by Isa Medina
I took a deep breath. Greenie’s huge form came to stand by my side,
growling at the hound.
Proctor crossed her arms, studying Greenie with a cool expression.
She must’ve had nerves of steel.
My appreciation grew. Maybe I’d read the situation wrong. Maybe she meant to complete the transaction and didn’t care if I told everyone she had been the one to pull the strings. She’d be a full Fae; she’d have other things to worry about aside from the Council and the Institute. Maybe she didn’t mean to make me disappear after she got her artifact.
But probably not.
“It appears like we’re at a standstill,” she said.
“Eh, I don’t think so.”
“Oh?”
I stepped aside and waved at the chair. “You were right. I lied. It’s in the backpack.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t move. A furrow formed in her brow. Her
face tensed, her jaws tightened. “What?” She made another attempt at movement, but I had seen this specific spell before, and she wasn’t going anywhere. Her confusion suddenly cleared. “Ah, I see. ] underes-timated you.”
“Not only her, perhaps,” said Lord Velei.
The far wall of the room disappeared, revealing him and Mathews.
For the first time, Proctor looked visibly shaken. “Glamour? How? The spell…”
“Lord Velei is a Fae Lord,” I said. “Chances of his magic being more powerful than whatever spell you used were pretty high.”
“One tries,” said Lord Velei placidly.
Mathews stepped up to Proctor and took her phone. “Miss Proctor,” he said, “if you’ll be so kind as to send your hound away.”
“T thought Fae Lords did not meddle in part-Fae business,” Proctor said.
Lord Velei glanced at me, a predatory smile tugging at his mouth.
“The incentives were worth the bother.”
“She offered you the artifact?” Proctor asked, sounding somewhat impressed.
Was it bad of me to feel a little proud of that fact? “My deals with Lord Velei are private.”
Proctor studied us, completely ignoring Mathews. “But I don’t think she’s given it to you yet, has she?” Slyness entered her calm composure. “Your loss, my gain.”
Her hound lurched forward, smacking right into her back. Instead of throwing her off balance or mauling her, the hound melted into her, its limbs snaking around her front. Its muscles began to separate, elongate, vining across her blouse and solidifying into some sort of breastplate.
Magic tinted the air.
I stepped back, as did Mathews. I expected Lord Velei to summon
his sword, but he simply stood in place. Was he going to allow her to
become some ultimate hound-woman form and possibly pummel us into the ground?
Lord Velei returned my stare with a slight apologetic one of his own. “It appears as if my spell has been mirrored back.”
My gaze snapped to Proctor. One of her hands had risen, showing off a ring—an artifact. It probably meant she’d be paralyzed for a long time later. But for now, the hound’s bones had joined its muscles, forming an extra armor of sorts around her arms, giving her claws.
Greenie could take her on, I was sure. But Mathews and I were lia-bilities unless he had some sword hidden somewhere, and he didn’t seem to be the type. He was pale but composed, probably sweating buckets under his tailored jacket.
Better to nip this in the bud.
Taking the Keeper out of my pocket, I brought it to my lips. “Return
to Faerie.” My words echoed in the room, heavy with magic.
The hound’s muscles loosened their hold on Proctor and fell wetly
to the floor, taking its bones and claws along.
Proctor gasped in shock as her hound melted into a puddle of goo and disappeared from view. Mathews lost no time in leaping forward, a pair of zip ties in his hands. He tied her wrists together, took off her ring, and patted her for anything else.
“Proctor, you’re under investigation for bribing Council members and making unprovoked attacks on part-humans.”
“And attempted murder,” I piped in, remembering Lockhart.
Proctor’s mouth open and closed, no sounds coming out. Mathews dragged her out of the room and, I assumed, toward whatever enforcers were waiting for him.
I rushed to the door. “Will it be enough?” I could’ve used the Keep-er from the start to force the information out of her, but Mathews was an obvious stickler for the rules, and I hadn’t wanted there to be any doubts about her confessions by mixing magic into it.
