by Mary Karlik
“No. Thank you.” Ian paid the bill, and as soon as the girl left said, “Finn, get them to the pub. We’ll be there as soon as we get the fairies.”
Layla grabbed Finn’s arm. “If you can distract the elves, I can reinforce your spell. It won’t hold long, but it’ll buy us some time.”
Finn stood. “Aye, I’ll go now.”
“They’ll be watching,” Hamish said. “If they notice the spell, it could be dangerous.”
Layla nodded. “Ian will stay close to me. It’ll be fine.”
By the time Ian, Layla, and Hamish reached the ogres, Finn was talking to the elves.
One of the elves looked directly at Jack. “What’s wrong with your face?”
Jack answered with a low, guttural growl. The elves broke into laughter and spoke in their native tongue.
Ian wrapped his arm tightly around Layla’s shoulders. She tried to ignore the way the underside of her wings brushed against him as he guided her between the ogres and elves. But tingles spread through her, ramping up her already frayed nerves.
Ian hesitated in front of the elves and apologized profusely for walking between them.
Layla covered the ogres with a spell. It wasn’t strong enough to show her signature blue magic, but strong enough to do the trick.
As soon as the spell hit, Layla brushed the very tips of her right wing against Ian’s neck in a gentle nudge. She heard him suck in a breath, and he pulled her tighter against him as he guided her away from the elves.
He kept her close as they made their way to the shop. They stood in front of the door as if there wasn’t a troll with them or creatures watching them. He cupped her face with his palms, and his deep, blue eyes met hers. “Let’s get your fairies.”
Layla knew it was all for the benefit of onlookers. But the feel of his hands on her face, the warmth in his gaze, and the way her heart lightened in her chest was just for the two of them—fairy and human. No dragons, elves, or trolls involved.
Ian lowered his hands, and together they turned to face the door. As they waited, anxiety grew like an expanding balloon. Her wings fluttered, echoing the butterflies in her stomach.
Ian laced his fingers with hers and squeezed.
Things were coming together. More fairies would be freed. And if they were very lucky, they’d get access to the big auction.
The door swung open framing the woman in red. “You may enter.”
Layla pooled her magic to her core and flicked a few blue sparks from her fingertips. Because no matter how much Ian tried to reassure her, she felt power coming from the room, and it wasn’t the welcoming kind.
Chapter Nineteen
As soon as they crossed the threshold, Ian knew something had changed. The dragon-spirit knew it, too. And it wanted to come out and play.
Layla stepped away from him, but it wasn’t a normal movement. It was robotic, as if she didn’t have a choice.
A tight-lipped smile crossed the woman’s face. “There’s a rumor that a half-caste killed Fauth and took his inventory. One might think the same half-caste is looking to expand.”
Ian moved close to Layla and pushed up his right sleeve, exposing the dragon scales. The spirit inside him flared. He allowed his eyes to turn crimson and pretended it wasn’t completely disorienting to see in multiples. The dragon-spirit was waiting for him to drop his guard. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t. He just had to hold it together long enough to make his point, and then he’d shove the spirit away.
The lady took a step back. She wasn’t expecting the human to also be a dragon.
He turned his crimson eyes on her. “She is my property. Release her.”
“Or?” The woman spoke with confidence, but her body language said she was hoping she wouldn’t see the answer.
Ian’s muscles tensed as he fought the spirit. “Do you know what I am?”
The lady stared at his arm. “Dragons don’t scare me, sir.”
“Is that why your face has lost its color?” He looked around the room and licked his lips. “We kept our end of the bargain so unless you want to explain to your boss how your inventory was eaten, release her.”
She opened and closed her mouth. When she finally spoke, her voice was dry. “These are powerful and beautiful specimens. Why waste them on a meal?”
“What difference is it to you whether I eat them or if my … pet plays with them?”
The elf-woman relaxed and smiled, but in her eyes, he saw fear. “I suppose you have a point. And as a demonstration of my goodwill, you may purchase two more.”
