by Holly Evans
His eyes flickered a dark amber, his mouth tightened. "It seems the hound completed the ritual."
I looked from Elise to Lysander, willing them to say something. Elise covered her face with her hands, Lysander dropped his head.
"I'm sorry, mistress,” he said quietly.
My heart dropped. It had all been for nothing.
"How...?"
Azfin snarled, "The witches must have warned him."
"You're sure?" I asked.
He gave me a dark look, complete with a flash of his pointed teeth. "Yes."
"Now what?" Matyas asked.
"We find the witches responsible, and kill them," Haeyl said icily.
Elise stood a little taller, her mouth fixed in a tight line. "Yes. As Haeyl said. We kill the bitches."
Quin had called in a clean-up crew to deal with the mess the witches and such had left behind. Lysander paced, refusing to look at me. Elise wasn't much better. I hadn't seen her lose her cool and maintain an agitated state before. The Sidhe were themselves. Quin remained behind to make sure the crew got the place right; I took everyone else up to Elise's sanctuary, or at least the park around it, given the Sidhe still weren't allowed inside. No one said a word on the journey there. We piled into a taxi, none of us in the mood to deal with public transport. The Sidhe burst out of the taxi, leaving me to pay the driver, who gave me a dark look and muttered something. I shrugged him off and wrapped my arm around Elise's shoulders. Lysander trailed behind us while the Sidhe stormed ahead. They growled between themselves in some fae tongue. I snapped at them to shut up and calm down. Elise sighed heavily and leaned her head against mine for a moment.
"My beautiful city is crumbling beneath my feet, thanks to those witches," she said.
I squeezed her shoulders. "They won't win this. We won't let them."
My words felt weak, but I had to try. She'd always been my rock; I didn't know how to comfort her or give her what she needed.
She nodded to herself and stood up straighter.
Taking a deep breath, she said, "You're right. I will consult my lady on what our next steps are to be. She prepared me for this, I always knew I would need to fight." She kissed my cheek. "Thanks, Evie. I'll take the Sidhe."
"Thanks," I whispered.
I was in no place to deal with their high-strung shit. Whatever patience I may have had had long since evaporated. The witches were trying to destroy my city, my home. I was not going to allow them to succeed. Rage bubbled within me. Lysander caught up and walked beside me when Elise walked ahead to the Sidhe. His head hung low; he refused to say a word or raise his eyes. His shoulders were hunched, his feet dragged a little. I led him over to a small wall on the other side of the little square affair in front of Elise's church. We sat under the heavy clouds in the faintness of the single light at the edge of the path.
I ran my fingers through his thick hair and said softly, "Talk to me."
He slowly raised his eyes and said, "I failed you."
I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to allow the frustration to slip away. "You did no such thing. You killed many witches today, and zombies."
His muscles relaxed a little, but his mouth remained in a frown. I ran my thumb along the edge of his ear.
"I will not allow my hound to give in so easily."
The corners of his mouth tugged upwards and his eyes sparked a little. "Your hound, hm?"
I put my hand down in my lap and sighed as I ran my fingers over my silver bracelet with my other hand. Like it or not, I was growing attached to him. He was proving to be a useful and resourceful pet, a companion.
I looked up into his eyes and said, "Yes. Mine."
He nuzzled his face against my neck. "I'm glad to be yours, Evelyn."
I ran my fingers through his hair once more. "I know you'll make me proud."
It was as much a command, a threat, as a soothing comment.
His hot breath trickled down my neck, his words burned in my ear, sweet promises of so much more. "I will."
Quin and Kadrix emerged out of the darkness, their faces slightly flushed and hair a touch messy. Kadrix's arm was wrapped around Quin's waist. Lysander growled softly as my protectiveness over my twin flared up; I'd skin the elf alive if he so much as thought about hurting Quin. It faded quickly when I saw the faint glow to Quin's skin, the happiness that shone from within him. I hadn't seen that from him since before our parents had vanished. I hadn't realised that I was leaning into Lysander as I watched Quin and Kadrix approach Elise's church, apparently unaware of us watching them.
