Revenge of the Fae

by Carly Fall

  A line had formed from the coffee shop, out the door and around the corner where she enjoyed her brew. People hustled by her, heads down as they checked their phones. If she still worked at the construction job, she would be catching her second bus to the site right about now. Avery sighed, wondering what she was going to do about the rent. She’d always managed somehow. Right now, it would have to wait. The higher priority was solving her mother’s murder.

  After about an hour’s wait, she saw McAllister climb the stairs into the police station, his bag firmly in his grasp. He glanced around, but she was confident he wouldn’t notice her under the awning. Dressed in all black hopefully made her blend in with the shadow it created.

  Avery had him in her sights, and now, she’d wait.

  Three hours later, Avery wanted to punch herself in the face to try to stay awake. She was almost asleep on her feet.

  She perked up when she saw McAllister exit the building and head back the way he’d come earlier. After a slow count of ten, she followed him, but on the opposite side of the street. She pulled up her hoodie to hide her hair. Like the night before, she wore jeans and a sweatshirt and hoped she resembled any other guy in Seattle making his way through the day. She also hoped he didn’t expect her to follow him twice in twenty-four hours.

  When McAllister stopped at a sandwich shop, her stomach growled, and she realized she couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten. She’d been so preoccupied with the shit-storm that had become her life, she’d forgotten she needed sustenance to function. After she got the file on her mom’s case, she’d have to remedy her hunger. A huge salad sounded fabulous.

  She stayed about a block behind the detective as he continued his midday trek, as though he didn’t have a care in the world. He stopped at a park, sat down on a bench, and ate his sandwich. He spent a few minutes watching the kids climbing on a play structure, a sad smile on his face.

  I wonder if he has a family? Or maybe he did at one time, but no longer?

  “Join the club, buddy,” she muttered as she pretended to peruse the newsstand across the street from him.

  At last, he left the park, and she noted he’d been gone from the station for almost an hour. Apparently, he was on salary.

  Must be nice.

  He turned up a hill toward a residential community, and her heart began to beat faster. She hoped he was heading home and she could somehow snatch that file.

  The thought left a bad taste in her mouth, but she swallowed it. She needed to get that information contained in it to find out what had truly happened to her mom.

  Tidy homes and large trees sandwiched the street—a typical middle-class neighborhood one would find in the suburbs of any city.

  She stopped and ducked behind a tree when McAllister ambled up the path to a white Victorian house that appeared as if it had been fully remodeled. She guessed the house had been chopped up inside and made into several apartments, which seemed the current trend for beautiful, old homes in town.

  He opened the front door and entered the house without using a key, which only furthered her theory. The main foyer must have been turned into a lobby of sorts.

  She waited two minutes then quickly approached the path to the front door, her hands shaking as she turned the knob. Would she come face-to-face with him? If so, how would she explain her presence in his apartment complex? Or would she just skip the small talk, go for the jugular, and get the file?

  The door creaked slightly as she pushed it open. Four mailboxes were built into the white wall to her left, a dark, wooden staircase directly ahead. Two white doors were located to her right, which she assumed were apartments. McAllister was nowhere in sight, but she heard footsteps echoing down from the stairwell. She followed.

  Thankfully, the old staircase seemed to have been recently replaced—she could tell as there were no squeaky boards and everything looked new—and she was able to creep up on her tiptoes without making a sound.

  The house only had two floors, so once she reached the second, there was nowhere else to go. Matching white doors, left and right, greeted her. Which one had he gone through?

  She noticed the entrance on the left wasn’t quite shut, and she heard movement on the other side. Should she barge in and hope she had picked the right apartment? Or simply knock?

  Avery quietly tip-toed over the gleaming hardwood floors to the entrance on the right and laid her head against it, once again thankful for the remodel—no creaks or groans. Not a sound she could decipher, not even the low hum of a television. Either the occupants were completely silent as they moved about the apartment, or they were asleep or not home.

  Turning back to the open door, nervous butterflies tickled her stomach and beads of sweat wet her brow. For a brief moment, she considered sneaking back down the stairs and out the door, but that would be chickening out. In her mind, McAllister was a liar, and she needed to know why he was covering up for the vampire who’d killed Melia. Although she couldn’t be certain, that file was as good a place as any to get the answers she needed.

  But, what if he didn’t bring the file home?

  Her gut clenched. What if it was back at the office? What if she got caught and McAllister threw her into Spectral Prison? Would any of this be worth it? Could she live without knowing what had really happened to her mom?

  With a deep breath, she decided to move forward with her plan.

  She walked carefully over to the cracked door and pushed it open just a touch. The smell of foliage greeted her, and she then knew she had McAllister’s place. Only a Fae would have so many plants.

  With a light tap, she widened the gap between the frame and the panel once again, which allowed her to see inside.

  The apartment was bright, airy, and tidy. Plants covered almost every surface, and a few hung from hooks on the ceiling. A wide window allowed a steady stream of sunlight in, reflecting off the white walls, making it even brighter. Furniture in earth tones, various shades of green and brown, seemed new, almost as if he’d moved in not too long ago.

