by Alicia Wolfe
“No worries,” Davril said. “We’ll catch her later.”
The guard shrugged. Davril and I turned away, then moved off some distance from the structure. Knowing Davril would defer to my cat-burglar expertise, I kept glancing backward, studying the fairy tale-like building whose windows and door stuck out from the weirdly thick tree. It was the most awesome treehouse ever. Except that it was very likely inhabited by an evil witch keeping an innocent—well, relatively—imp prisoner.
By the time we paused to confer, I’d already developed my plan.
“We go up,” I said.
“How do you mean?”
I indicated the trees to either side of the one the structure was located in. “We climb one of those, high enough so we can’t be seen from down here, then go across to the center tree. Angela’s tree.”
He studied the trees and frowned. “There’s a long gap from those tree limbs to those, Jade. I might be able to jump that distance, but I don’t think you can, and I can’t make it carrying you. You may have to wait behind.”
“As if.” I patted my utility belt, half hidden beneath my new leather jacket. “I’ve got a rope and grappling hook right here that says I’m coming with.”
He sort of smiled. When our eyes connected, my heart jumped into my throat. Holy hell, girl, are you FALLING for him? I asked myself.
Because, damn it, I thought I was.
And I wondered what he was feeling for me. Could it be something similar?
He turned his attention back to the tree. “Then let’s do this.”
Chapter 13
We circled around to the backside of one of the large trees that flanked what I was thinking of as Angela’s tree, made sure no one was watching, then started to climb. My arms still ached from all the climbing earlier, but adrenaline gave me strength. Not just adrenaline, but hope. We were almost there. In minutes we might be able to free Federico and stop whatever evil Angela was preparing.
Just what was she up to? I couldn’t help feeling a surge of curiosity and dread about whatever it was. And I couldn’t resist the flicker of doubt floating through my brain that said, What if we’re too late?
When we were high enough to be concealed from those below by leaves and limbs, we ventured out onto the stoutest limb that led in the right direction. Davril moved along it nimbly and surely, but even with my cat burglar experience I ducked, keeping my center of gravity low, and moved as slowly as I could.
Shit, it was a long way down. I tried not to look. The sight sucked at me.
Out on the limb ahead of me, Davril turned back to me. He grinned. My heartbeat spiked, seeing that expression on his face, that confident sheen in his eyes. I’ll never get over the sight of him about to go into battle mode. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be any battle, though.
“See you on the other side,” he said, then took a running jump and leapt the airy gap between this tree and Angela’s. I drew in a sharp breath as he sailed through the air. Part of me twisted in fear. Another part thrilled at his daring. Then he was across, alighting nimbly on another limb. Turning, he gestured to me, but he didn’t call out. Good. He was close enough to the enemy’s lair that she might hear any such cry, assuming she was even home.
I hoped she wasn’t.
Swallowing, I removed my grappling hook from its pouch, twirled the line at my side, then threw it to a thick branch high up on Angela’s tree. I checked to see that the hook was secure by jerking the line, then, satisfied, jumped off from the limb I was on. My belly twisted as the ground dropped away from me, and the world seemed to spin around me. My own battle mode switched on. I scowled and readied myself for impact.
The tree rushed up at me. Gritting my teeth, I landed on the bark, my hands and feet taking my weight easily. I climbed up to Davril, then reeled in my line and stuffed it back in the pouch.
Davril’s eyes watched me admiringly. “Nice work.”
“You, too.”
He started scaling down the tree toward the windows embedded in the upper story below.
I paused a moment, watching him, then followed. In moments we were nearing the uppermost window on this side. Strange colors blazed from its glass, and the taste of copper burned on my tongue and made my hairs stand up. We were approaching powerful magic.
We’re crazy to be doing this, I thought, but there was no turning back now. And Federico was depending on us.
We slowed once we’d reached the window and fanned out to either side of it. Cautiously, we both used our senses to detect whatever magic might protect this portal, then glanced at each other.
