by Jamie Davis
“Apparently not. That could work in our favor. Keep quiet and try to follow along.”
Clark stood. Quinn got up, and they went around the bar to where the tall fae butler stood.
Alistair offered a grin as they approached, but it didn’t reach his eyes, which were as cold as ice. “I’m surprised to see the two of you out and about. I’d heard you were in hiding after a run-in with a certain vampire.”
Quinn had promised to be quiet, but it didn’t hold her back. “You have the nerve to bring that up? We were there to save your boss’s life. We lost a good friend because of it.”
Alistair ignored Quinn and fixed his gaze on Clark. “Is that why you’re here, to level accusations?”
“No, we came for something else,” Clark said. He glared at Quinn for a second and then turned back to Alistair. “I hoped we could meet with Filippa for a few minutes.”
“The princess is a busy person. She is in the process of wrapping up some business so she can return home. This trip has been tiring, to say the least.”
“Nonetheless, please announce us so she can make that decision on her own. I really must insist.”
Alistair considered his demand for a few seconds, then nodded. “I’ll announce you. I do not think that will change anything, but it is my job to serve and advise only. I’ll be right back.”
The fae turned and opened the door just far enough to slip through, closing it behind him.
Quinn craned her neck to try to see inside. All she saw were stacks of beer kegs and wooden crates. “I can’t believe he was going to brush us off after all we did to try to help them.”
“I told you to be quiet, Quinn. The fae have to be handled a certain way. They don’t look at things the way we do. It has to do with their long lifespans.”
“Well, I’m human and don’t have a longer than normal life ahead of me. I have things that need doing now.”
“Which is why we’re here.” Clark was about to say something else when the leprechaun waitress came over with their drinks on a tray.
“There you two are. I wondered where you’d disappeared to. Where do you want these?”
“We’ll take the beer and one of the Cokes,” Clark said, lifting the pewter tankard of beer from the tray and handing Quinn one of the other two glasses. “Put the last one on the table for our friend for after she’s finished dancing,” he said as he pulled a twenty-dollar bill from his pocket and handed it to her. “Is this enough to cover it?”
“Yeah, I’ll get your change.”
“Keep it. And keep an eye out. Tell our friend we’re in the back chatting with the princess if she comes back to the table looking for us.”
The woman smiled and nodded at Clark, slipping the money in her pocket. “If you need anything else, just send for me. I’m Juni.”
She headed back to the bar to fill her other orders. The door behind them opened, and Alistair appeared. There was no smile on his face this time. He seemed perturbed.
“Her Highness will see you. I urge you to respect her time. She has much she needs to accomplish.”
Clark smiled and gestured for Quinn to follow as Alistair held the door for them. The huntress fell into step behind Clark, and they followed Alistair into the bar’s back rooms.
Chapter Nineteen
Quinn wasn’t sure what she expected to find behind the door, but it wasn’t this. Once again, she was a little disappointed. It looked like the back room of a bar should look. There were no magical enhancements or secret fae enchantments going on. It was just a long narrow room that went on and on like a long hall.
Alistair led them past stacked crates of booze and beer kegs to another door in the wall to the left. The storeroom went on farther, disappearing into darkness because the lights only extended this far.
As Quinn stared into the darkness, a twinge of cold vibrated the scar on her chest. Her hand drifted up to touch it through the t-shirt. She peered into the darkness. What was down there?
Alistair cleared his throat, bringing her back to the task at hand. Once he had her attention, he knocked twice before stepping to the side.
A muffled voice from inside said, “Come.”
Alistair opened the door and waved the two of them through. Clark led the way, with Quinn close behind.
Filippa sat in a worn padded leather chair near a beat-up metal desk. Behind the desk sat a very short man. One look at him, and Quinn knew he had to be Juni’s father and the owner of the bar. There was a strong family resemblance.
Clark nodded to Filippa first and then to the leprechaun. “Filippa, Paddy. It’s good to see you both.”
Paddy O’Malley stood and came around the desk to shake Clark’s hand. “Clark, me boyo, it’s been too long since you stopped in. Did you see Juni out front?”
“I did, although I didn’t recognize her at first. I don’t think she knew who I was.”
“That tells you how long it’s been since you stopped in. I know you’re here for business tonight, but promise you’ll come back another time and stay for a while.”
“I’ll do that, Paddy. Thank you. This is my protégé, Quinn Faust.”
The small man turned to Quinn and took her hand in a firm, calloused grip. “You’re the one that’s been causing such a stir lately. Should I call you Mistress Huntress, or is Quinn okay?”
The twinkle in his eyes as he said it told Quinn he meant no harm. She smiled and said, “I answer to most anything, but Quinn is fine.”
The leprechaun tapped the side of his head with a fingertip and laughed. “Can’t be too careful when addressing someone with your potential. I hope you’ll consider my little establishment a place you can rest and eat in peace. I don’t allow the problems of the outside world inside, so you and everyone else are safe here.”
Quinn didn’t miss the meaning of what he said. O’Malley’s was meant to be neutral ground. She was being told to keep her battles outside the bar. She wondered how he backed up the inherent threat to anyone who violated that neutrality.
