by JD MITCHELL
She feared the books might catch fire, but the Fae had bigger concerns. The second birdman crept from the shadows. Its sharp teeth, which protruded from its beak, dripped with blood. The Fae who chased it earlier was likely dead.
A hand grasped her shoulder. She stifled a scream as her heart rate skyrocketed. Leigh stood above her, a finger on his lips. He pointed toward the shelves and gestured for her to follow. She snuck away from the ledge as the two remaining Fae men struck a killing blow to the second creature.
“We have to hide,” Leigh said as he guided her in between two rows of books.
Ali peered over her shoulder at the main room. “The Fae killed them.”
“There will be hundreds, and we can’t defend ourselves.”
“Hundreds?” Ali choked.
Leigh nodded as she imagined the death and havoc those birdmen might cause. It took two Fae to kill one of those creatures. How many will it take to kill hundreds?
“I need to find Jessica,” Ali said.
“Red will take care of her.” Leigh grasped her hand and lead her though the bookshelves.
“She wasn’t with Red, she’s with Aengus.” Ali protested.
Leigh found a doorway along a far wall and ushered her inside before gently closing the door. “Trust me. Red will find her.”
He was right. Red would find her. Of course, Jessica would immediately demand they find Ali and Leigh, so there was that obstacle to consider.
A dim light flickered in Leigh’s hand and she realized they were in a sizeable janitor’s closet. Chemicals, mops, and brooms lined the shelving. The closet smelled of bleach, tickling her nostrils. Leigh walked her to the back wall, and they leaned against it sliding to the floor. The light in his hand flickered then extinguished, sending the room into darkness. They shouldn’t risk the light, but the pitch black was unnerving.
“What are those things?” Ali asked.
Leigh’s voice was thick. “They’re sluagh.”
“I’m guessing ‘slew-ah’ is Celtic for bird person?” Ali asked hugging herself. The leathery wings looked like stretched out skin to her.
“They used to be Fae. Similar to the Fae who live here.”
She was certain she wouldn’t like the answer but asked anyway. “How’d they get like that?”
Another scream permeated the silence. Anxious, she listened for cries of help, but the room fell into quiet.
Leigh spoke. “Think of them like Fae Zombies. If they steal your soul, it dooms you to join their ranks.”
“Did you say–steal your soul?” Ali asked, her empty words sounding like someone else spoke them. An image of a Fae man, his lifeless body torn to shreds, now soulless, consumed her.
Leigh moved closer, his body inches from hers. “Sluagh prey on the dying or the heart-broken. However, I’m reciting this from a textbook.” He cleared his throat, but Ali heard the slight tremble to his voice. “As far as I knew, they were extinct.”
Ali shivered. The past couple of weeks had been frightening, but this is the first time Leigh sounded terrified. She wished she could see his expression to know for sure.
“Is that why we’re hiding? Because they steal souls?” Ali whispered.
“Some fates are worse than death.”
She didn’t know how to reply to his comment. The sluagh reminded her of something she read. What was it? Then her memory found the words. She whispered, “Take thy beak from out thy heart, and take thy form from off my door… And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor. Shall be lifted nevermore.”
“Are you reciting Poe at me?” Leigh asked sounding annoyed.
If that poem wasn’t so famous, it would’ve impressed Ali that he nailed the reference. “It occurs to me Poe’s Raven may have been a sluagh.”
Leigh didn’t reply.
Her mind wandered. How did the sluagh get inside? A sickening feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. The Sons did this.
“Leigh?” Ali whispered.
“Yeah?”
She swallowed. “I dreamed about Dub again, but…” Her voice trailed off. “Aengus seemed convinced Dain and Dub were banished, so I dropped it.”
Ali expected him to yell at her, but he didn’t.
“I had a dream about him too,” Leigh said.
That was news to her. “You did?”
He exhaled. “You said Dub was a shadow with blue eyes.” His voice lowered. “Last night I saw blue eyes while I slept.”
Her heart sunk. If she’d known Leigh had the same dream, she’d have insisted on keeping vigilant.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Ali asked.
