by KJ Baker
“I teleported using my magic. It allows me to move between places in an instant.”
“Right. Sure. You really expect me to believe that? Nobody can use magic.”
I shrugged. “You can if you are one of the Fae.”
Chapter 4
ASHA
He was crazy. He must be. Why else would he say something so ludicrous? Fae? Magic? Did he really expect me to believe such nonsense?
But as he stood there, staring at me with that unblinking gaze, I found myself beginning to waver. The events of the night replayed through my mind. He’d stopped a speeding bullet, grabbed it out of the air like plucking an apple from a tree. Then he’d whisked me away, transporting us several blocks away from my shop in less time that it took to take a breath. What kind of man had the ability to do that? No human man, that’s for sure.
Oh god. He couldn’t actually be telling the truth, could he?
I looked up at him. He was so tall I had to crane my head back and he had the broad-shouldered, muscled physique of someone used to physical labor. Raven. He was called Raven. What kind of a name was that? Still, it suited him. His hair was glossy black, just like a raven’s wing and longer than most men I’d met. It framed his face in luscious waves. He hadn’t shaved and a thin covering of stubble matted his cheeks, as dark as his hair. But his eyes... They were a color I’d never seen before, a deep blue that bordered on purple, and their color seemed to shimmer in the light.
I had thought Blond and Dark Hair were good-looking, but they paled in comparison to this man. Raven’s skin was bronze and flawless, pulled tight over sculpted cheekbones. There was an air of confidence about him—not the cruel arrogance of Blond and Dark Hair—just a complete faith in his own abilities that spoke of a natural charisma.
Something stirred inside me. Why did he seem familiar even though I’d never met him before tonight? Why did I feel like I knew him even though I’d never laid eyes on him before he appeared in my shop? I suddenly remembered the dream I’d been having earlier. I stood on a mountain top and a man stood beside me. This man. I reached out my hand towards him—
I stumbled back, suddenly afraid.
Raven was telling the truth. I knew it as certainly as I knew the sun would come up tomorrow. I didn’t know how I knew, but I did. He wasn’t human, just as the men who’d broken into my shop weren’t human. They were Fae. He was Fae. Whatever that meant.
He took a step towards me, but I held up a hand to stop him. Thoughts flickered through my mind. The Orb. Blond’s cruel smile. A gun pointed at my head. Raven catching the bullet meant for me.
I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze. “Ok. Let’s back up a bit here. Say I believe you. Start from the beginning. Tell me what the hell is going on.”
He glanced around, his lilac eyes flicking over the remnants of my shop.
“That thing you got from the antiques dealer is called the Orb of Tir. It is an heirloom of my people. It has certain...properties... that will give a great advantage to whichever side holds it. It has been missing for generations, but three months ago, my intelligence agents received word that the Unseelie had found some documents, clues to its whereabouts. They sent the Galadri to retrieve it. I came after them to stop them claiming the Orb.”
I held up my hands. “Whoa. Slow down. The Unseelie? The Galadri? Whichever side holds it? What does any of that mean?”
“War is brewing amongst my people. The Unseelie wish to tear down the Veil. My people are trying to stop them.”
“The Veil. What’s that?”
“It is what separates the world of the Fae from the world of humans.”
“And tearing it down would be a bad thing, right?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’ve just seen what some Fae are capable of.”
I sure had. Moving like lightning. Catching bullets. Zapping in and out of places. I shuddered. How could humans hope to stand up to people who could do that?
I wrapped my arms around my chest, suddenly cold. There was so much to take in. How was I supposed to understand any of this? This morning I’d been a broke antiques dealer who drank too much coffee and suffered from an eighties cartoon addiction. Crappy as it was, at least my life had made sense.
But now what was I? A broke antiques dealer with most of her stock smashed to smithereens who, if Raven was to be believed, was in danger from fairy-tale creatures who wanted to make war on humanity?
Oh, hell. I didn’t smoke, but right now I could have done with a cigarette. And maybe a bourbon or three.
I blew out a breath. “So what now?”
Anger flashed in Raven’s eyes. “The Galadri have the Orb of Tir and they also have a portal cube—which is how they passed through the Veil in the first place. They will use this to open a gateway to the Summerlands and take the Orb to the Unseelie.”
His words sparked a memory. “Their portal cube?” I asked, digging into my pocket. “It doesn’t look anything like this, does it?” I opened my hand. A small box that looked like it was made of bone sat on my palm. The streetlight caught the runes etched into each of its surfaces, making them gleam.
He took a sharp intake of breath. “Where did you get that?”
“I grabbed it off the floor right before we telethingymejigged. I think you knocked it out of his hand when you threw that poker.”
“Teleported,” he corrected absently. He stared at the box and then slowly reached out and plucked it off my palm. “This means the Galadri can’t return to the Summerlands. This means I still have a chance.”
“To do what?”
“Go after them. They’ll try to find another way to return to the Summerlands. I intend to stop them.”
“Right. Then I’m coming with you.”
I don’t know why I said it. The words were out of my mouth before I even had time to think, a classic case of brain and mouth not working in tandem.