“It will,” he answered before prodding Proctor to keep moving.
Inside the room, Lord Velei and Greenie were sizing each other up, the Fae Lord with clear curiosity in his eyes, the hound with clear mis-trust. If a Fae Lord—maybe even Her Lady of Many Artifacts and Eyes—had been responsible for turning his eye into an artifact, I couldn’t blame him.
I wished I could jump on him and get away. Unfortunately, there
was still a deal I had to honor.
18
“You are aware, of course,” Lord Velei said, still studying Greenie, “that this hound is quite old and powerful.”
“Aren’t they all,” | murmured, going to the chair and grabbing my backpack. It reminded me I would have to retrieve the goo-pet from Aidan’s bag and return it to its master. It was part of the deal Lord Velei and I had struck via said goo-pet back at the cabin.
Mathews, I had contacted via the old-fashioned way of a phone call. Luckily, Aidan’s phone had his number due to our previous meeting. The councilman had been wary at first—nobody wanted a repeat of the warehouse debacle—but the Hub was a safe enough place, and Lord Velei’s appearance and promise that no harm would come to him had settled most of his doubts.
The plan had been put into motion, and Proctor had fallen into it beautifully. 1 had known simply learning the name of whoever was behind everything wouldn’t be enough to help Aidan. A confession or
proof of some sort was needed—Harmon would not go down easily. Lord Velei had been agreeable to my plan. Very agreeable.
And now it was time to pay.
I rummaged inside the backpack and brought out the Heart’s Will. This was probably a bad idea, but short of returning it to the tomb— and I wasn’t sure Greenie would take me back—I didn’t know what else to do. The lure of becoming a full Fae was too enticing to have the artifact lying around, and the last couple of days had shown that the contents of the Institute’s vault weren’t impervious to landing in the wrong hands.
The Fae-maker wasn’t something that could be thrown into a hole and buried. Word of it was out, and I had an idea Lord Velei would know how to keep it safe.
Also, I had made him promise not to use it in a harmful way.
The Fae Lord accepted the Heart almost reverently, his eyes showing a touch of wonder.
“Legendary artifact on your side, too?” I asked.
“Indeed, faelette. Very much, indeed.” He put it inside a pouch and tied it to his belt.
Next, I handed him the Keeper. This one, he took with obvious satisfaction. The Fae-making artifact was cool, but not as useful as the secret-keeping conch.
“It has no secrets, you know,” I told him.
His eyebrows arched. “Ah, is this why you had me promise all those things about not harming or ordering harm on you?” He rolled the Keeper in his hand. “You retrieved the secrets. How?”
“T used an Eye to reverse the effect. But don’t worry, it didn’t work as intended. I don’t remember a single one.”
He looked skeptical at first, then amused. “Why, I think you are telling the truth.”
“Of course I am. I’m an open book.”
“What a pity.”
I winked. “I know, right?”
“But it does have one secret already, does it not?” he said, giving me a knowing look. “It is an excellent start.”
/> Aw, dammit, he had thought of that.
He chuckled at my expression. “Not to worry, faelette. Your secrets will always be safe with me.”
Riiight. “I can’t make you promise that now that you’ve got it, but I hope you mean it.”
“I do mean it,” he said, dropping the usually mild tone of his voice for a serious note. “I did not get to where I am by prodding things best left alone.”
He’d definitely guessed what secret the Keeper had likely taken. What was about the Lady of Her Many Eyes and her artifacts that had everyone so creeped out? Something to investigate in the days to come.
Because I was about to have a lot of free time on my hands to ponder things like this.
The thought rose, acrid like bile. I had refused to dwell on it while I set all the pieces of the plan in place, had refused to allow any hint of it to enter my mind.
But the mystery of the Institute attacker was now fixed and dealt with. Aidan would soon return as director. Nothing had gone horribly wrong, and I hadn’t had to make any Faustian deal.
Except for this one.
As usual, Lord Velei read my train of thought perfectly.