He drew in a deep breath and managed to quiet the spirit, and his vision returned to normal. He turned to Layla. “Two more, and then we must leave.”
Layla was released from the magic. “Thank you!” She ran toward a fairy dressed in a sparkling, emerald-green ball gown. But her movements were still jerky, and she lost her balance crashing into a red-dressed fairy.
It teetered on the pedestal before toppling over the edge.
Ian held his breath hoping that it wouldn’t break.
When the globe hit the ground, glass shattered in a circle around it.
Layla cried out and dropped to her knees pulling Ian with her. “Where is it? Where is the locket with her essence?” She plunged her hand in the broken glass searching for the top of the globe.
The elf-woman knelt next to the fairy and snapped. “Silly fuman. There is no locket.”
The red-dressed fairy sucked in a sudden breath, her eyes fluttered open, and her skin began to pink. Layla squeezed Ian’s arm, and he knew she was trying to contain her excitement. Because if things went well, they’d walk out with the red fairy. They would free her with her magic intact.
But then the elf-woman picked up a shard of glass and plunged it deep into the fairy’s chest. Blood pooled around the glass as the fairy gave a deep guttural moan. Her skin paled as quickly as it had pinked, and mist rose from her mouth like a breath on a chilly morning. But this breath didn’t rise in the air and dissipate. It dropped to the floor and formed little beads. They reminded Ian of the beads that had formed when he had once broken a mercury thermometer.
The elf-woman pulled a straw from her pocket and glared at Ian and Layla. “Not a bloody word.” She lined one end of the straw over the line of beads and the other into her right nostril. She pressed the left closed with her finger and took a long, deep inhale, sucking the fairy’s magic into her.
After the beads were inhaled, the woman sat back on her heels, closed her eyes, stretched her face toward the ceiling, and took several deep breaths.
Layla was as pale as the dead girl. She was losing it. They had to get out of there before she blew their cover.
The lady opened her eyes and rocked forward.
Layla screeched at the woman. “That was my fairy! My magic!” She lunged forward.
The woman scrambled back, and Ian caught Layla’s shoulders. “It’s okay. We have four.”
Layla shot a murderous look at Ian. “But that fairy was mine!”
The elf-woman stood and sniffed stiffly. “One of the perks of working here. If the merchandise becomes damaged, the magic is up for grabs, as they say.”
Ian pulled Layla close and glared at the woman. “You did this on purpose.”
“Nonsense. As anybody who may be watching can see, your fuman is as clumsy as an ogre. Now be happy with your four and leave.”
Hamish shook his head. “You said six. They have one left to choose.”
“And there’s a mess to clean up.” A Cheshire smile crossed the woman’s lips. “And I have a new dose of magic. So unless you want to play, take your package and leave.” She pointed to a brown box tied with heavy twine. On the side of the box was a red circle with the letters FGM in the center. “Your card is on the top.”
Ian helped Layla to stand and looked at the troll. “Four is fine, for now.”
Hamish stretched on tiptoes and lifted the box from the pedestal.
The woman called after him. �
�Careful. We don’t want any more accidents.”
And then without warning, Layla drew her arm back and shot a spell at the woman. Ian wasn’t sure what kind of spell it was, but as soon as it hit the elf, she dropped her hands to her sides. The straw fell from her fingers and rolled across the floor.
Ian looked at her. “What did you do?”
Her face was red with anger, and she spoke through clenched teeth. “She had no right.”
The woman stood in the center of the room with a hollow expression.
Ian grabbed Layla’s upper arm. “This is mental. What about the plan?”
Theo sounded in Ian’s ear. “You have bigger problems. Elves are approaching the Fairy Close, and they’re armed.”
Layla pulled away from Ian and smiled at the elf-woman. “He’s right. I shouldn’t have stunned you.” She opened her arms and wings. “A quick hug for forgiveness, and you’ll be back to normal.”
The woman blinked but didn’t move as Layla wrapped arms and wings around her.