“I appreciate your hospitality and offer of safety. It’s welcome, and I won’t do anything to violate the peace, I promise.”
“Good, good, then I’ll leave the three of you to your discussion. I should go out front and show my face, so people know I’m around.”
He left the small office and shut the door, leaving Clark, Quinn, and Filippa alone.
The fae princess, dressed in black slacks and a blue silk blouse, gestured to the two folding chairs against the wall opposite where she sat. “Grab those and sit, please. I’m sure you have a great deal to discuss, and it’ll help to be comfortable.”
Quinn bristled a little at the casual, offhand manner Filippa displayed. There was no hint of remorse in her tone or indication any apology was coming. Clark opened a chair for her first and then got himself one and sat down next to Quinn, across from Filippa.
Filippa picked up her glass, filled with a deep red liquid Quinn assumed was wine, and took a sip before saying, “I’m surprised it took so long for you two to come looking for me. You humans are always in such a hurry to seek out justice for any perceived slight.”
“So, you admit you screwed up,” Quinn said, triumph filling her voice.
“I do nothing of the sort, my dear. I merely acknowledged my surprise it took you so long to come to accuse me of wrongdoing. Humans are usually so predictable. I’ve been studying your habits and your penchant to rush to judgment for a very long time.”
Clark held out a hand toward Quinn to stop her from talking. “Quinn doesn’t know you like I do, Filippa. She assumes you failed to notify us on purpose about your early release from Handon’s custody. I know you wouldn’t be so callous about our safety.”
Filippa waved a hand in the air and said, “Actually, Clark, your young huntress is quite correct. Part of the agreement for our release was to tell no one about it. John didn’t want people to know about our arrangement until certain business between us was completed. I’m afraid you an
d your companions got caught up in it by accident.”
“We came to rescue you, Filippa,” Clark said. His voice had a hard edge to it now.
Quinn knew that tone and smiled. Angry Clark was fun when he wasn’t focused on you.
“Clark, my darling, I’m flattered you felt the need to come to my rescue, but you should know by now I’m able to take care of myself. That was all a misunderstanding. A business negotiation gone wrong, if you will.”
Quinn couldn’t believe her ears. “A business negotiation? Our friend died while you were negotiating your business with that beast and his minions. What did you negotiate while Miranda’s lifeblood spilled out of her?”
“I’m afraid that’s confidential, Huntress. As I said, my brethren and I can take care of ourselves. No one asked you to come to my aid, did they?”
Quinn didn’t know how to answer that. Handon’s demon-kinder, using VirSync tech, had invaded the fae summit and kidnapped two of the princesses in attendance. They’d killed numerous fae attendants in the process. Why wouldn’t they want Quinn and her friends to help with the rescue?
“I can see by your silence that I’m correct. There’s no way I can be held responsible for your human assumptions about our needs. It is a shame your friend was injured. However, you did kill several of John’s followers as well, so I guess that’s a fair trade.”
Quinn struggled to tamp down her anger. She wanted to leap across the office and throttle the smug woman.
Clark leaned forward and said, “Still, we did lose one of our own, acting in good faith to help you. Surely that is worth a small boon on your part?”
Filippa smiled. “There it is. You did come because you needed something from me and not just to shout at me. What is it you need, darling? Money, perhaps a safe place to stay?”
“Nothing so crass as that, Filippa. This is something only you can provide.”
The princess’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “You’ve piqued my interest. I can’t imagine what you could need from me that is so personal.”
“We didn’t just lose our friend in the battle with John Handon. We also lost a precious item, something dear to Quinn that cannot be replaced without your help.”
Filippa turned and studied Quinn.
Quinn met her eyes with a smile. She didn’t think the woman would be able to guess what it was in a million years. She wanted to see the look in her eyes when Clark told her what they needed.
Filippa stared at Quinn, then glanced at her chest for a second and grinned. “The amulet. You lost your link to your newfound clan, and you need me to help make a new one. Why not just steal it back from whichever of John’s minions took it? I suspect I know which one has it.”
“They didn’t take it from me,” Quinn said. “I overused it, and it melted.”
“Oh, my. That’s quite an accomplishment, Huntress. I know a little something about those charms of yours, and they are quite resilient and formidable. What did you do, if you don’t mind me asking? It would take quite a bit of power to destroy one outright like that.”
Clark interrupted Quinn before she could answer. “How she did it is beside the point. She has the silver to remake it, but she needs certain components that aren’t so easy to come by to enable the enchantment to take hold.”
Filippa sighed. “The blood. I told my brethren when they helped the early hunters create the amulets and their protection magic that we should’ve come up with an alternative ingredient. It was always such a bother when one of the clans would come seeking to resupply.”
“We only need a small amount, Filippa,” Clark said. “Taylor says it should only take a few drops.”
“It doesn’t matter if I give you the blood or not. There are other rare components you’ll need that I know you don’t have. Without them, my blood is useless to you.”
“I suppose you know what they are and where we can find them?” Quinn asked.
