Fairy-Struck

by Amy Sumida

She was sitting on the edge of a long, oval shaped, cement planter set in the center of one of the open pathways between the shops. Plants rose up behind her and one of her hands was laid against the slim trunk of a palm tree. The fey liked to be close to nature but that touch was a clear sign that she was scared or at least nervous. Her slim body was hunched in on itself, as if she were pulling away from the humans sitting around her, and her lips were pressed into a thin line. A baby cried and she flinched.

  It made sense that she would be scared but usually a murderer has some kind of plan. They don't just sit in the middle of a group of humans and touch plants. Was she waiting for someone? Maybe she had an accomplice. This could be a lot more complicated than we'd thought. My steps slowed as I searched the area for signs of another fey but there weren't any to be found.

  I was about five feet away when her head lifted and she looked unerringly in my direction. Her hand released the plant with a blur of movement and she stood, looking as if she didn't know which direction to run in. I tensed for the chase as her gaze flitted over her shoulder, where I knew my father was coming up behind her. Then she took a deep breath and started walking calmly in my direction.

  I was so startled, I froze for a second and a Japanese tourist bumped into me from behind. It jolted me back into action. I pulled the fey handcuffs from my pocket and opened them with automatic ease. They were iron but lined in silicone so they wouldn't burn her, just prevent her from using her magic. When I reached her, she gave me a nod and held her hands out submissively. I put the cuffs on her with complete bafflement.

  “Aideen Evergreen, I have a warrant of execution for you from the Fairy Council,” I took her arm and started walking her through the crowds. She was taller than me, as most fey are, probably around six feet. I was five-five and although I was leanly muscled from all the training I did, I'd inherited my mother's curves and next to Aideen's willowy, fragile form, I must have looked like an oompa loompa.

  “Asylum,” she whispered and I jerked to a halt.

  “What did you say?” My eyes slid over to her with the slow slide of incredulity.

  “I ask for asylum with the Human Council,” she stated more firmly. “I have information that could lead to the destruction of the entire human race.”

  “What?!” I turned to the side so I was facing her. The flow of foot traffic split around us with irritated murmurs. “Did you say...?”

  “I'm talking about the extermination of your whole race, Extinguisher,” she hissed. “Now get me to your Council.”

  “Yes, Ma'am,” I swallowed hard and started ushering her more quickly through the shoppers, using a combination of telepathy and telekinesis to nudge them out of our way. Possible extermination called for excessive measures.

  Chapter Four

  “It must be a lie,” Dad was driving and we were already over the mountain, away from the heat reflecting metropolitan montage around the mall and back to the lush, breezy, sprawling suburban side of the island.

  We turned into a residential area, the bright sun flashing off the remnants of rain speckling the abundant plant growth in front of every house. Our yard wasn't as well tended as our neighbor's but on the Windward side of the island, that just means it was a bit overgrown. It rained too much there for the plants to die.

  “It doesn't matter if she's lying or not,” I said for the second time. “The threat of war is enough to stay her execution. The Human Council can figure out what's going on. We can't take the risk that it may be the truth and we don't have the authority to make this kind of decision.”

  “Not war,” Aideen interrupted as she gazed out the window distractedly.

  “You said extermination,” I turned to look at her. I was sitting in the back seat of our SUV with her, to make sure she didn't try anything.

  “Yes but I never said war,” she sighed. “Can you remove my sunglasses please? It's too dark in here for them.”

  “See,” my dad huffed.

  “Dad, please,” I grimaced at him in the rearview mirror and then looked back at our prisoner. “What is it if not war?”

  “Death,” she whispered as I removed her glasses and she focused those big green eyes on me with startling intensity. “I was part of a research team whose objective was to classify different types of poisons.”

  “Poisons?” I asked as my stomach clenched.

  “I had no idea that there was a purpose beyond just the acquisition of information,” she continued. “Then I overheard a phone conversation between my boss and a fey council member. We had developed a new toxin that could be introduced to plants through water. It didn't hurt the plants but any organism which ingested them would die within days. The toxin was slow working and left no trace of itself after the victim expired.”