Ian saw a flash of metal and realized that in Layla’s right hand she held the sgian dubh. And the tip of that dagger was aimed between the fourth and fifth rib of the elf-woman.
Layla spoke softly in the woman’s ear. “Now I’m going to release the stun, and you are going to guide us out of here. And if you think your new shot of magic is going to beat me, know this … the rumors are correct. I killed Fauth. But more than that, I am a harvester. And I would love nothing more than to pull magic from you until what’s left of your soul burns. Do we understand each other?”
The woman bobbed her head up and down like a clockwork toy.
“Good. When I release you, you will be a gracious salesperson, and you will offer to walk such important buyers to the White Hart Inn. Do you understand?”
Again, the woman nodded.
Layla released her and stepped aside.
The elf-woman flashed an over-bright smile. “All is forgiven. To show my gratitude for such a large purchase, I’ll escort you to the pub. Did you say it was the White Hart Inn?”
“Aye. That’s the one.” Layla smiled back and turned her gaze to Ian.
Ian’s gut clenched. Hopefully, the elf-woman could get them past the elves waiting on the other side of the door. But then what? Taking her hostage was not a good option but neither was leaving her behind.
The door opened, and the elf-woman led them through. Four elves with bows nocked stood at the ready.
The woman smiled and said, “Lower your arrows, lads. You’ve got the wrong fairy. This one is under my protection.”
The elves did as she directed. A tall, ruddy-looking elf spat as Layla passed by and muttered, “Dirty fuman.”
Ian saw blue flicker from her hand and knew she was struggling to keep from hitting the elf with a spell. Instead, she donned a meek expression and grabbed hold of Ian’s arm on one side and the elf-woman’s arm on the other. “Let’s get out of here.”
When they reached the end of the Fairy Close, Ian spoke to Theo. “Do you have eyes on the elves and ogres?”
“Aye. They’re in a dark corner of the White Hart Inn.”
Layla released Ian and clung to the elf-woman’s arm with both hands. “Wonderful. Let’s go.”
When they stepped off the golden path to enter the pub, the woman dug her heels in and tried to pull from Layla, “Oh, no. I’m not going with you. I’ll no leave the market.”
Layla held tight and half-dragged the woman to the back of the bar where the ogres sat. “Aye. You are.”
Frustration shot through Ian. “We can’t take her.”
“We have to. She knows what I am.”
The ogres stood. Buzzard’s voice came from the tallest. “What do you mean she knows?”
“She knows I’m a harvester.” Layla looked at Buzzard. “She hit me with a spell as soon as we walked in. There was no way we were getting out of that shop without her. The fastest way to get her to come was to tell her.”
Ian knew she was right, but it didn’t make the fact that they now had a hostage any easier to swallow. He fished the coin out of his right pocket. “I don’t like this. But we don’t have a choice. Gather up and grab hands.”
Ian dropped the coin in his left pocket, and they whirled to the troll’s flat.
As soon as they stopped spinning, the elf-woman broke free and backed away from Layla. “They’ll come after me.”
Layla popped her wings wide causing the woman to stumble backward. “They? Who are they?”
The woman lowered her arms and fisted her hands by her sides. She stretched her neck as she took a quick breath. “They are the suppliers of my merchandise. I am a valued employee.”
Ian shot a disgusted look at the woman. “A magic addict is a valued employee? They might come for you, but not to save you. And if they do come, we’ll be ready.”
The woman flinched and then fell to her knees in deep, dramatic, hiccupping sobs. She held her cheeks with trembling fingers. “You have no idea what you’ve done. To me. To my family.”
Layla folded her wings. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t you see? We’re all victims. And now my family…” The woman dragged her fingers down her cheeks and looked up at Layla. “I have to get to them. Protect them. They don’t have magic.”
Layla looked as if she’d been sucker-punched in the gut. “What? Where are they? We’ll protect them. We’ll bring them here.”
Ian had seen these dramatic displays a million times. The elf-woman was no different than humans he’d arrested. “Family. Right. Tell us about this family.” He turned to Layla. “Don’t be taken by her.”
