by E.J. Stevens
Chapter 9
The whir of rusting metal punctuated by loud carnival music and human shrieks grated on my nerves as we skirted a rickety, old tilt-a-whirl ride. I shook my head and followed the carnival fae toward a large, forest green pavilion. I didn’t need to fork over my hard earned money to feel the world spinning beneath my feet. I could get that gut in the throat feeling all on my own.
The nagual lifted the flap and Delilah sauntered inside. The bard waved his bow, gesturing for me to follow.
I stepped inside, the sounds from the amusement park cut off as the shapeshifter dropped the heavy cloth to the ground. The pavilion was large, but it felt cramped with the hundred or so guards crowded inside. They each had at least one weapon trained on me and I froze.
I’d received the royal audience that I’d wanted, but apparently The Green Lady had taken measures to make sure I stayed in line. I took a deep breath, wondering how to begin without pissing off the faerie queen. I sucked at diplomacy. I was going to have to dig deep for the tiny bit of manners that I had.
“Um, nice dress,” I said.
Okay, that was lame, but I couldn’t think of anything else nice to say. And the long, green, formal gown did cover up the glaistig’s goat legs, making it an improvement over the dress she’d worn on my last visit.
“Whilst I appreciate your attempt at civility, I am guessing that you did not come all the way here to compliment my dress,” she said.
Oh well, so much for playing nice. Might as well say what I came to say and try not to get killed in the process.
“I am here to fulfill our bargain, but on the condition that you provide information that I seek,” I said. I held my breath, waiting for one of the guards to run me through with one of their pointy spears for my insolence. I counted to ten and, when no one tried to turn me into a pin cushion, I continued on. “Once I have the information, I’ll need a day and a night to act on it, and then I’m all yours.”
“I see you have learned something of faerie bargains since our last meeting,” she said. Her lips curved, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. At any moment, with the slightest twitch of her hand, she could signal her guards to kill me. It was a sobering thought. “You offer me what is already my due. Why should I agree to your terms?”
“Because if you do this for me, I will fulfill my side of the bargain—without fighting it,” I said.
More than one of the stoic guards let out a gasp and The Green Lady shot me an incredulous glare.
“You would think to defy me?” she asked. The faerie queen rose in stature, gathering her power.
“It’s nothing personal,” I said with a shrug. If she was going to order her guards to kill me, there was nothing I could do to stop them and if she twitched her nose, she could smack me into the ground with her magic like an episode of Bewitched, just much, much bloodier. I figured if she was preparing to kill me, I might as well go down being a wiseass. “It’s who I am. I just can’t help myself.”
To my surprise, she laughed. The sound danced along my nerves like shards of razor-sharp glass, but I held my relaxed pose. Let her think I faced down faerie queens every day.
“Yes,” she said, eyeing me up and down, scrutinizing me from head to toe. I tried not to cringe as her eyes glinted like the sun on a guillotine’s blade, apparently liking what she saw. “It is what you are—half fae and half human. It is in your very nature to fight the shackles of our bargain, and shirk our traditions. That might make you a useful tool yet.”
Mab’s bloody bones, I didn’t like the sound of that.
“So, um, do we have a deal?” I asked.
“Ah, I see you have also inherited impatience from your human mother,” she said.
“What can I say, I’m a busy woman,” I said. “People to see, monsters to kill.”
Her eyes narrowed and I swallowed hard. Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned that last part. The Green Lady may act like a cold-hearted bitch at times, but the faerie queen cared deeply for her loyal subjects. Many of the carnival fae could pass for monsters. Heck, for all I knew she was harboring the incubus who’d fed on Jinx. I snapped my mouth shut and waited.
“Listen carefully, wisp child, for I will not say this again,” she said. “If you ever harm one of my people, I shall torture you for eternity—no matter who your father is.”
Oh shit. She was serious. I nodded and tried to look sheepish, which wasn’t all that hard. I should really learn to keep my mouth shut.
