by S L Mason
I never thought I’d be doing any kind of acrobatics, truth be told. When I stand on Nick’s shoulders, I’m scared to death I’ll fall. The only thing reassuring me is the likelihood of me falling is extremely low in an enclosed tunnel.
As soon as my feet touch the floor, I allow the humming vibration in my throat to fill me with an intense desire. I picture the entire grate welding into the metal frame surrounding the entrance to the sewer system. I let it go long enough, picturing the metal merging in my mind. There’s a point where the magical creation and the Acappella sound fills you. You feel the intent flowing, and then it pops. Whatever it is you meant to do, it succeeds, requiring nothing more. When it reaches the crescendo, I let the sound drift away.
All I want is to close the door to the shelter, twist the locks, and sleep. Three small screws hit the top of my head. My face turns up to the grate, revealing two eyes gazing down at me. They are wide and frightened.
“Don’t leave me, Sarah! I didn’t mean to oversleep. I’ll stay awake next time, I promise. Please don’t leave me behind.” Olive pleads.
My eyes dart down the tunnel, but Nick has already sauntered away. I dash down the hall, grabbing Nick’s hand.
“Little girl, little girl, are you lost? Have you forgotten where you live? Where are your parents? Do they live?” Janice’s sing-song voice reaches down the dark depths of the tunnel to me.
Ice fills my veins. They waited until we were out of the van. He’d waited—Janice.
How did he track us?
CHAPTER 5
Blue eyes peek over the edge as moonlight glints off the blonde trendles trailing down at me.
“Where’s Zoe?” The pitch of Olive’s voice scrapes over the butterflies in my belly, killing them all.
My heart jumps into my throat. Nick’s large hand wraps around my bicep, pulling me back into the shadows. The gloom of the light down the hall is gone, Nick must have shut the door. The tunnel lines with inky blackness. I know stepping into the shadows isn’t going to be enough. If even one of those creatures’ peeks over the side, they might very well pick Nick and me out of the dark. I push him farther down the tunnel. He pulls me with him.
“Hide and seek is really neat, especially if someone has what you want to find,” Janice announces.
A bloodcurdling scream slices the air. I watch in horror as the head of the little girl above us disappears from the grate. A muffled whimpering is silenced.
Janice continues, “I know you’re here somewhere, Sarah. I have something you want. This little girl. If you want her, then you know what you need to do. Just because you left the competition doesn’t mean you’re done competing. The Fae need you. Humanity needs you, and if you don’t come, you will regret it and so will this little girl, along with the rest of humanity. Do you hear me, Sarah? You want Olive to live? You know where I am.” His voice becomes as deep as the caverns the Fae live in.
Nick pulls me deeper into the darkness.
I strain against Nick’s restraints. Janice, you fucking bastard! Why couldn’t you just leave us alone? The singsong sound welcomes me, caressing me. I want to cry out, but I can’t.
Nick’s large hands drag me through the door of the shelter. He turns the lock and the cylinders shoot home sealing us in.
“Why didn’t you just leave me out there? I’m the one they want. They don’t want you.” The tears are already running down my cheeks as my hands beat his chest. Nick grabs my wrist, holding them to his chest. I desperately work to wrench free.
“Are you kidding, Sarah? We have a plan. What did he mean you’re a contender? Why do they want you bad enough to follow you no matter where you go and take small children?” His eyes bore into my mine. I haven’t told him everything. The pressure in my chest grows.
“The Fae are having some kind of sick fight or contest. What do I give a shit what for? They kill us indiscriminately, steal children, and chop off the heads of parents.” I give him a dry laugh. “But they don’t take the ugly ones, Nick. Have you ever noticed that?” Hysteria is close hovering just under the surface waiting to bubble forth. “Is your sister pretty? Are you strong? Because that’s all they take, the pretty and the strong. Everybody else is expendable to them.” I shout.
