"Priscilla said they wouldn't attack her here. I think she just got proven wrong. I think they were trying to attack her."
"But… she's got that powerful fairy. Or, Fae. Don't that make it so she doesn't need help?" Lawrence's voice grew more and more confused, dropping the professional demeanor as he spoke. "Whatever I made a contract with ain't gonna help at all. She didn't attack. She just made everyone confused."
"I can't do much with Kelpie either," Isela mused. "When the Faceless attacked me at the office, it could only take them down one at a time. Priscilla could take several down at once." She looked back over towards Priscilla. It took so much out of Priscilla do to it. And she said she was actually strong enough to do that… what would have happened if she wasn't? Would she have died?
Lawrence shook his head as Isela turned back to him. "I gotta go home," he told her. "It don't matter what else happens. Tiana and the girls are waiting for me."
"I can't stop you, boss," Isela murmured. She didn't think even Masaru could stop him. If his car could still drive, he could go home. Or he could call a cab. Could a cab even get past all the Faceless corpses? Oh crap, Faceless corpses. What was going to happen to them?
Isela walked out to the living room, intent on asking that question when she saw Priscilla stand up, running for the door. Kelpie kicked under her skin, making Isela hiss in pain as she followed. Everyone followed Priscilla out as she ran out onto the front lawn, turning, her eyes wide. She started shouting something in Japanese, making Lawrence and Isela shrug at each other as Masaru went to her, speaking soothingly.
"I don't care about that," she yelled at Masaru in English. "They came for me here at my home. Look around, Masaru! Look at Isela and Lawrence! This bullshit they insist on pulling with me has pulled in innocents. They don't even know what it is they made a contract with! For what, Masaru? Why the hell do they want me so much? Why do they want my power so goddamn much?!"
"Hime-sama." Masaru looked at her, stern. "Come back inside."
Priscilla pointed, first at Lawrence's missing car, then at the missing corpses. "I'll come back inside once whoever is trying to get at me stops being in the goddamn shadows and faces me. Stops getting people who don't deserve this involved and just faces me, alone!"
Isela walked over to her, taking her hand, noting how hard it was shaking. "Priscilla. Come on. Come inside." If the Faceless hadn't awoken and scared the neighbors, Priscilla yelling would. And they didn't need that.
Slowly, Priscilla let out a long breath, slumping against her. "Yeah. Fine. I'll… I'll come inside."
Isela didn't let her hand go the entire time.
------
Isela watched Lawrence get into the Uber car and leave before turning to Masaru and Priscilla. Priscilla had laid quietly back down, Masaru watching over her. She came over to them, kneeling next to Priscilla as Masaru got up, going to the window. She wanted to leave so badly as well, to go home and pretend that everything was normal. But… she couldn't do that to Priscilla. She needed to stay and make sure she would be okay.
"I'm sorry," Priscilla whispered. "I never want to get you involved."
"I think Laura would have tried to kill me anyway," she told Priscilla. "She said something that sounded like she had a vendetta against me directly."
Priscilla sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "And then somehow our boss got involved too. There's no reason for all those Faceless to come for him. I don't think Laura has ever even met him."
She was right. As far as Isela knew, she hadn't. "I mean, we did think maybe they were just going in the same direction he was going…"
Priscilla started laughing, sounding hopeless. "The Fae don't just randomly pick someone. They watch. They wait and see if that person will need their help. Leanan Sidhe knew he'd need her help and wanted to get involved." She threw an arm over her eyes, inhaling deeply. "They knew this was going to happen. And they're choosing."
Isela sat up straighter. That meant that Kelpie- "You mean-"
"Because of me and the fight I'm fighting, the Fae are choosing sides and making contracts."
"Are you sure?" Isela asked, furrowing her brow. "That sounds a little…"
"How else do you explain why Lawrence got involved?" Priscilla rubbed her face, closing her eyes. "They're choosing sides with the two Queen here. And just, I don't- I don't know why the other Queen wants me. I just don't know why the Queens want me at all."
"Why are you bitching about this?" Isela demanded, sitting back slightly. "Do you think maybe they would have done that without you? If Laura had done that anyway, I think Kelpie would have decided to make a contract with me anyway. So stop it."
Priscilla sat up. "But why do they want to make contracts? With us? Any of us? Why-"
"Priscilla, can you just-" Isela made a frustrated noise.
Masaru said something in Japanese, making Priscilla snap at him in anger. Isela got up, heading for the kitchen as the two of them argued, grabbing some water, indulging Kelpie for a bit. Why not. Drown herself for a bit until Priscilla finally gets her head out of her ass. Isela drank the water quickly, choking slightly as she heard her name being shouted by Priscilla in the middle of Japanese. She walked back out, watching Priscilla lay back down with a groan.
