Fairy World M.D., Boxed Set Two (4-6.5)

by Tamara Grantham

  “Give the staff to me,” I demanded.

  “It belongs to the silverwitch,” he hissed. “I shall take this back to her, and then she will kill you both!”

  “Give it to me!” I rushed at him, knife raised, intent on slaying him the same way I’d killed his companion, but as soon as I reached him, the staff reignited with blinding light, making me falter.

  I stumbled back, tripped over Maveryck’s body, and then for the third time in one day, fell unceremoniously on my backside.

  Enveloped in the swirling magic, the wraith disappeared along with the staff.

  I cursed, my voice echoing off the walls, and then I threw my knife across the room. It landed with a clatter that could’ve woken the dead. As I stared around the chamber, chills crept up my spine. Dim light shone from bulbs in the ceiling, illuminating the walls, which were composed of human skeletal remains—neatly stacked—as if they were bricks. While some rows were made of leg bones, the middle and topmost rows were built with skulls.

  What sort of forsaken country had I come to?

  Maveryck stirred, placing a hand on his forehead where blood matted his long brown hair. Anger sparked inside me as he rose onto his elbows. He’d gotten me into this mess. If he’d done his job and stolen the staff like a proper thief, we wouldn’t be in this situation. As it was, we were stuck in this awful dungeon, and the staff was gone.

  It took a great deal of self-control not to slap him as he focused on me.

  “Where… is the staff?” he asked, his voice a hoarse whisper.

  “Gone,” I answered as I crossed my arms, hoping he saw my displeasure. “The beast took it and disappeared. Our quest to retrieve the staff has failed.”

  He exhaled a long sigh as he rubbed his forehead. “Where are we?”

  “I have no idea.”

  He glanced around the room, his face revealing no emotion as he stared at the human remains stacked in neat rows along the walls, and then he looked at the strange bulbs glowing overhead. “We are in Earth Kingdom, most likely,” he said. “Where is Grace?”

  “Your wolf? She was on land when I last saw her. I doubt she made it through the portal.”

  He sighed. “I’m sure she is fine,” he mumbled to himself.

  “Are you well enough to walk?” I asked. “We’ll have to escape this place and then somehow find the staff, if that’s at all possible.”

  He looked at me, his eyes dark and brooding. Maveryck was a man I did not understand. He had too many secrets and he wielded magic—in my experience, those two traits created a deadly combination. Despite being handpicked by the sky king to retrieve the lost staff, he’d proven himself to be a poor thief. He was also far too pretty to be a practical fighter—his eyes were a deep silver with flecks of amethyst, and his full, seductive lips seemed to hold back a secret. While his appearance was almost pretty, he was also entirely male, and I had no doubt he could fight if he put in the effort, which he didn’t.

  Although his ears looked human, he had the appearance of elven royalty with his squared jaw and high cheekbones. His refined clothing with jewels on his cuffs and collar, coupled with his long locks of dark hair and flawless, bronzed skin, made his pretty appearance borderline gorgeous.

  “I blame this on you, thief.” I thrust my finger in his chest. “If you’d performed as the professional you claim to be, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

  “Might I remind you that I stole the staff without a single mishap? It wasn’t until we escaped the silverwitch’s castle that we were attacked. Truthfully, we’re lucky to be alive. Most who encounter a transformed goblin wraith don’t escape with their lives.”

  “I fail to see how we’re lucky. We’re trapped in an unfamiliar world with no way of returning home. The staff is gone, and I have a suspicion that if we find it, we will not live long enough to return it to the sky king.”

  He gave me a condescending smile. “Perhaps you will not live long enough,” he said as he stood, and without further explanation, he limped away from me and down a narrow hallway. I hesitated before following him. Navigating alone through a tomb like this would be suicide, so I reluctantly trailed him, barely keeping my temper in check.

  “Where are you going?” I demanded.

  “To find a way out of here.”

  “What then?” I asked. “Where will we go? How will we find the staff? How will we return home? Have you the magic to create portals?”

  He rounded on me, his jaw clenched. “First, and listen very clearly, I’m not in the habit of answering questions—not from you or anyone else. Second, I’m not your friend, nor am I trying to help you. For the time being, we share the same goal, so I will work with you in order to bring the staff back. After that, our partnership will be dissolved. I’ve never lost an object before, and it won’t happen now. If you impede me in any way, I will aid you no more.”

  “Have you forgotten who my brother is? Should you return to Faythander without me, what do you think the king will do to you?”

  “I don’t care.”

  “You might care when you’re rotting in the Wult dungeons.”

  “I doubt he would throw me in the dungeons for leaving you. In all honesty, I believe he would reward me.”

  Now he’d pushed too far. I’d had an ill feeling about this man from the moment I’d met him, and I would tolerate his superior attitude no more. I shoved him against the wall, pressing the weight of my body against him, making the stacks of skeletal remains rattle behind us.

  “Enough,” I hissed. “I will not tolerate being spoken to in such a manner.”

  Instead of shying away as I expected, he clamped my wrists in his hands. He used no magic, but the calculated look he gave me sent shivers down my spine. “And I,” he said, “will also not tolerate being spoken to in such a manner.”

