Forged Steel

by H A Titus

  I forced a smile. Maybe the best thing would just be for me to get away from them as fast as I could.

  The twins said muffled goodbyes through full mouths, and I waved at them over my shoulder. I pulled the front door closed, hopped from the porch to the sidewalk, and started down the block, carrying my jacket under my arm.

  As expected, a few minutes later I heard soft footsteps behind me. I gritted my teeth. Eliaster had said to ignore the fae, but ten to one he hadn't expected one of Blodheyr's goons to show up at my house.

  I spun around and walked backward. "You trying to hide from me?"

  The dark fae shook his head. "Still feeling queasy?"

  A bit, but not enough that I wouldn't be able to run. Not that he needed to know. "What was the game, showing up like that?"

  The golden incisor flashed as the fae grinned. "Just wanted to see the happy family."

  "Well, stay away from them." Oh, nice, Josh. Very macho and threatening. Idiot. I grunted and turned back, just in time to avoid smacking into a street sign.

  Goldtooth chuckled and caught up to me. "You don't seem to appreciate my restraint as much as you should, MacAllister."

  "Hard to be impressed by a guy who thinks he can get what he wants by beating up and killing others."

  Goldtooth shrugged.

  We walked in silence for a time, the fae a step or two behind me and to my left. I could just see him out of the corner of my eye, which made me nervous, but no way was I letting him see that. We were close to one of the city bus stops when he spoke again.

  "Blodheyr only took Marc because he's loath to let a mud-eater in on his secrets. However, he will make an exception for you, Joshua. He's impressed by everything he knows of you. He wanted to make you an offer. Anything you want—be it money or power—in exchange for deciphering the code Marc spoke to you about."

  I stopped dead and glared at him. "He missed his chance."

  "What about Marc?"

  I couldn't hide a wince.

  The fae straightened his shoulders. "Blodheyr will free your friend."

  I recalled what Marc had said right after Scyrril and his buddy had chased us. "Crows take you and Blodheyr."

  Goldtooth's eyes flashed, and his jaw tightened.

  "Oh, sorry, was that offensive? Oops." I stepped toward him and jabbed my finger at his chest. "In other words, not happening, buddy."

  "You will regret this," he ground out between clenched teeth.

  "Yeah, like that isn't cliché at all." I started to walk away and realized he was no longer following me. He stood on the sidewalk, hands clenched at his sides. It made my neck prickle, but I turned my back and walked away.

  He didn't follow.

  I stayed on high alert as I waited for the bus, and even on the bus itself, half-expecting another fae to pop up and try to kill or kidnap me. But the driver and my fellow commuters were all human, as were all the people waiting when I got off a few streets away from Saint Bart's. On the way there, I saw one fae across the street and tensed, but all he did was give me an acknowledging nod.

  When I got to the side street of Saint Bart's, the same one Marc and I had barreled out of earlier this morning, I hesitated. The two security guards were there now, and neither one of them looked pleased by the pieces of shattered gate sprinkled over the street.

  Before I could retreat, one of them looked up and saw me. "Hey, MacAllister!"

  Just my luck, it had to be Harris. I'd had a couple of run-ins with him before—namely, he was the one who caught me sneaking out the last two times. Way too late to run now, though—that would definitely earn me an escort to the dean's office.

  I forced a grin. "Hey."

  The guy waved his hand around. "Sorry about this. In the confusion of the break-in and all, I forgot to get a few students' signatures when they left campus. Yours was one of them. Do you have a second to fix that?"

  What, was he playing around before nailing me? "Uh, yeah, no problem." I followed him up to the security booth, glancing over my shoulder at the dorm. There were several police cars still parked in front of it.

  Harris squeezed inside and pushed a clipboard over the counter to me.

  I tried very hard not to melt into a puddle of relief as I signed, put the fake time I'd left campus, and gave the clipboard back. "So, did the security cameras catch anyone?"

  "Nah. The guy must have had technical backup.

  Every one of the camera tapes is full of static."