“Red told Aengus, but with no trace of the Sons they figured it didn’t matter.” Leigh let out a strangled laugh. “Our first night here Aengus told me nothing could penetrate the palace barrier.”
“He was wrong,” Ali said.
It was likely Aengus never envisioned darkness stalking his guests, with violence lurking on the sidelines. Of course, they killed evil, so Aengus should have expected retribution.
She allowed guilt to seep into her thoughts. A Fae laid dead in the library. Why didn’t Ali insist harder when she saw Dub?
Leigh remained silent, doubtless lost in his own regret.
As time ticked away, she listened to his rhythmic breathing. The steady repetition comforted her, reminding her she wasn’t alone. He’d saved her life many times the past two weeks. Of the creatures who had already attempted to kill her, the birdmen were the most terrifying. She swallowed, suddenly needing to focus on anything other than the sluagh.
“Um…” Ali breathed into the darkness remembering their conversation in the hallway.
“What?”
“Why did you tell me to never be like Melissa?”
She heard him exhale. “You keep bringing up Melissa. Why?”
Her stomach dropped at his irritated tone. “I… well… you said you loved Melissa, but then you got mad when Nash…” Ali’s voice tried off, she couldn’t bring herself to ask if Leigh wanted more than friendship with her. His reaction to Nash seemed to indicate as such, but she couldn’t handle rejection from Leigh if she was wrong. And Ali was a chicken.
He cleared his throat. “When did I say I loved Melissa?”
“On the plane. I asked if you loved her and you shrugged.” Ali said thinking back to the incident. “The TDD forced you to break up with her. Just like Red did with Jessica.”
“You think I still love Melissa?” Leigh asked sounding surprised. He was quiet for a moment before he spoke. “Nobody forced me to end our relationship.”
“But you said it was easier,” Ali countered.
“It was easier knowing we’d eventually have to breakup,” Leigh said sounding defensive.
“Oh,” Ali said, now worried she royally screwed up with Leigh.
She was met with silence which stretched so long she became uncomfortable, finally permeated by his sigh. “I would have ended it with her. I don’t love her.”
Even though it was dark, she squeezed her eyes shut. I’m an idiot. This day had been a complete disaster, and a good chunk of it was her own fault.
“I…” Ali let her voice trail.
What would she say? Tell him she had feelings for him, right after Nash kissed her? No. Leigh might understand, but she was the ‘a-hole’ in this situation.
In the darkness, his hand gripped her fingers, the sudden warmth startling her. She squeezed back. Her heart beat so rapidly it sounded like someone banged on a drum in her ears. After a time, her heart settled, but the heat from his hand made her palm clammy. She tried not to overthink it, instead remembering the situation outside the closet.
Occasionally a muffled scream pierced the quiet, but it never lasted long. She tried to discern Fae from sluagh, but it was hard to tell. Once, she jolted awake, unaware she’d dozed off. A few hours passed this way before she heard her name. It was distant at first, then grew louder.
Jessica.
She released Leigh’s hand and hastened along the wall of chemicals searching for the door. Probing the wall with her fingers, she flipped on the light switch. The sudden light blinded her, but at least her sister could find the closet. She pulled the door open and stepped outside.
“Jessica!”
Somewhere below her, Jessica yelled. “Where are you?”
“Up here!” Ali yelled.
Two claws, followed by flapping wings, knocked into Ali’s shoulder and slammed her backwards onto the floor. The wind was knocked from her lungs before talons pierced her shoulders. Sharp pain flooded her chest and arms as she gasped. She tried to hold her hands up to shield her face, but she couldn’t reach. The claws pinned her shoulders to the floor. A foul smell of rotten body odor poured off the sluagh as a bloody beak snapped inches from her face.
