by E. M. Moore
We stalked toward them, taking in the scene. Jake got his net launcher ready. The trick to this was to stay unseen so that we could catch the fae inside it. If they knew of our presence ahead of time, they would just blink out of sight and there was no finding them again unless they wanted to be found.
We crawled through the grass of the open area near the wharf, the harbor to our left with boats anchored in the ocean bobbing up and down with the slight waves. As we got closer, I recognized the light-haired fae. "Oh shit. That's Green Eyes."
Green Eyes turned his head in my direction, his expression puzzled. It left an opening. The other fae slashed down and caught Green Eyes in the shoulder with his short fae dagger.
"No," I screamed, as Jake launched the net.
The other faerie turned. When he saw us, he disappeared. The net had already been launched though. It caught him twenty feet in the air and he fell to the ground wrestling with the trap. Jake ran for that fae while I ran toward Green Eyes. His hand held his shoulder as teal blood gushed over his fingers and down his pale body. "Jesus, Cas," he snarled. "I had him."
I ripped the bottom of my shirt off and wrapped it around his shoulder. "What the hell are you doing fighting down by the wharf? What are you even doing here?"
Footsteps ran toward us. "Shit," Green Eyes cursed. "Got to go."
"Stop right there," Alec yelled.
Green Eyes dropped his head, mumbling another curse under his breath.
"What?" I asked. "Are you in some kind of trouble?" I shielded his body with mine. Green Eyes was undoubtedly the most trustful fae I'd ever met. If he needed help, I was going to give it to him.
Sanders chuckled.
Without looking at me, Green Eyes moved around me, showing himself.
Alec dropped his knife hand back to his side. "Troian? What the hell are you doing here? Aren't you with the Stonehenge crew?"
"Stonehenge?" I said. "Where my brother went?"
He ignored me again. "Yes, Commander."
Alec sheathed his knife with more force than necessary. "Goddamnit, Elite. What are you doing in Salem?"
A green flare sparked in the background, lighting up Green Eyes' face.
"You're an Elite?" When he didn't answer, I looked toward Jake. "He's an Elite?"
Jake shrugged. He walked toward me, but when he went to walk by Alec, Commander told him to get me out of there and back to the house.
"No," I said. "I want to know what's going on."
Jake frowned as he came toward me. "Come on, Cas."
"Hell no." I pulled away from his outstretched hand. "Is he a fucking Elite or not? That's all I want to know." None of their faces clued me in. I looked toward Green Eyes. "And why the hell did you come see me before anyone else?"
"Please stop talking," Green Eyes said. Alec looked like he was about to explode.
"No."
"Jake," Alec spat.
Jake's eyes pleaded with me. Please, he mouthed. "I'll find out what's going on and tell you later. Okay?"
"Fine." I pushed past all of them and started walking toward the house. Old Salem wasn't that big and I had considerably less gear on me than I did when we first started out. No need for my SUV right now.
The night air chilled me to my core, sprouting goosebumps all over my arms. At least being along gave me time to think. Why would Damen know an Elite? Why would a fae Elite owe Damen a favor? And they were both in Stonehenge? Was he there when Damen was taken? I shook my head in disbelief. Lies. I should've known that all faes were liars. It didn't matter if Green Eyes, oh wait, excuse me--Troian. It didn't matter if Troian had seemed like a good fae. He was still a douche like the rest of them.
A flash of light blinded me. All my senses screamed at once. I immediately reached for my Damascas, but hands paralyzed me. A sharp pain buckled me and I fell forward.
Then, black.
Chapter Sixteen
I came to in the dusty back office shit hole of the High Priestess's downtown store.
Anger swelled within me. My arms were tied behind my back with wire that cut into me every time I tried to move. Gigi sat across the room, her back against the wall. It was hard to read her expression, mostly because I didn't believe it. Witches bred fae, therefore, couldn't they be as cunning as fae. She looked sad.
