Forged Steel

by H A Titus

  The hall was empty, save for the two guards sitting on either side of the door. I restrained my urge to punch the wall and, instead, settled for growling and running my hands through my hair.

  It was just my luck that this whole thing became more complicated at every turn. I paced in a tight circle, clenching and unclenching my hands. That wasn't helping. I spun around and kicked the leg of a table. The vase on top—probably some priceless fae collectible—clunked over on its side.

  I cringed.

  One of the guards lurched up to his feet, hand going to his sword, but he didn't move toward me.

  "If you're going to break something, I'd prefer you do it in my personal gym and not the front hall," Counselor Tyrone said.

  I spun around. Tyrone stood a few feet away, his hands clasped behind his back. What was it with fae and their inclinations to sneak up on people?

  "Sorry," I muttered.

  The library door opened, and Roe poked her head out. "Cormac? A moment?"

  Cormac nodded to her, then raised his eyebrows as he looked back at me.

  I nodded. I couldn't go back in the library, not with angry, nervous energy buzzing through me like this.

  He gestured to the guard who was still standing. "Show Josh to the gym before he destroys anything." He walked into the library and shut the door after himself.

  The guard gestured for me to follow him and opened a door on the opposite side of the hall. We walked through a formal dining room, big enough to fit at least twenty people, and into a small sitting room stocked with a glass-fronted liquor cabinet and plenty of comfortable chairs. The guard nodded to a door that inconspicuously blended into the paneling at the far side of the room.

  I opened it and stepped into a room the size of a small gymnasium. The floor was covered in blue foam pads. A rack of practice weapons and a punching bag hung on the wall across from me, and to my right there were several wooden dummies, hacked and scarred from swords and arrows. The rest of the floor was open, probably for martial arts or sword form practice. It was probably four or five times the size of Roe's basement gym. I could see why Cormac had directed me here.

  The door swung shut silently behind me as I crossed to one of the wooden dummies. I closed my hand around my sword hilt, and the metal rasped as I drew it. In the artificial light of the room, the blade looked almost yellow.

  I clenched my hands tight around the sword hilt and gave a guttural yell as I lunged at the dummy. My blade flashed, bit into the wood, and swung away again. I struck head, shoulders, torso in a random pattern. I fell into a rhythm of the forms that David had shown me. I ducked and darted around the dummy.

  Finally I stopped, slowly becoming aware of the burning in my shoulders and legs. I pressed the sword point into the floor mats and leaned on the hilt, my chest heaving. My shirt was soaked in sweat, and my hair dripped into my eyes. How long as I been in here?

  My anger had evaporated. Of course, none of the fae had known exactly what we were getting into. In a way, we were all playing catch-up to the Lucht Leanúna.

  And Eliaster had warned me.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the door open. Eliaster edged cautiously into the room.

  I lunged and slammed the point of my sword into the heart of the wooden dummy, driving the blade deep. I released the hilt and stepped back. "What do you want, Eliaster?"

  The fae moved to the side of the dummy and studied it. "I take back what I said about David teaching you swordplay. Looks like you've learned something after all."

  I wrenched the sword free. "Didn't know you were one for chitchat."

  Eliaster rolled his eyes. "Roe told my dad what you found."

  I straightened my shoulders. "Oh yeah? What'd he say?"

  "He didn't give you any compliments, if that's what you're wondering."

  "No, I'm learning to expect that from you people."

  Eliaster smirked. "Set your expectations low enough that even us fae can achieve them."

  "Do you have anything relevant to say?"

  "Okay, fine. He wants us to leave for Chicago as soon as possible. The conversation you found on that forum that hinted at multiple relics really has him worried."

  I sheathed my sword and looked him in the eye. "Yeah, and what about Marc? Larae's going to kick up a squall if we leave without making a rescue attempt."

  Eliaster's jaw bunched and he glanced down at the ground. He rubbed the back of his neck. I narrowed my eyes. He looked as if he was trying to decide something…something to tell me, maybe?

  "What is it?" I asked.

  "Nothing."

