by Shéa MacLeod
Darroch nodded. "With a little help from the queen."
"The portal. She opened it inside your prison bubble."
Darroch didn't answer, but I knew I was right. I turned to Jack. "What should we do with him?" I jabbed a finger at Darroch. "He can't go back to Area 51. She'd just get him out again." Or kill him, which might not be a bad thing, but it wouldn't be a right thing.
"You could let me go," Darroch suggested. "I'm on your side. Well, more on your side than Alister is."
"Not a snowball's chance in hell, Darroch."
He shrugged. "Worth a shot."
Jack pulled out his cellphone. "I'll call JP. He knows people who can help with difficult situations." He kept his voice low so Darroch couldn't hear him. "This time we'll put him somewhere no one will find him."
Chapter 37
We pawned Darroch off on JP's mysterious friends, and they'd hustled him into a black van and disappeared down the cobblestone street. The sun was just peeking over the horizon. I guessed France had its own version of Area 51. Leaving Jack to his own devices, I locked myself in my hotel room. I needed a long hot shower, food, and sleep. In that order. Instead, I found a visitor.
"Hello, Morgan." She sat primly in the armchair next to the window so the rising sun could spill artfully over her, setting her strawberry blonde hair afire.
"Hello, Your Majesty. I don't remember inviting you here." For the first time since I'd met the Queen of the Sidhe, I didn't feel a single ounce of fear. I was either getting braver, or I was an idiot. I was betting on the latter.
"I think it's time we talk." Morgana carefully arranged her nearly see-through gown so it draped perfectly over her slim, pale legs.
"Yes, I agree," I said, propping my hands on my hips and keeping my fingers close to the blades hidden in my waistband. Not that they'd help against the Fairy Queen, but they made me feel better. "I think you need to explain to me what the hell you're up to."
The queen's features hardened into icy stillness for a split second before she beamed at me. "Why, nothing at all."
"Don't lie, Morgana," I bit out.
She turned white with fury. "You dare much, hunter," she snarled.
I moved closer, so close she could probably feel my breath on her face. "That's because I've finally realized something."
Morgana raised one reddish-gold eyebrow. "And what is that?"
"That Alister ditched you as surely as he ditched Darroch. Darroch thinks the two of you were partners, but I'm betting you were playing both sides to get what you wanted. Not that it matters now. Whatever the three of you were planning, it's over. And now," I placed my hands on the arms of her chair so she was bracketed in, my face mere inches from hers, "you need me. Whatever you were doing to try and circumvent my cooperation didn't work, and now you have to work with me whether you like it or not."
Her expression was back to imperious ice queen, but she no longer frightened me. Because I had realized something she hadn't, something I should have realized during my sojourn in the Other World.
"How dare you," Morgana hissed. "I could rip you asunder. Destroy the very molecules of your being."
"You could try," I said with a smile. "But don't forget, you need me. And if you do forget that, you should remember this one other little thing."
"And what is that?" She made a pretense of disinterest, but I knew she was glued to my every word.
"I control the fae."
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Earth magic, Morgana. It flows in my veins." I held my hand out and let my Earth power trickle out. It shimmered along my skin like a green mist sprinkled with fairy dust. The queen turned even paler, if that were possible.
"It cannot be," she whispered.
"Apparently, it is." I pulled the magic back, letting it sink into my skin. Fortunately, it had decided to play nice today. "You see, I learned something today, oh Queen of the Sidhe."
"What would that be?" Twin spots of crimson appeared in her otherwise bloodless cheeks. I didn't know if she was going to pass out or explode.
I let the Darkness leak into my eyes, just a little. Enough to let her know I was a force to be reckoned with.
"Today, I learned that with a mere thought, I can control the whole of the Other World."
* * *
After Morgana left, I took a very long, very hot shower. Every inch of me felt grimy and grody. Climbing through the sewer system and rolling around in an enchanted forest would do that to you.
As I dried off, my tired brain tried to make sense of the whole Morgana situation. She was off my back for now, but I was pretty sure she hadn't entirely given up on whatever plan was floating around that psycho brain of hers. She wanted her people back in this world permanently and I doubted she would stop until she got what she wanted. On top of that, while we'd captured Darroch and gotten what intel we could from him, Alister was still on loose. Even worse? He had possession of the book, a book we still knew next to nothing about except it was apparently the key to, well, me.
My laptop chimed, indicating someone was trying to Skype me. I quickly threw on my robe and wrapped my hair in a towel before answering the call.
"Eddie!" I smiled as his face appeared on my screen. The connection was a little iffy, the picture and sound freezing and jumping around. "How are you? Aren't you on that steampunk cruise in the Caribbean?"
"Yes, in the Bahamas. Morgan, listen carefully. I... " The image froze for a second. "... danger. Discovered... " It froze again, this time for longer. I uselessly thumped the side of my screen as if it might help.
"Eddie? Are you there?"
"Need... help. Come quickly... dead."
"What? Eddie? Oh my gods, what's happening?"
There was a bit more jumping around of the screen, and then it zoomed in on one of Eddie's bespectacled eyes. "Hurry, Morgan. If you don't, we're all dead."
With that, the connection dropped entirely. No matter what I tried, I couldn't get him back.
I had to get to the Bahamas as fast as I could. I started running around the room, grabbing my things and throwing them randomly in my suitcase.
Airport. I needed to get to the airport. I could use the private plane. What island? I needed to find out where the ship was and fly to the nearest island. But what cruise line had Eddie taken?
Jack. I needed Jack.
I dashed out my door and down the hall to pound on his door. "Jack. Jack! Are you in there?" There was no answer. "Dammit."
I ran back to my room and grabbed my phone. I noticed I had a voicemail, but I didn't have time to listen. I needed to find out where Eddie was. Before I could dial, it rang. I frowned, not recognizing the number. I did recognize the country code, though. It was someone in the UK.
"Hello?"
"Morgan? This is Drago."
"Drago, hi. Listen... "
"I need you to come to Scotland as quickly as possible."
"I can't." I tossed a boot into my suitcase, then pulled it back out when I realized I'd need to wear it. "I have to catch a flight... "
"Yes, you do. To Edinburgh as fast as you can." I heard the urgency in his voice, and my blood ran cold.
"What's wrong, Drago?"
"It's Inigo."
The End
