by Dawn, Autumn
She scowled. “My world is here.”
His expression was enigmatic. “Spend enough time here, and it will be.” His gaze tracked something in the tree. He smiled, scary and satisfied at once.
She looked, and blinked. A newly woken dryad, a tree nymph, slowly blinked. She stretched within the tree and looked around with slumberous eyes. As they watched, a tiny sprite peeked through the branches before ducking out of sight.
Billy snatched her stuff and backed away from the tree. She doubted anyone else would see through the tree’s glamour. “I pulled them here?” she asked nervously. How could that be?
“Some old ones, strong ones, can do that,” Ash said, his voice still deeper than a mortal’s should be. “A king’s blooded-kin can, too.”
She looked at him sharply. She tried to decide what to say to that. After all, her mother had taken such pains to keep her heritage a secret.
“The eleven kings and queens are the pillars of the world. They are Underhill. Where they go, Underhill follows.” He seemed to lose interest as he watched the students milling around. “How am I supposed to finish this class if we’re all outside? I doubt he’ll resume his lecture out here. Pity.”
She shot him a look as she hoisted her bag over her shoulder. “I can’t believe you’re worried about that. I’ve got to go.” She was too shaken to stay and see what became of the chaos she’d caused. No doubt classes were finished for the day. They certainly were for her. She wasn’t coming back.
Ever.
9. The White Stag
“You’ll have to protect her yourself. I’ll be working full time from now on.” Billy spoke coolly on the phone, unwilling to bother with her sister in person. She listened to Maura’s rant for a moment and then said calmly, “I don’t care. It’s not my problem anymore.”
The sound of Maura’s breathing became tight, strained. By the sound of things, she was red-clawed and furious. “Are you renouncing your leadership?”
Billy laughed scornfully. If she did, Maura would seize the chance to attack. Renouncing that magic would let Maura use it, and that could prove fatal. Billy might not want the hill, but she couldn’t give up kingship, either. “No. I’m telling you that I rule here, and I’m delegating your petty problems to you, where they rightfully belong.”
The line vibrated with a growl. “And your deal with the troll?”
Billy shrugged and searched through the pantry for some chips. “It stands. I won’t seek him out, though. He can find me if he wants to.” She winced at the idea of allowing him here at her home, but better where she could see him. She had a suspicion he could go where he pleased anyway, regardless of her will.
“I’ll pay you.”
Ooh, Maura really was desperate. Billy considered it for two seconds. It would be a way for Maura to continue to control her, though. “Nope,” she drawled. “You can’t buy me, Maura. Bye.” She clicked off the phone, saying aloud, “And this concludes our discussion. Please don’t call back if you have any further questions.” She wasn’t fool enough to think it was the end of things, but that was how it had to be. She couldn’t expect Maura to respect her if she kept lying down to expose the welcome sign that seemed to be tattooed on her back. Maura could find somewhere else to wipe her stilettos.
She frowned, though. She still didn’t trust Ash. If only for her peace of mind, she would have to keep tabs on him.
With a sigh, she set yesterday’s soup on the stove and flicked on the news. She usually couldn’t stand the “All Gloom and Doom Channel”, but she’d have to get over that. It would probably be smart to keep a tab on the local body count, just in case.
She was half done with her soup when movement in the yard caught her eye. She stood with a frown, brushing her hand over her dagger. A careful look outside, standing to the side of the windows, didn’t reveal anything unusual, so she walked silently to the door, carefully peering around the edge. She gasped, and stepped onto the porch.
A white stag stood at the edge of the wood. His head held proudly aloft, the fading evening light played in his incredible, maze-like set of antlers. Silver, they gleamed with unearthly light, casting a subtle glow on his coat and the meadow flowers under his feet. He had so many prongs that silver birds had come to roost in his horns.
Awed, she stood and stared. A creature like him was pure fae, and should not be able to cross into the mundane world. He shouldn’t be in her yard, a stone’s throw from her Harley.
He looked at her then. Dark eyes scrutinized her, far too intelligent for a mere beast. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d talked.