But I didn’t regret the words. I meant them. I was going to help him find the morons who’d wrecked my shop and make them pay—if it was the last thing I did.
Raven narrowed his eyes at me. Jeez, his stare was unsettling. I lifted my chin, did my best to stare right back, but an annoying little flutter in my belly ruined the effect.
“Why do you want to come with me?”
I arched an eyebrow incredulously. “What would you do if two thugs had ransacked your shop, stolen your stuff, and threatened you with a gun? Wouldn’t you want justice?”
“Of course I would. But I’m trained for this. You, on the other hand, are not.”
I bridled a bit at that. What was he implying? That I couldn’t handle it?
That stubborn streak Gracie was always telling me about came racing to the surface. I’d worked hard to build up my business. I was not about to let two thugs wreck it and get away with it. And besides, I felt safer with Raven nearby.
I tried a different argument. “You said they need that portal cube to get home, right? That means they’ll be searching for it. If they figure out I picked it up, they’ll be searching for me too. The best way to stay safe is to come with you.” I glared at him. “And I’m not taking no for an answer.”
Raven
Asha’s eyes flashed as she glared at me, arms crossed. I opened my mouth to refuse, then snapped it shut again. She had a point. If I left her here, she would be in danger from the Galadri.
But I said nothing. As Asha stared at me defiantly, I felt something uncoil inside me. She was beautiful, that’s for sure, but what made her even more attractive was the fact that she seemed totally unaware of it. She wore jeans and a baggy sweater along with sneakers that had seen better days. A smudge on her cheek looked like ink and she had a pencil stuck behind one ear.
She was a civilian—and a human civilian at that—completely unsuited for my line of work. My training screamed at me to send her away. But my instincts said something different.
The way I’d reacted when I touched her had been wholly unexpected and suggested...
; No. Don’t think about that now.
I breathed deeply. Fates, my people would be appalled at what I was about to do.
“Fine. We’ll go after the Galadri together.”
The smile that broke over her face almost stopped my heart. I swallowed, doing my best to ignore the sudden stab of arousal that went straight to my groin.
“But there are a couple of conditions,” I added, holding up a finger. “Number one: you do exactly as I say. Number two: you do exactly as I say.”
She frowned. “Let me see if I’ve got this straight. You’re trying to tell me I need to do exactly as you say. Right?”
“You’re a fast learner.”
She shrugged. “What can I say? I guess I’m not just a pretty face.”
I snorted at that. The first thing we needed to do was get somewhere safe. With the Galadri gone, I decided to risk teleportation. I held out my hand. Asha looked at me dubiously, but then slowly reached out and linked her fingers through mine. A surge like an electric current ran up my arm at her touch, sending a delicious shiver across my skin. I glanced at her sharply. Did she feel it too? I didn’t think so. She seemed in too much shock to feel anything.
“Hold on.”
I activated my magic and the shop disappeared. The next moment we were standing outside an old, run-down house in one of the seedier parts of town.
Asha staggered as we flickered back into existence, but she didn’t pass out like she did on our trip into the park. She clung grimly to my hand, looking pale.
I stared up at the old house and gave a wry smile. “Well, here we are. Home sweet home.”
ASHA
I think I must have been in shock. That was the only explanation for why I was following this guy I’d only just met—a guy with powers any superhero would have been proud of—up the steps and into an abandoned house that looked like it had come straight out of the Addams Family.
But as Raven pushed the door open, I didn’t feel scared. I felt numb.
In the space of just a few short hours, I’d lost everything. Everything my grandmother had worked her life for. Everything I’d worked my ass off to build up. Sure, the insurance would pay out—eventually—but that wouldn’t replace the countless treasures that had been smashed up like worthless trash or replace my confidence that had been wiped out in an instant.
Don’t think about it, I told myself. Focus on the present.
Dawn had started to break, the sky turning pink along the horizon as I followed Raven through the hallway of the rickety house and into the kitchen. To call the house a fixer-upper would be an understatement. It looked like it hadn’t been lived in for decades. Mold streaked the walls and most of the windows were cracked. But the counters in the kitchen had been cleaned and Raven had gone to the trouble to dust down the sagging sofa, which, if the blankets piled haphazardly atop were any indication, served as his bed.
“I like what you’ve done with the place,” I observed drily.
He didn’t respond to my sarcasm. Instead, he prowled around, checking the windows and doors. He moved like a hunting panther, expression focussed and intense. Seemingly satisfied that nobody had been here, he visibly relaxed.
“I’ll fix us something to eat. Why don’t you go get cleaned up? The shower is upstairs.”
I raised a surprised eyebrow. “This place has hot water?”
“Hot water and four walls and a roof. What more could you ask for?”
Despite myself, I felt a smile tug at my lips. He was making a joke? Our eyes met and damn me if my breath didn’t suddenly rush out of my lungs like I’d been punched. That purple gaze of his seemed to nail me to the spot.
“I...um...yes...a shower,” I floundered. “Great. That sounds...great.”
I turned and hurried out. Upstairs I found the bathroom surprisingly clean. There were even a few toiletries on the shelf and a couple of clean towels hanging on pegs. Seems even the Fae like their home comforts.