  Or some weird fae power messed with them. Could they do that? I thought back over all the research I'd done this morning, but nothing had ever mentioned shorting out cameras as a fae power. I looked over at the camera attached to the corner of the security booth. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Harris give me a strange glance.

  My stomach sank. Just what I didn't need. Time to move out before he decided to question me further. "Hope you find him."

  "Let me know if there's anything missing from your room!" Harris called after me.

  I snorted softly. Yeah right. If there was anything missing, chances were it wouldn't be important to anyone but Marc. And me.

  The side door I normally used was blocked off, pieces of glass spraying the grass and sidewalk around it. I skirted around the building and went into the front door. Thankfully no one was in the lounge—almost everyone was out on the town. Hopefully my suitemate Brian was gone.

  I bounded up the stairs two at a time and slunk down the hallway to my door. I unlocked it and started to ease it open, but the stupid hinge betrayed me with a loud squeak.

  The door next to mine popped open, and Brian's chubby form leaped out. I swear, sometimes I thought the guy was stalking me.

  His eyes were wide and round. "Dude! You missed all the excitement!"

  I slid a foot into my room. "Really?"

  "Yeah, the school had a break-in. The first in its history! We all had to assemble at eight in the theater—man, the deans were mad. Where were you?"

  I glared at him. "Whatever happened to the 'don't tell me, if I don't know I can't get in trouble too' thing?"

  "Well, yeah, but other people know you were gone. There's only a matter of time before folks start asking questions."

  I smacked my hand onto my forehead. Great, apparently others aside from Harris had made the connections earlier. With my record of hacking and playing computer pranks on people, what was to stop everyone from thinking that I'd hacked the security system for the thief?

  "Now you get it." Brian bobbed his head up and down. "Look, I know you wouldn't do it, not something this serious, but other people aren't happy with you. Joe, down the hall, you know? You did hack his computer and upload private photos to his Facebook. Tony isn't too happy either, not after—"

  I glared. "If you talk to anyone about this, Brian, I swear, all of your grades will disappear. Got that?"

  Brian's chin wobbled. "Now, see, this is what I'm talking about, Josh. You can't go around antagonizing everyone and messing with their…"

  I stepped into my room and slammed the door. Brian kept squawking for a few minutes before he gave up. I heard his heavy footsteps trudge away from my door and down the stairs.

  I groaned and slid to the floor. Great. This was way beyond a few pranks or messing with people I didn't like. I could easily be arrested for this.

  No, actually, I can't be arrested. The evidence was circumstantial at best. Still didn't keep me from hyperventilating. I thumped my head back against the wall and pressed my hands against my face.

  "Trouble, Josh?"

  I looked up into the barrel of a pistol. I jerked back, smacking into the door. "I thought I'd gotten rid of you."

  Goldtooth motioned for me to stand. He stepped in close and patted at my jacket pockets and jeans. I raised my hands so I wouldn't get in his way. My heartbeat thudded in my suddenly-dry mouth.

  The fae finished searching me and stepped back. "You know what I want."

  I swallowed, hard, and shook my head.

>   "Aiden's notes." Goldtooth waved his free hand around the messy dorm room. "We didn't have time to search last night before Marc came back."

  The notes…I remembered what Marc had told me last night. He had his dad's notes about the cipher. And Blodheyr thought Marc had hidden them and told me where they were.

  I cleared my throat. "Marc never told me about any notes." My voice still came out squeaky. Other than my pulse, I couldn't feel anything. Somewhere in the back of my head, a part of my brain was screaming and freaking out. But for the most part, I felt calm.

  "That's to be expected, but you're his best friend. You should be able to guess where he hid anything valuable." Goldtooth motioned to the room.

  I stood up and scanned the room. The troll hadn't gotten far in his search last night. A couple of Marc's desk drawers hung open, and a few things were scattered on the floor, but that was all. I was so screwed.

  I crossed the room and started riffling through the open drawers. My hands weren't even shaking. How was that possible? I cleared my throat again. "So just these notes. I'd have thought that you'd be coming back for me. To make me work on that cipher."

  I heard the fae settling on my bunk. Great, he was planning to be here a while.

