by Hayes, Drew
“Or I might just give it to you so we can be done with all of this,” I countered. “Not that I’m sure what I could offer. You don’t seem the type for white-collar crime, so I can’t imagine you want my clients’ records, and there’s no item or access I have that you don’t. Unless this is a Gideon thing; though, in that case, I should tell you upfront that I’m not a particularly valuable hostage.”
No change in Hellebore’s face; if not for the occasional shifts of her gaze, I might not have even known she was listening—until I got to Gideon’s name, which earned me a slight raise of an eyebrow. “Few have the gall to so casually use the King of the West’s name without a proper title attached. However, this has nothing to do with him. There are channels for those of our stations to communicate.”
Then what? My condition might make me slightly interesting as a prisoner—as a novelty, if nothing else—but I had a hunch Deborah and the Blood Council would take umbrage with that, at least until I’d been fully studied. The longer this drew on, the more I loathed the entire thing. Calling us out, forcing Krystal to fight, toying with us under her thumb because she could… it felt like I was dealing with a more competent version of Quinn, my sociopathic sire.
At the thought of him, pieces began to fall into place. Outside of a vampire specific condition, there was nothing special about me from Hellebore’s point of view. Anyone I had alliances with, she could reach. Any item I might have, she could obtain. But Quinn… Quinn was something different. He’d made a lot of enemies on all sides of the parahuman tracks, and was so good at hiding, not even the Agency could find him. The only thing he’d consistently shown up for was a chance to torment me. It was a wild swing in the dark, no question, which made me all the more grateful vampires could see even without light.
“It is impressive that you’ve made her show this much strength.” I had to approach this very carefully: my guest status was all that kept me safe, and I wasn’t entirely sure what level of slight would rob me of its protection. “Been a long time since she had to try like this. The last one to pull it off was my absolute bastard of a sire, a man named Quinn.”
No reaction, not that I’d expected one to come that easily from someone like Hellebore.
“He used kidnapping, too, actually. And a unique location. No giant monster; just a bunch of ghouls. Did the dirty work himself, so that’s another difference. Still, lots of similarities in the plan. I guess you two must tactically think ali—ACK!”
I had expected this to be the start of a long, drawn-out process by which I would slowly attempt to elicit some manner of reaction from Hellebore. Instead, before the end of my sentence, I found my whole body spun instantly through the air, stopping only when my head pressed hard against the icy floor, Hellebore’s hand tightly gripping the lower half of my skull. Her eyes bore down into me, the horror and savagery of winter on full display. In that moment, I saw the storm inside her, and realized for the first time that I’d gotten the entirely wrong gauge on Hellebore.
She wasn’t calm at all. She was a furious sea buried beneath a thick sheet of ice. The placid demeanor and constant control was a mask to hide whatever was fueling this rage.
“You dare compare me to that vile, slithering worm. I should tear out your tongue and hang it over my bed—with the others.”
On a positive note, I’d definitely found Hellebore’s sore spot, and the likely reason we were in this mess. The downside was that I might not survive long enough to make actual use of it.
6.
The room was silent and tense. Ultimately, it was a roar from the blizzard behemoth—coming first through the enchanted ice screen, and then rattling the castle itself, albeit slightly—that broke the stillness. Not much, but enough to shake Hellebore’s mind back to the actual moment. I saw the shift in her eyes, that hard wall sliding back into place as she reasserted her control. It was also of note that even as her demeanor changed, her grip never lessened. My cheekbones felt like her fingers were leaving dents, and without magic, I suspected the floor under my head would have cracked, if not shattered. Her strength was incredible, and this was her just casually throwing someone about.
“It seems we have both come very near to crossing a line today, Fredrick Fletcher. You flirted with the idea that I am equivalent to Quinn, and I almost tore your head off for the slight. However, as neither of us quite went that far, it seems my hospitality is still in effect. I would caution you not to test it.”
Finally, Hellebore’s grip vanished. In the time it took me sit up, she was already back across the room, watching the screen as Krystal created a sphere of flame the size of beach ball between her hands. I took my time rising, rubbing my neck slightly, but whatever damage she’d done was already healed. At least I didn’t have to choke or gasp for air; one of the perks of breathing only out of habit.
“I hate him, too, you know. He turned me, abandoned me, then tried to kill me and my friends because I failed to live up to expectations. There’s no loyalty, no connection. If I knew where he was, I’d tell you.”
“Of that, I have little doubt. You complimented my intelligence earlier, do not underestimate it now. I am fully aware of the relationship you have with your sire.” Maybe it was because of the slip, or maybe I was starting to see past the flawless features to the emotions hidden beneath, but Hellebore seemed slightly stiffer than before.
I had to pick my words carefully here. Another slight, and that was probably it. Hellebore was clearly off-balance when it came to the subject of Quinn. From the hatred, it was evident they wouldn’t be in league together, though perhaps that had occurred in the past. She knew I couldn’t contact Quinn, and that we hated one another, so I had no value as a hostage. My only value…
When it clicked into place at last, I felt like an absolute buffoon. It was all there: the connections, the intelligence, even why she’d go through all this trouble just to get me alone, with leverage over the person I cared most about. In a way, it was comforting. It answered a question I’d been carrying with me since Quinn’s last attack.