  And there, lying on the couch, was his briefcase.

  But where was McAllister?

  She listened for a moment and heard nothing. Maybe the bathroom? The kitchen or bedroom? None of those rooms were visible to her.

  No time like the present. It’s now or never, Avery.

  She stretched out a hand through the opening and concentrated on bringing the bag to her. It lifted off the couch and floated over the coffee table.

  As a hand clamped down on her own, she gasped and stifled a scream. The bag fell to the floor as McAllister rounded the door, his nostrils flaring, his mouth set in a fine line.

  “Hello, Avery,” he said through gritted teeth. “You’re really an annoying little nymph.”

  Busted.

  9

  McAllister yanked her into his apartment, before slamming the door and shoving her against it. The loud sound seemed to reverberate through the floorboards, causing her stomach to lurch.

  Or maybe it was the predicament she was in.

  “You’d better not lay another hand on me, or I’ll scream for your neighbors,” she said.

  He let go of her hand and leaned his palm on the door, trapping her. She couldn’t get out, and she couldn’t step farther inside the apartment.

  Avery stared up at him, trembling from head-to-toe, but she was determined not to let him see that she was terrified of what might happen next.

  “Why are you following me, Avery? Breaking into my home?”

  “You had your vampire friend scare the crap out of me last night,” she shot back.

  For a second, a small, sadistic grin played on his lips, as if he enjoyed what had happened to her the previous evening. He didn’t resemble the strong, decent cop he’d portrayed the first time they’d met. It was as if her actions had peeled back a layer of him, and his true colors were shining through.

  “Why are you here?” he asked with a weary sigh as the smile faded and he crossed
his arms over his chest.

  She glanced at the bag on the floor as she yanked down her hood. The contents had spilled out when she’d moved the case, and there, right on top, was her mother’s file.

  Avery met his gaze again and decided to be truthful. There wasn’t a lie she could think of that wouldn’t sound ridiculous.

  “I want to see the file you’re carrying around about my mother.”

  His stare hardened. “That’s police business and none of yours.”

  “Yes, it is. It’s about my mother, so that makes it my business.”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “What makes you think a detective with the Seattle Police Department needs to share anything in the folder with you, a citizen? Worse yet, a victim’s family member?”

  “Because you’re a liar,” she spat.

  He arched an eyebrow at her. “Excuse me?”

  With teeth clenched, her fury boiled to the surface. On instinct, she laid her hands on his chest and pushed him, sending him backward a few steps. “I saw the vampire bite, you shit,” she hissed. “Paranormal entities had to be involved in my mother’s murder, and you told me there wasn’t any indication of that. Therefore, Detective, you are a liar.”

  She sidestepped him and within a few strides, put the couch between them. While he stared at her in disbelief, she focused her gaze down at the file. Placing her hand out in front of her, she concentrated on lifting it from the floor and bringing it toward her. She’d figure out how to escape from the apartment once she had the folder in her hands. It wouldn’t be an easy task, but the anger fueled her, giving her more determination.

  As the folder rose from the floor, McAllister lunged for it, but she angled it just out of his reach. Then everything went to hell.

  Papers flew out of the file folder, scattering across the floor. She counted four of them, but then glanced up at McAllister and noticed his face had turned crimson, his rage evident.

  He lifted his hands, and a red, transparent ball about the size of a bowling ball appeared between them, reminding her of a round, wispy cloud. She understood what it was and remembered her father had shown her something similar. Energy orbs.

  “You’re not touching those papers, Avery,” he growled.

  Keeping her eye on the ball, she replied, “We’ll just have to see about that.”

  He released the orb, and it careened toward her. She ducked behind the couch, and a popping noise met her ears as it slammed into the wall behind her. Having never been hit by Fae energy, she had no idea what to expect, but she had no intention of finding out.

  Standing up from behind the couch, she saw another orb forming in his hands. She stretched out her own and focused on the coffee table. Before she could get it off the ground, the ball hit her square in the chest, sending her back against the wall and flat on the floor.

  As all her breath exhaled, her chest ached as though someone had just slammed a fist against it. She touched her ribcage, feeling for any holes… relieved to find the energy hadn’t actually penetrated like a bullet. Instead, the force simply shocked and hurt her when it knocked her off her feet.

  At least she now knew what she was fighting.

  She crawled closer to the couch and peeked around the side.

  “Was that a little much, Avery?” McAllister asked. “Are you ready to call it quits and get out of here, or should I haul your ass down to Spectral Prison?”

  She stretched out an arm and concentrated on a plant to his left. As it whizzed through the air, she couldn’t see whether it connected with him or not, but she heard the crash as its journey through the room ended.

  “That was my favorite aloe vera plant, Avery!” he yelled.

  The couch began tipping back on her, and she realized he was using an energy ball to make it do so. With a lot of effort, she pushed back. The muscles in her arms strained, and she almost gave up. With a groan, she finally righted it.

