by Kasi Blake
If Cowboy killed her before Trick reached them, he vowed to rip the vampire’s throat out.
“Look!” Summer pointed at the front door.
The white wood had turned to black metal, and there was a familiar emblem above it that Trick recognized. He had been told it was a word in faerie language. They hadn’t told him what word.
Cowboy released Scarlet.
She balled her fist and hit him square in the jaw.
Cowboy’s head snapped back.
“If Oberon doesn’t kill you tonight, I will,” Scarlet said.
“You’re welcome,” Cowboy said with a sarcastic tongue. “Once again my quick thinking has saved the day. Thanks to me your boyfriend can do his thing and save us all.”
Scarlet’s face turned red.
Trick rushed past them to the door. They didn’t have a second to waste. According to his watch it was about to strike midnight. He gave them quick last minute instructions. “Do not follow me until I call for you.” Trick turned to look at his friends, knowing they might soon be dead. “Remember to keep the door open. Stand in the doorway if you have to, but don’t let it shut.”
The four of them nodded.
He pulled on the brass bar in the center of the door and opened the exit wide. The sound of rushing wind met his ears. Unlike any place he’d been before, it was hazy like a dream.
“Be careful,” Matt said.
“You got this,” Scarlet said. “And we’ll be here when you need us.”
He allowed his eyes to rest on each of them for a moment. His love for them grew. If he was lucky enough to have people like them in his life, he had to be lucky enough to destroy Oberon.
“Don’t get killed,” Summer said. “Cowboy would be unbearable to live with.” She paused before adding, “Even more so than usual.”
“She’s not wrong,” Cowboy said. “Let us know when to jump through. We’ll charge in like the cavalry and rescue your sorry butt.”
Trick hated the feeling in his gut, the one telling him that he’d never see them again. “Yeah,” he said. “Wait for my signal.”
Cowboy flashed him a backward V with his fingers. “Vampires rule, buddy.”
Trick turned and stepped into the Faerie Realm.
Worried the ground might shift because things were usually upside-down or sideways when he entered the Faerie Realm, Trick took a cautious step into that world. Having a foot in each realm made him dizzy. His head swam, and his vision blurred. He staggered forward and fell to his knees just outside the door.
Scarlet yelled, “Trick? Are you okay?”
He nodded as he stood. “Just lost my balance for a sec.”
The scent of exotic flowers floated on the night air, reminding him of the time Laura had dragged him to a flower show. She’d forced him to smell a variety of orchids. To him, one hybrid flower had smelled like chocolate. Now he wished he’d been more appreciative of their time together.
He stared at his friends standing in the mansion’s foyer. Weird. The door seemed to hang on nothing, a mirage in a jungle type setting instead of a desert. There were trees everywhere he looked, thick foliage on the ground, and hanging vines above. Oberon had picked a strange place for a battle.
“Where is he?” Scarlet asked in a stage-whisper.
“Are you supposed to send up smoke signals?” Cowboy asked in his usual sarcastic tone.
Hearing their voices made Trick feel better. At least he wasn’t alone; he wouldn’t die alone. They had his back. He could count on them, even the vampires. Trick cupped hands around his mouth and shouted, “Hello?”
Disturbed by his loud call, birds filled the air. They circled once or twice before settling into the trees again. The Faerie Realm had birds. What other kind of animals lived there? He hoped there weren’t any dinosaurs or dragons.
“Hello?” Trick repeated.
If the faerie king didn’t show soon, did he win by forfeit?
He tried again, louder this time. “Hello!”
The world shifted.
Everything around him moved while he remained still. It was like watching passing scenery from a runaway train. Blurred green lines rushed past his face. He glanced over his shoulder, and the same thing was happening behind him. The ground also seemed to be speeding by beneath his feet even though he hadn’t taken a step. He didn’t feel like he was moving.
When it stopped, he was in a different location.
Worried, he spun around and searched for his friends. They waved at him from the open doorway several yards away. Scarlet and Matt both yelled his name while Cowboy asked if they should join him. He barely heard them over the strange musical background noise. An invisible orchestra played the score for his visit to the Faerie Realm.
