Here Be Monsters [2]

by Phaedra Weldon

  Their targets were down below, close to the boiler room under the building. Xe-Faun communicated to his people to surround them, and to use magic if possible to contain the Fallen. He didn't think any of it would have an effect on the creature.

  But he had to save his King.

  And kill the prince.

  The Regent had ordered it.

  Abyssinian had never known what it was like to be attacked by a vampire. He'd only had Siobhan's fangs at his neck—and those times had been willing. Vampires usually left his kind alone, for fear of death. It was something different to actually have a bloodsucker try and sink their teeth into his throat.

  But the little girl was on his back, her hand clamped over his eyes as she pulled his head back, the left hand and legs wrapped around his chest, over his arms. He screamed out at the pain against his wound—and thrashed around, trying to unseat the monster off.

  "You dare take my feast!" The Fallen bellowed and the room's temperature dropped.

  He and the little creature crashed to the floor as he lost his footing and he yelled out again at the searing pain in his side. His wound was open again, even though the strength given to him by Silira's spell made it possible to fight. He continued to thrash on the floor and brought his sword up and over his head, trying to hack at the little monster.

  The sound of tearing made him pause, followed by a wave of nausea. He'd only felt that kind of sickness when he was badly wounded—as he had been with the cold iron arrow. But this…

  He realized the tearing noise was the flesh and muscle of his neck.

  "Insolent hag!" The Fallen called out.

  The thing on his back was gone, and he lay on his side, dizzy and sick. He heard something strike a wall and looked over to see the little girl slam into the wall. Its head had cracked open and blood splattered the wood as it remained suspended against it, as if nailed in place.

  The Fallen came into view, facing the little creature, her hands out as blue and red arcs laced up and down her slender arms. "You dare to take what is mine? You—a small and insignificant bastard child? You wreak of age and filth."

  The little girl continued to fight against what Abyssinian could only imagine was the Fallen's magic. He smelled something burning as he tried to crawl away to the open wall, to where Oberon and Siobhan remained.

  I'm dying… he thought as he realized the strength he'd taken from the spell was ebbing away. No magic could withstand the loss of life's blood. And he was painfully aware he was leaking that blood on the floor, quickly.

  "Siobhan…." He said as he neared where she hung, lifeless.

  Abyssinian!

  That was her voice again.

  But how—

  "In the name of the Regent Thomas Rhymer—" boomed a voice from somewhere in the room. "I order you to stop!"

  Abyssinian realized his katana was no longer in his hand as he managed to look back and see Xe-Faun and a small army of elves pile through the door. Each of them glowed softly.

  The little bloodsucker crashed to the floor with an audible and sickening thud.

  The Fallen—Maeve—turned and faced Xe-Faun. "You're too late."

  Abyssinian's strength left him as he felt her behind him. He was lifted up into her arms even as he felt his head fall back. He was loosing consciousness again.

  No! Wasn't the spell supposed to take her power? Wasn't it supposed to end and take his as well?

  Nothing was happening though.

  Except the world was dimming, and he no longer felt anything at all.

  - 16 -

  Keith Song waited.

  Again.

  Outside the club. He stood in the darkness, very impressed that he could see as well as he could. Normally he wouldn't have been able to make out anything past a shadow in the night. But now…

  Was this part of being a ghoul?

  He'd already surprised himself by punching out a would-be mugger with one strike. And he'd barely felt it on his knuckles—which he noticed—had already healed from the bruising.

  This was nice. Really nice. What other perks does this have?

  He was hanging out to see what Siobhan would need. In truth he'd been drawn here. Because this was where she was. No conscious thought. Just…here.

  Dread abruptly landed on his shoulders and he looked around. It was a creeping feeling—that something more dangerous than himself was nearby. Was this what a mouse felt like when it sensed a cat? The feeling pushed his gaze up where he saw something leap up off the top of the building he'd been watching and vanish in the air.

  Had that been a girl?

  And what was she carrying? It looked like a body.

