by M. D. Massey
Peg pointed behind us. “Your way has been made. Go now, away from here, and remember our pact.”
I looked to where she pointed, and there stood a roughly man-sized oval of vines. The space between the vines shimmered, and soon we were looking at the hillside path that led to the Dagda’s farm.
“Right, will do,” I said with a wave as I headed for the portal. “Have fun growing your giant swamp kaiju!”
Peg’s shadow faded into the dark depths of her hut. After she was gone, Sabine punched me in the arm.
“It’s not smart to provoke powerful fae,” she whispered.
“What? I’m just showing my support for her hobby. I mean, what else does she have to do out here in the swamp, with no people to drown and eat?”
Sabine leaned in and hissed at me. “Don’t give her any ideas!”
“Alright, already. Sheesh, I was just trying to lighten the mood. Don’t have a cow.”
In truth, I knew I was provoking Peg, and I didn’t care. I’d been feeling a bit reckless since we’d lost Hemi, and felt the urge to take it out on someone, anyone. I wanted to break down and sob, or find a bunch of Fuamnach’s stooges and rip through them like tissue paper. Or maybe I’d use the Eye’s powers to melt the sorceress’ castle to slag. Unfortunately, this was no time for me to have an emotional breakdown, because I had children to save.
Colin the savior. Right.
I still had a mission, and I was still determined to complete it, no matter how Hemi’s death had affected me. And despite the self-pity and guilt I felt, I did have one saving grace left, one ace in the hole I’d yet to play. If events worked out as I’d planned, I’d avenge what the fae had done to Jesse, Hemi, the children—everyone.
Sure, it might just make me the most hated man in the supernatural underworld. But fuck it, I could live with that. I just needed to make sure the children were safe before I went through with it.
That was, if we could beat Fuamnach to the gateway.
One thing at a time, Colin. I realized Sabine was talking to me, and I snapped back to the present.
“What was that you were saying?”
“I said, we’d better get going before Peg changes her mind. C’mon, let’s get out of here.”
“Right behind you.” Crowley stepped through the portal, and Sabine followed right after. I paused before stepping through and turned back toward the hut.
“In all seriousness, I hope you’re done with drowning children. Because if I hear word that Peg Powler has harmed one hair on a child’s head, I’ll come back for you. And that visit won’t be friendly.”
The hag’s laughter drifted from the shack. “Oh, you’ll be back someday, druid. I can assure you of that.”
We stepped through the portal and into a somewhat chaotic situation. Fae soldiers were marching from the Dagda’s farm toward the winter lands. From our perch on the hill above, I counted thousands. They trampled his fields as they passed, a sign that there was no time to waste. I doubted that the Dagda would sacrifice his crops without good reason.
We shared a look and ran down the hill to the farm. The Dagda was sitting in front of his cottage whittling on a large stick, his war club leaning against the bench beside him.
“How’d things go with Fuamnach?” he asked.
“Well,” I replied, “we have the Treasures.”
He continued whittling his stick. “But not without trading some of my broth to the hag, I see. Probably for the best. She’ll be a thorn in Fuamnach’s side now, that’s for sure.”
“It looks like you’ve been busy, too,” I remarked. “Where’d all those soldiers come from?”
He held up his stick, eyeing it down its length and shaving it here and there to true it. From what I could tell, he was carving a flute. “Oh, them? Conscripts, every last one. They live in my lands, so they do my bidding. They’ll hold Fuamnach’s menagerie off until you get through the portal safely.”
He stood and set his knife and stick down on the bench. Then, he picked up his club and swung it over his shoulder. “Now, we’d best be going. I’ve sent the children on ahead with the troll, the wisp, the wyvern, and your friend’s body.”
I nodded and swallowed hard. “You couldn’t bring him back, then.”
He rested a massive hand on my shoulder. “I’m genuinely sorry about that. I’d do it if I could, but his life force is not mine to command. The best I could do was to mend his body whole again and preserve it, so you can present him to his family with dignity.”
