Once a Fae

by Tom Keller

  Once a Fae

  A Vegas Fae Story

  By

  Tom Keller

  Also by Tom Keller

  The Vegas Fae Stories

  Return of the High Fae

  Of Gods and Fae

  Twist of Fae

  Not Just Another Fae

  Night and Fae

  Jewel of the Fae

  Heirs of the Vegas Fae

  Fae: Generations

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved.

  Book Cover design by Elizabeth Mackey

  Kindle Edition © 2019 Tom Keller

  Las Vegas, NV USA

  The Vegas Fae Stories and its books, characters and story are copyright © 2012 - 2019 Tom Keller

  Acknowledgments

  As usual, I'd like to thank everyone that helped make this book possible, especially my wife, Karen. Without her help, this book would never have been written. Thanks to Jim and Tom (you know who you are) for always being there to discuss an idea or my works in progress.

  I'd especially like to thank you, the reader. Without you, Robert would never be able to continue his adventures, and where would the fun be in that?

  Here's a special thanks to all those Facebook fans that liked my author page and kept those comments coming in. Knowing that you are out there really made a difference in getting the manuscript finished and the book published.

  Dedication

  Dedicated to Ireland Mae Courtney.

  Table of Contents

  Also by Tom Keller

  Copyright

  Acknowledgments

  Dedication

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  About the Author

  Books by Tom Keller

  Chapter 1

  "Your move, asshole," I said to the beast, its cat's eyes narrowing as it peered down at me. The lion head towered over me and its nostrils flared. I don't blame it for being pissed. I'd killed most of the rest of the pack, including the Harpies that accompanied it. Not that kill was exactly the right word. This is supposed to be the afterlife or at least the Greco-Roman version of it. Things down here in Hades can't really die. But they can be destroyed. At least for a little while. Hopefully, they'd be less of a problem when they were reborn.

  Then the Chimera roared and the goat's head on its back bleated. Its Dragon tail curled up and pointed at me like a dagger. I raised my shield just as the goat's head shot a burst of flame toward me… again. It was my turn to charge it this time, the flames flaring off my shield as I ran towards it. At the last minute, I fell to my knees and brought my bident up, using it as a pike to stab into the beast's huge chest, slowing it down enough for me to roll between its legs and get out of the way of its hellfire. I jumped up and swung my sword, cleaving the goat's head from the back of its body before severing its dragon tail. Avoiding the Chimera's lion-like fangs and claws, I jumped on its back and buried my sword into its head. With the Underworld's version of death upon it, it crumpled to the ground. I pulled out my sword and slid off, wiping it on my arm before sheathing it on my back.

  Somedays this place just sucks, I thought to myself as I surveyed my handiwork. The bodies of several more Chimera, along with a shitload of Harpies and a few dozen other nasties were strewn across the sands around me. There was no sign of the Shades I'd taken out. But then again, they just burst into mist when they perished. Well, at least clean up was a breeze. I simply tapped my bident on the ground and it swallowed up any remains. A minute later, the valley floor was clear. Glad something still works down here. Too bad it wasn’t always this easy.

  Hades was going to hell in a handbasket. The place was run down in parts and it was beginning to be a pain in the ass. Take the Shades for example. Bodiless Souls that slipped in through a crack in the magic between here and the banks of the river's Styx and Acheron. They were bad enough when they went Zombie on the other side, but when they got in here, things really turned ugly. Oh sure, I was sending them back in pieces and closing the places they came through as I found them. An easy patch job actually, thanks to some special fairy dust the Cyclopes made up. But you still had to find the cracks, and when you did, you had to fight the little bastards to the last Soul before you could apply the fix.

  I guess that's not really fair. A lot of Hades is actually in pretty good shape. Places like Elysium and the Blessed Isles to name just a few. Hell, even the Fields of Punishment work like they're supposed to. It's just that in the places where things do go bad, they go bad quickly. Of course, I did have teams that handled that for me. At least for the most part. This morning, however, I'd been in a bad mood so I decided to bust a few heads myself. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t usually recommend slaying hordes of Demons and other nasties as a way to combat one's depression. But, hey, this is Hades. Down here it's considered an acceptable form of occupational therapy. Anyway, I'd burned off enough of my mood to feel better. I tapped my bident again, this time to form a portal back to the town that had sprung up next to the Cyclopes forges. Nothing happened. What the…?

  "Doing a little spring cleaning, are we?" a female voice from behind me asked.

  Oh great, I thought to myself. It was the Goddess, Gaea.

  "You know you have servants that can do that for you," she added.

  "True. But sometimes I just like to get my hands dirty," I replied, turning to face her. "I'm sure you know what that's like."

  "Indeed I do, my Hero," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "Although I seem to recall that you are not so fond of the idea when I do it."

  "It's not exactly the same," I said.

  "Isn’t it?" she replied, pinching her lips together. "I doubt the Chimera would agree."

  "And your point is?" I asked, hating it when she was right, even if only partially. Then, as usual, we were somewhere else.

