by Kasi Blake
“Let me down, and I’ll battle you right here and now.”
“My terms,” Bash said. “We will battle where and when I say.”
Trick worried Bash would kill Sean next. Then what? Would he go next door for Dani? What about Scarlet? Was she in danger too?
Stalling, Trick asked, “How long ago did you take over Sebastian’s body?”
“Years. You were a small boy. Sebastian Marx was the perfect choice. He was a hunter known for being angry and fierce. If it wasn’t for his incessant need for female companionship, he’d be perfect.”
“Isn’t that body going to wear out soon?”
Bash nodded, and his maniacal grin faded. “I could jump into his son, his firstborn, if he had one. But I think I will simply renew this body.”
Trick blinked. “Renew? You can do that?”
“I am Oberon.” Bash puffed out his massive chest. “I can do whatever I like. You have no idea how long I have waited for a decent battle. We wiped out the other realms. There was a time when I couldn’t get through a century without going to war. But alas, all the great warriors are gone. The only reason I haven’t destroyed mankind is because I was waiting for you to grow as a race. You are so primitive, always running in circles, chasing things that don’t matter. More than anything I desire to battle you.”
Should he be flattered?
Trick struggled against the invisible chains that had him tied to the wall. Something occurred to him. He forced a smile. “You need my consent, don’t you? That’s what this is all about. You can’t fight me unless I agree.”
“I need you to cross over to my realm so that when you die the power will remain there.”
Jersey had told Trick the truth about that part at least.
“What if I refuse to go?” Trick asked.
Bash walked over to Matt and stared down at the lifeless body before answering. “I’ll kill everyone you love. Then I’ll kill everyone who has ever been kind to you. If none of that moves you to cooperate, I’ll kill every single person you talk to from this moment forward. You’ll never again know what it’s like to finish a conversation.”
The faerie king was terrifying in a way most sane people couldn’t possibly understand. Trick stared at him, terrified to his core.
Bash added, “Or I can offer you a temptation. I can bring anyone back to life that you want.”
Liar! Trick wanted to scream. The faerie king was playing dirty now, dangling a sweet carrot in front of his face. Sure, it would be wonderful if Oberon could bring Matt and his mother back to life, but he was a liar.
“I don’t believe you,” Trick said.
Bash waved a hand in his direction, and Trick fell off the wall. Unprepared for his sudden release, his feet slid out from under him the second they touched the floor. He landed on his butt.
“See,” Bash said. “I can be reasonable. As a show of faith, I am giving you freedom. Just don’t stray too far. Try to leave town, and your friends die. I will even promise not to use magic while fighting you... as long as you don’t use any.”
Vengeance was all Trick wanted. The desire to avenge his family burned deep in his gut. He just needed to stall long enough to develop a plan. There had to be a way to destroy this monster. “You claim you can bring people back from the dead?”
Bash nodded. “My son fashioned a room on this side, and your brother used it to bring back his father-in-law. My son used it to unleash Jersey Clifford on the world again, and he brought back your friend Summer.”
Against his will, Trick’s hope soared. “If you can do it, show me. Bring back Matt.”
“I will,” Bash said. “If you win our battle.”
Trick’s jaw tightened. “If I win, you’ll be dead. Bring the people I love back first.”
“You drive a hard bargain. Smart.” Bash tilted his head to the side. “Who do you want?”
“Matt and Laura, obviously. Then I want Dani’s father, my father, and the vice principal you killed just to make a point.”
Bash folded his arms. “Your list is too long.”
“I promise to make it worth your effort and give you a fight like you’ve never had before.”
The faerie king smiled. “I believe you.”
“And the people you bring back to life stay alive even if you kill me. That’s the deal I want.” He remembered Jersey’s words on vows. If Oberon made a vow, he had to keep it or die. “I want you to vow that they will live whether you lose or win. They live.”