He nodded at me significantly, as if to say, It’s fine for now.
I nodded back, putting just a little bite into it: But if we enter…
He nodded a final time, and then we both, very cautiously, stuck our heads around the side of the window and peered in. Instantly, I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from gasping, or at least to prevent anyone from hearing it. Inside the room, Federico hung suspended in the air, weird lights rippling all around him. The small, batwinged, red-skinned demon threw back his head and screamed. Cords stood out on his neck. His eyes had turned purple, and I knew some spell had been placed on him. Maybe many spells.
Mistress Angela stood before him, beautiful but cold, with flowing auburn air and burning green eyes. She wore a shimmering green dress to her ankles with metallic highlights that matched the pins in her hair. Her hands were raised, and her fingers waved like anemone tentacles. Power radiated out from them.
Bitch, I thought. Torturing the little guy like that.
I started to reach for the glass, then caught myself. Davril looked at me warningly. Grimacing, I gave him a little nod. He relaxed.
We couldn’t go in. But … we had to.
Frowning, I paid attention to was going on in the room. Mistress Angela was shouting something. The wild lights, like some malevolent aurora borealis, that spun and flared and waved around Federico, they reflected off her eyes, turning them even crazier colors than Federico’s.
The imp’s voice answered hers. I expected it to sound pained, but it didn’t at all. Strangely, it sounded almost robotic. He was in thrall to her spell.
“…what more do you want? I am giving you everything I know.”
“No!” she screamed, putting more fire into him, or whatever it was. “You resist! You fight me at every turn, you demon!” She bared her teeth. “I’ll have your secrets, hellspawn. In time I will know everything you know. You think you can hold out, that you can hide inside that horned head of yours, but know this—I’m coming. I’m coming, demon!”
With one more burst of her power—Federico threw back his head even more and screamed even louder—she withdrew her spells of torment back into herself. Federico still hung suspended in the air, but the colors around him faded into nothingness. Mistress Angela glared at him in silence for a long moment. Behind her two guards waited, their expressions unreadable. They were biker types, but with armbands and necklaces that spoke of magical upgrades.
Oddly, Angela’s expression softened as she beheld Federico. To my shock, I saw something that might have been pity cross her face. She gazed at the imp for another long moment, then seemed to gather herself. She turned and stalked toward the door. The guards held the door open for her, then followed her out. They closed and locked the door behind them. I could see the keyhole turn.
Davril and I glanced at each other.
“We’re never going to get a better shot at this,” I said.
“The imp’s alone,” he agreed.
“I have some spells that can get through these wards, I think. I’ll need some help getting him out of his binding spells, though.”
“I’ve got it covered.”
I almost laughed. I’ve got it covered. That sounded so wonderfully modern and at the same time antiquated coming from his lips. But I loved that he was trying to fit in. To speak my language. It was both charming and rustic simultaneously.
“Then let’s
do this,” I said.
Quickly, I said a series of spells under my breath. I was well-trained at lowering magical alarms, and not even Angela’s wards could defeat my attempts. Then again, she was at the heart of her fiefdom deep in a haunted forest that even Fae Knights avoided. She probably hadn’t put her A-game into the window. But whatevs. I did it.
After a few minutes, the power encasing the window dissipated, and the spells withered to nothing. Gasping, I leaned back, barely maintaining the presence to keep my hold on the tree wall. Luckily, the bark was rough and provided many handholds.
Shakily, I gave Davril the thumbs up.
He returned the gesture, and this time I couldn’t help a small giggle.
I swear to God, his cheeks reddened. It was just a little, but I swear it was there. He likes me, I realized with a flood of warmth in my belly. He really likes me!
Focus, Jade, I told myself. I swear, I could be such a slut.
Davril swung into position over the window, peered inside, probing all corners of the torture chamber with his eyes, then pressed the palm of one hand against the window, kept it there for a moment with his eyes closed, then shoved the window open and dropped inside. After a moment came his voice, whispering softly: “Jade, it’s safe.”
