The wires could lead me to where they were holding the Fae. A mind meld was no walk in the park and perhaps Jeremy and his gang weren't sure that the Fae would have enough power to project the faerie realm if they kept him far enough away from us.
What if, I thought, they had hooked us all up into the same network? We were all in the same room, but what if he was in the room next door?
It was as good of an idea as any so I made my way back down the hallway to the room where the rest of the crew still lay. I walked in and noticed that all of the headgear was all being gathered to one point in the ceiling. There was a hole cut out and the wires ran up.
The room didn't have to be next door, it could be right above the room that we were being held in. I just needed to find a staircase. I went back into the hallway and headed in the other direction. Several turns later, I found the staircase. I took the steps two at a time knowing that my time without a fight was coming to an end.
I pushed the top door open and headed in the direction that I had come from. I calculated that I had walked a hundred steps after the second turn. I was about to turn the corner for the final hallway when I stopped myself.
There might not have been guards at our door, because we were pawns being sucked dry. But the Fae would be heavily guarded, I was sure of it. I peeked around the corner and sure enough there was two guards on either side of the door in full SWAT gear. They had strange looking guns at the ready. I had to assume that the mage had outfitted them with something that could kill me.
I smiled. I wasn't like a normal Fae creature though. Iron wouldn't kill me like it did the other Fae. That was what I had going for me. I concentrated on the core of my magic and felt the scales sprout on my body. I was going to be full Fae for this showdown. I put my arms in front of me and watched the blue magic lick at my fingers. I dared them to stop me.
The shooting began as soon as I turned the corner. The bullets bounced off the protective film that I had created around myself. The more persistent ones got caught in the jellylike substance that had come out of my mouth had filled the sphere of protection that I had created. The blue magic, however, found its targets and the men turned to water droplets and disappeared. I stepped over the puddles of what used to be heavily armed men and attacked the door handle. Sirens went off in the background and I figured I had several seconds before more men came. I slammed the door open and found myself in front of the massive tank.
The swamp creature that had tried to choke Leslie was suspended in the milky fluid. I came up to the tank and put my hand on it. The Fae's memories poured into my mind.
Images of Chance holding Marcus' head under the water of the reservoir flashed. The image then moved to the swamp thing carrying Marcus' body out of the reservoir and onto the side of the road. Then, the encounter that we had with him flashed through my head and as he slipped away he was caught by Jeremy Nottingham. The red magic blazed around him as Leslie and I got back into the car and drove away. And then the images became disjointed.
The tank, the creation of the faerie realm, and the manipulation of the mental hospital made my head swim. He opened his mouth and small water bubbles formed. He made no sound but I heard his voice in my head.
"Help me. They're coming," he said. I nodded and placed both hands on the glass tank. The room shook as I mustered every bit of force I could. The magic that had killed the two men would have put me on my back only four days ago but now I summoned a power twice as strong. The glass in front of me cracked and I drew on the magic harder. I had to get that tank broken and the swamp thing by my side when the cavalry came.
"My name is Mel," he said in my head. I smiled. Mel is a good name for a water Fae. The cracks sent ripples of sound throughout the room as they grew in quality and quantity. Water rivulets poured down the glass and finally the crash sent me, water and Mel into the back wall. Mel clutched my hand and together we created a blast several magnitudes over what I was capable of.
"That should have destroyed the mental hospital," Mel said. I nodded and he clutched my arm harder. "They're coming."
I held steady to him as the room exploded, red magic slowing against the water.
It came towards us.
"Steady, steady," Mel said and we both lifted our arms to control the water. It was a beautiful sight to behold, blue magic sent the water droplets in different configurations of sharp objects and stabbed at the red magic that was pouring forth from the mage of Los Angeles or the man that I knew as Dr. Jeremy. He was strong, but the power of the water Fae overcame him quickly. He took off down the hall.
Mel wanted to drag me along but I shook my head. "I have to go see about my friends," I said.
"The mage is mine then," Mel said and ambled after the disappearing form of Dr. Jeremy. I had a strange sensation of exhaustion hit me and then just as quickly went away. I regained my balance but it was a question I needed to ask Callie. Maybe the rules that governed magic for humans such as witches, mages, and wizards did not have the same effect on non-terrestrial creatures like the Fae. I felt energized and powerful. It was so freeing that I threw my head back and laughed. This was a feeling to cherish, I thought. I had a mind to blast through the floor to hasten my way to get to my friends but I was worried that I would crush one of them.
I ran out the door and down the hallway. I retraced my steps back to our prison room and walked in to find everyone sitting up. I knew that they would not be strong enough to move anywhere and I didn't think we had much time before the LAPD and whatever minions the mage could muster up were on top of us. I had to get everybody out and fast.
"Mabry, what is this place?" Damian asked me.
"Looks like your father had trapped a water Fae and created a mental hospital in the faerie realm. I don't know what he was doing with our life force but he had created the illusion to use us in some way."
Henry nodded, understanding dawning on his face.