“Next to a good battle, I love to bargain.” Bash scratched the lower half of his whisker-covered face. “I will give you Matt... and your mother. No hunters.”
“Are you afraid? I thought you enjoyed a good fight. If you give them life and let them battle beside me, you might actually lose. Huh?”
Bash laughed a deep, throaty laugh. “Never.”
“Then give them to me.”
“As much as I love a good fight, I can’t be seen as a pushover. I’ll give you your mother.”
“What about Matt?”
The humor dropped from the faerie king’s eyes. “That’s the price you pay for trying to sway me. I don’t bargain with dead men. You just get your mother now. Say another word, and you get nothing.”
Laura gasped as oxygen filled her lungs.
Sean gasped.
Bash added, “I vow she will live whether I win or lose.”
Sean began to cry again, this time with joy. He rocked his wife back and forth. They stayed on the floor, wrapped in each other’s arms. Any moment they would remember Matt was dead. Their relief would turn to grief.
Bash said, “At midnight tonight I want you to use Exit Magic. Go through the escape hatch that appears. I’ll make sure you arrive in the right place.”
The faerie king teleported out of there.
Laura pushed Sean aside as her gaze landed on Matt. She crawled to her dead son, screaming his name. Sean looked at Trick, and an accusation grew in his eyes. His real son was dead, and he blamed Trick. That was okay though because Trick blamed himself. If he hadn’t been greedy, Bash would have brought Matt back to life too.
The back door flew open and banged against the interior wall.
Laura gasped.
Sean jumped to his feet, fists ready.
Isobel raced in with what appeared to be the stolen vial of Silver’s blood.
“What are you doing with that?” Trick asked while his parents threw a multitude of questions at her, demanding to know who she was, why she was in their house, and what she planned to do with the blood.
Isobel ignored them. She dropped to her knees next to Matt and poured the blood into his mouth even while Laura tried to stop her.
“She’s trying to change him into a vampire!” Laura shouted to Sean.
“I am saving him,” Isobel said. Once she was done, she turned to Trick. “Jersey has been working on an interesting experiment involving the werewolf killer’s blood and blood from a faerie he happened to get his hands on.”
“Who has he used it on?” Trick asked.
Isobel gestured to Matt. They both stared at the dead boy. Nothing changed. He wasn’t moving, wasn’t breathing. His eyes remained closed behind the glasses.
Laura sobbed.
Sean pointed at the door. “Get out before I kill you!”
Trick wasn’t sure if Sean was yelling at Isobel or at him.
Matt’s eyes popped open, and he bolted upright. “What happened? Where is Oberon? Why am I so cold, and what’s that funny taste in my mouth?”
Trick laughed in relief that his brother was alive.
Isobel reached into her bag for something else. She pulled out her closed fist, turned it over, and uncurled her fingers to reveal the Sugar Bomb. “Jersey told me to get this for you,” she said.
“Did Oberon see you take it?” Trick asked.
“No,” she said. “I watched him teleport here to your house. He left the jeepI took the Bomb. Found it right where you told Jersey you left i
t.” Her eyes narrowed on his face. “Do you want it or not?”
Yes, he wanted it. The Bomb could make all the difference between him surviving the battle with Oberon or dying. But he didn’t trust Cowboy’s ex. The whole thing could be a set-up. Oberon might have given her the Bomb after doing something to it. What if it didn’t work anymore?
His jaw tightened. “You know, if you and Jersey really want to help, you can join me for the fight tonight.”
Isobel brushed dark hair from her face while laughing at his suggestion. “We aren’t suicidal. Jersey thinks you have a shot at destroying Oberon, but he is certifiable.”
She headed for the door.
Curious, he asked, “If you don’t think I can win, why give me the Bomb?”
“Jersey’s orders.” She shrugged. “He is my boss.”
“Do you always do as he says?”
“For now,” she said with a coy wink. “Tell Cowboy he can get in touch with me tomorrow if he’s still alive.”
