“What do you mean?”
“These things are usually for life. Like a demon contract, it only ends when the contractor dies.”
I swallowed. Why did I get myself involved in these things?
A warm hand closed around my elbow. “Tori? Don’t faint.”
“I never faint.” Except for that one time. Very recently. It didn’t count.
He steered me around the sofa and nudged me onto the cushions, then sat beside me. “Our main problem is that fae relic you told me about on the phone. If this was dark-arts Arcana alone, I could break it, but a fae created the magic. The Arcana merely gave it shape and rules.”
“Are you saying it’s unbreakable?”
“I’m saying it won’t be simple. But it needs to be broken.” His solemn green irises slid over me. “You won’t survive it for more than a few weeks.”
My stomach dropped out of me. I pressed a hand to my spinning head. “Shit, Zak.”
His gaze snapped to the stairs. “Someone just parked out front. A woman.”
“How do you know?”
“I left a varg to keep watch.”
I shuddered at the memory of his loyal fae wolves. “It’s Kaveri. I sent her to the store.” Panic rose through me. “If she sees you, will I die on the spot?”
Confusion flickered over his features, then he grunted. “No. The oath doesn’t work that way. I’d be revealing myself—which I’m not planning to do. Taenerpatninarkin?”
For a second, I thought he was having a stroke, then I realized that was Twiggy’s real name. Wow, Zak had remembered it?
Twiggy peeked out from behind the sofa. “Crystal Druid,” he squeaked reverently.
“Can you keep the woman from entering the house?”
“Yes. Yes, I can!”
“Without hurting her,” I added sharply. “Just distract her or something.”
Twiggy nodded so fast his whole body rocked. “I can do that!”
“Then do it,” Zak ordered. “Tori will let you know when you can come back in.”
Beaming, Twiggy vanished on the spot.
“Now what?” I asked.
Zak rose to his feet. “Now it’s time to talk to the fae lord. We might need extra space.”
When he crouched to take hold of my sofa, I hopped up and grabbed the other end. We pulled it out of the way. Luckily, that was it for furniture.
“What’s the fae’s name?” he asked.
“Uh … Llyr-something.”
His eyes went out of focus. “Llyrlethiad, then. This will be interesting.”
He flexed his arms and the dark feather tattoos that swept down from his shoulders shifted. The black design blurred, then shadowy wings lifted away from his skin. An ebony eagle emerged from his back, shadows rippling off her feathers.
His familiar swept to the breakfast bar and perched on the counter. I was still gawking at her appearance—not that I hadn’t seen Lallakai before, just that she was magnificently beautiful—when two shaggy black vargs materialized on either side of the druid.
“Uh …” I muttered.
Zak rolled his shoulders like he was warming up for a boxing match. “I’ve never met Llyrlethiad before. He might try to kill me.”
Not comforting. “What about me?”
“He can’t kill you, or he’d have already done it. The magic prevents him from harming you.”
I remembered the leviathan’s massive jaws snapping inches from my body. Then I pictured the beast and looked around my apartment. “Zak, he won’t fit.”
“He will.” His eyes lost focus again.
“No, really, he’s too—Zak?” I stepped closer, weirded out by his blank stare. “Hello, Zak?”
“Shut up, Tori,” he growled. “I’m trying to call the fae.”
“Oh.”
His eyes went vacant again, and I realized he was looking at something I couldn’t see—or listening to something I couldn’t hear.
Tingles rushed through the fae markings on my skin.
“Here he comes.”
I didn’t need Zak’s warning—I could feel the fae’s approach like a rising tide inside my body. Foreign power surged through my flesh.
The air in the apartment blurred as the humidity shot up. Water coalesced out of nowhere and a wave of salty liquid plunged down on us.
Pouring over our heads, the icy wave flooded the floor. Water swirled and spun, and out of it, massive coils emerged, filling the entire room. The serpentine body writhed, smashing into the walls.
The leviathan’s head burst out of the water, massive jaws gaping, and it lunged for Zak.
Chapter Twelve
Lallakai dove in front of her master, wings spread wide. The wolfish vargs flanked her, hackles raised and teeth bared. Shadows roiled around the eagle and she whipped them at the leviathan. It recoiled with a snarl.