"I would give you that, if you'd let me," Lysander whispered in my ear.
The thrill of his breath on my skin, of the images he offered me, sent shivers skittering down my spine and butterflies wheeling in my stomach. I closed my eyes tight and pushed it aside; he was a hound, a pet. A companion at best. Christian had left me for a nymph, what awful thing would a beast such as him do to my already-fragile heart? He settled next to me, his muscles relaxing as he leant against me. We each took comfort in the quiet presence of the other. A moment of peace and sanctuary in the chaos that exploded around us.
After a long while, he simply said, “Why?"
His voice soft, tinged with pleading, to know, to understand. I refused to look at him. Instead, I focused on the bracelet and cursed it for stripping my ability to lie. To protect him. His fingers traced my jawline, his lips dangerously close to mine.
“I would give you the world, Evelyn."
I looked into his eyes, wishing he were human, and said, “At what price?"
I could no longer bear to be alone with Lysander. The weight of the emotion was too great. The hunters had returned home once we'd finished with the failed ambush. They had no useful information, and none of us were particularly comfortable having them deal with the Sidhe or enter Elise's sanctuary. Lysander and I had headed inside not long after Kadrix and Quin; there was no reason to raise suspicions, and we needed to wrap things up as quickly as possible. The other hound was getting close to the final ritual. There was no time left to enjoy the little moments. Lysander stayed a little back from me, the comfort of his presence no longer offered.
Elise was glaring at Azfin while Haeyl lounged out on one of the seats. Kadrix and Quin stood a little too close to each other, their stances of crossed arms and squared shoulders mimicking each other.
"Are they causing trouble, Elise?" I said sweetly as I walked into her sanctuary, the altar behind her, complete with flickering white and silver candles.
Azfin smirked at me over his shoulder.
"We wouldn't do such a thing, Evelyn,” he said.
"Of course you wouldn't, Azfin," I said nonchalantly.
"They refuse to submit themselves to the required ritual," Elise said, growling without taking her eyes off Azfin.
I stood next to Azfin, my fingers running over the hilt of my blade.
"And why is that?" I asked.
Haeyl's voice rumbled, "Because we are not of your kind. We do not work the way you do."
"Sounds like you're scared," I said sweetly.
The Sidhes' eyes flared, both looked at me, their teeth on full display. I pursed my lips and raised an eyebrow. Azfin broke first. He waved his hand.
"Fine. For the sake of the city."
Haeyl muttered something. I leaned forward towards him.
"You wouldn't be foolish enough to be looking for a deal or sacrifice, would you?" I asked.
His eyes narrowed and he sat up properly before he grumbled, “No."
I smiled sweetly and stood up tall. “Good boy."
He flashed his pointed teeth at me; I fluttered my eyelashes at him innocently before I looked to Elise.
She took a deep breath and said, "We have no artifact from the witch to find them, so I need to use the energy from each of your memories and contacts with them."
It sounded complicated, but I had complete faith in her. Kadrix went to say something, but I shot him a dark look; his tracker had a
lready failed.
"Evie, come and help me gather the supplies."
I felt a lecture coming on. Still, I followed her into the back room. I hadn't stepped foot in her supply room more than twice in the time that I'd known her; it wasn't my domain. The walls were covered in shelves with tables and drawers filling the space in the middle of the floor. She gathered up an arm full of white and silver tapered candles, which she handed to me.
"So, what happened with Lysander out there?" she asked.
There was no wriggle room left between her words. I sighed softly.
"He made... grand offers. Offers I can't accept."
"Why not?"
"Because of what he is."
"Oh, really, Evie. What's the real reason?"
"He's a hellhound!" I hissed.
"You know better than to give me that. What's really stopping you?"
I leaned back against the shelf behind me, the candles in my arms suddenly feeling very heavy.
"After Christian..."