  "You know, since Blodheyr's so 'interested' in me and all," I muttered.

  "The cipher will come later. These notes are important now."

  The first phrase sent a slight chill through me. I forced my hands to keep moving through the contents of the drawers. Then I opened Marc's computer and turned it on. "Letting me go, that wasn't an accident last night? Did you do that deliberately because Blodheyr guessed I'd come here and search for the notes? You don't have to hold me at gunpoint, you know."

  "A few of your abilities changed things."

  What was that supposed to mean?

  I spent the next two hours meticulously combing through all of our stuff. His computer was a total waste of my time—all he had on it were basic operating programs and school work. The textbooks we had scattered around the room revealed nothing more. The same with the entertainment center, our closets, and our bathroom. I even took the back of the TV off to make sure he didn't stick something inside there.

  I did find a music CD I'd been missing, a half-dozen of my thumb drives, and the single thumb drive Marc owned. I flopped down at my desk, shoved my messenger bag off to the side, and fired up my laptop. A search through all of my files revealed nothing. I slowly went through each of my thumb drives, though each one was password protected and

  I doubted Marc could have gotten into them.

  Sure enough, nothing new.

  I inserted his thumb drive next. All that popped up were pictures of Marc and his family…before his dad died.

  I glanced over at Goldtooth. He lounged on the bed, pistol in one hand, the other picking at his teeth.

  I scrolled through the pictures. They all looked like they were from one event. There were pictures with Marc and his whole family. His mom and sister looked like they were ready to cry, but they still had big grins. His dad looked like Marc—dishwater blond hair falling back from a widow's peak, big grin, blue eyes—the only difference were the lines and wrinkles cutting through Aiden's features.

  I remembered the last time I'd seen them, at Marc's high school graduation party, held at a restaurant here in town. That had been six years ago, but Aiden looked like he'd aged more than ten years since then. Maybe by this time, he'd already started working for Blodheyr.

  The last few pictures were of Marc in action, wielding the katana I'd seen him use last night, in what looked like a sparring match between him and Aiden. Even in the pictures, his expert swordsmanship was evident. In one picture, he had his sword locked under the hilt of Aiden's sword, his free hand reaching out to push Aiden away even as he twisted Aiden's sword free. If he was this good and could defend himself that well, why did he ever leave the Underworld?

  The final picture looked ceremonial—Marc and his dad both wearing their swords. In the previous pictures, Marc hadn't been wearing the metal bracelet that he'd had in college. In this picture, Marc's dad was holding his son's arm up, like he was a champion, and on Marc's wrist was that bracelet. Probably some fae coming-of-age thing.

  I grunted and jerked the thumb drive from the computer. Nothing.

  Goldtooth glared at me. "You're stalling."

  "No, I'm not." I swiveled my chair, staring out over the room. How were Marc's mom and sister taking his disappearance? He never went a day without calling them.

  Something similar to a rock settled in my gut. Had they known Marc was working for the same guy who had murdered his father?

  I shook my head and shoved the thought away. Not now. Think. Where else could Marc have hidden something? And how could I keep it away from Goldtooth if I did find it?

  My gaze fell on the entertainment center again, on the little white game box tucked under the TV. Marc had complained last night about the Wii not working—that's the excuse he'd used to sneak out. A game disc stuck out of the Wii, only the last quarter of it in the slot.

  What was wrong with it? I chewed my lip. If Marc had hidden something in it…

  A knock sounded on the door. I jumped and stared at it.

  Goldtooth scrambled to his feet, hissing at me. "Get the door, stupid!"

  I stood up, too slowly for him. He jabbed me in the spine with the gun. I gritted my teeth and looked out the peephole on my door.

  The blond fae from last night, Eliaster, slouched in the hallway, looking bored. He glanced at the door, then kicked it a couple of times.

  I pulled back, pulse hammering. "It's Eliaster."

  Goldtooth's eyes narrowed, and he stepped to one side of the door. "Let him in."

  Chapter 6

  I opened the door. Eliaster didn't even acknowledge me and stared into the room, scanning as much as he could see.