“Th—I mean, that was kind of you.”
He patted my shoulder and smiled kindly, but there was sadness in his eyes. “Wish I could do more, lad, I honestly do. At least I can escort you to the gateway. You’ll get there faster that way, long before Fuamnach arrives with her army. Follow me.”
The Dagda walked around the corner of his cottage without looking to see if we followed. Crowley and Sabine both looked at me.
“Don’t worry, we can trust him,” I said. “He’s not about to let me die, because I think he has plans for me—just don’t ask me what, because I haven’t a clue. We’d better hurry, though. I don’t think he’s the type that’s accustomed to waiting on humans.”
Crowley remained silent. Sabine extended an arm as she bowed sarcastically. “Well, it’s your shit-show,” she said. “Lead the way.”
Oh, you have no idea, I thought as I ran after the Dagda.
Behind the cottage was a small yard where child-sized chickens scratched in the dirt, pulling worms as big as snakes from the ground and gobbling them up. A split-rail fence bordered the yard, interrupted by a gate directly across from us. There was no sign of the Dagda, but the gate stood open, so we went through it to the narrow dirt path beyond. It meandered through a stretch of the giant mushroom forest that hadn’t been visible from the front of the cottage.
Or, it simply hadn’t been there before. I had learned to not trust my eyes here in Underhill, because nothing made sense under the traditional laws of physics in this realm. I set the weirdness of it all aside and hurried down the trail after the Dagda. I’d catch glimpses of him ahead at times—around a bend in the trail ahead, or disappearing behind a giant mushroom stalk. But no matter how hard I ran, I could never catch up to him.
On the way, I pondered what Fuamnach had said while she’d been enchanting me. Two things bothered me about it all. The first was that it made sense, and the second was that fae couldn’t lie. I wondered if that rule extended to the Tuatha, since the fae were their offspring. If so, it meant that everything Fuamnach had said was true.
Could Finnegas and Maeve really have known I was born with Cú Chulainn’s curse? That at some point, some stressor or danger would trigger it, making me a danger to the people around me? What did that say about Finnegas? Had he been using me all along, and had he sacrificed Jesse on purpose?
I doubted it. He’d loved Jesse, almost as much as I had. He must not have known I’d lose control in that manner. But what about Maeve’s knowledge of my ríastrad? Had she and Finnegas been working together, preparing me so they could use me as some sort of weapon? If so, why had Finnegas warned me so many times not to trust her? Had they parted on unfriendly terms?
So many questions, and few answers to any of them. The only thing I did know was that I’d been used, badly—and mostly by the fae. I’d grown tired of being a pawn over these last few months, and now it was time to stop being a pawn and start being a player.
And to do that, I had to flip the script and turn the entire game on its head.
Lugh’s plan was my best bet to get out from under Maeve’s thumb and get back at Fuamnach. Now, it was just a matter of keeping Maeve in the dark, in order to get the kids safely away before I went through with it.
It didn’t take long for us to get from the Dagda’s cottage to the portal. It was impossible to know how much time had actually passed, but it felt like we’d only walked a few miles at most. We emerged from the mushroom forest almost right at the cleft in
the hill where the gateway was located. The Dagda was already waiting there for us, crawling on his hands and knees while six children rode him like a pony.
I looked at Sabine. “Told you we could trust him.”
She sneered and rolled her eyes. “I’m fae, Colin. Believe me when I say that you can’t trust any of us.”
“Not even you?”
She opened her mouth as if to respond, then clamped her lips shut and looked away. I decided to leave it alone. I’d known all along that Sabine was working for Maeve on this mission. Soon, I’d find out where her loyalties resided.
The clearing in front of the gateway was filled with children, some looking anxious while others chattered with obvious excitement at the prospect of being returned to their families. Guts and Ollie had positioned themselves between the children and the forest. While Guts kept an eye out for potential threats, Ollie kept the children corralled near the gateway.
Jack was nowhere to be seen.