  She realized McAllister wasn’t trying to hurt her, just disable her. But then, how would a cop explain a dead woman in his apartment?

  This gave her some comfort but also left more questions. Was his power stronger than he was letting on, or was he throwing everything he had at her?

  He stepped around the couch, another energy ball between his hands. With her on all fours, she was in a very vulnerable position. She scooted backward hoping to reach the other corner of the sofa before he could launch it.

  The ball hit her in the back, sending her flat to the floor, the breath again whooshing from her lungs. She reached her hand out and focused on the leg of the side table. As it slammed into McAllister’s knee, she got a moment of reprieve and relocated, so the couch lay in between them once again.

  Papers and the folder were just a few feet away.

  She couldn’t see what was typed on them, but one looked as if it had handwritten notes on it. She figured the typed ones were the official documents of the case, and she already had the official version of what had happened to Melia. However, the handwritten note was a different story.

  If she could center his attention elsewhere for a few seconds, she could grab that one page and find a way to get out of there.

  She heard another energy ball whiz above her head and crash into the wall at the end of the hallway.

  It seemed to take the Fae a few seconds to renew the powerful orbs, so she got to her knees and used her own magic to fling another plant at him. This one hit him square on the shoulder and knocked him off balance.

  She took the opportunity and raised her left hand, concentrating on the handwritten note. It floated over to her, close to the ground. Snatching it, she hid behind the side of the couch, the crunched paper tightly in her fist. Jamming it in her pocket, she decided on a diversion for her escape.

  Through the legs of the coffee table, she could see his other folders, the papers still intact. A small smile crept over her lips as an idea came to her.

  A few seconds later, all the files opened, and paper exploded everywhere around the room.

  She got to her feet as she heard McAllister curse.

  “I give up!” she yelled at him. “I’m leaving! You can forget I was ever here!”

  Another energy ball knocked her back a few steps, but it only pissed her off. I just surrendered, and he is still throwing his powers around? Fine.

  Avery didn’t want to hurt him, but she wasn’t going let him beat her up, either. She focused on the kitchen chair behind him, levitated it, then smacked it over his head. The wood cracked and splintered as he went spread-eagle to the floor.

  After one beat of silence, he groaned. She walked over to him and picked up the broken leg of the chair, swinging it over her shoulder like a baseball bat. She gazed down at him, and he met her stare. A rivulet of blood trickled from just above his brow back into his hairline.

  “When someone says they’re leaving, that means they’re giving up the fight,” she said, placing one hand on her hip.

  “What are you going to do with that stick?” he asked.

  She didn’t answer but refused to flinch away from his gaze.

  A small, evil smile crept across his lips—the same one he’d given her earlier.

  “You’re not going to do a thing with it,” he said. “You don’t have it in you.”

  She couldn’t deny it. No way could she hurt him further, let alone kill him. That kind of violence went against her nature. Besides, she had the upper hand, and had what she’d come for. He didn’t even know it.

  “You’re right,” she said as she tossed it next to him. “I don’t have it in me.”

  She turned and walked toward the door. Just as she opened it, she heard him chuckle.

  “I knew you didn’t, Avery. You’re too small, too weak.”

  With a second of hesitation, she debated whether she should slam the kitchen table on top of him but decided against it.

  He didn’t realize it, but she’d won.

  She left the apartment, shutting the door firmly behind her. Ta
king the stairs two at a time, she ran out of the house and didn’t stop until she reached a busy street where she could blend in with the crowd.

  As she fought to draw air into her lungs, the wad of paper in her pocket felt as if it were on fire. She wanted to pull it out and read it, but the more space she put between her and McAllister, the more secure she’d be.

  Now, to find some place safe where he couldn’t find her, where she could read the notes and figure out her next move.

  10

  “Hey, Victoria,” Avery said into her phone as she stood in the doorway of an apartment complex. Her gaze flickered from one person to the other as they passed her. “Um… I was wondering if I could crash at your apartment for a day or two.”

  The vampire yawned. “Are you okay, honey? It’s the middle of the day, and you usually don’t call me at this time. What’s going on?”

  She twisted a strand of her hair around her finger, anxiety at levels that caused her to shake. What had she done? What had she been thinking?

  “I… I need somewhere to crash for a while and was wondering if I could come to your place.”

  Silence filled the air before Victoria answered. “Are you in trouble? Have you done something? You sound like your anxiety has the best of you.”

  Was she in trouble? More than she could have ever imagined. She’d just had a Fae fight, trashed a cop’s apartment, and robbed him.

  “It’s probably best if you don’t know the details. I just need somewhere to hide for a while.”

  Victoria sighed. “What did you do?”

  “Can you just please answer my question?” Avery asked, trying to keep the irritability from her voice. “Can I stay with you, or not?”

  If Victoria said no, Avery had no idea where she’d go. She had enough money on her to buy a cup of coffee. She knew better than to use her credit cards as they were so easy for the police to track. Besides, it would be a miracle if a charge went through on them.

  “I guess so,” Victoria finally replied. “Do I want to know what you did?”