After a moment, the stag looked away and bounded into the woods, leaving a deep silence behind. It was not until she heard the night insects that she realized how quiet it had been.
Her stomach felt hollow, and Billy had the sensation of having witnessed something impossibly wonderful. A cold trickle on her cheek caught her by surprise, and she raised her hand to discover a tear. She blinked at it, mystified. No matter how lovely, it had still been just an animal.
Disturbed, she went in the house and snapped off the TV, no longer in the mood to tolerate the news.
She tried calling Eyrnie that night, but he was out with friends. Discouraged, she finally went to bed.
A cheeping noise woke her in the morning. Thinking a bird was right outside her window, she ignored it as long as she could, then flung the covers off.
A small, woven willow cage sat on the floor under her window. She stared at it blurrily before moving closer to investigate. Inside sat a pretty buff hen with a crested tail like a glossy black fan. Her head was a slightly darker brown, and her wing tips were dark brown edged in black. In the other half of the cage sat a matching buff rooster, with a tail like a black feather duster.
As she sat there, bewildered, the clutch of eggs under the hen’s feathers began to rock. One by one, they hatched. When it was over, half a dozen puffy little chicks cheeped and tottered around their mother.
Billy was too stunned to even guess who had done this. The perfect timing of the hatching, the incredible gift of a mated pair of bantam chickens—complete with a burlap bag of food! Most guys just left flowers. She wouldn’t have thought that anyone knew her well enough to predict how she would love such a gift.
She thought about what such a gift said. The giver must be incredibly thoughtful. It was just such a cuddly surprise, like receiving a warm hug.
The practical side of her reminded her that it had to be a fae breaking into her house. She had locked up carefully last night, setting the wards and double-checking them. The gift wasn’t spooky, though. This felt like pure caring.
She watched the birds for a long time before she made herself get dressed. Cute as they were, the chickens would be more comfortable in the back yard. Nothing would bother them there, and she would make certain they had food and water for the day. In a few days they would have learned their territory, and she would allow them to wander at will.
She ate a quick breakfast and got started on a woven pen for the chickens. Since she could just ask the grass and willows to weave together as she wished, it made for quick work. In half an hour she had a roomy enclosure for the small flock. Their eggs would make a welcome addition to the fridge.
She didn’t think about the stag until later at work, when she was mindlessly unpacking a shipment of houseplants for the gift shop. Her boss, Mrs. Snider, had been thrilled to see her come in; she had chipped a tooth the night before and wanted to see her dentist right away.
Billy knew that in Arthurian legend, the White Stag was the signal that future events were about to be revealed. She knew it as a fae creature fond of luring hunters to a nasty end. It hadn’t seemed to be luring her, however, but looking her over. It shouldn’t have been there, though. Unless they toyed with mortals, such creatures only showed up deep in fae territory. They couldn’t abide the mortal realms for long.
A brownie showed up around noon to drop off lunch for her. It wasn’
t one of the house brownies—she’d been noticing more of them here in the Flower Pot. As soon as she’d noticed the little brown fae, she’d started leaving gifts of milk and honey for them.
Normally nocturnal, the creatures had responded by keeping aphids down, making certain all the plants were watered, and feeding her when she forgot her lunch. She rarely saw them come and go, but suddenly a warm plate of food would be there at the counter, or a cup of juice with a sandwich and a handful of berries.
She saw Eyrnie’s old truck pull into the lot through the break room window. Figuring he’d come to demand why she wasn’t in class, she finished her lunch. Sticking her head out the “Employees Only” door, she motioned him inside. Might as well get it over with.
As he got closer, she took in the expression on his face and stilled. “Something is wrong.”
His face was a terrible mixture of old man and carefully controlled anger. “Carrie is dead.”
Billy’s hand tightened on the doorframe as her blood flooded down to her feet. Ah. She wouldn’t have expected pain, not for Carrie.
Sucking in a deep breath, she let him in and collapsed on a chair. “Dead?” she croaked. “How?”
