by Liz Schulte
I took his hand and squeezed it, mouthing a thank-you. “How is she?” I asked under my breath—too low for human ears, but loud enough for Sebastian to hear.
“It’s hard to say,” he responded, making my stomach twist with worry. “She sounds normal, but she stays out of sight.”
“Jess,” Katrina said. “Not sure your new room is an upgrade.”
She was met with silence on the other side. The three of them looked back at us and I shrugged.
“We just want to talk,” Devin said.
Her face popped up on the other side of the bars, making them jump back in unison. “I didn’t do it,” Jessica said. “You believe me, right?”
“Of course,” Devin replied softly, taking her hand through the bars. “We’re going to help you get out of here.”
“You need to walk us through everything you can remember that happened.” Leslie said.
Jessica sighed. “After I helped Frost cast the spell I had a headache and I was tired. I slept most of the day yesterday. Then I got up and went to the gym with Katrina and Selene. Selene gave me the tea that she said would help, and the next thing I know I’m in here being told I attacked people.” Her eyes shifted to mine. “What did you put in that tea?”
“Nothing that would do…that. It makes you sleep and helps you heal. That’s all.”
“Did you give the tea to anyone else?” Leslie asked.
“Frost. I gave it to her, too.”
“Did she drink it?” Leslie rapidly tapped her foot.
“Did you make the tea yourself?” Devin asked.
I felt a little on trial, but I let it go. They were just trying to help. “I don’t know if she drank it. It makes you very tired and you pretty much have to drink the tea standing over the bed. I didn’t make the tea myself—we keep it on hand and people drink it all the time. It wasn’t the tea.”
Sebastian cleared his throat. “Selene’s right. It’s a common remedy. It wouldn’t have harmed her.”
Katrina nodded. “I’ve had it before. We all have when we were training.”
“What about the necromancer?” Devin asked, her brows furrowing. “Maybe she’s using Jessica to distract you while she steals the book or plots to take the Pole. I mean we don’t know her at all and…”
And she was a necromancer. I pushed aside my own feelings and looked at what I’d encountered from as impartial of a position as I could. “I thought of her, too, but I don’t think she did it. She seemed legitimately confused when I spoke with her.”
“Anyone could pretend to be confused,” Jessica said. “I’m confused.”
“Did you encounter anything else? Anyone else that could help us?”
“No.” She frowned and edged back into the darkness of her cell. “I’m tired,” she said.
We decided to leave her in peace for the time being. The five of us left, and Sebastian asked one of the guards to sit outside her cell in case she needed something.
“Take us to where you found her,” Devin said.
“No,” Sebastian said. “It isn’t safe.” He gave me a meaningful look.
The angry faces and questions of the crowd, the creatures, and the tear between worlds all came to mind. He was probably right. “I’ll go. You guys stay here,” I told them. “Search Jessica’s room and see what you can find.”
Katrina frowned. “Why can’t we come with you?”
“The people in the town just witnessed a human witch killing their friends and family. It’s too soon,” I told her as gently as possible.
She shook her head. “They’re scared of us.” She let out a breath. “Maybe it would be good for them to see they don’t need to be afraid?” Her eyes were large and pleading.
Sebastian shook his head, but I softened slightly. We wanted tolerance. We wanted the fae to be more open-minded, but now wasn’t the right time to push. But would keeping the humans away from them now only make it harder to introduce them later, regardless of the outcome? Katrina wanted to make the Abyss her home. She would have to find a way to be accepted, one way or another.
“Okay,” I said, knowing I would probably regret this. “Just you, though.”
The other two objected, but I held firm. Just Katrina and me. We could possibly blend in and not make the spectacle all of us would make marching into the town square together.
“I’ll come, too,” Sebastian said.
“We can handle it,” Katrina told him without looking at him.
“I’m coming,” he said, and something in his tone decided the matter.