  KEITH!

  Ah, there it was.

  He knew it was coming. And he was ready.

  Hefting the duffle over his shoulder—the one the mugger had tried to take—Keith shoved open the club door and marched through the crowd. Two bouncers tried to stop him, but where easily shoved aside.

  Dancers parted as he walked with purpose and a bit of swagger to the roped off hallway. The dude there tried to stop him as well, but Keith only shoved him back and moved on.

  The door was open downstairs and about six pointy-eared leaf-eaters with bow and arrows and a shit load of sparkly magic turned and faced him.

  "Don't touch him!"

  That Oberon's voice. Keith looked around to see the elf king supporting Siobhan. A slight feeling of jealousy rose up in Keith's throat like bile. He was supposed to take care of her. Not him!

  But he quickly squelched it and came inside the room. He smelled blood. A lot of it. As he neared Siobhan he smelled something really…old…

  When he glanced over he hadn't expected to see a broken little girl. She looked like a rag doll propped roughly against the wall.

  "Keith," Siobhan said and reached out to him.

  He instinctually moved into her arms and tilted his head to the side. It hurt like hell when her fangs pierced his skin and then he was overcome with a warm tingling sensation.

  "What in the—" Oberon started—but stopped when Keith held up a hand. His own eyes had closed and he felt his strength draining away. He was pretty sure if he hadn't felt the overwhelming need to feed Siobhan—if he didn't feel the need to serve her—he'd be trying to beat her off of him with a stick by now.

  Abruptly she stopped and pulled back. He tried to stand on his own and found his knees too weak. She braced him against her and then helped him down to the floor where she propped him against something. He sighed as he felt her hand on his cheek.

  "Keith…you with me?"

  "Uh huh…" he said and opened his eyes. She was in front of him. "Not sure I'm going to get used to that." That's when he saw the bite marks healing on her neck. "Who bit you?"

  "The Fallen did," Oberon said as he moved Siobhan's hair from her shoulder. "She has Abyssinian."

  One of the taller elves spoke orders to the others. They filed out of the room and he turned to Oberon. "Your majesty—"

  "Can it, Xe-Faun," Oberon said. "I'll deal with you and the others later. What were Thomas' orders?"

  "To kill Abyssinian." Xe-Faun looked conflicted. "But sire—the monster has a Winterbourne now. She'll feed, and then she'll invade Underhill."

  "You have little faith in my brother," Oberon said as he stood and faced his kinsman. "And me."

  "And I as well," Siobhan said. "Is there any way to tracker her."

  "She's heading to Grant Park, and the cairn there," a new voice said.

  Keith turned to the most beautiful, ethereal creature he'd ever seen step into the room. Her hair was white and glowed, braided down her back. Her skin was the color of milk and her eyes were so green they dimmed any emerald he had ever seen.

  "Illeië," Oberon said as he went to her and took both her hands in his. "You have summoned the Black Guard?"

  "Yes my King," And she curtsied to him. "I have many of them guarding that cairn. But I must warn you—we don't have much time—"

&nbs
p; "I'd say," he countered and started to turn away. "I'm sure she'll feed on him as soon as she hits the ground."

  "No sire," she put a hand on his forearm. "It's something worse. Silira preformed the vesta en' coia on the prince."

  That got his attention. Siobhan stepped forward as well, looking from Oberon to Illeië. Keith remained in the background, just…staring stupidly at the woman. He was a little dizzy and decided he needed to sit where he was.

  "She did what? The fool!" He put a hand to his head.

  "What is that?" Siobhan looked at Illeië. "I don't understand."

  "The vesta en' coia is a curse. It's actually part of Merlin's magic. It was used in battle to temporary give the wounded—mostly the mortally wounded—the ability to rise and fight once more. It removes a piece of the life force from the castor and sends it into the wounded. It doesn't heal them—the wound is still there. But in the heat of battle, the spell reverses and returns back to the castor." She shook her head. "It takes back what it gave, but it also takes that much more from the wounded as well as the same amount from the one the wounded has their attention focused on. It weakens them, usually just enough for the wounded to make their kill—" she focused on Siobhan. "Before they die."