He took a seat opposite, watching her carefully. “It was messy. Her body was found by the lake early this morning. There’s a were in the police department. He smelled fae at the scene and made some calls. Her mom identified some jewelry she’d loaned to Carrie. That’s how we know.”
She breathed deeply, trying to clear the shock thundering in her head. “The troll. Ash.” She’d never really thought he’d do it. It had felt as if…well, she’d been wrong.
Eyrnie hesitated. “I don’t know. Carrie wasn’t well liked, but it looks bad.” He started to say something else and stiffened. He stood up and looked out the window, his body tensed for fast action.
Through her fog, Billy managed to look up. Eyrnie wasn’t her only visitor.
Eyrnie intercepted Ash before he could enter the break room, blocking the doorway with his body.
Ash laughed softly. “Ponyboy. No need. I didn’t kill her.”
Billy drew a sharp breath. She couldn’t see much through Eyrnie’s body. There didn’t seem to be enough starch in her knees to get up, though.
“Why should I buy that?” Eyrnie said with deadly calm. “It looks bad for you.”
The troll shrugged. “You’ve seen a troll kill, Pony. We don’t leave bodies.” He snapped his teeth in illustration.
“What would?” Billy said softly, and Ash looked her way. He took in her state carefully before he spoke to Eyrnie. “Will you move, or will I move you?”
They stared at each other. Like stone dogs, neither willing to concede dominance.
That got Billy moving. Growling softly with the emotional pain, she yanked back on Eyrnie’s arm, weaker than normal, though. She just couldn’t find her strength. He shifted, and she got between them and pushed, one hand on each of them. It felt like shifting the pyramid and the sphinx, and she knew they were humoring her.
Once outside, she ran a hand through her hair and paced two steps. Stopped. Faced Ash. “You didn’t kill her?” It was a demand, and she searched his face carefully.
He didn’t seem upset. “No.”
She studied him before resuming her jerky pacing. The wildness needed an outlet. “Who was it?”
Ash sighed. “I haven’t been to the crime scene. I found out when the were policeman came to campus to question me. He spent most of the time keeping her hysterical mother from charging me.” His mouth twisted in a cynical smile, which faded as he looked at Billy. “I’d actually thought you might have tired of the girl.” He cocked his head, curious.
Billy paled. “I didn’t do it!”
Ash ignored Billy’s growl. “So I see. Disappointing, but it leaves an interesting mystery. I assume you’ll want to solve it.”
Eyrnie’s aggressive step forward was abruptly checked as a familiar black BMW roared into the lot. It slid to a stop, narrowly missing Eyrnie’s truck. Maura hopped out, dragging a sword out of the car. Eyes wild, she charged Billy, disregarding the men at her side.
Billy stepped back in reflex, but her heart wasn’t in it. Guilt demanded a price, after all. At that moment, she felt Maura had the right.
Her companions disagreed. Ash’s hand grabbed Maura’s wrist like a lightning strike, yanking Maura’s sword high over her head. The sword fell from her hand and clanged loudly on the concrete. Outraged, she screamed like a cat and flung her free hand out toward Billy, releasing a cloud of green pixie dust.
Eyrnie snatched Billy out of the way, saving her from the fall of all but a few grains. Those few fell on her pant leg, clung, and burned. Shouting in panic, Billy tried to douse them, but she was in no shape to manage it. Finally she shucked out of her jeans, kicking away the flaming remains. Even through the pixie armor she wore, she could feel the sting of heat.
Maura screamed again and tried to climb the troll’s arm one-handed, biting and clawing as if she’d lost her mind. He grimaced and held her away from his body like a particularly loathsome bug. He didn’t look that tall in glamour, but Maura’s feet didn’t touch the ground.
Billy took a deep breath. “Ash. Set her down.”
He raised a brow, but allowed Maura’s feet to touch the ground. When she kicked him for his pains, he growled, low and deep. She subsided with a whimper.
Her cowardliness faded when she looked back at Billy, though. “Killer! Oath breaker!” she shouted, vibrating in fury. “You killed my daughter!”