None of us spoke on the walk into the town. Sebastian and I flanked Katrina. People were skirting around where the incident took place, especially avoiding the scorched bits. I glanced at the guards still stationed in front of the dark spot. We stayed back to observe the area, trying not to draw attention. Everything looked exactly as it had before, though, which meant there was nothing to help us. Kat and I started to turn back toward the castle, dejected.
“What’s that?” Sebastian asked as he started toward the center.
I was too late to catch Katrina as she trailed after him. They went to the center of the area where Jessica had been hovering. Sebastian squatted down and brushed away some dirt with the tips of his fingers. He frowned and beckoned me over.
I crouched next to them. There was a dirty piece of bronze with a symbol carved into it. It could have been from anyone. Just because it was beneath Jessica didn’t mean it was hers.
“Do you sense magic on it?” he asked me.
I forced myself to concentrate. There were traces of magic, but too faint to identify. “I think so.”
“Let’s take it back to the castle,” Katrina said. Before she could stand from her crouch, she keeled over onto her front with a little oofph noise, as if she’d been pushed.
“We don’t want humans here,” an elf with furious eyes said from above us.
Sebastian stood almost instantly and pushed the man back with the heel of his hand. He didn’t utter a word; he didn’t need to. The fury in his eyes that promised swift and decisive retribution said all that was necessary. A crowd began to form around us. Instincts kicked in and I dodged a rock as it came hurtling toward me. The angry murmur grew to a roar around us. Sebastian and I stood back to back with Katrina between us as we circled, the crowd closing in. The guards started toward us, but I shook my head. I didn’t need this to escalate.
“Stand back,” I said as I pulled my sword from my holding, which was enough to stall at least some of them. “We’re only trying to figure out what happened today.”
“We know what happened. The human witch attacked us and you protected them,” someone shouted.
“Kill the witch,” someone else shouted, and then the whole group joined in on the chant. It was hard to say if they meant me, Katrina, or Jessica. I suspected at this moment they meant us all.
“Take her back,” I told Sebastian. “I’ll diffuse this.”
“I can’t leave you,” he objected.
“They’ll kill her,” I said, and Katrina let out a frightened little breath.
He took her wrist, and with worried eyes still trained on me, they vanished. The crowd erupted into more shouts. I took a deep breath and held my arms out, dropping the sword. If this didn’t work, they might actually succeed in killing me. “I am one of you.” I threw my elbow back, smashing into the nose of an elf who came too close behind me.
The crowd paused, but whether it was to build steam for a final outburst or to listen to me I didn’t know. I swallowed and continued.
“I am also one of them.”
The crowd groaned and hissed.
“What I am saying is that I, like my husband, do not want to see anyone treated unfairly. I know better than most what that is like. I was abandoned as a child because I was a half-breed. I have spent my whole life learning to rise above the actions of others and let my heart rather than my anger guide me.”
At the very least, I had their attention n
ow. “Yes, the witch did something terrible today. But killing her will not undo that harm, and killing another witch who had nothing to do with it will only make you murderers. The fae are better than that. I know it in my heart. I know that you do not want your lives governed by archaic rules that don’t make sense. Is Cheney any less of an elf because he loves a half-elf? Will our child be any less perfect because she is three-quarters elf and not full?”
The anger in the air had all but evaporated while I was speaking. People’s hands fell to their sides and a few were even muttering their agreement. Maybe this was all it took, in the end—just a few truthful words and the space to say them aloud.
“All I am asking of you is to help me. We have the power right now to change the course of the fae race. We can make the sort of difference that only happens once in lifetime. A new beginning is before us. Will you walk by my side?”
I didn’t know how my speech to save Jessica managed to turn into a campaign speech, but that was exactly what had happened. The crowd was cheering now, and one by one people came up to shake my hand. I was relieved, grateful—but I also felt something else. There was something sinister staring at me. I scanned the crowd, but couldn’t find the culprit. When the last hand had been shaken, I headed for home, still clutching the emblem in my hand. I was exhausted, still scared for my friends, and a little bit proud.