  “A bio-weapon,” I breathed. “One that we would unknowingly and willingly consume.”

  “And, as I'm sure you're aware,” she sighed, “the fey own a considerable amount of produce farms.”

  “So all they would have to do is water their plants with this stuff and humans would start dropping like flies,” I exchanged a look with my father.

  “Now you understand why they want me dead,” she nodded.

  “What I don't understand is why they didn't just come for you themselves,” I shook my head.

  “Looks like they have,” her eyes went round and her whole body tensed as we pulled into the driveway of our little four-bedroom house.

  There was an unfamiliar, black, sports car parked on the curb, right in front of our white picket fence with its overhanging foliage and, standing in surreal seriousness on the cracked cement driveway, was a bunch of fairies. They looked grim, mean, and very capable of killing whatever got in their way. They also hadn't bothered with any glamor magic to hide their inhuman features. I cast a look around to be sure none of our neighbors had spotted them. It was very arrogant of them but I wasn't surprised when I figured out who they were.

  “The Wild Hunt,” my dad growled in a tone which barely concealed his pleasure. “Looks like I might still get to kill me some fairies.”

  “So we're protecting Aideen?” I asked, just to be sure.

  “Like you said,” he gave me a grin in the mirror, “we need to take her to the Council and have them sort it out. We can't risk losing her.”

  “A fight with the Wild Hunt could cause political problems,” I warned him. “Not to mention the fact that it would be noticed by our neighbors.”

  “And it could also be a lot of fun,” his grin widened. “I've never had the chance to go up against the Hunt.”

  “Fine but we're going to try talking to them first,” I transferred my grim gaze to Aideen. “Stay in the car.”

  “Don't worry,” her wide eyes were focused on the fairies. “I have no desire to tangle with the Wild Hunt. I will remain rooted to this spot.”

  “Great, plant humor,” I sighed. “Just answer me one more question before I go out there and kill on your behalf.”

  “Yes?” She drug her eyes away from the Hunt and set them back on me.

  “Did you really murder Dylan Thorn?”

  “No,” she said firmly. “Dylan was helping me escape when they caught us. He gave his life to ensure that I reach the Human Council.”

  “A fairy dying to save humans,” my father scoffed. “Absurd.”

  “Most of us like humans,” Aideen whispered. “Dylan even had a human lover. We would never want extinction for the human race.”

  “Alright,” I waved a hand at my father before he said anything more. “Come on, Dad, they look like they're about to head over here if we don't get out soon.”

  “Right,” he pulled his iron sword from its spot between the front seats, and unsheathed it. “Let's see what they've got to say.”

  We opened our doors at the same time and slammed them shut together as well, making a loud boom that echoed off my neighbor's brick wall. I walked a little behind my father, casting glances around us while I trusted him to take care of what
lay ahead. The neighborhood held remnants of the Hunt's passage but no other traces of fey hiding to possibly ambush us, so I focused my attention forward.

  There were four hunters; two light sidhe of the Seelie Court and two dark sidhe from the Unseelie. It was pretty easy to tell the two courts apart, at least for those of us with clairvoyance. The seelie, or light sidhe, had golden auras which faded to white, like something you'd expect an angel to have. While the dark, the unseelie, had jewel toned clouds of energy pulsing around them. I assume that was how the terms came about but no one really knew for sure.

  The dark sidhe consisted of one woman and one man. The woman had crimson hair, the kind of red which only looked natural on a cardinal or a rose. Or a fairy. It was pulled back into an elaborate braid which dangled down to her waist, and the vivid color brought out the odd bluish tones in her pale skin. Her eyes were acid green, slit like a snake's, and when she smiled, she revealed a set of fangs.

  The unseelie man had hair as black as mine but it was cut short, almost military short, which was strange for a fairy. They loved their long hair... on both sexes. Perhaps the cut was to show off the intricate tattoo he had curling around the lower part of his skull and down the sides of his neck. Stylized tree branches clutched at a pack of wolves. The skin beneath that black ink was a normal tan but his eyes blazed canine yellow.

