin stood at his side, back stiff and hands balled in fists. His face was a mask of sharp angles and promises of revenge. He stood watching over the city while the rest of us stood back a little, heads bowed in quiet thought and prayer of our own. Once Haeyl stood, Elise stepped forward; her hand rested on Haeyl's slender shoulder as she took a deep breath and drew up the energies of the earth. A peaceful smile lit her face; her pure white clothes almost seemed to glow in that moment.
"May Marielle find peace in her time after," Elise more commanded than said.
We each repeated her phrase quietly.
The Sidhe thanked us for our presence. Small nods and light handshakes were passed around, covering mutters of blood and death under cold breath. We let them be; they made excuses about finding a way to track the murderer. They'd be in touch when they needed us again. We slowly wound our way through the park back to Elise's church, Kadrix's fingers entwined with Quin's. I had to smile; they gently leaned into each other, their steps matching. They fit. The elf certainly wasn't my choice for my twin, but as Lysander was proving, sometimes we have to look outside of our usual biases.
The quiet contemplation on the nature of life and the role of the varying species within the city and the web of life was shattered by Zair's little smirk. Tiel strutted in front of him, a grin plastered on his face.
"How quaint. You all look delightful," he said.
Quin put himself between me and Tiel stopping me from punching him. Lysander snarled but remained at my side. Elise's calm facade shattered. She exploded at them. Her body seemed to double in size as she stood taller. Her muscles went taut. Her rage encompassed her.
"How dare you show up now! You foolish, worthless pieces of shit. You stand there in your fucking suits while we mourn for the loss of a good soul that you killed."
Zair raised his hand a little and went to speak. Elise slapped the words from his mouth.