by E.J. Stevens
Eyes closed, I took a deep breath, and cleared my mind of everything but the goblin’s clipboard. The scrawled list swam before me in a blur, slipping and sliding from my grasp, remaining just out of reach. Not so long ago, I would have given up. But I’d honed my mental skills while learning to control my wisp magic. Now, I applied those principles to years of detective work, and the list came into focus.
I quickly discarded the prominent items on the list. Minor cases of theft and land squabbles in Faerie had little relevance to our current predicament. But there were cases that had already been brought before the court, and been subsequently crossed off by the goblin administrator. It was those cases that now drew my interest, and set my detective skills tingling.
“The day we arrived at the winter palace, the Unseelie Court had already adjourned three cases,” I said.
My heart raced as random words and glances began to fit together like pieces of a puzzle.
“How do you know that, Princess?” Torn asked. “I don’t recall anyone telling us that at the time. In fact, I recall those faeries shitting their fancy pantaloons when you told them who your mother was.”
“The clipboard the goblin woman dropped in the courtyard,” I said. “There was a list, and the first three cases were crossed out.”
“And you remember what those cases were?” Forneus asked, eyebrow raised. “You’ve never seemed interested in any legal discussion in the past.”
“She just isn’t interested in your legal cases,” Jinx said, elbowing him playfully in the ribs. “You do go on a bit.”
“I do remember, and I don’t think what’s happening is a coincidence,” I said. “That morning the Unseelie Court was petitioned by a man named Gerald as a representative for a Y.F., and from the notation, it looked like they were requesting some kind of magical diversion.”
“You think Y.F. stands for Yue Fei, the vampire?” Torn asked.
“Yes, Yue Fei and some of his men were here in Harborsmouth the last time I visited Gaius,” I said. “And we all know Gerald is a weasel. It wouldn’t surprise me if those two are working together to take the city from Gaius.”
“You think they got their request approved, and the magical diversion the Unseelie Court sent is the Wild Hunt,” Torn said.
“Holy crap,” Jinx said.
“Yes, we got used,” I said. “I thought they accepted my request to use Mab’s portal a bit too readily.”
“It’s the perfect plan,” Torn said, nodding. “So devious, I wish I’d thought of it. They accept your request, make sure the Wild Hunt slips through the portal behind us, and leave you to take the blame.”
“Meanwhile, we are all distracted while Yue Fei takes out one of our allies, and becomes the new vampire Master of the City,” Forneus said.
“Gaius Aurelius is a pompous prick with a flair for the dramatic, but he’s been an ally, and more importantly, he’s kept his vampires in line,” I said. “From what I’ve heard, Yue Fei was a samurai warrior who left legions of corpses on the battlefields of ancient China while serving his master. Perhaps, he wants to return to a time when vampires can hunt humans freely.”
“I’ve heard Yue Fei is a man of honor and loyalty, but Sir Gaius would be foolish to blindly believe his loyalty to the Master of City of Harborsmouth would usurp loyalties from his homeland,” Forneus said.
“So the Unseelie Court sent the Wild Hunt here as a distraction so that a samurai vampire can overthrow Gaius and take over as Master of the City for some badass, ancient vamp back in China?” Jinx said. “Why?”
“To give them a leg up in the coming war,” I said. “Jenna warned me that the war would begin in Harborsmouth. If she’s right, this could be the first battle in a much bigger fight.”
“The Unseelie Court acts in Mab’s interest,” Torn said, tugging at a scarred ear. “You think Mab’s finally made contact with her court?”
“It does seem her style, doesn’t it?” I asked.
“Yes, but what can we do about it?” Torn asked. “I’m all for beating Mab at her own game, but how can we help Sir Gaius while the Wild Hunt poses a more urgent threat?”
I smiled, showing my teeth.
“We change the rules.”
Chapter 15
“You want to try talking to Herne?” Torn asked. “You do realize he’s here to hunt us and steal our souls for his ragtag group of slavering barghests, all while Yue Fei takes over the vampires and sets them to feed on the city’s humans.”