"You have to move on at some point,” she said while looking through a particularly deep drawer.
I squeezed my eyes shut, I knew she was right, but I could do it with a good human man.
"Evie, you're being foolish. Stop letting your fear rule you,” she said.
She stood up with a victorious grin on her face as she held a ball of pure white thread in her hands.
"Now, help me put those Sidhe in their place."
I laughed. "It'll be a pleasure."
Kadrix and Azfin were having a silent stand-off when we returned. Each of them stood rigidly, glaring at each other. The elf's ears were beginning to turn an interesting shade of pink. Elise allowed her breath to escape between her clenched teeth, making a hissing sound that caught everyone's attention.
"Sidhe, form the circle. Kadrix, set the candles, Quin help him. Evie, you'll help me with the thread."
In their defence, the Sidhe didn't argue. They walked to the large clear area before the altar and each stood taking long, deep breaths with their eyes closed. A soft golden glow came from Haeyl, while a faint silver one formed around Azfin. The glow extended around them slowly, drawing a large circle of light around them that extended up towards the high ceiling. Kadrix and Quin paused at the edge of the circle, candles in hand. Once the circle had begun to solidify, they set about putting the candles on the floor just inside the circle, alternating between metallic silver and pure white. The Sidhe paid them no attention; their eyes remained closed and their breathing slow.
Once the circle had been set in both energy and candles, the Sidhe opened their eyes and carefully stepped between the candles to be inside the circle. Kadrix and Quin followed suit. The Sidhe stood at the southern point and Kadrix and Quin stood at the northern point, leaving east and west for Elise and me. I eyed the circle with some suspicion; I knew that Elise was behind it, but it remained Sidhe-made, and therefore something to be wary of. Elise gently pushed me forward to take up the Western point; she stepped into the Eastern point a moment later. No one acknowledged me; they all apparently had some idea of what was going on. I frowned, looking for Lysander, a flicker of guilt fluttering within me. Elise's mouth tightened as she saw my face.
She said softly, "His infernal energy would throw this off, I'm afraid."
I gave a small nod and waited for my next instruction. Between us, we formed a delicate web with the thread connecting each of us, with Elise at the connecting node. Once it was complete, we each sat and followed Elise's instructions to focus our minds on the strongest memory we had connected to the witches. My mind immediately flashed to the fear of the assassin that would have killed me had Lysander not been there. I focused my mind on the image of him pinning it to the wall, snarling at it. Perhaps I should have used an alternate memory, one where I'd had physical contact with a witch, or something with less fear attached to it, but she had said the strongest memory. I had nothing stronger than the mix of fearing for my life, and being thankful that the hound was there to protect me.
When I opened my eyes, the candles were blazing and Elise was surrounded by pure white light, her face a blank slate.
She took a long slow breath and quietly said, "Evie, take Lysander home. Quin and Kadrix will go to the workshop, the Sidhe will remain here."
Her voice sounded distant, as though she were speaking somewhere above me. I didn't argue, despite the frustration at being sent away, deemed useless. I gave a small nod and some muttered thanks to the altar before I carefully stepped out of the circle, allowing my thread to sit on the floor where I had been. Lysander was already near the front door when I walked through the church. His hands were thrust into his pockets. He refused to look at me. I hooked my arm through his without a word and headed back home. The tiredness hit me the moment we stepped out into the crisp night air. I'd felt fine in the church; it must have been part of Elise's magic. Lysander put his arm around my waist, and I found that I didn't mind it.
I drew comfort from his strength and familiarity while my mind railed about being pushed away, once again. I was growing weary of being set aside from the important things. With a sigh, I admitted to myself that it was my own fault; I'd turned away from magic and refused to have anything to do with it.
Lysander squeezed me a little closer to him and said, "Don't worry, Evelyn, we'll be outcasts together."
The smile ran through his words, but that didn't remove the unintended sting. To be an outcast suggested that others had pushed me out, but I'd done it for myself. I just didn't know if that made it better or worse.