LILY MET ME AT Sy’s bar. We had to get in front of this. We needed the man’s name now and we couldn’t risk anyone overhearing. Sy raised an eyebrow when I walked in. I shook my head and he motioned me back to his apartment behind the bar.
“Send Lily back,” I told him as I walked past.
“As you wish, Erlking,” Sy said with plenty of sarcasm.
I smiled as I went into his shabby apartment. One thing I loved about Selene’s family was they were all headstrong and did as they pleased—well, all of them except her father, who had followed my father’s every wish—including abandoning his own child. My smiled melted away as I sat on the ratty couch. What was Tahlik planning? Was power really worth hurting his daughter again? The thinly veiled threat from my meeting with him still weighed heavily in my mind. I tried to help him, to reunite the two of them, but Selene couldn’t do it and I couldn’t blame her. The man was the scum of the earth walking away from her as a baby. If Sy’s mother hadn’t taken her in, what would have happened to her? I shuddered to think about it. There weren’t a lot of options for unwanted fae, or unwanted anything in the Abyss. If Sy was right and there was a governing council, why didn’t they set up something for orphans or do anything useful for the benefit of our world?
“You know, you hang out in places that no Erlking has gone before.” Lily’s voice snapped me back to reality. She hooked a thumb over Sy’s shoulder. “But I appreciate getting to see the eye candy. Is he single?”
Sy stood in the doorway, frowning at me with his arms crossed over his chest, but he winked at her when she glanced back. Flirting came so natural to him it was practically an instinct.
Lily bit her lip, interest coloring her eyes. “I could use a new bartender at my club. You know, if you’re ever looking.”
“I’m always looking, just not for a job, sweetheart.”
I cleared my throat. “Have you found him?”
She turned back to me, shaking her head. “That guy is like a ghost. I’ve checked security cameras, and his face is blurred. I’ve asked just about everyone I can trust who was there and no one has any solid memories of him, just of what he said. I even have the jinn looking for him.”
“Who is this?” Sy asked.
“Someone who has been talking about the Pole being here,” I said. “Rumors are spreading. Tahlik came to ask me about it today. He’s planning something.”
Sy’s eyes narrowed. “I could take care of Tahlik. Permanently.”
I shook my head. “Not yet. We need to find this guy.”
“I don’t know what to tell you.” Lily shrugged. “He vanished. I have nothing to go on unless he comes back in.”
I ran my finger through my hair. “Fine.”
Anger still glinted in Sy’s eyes. “You want me to have someone pay Tahlik a visit?”
“I don’t know who this Tahlik person is, but I know jinn. They can make it look like an accident,” Lily offered.
“Tahlik is Selene’s biological father—”
“Not that he ever did a damn thing for her,” Sy said.
“I’ll handle him. We aren’t killing Selene’s father, even if he is a dirtbag.”
“What do you need me to do?” Lily asked. “I can help. I know just as many shady people—if not shadier—as him.”
Sy laughed and walked back out to the bar.
“Seriously, though, what do you need?” she asked again.
“I could use a little luck,” I said, though I knew what her response would be.
She sighed. “I’ve told you. It’s not like that. I can’t give you luck without taking it away. That should be a last resort, because while one thing will go right, everything after that will go wrong. Very wrong.”
I nodded. She was right. I should save Lily’s luck boost until Selene was in real inescapable trouble or until the Pole was within our grasp but just out of reach. “I appreciate the offer, but I really don’t know how you can help. Tahlik is preparing a political move against me that will destroy his daughter, I would bet my ears on it. The Pole has already caused two tears we have barely contained. Selene’s friend killed six people this morning and is now in my dungeon awaiting my judgment. Oh and we’re dealing with magical forces I can barely comprehend. Pretty much a normal day.”