“Yep,” I said.
“You think that’s going to work?” Jinx asked.
“Not really,” I said. “But I want a closer look, and if I can reason with Herne while I’m at it, all the better.”
“Just don’t smile at him,” she said.
“Or offer to cook for him,” Forneus said. “I seem to remember burnt macaroni as the apex of your culinary skills.”
I scowled, and shook my head.
“Am I really such a failure?” I asked.
“Not at causing trouble, or at killing things,” Torn said. “It’s what I like about you.”
“Glad I still have some redeeming qualities,” I muttered.
Torn winked, and Jinx hefted her crossbow onto her shoulder.
“What about those owls?” she asked.
“Let’s keep things friendly,” I said. “Keep an eye on them, but don’t shoot unless they attack first.”
She sighed, and I stifled a grin. I wasn’t the only one who’d acquired a taste for violence. Our Hunter friend Jenna Lehane had trained us before being shipped off to Europe. If only she could see us now, with a squad of Hunters at our back.
“Well, you better hope those guys got the memo,” she said, shrugging a shoulder toward the Hunters.
“They did,” I said. “Master Janus is in agreement, and he’s issued orders. One squad will cover our backs, but will not engage unless we’re attacked.”
“And the other Hunters?” Torn asked.
“They’ll stay here and hold the line until we return,” I said.
“And if we don’t make it back alive?” he asked.
“Then they’ll rendezvous with Ceff and the water fae, and follow the plan without us,” I said.
“Are we ready then?” Forneus asked, tugging at his gloves.
“Almost,” I said. “Torn, were your spies able to get word to Benmore?”
“Yes, Princess,” he said. He tilted his head, and smiled. “In fact, here he comes now.”
I ran a hand over my hair and tugged at my jacket and pants, smoothing hair and straightening my clothes. I couldn’t do anything about the blood stains, I hadn’t bothered to return home for a change of clothing, but I drew myself to my full height, and tapped into my magic enough to improve my glamour. I wasn’t sure if dwarves could see through faerie glamour, but I wanted to at least make an effort.
Benmore was the leader of the local dwarf clan. Centuries ago, drawn to the ley line power that attracted so many supernaturals to Harborsmouth, the vampires had come and ousted the dwarves from their halls. Since then, Benmore’s clan had struck an agreement with the vampires. I was unsure of the details, but the dwarves claimed to rule the city below from above while the vampires ruled the city above from below. I suspected their alliance had to do with things like mining rights, daytime protection, and shared access to sewer tunnels, but the exact terms weren’t important.
The dwarves and the vampires had an alliance that was now being threatened. Gaius Aurelius had honored the mysterious treaty with Benmore and his clan, but I doubted Yue Fei would be so generous. The samurai had his own loyal men-at-arms. He’d have little use for miners and even less use for anyone who’d allied with Gaius. That gave me a potential friend in this fight.
“You sent for me, m’lady?” Benmore asked.
He pulled off his bowler hat, and bowed, beard wagging. The last time we’d met, the dwarf had been delivering a message for Gaius. I’d been grouchy, and far from civil. I forced a smile, and
waved a hand at Benmore.
“No need to bow,” I said. “I’ve asked you here as a friend.”
Benmore took one look at my face, blanched, and stumbled back a step. He held his hat against his chest, and turned it in a circle, his beard twitching. I guess I really did need to work on that smile.
“If I’ve done somethin’ to offend…” he stuttered.
“No, this is no trick, and I wish you no harm,” I said. “But I do have a warning for your clan. Yue Fei, with the help of his men and a vampire named Gerald, are making a move against Gaius Aurelius.”
“A move against the Master of the City?” he asked. “That’s preposterous. No offense, m’lady.”
“Have you heard that the Wild Hunt is here in Harborsmouth?” I asked.
“Aye, the Master called a meeting,” he said. “He was worried Herne and his hounds might pose a threat to the…the food supply, as it were. Yue Fei said Herne could not act until sunset, which pleased Gaius just fine. The vampires are to gather in the council chambers at dusk. If the problem remains, then the vampires will march, fully rested, on the city.”