His fingers dig into my arm. his thumb separates the muscle between my triceps and the bone creating a burning sensation. It hurts, but it’s a welcome relief from the pain building inside of me. The moment I turn around and walk away from Nick, I have to go into the next room and Zoe will be there. Her big blue eyes will stare at me, asking why we were shouting, and I’d tell her. My chest burns, and a big lump forms in my throat along with hot tears running down my cheeks.
“Let go of me, Nick! Let me go out there. Let me get Olive back.”
If I give in, maybe Janice will take me to Arty. Then I can save them both.
Nick’s face closes in on mine, breathing over me. Our noses are practically touching, and his hazel eyes bore into mine. “If you think they’re going to give that little girl back because you give yourself up, you’re a bigger fool than I ever thought. They won’t give her back; they’ll keep her. And yes, my sister is beautiful, and yes, I’m big and strong. I did notice that’s all they take. Which is why we made the plan.” He says.
My head presses into the wall behind it. I can’t lean back anymore. I have to face this.
I push my forehead into his. It is something I’d seen male dogs do when they wanted to dominate the others. The alpha pushes his forehead down opposing the opponent. With my eyes directly in line with his, my eyebrow and hairline combine into his.
“Arty isn’t my blood, but he is my brother and I love him. If you think it doesn’t burn me every day that you’re standing here and not him, you’re wrong. I would’ve kicked your ass right off those goddamn rocks and taken him instead if I knew what I know now. If I’d had to sacrifice one, it wouldn’t have been him. That’s why we made the plan.”
Nick pulls back his fingers, releasing my arm. I instinctively move my shoulder and flex my bicep a couple of times, swinging my arm back and forth to get the blood flowing.
“Everything we’ve been doing was to get here. Somewhere the kids would be safe without us. A place Zoe and Stephen can work from. I won’t let you throw all that away.” Nick’s words sting me.
I reply, “Yes, that was the plan. But if we move quickly, we might be able to save Olive. If we leave now we won’t and I’m not throwing this opportunity away.”
The meaty paw that a minute ago had been tearing the shit out of my joints scratches his face. He rolls his head around on his shoulders. I hear a vertebra pop, and he turns his head and locks his eyes on to mine.
“Okay, smarty-pants. Now that you’re ready, I’ll go help you save this kid. We bring Olive back while we’re getting my sister and your stupid friend.” Nick’s voice is low, and the words come out as a whisper.
I can’t lose Nick; I need him. He helps keep the mob in order and has my back at every turn. I’d misjudged Nick. I don’t want him to leave. “Yes, we’re going back.”
A gleam fills his eyes as a wicked grin scrapes across his face. He crosses his arms with his hands underneath his biceps. You know, the big guy pose, the one that always makes their biceps look bigger. “About damn time.” He replies.
There are backpacks dumped all over the hallway. The kids had divested themselves from their excess weight before they went into the shelter proper. I scavenge around until I find a few bottles of water and a couple of energy bars. I throw a couple at Nick. He catches them and shoves them into his backpack. I sling my pack over my shoulder.
“Okay, let’s go!” My heart hammers in my chest.
Zoe’s voice cuts through the blood roaring in my ears. “You’re leaving? Why are you leaving? You’re just going to abandon us?” she demands.
If I had been a sail, every breath of wind within one hundred miles would’ve disappeared for me. Her words deflate me, and my shoulders sag down. My eyes drop
to the floor. Nick turns and looks away with his hand on the locking mechanism.
“They took Olive. I think she fell asleep in the van. We didn’t go back and double-check. I’m going to get her.” The words tumble out in a jumble.
A strangled cry is muffled by a hand. “You left her in the van?” Zoe accuses.
I move my head up and down; I can’t look at her.
“You left my sister, my six-year-old sister, in the van, and now the Fae have her again?” Zoe’s voice cracks.
Nick steps in. “Yes, Zoe. Your sister got left behind. It could just as easily have been any other kid in this group. Don’t scream at Sarah; she was ready to go out there alone. I’m going with her. You and Stephen stay here and take care of the kids. Sarah and I will seal the door from outside. We’ll make sure they can’t get in from the sewers. Keep the other end of the tunnel open. Be ready to leave if you need to.” Nick moves to my side, facing Zoe. “Stephen and I stocked this place up with enough food to last a year for ten people, so you can probably stay here for three or four months, maybe longer if you guys ration.” He finishes.