  We stood silent for a few seconds, him ignoring me. I rubbed my fingers against my damp palms. How was I supposed to warn him about the Unseelie?

  He finally met my eyes and sighed. "Are you going to let me in or not?"

  I stepped back slowly, and my eyes flicked to the Unseelie waiting at the side of the door. Eliaster's face didn't change—he gave no indication that he'd noticed my look away—but as soon as he stepped inside the room, he ducked.

  Goldtooth's pistol whipped inches over Eliaster's spiked hair. The gun cracked into the door frame, chipping the wood.

  Eliaster grabbed Goldtooth's arm, twisting him away from the door. He slammed Goldtooth against the wall, his forearm against the Unseelie's throat. "What are you doing here?" he snarled.

  I closed the door. "Aiden's notes. He thought I would know where they are."

  "Anything else?" Eliaster asked.

  I shrugged.

  The Unseelie said nothing.

  Without taking his eyes off Goldtooth, Eliaster grabbed my messenger bag and threw it at me. "Pack."

  "What?"

  "Get what you need. Now."

  "Why?"

  "Because I'd bet my weight in gold that he was sent to drag you back to Blodheyr." Eliaster stepped closer to the Unseelie, pressing his arm tighter against Goldtooth's throat. "Isn't that right, crow-bait?"

  Goldtooth shrugged. "I was sent to persuade him to help his friend."

  My stomach knotted. It didn't feel good to have my suspicions confirmed. I pushed open my closet door and grabbed a handful of clothes off the floor. "Where are we going?"

  "We'll discuss it later," Eliaster said.

  Goldtooth chuckled. "Taking in another stray? Didn't the last time teach you anything?"

  Eliaster slammed his fist into Goldtooth's jaw, throwing him against the wall. The Unseelie slid to the floor, his eyes sagging shut.

  I edged past them and grabbed my computer, slid it into my bag, went into the bathroom and grabbed a pair of tweezers.

  "What are you doing?" Eliaster stepped closer to me, his hand twitching, like he was ready to grab my arm
and drag me out of the room.

  "Dude, chill. Half a minute." I crouched in front of the entertainment center and pulled the CD from the

  Wii, then slipped the tweezers into the game slot. The space was just big enough for the tweezers to fit. I poked them back a little further and felt something stiff stop them.

  Slowly, I maneuvered the tweezers around it and pulled the thing out. Sure enough, it was a couple of pieces of folded paper. I held it up to Eliaster.

  He grinned. "Good one."

  I stood up. "Now that the Unseelie is no longer a threat—why do you want me to go with you?"

  "That's your problem. The Unseelie are always a threat. Blodheyr is always a threat, as long as you have this." Eliaster jabbed my forehead with his index finger. "He'll make do with Marc, but he really wants you."

  I shoved the papers at him. "Take these and get out of here. I'll find somewhere to stay."

  "Where?"

  "Anywhere other than with you." I started for the door. Just as I reached for it, another knock sounded. I gritted my teeth and jerked it open.

  Brian stepped back, holding his hands up. "Whoa, man."

  "What do you want?"

  "Someone, not me, told the dean you snuck out last night and hadn't been back until this morning. There are a lot of people talking about you. Rumors are starting to fly that you had something to do with last night's break in, and I got here just ahead of a couple of detectives, so you might want—"

  I swore under my breath and slammed the door on him.

  Eliaster blew out a long breath. "Next time, tell me so I have time to use glamour."

  "Sorry, I'm just a tiny bit preoccupied right now." I rubbed my neck, then dragged my hands through my hair. "This is stupid. I can't be a part of this, I'll get eaten alive."

  "Marc doesn't choose friends who are cowards," Eliaster said.

  "I'm a computer nerd! I get revenge on people by hacking into the school database and messing with their grades. I can't do anything else! You know the reason Marc and I became friends? He got sick of seeing me picked on at school. You fae have that in common, you know—you can't leave well enough alone."

  Eliaster stared at me, the muscles in his jaw working. His bright green eyes flickered once, twice. Then he shrugged, grabbed the papers from my hand, and walked to the window. "Fine. Stay here. Take care of your own problems.