  "Eliaster, I swear, if you're lying to me…"

  "You'll what? Rescue Marc on your own? The best chance of doing that is finding the relic." Eliaster left the room, his shoulders hunched.

  Chapter 13

  We met the next morning in the library, just Roe, David, Larae, Eliaster, and me. Cormac had wisely opted out, since Larae was seething.

  "He can't just order us to do something!" she growled, slinging her backpack against the couch cushions, then flopping down between it and my messenger bag.

  "Well?" Larae picked up a pen from the side table and threw it across the room at Eliaster. "You can't be happy about this. Since when do you listen to your dad?"

  He looked up. The dark circles under his eyes looked more pronounced this morning. "Just because we don't get along doesn't mean I don't agree with him once in a while."

  "You act like you don't even want to rescue Marc," she muttered, crossing her arms.

  Bright green flickered in Eliaster's eyes, and he turned his gaze to the side.

  I frowned. Again, he couldn't be more blatant about the fact that he was hiding something from the rest of us. What was he not saying? Why was no one else asking this?

  Roe cleared her throat. "I'm not going with you, of course."

  "No one expected you to," David said.

  She raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a smile. "Are you implying something, young man?"

  He grinned. "Not at all."

  "So what will you be doing?" I asked.

  "Research. I'm going to see if I can find anything more about these other relics. Maybe I can guess at the Lucht Leanúna's end game. It's time we were on a level footing with them."

  Eliaster abruptly stood and shouldered his backpack. "Let's not waste any more time then."

  Roe gave me a hug as the others walked out of the library.

  "You be careful, Joshua MacAllister. You've been a good friend to my grandson, and I've grown fond of you myself these last few days."

  I hugged her back. "No promises, Roe. I'm only an Overworlder out of his element, after all."

  "Nonsense talk, that is. You'll do fine." She patted my shoulders.

  When I stepped out into the hallway, David and Larae were already outside. Cormac Tyrone and Eliaster stood close to the front door.

  "—tell them," Cormac was saying, his tone urgent. "You can't expect to be—"

  Eliaster caught sight of me and stepped away from his father. "Sorry, Da. Not gonna happen." Without looking at me, he pulled the door open and stepped outside.

  Cormac sighed and nodded to me. "Go gcumhdai Dia thu. May God protect you."

  Was that directed to me, or all of us? I settled for nodding to him, then hurried out after Eliaster. He was heading to a large metal garage tucked partially behind the side of the house. David and Larae stood in the driveway.

  "Where's he going?" I asked, jerking my head at Eliaster.

  "He wants to ride one of his bikes. Says he can't handle being cooped up in my car for hours." Larae jingled the keys to her Porsche in one hand. "Hey, Eli, should we wait for you?"

  Eliaster paused in unlocking the garage's side door. "I'll catch up. You guys have a bit of a hike anyway."

  Larae nodded and started for the gate. I tagged after her, gnawing on the inside of my lower lip, wondering if I should tell her and David about the snippet of conversation I'd caught betw
een Cormac and Eliaster.

  Why couldn't he just trust us?

  #

  As I clambered into the back seat, Larae popped the trunk of the Porsche and stowed her and David's backpacks.

  "Want me to put your bag back here?" she asked.

  "Nah, thanks. I'll probably end up working on my laptop some." I had a few papers due in a week. Maybe I could salvage my college career if I got them turned in on time. Not. Why even bother?

  Larae slid into the driver's seat and tossed a water bottle at me, setting two others in the cup holders in front. "Just don't drink it all before we leave town. We're not taking many potty breaks."

  I opened the bottle and took a drink. I'd never liked the taste of bottled water, but this one in tasted like chemical waste. I looked at the label. It was some cheap brand I'd never heard of. I scraped my tongue on my teeth, recapped the bottle, and stuck it in the pocket in the back of the passenger seat.

  Larae pulled out of the parking garage.

  Ten miles outside of Springfield, Eliaster flew past us on an expensive-looking, all black speed bike. Larae muttered something under her breath and accelerated. The countryside flew past, and eventually the hum of the tires on the road lulled me to sleep.