A second door appeared to his right a few feet from his current position. That was his escape door, the one he usually took after crossing into the other realm. Tall and white, it stood unsupported between two trees. Curious, part of him wanted to open it just to see where it would take him.
Anywhere would be preferable to the Faerie Realm, but he had a job to do. Up ahead he saw an old building that was almost as big as the mansion. Was it his imagination or was it solid black? Creepy. A castle, it had turrets, a tower, and even a drawbridge that was down at the moment. The only thing missing was a dragon.
Before he could start walking in that direction, the world shifted again. Scenery passed him at an incredible speed. His stomach muscles clenched, and he feared he might puke. That sure wouldn’t do his reputation as a hunter any good.
The world stopped moving abruptly.
Trick staggered sideways. It took time for his balance to return, and he wondered if maybe Oberon was doing it on purpose to gain another advantage. Trick couldn’t be an effective fighter if he couldn’t stand up straight.
As soon as his legs gained strength, Trick went to the castle. He didn’t bother to rush. Oberon could wait. While he walked, he tried to form a reasonable plan that had a chance of working. His brother’s earlier words returned to him. “Just remember, the only reason people think Oberon can’t be killed is because no one has done it yet.”
Trick glanced over his shoulder at the open doorway between realms. His friends continued to watch. Cowboy appeared ready to jump over the threshold, eager to battle beside Trick. Or perhaps he was just ready to find a faerie to bite so he could renew his powers. When it came to Cowboy, his motives were hard to pinpoint.
Trick gestured for them to wait.
“WHERE IS IT?” Oberon shouted as he grabbed Trick by the front of his shirt.
Startled, Trick nearly jumped out of his skin. The king had come out of nowhere. Oberon’s eyes bulged, and his face twisted with red-hot rage as he shook Trick. “Where is it?”
“Where is what?” Trick asked, caught off guard by the unexpected question.
“I know you took it.” Oberon shoved Trick back a few steps. His gaze slid down Trick’s body from head to feet. “But you don’t have it on you. Why steal it and leave it behind?” Oberon’s eyes narrowed. “What are you up to?”
Trick felt like he’d walked into a theater in the middle of a movie with a complicated plot. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I didn’t steal anything.”
“You have the Sugar Bomb in your pocket.”
“It’s mine,” Trick said. “I didn’t steal it.”
“No, but it was in my jeep along with my scepter.” Oberon’s hands tightened into fists at his sides. “I was so eager to see you that I left it unguarded. When I returned to the jeep, it was gone along with the Bomb. You have the Bomb which means you must also have my scepter. Where is it?”
Isobel must have stolen it for Jersey when she grabbed the Sugar Bomb for him. That meant Jersey had added another level of power to his already considerable line-up. Trick silently berated himself for not dealing with the werewolf sooner. With the scepter in his possession, Jersey was probably impossible to kill now.
Trick considered telling Oberon the truth
. Maybe the faerie king would choose to go after Jersey and leave Trick alone. Wouldn’t it be great if his two enemies destroyed each other? Before he could say a word, however, Oberon dropped a bomb of his own.
“I thought about your proposal that I should allow you to fight side by side with your father. It’s not going to happen, of course, but I will allow you to speak with him. You may discuss strategy if you’d like.”
A swirling gray cloud formed next to the second door. The cloud rotated faster and faster as it faded. A man took shape within the foggy mass. Once the cloud was gone, Trick found himself looking into his father’s eyes. But Ian wasn’t there in the flesh. Instead, he was a ghostly apparition with a voice that echoed slightly.
“Patrick,” he said, and a smile eased some of the lines around his eyes and mouth.
Trick’s gaze dropped to Ian’s manacled wrists. “Why are you in chains?”
“After I died, this is where I went,” Ian said. “I live here as an invisible citizen, unable to change or affect the world around me. When he’s in a dark mood, Oberon brings me out like an old cherished toy. He taunts me, mainly with what he’s going to do to you. I had hoped you would escape the same fate.”