I didn't know what pissed me off more. The fact that I was fucking trapped in this place, or the fact that Gigi looked sad about it.
After a while, I gave up fighting and listened to the other coven members talk around me. They wanted the amber stone back. I almost laughed. They trapped the one person in this place that could give them the amber stone. I was a Guardian and I wasn't magical. They had some plan about getting Jake to get it since they had to have a Salem Ley Line Guardian, or an ex-Salem Ley Line Guardian retrieve it. They must not have realized Jake was a shifter and therefore, incapable of retrieving the stone.
"Why?" I croaked out.
Gigi stiffened at the sound of my voice. The others ignored me.
I pulled myself into a sitting position, the wire cutting into the skin around my wrists. "Why?" I said, more power behind my voice. "What's so important about the amber stone?"
Zion scowled. "For the ley line, of course. Really. I can't believe you call yourself a Guardian."
I ground my teeth together to keep my mouth from getting me into more trouble than I already was. "The ley line is already on."
Her tinkling laugh sent steel through my veins. "Stupid girl. The ley line isn't completely open yet. It's only half open. Did you think because a small amount of the local magical beings were acting out that the whole thing was on high? Soon it will be much more than that. Creatures will come from all over to soak up the energy of our ley line. This is nothing compared to what's to come."
A chill went up my back. If the ley line was only on half power, she was right, full blast would be worse. Salem couldn't handle that. Our peaceful existence would disintegrate. "You get to live here in peace. Why would you want to turn the ley line on?"
"Why? Why does anyone do anything? For power, of course. It's time the magical beings take back Salem. To do that, we need the ley line open again and SPAWN gone." Realization dawned on my face. "Exactly, young Guardian. "We have your brother, too."
I glared at Gigi. My brother. She has my brother. I pulled at my restraints, only succeeding in cutting myself further. "Where is he?"
"Nowhere to concern yourself about now. If I were you, I'd be worried about what's going to happen to you."
"Then you're most definitely not me. Give me my brother, you bitch."
She walked toward me, finally giving me her full attention. "Foolish. Who do you think has the upper hand here, huh? I am so sick of the Guardians in this town acting like they're superior. Do you know who I am?"
"Head Bitch. Got it."
She sneered. Her disgusted snarl falling on every piece of me. "You're lucky I need you for the ceremony tomorrow night or I'd kill you right now."
"You're lucky my hands are tied or I'd gut you."
"Isn't it nice that I have the upper hand then? I think so."
"I think--"
The High Priestess reached her hand out toward me. It shook with power. My voice immediately died and then pain erupted all over. I screamed in silence, the internal agony too much to take. She laughed down at me as the wave of pain subsided. "I'm in charge."
I lay my head back down on the cool cement. I had no other option than to keep my mouth shut because the only thing I got from opening it was attacked, and some information that was of no use to me because I couldn't do anything with it. Who was I going to tell? If the Elite knew where I was, they'd be here by now, saving my ass.
After a while, the coven members retreated. Gigi stayed until the High Priestess came running back in and making sure she followed out after her. I didn't care. I barely even looked up. Gigi was not an ally, and she most definitely was not my friend.
How did I get in this mess? It was fucking G
reen Eyes' fault. If he hadn't lied to me, I wouldn't have stormed off all by myself.
I gasped. Oh my god. I knew Green Eyes' real name. I could call him. Warn everyone what was going to happen. Maybe he could even help me get the fuck out of here.
"Troian," I croaked out, trying to sit up again. Nothing happened. "Troian!" I yelled.
Finally, the air around me shimmered. My heart exploded in my chest.
Before he was even fully visible, he began to talk. "I hate non-fae folk. This is why I don't want anyone knowing my name. God--...Cas." He fell to his knees beside me once he got his bearings. "Are you okay?"
I struggled to sit up and he helped. When I cried out in pain because of the wire around my wrists, he looked behind me and within a few moments, he released me from them. I pulled my hands to the front and held my left wrist. "The Wiccans caught me. They're planning to break the ley line for good for complete control of Salem. It's going down tomorrow night. I don't know where. Go. Tell them."