The muffled crying doesn’t stop. Keeping my eyes on the wall, I turn around and hug Zoe. I feel the wetness of her tears on my neck, and they burn hot like the rage I hold inside.
“I will come back with your sister. I swear! I will never return without your sister.” My voice quavers as I leave the unspoken alive floating in the air.
“She’s all I have left. Our parents are dead. If you don’t come back with my sister, I’ll stab a knife right through your heart. Just like you did mine.” She whispers.
I pull back from the force of her words. I’d never heard Zoe so mean. She’s a runner. She isn’t a fighter. She’s sweet, kind and gentle. What she said, cut me to the bone. My veins fill with the ice of the cool, calm, and collected threat issued by this sweet girl.
Zoe’s words kick me in the ass. Nick is willing to do anything for his sister. All this slow planning has robbed me of the will to kill whoever I need to get to Arty. That fire I’d had when I left the Hallowed Hills, it rages back, pushing the fear away and leaving only the determination I need.
I turn without meeting her eyes and nod to Nick. He turns the handle, unlocking the door. Zoe, tight-lipped, closes the door in my face. The humming starts in my throat, reaching out to the door and fusing the metal into one massive lump, locked in concrete.
Under the grate, I hum my song, separating the metals and dividing them into two pieces as if nothing had ever happened. Nick locks his fingers together, forming a basket for my foot. He hoists me up, and I place one foot on his shoulder and then the other. I angle the grate out of its seat, moving it so it only half covers sewer entrance.
My eyes peek above the edge, surveying the floor in the warehouse. It is empty. No one is here. Of course, they wouldn’t be here. Why would Janice stay? He already succeeded in his mission. His dogged attempts to find and corner me had paid off. He’d gotten what he wanted. I’m sure he was surprised when I didn’t return for Arty.
Clearing my throat Nick’s hand releases my ankle. He cups my foot with his hand. I press down as he pushes up, locking my leg straight. It gives me enough height to place both of my hands on either side of the floor, and I press myself out of the hole and roll onto my belly and hoist my legs out.
Reaching underneath one of the workstations, I pull out a rope I hid there. I tie it around one of the wheels of the van and throw it down the hole. Nick climbs out, eyes darting left and right.
“They’re not here. He got what he came for and left.” I sigh. “We can’t risk opening the roll-down door. We’ll have to leave the van here and go on foot.” I hoist my backpack over both shoulders and reposition the crossbow strap.
After my mistake with Arty, I’d never been caught without good shoes. Last few weeks I’d done more walking than my entire life. My legs had grown strong and muscular. I’m in for a long walk, but it will take my mind off what comes next.
Closing my eyes, I listen to the tune of the building and the surrounding area. There are no disruptions. They use music to create their magic. If I can somehow follow them using their magic against them, we can snatch Olive back. Using slow steady steps, we work our way to the nearest exterior door with a big, glowing exit light over the top of it. One of the cool things about commercial buildings and commercial spaces is there’s always a big glowing sign pointing to the way out.
We depart the building, following along the exterior, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. Not that I think keeping to the shadows like teenage ninjas is truly going to help. My eyesight in the dark has improved, but the Fae must be markedly better. For me, everything has become glowing colors of varying shades of green. There is no black and white at night. It is like having my own version of night vision naturally. I can see Nick relatively clearly. Fae probably see us as clear as day. But sticking to the shadows does make Nick feel safer. I can’t very well explain to him how I know that it doesn’t help.
If I tell Nick my eyesight was better and why, for all I know he might kill me himself. That certainly isn’t going to save Arty or Olive. The footsteps behind me are soft and steady, as is Nick’s breathing. None of that wide mouth panting. For such a big guy, Nick moves with some serious stealth. Even I find him barely perceptible, and he’s right behind me. From a distance, if you didn’t see him, you wouldn’t know he’s there. Maybe all those years playing football taught him how to breathe better and tiptoe around.