“Anyone seen the wisp?” I yelled over the din. All I got in response were shrugs and head shakes. “Fine, he can find his own way back. Let’s start getting everyone ready to go. Sabine, you know what to do. Guts, I need you to get Hemi’s body back safely. Wherever the kids go, you follow.”
“I’ll stay with you,” Crowley said. “I’m less likely to be turned into a toad if I remain in your presence.”
“Makes sense.” I got the Dagda’s attention and pointed at the arch. “Can you fire that thing up?”
He signaled to the children that the pony rides were over, which elicited a chorus of protests. The Dagda stood and grabbed his club. “I can, and will.”
The gateway opened with a sound like rushing wind. I noted that the Dagda didn’t need to be in contact with it, nor did he need to cast a spell to open it. It appeared that he had simply wished it to open, and it had.
“I’ll take up a watch with the wyvern while you get the children through the portal,” he said. The huge old man walked among the children, saying goodbye to some and admonishing others as he passed.
“Sabine, it’s time,” I said. She got the children lined up, while Guts hefted Hemi’s shrouded body over his shoulder. The troll led the way through the portal, with the children following him in single file. Sabine and I helped keep them organized, encouraging them to stay on the path and to keep their eyes on the child ahead of them.
Once the last child had walked through, Sabine and I paused at the gateway.
“Remember what I said, Sabine. Tell Maeve that I’ll come through with the Treasures only after the children are safe.”
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” she said.
I glanced at the Dagda, who stood watch with Crowley’s wyvern. “I do. Now, get going. The longer you’re gone, the more time Fuamnach has to show her face and screw things up. Go!” I shooed her through the portal.
“Now what?” Crowley asked.
“Now, we wa—” My response cut short as something knocked me off my feet. I fell in a tumble of arms and legs, grappling with an invisible opponent. I started throwing punches indiscriminately, connecting with a few, but getting the worst of the exchange. An invisible punch or kick stunned me, and I felt the strap of my Craneskin Bag being pulled over my head.
“I’ll take that, thank you,” Jack’s voice whispered in my ear. I struggled to grab at my Bag, but he’d clipped me hard, giving me a hell of a rattling. The little fucker was a lot stronger than he looked. I watched as the Bag floated toward the portal with the Treasures.
A wall of shadow coalesced in front of the portal, blocking the wisp’s path. “Are we really going to do this, wizard?” the wisp asked.
Crowley stepped out from his shadow barrier. “Yes, we are.”
Shadow tentacles whipped out from Crowley’s body in every direction, lashing at the seemingly empty air where the Bag floated. The shadowy arms wrapped tightly around something unseen, trapping it in place, and Jack’s form shimmered into existence.
“Have it your way, then,” Jack said. He didn’t even bother to struggle against his bonds, and instead transformed into his wisp form with a bright flash of light. Crowley shied away, covering his eyes with his arm, but he didn’t let go. Instead, it appeared as though the shadow wizard’s tentacles split, multiplying into dozens of thinner strands that wrapped the wisp in a sphere of shadow. Sickly green light shone from within the sphere, piercing the cage in places as the ball of light expanded.
“Colin, I don’t know how much longer I can hold him. If you’re going to do something, do it now!”
I stumbled to my feet, spinning through my mental Rolodex of options, most of which involved pulling some magic trick or weapon from my Craneskin Bag. I staggered over to the wisp just as several more of Crowley’s shadow strands snapped. The cage was getting weaker, and Crowley had fallen to one knee under the strain.
“I wonder what this will do,” I said as I pulled my Glock and emptied the magazine, firing through one of the gaps in Crowley’s shadow sphere. With every round I fired, the wisp’s light became weaker, until it faded to a dim glow. I drew my sword and plunged it through the center of the ball of light, pinning it to the ground.
A bright blast of pale green light and energy burst from the wisp, throwing me on my ass and temporarily blinding me. I blinked several times until my vision returned. When it did, Jack was lying flat on his back in his human form, with my sword pinning him to the ground through his breastbone.