“Good,” she said. “Now that we have that matter out of the way, let us discuss our terms.” I blinked and nodded. Apparently, we were back to bargaining. “As it happens, I do have a situation that requires someone of your particular talents.”
“That is…fortuitous,” I said. Look at me with the big words. Hanging out with Ceff must be rubbing off on me.
She grinned like a cat sidhe eyeing a mouse.
“Yes, perhaps,” she said. “As for this question of yours, how do I know it is not worth a bargain of its own?”
“You don’t,” I said. Her eyes narrowed, and I held up a gloved hand. “But I can assure you that I will do my best to fulfill my end of the deal. You can ask any fae who’ve come to me for help in the past. I bring results.”
“Fine,” she said. The skin around her eyes looked pinched and I wondered what kind of job she needed my help for. If it was big enough to have the glaistig worried, I probably wasn’t going to like the answer.
“And it’s information on one topic of my choice, not just the answer to a single question,” I said hurriedly.
“Yes, alright,” she said, waving her hand. “It is not like this is the last of my hold on you. You will still have a remaining bargain to fulfill.”
Ugh, I was hoping she’d forget about that. No such luck.
“So you give me the information I need and, after a day and a night, I will come to you to fulfill one task of your choosing,” I said.
“I will agree to providing the information you seek, but not to the delay,” she said. “Do what you will with the answers to your questions, but you must fulfill your side of the bargain immediately.”
I’d rather have a day to focus on saving Jinx, but this was better than nothing. I needed answers that the glaistig may have. I nodded.
“Fine, do we have a deal?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said, a cold grin on her lips.
There was something hinky about the glaistig that I just couldn’t put my finger on. I had a bad feeling that she was somehow getting the better end of our bargain. Too bad I didn’t have the luxury of time to come up with a better idea.
“Okay,” I said. “I accept the terms of our agreement.”
I let out a yelp and staggered back a step as the changing nature of our bargain settled across my shoulders like a yoke.
“It is done,” she said. “What information do you seek?”
I took a deep breath, in through my nose and out through my mouth, and met the glaistig’s eyes.
“Tell me about succubi and incubi,” I said.
The Green Lady raised an eyebrow at my question, but steepled her fingers and continued on.
“Succubi and incubi are the result of the coupling of a demon with a highborn fae,” she said.
“Sounds cozy,” I said.
“I can assure you, it is not,” she said, perfect little nose wrinkling. “To become impregnated with a succubi or incubi is a death sentence to the mother, whether she be fae or demon. From the time of conception, the child relies on the mother for nourishment and therefore feeds on her life essence. To my knowledge, no mother, fae or demon, has ever survived the birth of their succubi or incubi offspring.”
I swallowed the bitter tang that rose in my mouth and flicked my eyes toward Delilah. Succubi and incubi came into this world with blood on their hands. I knew they couldn’t help it, but it didn’t endear me to the life-sucking temptress.
Which made me wonder, how had Jinx become seduced by an incubus? I�
��d made sure we’d been well stocked in crucifixes and holy water and Jinx never went anywhere these days without a weapon. I mean, she was only human, and attracted to bad boys, but after all that we’d been up against in the past year, I had my doubts that she’d just willingly throw herself at an incubus. Had he invited her back to his place? How far had things gone?
Oh, Oberon’s eyes, if succubi and incubi were the product of a demon and fae union, then—if a human survived the experience—what was the result of incubi and human sex? God, Jinx, what have you gotten yourself into?
Another slimy thought wormed its way into my brain, making my stomach churn. What would happen if a demon and a human did the horizontal mambo? When I’d caught Jinx and Forneus in the basement of Club Nexus, they were just a few pieces of clothing away from sex.
Remembering Forneus’ appearance when he transformed into his demonic form still gave me nightmares—the fact that he’d done so to save Jinx was beside the point. I was sure that if the two ever got together for real, there’d be consequences. And bouncy, little, essence-sucking demon babies sounded like a possible deal stopper.