Billy shook her head. “I didn’t—”
“Liar! You left her unprotected. My baby would still be alive if you hadn’t abandoned her.”
“She wasn’t a baby,” Eyrnie reminded her. “Carrie was old enough to know what she was doing, but you were free to watch her if you’d wanted to.”
That sent Maura into a frenzy. “Shut up! Shut up, you stupid jackass! She was my child.”
Billy didn’t have any experience with grieving mothers, but she understood fury. While she wanted to grovel, she seized on something Maura had said. “You don’t think Ash did it, do you?” Didn’t Ash say she was trying to attack him earlier? What had changed?
Maura looked at Ash as if really seeing him for the first time. Her face twisted in contempt, and she yanked on her arm. Obligingly, he let go, and she nearly fell over. Glaring, she yanked her shirt down. “I saw how she died,” she said between her teeth. “There wouldn’t be so much…blood…if he had eaten her.” She closed her eyes, hands fisted as if trying to control her anguish.
Billy took a step forward, wanting to comfort her somehow.
Maura’s eyes snapped open, and she backed away. “No! Don’t come near me, killer! You owe me a blood debt. I want vengeance! I want you to die.” Her eyes glowed with anger, but she didn’t try for the sword at Ash’s feet. She backed to her car, staying a step away as Billy followed her.
Billy couldn’t stand it. “Maura…sister,” she tried, wanting to do something to fix this, knowing there was nothing. She could not bring Carrie back.
“I am no kin of yours! You’re dead to me,” Maura choked as she got into her car.
They watched her drive away. “She probably shouldn’t be driving,” Eyrnie said at last.
Billy shot him a look of disbelief.
He held up his hands. “I’m just saying.” He glanced at her bottom half and slid out of his long-sleeved shirt. “You might want to cover up your spandex, there. It’s not covering much.”
She glanced down at the pink undies overlaid by lacy armor and quickly tied the shirt around her waist. Yikes!
“She’s a pixie. Nakedness shouldn’t bother her. Besides, I’m not sure that’s an improvement,” Ash pointed out, amused. He eyed the shirtsleeves dangling like a loincloth before her.
Billy shook off the comment and focused on her problem. “I need to see the murder scene. I need to know how Carrie died.” This was her fault; she needed to do what she c
ould to bring the killer to justice.
No one spoke up right away. Finally, Eyrnie offered, “There’s nothing you can do, hon. She’s gone. Besides, I doubt there’s much you can learn from the crime scene; they’ve moved the body, collected the evidence. There won’t be anything there.”
She turned a look on him, knowing her eyes glowed like twin stars. She could feel the cold power rise in her, seeking an outlet.
He stiffened. “All right. I’ll drive.”
10. Smells Like Blood
Billy shifted uncomfortably. Crammed in Eyrnie’s truck between him and the troll, she wanted to crawl out the window and ride on the roof. Ash took up more than his share of the seat, though he wasn’t touching her. She needed air, but he’d picked up her bike and stuck it in the back of Eyrnie’s truck like a child would lift a plastic toy. She’d wanted to ride, but had been overruled.
It was probably for the best. The adrenaline dump left her shaky; she was too distracted to be a safe driver.
Maura’s sword had been carelessly tossed behind the truck seat. In the closed cab, she smelled a noxious poison on the blade and struggled to control her stomach. Maura hadn’t been taking chances with her demise.
“You keep sighing,” Ash pointed out. “It annoys me.”
“You didn’t have to come,” Eyrnie groused. “I was against it.”
“But you think I’m a killer. Best to keep me in sight,” Ash said with creeping menace. Eyrnie had made it was clear that he didn’t trust him yet, but the possessive way the pooka hovered around Billy made his motives suspect.
She didn’t want to think about it. Her head was throbbing with a nasty headache, and guilt was gnawing her bones. “Stop it!” Billy snapped. “I didn’t ask either of you to come. At this point, I’d have been better off chancing the bike.” She wanted action, and was willing to pick a fight to get it.