Once we were safely home, Lysander started to open up and returned to himself a little.
He paced around the kitchen area, where he said, "I'm sorry I failed you, mistress. I should have stopped the other hound before now. This should never have gotten as far as it has."
His hands spoke more than his words did, he gestured with each word, adding emphasis to his apology.
I slumped down on the sofa and said, "You're not to blame, Lysander. We have each done the best we can with what we have."
He knelt by my feet facing the sofa, his hands brushing over my knees before he pulled them back to himself. "Why am I not enough?"
I stood and walked to the bedroom. "I can't do this, Lysander."
"I can feel your emotions, Evelyn."
I slammed the door. He could stay on the sofa, or the floor. I didn't care. I was done for the night.
The pressure on my bed woke me. I kicked out at the intruder and went to grab my blades that I kept near my bed. Lysander grumbled to himself as I remembered who he was. I was of the mind to send him back out to the sofa, but his loneliness sat in the back of my mind. He shivered at the bottom of the bed and curled himself up small. Guilt riddled me. I knew I'd regret it in the morning but I lifted the blankets behind me and waited for him to crawl underneath. He wriggled up next to me, his cool body pressed against mine.
"Thank you, Evelyn. I'm used to warmer climes."
He nuzzled against my neck and draped his arm over my waist; the urge to push him away quickly dissipated. I knew that he wouldn't try anything, not without my permission beforehand. His body fit around mine as though we were made for each other. I slipped into sleep feeling contented and safe.
My dreams were full of fire and passion; I awoke feeling more alive than I had done in quite some time. Lysander stretched against me, his legs brushing against mine.
His teeth grazed my ear, "Good morning, Evelyn."
A shiver trickled down my spine. I relished the feeling of him against me. His warmth surrounded me, providing an escape from the mayhem we'd been subjected to as of late. Of course, it couldn't last. My mind quickly cleared and focused on the events of the past few days; I wondered if Quin had spent the night with Kadrix and how things had gone with Elise.
Lysander nuzzled his face against my neck and whispered, "Thank you."
I smiled, the warmth of our combined happiness swelling within me. He remained close to me a
s I headed out into the main living area; Quin's bedroom door was ajar, but there was no sign of him. A twinge of envy formed as I thought about him and Kadrix. I'd kill the elf if he dared hurt my twin. Breakfast was simple and quiet. I gazed out the window at the grey day while waiting for news from someone. I hated it. The more time dragged on, the more away from the main group I felt. Logically, I knew that I wasn't useless, I knew I'd done it to myself, but I wanted to be in the thick of the action. I wasn't cut out for waiting. Lysander remained close at hand, doing his best to soothe me with small touches. I allowed it, more to calm him than anything.
A hot shower did nothing to take the edge off. I kept checking my phone, waiting. The temptation to go and visit Elise was becoming uncontrollable and all-consuming, but I refused to give in. Elise wouldn't forgive me if I stuck my nose in where it wasn't wanted. We'd been sent away for a reason; I had to trust her, to trust them. Still I paced.
Elise rang me late in the morning, her voice lacklustre and cracking. We rushed over to her church. Thoughts of the Sidhe harming her fluttered around my mind. I'd kill them. I'd picked up extra iron filings, just in case I did need to slaughter the arrogant little shits. I burst into the church, expecting to see chaos. Instead, there was just Elise with the two Sidhe, each sat on the floor before the altar. Azfin and Haeyl were ashen, they barely lifted their heads to acknowledge me. The threads were wrapped around their hands. Elise slowly stood. I jogged down between the seats and pulled her tight to me.
"It's ok, Evie. It's ok." Her hand ran down the back of my head stroking my hair. "It's just been a long night, is all."
Relief flooded through me.
She looked over my shoulder and said, "Lysander, be a dear and make us some tea."
The hound walked into Elise's rooms in the back while I eased Elise into a seat. She felt frail, her make-up was smudged, and her hair lacked some of its usual shine.