If Jinx ever remembered that kiss, she’d need to know the risks of taking things further. But I didn’t think The Green Lady would be willing to toss that tidbit of knowledge in for free. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to make another bargain for it. I’d have to get that information elsewhere. In the meantime, I’d have to pick her brain for information on incubi.
“So what happens if a human and an incubus get…intimate?” I asked.
“If the two had sex, the human would die,” she said.
“And how fast would that happen?” I asked, trying to ignore the quiver in my voice. “The dying part.”
I silently prayed that Jinx hadn’t already signed her own death certificate. If she’d had sex with an incubus, could that be why she was losing energy? Was she just dying a slow death? If so, I wasn’t sure if Kaye’s magic would be strong enough to keep her alive. My chest tightened. If Jinx was dying, there may be nothing I could do except stand by and watch it happen.
I held my breath, and tried to calm down. If I started glowing, I wouldn’t be doing anybody any good. I’d either be recognized as too weak to control my powers or viewed as a potential threat.
“Death would be instantaneous upon completion,” she said, gaze flicking upward as if exasperated by my line of questioning.
Relief hit me and I let out a nervous laugh that earned a look of pure scorn. God, this entire line of questioning was awkward. When I imagined my next conversation with the faerie queen, it sure as hell hadn’t involved discussing incubus sex. I felt like a kid sitting in Incubus Sex 101 class. The urge to shoot spitballs at The Green Lady almost made me laugh again. Yeah, that would be a sure way to get on her bad side. If I spit anything at the glaistig, I’m pretty sure I’d be facing far worse than detention.
“And if an incubus and human only got as far as kissing?” I asked.
The faerie gave me a knowing smile and I wondered again what game she was playing at. She was answering my questions, but I could swear that she was holding something back.
“There would be an energy exchange, of course, which would immediately begin to weaken the human,” she said. “A link is formed that ensures continued feeding until the human dies or the link is broken. Though it is rare that an incubus does not proceed to sex and complete the consumption of the vessel’s energy.”
That sounded a lot like what Kaye suspected had happened. But why had the incubus stopped? I mean, I was glad he had, or my friend would already be dead. But if the guy was facing an all-you-can-eat buffet, why settle for an appetizer?
“You said it’s rare for an incubus to stop feeding, once he’s started,” I said. “So, what would keep an incubus from continuing on with sex. It would be against his nature to stop, right?”
“There are reasons,” she said slyly. “He could already be well sated…or his queen may have asked him to stop.”
It took a second for her words to sink in, but when they did my skin began to glow. Let them think I was doing it intentionally. I didn’t care.
I was pissed.
“You’re the one behind the attack on Jinx?” I asked.
I held the glaistig’s gaze, but I could feel her guards closing in. I didn’t have enough blades to fight them all—there were too damn many—but the bitch would pay. She might survive this moment, but someday soon she would pay.
The Green Lady’s tinkling laughter filled the pavilion and I held myself rigid. It was all I could do to restrain myself from lunging forward and shoving a blade down her throat. But first, I wanted answers.
“I sent my messenger to your vassal to ensure your timely arrival,” she said.
Leather creaked as my hands tightened into fists.
“Jinx is human,” I said through clenched teeth. “She never stood a chance against your incubus.”
“It was a necessary means to an end,” she said with a shrug. “You are here and our deal has been made. So far you have done everything I expected of you.”
I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. I’d become predictable. The faerie bitch had found my weakness and used it against me. Jinx was in this mess because of deals I’d made.
She was dying because of me.
I’d known there were risks involved when I’d made those bargains, but I’d been foolish and naïve enough to think the danger was only to me. Now Jinx was paying the price for my stupidity.
“I may be bound by our bargain, but next time you deal directly with me,” I said.
“You are in no position to give me orders, little wisp,” she said. “My incubus continues to feed from your human friend. If you do not do as I say, and pay your debt to me, then she will die.”