"Are you going to stop saying stupid things?" Isela asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Are you going to stop being so rude?" Masaru asked, looking at her.
Isela opened her mouth, speechless for a moment before sighing. "Fine. I deserved that."
"Hime-sama will rest. I will go find out what is going on and see if I can find out why contracts are being made at this point in time. You-" Masaru eyed her. "-Will stay here with hime-sama."
"Masaru-"
"Until we know more, you will stay here."
Isela sighed. If this wasn't taken care of by tomorrow, she really was going to have to use a sick day, wasn't she. "Fine." It wasn't something she was going to like, but something she was going to have to do.
Masaru nodded to her. "I will see you soon. Hime-sama." Priscilla's head snapped to him. "What do you want for dinner?"
"… Burgers?"
"I will get burgers, then."
Somehow, Isela thought, that seemed wholly strange that in the middle of all that happened, that Priscilla and her knight would still be eating burgers.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Chapter 14
Devi waited in the car. If Laura couldn't do this one simple thing with the tools she had been given, she wouldn't be worth her time. She almost already wasn't, considering she had let Priscilla hole up in her home. They would need a special attack to get through the Queen's defenses. They would need…
Well.
A Fae known for confusing their enemies. And from what she knew, this person had such a Fae.
She should probably go help Laura get the man into the car. After all, she was so tiny, and the man was so tall, large in comparison to her. But Devi would indulge in a little bit of pettiness. Laura would do this on her own.
And then her usefulness would have run out. Well, no, not completely, Devi reflected. After all, Bean Nighe had accepted the contract with her, and her Fae was still useful, even if Laura herself was not.
Laura finally got to the car and bundled the man into the backseat. She slid into the front after, panting. "Done."
"Good."
The whispers against her ear increased in volume. It was almost time. Almost time to set her free.
Devi smiled.
------
Laura stared ahead, trying to ignore the unconscious man behind her. Her head still spun after what happened. That man's Fae… he should have been left alone. There was no reason to go after him, even if he had a Fae. But no. Laura chanced a look over to the driver's seat, over to the haughty Indian woman making her way through the back streets.
They were going to go kill Priscilla.
And how this was going down just didn't feel right. They had kidnapped a man to use agains
t Priscilla… and that didn't feel right. He had no stake in this fight. Even if she said he did just because he had been chosen by the Fae… he still could walk away from this and just live his life if he wanted to. Laura had no reason to want him dead. No one wanted him dead. He just… was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Laura didn't want to hurt or kill anyone just to get to Isela. Priscilla was… she was the price for this. This man was nothing. He didn't matter. He shouldn't be part of this at all.
But he was. They forced him to be.
The air in the car suddenly chilled passed what the dying AC could muster and Laura looked over at the driver. Her arms were covered with frost, her face lit with fierce joy. "We're close," she muttered. "We will be there soon."
She'd never even been near Priscilla's house. Something about their Fae wouldn't let them. But… Laura looked in the backseat. Maybe now that one would. If they could make him-
"Leanan Sidhe, come. I call you."
Laura's eyes went wide as she suddenly saw his Fae lift herself out of his skin, fighting the entire way. The driver looked in the rearview mirror, smiling. "Do your job, Leanan Sidhe," she crooned. "Or I'll kill you."
She didn't know she could pull contracted Fae out of someone else and force them to do her will. Laura swallowed. Good thing she was on her side.
Yeah.
Good thing she was definitely on her side.
She did not want to know what would happen if she pulled Nighe out of her grasp.
------
"Do you have an addiction to burgers or something?"
Priscilla blushed, shoestring fries in her mouth. She chewed them up and swallowed, taking a sip of tea. "They're just really good," she muttered. "And this one's close enough that the fries don't get cold when Masaru goes and picks them up."
Masaru muttered something in Japanese and Priscilla stared at him, then muttered something obviously unflattering back. She shook her head, going back to her burger. Isela just watched, fascinated. It was obvious Masaru put Priscilla up on a pedestal, but the way Priscilla tried to interact with him made it sound like she wanted him not to do that. To treat her more… human.
Isela smiled at that thought. Priscilla was the most human person she had seen. It was stupid he was treating her like that. She didn't need to be treated like… well, a princess. She was more than that.
It was hard to see her as a princess when she was shoving shoestring fries into her mouth, anyway. With a shake of her head, Isela went back to her burger, biting in. Priscilla was right, it was a good burger. Isela looked up at Priscilla, watching her smile at her as she took another sip of tea. Everything just felt so… homey now. She could almost forget about the whole thing about the Fae and Laura trying to kill her like this.