Then she was gone.
Trick dropped down next to Matt on the floor and gave him a hug. The surprise on Matt’s face made Trick feel bad about not doing it before. Matt was his brother, and he loved him. Just because his biological father had been emotionally distant didn’t mean he needed to be the same way.
Laura started asking more questions than Matt had like why she’d woken up on the floor. Sean took her upstairs after telling the boys to go to bed. He placed a comforting hand on Trick’s shoulder on his way out of the room. His anger with Trick seemed to have vanished with Matt’s revival.
“I was wrong,” Matt said in a strange voice that sounded oddly far away. “You should go. Start running and don’t look back.”
“If I do that, Oberon will kill you all.”
Matt turned to look at him, tears in his eyes behind the glasses. “If you don’t go, he’ll kill you. I don’t want you to die.”
“That makes two of us.” Trick patted Matt’s leg. “It’s okay. Don’t sweat it. I’ll think of something at the last minute, or I’ll get lucky.”
Trick glanced at his watch. He had less than an hour to think of something brilliant to get him out of this mess.
If he somehow managed to survive the night, it would be pure luck. He wasn’t the great hunter he’d imagined himself to be on multiple occasions. Without the Sugar Bomb, the Shadow Faerie would have killed him, and before that the talisman his father had purchased from the gypsy woman had drained the power from supernatural creatures that attacked him.
♫
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Matt parked his car outside the mansion. Scarlet and Trick were in the backseat. Trick wanted to explain everything to his best friend before telling the vampires inside. He wasn’t sure how much he would share with the vamps, but he wanted Scarlet to know every detail. The last time he’d seen her they had thought it would be the last time. While it was good to be with her again, he hated the reason behind it.
“I am not letting you take on Oberon by yourself,” Scarlet said. “I’m going to the Faerie Realm with you.”
Before Trick could protest, Matt added, “Me too.”
Fear made him mad, and anger made him mean. A nasty remark teased his tongue. He was on the verge of asking them what either of them thought they could do to the king of faeries. They’d get killed. End of story.
And that certainly wouldn’t help him win the battle.
Instead of starting a fight, he said, “I appreciate the offer, but I already have a plan.”
“Tell us,” Scarlet demanded.
From the front seat Matt asked, “What is it? Is it a good plan?”
Trick gazed up at the vampire’s mansion with a familiar feeling of dread. Cowboy and Summer were inside waiting. He had already sent them a text that he needed to speak to them. They were not going to like his plan, but it was the only chance they had for survival.
♫
The three of them entered the mansion with Trick in front. Cowboy and Summer were waiting in the foyer. They both started talking, asking questions faster than he could think. Then Matt moved to the front, and Summer saw him. Relief stole over her features, and she ran to him. They embraced like two lovers separated for a lengthy period of time. Matt’s arms wrapped around her as if he’d never let her go.
Trick’s jaw tightened. Later, if he survived, he’d find a way to end that ill-conceived relationship. He reminded himself he might not have to do anything. Summer couldn’t go outside during the day now. That would cut down on their alone time and also show Matt what life would be like as a vampire. Win-win.
Cowboy held up his hands. “Why the 911?”
“We can’t run,” Trick said. “Oberon came to my house and showed me the flaw in that plan. At midnight tonight, I have to cross over to the Faerie Realm and battle him or everyone dies. He promised to kill everyone I know, and he meant it.”
Summer’s frantic gaze went to Matt. “Are you okay? I dreamed you were dead.”
Matt’s eyes widened in surprise. “You did?”
Her voice quivered, and she sank into his arms. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”
“That’s never going to happen,” Matt said before kissing the top of her blond head. “I am yours forever.”
The last word out of Matt’s mouth made Trick want to punch him in the face. Love truly was blind. His brother couldn’t see what was right in front of him. Death. A life with Summer meant death for Matt.
Cowboy shot the loving couple a glare.