The Green Lady had me exactly where she wanted me. I seethed with anger at how easily I’d become ensnared by her web of manipulation. Getting me here to help her with this job had been the glaistig’s plan all along. I’d been played, plain and simple.
“So what’s the job?” I asked.
Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. I was good at finding lost items and missing people, and I wasn’t half bad at the odd extermination gig. Perhaps the carnival had a rodent problem. The harbor was infested with the things.
“I want you to kill the witch Kaye O’Shay,” she said.
Oh, shit.
Chapter 10
Kaye had been right about one thing, there was certainly a shit-storm on the horizon. But I didn’t think this was the war she’d been talking about.
The Green Lady’s guards escorted me to the carnival gates, never giving me a chance to rendezvous with Delilah. The succubus made my skin crawl, but I’d been holding out hope that she could somehow help me make contact with the incubus who was feeding off Jinx.
I pulled out my phone and texted Forneus, updating him regarding The Green Lady’s involvement. That done, I stared back at the carnival gates and ground my teeth in frustration. Unbeknownst to the frolicking humans, dozens of heavily armed fae watched my retreat. I wouldn’t be making it back inside the carnival until I’d fulfilled my end of the bargain—and killed the most powerful witch in the city, an ally and a good friend.
It was weird thinking of Kaye as my friend. She’d filled the role of informant and mentor, helping me out of more than one jam, but at the end of the day that’s what she was, a friend. How could I possibly kill one friend to save another?
The fact was, I couldn’t. I’d rather cast myself into one of the buildings burning by the harbor than harm the old witch. I’d just have to find another way to save Jinx. When that was done, I wasn’t sure what I could do. I was bound to the deal I’d made with The Green Lady. That was the danger of a faerie bargain.
I turned my back on the carnival and hunched my shoulders against the itchy feeling between my shoulder blades. Shoving my gloved hands in my pockets, I trudged past the smoking wreckage left from this morning’s fires and made my wa
y back toward The Emporium.
My gut churned as I pushed forward, pumping my legs to carry me up the hill. I was headed toward two of my friends. Too bad one was my potential victim.
Chapter 11
It was still light out when I reached The Emporium, but a “sorry, we’re closed” sign hung in the front window. I tried the door, but it was locked. Weird, Kaye didn’t usually close the store this early in the day.
I sighed and tilted my head back, trying to catch a glimpse of Humphrey. I hoped that Kaye and Arachne had closed up shop early in order to focus on curing Jinx. I didn’t think I could handle another problem on my hands.
I caught sight of the gargoyle on his rainspout perch and waved. I heard the snick of stone claws against the brick wall and knew I’d caught his attention, but he was taking his time, eyes intent on a pigeon flying nearby. While I waited for Humphrey, the pungent smell of burnt garbage tickled the back of my throat and I scanned the street. There, beside a wrought iron lamppost, smoke drifted from a city trash bin.
The fire had been extinguished, fire retardant foam spilling over onto the sidewalk, but my heart raced as if the entire street was in flames. I prayed the fire had been set by bored teenagers, but something told me this wasn’t the result of human pranksters. Not with those fires at the harbor being set on the same day. That was too much of a coincidence, and I didn’t put much faith in coincidences—they tended to be Fate’s way of smacking you upside the head with a wake-up call.
“Hello, Wisp Princess,” Humphrey said, gravelly voice grinding out the words.
“Hey Humphrey,” I said. “Mind letting me in?”
The gargoyle stared at me so long that I thought he’d fallen asleep. Just when I was ready to try to rouse him, he lifted a clawed hand and the door clicked open.
“Um, thanks,” I said. “Rock on, Humphrey.”
Okay, my attempts at gargoyle humor were lame, but I’d cling to anything that resembled normalcy in my chaotic life. Plus, Humphrey seemed to get a kick out of it. He chuckled and waved before turning and climbing back up to his perch.