On instinct, Ali pushed gaoth into the sluagh’s chest, sending it backwards like one of her clay men. The pain in her shoulders lessened, but hot blood flowed down her arm. Catching itself midair with its wings, the sluagh quickly charged. She scrambled into the closet toward Leigh–who was on the verge of an attack–as it crashed inside, slamming into a cabinet. Chemicals burst, sending bottles and cans in various directions. The sluagh righted itself and fixed its eyes on her. Its beak opened showing its pointed teeth. Ali trembled as it shrieked, the cry reminiscent of nails down a chalkboard.
Leigh hurled solas at it.
The sluagh stumbled but didn’t stop its advance. Its clawed feet clicked against the tiled floor with every slippery step.
Their magic wasn’t strong enough.
Scanning the shelves for a weapon, she grabbed the nearest chemical and flung it at the sluagh. The bottle hit its abdomen, slowing its approach. Encouraged, Ali threw more objects. The various containers bounced off the sluagh causing no damage.
An aerosol cleaner was within reach.
She clutched it, then charged the sluagh, spraying the chemical in its face. The sluagh screamed and batted at its eyes with its claws. Ali quickly slid around it toward the exit, Leigh on her heels. She was almost though the door when an idea struck her. She turned toward the sluagh, aerosol still in hand.
“What are you doing!” Leigh yelled.
Ali sprayed the light bulb above the sluagh with the aerosol cleaner. The bulb shattered, and a flame caught. She directed the flaming aerosol into the sluagh’s face. Fire spread from its beak down to its abdomen growing larger and brighter until the creature was mostly ablaze.
The sluagh’s high-pitched scream sent her pulse into a frenzy.
Throwing the can to the floor, she sprinted out of the closet after Leigh.
“Ali!”
Jessica’s muffled yell came from the right sounding like she was somewhere on the first floor.
They charged that direction, heading toward Jessica’s voice. Leigh found a set of spiral stairs and raced downward. Ali took them two at a time before colliding with Jessica near the bottom.
“Run!” Ali yelled.
Jessica reached for Ali’s arm. “Wait, stop!”
Fearing another sluagh, Ali halted in her tracks. Red rushed past her, trailed by Aengus and four Fae warriors.
Leigh pointed toward the staircase. “Third floor, follow the wall to the room on the left!”
The troop ascended the stairs, disappearing into the darkness. She worried the sluagh might hurt someone, but it needed to be killed.
Ali anxiously paced at the base of the stairs; her eyes trained on the third floor. A few minutes passed before Red reappeared looking astounded.
“You killed it,” he said to Leigh.
Leigh gestured Ali’s direction; his eyes wide. “She did.”
Red pointed above them toward the closet. “How’d you know to burn it?”
Ali stammered, pointing toward the main library. “The Fae burned one earlier. I can’t conjure fire, so I used an aerosol can and the light bulb.”
She was numb. Was killing a sluagh murder? Ali wasn’t certain. She considered killing a Fae murder.
“That explains the charred ceiling,” Aengus said appearing at the bottom of the staircase. Ali must’ve looked mortified because Aengus pat her on the back. “Don’t worry, you’re safe now.”
She winced at his touch. The sluagh’s claws had dug large holes on either side of her shoulders. The straps of the dress had torn where the claw marks punctured her clothing and skin. Blood stained the red fabric and trickled down to her wrists.
Jessica pulled at a strap. “How bad is it?”
Ali inhaled as the fabric separated from her skin. The open wound burned like someone stuck a hot poker into her shoulder.
“You need a healer,” Aengus said eyeing the wound. His features drew together, and his eyes held concern.
Assessing the damage, Ali wiggled her fingers then raised her arms shoulder level. Pain shot though her right side. She winced. At least her dexterity seemed all right. However, she was feeling lightheaded.
Jessica eyed the nearest doorway. “Is it safe in the hallways?”
Aengus frowned. “I don’t think we should wait.”
Red nodded in agreement. “We’ll double back the way we came.”
“I agree.” Aengus said. “The Fae converted the Hall of the Sol into an infirmary. We should get Ali there quickly.” He walked along a row of books, then took a left down a new passageway.
“Why the rush?” Ali asked. She didn’t like Aengus’s firm insistence.