  When I awoke, the melon-colored sun hung over the western horizon. Evening already? I glanced at the dashboard clock. Just after seven. I sat up straight, my neck stiff and uncooperative. My legs were cramped from sitting in the tiny backseat of the Porsche.

  "Hi, Sleeping Beauty," David said, twisting in his seat to look back at me.

  "Hey." Despite how long I'd slept, I didn't feel rested at all. I squirmed, trying to find a more comfortable position. My legs weren't just cramped, they'd fallen asleep. The seatbelt tightened as I squirmed. I need to pee. "Hey, are we close to a rest stop at all? Where are we?"

  "In central Illinois," Larae said.

  "Gotcha." I yawned and rubbed my eyes. "Man, I'm groggy." My mouth was dry too. Despite needing a restroom stop, I picked up my water and started to uncap it.

  A white sediment had settled at the bottom of the clear plastic bottle. My skin went cold, and I slid the bottle back into the seat pocket. As I looked up, I saw

  Larae staring at me in the rearview mirror.

  I forced a grin. "Figured maybe getting a drink before I go to the bathroom was a bad idea."

  She chuckled. "You must need to go bad. Hint taken. There's a rest stop coming up soon." She switched lanes.

  I leaned my head back against the seat, my mind racing. I had never slept that well in the car before, but I'd just attributed that to being sleep-deprived for the last few days. That white powder, though…could it have been some kind of drug? It would explain the grogginess and the way I didn't feel rested despite having slept so long.

  Had the water bottle been open when Larae had handed it to me? I thought back but couldn't remember. Who would want to drug me? The obvious answer was Larae, or David, or both…they were awfully chummy all the time. So the real question was, why?

  Were we even in Illinois? Trying to be casual, I sat up and peered through the back window. My anxiety eased a little when I spotted Eliaster on his bike about ten yards back from the car.

  Larae pulled off the highway into the empty parking lot of a rest stop. Eliaster followed. As soon as she'd parked,

  David got out of the car and folded his seat forward. I almost grabbed the water, but what excuse could I have for carrying that into the restroom with me?

  Telling Eliaster would have to wait. I jogged through the small, tourist-geared lobby of the rest stop to the bathroom and took care of business. David and Eliaster came in as I was leaving. When I stepped back out, I could see through the glass front of the building that Larae wasn't at the car either.

  The lobby was well-stocked with several vending machines, shelves of pamphlets about local attractions, and a couple of water fountains. The main area was mostly clear, with a few benches. I flopped down on a bench and yawned again. My muscles were still stiff, and I was starting to get light-headed.

  Eliaster stepped out of the men's restroom. "What're you yawning about? Larae just said you've slept most of the trip."

  I grunted. "Funny, considering I think she caused the sleep."

  Eliaster's eyes flickered. "What are you talking about?"

  Just at that moment, Larae came out of the women's bathroom.

  Eliaster walked over to a vending machine and started putting coins into the slot.

  "How much longer 'til Chicago?" I asked Larae.

  "A few hours, I think. Should get there late tonight."

  Eliaster came back and handed me an energy drink. "While we're waiting for David, let's go do some sword work."

  Larae frowned. "Here?"

  "There's no one else here. Besides, I want to get a feel for the damage David's done before we get into any hairy situations."

  Larae rolled her eyes and sat down on a bench.

  I popped the top on the can as I followed Eliaster outside and around the building. There was a small open area behind the rest stop, half dirt and half straggly grass. A rusty swing set was to one side, and I could see a sandy patch where more playground equipment used to be.

  Eliaster drew one of his swords, then motioned for me to do the same.

  I gulped from the energy drink. "I thought you were just saying that. I feel like a rubber band."

  He shrugged. "May as well. Tell me about your suspicions first, though."

  I took another swig. "Not much to tell. When I woke up, my mouth felt all dry, and I didn't feel rested. Plus, I never sleep well in the car—there's no way I slept all the way from Springfield to...wherever we are—"

  "Just outside of Springfield, Illinois."

  Ha, nice. "I wouldn't have slept that long without waking up in the car. I've never done that, no matter how tired I am."