That didn’t sound good. But Trick was more worried about Ian than himself at the moment. He shouted at Oberon. “Let my father go!”
Oberon grinned and distinctly pronounced two words as if issuing a dare. “Make... me.”
Ian circled Trick until he was standing in front of him. “Son, this is a terrible place, and I don’t want you to be stuck here forever like me. Unfortunately, you have faerie blood in your veins. That’s why I was trapped here and why you will be too if you don’t get rid of the power before you die”
Trick shook his head, confused. “I thought I could only get rid of it in death.” He jerked his thumb in Oberon’s direction. “That’s what he told me.”
“It’s true.” Ian’s eyes glistened with emotion. “Son, you’ve got to listen to me. You have to let him kill you. Death is preferable to this place.”
“What?” Trick nearly shouted the word.
Over his shoulder, those watching from the open doorway also voiced the word in shock. “What?!”
Ian repeated, “Death is preferable. If you let him kill you, you’ll be free to go to a better place.”
Cold dread replaced the excitement at seeing Ian Carver again. “You aren’t my father,” Trick said. Turning away from the fake, he confronted Oberon. “Did you really think that would work?”
Oberon shrugged Bash’s wide shoulders. “Doesn’t matter. Either way you’re a dead man.”
The fake Ian disappeared.
Oberon punched Trick in the face without warning.
Trick stumbled back. He dug the Sugar Bomb from his pocket and held it tight. He waited for the usual rush of power to spark his adrenaline. Nothing happened. Opening his hand, he stared down at the Bomb. Had the no-good werewolf exchanged the real thing for a useless replica?
In answer to his unspoken question, Oberon said, “Your magic won’t work here.”
Oberon flipped him over, and he landed hard on the ground. The breath got knocked from his body. He needed a moment to recover, but the faerie king had other ideas. Oberon kicked him hard. His body lifted off the ground. Then the faerie king delivered five more harsh kicks.
His friends yelled in outrage.
Trick lifted his head and gestured for them to join the fight. They tried to enter the Faerie Realm, but an invisible wall stopped them. He saw the flats of their palms as they pushed against it to no avail.
“Sorry,” Oberon said. “This is a party for two. No crashers allowed.”
The second door beckoned to Trick. He could use it for a quick escape, but Oberon would retaliate by killing his friends. He didn’t have a choice. He had to fight the faerie king on his terms.
Oberon took a step back, allowing Trick to stand.
“Don’t worry,” Oberon said. “I remember our deal. I won’t use my powers to defeat you. I won’t have to. You aren’t the great fighter you imagine yourself to be.”
Before Trick had a chance to celebrate that small victory Oberon punched him three times in quick succession. Trick tried to teleport behind the guy so he could put him in a headlock. That power didn’t work either. He tried to use vampire speed. Nothing. The faerie king had blocked him on every level.
He had no choice but to fight as a mortal.
Death was a certainty now.
Oberon launched another successful attack.
Trick was familiar with Oberon’s moves since the man had trained him while pretending to be Bash, but no matter what Trick did he couldn’t get the upper hand. Oberon picked up a short log and swung it hard. The wood slammed into Trick’s arm. Pain shot through him. He lifted his arm high to block the next blow. Bad idea. The second impact was worse than the first. He felt the bone break.
“Hold on,” Scarlet shouted. “We’ll find a way in.”
Oberon chuckled. “Don’t count on it.”
He tossed the log. Trick’s eyes followed it. Too late he realized his mistake. While he was looking at the log, Oberon attacked. The man seemed to have a dozen fists, and he used them to pummel Trick.
Trick’s ribs cracked under the brutal assault.
Oberon grabbed him by the throat and teleported with him to the castle’s roof. Incredible view. He could see a glassy city in the distance, purplish mountains, and a body of shimmering green water. Trick pulled at the fingers wrapped around his neck. They wouldn’t budge. The powerful grip cut off his air supply. Feeling helpless, he did the only thing he could. He kicked at the faerie king’s legs and tried to gouge his eyes.