  Fear made my heart beat wildly. Who is this man? It was at that moment I realized how very little I knew about him. Where did he come from? Where did he live? Who were his kin? His gaze locked with mine, and sparks of purple danced in the gray of his irises. I knew he possessed magic, but he’d led me to believe his powers were limited. Had he lied?

  “Who are you?” I asked.

  “No one important.”

  “You’re sure about that?”

  “Yes.”

  I wished my brother Kull were here. He had an uncanny ability to see through lies, a talent that would have been extremely useful.

  “Arguing will get us nowhere,” Maveryck said, finally breaking away from my gaze. “Now, will you please release me so we can find a way out of this place?”

  “Do you know how to get out?”

  “I might… if I had the ability to walk.”

  I kept him pinned to the wall a moment longer, not trusting him but unsure what to do about it. Finally, I backed away.

  “Thank you,” he said, straightening his tunic as he walked away.

  “Don’t get comfortable.” I retrieved my knife from its spot on the floor before following him through the narrow tunnels. Gripping the knife’s handle, the worn wood warmed in my hands. Not long ago, I’d used a goblin blade as my weapon of choice, and the feel of the carved onyx hilt had felt comfortable and familiar. But I’d sworn never to use the dagger again, using instead the less-effective Wult blade. I’d never once been tempted to use the old knife, but sometimes I wished I could find a blade that suited me as well as the goblin weapon.

  The walls of the cavern blurred as we walked from one tunnel to the next. I had no idea where we were or where to go. I looked closer at the walls as we walked, and I noticed some of the remains were arranged in an almost-artistic manner. In one area, a heart-shaped outline had been formed using skulls. When we arrived in a circular room, we found a central pillar made completely of leg bones.

  “What is this place?” I asked.

  “I can’t say for sure, but I’ve studied a few Earth Kingdom texts, and the only place matching this description are the catacombs under a European c
ity—Paris, I believe.”

  “We’re in France?” I asked.

  “Possibly. You know of it?”

  “Yes, I journeyed to Earth Kingdom not long ago—to America. I had a memory charm so I haven’t forgotten. But years ago, I made a quest here with my brother. At that time, I had no memory charm, so I remember nothing of it.”

  “That’s unfortunate. Paris is rumored to be a beautiful city.”

  I eyed the walls. “Beautiful?”

  “Yes, so they say. Perhaps once we’re out of these tombs, we’ll see why.”

  After what felt like hours of aimless wandering, we found a rusty gate and made our way through only to be greeted by more tunnels. Soon, we found a twisting hallway made of mortared stones, and at its end, in a small, circular room, we found a sculpture of a fortress.

  “At least it’s not made of bones,” I said as I inspected the statue.

  “Yes, which means we may be nearing the end of these tunnels.”

  We walked past the sculpture and entered another hallway barred by a pair of doors that creaked as we pushed them open. As we entered the next chamber, we found a set of stone steps leading up.

  Maveryck and I stared at the light shining overhead. Sounds of motorized vehicles and drifting conversations came from above.

  “Do you think it’s safe up there?” I asked.

  “Whether it is or not, we can’t stay down here.”

  Gripping the iron railing, the metal chilled my hands as I ascended the stairs up into another chamber and finally walked into a small building, out a doorway, and into the open world. Maveryck stood beside me as we surveyed our new surroundings.

  We faced a small black building. A sign was tacked on the wall near the door with unfamiliar words written on it.

  “Can you read it?” I asked Maveryck.

  “Some of it. Six million people entombed. French Revolution. Something about overcrowded cemeteries. It seems these catacombs were built to serve as a place to keep the dead. Oddly enough, they built it in one of Earth Kingdom’s magical epicenters.”

  “And that’s why the portal brought us here?”

  “Yes, in all likelihood. But the question is—where do we go now?”

  I looked out over the paved courtyard overshadowed with trees. Beyond the treetops, buildings rose in the distance. Soft music and a chorus of voices drifted from cobbled streets. People walked past us, some casting sidelong glances at my attire of bloodstained armor and Maveryck’s ornate elven clothing.

  “We need to find the staff,” Maveryck said, “but in the meantime, we’ll need food and shelter, and in order to get them, we’ll need money.”

  “How will we get money?”

  He was silent for a moment. “I’m not sure, but we can’t get it here.”

  We walked away from the small building and onto the streets, but I wasn’t prepared for the unfamiliar sounds and smells. The city was a bright, noisy place filled with crowds of people and motorized vehicles. It was nothing like the last time I’d visited Earth, where we’d camped in tents and attended a festival away from the cities. And this place was a far cry from Faythander, where magic grew in the trees and in the soil, breathing life and energy while fueling the world.

  Here, cars and buses sped down the road, and I narrowly avoided being hit by one as we made our way onto a landing beside the street.

  Walking down the crowded sidewalks, the reality of our situation began to sink in. We had no coins to barter with, no place to sleep, and no contacts or help of any kind. I’d been in perilous situations before, but that was on Faythander where I understood how to survive.