  Eliaster's face settled into a passive stare. "That could all be coincidence. You've had a rough few days."

  "Could be, but coupled with white sediment at the bottom of the water bottle that Larae gave to me? Don't think so."

  Eliaster grunted and rubbed his chin. "Sneaky siabrha. What is she up to? Could be David too, I suppose."

  "Or you."

  He gave me a glare.

  I tossed the empty energy drink can at the Dumpster sitting at the back of the building. It bounced off the rim. I turned back to Eliaster. "You're still not being truthful. I heard what your dad said to you this morning. What are you not telling us?"

  "It's none of your concern."

  I mustered all the sarcasm I had. "Really?"

  "Yes, really."

  "Liar."

  "I don't lie."

  I turned my back on him and started toward the parking lot. "Whatever."

  Eliaster's feet pounded the ground behind me. I spun in time to see his sword swing. I ducked and jumped back, drawing my own sword.

  "What is wrong with you?" I hissed.

  He lunged forward. I jerked back, knocking his sword to the side. The glittering edge sliced past a fraction of an inch from my face.

  My momentum dumped me onto my back. I rolled to my side, saw Eliaster coming toward me. I got to my knees, slashed out at his feet. He jumped back, giving me a split-second longer than I needed to stagger to my feet.

  “Need a tip?” he taunted, circling me.

  I brushed hair out of my eyes. “No.”

  “Treat the sword as an extension of your arm. None of this flailing around, using your wrist to move the sword. A cut must come from your shoulder and elbow, like so." Eliaster jabbed at my side.

  I twisted away and shifted the grip on my sword. Before he could jab again, I swept out, imaging that my sword was my hand, grabbing for his arm. Eliaster was right—the motion felt much smoother.

  Until he parried.

  A sharp, numbing pain jolted up my arm. I hissed through clenched teeth, shuffled backward to shake off the pain.

  Eliaster wasted no time in his ne
xt few moves. His sword hammered at me, barely giving me enough time to recover from one blow before I had to parry the next. Unlike David, he didn't stick to a pattern. Yet I managed to hold my own, watching for the small telltale signs of where he was going to strike—a glance, a tiny movement. Within minutes, sweat was dripping down my face despite the cool evening.

  "You might want to stop," Larae said somewhere behind me. "There's a van pulling into the rest stop."

  I glanced over my shoulder at her, letting my sword arm sag. The next thing I knew, I was on my back. Eliaster's foot ground into my chest, and his sword rested on my Adam's apple.

  "Had enough?" he asked.

  "Get away." I shoved his foot off my hest and rolled to my side, panting for breath.

  He grabbed my arm and yanked me to my feet, whispering harshly, "If you don't believe me, fine. But just know—if I didn't want to protect you, you'd be dead."

  " 'Kay, boys, seriously. Show's over," Larae said. "Let's go."

  I jerked away from Eliaster and started after her.

  "A piece of advice, Josh?" Eliaster asked.

  "Sure," I growled, slamming my sword into the sheath.

  He shook his head. "Never mind. I don't dole out advice where it's not welcome."

  We rounded the building. David hopped up from the hood of the Porsche.

  "Ready?" he asked.

  Larae tossed him the keys, then looked at me.

  "You're not setting foot in my car like that."

  I looked down. A coating of old grass clippings and dirt clung to my clothes. I shook my head and headed back for the restroom. As I opened the lobby door, a cool breeze rolled over my sweaty skin. I shivered.

  Yes, looking over my shoulder at Larae had been stupid. I slammed into the men's bathroom and grabbed a wad of paper towels from the dispenser. At least my adrenaline was pumping enough that I no longer felt the sleeping drug's after effects.

  I ran water on the towels and began wiping down my face and neck. As I swept off my clothes, one of the stalls opened and a preteen boy stepped out. He gave me a suspicious glance as he ran his fingers under the faucet for a few seconds, then wiped his hands on his jeans as he left the bathroom.

  I slung the towels in the trashcan and stared at my reflection in the pocked mirror. What was Eliaster hiding, and why did he feel the need to attack me when I called him on it?