"Are you--?"
"Now."
He closed his eyes and then he was gone. I stood on shaky feet and then went for the door. An invisible force field around the pentagram in the middle of the room stopped my forward movement. I went around the whole circle, there were no weak spots. It was solid. I was trapped. Still.
I sat back down in the middle of the room and held my head. Powerlessness enveloped me. It wasn't a good feeling.
A hand on my shoulder brought me back to the present. I jumped and scooted away, but it was just Troian.
"What did they say?"
He took a vial out of his pocket. I recognized it immediately. It was the same stuff I used on Jake when he got hurt trying to take out Earth Man. He poured it on my wrists and they immediately stopped throbbing and healed. He capped it and then stuck it back in his pocket. "The Wiccans had already been in touch with them. It's going down on Gallows Hill tomorrow night. They want the amber stone." I was already shaking my head, but he stopped me. "I know. They know. None of them can touch it and they wouldn't even if they could. They're glad you're okay. Especially the shifter."
"Jake," I said.
"Yeah. Him. He's a little agitated." He sat next to me. "I'm going to stay here with you until they come for you."
"You're not going to get me out of here?"
"They think it's best that you stay. Right now, we have information they don't. We know you're okay. We know they're taking you for the ritual and we'll get you back then. The necromancer--Frankie--has what he needs. We're going to wait until the line is vulnerable and then shut it down for good."
"You're...going to stay with me?"
He shrugged. "I was ordered to."
I nodded. I didn't care if he was ordered to or no. I was just glad to have someone there with me.
We had a plan. That was good. With the Elite, I was sure it was well thought out and would go down smoothly. By evening tonight, I'd be free, and the ley line would be safe--all despite me. Maybe I wasn't cut out to be a Guardian. When Damen... I swallowed, my emotions were trying to take over. I took a deep breath. Maybe when Damen returned, he should take over the whole thing and I could stick to what I was good at, being a librarian for humans.
"They have Damen, too," I told Troian. "They didn't tell me where, but they plan on getting rid of both of us after they turn the ley line on so that they can have complete control over Salem."
"Don't worry about that. We'll find your brother."
I shivered. Troian put his arm around me. "Why don't you get some sleep? Rest up for later."
Nodding, I scooted over and laid my head in his lap. The floor was hard, but at least his lap was like a pillow for my head.
I never thought I'd be saying that about a fae.
Chapter Seventeen
I awoke to my head bouncing off the cement and my hands tied around my back again. I heard a rushed, "Sorry", before the door to my current prison opened and Zion, the High Priestess, and her followers appeared. They ushered me outside.
It was dark again. Lamely, I wondered how long I'd been sleeping. I hoped the Elite were ready to kick some ass. I hoped they brought a weapon for me. I was pretty sure the stupid coven took my dagger.
Bitches.
The dew on the Gallows Hill clearing shimmered in the moonlight. The Elite were already there. I spotted Alec and Jake in front. Troian was in the back, his blond hair practically glowing in the twilight.
One of the Wiccans stayed my hand as the High Priestess walked forward. Alec met her. "Do you have the stone?"
He nodded.
"We are a coven who keeps our word. The girl for the stone."
"Bullshit," I said.
The witch holding me squeezed my hand, making the wire cut into me again. I sucked air in through my teeth as the pain shot up my arm.
"We're prepared to hand her over."
I wanted to roll my eyes. They didn't plan on giving me up. The Elite knew that though. There was no way the Elite had the stone either. It just wasn't possible. I guess all was fair in magical wars.
Behind me, I felt a tug on the wires binding me and they fell away. Next, I felt the hilt of a blade. A familiar hilt. I turned slightly. Gigi had just placed my dagger in my hand.
Not wasting any time, I slashed out at the witch next to me who fell. Then, I crouched and aimed for the High Priestess. My blade soared through the air and stuck in her lower back. I had aimed for her spine, but she moved at the last second.