He coughed blood and looked over at me as I got to my feet. “You can’t kill me, you know. Ol’ Nick made certain of that.”
“Maybe,” I said. “But by the time you get that sword out of your chest, we’ll be long gone.” I snagged my Bag from the ground next to him and kicked him in the jaw to knock him unconscious.
Crowley was leaning against the rock wall nearby. “You alright?”
He nodded. “Just a little bruised, is all.”
“Well, you saved my bacon again. I’m going to owe you some beers when we get back to earth.” I gave him a hand and pulled him until he was standing up straight.
At that moment, Sabine stuck her head out of the portal. “If you two are done cementing your bromance, you might want to get a move on. The queen is waiting for Colin to show up with the Treasures, and she’s not happy about it.”
21
“Are the kids safe, Sabine?”
She walked out of the portal and stood in front of us, arms crossed.
“Safe as houses. Maeve contacted Detective Klein while we were gone, and had her waiting at a transition center where the children will be processed and returned to their parents. Maeve’s healer is looking them over and mind-wiping them as we speak.”
I exhaled and felt some of the tension leave my shoulders and neck. “Alright. You and Crowley go through before me and tell Maeve she’s to portal you out of her house. Tell her if I see you there when I come through the portal, I’ll turn right back around and give the Treasures to the Dagda.”
“Colin, I don’t think she’ll go for that.”
“Just do it. And tell her I’ll be along shortly.”
Sabine shook her head. “Fine. But when she turns you into a lampshade for her parlor, don’t come crying to me. C’mon, Crowley. Let’s leave the great hero be so he can face his doom alone.”
Sabine walked back through the portal without another word. Crowley ran to his wyvern, whispering words in his ear that only the wyvern could hear. The beast bellowed a piteous cry, and it nuzzled its master tenderly.
“I’ll take care of him, don’t you worry,” the Dagda said.
Crowley nodded and patted the creature one last time, then ran toward the gateway. The wizard paused at the archway and pulled his hood back, again revealing the destruction that the Eye had caused. Half of his face was horribly disfigured and one eye wept constantly, probably because his eyelid on that side wouldn’t fully close. His ear had melted off, leaving him with a small outcropping of cartilage and scars where
it should’ve been. He was partially bald on that side of his head, and his mouth was pulled in a permanent rictus of pain.
“If you doubt that I am on your side, you have only to look at how my adoptive parents left me to assuage your fears. Either one of them could have easily healed me of my wounds, but instead, they left me this way to suffer the regret of my failure. I don’t know what you have planned, but if you wish me to stand by your side when you face Maeve, I will.”
“That… that won’t be necessary, Crowley. I appreciate the sentiment, and I honestly don’t doubt your sincerity. But I have to do this on my own.”
He cleared his throat and nodded. “Then let’s hope she doesn’t turn me into a frog when I emerge from the portal. If you happen to see a toad sitting on the floor when you come through, do me a favor and put it in your pocket, just in case.”
The wizard snapped his hood back up and ducked through the gateway before I could reply.
“A joke from Crowley. Wonders never cease.”
I looked to my left and saw that the Dagda stood at my side. I was sure he hadn’t been there a moment before. For a giant, he was damned stealthy.
“Are you ready to act on Lugh’s plan?” he asked.
I took a few seconds to mentally and physically prepare myself and nodded.
“Yeah, I’m ready. I might be tough to kill when I shift, but there’s no way I could take out Fuamnach or Maeve, even in my shifted form. In a fair fight, they’d squash me like a fire ant at an exterminator’s convention. Naw, I have to settle the score and clear the board. This is the only way to do it.”
“You need more training. Don’t be too hard on Finnegas; you’ll need his guidance soon. And when you return, speak to the trickster, the one who calls himself Click. He’s no friend of Maeve’s, and he’s not beholden to her will. Tell him the Dagda sent you.”
“Just what am I supposed to talk to him about? That guy kind of scares me, by the way. He’s way too powerful, and the last thing I need is another ancient fae stirring things up in my life.”