  This time I was seated in a stool at a bar. One I remembered, or at least it looked like one I remembered. It had been just off Maryland Parkway and Twain. The name escaped me, it had closed down back in the '80s. But the dark lighting and plush red booths with satin décor, not to mention the various brands of expensive booze stacked up in front of the mirror, looked vaguely familiar. My armor was gone and I was dressed in regular clothes.

  "A little early for cocktails, isn’t it?" I asked the Goddess turned bartender who stood across from me.

  "It's always after 5:00 p.m. somewhere," she replied, placing a tulip shaped glass on the bar in front of me. A bottle of single malt scotch whiskey appeared in her hand. She poured a healthy amount into the glass. "Over 100 years old. I think you'll like it." Pouring clear water into another glass, she pushed them both toward me.

  I picked up the whiskey and sniffed, enjoying the aroma. Taking a small sip, I savored the taste before drinking some more. Damn, she wasn't kidding. It was good. Still, I wondered what it was going to cost me. When Gaea's being this nice; it usually means trouble. I decided to play it carefully.

  "You're right; it's very good," I said after taking a sip of water. "Thank you. But not to be rude, what can I do for you?"

  "Why must you always be so difficult, Robert?" she asked, leaning forward on the bar. Sh
e pulled out another glass and then poured some for herself, gulping it down in one shot before slamming it back down on the counter. "Maybe I just wanted to see how you were doing. Did you ever consider that?"

  "Honestly? No," I replied, shaking my head. "Especially after that ass chewing you gave me the last time we met."

  That made her giggle. No, seriously, first she called me by name and then she giggled. I knew I was in trouble now.

  "Well," she said, smiling. She poured herself another drink before topping off mine. She lifted the glass to her lips, this time sipping it instead of shooting it in one swallow. "Perhaps I could have used a better choice of words. But sometimes I have to make a point, especially with you. How is Diantha by the way?"

  "Diantha will be fine," I replied, taking another drink. "As I'm sure you already know. But she's taking things better than I expected. Nikki's helping her get settled at the Neptune. I hear Meredith offered her a job there. She's going to be doing her own show."

  The Neptune's Landing was a major hotel/casino run by the mother and son team, the Milagres. They were Nereids, and Meredith was their Queen, as well as a valuable ally and the next highest ranking Fae in the Valley.

  "I am not surprised," Gaea said with a laugh. "Where else but Vegas would one expect to find the Oracle of Delphi. Well, I'm glad things are working out for her."

  "I guess I should thank you for what you did," I said with a sigh. "She did get her life back, even if it wasn't the way I expected."

  "Now you've surprised me," she said. "You've thanked me twice since we've been here? You must be slipping today, my Hero."

  "Don’t get used to it," I replied, draining my glass. "Just because I thank you doesn’t mean I like the way you did it."

  "There's the Robert I remember," she said, picking up a rag and wiping the counter in front of me. "But then again, I suppose you would have preferred your way? Please. A life burdened with all those memories? It was for the best, or don’t you agree?"

  "It doesn’t really matter what I think, does it?" I replied.

  "Of course it does," she said, leaning on the counter again. "Why else would I ask?"

  "Is that a trick question?"

  "No," she replied, stirring her drink with her finger. "Convince me. Why would your way have been better?"

  "Okay," I said, knowing it was going to bite me on the ass. "Look. I'm not saying my way would have been better. But there is a difference. Sure, you wiped out 3,000 years of shitty memories. But now what? She's an ancient Greek stuck in the 21st century. Except for being an Oracle, her past means nothing now. More importantly, it was those same memories that made Diantha what she was. She's not the same person anymore. You might as well have killed her outright."

  "Oh, I see," Gaea remarked. "As I recall, you yourself did the same thing to a human recently. You wiped his mind, did you not?"

  "That was different," I replied. "He was a criminal."

  "You obviously did not know Diantha as well as you think," she said, taking a sip from her glass. "Perhaps it is all a matter of perspective."

  "Maybe it is," I agreed. "But that doesn't change what happened. She's still gone."

  "Yes, she is," she said, now twirling the glass in front of her lips. "But did she not say she would rather die than remain a plaything of the Gods? I gave her back what Apollo took from her and her life is now hers to live. What more would you have me do?"

  "Hell, I don’t know," I replied, downing the rest of my whiskey. "You're the Goddess here."

  "Are you not a God yourself?"

  "I'm not sure I'd call me a real God," I said after a moment. "You of all beings should know that." Then I thought I'd better be careful. This was Gaea, after all, and I still didn't know what she was getting at. "I'm sorry. It's just frustrating at times."

  "Frustrating?" she repeated. It was a question but a statement as well. "You should see it from my side. But make no mistake about it, you are a God. The first God to appear since The Fall. Prophecy or not, you have earned that right. Yet still it is not enough. Oh, I know it is the Underworld. Perhaps that would not have been your first choice, but even you cannot say it has not served you well."

  The Fall had been the end of the old Gods as we knew them. Due to their arrogance, Gaea let their squabbling consume them. As a result, they were never seen again.

