Shadow of a Doubt

by Hunter Blain

  Without looking up from the road, Lily pressed the button that brightly illuminated the inside of the cabin as the monster swung its blade at the windshield. Another cry of pain pierced the night as the shadow weapon disappeared in the light of the car’s interior.

  As we fled at alarming speeds, I used all my centuries of linguistic skills to eloquently state my concerns on what had just happened: “THE FUCK WAS THAT SHIT?!” I said in a totally calm, collected, and non-high-pitched voice.

  “Shadow Fae,” Lily answered quickly as she concentrated on the road ahead. “You’ve done it now, lover.”

  “The only thing I’ve ‘done,’” I said with air quotes, “was not die.” We took a turn at Mach-Jesus and I was thrown into my door. My hands fought feverishly to grab the seat belt and latch it on.

  I looked over at Lily—my Fae friend with benefits—and noticed she kept glancing at the rearview mirror with consternation on her face.

  “What are you looking for?” I asked, worried about the answer.

  “That,” she barked while nodding at the mirror. I turned to look out the back window to see a dark wave coursing down the street, knocking over light poles that shattered against the asphalt. It took up the entire width of the street.

  “Holyshitwhat’sthat?” I asked in one syllable.

  “Already been over this, John. Now be quiet, please. I need to focus.” We hit a speed bump in an affluent neighborhood, and orange sparks illuminated the street around us in a flash as metal struck the road. The impact rocked me, snapping my neck, and I sat back in my seat facing forward, gripping the oh-shit bar for dear unlife while trying my best not to whimper. I failed. Of course, I wasn’t scared about a potential crash; it was the part that came after we stopped that terrified me.

  We drove through a housing development phase of the neighborhood and an idea struck me like a twist to the nipples.

  “Pull in there!” I cried out, confidence returning. Lily did as commanded, pulling into the driveway of a house that only had its outer walls built up by 2x4s. “Get to the middle of the house!”

  We ran onto the concrete pad of the house, and I began focusing on the wooden frames around us, exciting the molecules. Smoke began to escape the frames, growing in size until the wood caught on fire. The flames reached upward, clawing at the night sky and illuminating the world around us in a fiery haze. The black wave rushed toward the house, swallowing Lily’s car before screeching in pain as the light swallowed the darkness at the edges. I took note that the shadow singed where the light touched it, sending up acrid smoke.

  The amorphous wave circled the house once, searching for a way in, before it coalesced into a single small house cat with glowing purple eyes. Its features were still absent, sending chills down my spine at seeing a 3D animal with the characteristics of a flat shadow.

  “How long until dawn?” I asked, panting.

  “Three hours,” Lily answered, looking at the smartwatch on her arm. I absently wondered if those worked in the other planes. “What’s the plan?” she asked.

  “We wait,” I said, sighing at what was to come next.

  “For what?”

  “The sun to rise.”

  Lily turned and looked fully at me, her worry no longer captured by the immediate threat before us. “What does that mean for you?”

  “I don’t know. I’m kinda winging this,” I said as I tugged at my now numb ear absentmindedly. “I could probably try busting up the concrete and hiding underneath, but the mortal workers might find me tomorrow and either dig me up to see what happened, exposing me to sunlight, or just pour fresh concrete over me without asking questions. Either way doesn’t sound like a fun time for me.”

  “What are you doing?” Lily asked, walking to stand next to where I was messing with my earlobe.

  “I don’t know. Feels weird.”

  “Move your hand,” Lily commanded. I complied, trusting she knew something I didn’t.

  “What…what is it?” I asked, anxiety creeping in.

  “Oh no…” she exhaled, apprehension in her features. She grabbed my ear, and ripped it clean off my head.

  “OW, FUCK!” I cried out in surprise. She held the ear up to my face, where I saw it had turned black around where the blade had cut. Watching closely, I could see the decay slowly starting to spread. “Oh shit,” I exhaled with bulging eyes that shot between my detached ear and the shadow cat that was cleaning itself just outside the light of the flames.