“You know, a few years ago, someone had me put out in the field on an assignment I wasn’t really suited or needed for, which just so happened to lure Quinn out from hiding. I’ve been wondering for a while who within the Agency would want Quinn bad enough to use me as bait. In theory, I suppose it also could have been someone from the outside, the sort of person with clout to spare and favors to burn. But I dismissed that idea, because if someone from the outside had set it up, they would have sent some forces to see the job done.”
“One might have assumed that drawing Quinn to a domicile with four active agents and Arch would have been enough to handle a single rogue vampire. Or, perhaps, the force was not permitted to act directly.”
I really hadn’t been sure if Hellebore would rip my heart out for that or not, so getting a soft confirmation that I was on the right track nearly tipped me over with relief. Rising to my feet, I shook off the last of her attack, steeling myself to press on. I could see Krystal hurling her orb of flame, catching one of the blizzard behemoth’s legs and blowing off a visible chunk of flesh. A massive roar of pain rattled us once more, giving me time to prepare my thoughts.
That last bit had been an obvious hint—more a signpost, to be honest. Hellebore couldn’t act independently to go after Quinn for some reason. She had to use pawns. My only role in her plans would likely be as bait; Quinn had consistently proven a willingness to show up for any chance at taking me out. She needed to make me play that role at any point and time that best suited her next scheme. All of this, stealing June, maneuvering Krystal—it was designed to make me offer the one thing Hellebore couldn’t just take. I didn’t know much about the fey, but I’d gotten a crash course on their rules regarding contracts and favors.
“While I do recognize the difficulty in halting such a large monster as a blizzard behemoth, seeing the tremendous power you possess, I have to wonder if things might not resolve faster with your aid. Is th
at the sort of negotiation you were looking to enter?”
Hellebore tapped the bottom of her chin, as if she were actually considering this bold new idea that had been brought to her attention. “Since you suggested it, I suppose that could indeed be possible, were I willing to significantly exert myself. Of course, there must be recompense for such aid, wouldn’t you agree?”
On screen, the blizzard behemoth fired a torrent of slush across its wounded leg. Seconds later, it swung the appendage around, revealing a hunk of ice that had formed in the missing section. It hadn’t healed, precisely, but it had avoided losing any mobility, and even caught Krystal by surprise. She narrowly avoided a different leg’s claws, soaring between them at the last moment.
“You want a favor. I get it. And I’ll give you one, with conditions. I won’t do anything illegal—that includes both human and parahuman laws—and I won’t do anything immoral.”
“Strange, you value such trivial distinctions over your beloved?” Needling as her tone was, I didn’t fall for it.
“Absolutely. You’re not actually threatening either Krystal or June; you’re just stealing time from us. Yes, changing a wedding at the last minute will be a bear, but Krystal would far rather deal with that than have to hunt me down for a crime or watch me do something unforgivable. Not illegal, not immoral. Oh, and toss in that you can’t use the favor until after our honeymoon. Let’s make sure nothing else potentially conflicts with the wedding. I know how specific these conditions can get, so I’m perfectly aware that this is cutting you a good deal.”
Another set of roars—Krystal was apparently going for the eyes again, this time staying close even as the behemoth snapped for her. She managed to land a few wounds at that, despite the constant need for dodging made attacking quite the challenge. I lingered on that image of her fighting, watching the monstrous form, still fairly sure I could make out her signature wild grin on the obsidian-armored face.
For her part, Hellebore’s attention lingered there only briefly. “Not so good a bargain as you might expect. Fredrick Fletcher is known for a few things among parahumans already, and one of them is his sense of ethics. The law is defined; morality less so. What is immoral to you might be perfectly normal to me, so you can see how such a nebulous definition leaves you with all the power. You could claim moral objection to any request, and I would have little recourse.”
The point wasn’t completely irrelevant; at the same time, there was zero chance we were going to use Hellebore’s ethics as our gauge. No sooner had the problem been posed than I saw the solution. In fact, it came so fast, I immediately questioned it, wondering whether this had been Hellebore’s design all along. Maybe it was; she was someone who schemed on a scale I couldn’t even begin to fathom. Whose idea it had been didn’t change the validity of it, however, so after a few more moments of consideration, I made my pitch.
“Then I propose we use September Windbrook as the judge of morality. If I oppose the favor you request, he will give us his best, honest ruling, free from any other favors or obligations he may owe to either of us. Should September rule it to be moral, then I’m bound to comply. Immoral, and we change the request or cancel it entirely, using the favor at a later point.”
There was something in Hellebore’s expression, too fleeting to identify—though, with her, any break in controlled expression was worth noting. “Interesting. Might I ask why you nominate September, of all people?”
“He seems like the best middle ground. Part-fey—of the winter region, at that, so he has personal loyalty to you. Add in the fact that I’m marrying Krystal, and we can agree that he’s probably not disposed to liking me. At the same time, September Windbrook works for the Agency, which means he also has some sense of duty and ethics.”