Isela took a sip of her soda.
And choked as her head swam.
She… didn't feel good. Was it the food? Was something in the- No, she could feel Kelpie under her skin, kicking to get out. That wasn't- She reached a hand out to steady Priscilla, nearly falling off the couch as she did so.
Something was wrong. Masaru stumbled to his feet as the wind picked up inside, almost making it impossible to breathe, to understand what was going on- Isela stood, pulling Priscilla with her, only thinking one thing.
Get her out of there.
Protect Priscilla.
She started pulling Priscilla towards the back door, only to stop as ice grew along the walls. What did that… what was that… if only she could think. If only her thoughts weren't so muddled…
Electricity suddenly filled the air, and someone howled outside. Isela stumbled and let go of Priscilla as she stood up tall. She turned to watch Priscilla grit her teeth, a look of anger crossing her face. Then, with that, Priscilla spun around and made her way outside, not paying anyone any mind as she threw the door open.
A small Indian woman sat on the hood on a Honda with Laura standing next to her, the woman watching them with a haughty look. Above her was… a woman, with icicles for hair and a blue dress. No, Isela realized. Not a blue dress. A dress made of ice. Everything about her was ice related. Priscilla stopped in the yard, looking at them. Isela looked over the scene, seeing Leanan Sidhe, which explained the confusion but why would Lawrence use Leanan Sidhe against them? It didn't make any-
Then she saw Lawrence. In the backseat. Unconscious.
And she remembered Priscilla not wanting to use Masaru's Fae's name because she might call it. Why she never used Kelpie's name.
This woman called Leanan Sidhe.
Priscilla held out her hand, and Isela could feel the electricity rise in preparation for Titania. And- no, it couldn't happen. Something told Isela she couldn't let it happen. She reached out, hand stretched to push Priscilla's hand down.
A gunshot rang through the air. The woman frowned as her Fae lowered her hand, a bullet in it. "Bean Nighe," she called out, her voice ringing. "Come to me."
Laura screamed as Bean Nighe ripped herself out of her skin, almost eagerly. The woman chuckled. "That was a little too easy. Interesting. Not that interested in staying with your summoner? Well then. Take care of the knight, and you can kill your summoner as well."
Isela's eyes went wide. She shouldn't… she shouldn't summon Kelpie, not if that could happen, but something told her not to let Priscilla summon Titania. She shouldn't-
Masaru came forward, firing three more times. Each time was blocked by the Fae. When he got close enough, he pulled out his sword, making the woman chuckle. "And what is that going to do to me? To Queen Mab? To any of my Fae?"
But Bean Nighe took a step backwards.
"Bean Nighe!"
"Leanan Sidhe!" Priscilla called.
What felt like eagerly, Leanan Sidhe lifted her hand. And all the Fae, the woman, and Laura staggered, dazed. Masaru rushed forward, his sword flashing, cutting off Bean Nighe's head. Her body faded away, though Isela was certain she wasn't dead. Just… no longer called here. She rushed forward, opening the door and grabbing Lawrence, pulling him out of the car and towards safety.
The woman threw out a hand, and icicles pierced Leanan Sidhe. Lawrence cried out in his sleep as she faded, then went quiet. She turned to them, no longer addled, and pointed at Priscilla.
Priscilla held her hand up, ready to call Titania.
Only for Laura to run into the woman with the car, having gotten in while no one was looking. The Fae, Queen Mab, took the brunt of it, but she was still thrown and still was bleeding. "Get in!"
No one got in.
"For- Bean Nighe severed our contract. And she was going to let her eat me. I don't have a reason to kill you anymore, Priscilla. Now get in!"
The woman was starting to get up, and Priscilla was getting in the car. Masaru was muttering something unflattering in Japanese as he also got in, opening the door to let Isela and Lawrence in. Once in, Laura put the car into drive, and they left the woman behind, still reeling from being hit by a car.
Isela checked Lawrence's pulse, grateful when she felt one. He was alive. "What was that?" she demanded, staring at the back of Laura's head.
"I'll explain later." Her voice sounded as if she was reluctant to explain anything to Isela. "We just-" She ended that in a yelp, and Isela perked up long enough to see a Faceless in the middle of the road before Laura slammed on the brakes. Everyone flew forward and Isela had a brief moment to realize she didn't have her seatbelt on before her head hit the back of Priscilla's seat. Her thoughts scattered, making her grasp the back of the seat and hope she could find which way was up sometime soon. But then she felt something rip the car door open- and Priscilla's scream, Masaru fumbling next to her-
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