Scarlet mumbled, “I’m going to puke.”
They were losing focus. Trick ran halfway up the staircase and whistled to get their attention. When all eyes turned his way, he laid out the reality of the situation. “Oberon wants me to use Exit Magic and make a door appear,” Trick said. “Apparently, every time I used that power I was crossing into the Faerie Realm without realizing it. Then I would use the first door I saw to cross back over to our world. I had no idea.”
“Who cares what he wants?” Summer said. “Let’s all leave town. You can still teleport. We can hold hands and go with you.”
“If I don’t do what he says, he’ll kill everyone I know,” Trick said. The vampires didn’t seem impressed. So he added, “That includes the two of you, by the way.”
Cowboy made a rude noise. “He’ll kill us after you die anyway. I don’t see the diff.”
“So don’t let me die.” Trick gestured to them as a combined group. “We’re stronger together than we are apart. Matt and Scarlet helped me see that. I have the Sugar Bomb, and I can think on my feet. I’ll go in first. You guys keep the doorway open. After I start fighting him, join me. We can drain him of his blood and tear him into so many pieces he won’t be able to put himself back together again.”
Cowboy rubbed his chin while Summer stared off to the side, deep in thought. At least they were considering his proposal. Of course, he didn’t have to worry about Scarlet and Matt. It had been their idea. But as much as he appreciated them, he needed the vampires on his side.
To sweeten the deal he said, “Hey, if you come with me, you might find a faerie to bite. That will give you your teleportation powers back, and you’ll be able to walk in sunlight again.”
A grin stretched Cowboy’s lips.
Summer nodded as she took Matt’s hand. “Sounds good to me.”
Cowboy saluted Trick. “You got yourself a couple of soldiers, Captain. Lead the way.”
Unfortunately, Trick hadn’t produced a magical exit in a while. His power to teleport took away the need. Plus, it took fear to create an exit. Since becoming a vampire he had lost the ability to be afraid, at least when it came to himself. He wasn’t worried about dying. If Oberon took his life, maybe he’d be reunited with his father.
He squeezed his eyes shut and worked to create an exit.
Nothing happened.
“I can’t do it.” Trick explained why before sitting on the
second step up from the one his feet were standing on. “How do I make myself afraid of something when I’m not?”
“I could beat you to a bloody pulp,” Cowboy said.
Trick rolled his eyes. “That doesn’t scare me.”
“What if I try to stake you?” Scarlet asked.
“Yawn,” Trick said.
“There has to be a way,” Matt said.
If there was, he had no idea what it would take.
Cowboy used vampire speed to cross the foyer. He grabbed Scarlet, locked her arms behind her back, and prepared to break her neck. “If you don’t find a way into the Faerie Realm before I count to five, I will kill her.” Cowboy tightened his grip when she struggled, and a sharp cry parted her lips. “You know me. I am not bluffing. One. If you don’t find a way into the other realm right now, I will take great pleasure in snapping her neck. Two.”
Trick’s hands closed into fists. “Get your hands off her.”
“Do you think I’m playing?” Cowboy made her cry out again. “You know how much I hate her presence in my home and in my life. If you don’t defeat Oberon, he’s going to kill me. You know it, and I know it. But at least I can die knowing she’s already dead. Three.”
Cowboy would kill Scarlet like she was nothing. It was possible Trick could teleport behind him, but Cowboy would probably break her neck before Trick had the chance to free her. The only way to save her life was to create a magical doorway to the other side.
“Four,” Cowboy said.
Scarlet whimpered. Her glistening blue eyes begged Trick to find a way to open the doorway. Her life was in his hands. If she died, it was his fault.
“Five.”
“NO!” Trick shouted.
Raw emotion built in his gut. An image of Cowboy breaking Scarlet’s neck sent him over the edge. He had already lost his brother and mother earlier. Even though they were alive now, the event had devastated him, leaving him a complete mess.
He started to teleport.