She scrunched her nose. “Maybe I should hang out with you for the next couple days in case something does come up I can help you with.”
“You can’t put your life on hold to help me bail water from this sinking ship. Live your life, Lily, and keep looking for that guy.”
She shrugged. “Okay, but I’m just saying that if the club closed down for a few days, it wouldn’t hurt anyone. I’ll ask the jinn to tail Selene’s dad. I know a little something about shitty fathers.” She flashed a bright grin. “But I guess so do you.”
I didn’t bother to correct her that I actually had a decent childhood. It didn’t actually matter. “Thank you for trying. I’ll call you if I think of anything you could help with.”
Her eyes flashed with excitement. “Good,” she said, grinning. She’s so young, I thought.
I caught Lily up on everything that was in motion, including Frost, so if I did call her in she would be up to speed. She didn’t blink an eye at killing someone who just a couple days ago was a friend to us. Apparently my sister’s moral code was a bit more flexible than I’d thought.
“Sounds like we should pay the vampire a visit,” she said. “You have no real idea how things went with the necromancer last night, do you? I have time right now, if you want company.”
My plan had been to let Selene handle Corbin, but the more I thought about Lily’s suggestion the better it sounded. Maybe it was time I got to know Corbin better.
“That’s an excellent idea.”
“Where’s the elf I actually like?” Corbin asked, looking past Lily and me when he opened his door.
“Home.” I walked in without waiting for an invitation. His house was dark, the windows covered with thick shades and the walls painted black. Only the white throw pillows popped on the charcoal couch. A dim lamp was lit in the corner and a book lay on the arm of a dark chair.
Corbin closed the door. “Why are you here with your groupie? I thought we were all supposed to keep up appearances.” He rolled his eyes.
“How did it go with Frost last night?”
He sat in his chair, both feet planted firmly on the floor and each arm on a rest. He looked like a tired king on a makeshift throne. “I guess we’ll see.”
Lily settled her hands on her hips, her thin arms sticking out, looking fragile. “Hey leech, love what you’ve done with t
he place. Is this early emo? Do you have a jar of gypsy tears somewhere in here? I bet you do. But that’s neither here nor there. Answer the man’s question.”
Corbin gave me a disdainful look. “Who is this?”
“My half-sister.”
He turned back to her. “Sit down, Lucky Charms, let the adults have a discussion.”
She flipped him off with both middle fingers, but plopped down on the couch and blew a rather large bubble with her gum.
“She doesn’t like vampires,” Corbin said when he finally tore his stare from Lily.
“You knew that going in,” I said.
“And personally, a dead necromancer is my favorite type of necromancer, but winning her over wasn’t too hard. Selene was right. She’s lonely. I planted some seeds of doubt in her mind last night, and by this evening she’ll be believing everything I tell her. Satisfied?”
I nodded. “You don’t like me, do you?”
“I don’t need to like you,” Corbin said. “But no, I don’t. I think you’re entitled and have always gotten what you want. You were born with a silver spoon in your mouth and now you have the best prize of all, Selene. The real pity here is that that’s how you see her—as a prize. Something you can prance around with and put on display, but that isn’t who she is. She isn’t a trophy you can mold to suit you. You’re killing her spirit.”
I considered defending myself, but it wasn’t worth it. I didn’t have to explain myself or my feelings to him. Selene was never a prize. She was my heart, and without her I could never truly live. I didn’t want her to change. I wanted to change the world to fit the way she needed it to be. “Why are you helping us again?”
He stared at me for a few moments. “It appears we have something in common, Erlking. Never thought I would say that. We both would do anything for her, even things we find utterly distasteful. You’ll converse with lowly vampires and make deals to kill the necromancer, and I’ll help.”
“But only one of us will get Selene in the end.”
“True.”
“And it’ll be me.”
“It does seem to be going in that direction, but the winds can change. I’m not out of the game just yet.” He splayed his hands as if demonstrating that he had no other choice than to keep playing.