"I'm going to change into a werewolf now to help with my healing process. I'm calling my pack to us right now," he said and looked at the three werewolves that had come to help us pushed to the corner with Leslie. None of them had survived the experience. He closed his eyes and we stood in silence some minutes before he opened them back up again.
"My pack has been searching for months for me and the others. They are on their way."
"I don't think we have that kind of time," I said.
"It's going to take me too long to change into my werewolf shape. I have to assume they're going to be on us."
"I'm thinking the same thing, I'm not sure of what I can do."
"Wait, if you are Fae, then you can create a place in the faerie realm as well. Can't you open a doorway that our physical forms can go in to and then find a way to come out from another doorway, say closer to Greystone Manor?" Henry asked me.
"I've just recently accessed all my power and I have no idea how to create what you're suggesting."
"But I can," Mel said. I looked at the water Fae who had tried to kill Leslie and smiled.
"What happened to Dr. Jeremy?" I asked.
"The mage? He got away," Mel said and I could have sworn I saw him shrug.
"Would it be hard to cross through the faerie realm and come out someplace far from here?" I asked him.
"Over there," he said and pointed to a small pool.
"If I did that right, then it's a short swim, and we should come out on the other end of Greystone Manor. I do believe there's a grand pool in the backyard."
"There is," Henry said.
"Then what are we waiting for," I said and heaved up Henry. "You're going first."
"My pleasure," he said and I dumped him into the pool.
"Damian, you're going next," I said and heaved him up as well.
"Where are you getting all of this power from?" he asked.
I flashed him a grin. "I'm finding this stuff out for myself as I go," I said. I let go of him and he disappeared into the pool as well.
I turned to Chance,
my smile fading. "You need to tell me why you killed Marcus Shale," I demanded. I wasn't going to help a murderer that easily.
He shook his head. "It's not what you think," he said.
"You have several seconds before I turn you into water," I growled at him.
"It was the magic ball that dragged him underneath the water," he said. "Ask Mel, he'll tell you I'm speaking the truth. He was underwater trying to help him as well." I hadn't seen that as part of the visions that Mel had shown me.
I turned to him. "Is that true?" I asked him.
Mel shook his head yes. "Whatever that magic ball was, it was in a tizzy and anything it touched, it harmed."
"Fine," I said and heaved Chance off the gurney.
"I must be too heavy," he said. I wasn't sure if he was teasing but I wasn't about to talk to him about his skeletal appearance. All of these men were just skin and bones. We had come so close to being starved to death by that asshole. He would pay for what he tried to do to us.
"I'll tell you all about what me and Marcus discovered once we get on the other side of this," he promised me. I nodded and gently lowered him into the pool of water.
"You are very trusting with me," Mel said. I stepped back in surprise, realizing I could've potentially just drowned my friends. Mel saw my look and started to laugh. It sounded like a weird sucking noise that wasn't altogether pleasant but it wasn't awful either.
"I'm joking, of course," he said.
"I don't think I'm ready for those kind of jokes just yet, thank you very much," I said.
"After you," he said and I jumped feet first into the pool.
The water enveloped me and I opened my eyes to see a beautiful pale blue. Bubbles escaped from my nose and I wondered if I was able to breathe in the water. I didn't really feel like finding out though and let my momentum take me further and further down. It felt so good to float. A strong sense of peace overcame me and just as it started it went away. The world turned upside down and I resurfaced into the night air. Greystone Manor sat in the distance preternaturally quiet.
Where was Henry's pack?
Henry and Chance bobbed in the water to my left, both hanging onto the edge of the pool. Damian was swimming towards me.
Something about this wasn't right.
"Help me get everyone out of the pool," I said to Damian as I swam to the shallow end of the pool.
"Stop right where you are," a cold voice bellowed. Before I could react, we were surrounded by vampires.
I smelled their unique scent of death and decay. Werewolves weren't far behind. The mage had beat us after all.
20
Before any of us could react, the vampires nearest Henry and Chance dragged both of them out of the pool. Damian was plucked out as well but I was too far away, in the middle of the deep end, for them to come and get me.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"Does it really matter?" The cold voice said.
I had the advantage as I was in the water. I was a water for after all and ready to embrace that side of myself. If I was in the water, that meant I should be able to control where it moved and flowed. I was guessing but I flexed my fingers and felt the more familiar sensation of my face side coming to the forefront. My mother had taught me spells by creating potions and following a recipe. It was only at the very end of the spell that you imbued it with a life force of its own, typically borrowing from your own.
But, Fae magic was different. It was always there. In the few times that I had used it to its best results, it was almost as if I had a mind meld with that shadow self. I had thought that I wanted to do something and then all of a sudden, it happened before me. At least, the times that I was aware that I was even doing it, that is.
When I zapped the two vampires, it was more of self-preservation. I hadn't thought that I wanted to survive but something deep inside of me wanted to. I would need to find a mentor to find out how to use this but, for now, I imagined raising my arms around me and the water flowing upward and out of the pool. If I could rally enough force, I hoped to flood the vampires out.