“It is necessary, faelette,” he said with some regret. “You are too well connected to Faerie now. Your luck in coming across artifacts, your link to this Fae hound…”
“IT am more useful to you as a free agent than as a member of the Institute,” I finished for him. I couldn’t hide the bitterness in my tone.
I didn’t care to do so.
“Do not look so upset, my dear. What is it humans like to say?
Everything happens for a reason.”
“Their reasons don’t usually include Fae Lords unwilling to part with their new toys,” I said crossly.
Amusement shone in his eyes. “Not a toy—a promising tool.” He ran a hand across Greenie’s mossy torso. Greenie gave a low growl of warning, but Lord Velei ignored it “Very promising, indeed,” he murmured.
Yeah, he was totally aware of Greenie’s knack for finding things.
“Now go back, give my nephew the welcome he deserves at the Institute. Ah,” he exclaimed, producing something from inside his vest and tossing it my way.
I caught it, narrowly—it was some sort of brooch. Not an artifact, just a piece of jewelry. Confused, I looked back at him. “I don’t understand.”
“I would not want you to waste your time looking for undesirable jobs out of a need for survival.”
“You want me to pawn this for rent?”
“Use it as you see fit. ] understand Fae jewelry is precious on the surface, even devoid of magic.”
“T see.” I told him. “You want me to make contacts in the black mar-ket I can use later for your benefit.”
The barest of smiles graced his lips. “Your life lies ahead of you, faelette. What you do with it is up to you.”
And with this sage advice, he walked to the nearest wall and pressed a hand against it. A ring of golden threads appeared, expanding until it contained the shimmering surface of a portal.
A moment later, he and the portal were gone.
Night had fallen by the time I made it to the Institute. I had Greenie drop me at the same park I’d used the other night and made the rest of the way on foot.
What a difference a few weeks made. The exuberant artifact
hunter-to-be who couldn’t wait to begin her new job had been replaced by a walking sad knot of bittersweetness. As I opened the front door of the Institute and went down the corridor, I found myself memorizing every imperfection on the wall paint, every questionable spot on the ceiling. I savored the feel of my sneakers sinking into the thin carpet and the scentless air. Damn, | truly thought I had found a home in here.
I squeezed my eyes closed, putting that errant thought into a box to be dissected later. Now was no time for sadness—plenty of time after to curl into a ball on my bed and cry my heart out. Besides, it wasn’t like I wouldn’t see anyone from the Institute ever again. Lord Velei had thrown me a curve, not an unconquerable hurdle.
My spirits rose slightly. Aidan was in the clear, Marta would be free of the reception desk without the need for murder, and even Kane had gotten his fee—he had texted me with a screenshot.
“Anyone home?” | asked.
A rustling came from the back of the hallway. Victor appeared a second later.
“Maddie?”
I extended my arms. “It is I, indeed!”
He beckoned. “Come, come. We’re in the kitchen.”
I trotted up to him. Marta had dragged a chair from the staff room and was sitting in a corner while Gabriel leaned against one side of the countertops.
“Hi, guys. Did you hear from Aidan?”
Victor stood by Gabriel. “He called a few minutes ago. He’s on his way. Cleared of all charges, he said.”
“Awesome.” I located a free space on the counter and hopped to sit on it.
“Did you have something to do with it, or did you just run around like a panicked chicken with our artifacts?” Marta asked with her usual
matter-of-factness.
“I don’t want to brag, but…”
Marta extended a hand toward Victor. “Told you. Pay up.”
Victor shook his head in disbelief. “You really had some of the artifacts? How did you know how to open the doors?”
“Ask Aidan,” I said modestly. “So, that interim guy is gone?”
“Went out at five on the dot. We were in the middle of a meeting when Mathews called with the good news.”
I grinned. “Planning on how to depose the new guy, weren’t you?”
“His style did not bode well for the future of the Institute,” Marta deadpanned.
“Don’t worry.” I winked at her. “I’m back to take on the reception mantle…” My words trailed off. For a few moments, I had forgotten that I wasn’t going to work for the Institute again.