“Yue Fei doesn’t intend to protect this city, or the vampires’ food supply, from the Wild Hunt,” I said. “He’s the one who orchestrated the Hunt’s arrival. He will likely execute Gaius in his chambers then let loose his vampires on this city.”
“But…what are we to do, m’lady?” he asked.
“We have our hands full with the arrival of the Wild Hunt, but if you can get a warning to Gaius, and perhaps help him escape, it would save us all a great deal of bloodshed,” Forneus said.
“What makes ye think we can do that?” Benmore asked, eyeing the demon with open suspicion.
“Because dwarves are smart, and those halls were yours long before the vampires came to Harborsmouth,” I said. “You must have built escape routes to the surface, and I’m guessing you know every tunnel in the Hill. Perhaps, every tunnel in all of Harborsmouth.”
He put a pudgy, calloused finger to his nose, and winked.
“That be true,” he said. “But what’s in it for my clan? The humans have never done us no favors. Why should we protect them from Yue Fei? Maybe we let the vampires kill each other, and decrease the number of leeches in our halls.”
“If I thought we could rid this city of vampires, and restore you to your home, I would,” I said. “But Yue Fei is a master of military strategy. He wouldn’t make his move unless he was sure he had every piece in place to succeed.”
“By the Mother Mountain,” he said, stumbling backward. He clutched at his chest, spittle on his bearded lips. “The suits of armor.”
“What?” Torn asked. “Is he having some kind of fit?”
“Are you saying that Yue Fei has been smuggling in his men in suits of armor?” I asked.
I’d seen his men use a similar ruse to stand silent guard inside vamp headquarters.
“He said they were valuable antiques, precious to him,” Benmore said, nodding slowly. “We were to help sneak the crates into the city, and the undercity below, as a surprise for the Master from Yue Fei’s Master in China. Priceless relics that could not be exposed to sunlight.”
“Where are these crates now?” I asked.
“In the council chamber,” he said, voice barely a whisper.
“The same chamber where Gaius is to meet Yue Fei at dusk,” I said.
“It’s a trap,” Torn said.
“What can I do?” Benmore asked.
“Do you know Gaius’ daytime resting place?” I asked.
Vampires guarded the secret of their resting place, often having multiple coffins to confuse their enemies. But Benmore was an ally, and one who wasn’t nocturnal. It was possible that he and his clan knew of the place in order to stand guard when needed. I crossed my fingers, and held my breath.
“That I might,” he said, eyes twinkling.
“Then go to Gaius,” I said. “Wake him, and warn him of Yue Fei’s treacherous plans. Help him get his most trusted men to safety.”
“And what of the traitors?” he asked.
“Might I make a suggestion?” Forneus asked.
Benmore nodded, and Forneus smiled.
“I propose we sneak into the council chambers and burn them all.”
Chapter 16
With our help, and under the cover of cats yowling, Benmore slipped into an ally and down a sewer grate. I’d convinced him to leave behind his bowler hat, which was currently being worn by an excessively shaggy coon cat. It wouldn’t fool an observer on the ground, but I hoped to confuse Herne’s owl spies for as long as possible.
Forneus had wanted to go with Benmore, but I convinced him to stay with us awhile longer. He’d meet Benmore on the Hill an hour before dusk, when they would make their move on the vampire council chambers. Ever since his spat with Kaye, the demon had been itching to burn something to the ground. He’d get his wish soon enough, but in the meantime he would focus on keeping Jinx safe.
“Are you certain you will not return to the loft?” he asked, stroking her face. “There is time to return you there before my mission.”
“No, I’m fighting this Herne guy,” Jinx said, shaking her head and moving away from his touch.
“But you could protect, Sparky…” he said, eyes pleading.
“Father Michael can do that,” she said. “And if we kick ass, the Hunt will never even make it to the Old Port.”
“And if we lose?” he asked.