  The light sidhe were both men. One was auburn-haired with skin like roasted chestnuts, darker even than Aideen. He had talon tipped bird claws instead of hands and they flexed at his sides, the tips clicking together impatiently. Behind him, a pair of wings shivered, their tawny topaz feathers ruffling with anticipation. My first thought wasn't one of admiration, though they were pretty wings, it was one of confusion. How did he manage to get them in that little car?

  The last man was obviously the leader. He stood a little in front of the group and held his chin at an angle which clearly broadcasted his disdain, either for us or his task. I wouldn't be sure which it was until we talked to him. His hair began as bright, platinum blonde at the roots, a color so light as to almost be colorless. Then it slowly darkened, shifting through golden tones like a lion's mane, warming deliciously to caramel and then to chocolate until it hardened into onyx at the tips. Those stark strands shifted like wet ink over the shine of his armor.

  Within that maddening mane was a majestic face ruled by startling silver eyes, made even more intense by a thin outline of black around the irises. Skin, pale as raw silk, covered a wealth of muscles but it wasn't pale enough to conceal a thin, silvery, curling line which trailed over the top of one high cheekbone. With those artistic swirls, the mark looked more like decoration than defect and actually accented his eyes beautifully, making them seem to shine even brighter. Still, it was a scar, I was sure of it. One created by magic.

  A scarred fairy, you didn't see that often, most healed too quickly to leave scars but then this was the Wild Hunt and he wasn't just a foot soldier. He stood with the bearing of a commander but against the backdrop of my overgrown yard with its waist-high grass, and our humble wood home, painted a sweet baby blue, he almost looked silly. At the very least, he looked extremely out of place.

  “Extinguishers Ewan and Seren Sloane?” The scarred one asked in a deep voice as he casually laid a hand on the pommel of his sword.

  “Yes,” my father spoke for us, his own sword laid back casually over his shoulder like it was a Louisville Slugger. “And you are?”

  “Tiernan Shadowcall, Lord of the Wild Hunt,” he said tonelessly but then his wide shoulders tensed, muscles flexing enough to shift his silver breastplate, and his gaze shot to mine.

  I blinked at the intensity in those strange eyes and a shiver of precognition coasted through me. The silver in his gaze seemed to warm, melt, and go liquid as a trailing tickle of fingers ghosted over my flesh. My eyelids twitched over images of his face above me, long fingers clenching in the grass beside my cheek. I inhaled sharply and determinedly pushed the vision away to focus on the present. Tiernan cocked his head and took a step towards me. I was about to move towards him as well when I realized how crazy that would be and stopped myself.

  “How can we help you, Lord Hunter?” I said as I lifted my sword and made a lie of my welcoming words. I didn't know what the vision meant, if it was a promise or a warning, an attack or... something else entirely. I couldn't think about it right then so I let the questions go and focused on the job at hand.

  Tiernan stopped moving and blinked rapidly as he frowned, shifting his gaze from my eyes to my sword. He took a step back and then his eyes fell on the black SUV behind me. Those silver orbs seemed to flash and then he began to smile.

  “You've found her already,” he looked back to me. “Well done, Lady Extinguisher.”

  “Thank you,” my father stepped between us. “We've got it from here.”

  “I'm afraid my orders are to return with Aideen Evergreen's body,” he finally looked towards my father. “I'll wait if you'd like to kill her yourself. I know you have a hatred that needs to be fed, Ewan Sloane. Far be it for me to begrudge a fellow warrior his share of blood.”

  “I'll feed my hatred with your blood if you don't get off my property,” Dad edged forward and the fey tensed.

  “Easy now,” Tiernan waved his soldiers down without even glancing at them. This was a man who expected to be obeyed. “You have the warrant of execution. We both want the same thing. Just kill the girl and be done with it, then we'll leave peacefully with her body. You won't even have to bother with the clean-up.”