  “Let me see your head,” Lily ordered, dropping the ear and grabbing my skull with both hands, turning it to better see in the light. Her squinting eyes examined it thoroughly before she released me with a sigh of relief. “We got it before it spread.”

  “Got what?!” I asked sharply, rubbing where my ear had been. I willed a new one in place before stopping to stare into Lily’s eyes.

  “The darkness.”

  “Look,” I started, annoyed, “if this was a damn movie or book, that would be a cool thing to say, but Netflix hasn’t called me back yet, so you need to explain, like, now.”

  “The Shadow Court wants the entire universe cast in darkness. Every star extinguished until light no longer exists.”

  “Got that already from Taylor,” I said before pointing to my ear. “What does this have to do with it?”

  “Taylor? You mean TalGoid?”

  “That’s the one. Funny how immortals like mortal names, huh, Lily?” I winked as I said her name.

  “So the Seelie Court has joined the fray? Things must be worse than I thought.” She drifted deep into her thoughts as she spoke, her eyes focusing on nothing as she looked inward.

  “Hi. Hey there,” I said, waving my hands in front of her unfocused eyes. “Um, my ear?”

  She snapped out of her zoning and, without missing a beat, said, “Shadow faeries have weapons that can extinguish the light of any living being.” When I just looked blankly at her, awaiting further information, she clarified, “Your soul, John. The darkness was consuming your soul.”

  “Consuming how? Like turning me into one of them or just flat out killing me?”

  “I don’t know how it works with creatures outside of Faerie. The Shadow Court has been banished to the darkest reaches of the Fae plane and is under constant watch and key.”

  I thought on her words for a moment before saying, “Okay, couple things. One: either I become one of them or my soul just straight up dies and I blink out of existence? B: how can you keep shadow things contained?”

  “I don’t know what would happen to you, John, but we can be sure that it would be bad,” Lily explained calmly. “To answer your second question: under the Faerie sun, they are corporeal and susceptible to our weapons. I’m not sure what would happen in Midworld. Those who are infected by the darkness in Faerie also become a part of their endless army. They can even bring back the dead. This is the primary reason for keeping them away from the mortal plane.”

  “Pretty damn good reason,” I said as I locked eyes with the cat and spat a loogie toward it. It landed with an audible thwomp in front of the shadow monster, who hissed in response. “Hmm, emotional for an assassin, isn’t it?”

  The flames stayed consistent as they continued to eat the frames around us. The fire was small enough that hopefully mortal authorities wouldn’t show up, but still bright enough to keep the Shadow Fae at bay.

  “Safe to assume it won’t leave until the very last second before the sun rises?” I asked while crossing my arms in displeasure.

  “I can’t say, but I would be willing to bet on that,” Lily answered.

  “What if,” I started, spitballing ideas, “you took me to the Fae plane?”

  Lily’s eyes grew wide at my outlandish suggestion. Ulric had told me long ago, when I had first been made, that in their plane, supernaturals were to the Fae what mortals were to supes on this one. With their home field advantage, I’d be helpless. To add sprinkles to this cake, there were supes who had fled this plane to try and avoid t
he apocalypse that would destroy Heaven, Hell, and the Earthen plane. These supes were no doubt aware of my role in the upcoming war and would turn me in for favor with the Fae. Plus, I had broken the rules a little bit back, so John was free game around the supernatural community. Fun to be me!

  “I’ve actually never tried to bring a person with me before. Usually we go through a door,” Lily said, concern evident in her voice.

  “Don’t suppose there’s a door just lying around, is there?”

  “Unfortunately, not.”

  “Nah, that’d be too convenient.” I thought for a moment. “What if we use chalk to draw a door and then knock three times?”

  “That’s a movie reference, isn’t it?” Lily asked, sighing.

  “You’re right. We don’t have any chalk,” I said, ignoring her lack of movie knowledge. There had to be an answer, so I used all my brainpower to think.

  “Are-are you trying to, um, poot?” Lily asked.