“Then I know we did everything we could,” she said, thrusting out her chin. “All of us. Even the weak little human.”
“I know you are not weak, my love,” he said.
“Then stop acting like I’m made of glass,” she said.
“You want me to grab your ass?” Torn asked with a wink. “Don’t mind if I do.”
“Do it and lose your hand, cat,” Forneus said.
“Cut it out, all of you,” I said. “We’re almost there.”
We rounded the corner, and I stopped dead in my tracks. In the distance, on the opposite end of a deserted, concrete lot between rundown warehouses, was the Wild Hunt.
Hounds the size of grizzly bears slept in a protective ring, and in their center sat a man astride a black horse. The rider wore a hooded cloak, but above his head the ghostly glow of antlers flickered in and out of existence.
“Am I the only one who can see that?” I asked.
There was something off about those antlers, something both familiar and stomach churning. It was like the red eyes and black cloak were part of a powerful glamour, and the antlers were a glimpse at the Huntsman’s true form, whatever that may be. I squinted and turned my head, hoping my second sight would cut through the illusion—it’s easier to fight what you can see rather than wave my blades at smoke and mirrors—but the cloaked figure remained seated atop his black horse.
An eldritch glow like witch light lit the antlers from within, and for a just a moment, I had the impression of a stag’s head on a man’s body. Then the forlorn face of the stag and the glowing antlers were gone.
“See what?” Jinx asked. “The scary ass Ringwraith wannabe guy on a horse? Or maybe you mean their creepy, twinsy, glowing red eyes?”
Now that she mentioned it, the eyes were creepy. Herne, the horse, and the few hounds roving the grounds as sentinels all had the same glowing, red eyes.
“No, I meant the antlers,” I said, shaking my head. “But never mind. They’re gone.”
“Antlers?” she asked. “Like a deer? Not horns?”
“Got a thing for horns?” Torn asked with a leer.
“Actually, cat, she does,” Forneus said.
Horns emerged slowly from his head. Instead of scream or shy away, Jinx leaned forward and stroked one of the horns. Forneus’ eyes became heavy-lidded, and Torn hissed. Jinx ignored Torn, and kissed Forneus before stepping away and grabbing her crossbow.
“Baby, you know I love your horns, but they’re…distracting,” she said.
I
shook my head. Mab’s bones, she was practically panting. I will never understand those two.
Forneus retracted his horns and smirked at Torn.
“Are you certain that what you see are antlers?” Ceff asked, stepping out of the shadows, and lowering a pair of binoculars.
Ceff had returned from the harbor just in time to join us in our reconnaissance mission. After an hour with Torn, Jinx, and Forneus’ bickering, he was a refreshingly sane and calming presence at my side.
“Yes, like a deer,” I said. “In his true form, the Huntsman might have a stag’s head. But there’s something weird about his glamour.”
“That’s because it’s not glamour, not entirely,” Ceff said.
“So what am I looking at?” I asked. “Is it some other kind of spell?”
“I believe you are seeing both the man and the spirit that has taken up residence within him,” he said.
“You mean he’s possessed?” I asked.
“In a way, yes,” he said. “Some say that the entire Wild Hunt is possessed, though that’s a misnomer. The Huntsman is possessed by the Spirit of the Forest, but his horse and hounds are the souls of men enslaved to join the Hunt.”
He shuddered, and my stomach clenched. Ceff had been enslaved by the each uisge, tortured and forced to fight with them in the bloody harbor battle. He’d slipped away from his royal guards for a brief moment of privacy, and had paid dearly. The each uisge had ambushed him, stolen his bridle, and made him their bitch. He still had nightmares, and I relived the darkest moments of his captivity each time we touched.
That kind of violation of a man’s will leaves scars, not only on him, but on us all.
“It’s okay,” I said. “Your bridle is safe. It won’t happen again. Not ever.”
We’d had his bridle reinforced and shielded magically. It had taken favors, some of which he wouldn’t speak of, but it had been done. No one would ever again steal the control of this kelpie king.