The water was deliciously hot, the shower deliciously invigorating. For a few moments, I allowed myself the luxury of standing under the water, letting it wash away my worries and forget everything, just for an instant.
However, all too soon, the water began to run cold, forcing me out. Raven had said that it was too dangerous to go to my apartment for a change of clothes, so I had no choice but to put my old clothes back on. Nevertheless, as I came back downstairs, I felt a little better. It is amazing what a hot shower can do. If Raven had rustled up a skinny macchiato and a pile of syrup-covered pancakes, there was a chance, just a chance, that I might soon feel like my old self.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t. Cooking clearly wasn’t his forte. On the table sat a large, uncut loaf, a slab of butter, and a jug of something that looked suspiciously like beer.
Raven himself was nowhere to be seen.
To my surprise, I found I was famished. Being attacked by fairy creatures and getting your life wrecked does that to a girl, I suppose. I sat down and started to eat. Bread and butter had never tasted so good.
Raven returned when I was on my fourth slice. One minute I was alone, the next minute he was standing next to me. He moved utterly silently, like a cat.
I tried to hide my surprise at his sudden appearance, although my heart began to thump against my ribs. I didn’t want him to think he had anything on me.
“Where have you been?”
“Scouting.” He took a swig from the jug of beer but didn’t eat.
“Find anything?”
“No. There’s no sign of them. We’re safe.”
I heard the words he hadn’t said. For now.
He seated himself at the other end of the table and for a while neither of us spoke. A heavy silence lay between us. I guess this was a strange situation for him too.
“I need to call Gracie,” I said at last.
He glanced up at me. “What?”
“Gracie. My friend. She helps out at the shop.” I took my cell from my pocket.
“No calls,” he said, shaking his head. “No contact with anyone.”
“Are you listening? She’ll be arriving at the shop soon. I can hardly let her turn up to find the place wrecked, can I? She’d phone the police.”
He considered this for a moment, then nodded. “Fine, but don’t tell her where we are.”
I dialed Gracie’s number. It was still early, but I hoped she’d be out of bed. It rang only a few times before Gracie’s groggy voice said, “Ash? What’s up? It’s the middle of the night.”
It wasn’t the middle of the night, it was six thirty in the morning, but Gracie was most definitely not a morning person. “Listen, Gracie. Don’t come to the shop today. There was a break-in last night and the place is a mess. It’s going to be closed for a while.”
“A break-in? Are you okay? Have you called the cops?”
“I’m fine and yes, I’ve called the cops.” I hated to lie to her but I had to let her think I had everything under control. “There’s nothing to worry about, but I don’t know when I’ll have the shop open again.” I swallowed, working up my courage for the next bit. “I won’t be in touch for a while. I’m gonna head out of town, see if I can hunt down some new stock while the insurance gets sorted. Don’t worry if you don’t hear from me.”
“Are you sure you’re okay, Ash?”
I winced at the suspicion in her voice. I’d never been a very good liar. “Sure. Just a little shaken up. We’ll arrange that girly night when I get back. Okay?”
She said nothing for a moment. “You would tell me if anything was wrong, wouldn’t you?”
“Of course.” I squirmed.
“Fine,” she said with a sigh. “Just...take it easy will you, Ash? And call me when you get wherever you’re going.”
“Sure. Promise.”
Then I hung up.
I put the cell phone on the table, my hand shaking a little. Gracie was pretty much the only person who would notice if I went missing, and I’d just put her off the scent. I was alon
e now.
It was just me and Raven.
I glanced at him. He was watching me with an unreadable expression on his face. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He hid his emotions—if he felt any—behind an expressionless mask.
I let out a long breath. “Right. How do we nail those bastards?”
“We need to figure out where the Galadri will try to open a portal. It isn’t easy without a portal cube—the Veil is impenetrable in most places, and there are only a few entry points in the mortal realm where the Veil is thin enough to try it.”
“So we just find out where the nearest of these places is and get there before them.”
A faint smile curled his lips. “Sure. Where would you suggest we start?”
My eyebrows rose in surprise. “You’re asking me? You’re the expert on these matters—where would you suggest we start?”
He spread his hands. “And therein lies the problem. I have no idea. The entry points are only active on a specific day each year, and it is difficult to know which entry point will activate on any given day. The Spire uses the Endless Scrolls to predict their whereabouts, but we are a long, long way from the Spire.”
“The Spire? What’s that?”
He didn’t answer. He just stared at me in silence until I began to feel uncomfortable. Jeez, why did he have to look at me like that? Didn’t he know how intimidating it was?
“Look, if we’re gonna work together, you’re gonna have to start talking,” I said. “How am I supposed to help you if you don’t tell me anything?”
Still, he just watched me. Finally, he looked away. “Fine. What do you want to know?”
Right. Now we were getting to it. Where should I even begin? I threw up my hands. “I don’t know! How about right at the start? How about you tell me about the Fae?”
“Nothing like starting with the basics, eh?” he said with a sardonic smile. Then he sighed, leaned forward and clasped his hands together on the table top. “What do you know about my kind?”