  “Poot? The hell is—Oh, you mean fart? That’s what I look like right now?” Lily nodded slowly. “Well, haven’t we learned something new today,” I said to myself in just above a whisper. I had figured I had a supersexy contemplation face, like the model in the cover of a magazine where he is looking off to the side, too busy and important to care about the camera.

  A real idea pinged in my brain like a microwave waking your roommates up at three in the morning because you had forgotten to hit cancel at the one second mark. “Can’t I just piggyback as you shift? You know, hitch a ride?”

  “I would slide through and you’d simply fall on your ample behind.”

  “Yeah, I squat. That’s why my ass is so plump,” I boasted.

  “Sure it is.”

  “Fat jokes aside, how does shifting planes work, exactly?”

  “You aren’t fat, my dear. Just thick.”

  “Is that thicc with two c’s, like the cool kids say?”

  “With a c-k, I’m afraid.” Ouch, my pride. “I wouldn’t have you any other way, my big teddy bear,” Lily purred as she ran her hands over my ultra-athletic body. The shadow cat just outside the light began gagging, loudly, as it coughed up a black, featureless hairball. Dick had comedic timing.

  With the moment ruined, Lily continued, “To answer your real question: It is a part of our faerie DNA. We resonate at a frequency different than humans and supernatural creatures that are not of Fae origin. At will, I can create and slide through a hole in this plane and into my home plane.”

  “Is it like a seventh dimension or something?” Lily looked at me with a tilted head and mouth open, so naturally, I continued, “You know, the first dimension is a dot, like on a piece of paper, but only the dot exists. The second dimension is the same piece of paper but you can draw from edge to edge—up, down, left, and right, but on a flat plane. The third dimension is what we live in—3D Ooooo!” I waved my hands like I was a performing magician, effectively making my point. Lily didn’t react, so I continued my TED Talk. “The fourth dimension is where you can leave and enter a place in time like walking down a hallway and choosing a door. Once you get to the fifth and sixth dimensions, oh boy—you are able to see all of time and even possibilities that could conceivably exist across all space and time; but only in this universe. Seven and up is where you get to alternate realities, parallel universes, and other planes. Is the Faerie plane actually one of the eleven dimensions?”

  “Say ‘dimension’ again and I’ll make you rip out your own tongue,” Lily said sternly.

  “Noted. But seriously. You said you can open a hole in this dim—” Lily’s eyes narrowed at me, “—plane, and into Faerie. Right?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you do so by your DNA that resonates at a particular frequency unique to faeries?”

  “Not all faeries, just the Fae. Where are you going with this?” Lily asked, intrigued at my train of thought.

  “To open this hole between the planes must require a lot of training and focus to build that mind connection. Someone like me probably couldn’t learn this ability in the next thirty minutes, if ever. BUT—and bear with me now—what if you opened the hole and I slid through with you?”

  “Do your cells have my DNA to act as a key?”

  “They could,” I said, opening my mouth and allowing my fangs to elongate. My point made (puns for everyone), I closed my mouth and continued, “I consume enough of your blood to have your DNA coursing through my veins before it is filtered out, and then you open the hole and slide on through with me holding onto you. Voilà,” I finished with jazz hands.

  Lily stood looking at me, her mouth hanging open. “That is one of the sexiest things you have ever said.” She ran her hand over my cheek in admiration.

  “I’m not just huge bulging muscles, you know. My brain is also buff.”

  “Mm-hmm,” Lily giggled while poking a playful finger at my gut that was slightly hanging over my belt. Emphasis on slightly, damn it.

  She moved her wavy blonde hair away from her neck and stepped into my embrace. We pressed our bodies together as I leaned down to kiss her neck. She smelled like spring flowers on a gentle breeze, and it made my hairs stand on end.

  My fangs pierced her skin, and Fae blood began flowing into my mouth. It tasted like what I imagined the finest wine to be—sweet and rich on my tongue.

  Lily’s ancient blood hit my stomach and began coursing throughout my body. A moan of euphoria escaped my lips, which were still firmly attached to her succulent skin. Lily began breathing heavily but controlled as I drank her life essence.