After that, all hell broke loose. The Elite ran forward, weapons drawn. The Wiccans raised their hands and did everything in their power to stop the onslaught. An Elite to the left fell as the Wiccan in front of him moved the Earth. All around the Wiccans, a crack formed so wide none of the Elite could jump over. Those with long distance weapons tried using them, but the same thing that kept me in the pentagram last night, kept their weapons from penetrating us.
Shit.
I ran toward the High Priestess to retrieve the only weapon I had in this place when I was frozen mid-stride. She bent forward and pulled the blade from her back, tossing it aside. She held her palm over the injury and it immediately healed. Bitch had more powers than I remembered.
She spun, her eyes narrowed in on me. "They don't have the stone."
"They can't get the stone. Only I can."
Her gaze switched back and forth between me and Gigi. I was sure the wheels in her head were turning. She'd realize soon enough who helped me get free of my restraints and gave me my weapon.
"Get it," she said through clenched teeth. "Get me the stone."
"Hell no," I spat.
Her hand shot out and a blast of energy hit me square in the chest. I flew backward and landed in the damp grass. Jake shouted my name along with someone else.
Before I could even get back up, Zion leaned over me, her hand around my throat. "If you give me the stone, I'll tell you where your brother is."
"Do you think I'm stupid? You said you wanted us dead. For all I know, he's already dead."
Her hands dug into my skin, blocking precious air. "I said wanted you dead, not needed you dead. I'm willing to give you a stay as long as we have the stone in our possession. I know where he is. I'll tell you."
I hacked at her arm. "I don't believe you."
Her eyes rounded and then glowed an eerie green. "I promise, in the gaze of Hecate, that I will tell you where your brother is as long as you hand over the stone."
Gigi inhaled sharply behind me. Zion meant it. I could tell. She'd just sworn some kind of oath that I didn't understand, but I knew she'd give me my brother's whereabouts if I gave up the stone. If I gave her the stone though, I'd be giving up Salem. I'd be giving up my life's--my family's--work.
I closed my eyes as the High Priestess's grip loosened. "If you don't, I'll make sure he dies."
My brother or Salem? Family, or duty that had been ingrained in me?
I remembered what my Grandfather said when he came to visit me. "Do what's right. Alway
s do what's right."
I pulled my knees up and kicked out. Zion flew through the air. I didn't wait to see where she landed. I rolled toward my blade and stood. The Priestess was already up, her hand outstretched. "Wrong decision, Guardian."
She was right. But both decisions were wrong. The history of Salem was more than just Damen and me. The safety of everyone here was more than just Damen and me.
My heart ripped open. Anger singed my veins. I ran forward. Her power was able to stop me. A little. It was as if I were running in slow motion. She stared down at her hand and then she concentrated harder. Remarkably, I could still move. I kept trudging along as if I was stepping through quicksand, but I kept at it, kept moving. I switched the grip of the dagger in my hand, Michael Myers style, and moved forward. All at once, her powers broke. I lunged forward and slammed the blade into her chest.
I fell with her onto the grass. Blood trickled out the side of her mouth. Her eyes glazed over as she stared into the night sky. "You've sealed his fate."
I pulled the blade from her chest and spun. Around me, the Elite had found their way over the chasm and were attacking the coven. We weren't aiming to capture this time. We were aiming to kill.
Jake dodged a stone that was magically thrown at his head. He took out his long sword and cut the head of the witch clean off. Troian was caught in an empty-handed battle with a male witch. I was running over to help when Alec caught my eye. He had Gigi.
I stopped. "No, Alec!"
He looked back at me, confused.
"She helped me."
Gigi closed her eyes in relief until they shot open again.
Alec took a few steps back.
A red stain expanded on her stomach, soaking her shirt. The point of a knife stuck through her abdomen. When she dropped to her knees, the second Wiccan in command stood over her, smiling. "That's for betraying us."