Ha, I thought. Safe compared to ten minutes ago, anyway.
I followed him in, feeling his shoulder brush up against me as I stood up inside the chamber. I didn’t pull away. Neither did he. Side by side, we approached the center of the dark room, where Federico floated in the air. His face no longer wore its look of agony, but purple still shone from his eyes, and his features were slack. Angela had said he was hiding in his head. I was starting to see what she meant. The lights were on, but nobody was home. At least not to answer the door. Maybe he was huddling in the attic, though.
I prayed he was.
“Federico?” I whispered. No response. “Feddy? Come on, talk to me.”
Still nothing.
Davril shook his head. “We’ll have to get him clear, then snap him out of it if we can.”
“If we can? You mean we might not?” That thought terrified me.
“I’m sure we can, don’t worry.”
“But … there is a chance we won’t be able to?”
He hesitated, then decided to level with me. “Yes. There is a chance. However small.”
I appreciated his honesty, but also his gentleness. Federico stared out, all blank and purple-eyed, and my heart twisted in grief at the sight. He should be cracking bad jokes and waving his cigar around, I thought, not this. Anything but this. It was like a state of living death.
A thought occurred to me—well, a memory. I’d been so preoccupied at the time I’d barely noticed, but Federico had said something when Angela been interrogating him: What more do you want of me? I wasn’t sure if that was the guy in the attic or not, but one thing was for sure—he’d given Angela something of value already.
Just what that was, I didn’t like to think.
Davril stepped forward and raised his hands palms out, then closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate. The air rippled around Federico. The ripples grew stronger and stronger. Federico stirred, just a little, as if tossing in his sleep. His staring eyes blinked, but clarity didn’t return to them. The air shimmered more and more violently. All of a sudden came a snapping sound and Federico tumbled out of the air.
Davril caught him in strong arms, then held him at arms’ length.
Marveling at Davril’s power, I approached. I stroked one of Federico’s tiny horns. His eyes rolled in their sockets. His hooves kicked. Then he went still.
“Do that again,” Davril said.
“What?”
“I think it worked. Go on, try it.”
Shrugging, I stroked Federico’s horn again. Okay, that sounds dirty, but I swear it was just his tiny pointy horn. On his head. Sheesh.
His legs kicked again and his arms flexed. The purple began to fade from his eyes. Encouraged, I patted his head, then stroked his cheeks.
“Come back to us, Feddy. Come back.”
The last of the purple departed his eyes, vanishing like mist before the sun. His normal black eyes blinked, then focused. On my breasts.
“I’m up here,” I said, tapping my cheek.
To his credit, his eyes went to mine. “Hiya, toots.” His voice was sleepy, but it was his own, not the zombie that had spoken earlier.
My heart leapt. Davril and I smiled at each other. It had worked! Still smiling, Davril set Federico on the ground. The imp flapped his wings a few times before taking a few exploratory steps. He started to fall once, but I stabilized him.
“Better,” he said after a minute. “I feel better now. Damn, what that broad did to me!”
“Tell us about it later,” Davril said. “Can you walk? Or fly?”
Federico flapped his wings again, this time lifting off and hovering in the air.
“Good,” Davril said. “Then follow us.” He frowned at the imp. “You will follow us, won’t you? We have no way to bind you. But I’m sure I can improvise something, if you insist.”
Federico raised a hand, placating. “It’s all good, boss. Let’s blow this joint. I’ve got a date with a cigar and a hot tub full of babes. And maybe not in that order.”
I rolled my eyes. “You haven’t changed a bit.”
Federico smirked. “You thought a little jail time would soften up Uncle Feddy? Not a chance, doll. Not a chance. Now is this a jail break or what?”
We moved toward the window. As we passed through it, magical alarms began to shriek all around us. Brreep Brreeep. I only resisted clamping my hands over my ears because my fingers were digging into bark.