  I would rather be dropped into the wild lands any day than be transported here.

  As the sun dipped lower toward the horizon, Maveryck still had yet to procure money or shelter of any kind. We neared the city’s center, where a square-shaped tower that tapered to a point rose above the other buildings.

  “That’s an odd building,” I said. “What do you think is its purpose?”

  “I’m not sure of its purpose, but I do know the Earthlanders call it the Eiffel Tower.”

  I shot him a questioning glance. “Eiffel tower? How do you know that?”

  “I’ve read about it.”

  “Have you read about everything?”

  “Of course not, but I have an interest in Earth Kingdom, and so naturally, I’ve read about it.”

  “If you know so much, then tell me, how are we to obtain money?”

  “I’m working on it.”

  “Are you?” I asked.

  “Yes, I am.”

  “How do I know you aren’t saying that just to appease me?”

  He stopped walking and gave me his hard stare. “Enough,” he said. “How am I to get anything done with you constantly questioning me?”

  “So far, you’ve accomplished nothing. I would be better off alone.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  We continued walking in silence. Our clothing attracted a few stares, though I supposed in a city such as this, cultural differences were the norm, so we didn’t stand out as much as we would have in a smaller Earthlander village.

  We passed a large ornate building, and the sign over the doors read Banque de France.

  Maveryck studied the building and then turned to me. “I’ll have to enter alone.”

  “Why can’t I come in?”

  He glanced at the blood drying on my now-tarnished breastplate. “I think it’s best if I enter alone.”

  “Why?”

  “Because this building is where the Earthlanders keep their money, and they tend to be frightened when people carry weapons and wear bloodstained armor into their financial institutions. We would most likely get arrested, spend the rest of our journey sitting in one of their dungeons, and never make it back home.”

  I hated to admit it, but he had a point. “How long will this take?”

  “Not long.” He paused. “Hopefully,” he added.

  “What am I supposed to do while I wait?”

  “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “How are you going to obtain their money?”

  He gave me a sly grin. “Have you forgotten my profession?”

  He was a thief. Right.

  “Don’t stay here,” he said, “meet me at the base of the tower after sunset. With any luck, we’ll soon have a few coins to barter with.” When he turned away and entered the building, I had half a mind to storm in after him. What made him think he could just abandon me here in the middle of the street? I balled my fists. People walked on either side of me, crowding me, pressing in on every side.

  I hated this city, hated the loud noises and crowded sidewalks. It was unfamiliar in every way possible, and though I was loath to admit it, the city frightened me, especially now that I was alone.

  But I had no way to get back home, so I walked away from the building and toward the strange tower. Lights illuminated its peak in colors of red and blue. The sight was strangely awe-inspiring, and I found myself drawn to it. Soon, I stood in a large open space beneath the tower. This area, like every other place in the city, was crowded, but I managed to push my way through the throng in order to find my way to the spot directly beneath the structure’s apex.

  As I stared overhead, the peak seemed to stretch all the way to the top of the universe. Although Earth Kingdom was a strange and unfamiliar place, I had to admit that nowhere in Faythander would I find a sight such as this. The elves had no use for towers, the Wults preferred their keeps and fortresses, and the pixies built homes in the trees. Finding a construction such as this in my world would be a rare sight.

  I remained lost in thought until something touched my arm and a wisp of magical energy flowed through my shoulder. I grabbed my knife and spun around, but I saw no one. Scanning the crowd, I looked for the person who had touched me, but only saw a few people with frightened expressions as they focused on my knife.
/>   I sheathed the blade but kept an eye out for danger. I was being careless. What if the wraith was following me and waiting for any moment of weakness to attack? Cursing under my breath, I vowed to be more vigilant.

  A man with dingy white hair crossed my path. I followed him as he weaved through the crowd, keeping my blade close.

  Searching for anyone in such a large crowd was nearly impossible, and I was sure the wraith knew it. After searching for what felt like an eternity, I finally gave up. He’d probably made his escape long ago.

  But why did he need to track me? He already had the staff. I’d seen him create a portal in the tombs, so why was he still here in Earth Kingdom? Why hadn’t he created a portal and left this world?

  I made my way back to the tower. A less-crowded square sat several hundred paces away from the Eiffel’s base, so I made my way toward it. Grass muffled my footsteps as I traded pavement for earth while I weaved through a maze of trimmed hedges. Sounds of running water came from up ahead, and I soon found a large fountain surrounded by stone benches. As I stepped into the courtyard, quiet footsteps echoed behind me.

  Again, I grabbed my knife. This time, the intruder wouldn’t elude me. I rounded and readied my blade but stopped when I saw Maveryck approaching me.

  I almost didn’t recognize him. He wore Earthlander clothing—a gray shirt that fit snugly and hinted at his defined chest muscles, dark pants, and leather shoes that looked more expensive than anything he should have been able to afford. The wind tousled his long locks of dark hair, and the faint, heady scent of his cologne filled the air. He looked even prettier than he had before, and my heart fluttered, a feeling that both annoyed and confused me.

  Eying my knife, he took a step back.