Zak sprang through her dark magic and pressed both hands to the leviathan’s scaled muzzle. The creature went still, its pearly eyes shining with outrage. The fae was maybe a third the size it had been on the beach, but it was still a lethal giant.
Cowering in the corner, I crouched in a foot of cold salt water, arms wrapped protectively around my head. My body pulsed strangely, as though everything inside me were trying to expand through my flesh. I could scarcely breathe, my head spinning and lurching. The world had detached from my senses, my mind overwhelmed by a thousand zinging barbs of alien power driving through my skin over and over with each passing second.
“Tori?”
I didn’t realize I’d squeezed my eyes shut. I cracked them open.
Zak crouched in front of me, and the leviathan’s thick coils no longer filled the room. The serpent had shrunk again; now it was merely the size of a monster anaconda. With its pectoral fins braced on the floor, its horned head almost touched the ceiling. Its long body snaked through the water that filled my apartment, pointed dorsal fins lining its back.
Zak helped me up. I wobbled to my feet, disoriented and unsteady. The disconnected feeling between my mind and body had mostly faded, but fae power still shuddered through my limbs.
Ivory eyes gleaming murderously, Llyrlethiad waited with unnerving stillness reminiscent of a hunting reptile. Lallakai was back on the kitchen counter, and the two vargs stood on my sofa to keep out of the water.
“Are you okay, Tori?” Zak murmured.
I stretched my arm out. The fae markings were blazing as bright as the moon. “I can handle it.”
He nodded and guided me toward the serpent, which was large enough to bite my limbs clean off. I resisted the urge to flee. Or curl up in a terrified ball and cry like a baby. That was an appealing option too.
“All right,” Zak said in a businesslike tone. “Llyrlethiad, our goals align—to free you and Tori from this bond.”
“Kill her,” the fae commanded. His mouth didn’t move—it wasn’t even open—but I could hear his snarling voice nonetheless. “I will reward you handsomely.”
“Don’t insult me,” Zak snapped.
The serpent bared his carnivorous teeth. “I will see you destroyed, druid.”
“You will retract your threats. Or would you prefer I claim a debt for helping you?”
The serpent snarled. I stared at Zak, goggle-eyed.
“Let’s be clear,” he continued impatiently. “Tori intervened in the ritual to save you from enslavement. She wasn’t aware she would be taking the witch’s place. You know this, because she didn’t complete the ritual.”
Llyrlethiad’s scaled lips curled in disdain.
“You may loathe being bound to a human, but this human wants to see you returned to your rightful autonomy. That is our goal, and with your cooperation, we can accomplish it all the faster.”
“She will perish in a matter of weeks,” the fae growled. “I will wait.”
“So you lack all honor. I’ll make sure to inform the Gardall’kin fae.”
The serpent reared back in anger, its head rising to the ceiling, and i
ts powerful body thrashed. My furniture rocked in the current and a wave crashed into my TV. It wobbled, then fell off its stand, belly-flopping on the water before sinking out of sight.
“Why are we playing this game, Llyrlethiad?” Zak asked in a steely, measured tone. “We both know you owe Tori a steep debt, and you can’t repay it by letting her die. If not for her, you’d be doing a black witch’s bidding.”
“I don’t want to do any bidding,” I whispered vaguely. “Let’s not do that.”
Zak glanced at me, his brow pinched with worry. I could understand why. My head was spinning and I was almost too exhausted to stand.
“Can you suppress your magic any further?” he asked the fae.
Llyrlethiad’s cold stare whisked across me. “No more than I am.”
Zak curled his arm around me and I leaned gratefully against his sturdy—and soaking wet—side. I was drenched too.
“What can you tell me about the binding?” Zak asked the fae.
“A being I am loath to call kin created it. Tuned to my power, it drew me to their circle and bound me.” His pale eyes turned to my face. “When she claimed the spell, she forced no commands upon me, therefore I accepted the magic before I could be thrust anew into a battle of wills.”
“How do we break the spell?”