Davril’s head snapped toward Federico. His eyes narrowed when he saw a metal band around the imp’s right ankle.
“A detector!” he said.
“Shit!” Federico said.
We climbed. Around us, the hive of criminals and magic users (and criminal magic users) began to stir. Shouts went up. Attention swung toward the window we’d left by. We reached a limb that hid us from the crowd below, then shimmied out onto it; Davril and I did, anyway. Federico flew.
“Can they track us with that thing?” I said, meaning the anklet.
“Probably,” Davril said.
He extended his hand toward Federico and waved it. Presto, the glinting brass hoop fell from the imp’s leg, and Federico floated higher off the ground, his eyes wide.
“That’s some mojo, Dav-me-boy.”
“You two know each other?” I said. But of course they did.
“It’s a small community,” Davril said. “And Federico is an important part of that.”
“Ah, I’m just a glorified librarian,” Federico said, but he thrust out his chest proudly as he said it. I hid a smile.
Below us the alarms quit blaring. Then, in place of them, the sound of bird shrieks reached my ears. With a start, I glanced down and saw black-winged shapes rising toward us.
“The Razor Wings!” I said. “Run!”
Chapter 14
Ice filled my veins as I ripped out my grappling hook and line, twirled it, and threw at a branch on the next tree over. I tested it, then swung across the gap, my heart flying into my throat as the world spun below. Beside me on one side Davril leapt gracefully through the air, while to the other Federico flew, tired but determined.
Below us, the winged shapes drew closer. The Razor Wings would rip us to shreds, I knew. I alighted on a limb, drew in my line, then flung it at the next tree. Then the next. Davril and Federico stayed with me.
A winged shape dove at my head. It swept past, rustling my hair, and its beak ripped at my shoulder. Pain flared, and blood flowed down my side. It distracted me so much I almost missed the landing. At the last second, Davril appeared, wrapped his arms around me, and guided me in. We landed, and I breathed into his face. He stared intently down at me.
My fingers curled at his chest.
The Razor Wing dove
in, huge, its beak dripping my blood and its claws stretched out to tear us to pieces.
I yanked out my crossbow and shot it in the chest. Shrieking, it dropped from the air and spiraled toward the land.
“Good shot,” Davril said.
“Thanks.”
Federico hovered next to us. “Why don’t you two get a room?”
“Let’s hurry,” I said, ignoring him.
I swung to the next tree, then the next. Before I could land on this one, another Razor Wing dove at me. Both of my hands were on the line and I couldn’t reach for my crossbow. I braced myself to ram it with my shoulder.
Davril appeared again. He struck the huge blackbird over the head with the flat of his blade and it dropped from the sky.
I landed on a branch, reeled in my line, and turned to him. “Thanks,” I said. “But don’t let chivalry get us killed.” I knew he hadn’t killed the Razor Wing because it was female.
Before he could answer, three Razor Wings working together streaked for his head. He spun, smashing one in the beak with his blade. I grabbed up my crossbow and fired a bolt into another’s brain. Federico, flapping his tiny wings beside us, snapped his fingers. The third burst into flames, then instantly disintegrated.
More came at us. Their dark shapes swarmed through the branches all around, and their shrieks and cries chilled me. Even if they didn’t kill us, they could delay us long enough for Angela’s other forces to come after us. Shit. We were well and truly boned. And not in the good way.
“Don’t worry,” Federico said. He looked gray and tired, but determination shone in his eyes. “I’ve got this.”
“What can you—?” I started to say, but before I could finish the thought he snapped his fingers again.
The world changed around us. The huge, murderous birds were gone, as were the shouts and screams from Angela’s compound. We were still in the haunted forest, but a different part of it. Hopefully far from the bad guys. Or at least those bad guys. I knew all too well that the forest was said to be populated exclusively with people and things you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. Or any other alley, for that matter.