  “No one's going to kill her. Not today,” I edged around my father and heard his sharp intake of breath. I always let him handle business and I never got between him and a fairy. I don't know what came over me.

  “What's that, Extinguisher Seren?” Tiernan shifted his weight smoothly, his thickly muscled frame moving with the grace of one much leaner. He almost appeared to have glided sideways, so that he was once more in front of me.

  “She's asked for asylum,” I continued and lifted my sword higher. If he moved just an inch forward, the tip of my weapon would be directly beneath his chin. “Aideen Evergreen is now under the protection of the Human Council. Care to start a war by trying to take her?” I lifted a brow at him.

  “Seren!” My dad growled.

  “Do you have anything to add, Extinguisher Ewan?” Tiernan angled his gaze to my father but remained where he was.

  “The girl is under our protection,” Dad snarled. “But I have no problem fighting you for her if you choose to ignore it. I won't tell if you won't.”

  I nearly groaned. My father's hatred was greater than his common sense. If the Wild Hunt tried to remove Aideen from our custody after I'd just informed them of her status as a refugee, it could indeed be considered an act of war... whether or not my father was inclined to fight.

  “Just leave now,” I used my pyrokinesis to cast a circle of fire around us and the SUV, forcing Tiernan to step back. “Tell the Fairy Council that Aideen is under the protection of the Human Council.”

  “So brave, here in the light of day, surrounded by a ring of fire,” the other light sidhe hissed at me. “We'll see how impudent you are in the depths of night, when death comes for you on silent wings. Just wait and see how delicious our next meeting shall be, little Extinguisher.”

  “Enough!” Tiernan snapped and the fairy went still. “We can't break the sanctity of asylum but asylum can only be invoked for political reasons and Aideen Evergreen is a murderess on the run. That is not a matter of politics.”

  “She denies the allegations,” I leveled my green eyes on him. “She claims Dylan Thorn was killed while trying to help her escape from those who would murder her.”

  “Those are fascinating claims,” Tiernan's face went pensive. “But why should we believe them?”

  “She says they want her dead because she has information about a fairy threat against humanity,” I continued. “A plot to exterminate my entire race.”

  “She
's lying of course,” the lone female in their group snapped. “A desperate bid for her life.”

  “Perhaps,” I nodded to the redhead. “But her claims are serious enough that we need to take her to the Human Council and let them decide. If they find her information to be false, we will hand her over to you.”

  “Hmmm,” Tiernan glanced over to the others. “Sounds fair enough. Which council house will you be taking her to?”

  “The closest,” my father shrugged.

  “San Francisco?” Tiernan asked and my dad nodded. “We shall see you there.”

  “If not sooner,” the winged man grinned at me as they walked by, skirting the flames of my circle.

  “Come by anytime,” I called to him. “I'll be happy to have those claws on a necklace and those wings will look good on my wall.”

  The winged fairy stopped in his tracks, turned, and started to head back over to me but Tiernan grabbed him by the shoulder, hissed something in his ear, and then shoved him in the direction of the car. Tiernan and the two dark sidhe got into the car while Mr. Death on Silent Wings leapt into the air and disappeared. His shining aura flared brighter, giving away his location as he flew off.

  After all signs of the winged fey were gone from the sky, the sports car started and drove away. Silver eyes flashed at me through the windshield as the car went by and another shiver fluttered down my spine. I stood with my father, staring down the street for a good five minutes after we lost sight of them before I opened the door to the SUV and let the fire go out.

  “Thank you,” Aideen said as she eased out, her cuffed hands held before her.

  “Someone really wants you dead,” I observed. “Those were some serious players.”

  “Yes, I know,” she cast a worried look down the road. “The one who threatened you is called Ryvel. He's known for his cruelty, even among the vicious soldiers of the Hunt. Lord Tiernan is the only one who can control him and his team is sent after the most dangerous criminals.”

  “Well if this Ryvel comes after my daughter, he'll find out what true cruelty is,” my dad said in such a calm, matter-of-fact way, it gave even me the shivers.