At first, nothing happened. Then I saw ripples coming out from where my waist touched the water. I hesitated. The water would wipe out the vampires but it would also wipe out Henry, Chance, and Damian. I would buy myself some time and perhaps make it off the main property. But, what would happen to the others? Was I really thinking of leaving them behind to an unknown fate, and most likely a certain death.
I couldn't do that, not after everything that happened. It wasn't like I'd be able to come and save them from wherever the mage would hide them this time. Jeremy Nottingham would surely make damn certain they'd never be found again.
"If you're thinking of doing some of your Fae magic here, I would think again," the cold voice said and a man emerged from the shadows of the bushes that surrounded the pool.
"Do you know who we are?" I asked the man, trying to buy myself some time.
"We don't have enough time for your questions. I want to make you a deal," he said.
I knew for certain that I would never make a deal with the mage.
It was now or never.
I tapped whatever energy reserves I had and lifted the pool water all around me, ready to direct it at the vampires standing off to the side. I held it, hoping that Henry, Chance, and Damian could make a plan to run. It was pretty obvious of what I wanted to do. By creating a diversion Henry could change into a werewolf and make a run for it. I didn't know what chance or Damian could do but I wasn't going to go down without fighting.
"Save your energy," the man commanded but I ignored him.
I sank lower as I pulled the pool water above me and into the air. My feet hit the white tiles of the pool as the remaining portion of water rose above my head. Sweat broke out on my brow as I heaved the water higher and higher. I took a deep breath and flung the clear, blue pool water in every direction. To my disbelief and frustration, it stayed in midair, as if a magical barrier surrounded the pool around me. It was a sight to see an entire pool's worth of water hanging right above my head. I grunted and tried again. The water splashed and sloshed as if in an invisible kiddie pool but held. Damn him, I am not going to die from drowning, I thought.
"You're not strong enough to go against me, girl," the man sneered. I pushed down on my energy hard and managed to break through his spell. The pool water went splashing everywhere but whatever force I had mustered up at the beginning had been deadened by his spell and the water didn't do much good. The vampires who were holding onto Chance and Henry looked at each other and laughed. Damn it, I thought.
"Are you ready to listen now?" The man said.
"Fine. Tell us your proposition so we can say no and get on with things," I said making my tone as bored and uninterested as I could.
"Why don't you come out of the pool first and we can talk in normal tones. I'm not really into projecting my voice and yelling at people like I'm doing right now," he said and he almost sounded reasonable. I looked at Damian, Chance, and Henry. Henry nodded imperceptibly and I would've missed it if I hadn't been staring straight at him. But, I caught the movement.
Taking that as a sign, I nodded.
"Fine," I said and climbed up the incline from the deep end to the shallow end. I'd used up all the pool water. The pool was empty now except for a few random puddles sloshing about. This wasn't going to be the easiest structure to climb out of. I wasn't going to be very graceful going about it either but I didn't care. I slid down the incline a couple of times but finally managed to get a handhold and got to the shallow end.
The man in charge met me at the stairs. He offered his hand to pull me out but I ignored it. I took the steps two at a time and, chin held up high, faced him.
"I'm listening," I said. "I don't think I'm going to be able to agree to any of the Mage's terms, whatever those might be."
"I know Jeremy was holding all of you prisoner for the last month. I'm here to help," he started.
"First things first. W
ho are you?" I asked. I noticed that Henry had moved in closer and by the tilt of his head he was listening intently to the conversation. Werewolves had a keen sense of hearing and I was sure that whatever was said he would catch. I made sure to speak a little louder just in case.
"So you aren't on the Mage's side?" I asked.
"My name is Leonard Bates and I am, in fact, the Mage's secretary. These are some of the men that have sided with me. We want to help you but you're going to have to make the decision fast. We don't have much time before Jeremey gathers his reserves and comes looking for you again. And mark my words, he will come looking."
"Why do you want to help us?"
"Because we are Dixon's men and Jeremy Nottingham is too power-hungry for his own good. He needs to be stopped and we think that you're the perfect person to do that. As does President Dixon."
"Are you talking about THE President Dixon?" I asked him, not believing a word he was saying. "Do you know what's happening with the humans?"
"I know what was happening at that prison that the mage took you to, but that's not important right now. We need to get you safely hidden so you can regain your energy. We have just the place but we would prefer that you agree to go. If you're going to help us, it will be by choice and not by force," he said.
"I need to discuss this with the others then," I said and Leonard waved over to the nearest vampires. They let Chance and Damian go. The vampire holding onto Henry knew that the man was an Alpha and wasn't touching him as much as he'd chained him up. The chains dropped away as if they'd never been there and Henry trotted over to us. We all moved to the other side of the pool and huddled into a group.
"Where's your pack,?" I asked Henry in a whisper.
"I've been searching for them but all I hear is growls and whimpers. I think they've been magicked in some way and our communication lines have been dampened. They are close by but I don't think they'll be able to help us immediately."
A Case of Magic: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Wildes Chronicles Book 1) Page 13