“A precaution,” Red said lightly, but his brows were knit.
“Red, are you sure we can’t wait?” Jessica asked.
He nodded. “It’ll be fine.” His voice lowered with urgency. “We need a healer.”
Ali pushed forward, her gut wrenching at the unknown extent of her injuries. Red and Aengus quickened their pace, adding to her anxiety.
The four of them hastily followed Aengus while Fae warriors brought up the rear.
No one spoke as they traversed the silent hallways. However, Ali heard every movement. Even breathing sounded loud to her. She took shallow breaths and tip-toed behind Leigh. The marble floors were cold against her bare feet, but it was quieter than the muffled footfalls of the Fae behind her.
Dim lights cast long shadows along the hallways, causing Ali to distrust every dark corner they neared. Twice she jumped when she thought a sluagh was lunging from the shadows. The first materialized into a curtain, and the second was only a shadow.
As they crept through hallways, she found it progressively harder to see. Shadows mixed into disorienting swirls. When they entered a bright corridor, Ali knew something was wrong. The navy and gold trim looked like wet paint dripping down the beige walls.
“The hallway is melting.” Ali blinked a few times before Jessica’s concerned face appeared before her.
Leigh’s hands embraced her shoulders in seconds. Ali’s body collapsed against his as her extremities went numb. She closed her eyes.
Someone swept her off her feet and cradled her against a warm chest. Jessica murmured; the words inaudible. Red shushed her, his voice inches from Ali’s face.
Bile rose in her throat, and she felt herself heaving. The cool tile was below her fingers now, and she vomited all over the floor. What felt like seconds later, bright swirling lights accosted her vision. Red laid her on something firm and backed away.
A yellow face swam in her line of sight. The Fae doctor twisted into two separate heads, looking like a conjoined twin. Ali squeezed her eyes shut. She heard an echo in the distance. The word hallucination floated toward her. She focused on it; the word was important. Then it floated away. She struggled to find the word again. It told her what was happening.
Ali drifted into darkness and a chorus of bird-like screams.
Nineteen
A moan to her right woke her. Ali attempted to shield her eyes from the bright lights, but when she raised her hand, a lightning bolt of pain shot through her right shoulder. She gasped. Dropping her arm, she held her brea
th until the pain faded to a dull ache.
She tilted her head and squinted at the white gauze that was wound tightly around her shoulder and armpit. Hesitant, she tested her left arm. It felt ten times better than her right side. She propped herself upright, taking a moment to gain her bearings. The vast gold room came into focus. It was the Hall of the Sol, the gold décor unmistakable.
Fae rushed about in a blur of colors attending injuries that ranged from gashes to gaping lesions. Across the crowded room another wail rang, the patient obscured by huddling healers.
A thin blanket covered her, which she quickly pushed to the side. Someone had clothed her in a blue tank top and matching cotton pants. The tattered dress she arrived in was probably sitting at the bottom of a trash bin.
“You’re awake,” Jessica said rubbing at her bleary eyes.
Jessica sat on the marble floor next to Ali’s cot. A foot behind her, a bloodied Fae slept on a cot. Ali realized a hundred occupied cots surrounded them. She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat was dry. “Water?”
Jessica reached under the cot and handed her a cup. “The Fae healer said you’d be dehydrated.”
The water was warm, but Ali drained the cup. Careful to move slowly, she handed the cup back to Jessica. “What happened?”
Jessica slid the cup back under the cot. “The skin on those creatures secretes a hallucinogen. You were delirious.”
Ali remembered the sluagh pinning her to the floor. Its claw had punctured her shoulder. She peered at the bandage on her arm, wondering about the degree of her injury.
To her right a female Fae warrior moaned, yelling what sounded like gibberish. Three Fae doctors held her down, forcing a liquid down her throat. Within seconds the Fae warrior plunged into a deep sleep.
“The Fae been arriving all morning,” Jessica said nodding to the now unconscious woman. “They’ve cleared half the palace, but Aengus estimates another fifty or sixty are lurking.”