  "I won't argue with you there," I agreed, pushing my glass towards her. "At least not about Hades. But like you said, it's not exactly a garden spot."

  "No, it is not," she said, refilling my glass. "But it needed a firm hand and you provided it. Thanks to you, Souls once again cross over the Acheron and enter through the gates. You have done well in that domain. But there is something else we need to discuss."

  "What would that be?" I asked, waiting for the ball to drop.

  "While it is true that you are my hero," she said. "You are a reluctant one."

  "Weren't you just complimenting me?" I replied, wondering what I'd done to piss her off this time. "Haven't I done everything you asked?"

  "Indeed you have," she said before dipping her finger in the whiskey again and tasting it. "But I still cannot help but feel that you do not have faith in my decisions. Diantha is just one of many you have questioned. Don’t you trust me, Robert?"

  "It's not a matter of trust," I replied, truthfully.

  "Oh, please," she said, then straightened up and finished her whiskey. "Do you really think I just make it up as I go? No! Believe it or not, I put a lot of thought into each and every one of my decisions."

  Before I could answer we were somewhere else. We hadn't gone far, just to one of the dark booths on the other side of the bar. This time she was in a short black dress, leaning against me with my arm around her shoulder. I quickly moved my other hand which had been resting on her thigh.

  "Why don’t you like me, Robert?" she asked, fingering a button on my shirt.

  "What do you mean?" I asked, slightly uncomfortable at her closeness. She'd done something like this before, but still, it made me nervous. Especially since I didn’t know where this was leading. "What makes you think I don't like you?"

  "Come now, Robert," she said, now running her finger up my chest. "I can feel you tense up every time I touch you. I doubt you do that with other girls."

  "Most girls I've been with aren’t you," I replied, nervously. "Judas Priest, Gaea. You're the mother Goddess. How am I supposed to act?"

  "You could have a little faith, Robert," she replied, moving away just a little. She placed her arm on my neck and rested her head on it before continuing. "Besides, you don’t know what you're missing. But enough of that. Tell me, what do you think the world would be like if I hadn’t answered your grandmother's prayers? If I hadn't gotten involved and just left things to themselves. Trust me, it would not have been the same."

  "No, I'm sure it wouldn’t," I agreed as she moved her hand away from my chest. It had been my grandmother's plea to Gaea during the wars that led up to The Fall that had saved the Fae from destruction.

  "You have no idea," she said, sighing. "Perhaps that's the problem. Unlike Diantha, you're too young to remember what it was like back then. It's too bad I can’t send you back to witness those days for yourself. But even I can't change the past. Not like that anyway."

  "I didn’t know that," I replied

  "A pity," she said, then moved her other hand to my face and touched my lips. "I'm so sorry, my Hero."

  "Don’t be," I said, breathing a sigh of relief. "That's not something I was looking forward to anyway."

  "As I said, a pity," she replied. "It would be much less dangerous than what I have in mind. But I think it will prove my point. If you survive, that is."

  "Come on," I said, turning to toward her. "I don’t want to play games. You don’t have to prove anything to me."

  "Oh, but I do," she replied, leaning over and kissing me on the cheek. "And trust me, this isn’t a game. One never knows what you'll find there."

  I started to
reply but she pushed her finger onto my lips again.

  "Good luck, my Hero," she said with the hint of a tear in one eye. "My only advice is to remember that some things never change. I look forward to hearing all about it if you return."

  Then I was somewhere else.

  Chapter 2

  You gotta be kidding me! I was in my old office at the L.V.P.D. So much for not sending me back in time. Then I realized something was different. Forget I said that, a lot was different.

  Everything was off. There was a computer on my desk, but the brand was Lambda, a make I'd never heard of before. Stranger still, it was hard-wired and had an old CRT monitor. Then there was the phone. When had I last seen one of those models? It was the rotary dial type, with buttons on the bottom to change lines, hard-wired as well. What the…? The walls were covered in pictures, certificates, and awards. My name or my picture was in every one. Problem was, I'd never heard of some of these awards and I'll be damned if I knew half the people in the photographs. Where the hell was I? It certainly wasn't my old office, even if it did resemble it a bit. I started toward what had to be my desk. Maybe there'd be something on my computer or the Internet that would explain where I was. There was a knock on the door as I sat down.

  "Come in," I yelled out.

  "Hey LT," a woman said as she opened the door. I knew her. Her name was Donna. In my other life, she'd worked in Records back in the day.

  "Hey," I replied, not knowing what else to say, especially after being called LT. That was short for lieutenant, last I knew I'd been a sergeant.

  "Glad you're still here. Cap wants to see you," she said, then turned and went back down the hallway.

  "Okay," I said, getting up from the desk. I reached for my cell phone to check the time but it wasn’t there. Instead, I was wearing a beeper and a watch. Well, that was different. It was a nice timepiece, but I hadn’t worn a watch in years. I shook my head and followed her down the hallway. She turned and went into the office marked Captain, then sat down at the desk.