We cross an alley between two warehouses, and there is something here. A vibration in the air towards the center of the street. It’s different, and it shouldn’t have been there. I step out of the center of the alleyway, moving beyond. The vibration disappears. I take one step back without looking and right onto Nick.
“We’re supposed to be going forward, Sarah, not backward,” he whispers in my ear.
“Sorry, there’s something here,” I reply. He doesn’t ask any questions. I take one more step back and move around in a circle, turning this way and that. The vibration goes to the left down the center of the alleyway. So, I follow it.
“You got your cotton balls in your ears?” I inquire.
A dark laugh follows. “You’re kidding?” Nick replies.
It’s all I need to know, just making sure he isn’t going to become entranced and run off or start fighting me unwittingly. The vibration in the center of the alleyway tells me this is the way to go, a musical fairy-trail. There is no way in hell I’m gonna stop following this sound, whatever the hell ‘IT’ is, the invisible musical notes. My body picks up into a jog, and my breathing grows heavy.
“Sarah, we’re out in the open. We should be off to the side where the shadows are.” His voice is nervous, imploring me to change my course.
“No, this is where the trail is. We have to follow it. This may be the only way to get back into the Hallowed Hills. Either I take us or they do,” I retort.
“Well, I’d rather get there under my own speed if you don’t mind.” He grumbles.
The reply slides off my back like water on a duck. “Me too, but at this point, it doesn’t really matter how we get there as long as we get there. It will be just as easy for me to save Olive and Arty if they’ve already taken me where they are.” I’m tired of arguing all the time with Nick, but a deal is a deal.
“They’re not gonna take you to wherever their captives are. They’ll keep you separate. Don’t be stupid!” Nick quips.
I hate when Nick calls me stupid. “They’re only going to keep us separate if I don’t make any demands. And I won’t participate in their stupid competition if they don’t let me see Arty, Olive, and Nikki in the flesh.” It sounds good, but I’m not certain it will work out that way.
CHAPTER 6
My feet pound into the asphalt as pressure on chest muscles strains my lungs. I’m doing my best to throw it down the road, and following close behind me is Nick. He’d probably pass me if he knew where he was going, b
ut he doesn’t.
The humming of my fairy-trail grows louder with every step. We exit the industrial district and move past a shopping plaza before I’m left standing in the street with the trail screaming in my head from every direction. No matter which way I walk, it doesn’t lead away. I smack my hand to my head because of course, it doesn’t lead away. They hadn’t gone anywhere else; they left.
I still pick up the trendles of the music as it reverberates in the air. Glancing around, sound waves drift up into the air.
The skin around my eye’s wrinkles in frustration. “They left. They jumped on their platform here and left.” I kick at nothing on the road. “Goddamn it!” The scream tears at my throat.
An unfamiliar cough breaks the silence. The hair on the back of my neck stands up as I turn towards the sound. Nick shoots to my side in an instant.
“So, you’re interested in killing fairies too?” Two steel-gray eyes and a crew cut issue the words. He has an earpiece. I give him the once-over, typical fatigues, combat-style boots. All the gear my father stored away ten years ago in a closet.
“Yeah, I’m tracking fairies too. They took a little girl.” I toss my head back to scan the sky.
Two other men, probably weekend warriors, flank the jarhead. “You’re a very interesting looking woman.” One of the weekend warriors’ comments then lets his tongue hang out.
I reach up and run my fingers into the hair at my crown, fluffing it around my ears. My eyes had become an unusual shade of green, but so far, I think that was the only telltale sign other than my ears.
“You know, there aren’t that many of us humans left. The Fae like taking us. I haven’t seen a pretty girl in quite a while now.” He tilts his head down to stare at me through bushy eyebrows.
Nick steps forward, but he doesn’t touch me. I get the distinct impression he’s there to defend me. Not sure how I feel about that. “Yeah, my sister’s pretty. What of it?” He lets his arms hang loose at his side, flexing his hands.