“I do not know. Never have I been bound in such a way.”
I cleared my throat. “What about Echo? He seemed to know what was going on.”
Zak made an irritated noise in his throat. “I called for him before coming here. He isn’t answering.”
“Why not? I thought you two were pals.”
“Fae aren’t anyone’s ‘pal.’ They’re your ally only until they decide not to be. Echo will show up when he’s good and ready, which won’t be in time to be useful.” Still holding me against his side so I didn’t tip over, Zak rubbed his jaw. “Llyrlethiad, what can you tell me about the fae who created the relic?”
“A foul creature who prefers the worship of humans to any honor among his kind. We call him the Rat, but I know not where to find him.”
“Guess that’s where I’ll start. He’s the likeliest source for magic that can break the bond.”
The serpent dipped his large head in a nod. “If you locate him, I will ensure his cooperation.”
“Can you, without hurting Tori?”
The fae didn’t reply, his silence a clear answer.
Zak straightened. “Llyrlethiad, I would have you vow to protect Tori from harm.”
An instant snarl. “I will not—” He broke off, then hissed angrily at me. That sound had definitely come from his fanged mouth. “For as long as we are bound, I will do all in my power to preserve your life. By this pledge, I pay the debt between us.”
Zak squeezed my side. “Agree, Tori.”
“I agree,” I said faintly.
Apparently, that counted as a farewell, because the serpent began to fade from sight.
“Llyrlethiad,” Zak barked. He pointed at the submerged floor. “The water.”
The power buzzing in my bones flared and my skin felt like it was splitting open. The water covering the floor steamed, then boiled away in seconds. A moment later, the discomfort faded and I sagged in relief. Llyrlethiad was gone.
Zak pulled me over to my one bar stool. Twenty minutes ago, I’d owned two bar stools, but the other one was in pieces. Poor stool. So much life to live, snatched away too soon by an angry sea serpent.
I glanced guiltily at my TV, lying face down on the floor. Aaron wouldn’t be happy. Twiggy would have a total meltdown.
Zak tipped my head back and checked my eyes, then held my wrist and counted my pulse. Lallakai perched on the counter, staring at me with her green, laser-beam eyes.
Fetching his bag, Zak set it on the counter beside me. As he opened it, a scowl pulled at his mouth. “Everything that wasn’t sealed is ruined. Damn fae.”
“He ruined my TV.”
“He put a hole in your wall too.”
Craning my neck, I saw what he meant: the crawlspace door no longer existed. In its place was a hole with two broken studs, gaping like a toothy smile. Bye-bye, damage deposit.
Zak pulled out two vials and uncorked the one full of silvery-green liquid. “Drink it.”
Taking the vial, I cautiously sniffed. “What is it?”
“It’ll temporarily bolster you against the fae’s power. You won’t feel as tired.”
“You carry stuff like this around everywhere?”
“No.” He rolled his eyes. “I made it for you before I came. I knew you’d need it.”
I blinked at him, then at the vial, and mumbled, “Thanks.”
“Thank me by drinking it.”
Obediently, I poured it into my mouth and swallowed. It tasted the way pinecones smell. He handed me the second vial, this one filled with purple liquid, and I drank it too. Tasted like pure sweetness.
“What was that one?”
“A vitality potion. It’ll boost your strength and help you recover from your exposure to fae magic.”
“Wow. You’re pretty amazing, Zak.”
He snorted. “I prefer it when you insult me.”
“Do you?” My lips quirked up as I handed the empty vial back. “Then you’ve been enjoying all my texts?”
“They’ve been delightful.”
I giggled, then realized I was giggling. Choking it back, I arranged my expression into a stern glower. “What now?”
“Now you’ll stay right here and try not to exert yourself. Don’t call the fae back, and don’t use his name in case he thinks you’re summoning him. I’m not sure how long that first potion will last, so let me know when you feel fatigued again. You’ll need to keep taking it.”
“What will you do?”
“Track down the Rat fae.” He eyed me, then gave my shoulder a hesitant pat. “Just hold on until then.”
I smiled at his awkwardness. “Thanks, Zak. You’re really not an evil bastard.”