Hamish nodded. “Aye. She’s a clever one. Evil and clever.”
The woman shuddered. “He’s right. I’ve done horrible things. But I’ve done what I’ve had to do to provide for my family.”
The troll rolled his eyes. “I know her. I’ve seen her work. I guarantee she doesn’t have a family. She’s playing you.”
Layla’s gaze volleyed between Ian, Hamish, and the woman. “She could be telling the truth. After all, Hamish claimed to be controlled by Fauth, and we’ve chosen to believe him.”
Hamish’s face reddened. “Don’t compare me with that woman.”
Layla looked at Finn. “You’ve always had good judgment. What do you think?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
She turned back to Ian with eyes full of sympathy. “What if she does have a family?”
Ian was losing patience. This was a world-class mess. “A word.”
She followed him to the bedroom in the back of Hamish’s flat.
He stopped just inside the room. “We could have walked out with six fairies and possibly secured an invite to the auction. Now, we have four and a hostage. Why did you attack her? What were you thinking?”
“I wasn’t thinking. I acted on impulse. I’m sure Buzzard would call me careless. But I’m telling you, she’d set us up. I didn’t stumble into that fairy. I was forced into it. She wanted more magic, and she wanted me to take the blame for the murder.”
“And now we have a hostage to deal with.”
“The elves were waiting for us. I got us out.”
“Ach.” He looked at the ceiling. “We have a magic addict as a hostage.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Maybe we can use her to get us the invitation we need.”
Layla crossed her arms and tapped her wings together and apart. “What if she’s telling the truth about her family?”
“I’ve seen that play acted out by many a drug trafficker I’ve arrested. Believe me, there is no family to protect. And even if there was, we have to get that wand. Her family or one-hundred fairies.”
Layla shook her head. “Oh, no. This is not a decision about the greater good. Don’t even try that with me. All I’m asking is for us to find out more about her family. What if she is telling the truth? If she is, she’ll help us if we protect them.”
“Okay.” Ian swept his arms toward
the lounge. “By all means, investigate.”
“I will.” Layla returned to the lounge with her wings spread wide. The elf-woman stood next to the sofa, dabbing her eyes with a balled-up tissue.
“Sit,” Layla ordered the woman.
The elf dropped onto the sofa.
Layla stood in front of her. “How you answer my questions will determine what we do. So, think carefully because I don’t tolerate liars. Convince me you have a family.”
The woman’s chin quivered. “I have a daughter and a husband. He’s human. My daughter looks more Elvin than human, but she has no magic.”
“And where are they?” Ian asked.
Layla held her hands toward the woman. “Let me probe her brain. It’s faster and we’ll know if she’s telling the truth.”
Ian shook his head. In a slow measured tone, he said, “Layla, we talked about torture. It’s not nice.”
“But did you see her murder that fairy? She definitely deserves it.” She wiggled her fingers and reached toward the woman’s scalp.
The woman pressed her head into the sofa back and put her hands up. “Alright. Stop. You got me. I don't have a family.”
Buzzard clapped. “Well done. Now that’s an interrogation.”
Layla smiled and curtseyed. “Thank you.”
The woman stared up at Buzzard. “You’re very articulate for a—oh, I see. You’re not an ogre, are you?” She looked at Jack. “And neither are you.”
Jack rubbed his chin, and the disguise faded where he touched it. “Aye. I’m a human.” He shifted his eyes to Ian. “What are we going to do with her?”
Ian sighed. “We’ll keep her here for now.”
Hamish threw his hands in the air. “Oh yeah. Sounds about right. Use the troll’s flat. Did anybody ask the troll?”
Layla looked at Hamish. “You do remember that we caught you breaking into Ian’s flat looking for the Dragon’s Scepter?”
The woman stood and clutched at her neck. “You. You have the Dragon’s Scepter? You have bigger problems than my suppliers. If word gets out, every criminal in the market and beyond will be after that scepter. You’re dead. We’re all dead.”