  "And Abyssinian is wounded—"

  "Yes. Thom buried a cold iron arrow into his side. He has iron poisoning and wouldn't remain safely in Underhill under my care. He wanted to find you and protect you."

  Oberon glanced over at Siobhan. "Illeië is our healer." He looked back to her. "How much time?"

  "Half an hour? Maybe longer? I'm afraid Silira's missing as well. But that's not why I'm worried," she licked her pearl glazed lips. "Silira changed the spell. She put a wider radius on it so that it would remove the life energy of anyone around Abyssinian at the time of the wave. She wanted to make sure the Fallen was weakened."

  "What does that mean?"

  Oberon looked at Siobhan as Illeië turned back and followed Xe-Faun from the room. It was time to move out. "It means if there are any humans near the two of them when the spell collapses, it will kill them. Human's stamina isn't like that of an elf. If anyone is in that park…" he stopped.

  Siobhan's eyes widened. "They'll all die…"

  Keith shivered and looked over at the kid—he wanted to know what the little girl had to do with anything. Only when he looked at the floor where she'd been piled in a crumpled heap—

  "Hey…" he spoke up. "Where's that little girl?"

  Abyssinian opened his eyes. A cool breeze ruffed his hair. The stars were out. A nearly full moon. He could hear a fountain nearby—felt the spray of the water on his face.

  There was another sound.

  A sucking sound.

  And a deep, feminine moan.

  He was in the Fallen's arms, on the concrete ground by the fountain in Grant Park. Maeve was feeding.

  She'd taken so much…he wasn't sure he had anymore to give. There was no strength to left in him. He was detached from his body, barely conscious as her face moved into his view. Her skin glowed, her eyes dark pools, and her teeth and lips were crimson with his blood.

  "So…delicious…" she said. "I can feel your life becoming mine. The curse is broken, Abyssinian Geld. You are Merlin's instrument of destruction. I will use your blood to destroy those that imprisoned my kind. And your name will be remembered through time as one who annihilated a nation."

  - 17 -

  Silira followed the spell. First to the club downtown, and then to the fountain. She stood nearby, cloaked in the darkness of magic her blood gave her. She watched as the monster fed on Abyssinian. And she felt sorrow that he had to die in order for her plan to work.

  Minutes now, once the prince breathed his last breath. The spell would wave, and the monster would be weakened enough to be killed.

  It was the only way.

  Merlin had told her himself.

  She would protect her people.

  Siobhan hated being helpless. And in this situation she was. She felt empowered after taking that small snack from Keith. She'd ordered him home before he passed out and made a note the boy needed a healthier lifestyle—

  Especially if he was going to be her ghoul.

  She was traveling as fast as she could in the air, leaping from roof top to roof top. At this moment, keeping herself hidden seemed useless. She had to get to Abyssinian.

  She had to.

  "You love him, don't you?" Oberon had asked before they took their separate routes. His people were already on the move, coordinating along the way to take down a monster.

  Honesty seemed to be the best answer. "I don't know, Oberon. Aby is so young…"

  "He's over two hundred, Siobhan. You're what—"

  "I'm a good bit older," she glared. "But that's not what I meant. He's so young when it comes to the heart. He's had very little experience."

  "Siobhan," Oberon had put a comforting hand on her arm. "Abyssinian does everything with all he has. He fights with his soul, he listens with his mind, in the moment. And he loves with all his heart. He loves you." He turned away to follow Illeië at that moment, but not before saying softly for her hear, "As do I."

  Damn brothers.

  This was just stupid.

  But in her past she couldn't remember ever worrying about Oberon like she did Abyssinian. She felt if she lost him…

  The park came into sharp focus, with the fountain as its center. She counted maybe a hundred heart beats around, including one that was fading.

  Aby's heart.