“Not quite the same as personal morals,” Hellebore pointed out.
“No, it’s not. But whatever else about September Windbrook might be true, he also won Krystal’s heart for a time. Even in the state she was back then, Krystal is too perceptive and smart to be taken in completely. September might have turned out to be a jerk, but Krystal could never love a monster. I trust her, and I trust her judgment.”
A long pause stretched between us, until Hellebore’s hand dipped into an unseen pocket on her shimmering dress. From within, she produced a single metal disc with a small divot on each side. It reflected the light strangely, the rainbow hue of spilled gasoline, as she turned it around in her fingers. “Your conditions are acceptable. In return, I will lend aid to Agent Krystal Jenkins in defeating the blizzard behemoth.”
“Hellebore, I think it’s safe to say I’ve been a pretty good sport about all this. I’m not even fighting on giving you what you want, merely laying out some basic rules of protection. Do we really need to go through the back and forth of me getting you to commit to meaningful help, rather than a nebulous promise?”
She clucked under her tongue at me, as though I was a child caught reaching for the cookie jar. “Yes, we really should, but I did slip up earlier when I laid hands upon you. It was a minor incident, yet I can already feel the effects. I’ll make amends by granting your request. Frankly, I’m about ready to be done with all of this, too. Very well: in exchange for the favor as outlined, I will aid in defeating the blizzard behemoth, then return Fredrick Fletcher, Agent Krystal Jenkins, and Agent June Windbrook safely to Charlotte Manor before day’s end. Specific enough?”
I couldn’t see many ways that might go wrong, and betraying us didn’t make much sense from Hellebore’s perspective. Sure, I might now be under her thumb, but she’d have a pissed-off Krystal to deal with—which, as the blizzard behemoth’s back could attest, was no small amount of trouble. Krystal was currently running along the top of the creature, leaving as many burning wounds as she could. Hopefully, her battle was nearly done.
Walking over, I looked down to the metal disc. “It sounds like we’ve got a deal. I’m presuming that plays some part in it?”
“Just something to keep the official record. While the magic of our agreements empower themselves, when one in my station makes such a bargain, record must be kept. It is not unheard of for one to attempt renegotiations down the line, arguing about the spirit of the terms when wording has multiple interpretations. This preserves the bargain as it was struck, words and meaning, so that such cases can be immediately resolved.”
Sure as I was that this served more than just that one function, I was effectively out of wiggle room. Besides, I didn’t see Hellebore giving ground on this one. As I watched, she lifted the disc by the edges with her left hand, then put her right thumb on the divot at the bottom. It stayed perched there, no matter which way she angled her hand, and she extended the arm toward me. The other divot faced up, implication clear.
Hoping with all my might that this wasn’t a huge mistake, I pressed my own thumb onto the disc.
There was a tingle, a prick, and then the entire disc changed color. It went from reflecting that odd, rainbow-like sheen to a simple, dull golden color, which vanished into Hellebore’s dress as suddenly as it had appeared.
“The terms are set. The deal is struck.” Hellebore looked not at the screen, but through the ice-window that Krystal had leapt out of, past the swirling storm to the giant monster swatting ineffectually at its flying foe. “I suppose that means it’s time to deal with my little yard pest.”
7.
I was expecting Hellebore to go leaping out the window like Krystal had, or maybe vanish and reappear on screen, inches away from delivering a devastating blow. Instead, I was treated to watching a simple snap with a crystal clear harmony that echoed off the castle’s frozen walls.
“While I trust you to uphold your end of the bargain, would you mind terribly explaining what you just did?”
Hellebore motioned to the screen, where I saw Krystal lobbing another orb of purple-black fire, this time causing an explosion on the monster’s rear left flank. Unlike the prior attacks, this one wasn’t ignored or quickly patched. Instea
d, the behemoth let out a horrendous wail that thundered against my ears, even from so far off. Rather than trying to chew Krystal from the sky, its legs scrambled to find purchase as it began to move rapidly away from her.
“Remember how I said it seemed as if this particular nuisance was drawing power from somewhere? I forcibly severed such connections, returning the creature to its natural state. Aggressive though they are, the nuisances are also smart enough to avoid fights they can’t win. It has already noticed the change.”
She was right. The blizzard behemoth wasn’t just repositioning for a better attack angle; it seemed to be gaining speed, large claws gripping the peaks of mountains as its long body dragged across the range. Krystal flew after it at first, not striking, but staying in close range. After ten seconds of pursuing her enemy, who was solidly sprinting away from her as fast as its legs would go, she circled back to the area where the two had been fighting. While I might have momentarily forgotten what this was really about, Krystal never had. Her burning body dropped low as she presumably searched for June. With her opponent fleeing and no more slush streams clouding the air, it should be a much easier process.
“Hypothetically speaking, had this been organized by someone, it would be quite an intricate plan. Enhance a strong enough creature to make a viable threat, have it assault your lands, use your own people as pawns to draw us here, coerce Krystal into joining the fray, all to get one favor out of me. A lot of trouble and ways to go wrong, yet the outcome speaks to the planner’s genius.”