“A crystal scrying bowl, for one. I seem to remember a ceremonial dagger and a magical gemstone of some sort. Then, of course, there’s the blessing of a close blood relative to enable the protection. You’re an orphan, are you not, my dear? That means you—”
Quinn jumped to her feet. “I know what it means, Filippa. I grew up knowing all too well, so you don’t have to explain it to me. Come on, Clark, this is a waste of time. I don’t want to be beholden to this woman for anything. She can’t be trusted.”
“Sit down, Quinn,” Clark ordered. “Now.”
Quinn considered leaving anyway. She realized Clark hadn’t moved a muscle when Filippa listed the components. He must have a workaround. Clenching her fists to try to control her anger, Quinn sat again and crossed her arms.
Clark turned back to Filippa. “Suppose I’m able to figure out the other components. The only thing I don’t know is the whereabouts of the bowl. The one belonging to my clan was lost in the purges. It was probably smashed to bits during the fighting in the chapter house at the end.”
Filippa didn’t answer, although her smile broadened as she listened.
“How much?” Clark asked.
“What do you mean?” Filippa countered. The smile never left her face.
“I know who has the dagger and the gemstone. I need the bowl, and you wouldn’t have mentioned it unless you knew where it was. You wouldn’t tell me anything unless you needed something from us.”
“See, Clark? All that time we spent together paid off. You’ve learned to think like a fae. You were an apt pupil, among other things.”
“I repeat, what is it you need?”
“A dear friend of mine has the bowl. She acquired it at an auction in the supernatural community following the dissolution of the clan assets. At the time, there were no survivors,” Filippa said. She paused and then smiled. “Well, none we knew of.”
“Who has it?” Clark asked.
“If I tell you, will you promise to pick up something else of mine she has while you’re at it?”
Clark and Filippa engaged in a brief staring contest as if pushing each other in a test of wills.
“I won’t agree to something without knowing what I’m stealing and from whom, Filippa. I’ve been burned before.”
“Oh, very well,” the fae said, waving her hand at him and dismissing his concerns. “It’s my cousin Aurora. She has a home on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, just a few hours away. It’s quite a nice place, right on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. The scrying bowl is on display at her place. It was on the mantle over her dining room’s fireplace the last time I was there. She’s really quite proud of it.”
“And the item for you?” Clark asked.
“It’s a green ceramic egg. It should be in a case in the sitting room next to the dining room. Fetch that for me, and you can keep anything else you find there. She has many collections of rare and valuable items. You could make yourself a tidy sum selling what you find. Be careful, and wear gloves when handling the egg. Skin oils can deteriorate the finish and affect its value.”
“We’re not common thieves, Filippa,” Clark said. “We’re after the bowl, and in return, we’ll pick up this egg of yours, but that’s it.”
“Suit yourself,” Filippa said, waving off the statement. “I merely thought you could use the extra money, being on the run and all.”
“We are doing just fine, thank you,” Quinn said. “Give us the address for your cousin, and we’ll get on our way.”
“Don’t need it, Quinn,” Clark said. “I know Aurora. I know where her country house is.”
“Oh, right. You stayed with her for a while after I left for the old country.”
Quinn glanced at Clark. How many old fae girlfriends did he have?
Clark stood, and Quinn joined him. “Where should we bring the fancy egg once we find it?”
“You can bring it here and give it to Paddy. He’ll know how to get it to me.”
“Good enough,” Clark said. “Come on, Quinn. We’re done here.”
“I agree,”
Quinn said. “Goodbye, Filippa.”
“Farewell, Huntress. Good luck on this hunt. I think it will be a fun one.”
Quinn turned without responding and pushed past Clark to lead the way back to the bar. They had to pick up Taylor and get back to Spring Grove. Quinn wasn’t sure how she felt about it, but they had a heist to plan.
Chapter Twenty
Outside the small roadside motel, Quinn stood staring across the gravel parking lot at the fields. A large tractor rolled through the rows of what she thought was corn, cutting down the stalks in neat lines. Born and raised in the city as she was, she hadn’t seen much of the state of Maryland outside Baltimore. Aside from a few school field trips, she’d rarely left the city.
For the last month on the run, they’d lived in the more rural suburbs surrounding the city. This was something else altogether. Here, across the Chesapeake Bay on the Delmarva Peninsula, called the Eastern Shore by most locals, it was mostly farms with scattered housing developments.
Taylor’s voice carried through the open door of the room behind her. “I think I found a way in.”
“For real this time?” Quinn asked.
“Hey, if you want to hack their security systems, you’re welcome to try.”
“Sorry, T,” Quinn said. “I’m tired of being cooped up here. It’s been three days since we got here, and we still don’t have a reliable way to get past the perimeter and into the house. Aside from making a direct assault and confronting the guards patrolling the grounds, we don’t have anything in the way of a plan.”
“Let her talk,” Clark murmured from the second bed in the small motel room. He lay on top of the floral bedspread with his eye closed, as he’d done for most of the time they were here. Quinn had assumed he was asleep.
Taylor shot Quinn a grin at Clark’s words. “I haven’t been able to hack into the security system OS. I still can’t disable it remotely, but I did find a way into their camera feed.”