  “That should be enough,” Lily said with a hint of weakness. I couldn’t hear her clearly; it was as if I were on a mountain top and she was yelling from the valley below. I was submerged in the purest elation as pleasure tickled my every nerve ending.

  “I said, that’s enough,” she repeated with commanding bravado. I heard her that time and tried to pull myself off, but my Predatory Self had grabbed the wheel while I had been lost in my jubilation, and refused to let go.

  Stop, NOW! I yelled into the face of PS, whose only desire was to keep drinking the powerful, delicious Fae blood.

  Normally I would fight PS to establish dominance, but we had been working on becoming a team and growing together. I took my hands off the wheel and placed one on his shoulder. Dude, please. I trust you.

  PS looked at me with eyes that slowly began to focus and then yanked his hands away from the wheel. I nodded once at him and smiled my approval; I knew how hard that was to do.

  I grabbed the wheel in my mind with both hands and pulled away from Lily’s neck before saying, “I’m sorry, Lily. My Predatory Self was harder to control than I thought he would be.”

  The two holes in her skin closed as she looked me in the eyes while still in my embrace. “It’s odd when you say ‘Predatory Self.’ You know that, right?”

  “Probably. We can chat on it later. My body is already beginning to filter your energy from the blood.”

  “Where does the blood go once you’ve used it?” she asked, amused.

  “Later! Go, go, go!”

  Lily beamed her brilliant smile and then the world slid around us. It was like we were on one of those flat escalators at the airport; the scene seemed to move around us instead of us through it.

  The world began to smear as if a fresh oil painting had been turned sideways, giving way to a new scene.

  I blinked and we were in Faerie. Everything was bright, and I glanced up to see the sun bathing everything in its light.

  3

  I yelped in panic as I dropped to the ground, covering my head with my trench coat. Lily laughed and explained, “Not your sun, lover.”

  My eyes were squeezed shut and my jaw was set for the pain I was fully expecting. I opened one eye, squinting at how bright everything was, and looked around. My other eye cracked open, and I slid the coat back into position, exposing my skin to the sun of Faerie.

  “How interesting,” I said, mesmerized as I looked a
round. The colors were so bright and vibrant. My mouth hung agape as I slowly spun around, taking in the warmth from the sun and the beautiful scene.

  “Welcome to my home,” Lily beamed, pride showing on her face.

  I manifested a pair of bloodsunglasses, or at least I tried to. Lily saw the look of concentration on my face and watched with amusement as I struggled.

  “You’re in Faerie, lover. Your powers won’t work here, including healing, so please tread carefully.”

  I instantly felt as helpless as a newborn deer after his mother’s been murdered by a hunter. I think I got that metaphor from somewhere that’ll come to me later.

  “There are rules you have to follow, John,” Lily said with complete seriousness. “Please pay attention.” As she spoke, she formed a pair of black sunglasses that she handed to me. I put them on, in awe of her power; then again, I was in her world.

  “First, don’t offend anyone. The Seelie Court will not attack unless provoked.”

  “That’s…asking a lot,” I said, being just as honest with her as I was to myself.

  “However,” Lily continued, “the Unseelie Court can, and will, attack for any reason—or for no reason at all. Keep that in mind.”

  “Um…okay?”

  Lily continued, “Do not take anything from anyone. Do not ask or answer questions, but do it in a way that isn’t rude.”

  “I wanna go home,” I whispered to myself as I began to breathe heavily. I had never felt this naked in all my unlife. It was as if I were mortal again.

  “Not yet, dear sweet John. We have a task to complete.”

  “And what task is that?” I asked.

  “We need to find out how the shadow got out,” Lily said with a set jaw. She was clearly not happy.

  “Ah, okay. Can we, ah, make it quick?” I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling exposed.

  “Of course.”

  We started walking through Faerie toward a city in the distance. Where we had come out was a beautiful wooded area, teeming with life. Little fairies (using the traditional Disney-esque spelling) buzzed in the air like the lightning bugs on Earth. They stopped flying to stare at us before continuing their seemingly random flight patterns. Lily saw me staring.