  She landed softly near a tree and immediately sensed another presence in the darkness. Only she couldn't see it—not with her eyes. Just with her senses. She didn't have time to play with ghosts and moved to her left to get a better look.

  The two of them were there, on the ground beside the fountain. They looked like lovers, with Abyssinian in Maeve's arms. She was bent over him, over his face.

  And…he wasn't moving.

  "You can't help him, vampire." Came a voice from the shadows. "Don't interfere."

  Siobhan turned and stared at the empty place beside the tree. "Who—"

  The air shimmered and a cloaked woman—elf—came into view. She was dark haired, pale skinned, with upswept eyes.

  Indigo eyes.

  "You're the other Winterbourne."

  "Yes. And I am fulfilling my duty, just as Abyssinian is. We were born to do this."

  "To die?"

  She smiled. "To kill the Fallen."

  Abyssinian kept awake as best as he could. He had to be conscious. When the wave hit, he wanted to be the one to kill her. He wanted to see her die. But…where was his katana?

  "We're being watched," her voice resonated in his mind as she pulled away from his neck. He could see his blood glistening on her dark lips. "They're gathering. The elves. And a vampire. Siobhan. My daughter."

  "No..not your…daughter…"

  "Maybe not directly. But we are the progenitors of the vampire race in this realm. And because I am the last female, I am their mother." She smiled down at him. "And you are my son. I am also elf born."

  As if to cement that illusion, Abyssinian saw a long, slender pointed ear peek out from beneath her silky black hair. Elf…born? "No…"

  "Yes. I am. We were once the rulers of Underhill. It was our realm and the day walking creatures that invaded took it from us with the Merlin. They destroyed our way of life. Banished us to this realm where we remained in the shadows. But with your blood," and she rubbed her cheek against his own. "I am reborn again. I can walk in the day. I can return to Underhill."

  No… he wanted to reach up and choke her. Squeeze until the life left her. But her power was overwhelming now. And he'd lost so much blood. From her feeding…and the wound in his side.

  "Time to die, Abyssinian. I can't have your blood giving any more of my children this power. It is mine alone. A Goddess must be able to—"

  Something struck the two of them. He rolled out of her arms. Abyssinian lay still on his sid
e, the fence surrounding the fountain just visible in the shadows. He tried to move—screamed at his muscles to obey him. His arms. His legs. But he couldn't. He wasn't strong enough to break free from the weakness of his body. With a long sigh he watched the shadows move along the fountain edge.

  "You fool!"

  He heard a young girl's laughter. "You think you're the only monster here—you think you can lord over me!"

  "You are a child!"

  "Abyssinian!"

  His body jumped in reaction to that voice. It was Siobhan! He summoned as much strength as he could to push himself up on his side and looked around. Several figures stood outside the fence, but Siobhan was trying to run to him.

  Oberon was holding on to her arm.

  Good…keep her away Oberon. Abyssinian could see Illeië. If she was here—then Oberon knew of the curse. He knew what was going to happen.

  Siobhan saw a blur sail out of the air and knock into Maeve. The two of them fell backward into the fountain as Abyssinian rolled away, unmoving on the ground.

  She called out to him and started forward, but Oberon's hand caught her upper arm as Silira moved past them.

  "We have to get him out of there!" she hissed at Oberon as she tried to get free. "Those two monsters are going to tear each other apart."

  "Then let them," the elf said as he pulled her back to him. He nodded to Silira. "You can't be around Aby right now. No one but Maeve can."

  "Why not?" She looked from Oberon to Silira. She was also aware of Illeië's Black Guard surrounding and sealing off this area of Grant Park. They'd all used their glamour to move any late night humans—mostly bums—from the park. They made it look like a police barracade, with stories of a potential bomber in the area.

  "Because the spell that's about to activate will devour the energy of anyone near him. He has to remain there near the Fallen."

  Siobhan turned a horrified face to Oberon. "What are you saying? If this spell will do that to that bitch—what will it do to Abyssinian?"

  Neither of them answered.