Pulling him close until Trick could smell his stinking breath, Oberon said, “I can’t wait to grind your bones and make tea with the dust.”
Oberon lifted Trick off the ground. His feet dangled. He pointed the toes of his shoes and tried to find something to push against. Nothing. One second he was hanging by the faerie king’s hand, and the next he was flying through the air.
Oberon had thrown him off the roof.
In the distance, he heard Scarlet’s faint scream.
His life passed before his eyes, too many regrets to count. The ground rushed up to meet him, and Trick watched it from a place outside of himself. There wasn’t anything he could do. He was about to die.
His body bounced once. More bones broke, and blood filled his mouth. He coughed and sputtered. He wasn’t healing. Oberon had blocked that power as well. Turning his head sideways, he visually searched for Matt and Scarlet. He wanted to see their faces one last time. That’s how he wanted to die, looking at people he loved.
Unfortunately, he was turned the wrong way.
Oberon was suddenly there. He yanked Trick to his feet. Pain shot through Trick’s body, and he bit down on his lower lip hard to keep from crying out. Oberon lifted his arm. Trick caught sight of the wooden stake. Oberon was about to finish him.
Left without a choice, Trick used the last weapon in his arsenal: the truth. “I don’t have the power,” he said. “Jersey shoved me out of the way at the last second and took it all.”
Oberon blinked. “Jersey Clifford has the power that you were supposed to inherit?”
“Yesss!” Trick hissed between his teeth to keep from groaning. “He is walking around with the faerie power, not me. I only have the bit I was born with.”
Oberon shrugged. “I still want it. Don’t worry. I’ll bring you back after I kill you... so I can do it again. You will be my new toy, and I will enjoy torturing, killing, and reviving you for years to come.”
The stake went though his chest.
Trick glanced down, sure Oberon must have missed his heart. A strange feeling washed over him, difficult to grasp. Small grains of what looked like sand fell in front of his eyes, and he realized he was turning to dust.
Scarlet screamed in the distance.
He crumbled like an over-baked cookie, and eve
rything went black.
♫
Pain...
Confusion...
At first, Trick was in a silent world of darkness. He couldn’t see or hear anything, but every inch of his body hurt. Wasn’t the afterlife supposed to be pain free? The memory of getting staked by Oberon returned with crystal clarity. His mind looped back to the same question again and again. If he was dead, why did it hurt?
Sound reached into the dark cocoon and found him.
His friends were yelling his name, frantic.
Oberon’s deep, throaty laughter echoed in his ears.
Trick blinked his eyes several times, and everything slowly swam into focus. Darkness gave way to light as if a dimmer switch had been turned. He pushed to his feet, determined to face Oberon and demand answers. But as it turned out, he didn’t need to ask. An image of his father being tortured by Oberon came rushing forward. Oberon had killed his father repeatedly and brought him back to life only to kill him again. That must have been what he’d done to Trick.
Oberon lifted a hand and closed it into a tight fist. Using magic, he squeezed Trick’s internal organs. Trick collapsed on the ground. He writhed, twisting this way and that. His insides turned to hot lava, and he re-enacted the scene between his dying father and the faerie king with him playing Ian’s part. Fear drove logical thought from his brain. How many times would the faerie king kill him before he tired of the game?
Oberon teleported him to the castle’s roof again and threw him off without hesitation. Trick bounced like a broken rag doll. He tasted blood. Any second Oberon would stake him. He’d turn to dust. Then Oberon would bring him back to life only to do it again.
The white door opened to reveal two figures. To him, they were dark shadows standing in bright light. For a moment he thought he had found the reality of an afterlife. Then the man in the front swam into view. His facial features became clear. Trick’s breath caught in his throat. What was Jersey Clifford doing in the Faerie Realm? Was he there to help? Or was he there to do Oberon’s bidding? Had the werewolf flipped sides again?
Jersey spoke over his shoulder to the other guy. “You take him while I deal with the faerie king.”