“We’re all glad you’re back,” Victor said earnestly. Gabriel tipped his canned drink. Marta murmured something about her evening sandwich.
I grimaced. “Not quite.”
“What do you mean?” Victor asked. “Aidan will reinstate you as soon as he’s back. We didn’t process your papers.”
“Part of the deal for helping Aidan was that 1 can’t work at the Institute anymore.”
Victor’s mouth opened in shock. Gabriel gave me a pity-filled stare. Marta simply blinked twice.
“But, Maddie,” Gabriel said, “after all those applications?”
I shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. Because it isn’t, | had to remind myself. It was only a curve, a slight change of paths. “Don’t worry about me. I have plans.” Plans such as curling into a ball and crying all night.
Victor steered the conversation away from that, his eyes compas-sionate—out of everyone here, he knew me the best—and we talked about nothing until the front door opened again.
“Anyone around?” came the strong, solid voice of Aidan.
Victor and Gabriel rushed into the hallway, greeting their boss.
Marta unfolded herself from the chair, and | slid awkwardly off the counter.
“Is Dover here?” Aidan asked.
“In there.”
Aidan appeared on the threshold, his expression guarded, his shoulders tense. His gaze raked me from head to toe.
I winked and gave him a thumbs up. “All in one piece.”
He harrumphed but closed the distance between us and drew me into his arms. He squeezed me tight. 1 wound my arms around his waist and hugged him back.
The next second, I was free. He took his warmth with him and leaned against the counter, eyes cold, face unreadable.
We were back to Director Greaves.
That was what I’d wanted, right?
The other three returned to their previous positions. I decided to remain standing. When Aidan spoke, he did it looking straight at me.
“Mathews has acquired enough proof to clear me of all charges. Harmon was workin
g with Sullivan and Proctor to get rid of me and eventually the Institute as it is now.”
Victor gave a low whistle. “It had nothing to do with the artifacts in the vault?”
Aidan gave me a look of warning. “Not on his end, no. Although I’m sure some of our more dangerous items would’ve been relocated. Harmon is a proponent of keeping artifacts in part-Fae’s hands.”
Victor shook his head. “For a price, I’m sure.”
I didn’t mind the promise of torture I saw in Aidan’s eyes if 1 were to spill all the details—I was too busy basking in the fact that he was here, unharmed and safe, even if in his cool and collected director persona.
“Is anything going to change going forward?” Marta asked in her practical tone.
“No.” Aidan’s voice brooked no compromise. “We will continue as
we have. Things should go smoother without a curse,” he added wryly.
Marta spared me a fast glance. “Does that mean we’re going to get new recruits?”
Aidan jutted his chin at me. “Let us survive this one first.”
An awkward silence fell on the room. Horror gripped me in a vise— I had forgotten Aidan didn’t know.
Aidan searched our expressions. “What? Did you guys actually start the dismissal paperwork? We’ll just cancel it.”
I swallowed the gigantic lump in my throat. It got stuck in my vocal cords and only allowed me a weak, “I can’t work at the Institute.”
“What?” he asked, stunned.
“It was part of an agreement.” | waved vaguely at his person.
Instead of the pity 1 was expecting, his expression gained a speculative edge. “Time period or forever?”
Since I was pretty sure Lord Velei wasn’t about to change his mind
or keel over dead, there was only one answer. “Forever.”
“Hmm,” he said, still studying me closely. Was that the start of a smile on his lips? What the heck?
I had known he didn’t want me as a recruit but had always assumed it was because of the supposed curse. Outrage and despondency
churmed in my gut—he seriously didn’t want me working here. After all
I had done for him!
I would show him, I decided, scowling right back at him. I would become the biggest independent artifact hunter out there. Of course, if I did find dangerous artifacts, I’d end wp having to give them to the Institute—I was eager, not amoral—if Lord Velei didn’t lick them for dibs first. He would—ooh.