He zipped his bag. “Don’t get the wrong idea about me.”
“Fine, you’re an evil bastard. But you’re still a good friend.”
His mouth twisted. “We’re not friends, Tori.”
“Yes, we are.”
“No, we’re not.”
I folded my arms. “Well, we sure as hell aren’t acquaintances. We got drunk together, remember?”
“We were poisoned, not drunk.”
“I saw you naked.”
“I wasn’t naked.”
“We slept in the same bed.”
He opened his mouth, then closed it, unable to dispute that claim. “Friends are dangerous when you’re a wanted rogue. Look what protecting one girl has cost me.” He slung his bag over his shoulder. “Don’t forget your oath.”
“Never,” I murmured, sobered more by the reminder that he was about to lose his home—a farm I was sure he loved more than any human being—than the reminder that my life was hanging by a magical thread. “Let me know if you need help finding a safe place for Nadine.”
He nodded, stepping away. “I’ll be in touch.”
I caught his arm. “Zak … thank you. I mean it.”
He met my eyes, saying nothing, then pulled away from my hand. As he grabbed his coat and strode toward the stairs, Lallakai took off, cuffing me in the head with her wing. I scowled after her. Sweeping across the room, the eagle blurred into shadows and merged into Zak’s back. Tattoos reappeared down his arms a moment before he pulled on his coat.
He drew up the hood and shadows shrouded his face. Then they swirled outward until the stairway was filled with darkness. He melted out of sight, and I didn’t hear the door open or close. Chances Kaveri would spot him on his way out? Zilch.
Heaving myself to my feet, I glanced around my disgustingly damp and trashed apartment, then faced my bedroom door with a wince. How would I explain this to Sin?
Chapter Thirteen
Liar, liar, pants on fire.
I chanted the words lik
e they would somehow alleviate my guilt. I’d lied to Sin, lied to Kaveri, and when Aaron and Kai had shown up, I’d lied to them too. Sin had called them the moment she saw the state of my apartment.
Kaveri, Aaron, and Kai knew nothing of my druid visitor. I’d told them the fae had appeared on his own, sabotaged my apartment, then left again. Sin, however, was suspicious. She’d noticed I was up to something before Twiggy knocked her out, and though I’d insisted it was all the fae lord’s doing, she wasn’t buying it.
Curled up on my bed, I held my glowing phone in front of my nose, idly scrolling through news articles, web comics, and silly memes. My alarm clock declared the time to be 6:03 in the morning, and no one was up yet. Kaveri and Sin were sleeping on air mattresses in the living room.
I should’ve been sleeping like the dead, but between the two potions Zak had fed me, I was feeling damn spritely. I could run a marathon right now.
Actually, no, I couldn’t. I’d never run a marathon in my life.
Tucked under my arm was a warm sphere. Smooth bumps and ridges covered the silvery-blue orb, its surface streaked with aquamarine and fuchsia. Zak had given it to me weeks ago. According to him, it was a dormant fae and he wasn’t suited to care for it. So now it was mine.
With no idea how to take care of it—and no instructions from the stupid druid—I’d been keeping it in the top drawer of my nightstand, nestled in an old sweater. At some point, I’d gotten in the habit of holding it while reading in bed, occasionally sharing random thoughts about my day. Why? No idea. Either I was crazy or lonely. Or a bit of both.
I scrolled through a few more dumb internet things, my mind wandering to Aaron’s and Kai’s concerned questions about the fae lord’s visit. Had it only been six hours ago? My fingers tapped across my screen, closing one app and opening another. Photos filled the small display.
As I flipped through them, a smile tugged at my lips. Aaron and me at a farmer’s market, pointing dramatically at a stand of oddly shaped watermelons. The three guys and me at the guild, toasting over a job they’d smashed. Sin and me at an outdoor concert last week, making faces at the camera.
I stopped at a photo of Aaron and me grinning at the selfie camera as we brandished big plastic guns. Behind us, Kai and Ezra stood at attention, faces grim, holding their own plastic firearms.
Two Witches and a Whiskey (The Guild Codex: Spellbound Book 3) Page 11