Not Just Another Fae (Vegas Fae Stories Book 4)

by Keller, Tom

  "Sure," I replied, taking it out of my pocket and holding it out to him.

  He examined it closely for a moment, using his phone as a light. He took a few pictures. When he was finished, he handed it back to me.

  "It's unusual, but not unlike other items I have come across. I wouldn’t hazard a guess as to who the maker is," he said, not appearing too concerned. "There are several that craft such weapons, including the Dwarves. I've not seen this symbol before; not that I can recall. But I've never heard of one that tossed a constricting net either. When I get back to the office I'll do some research. I'll send you what we have. Do you plan on keeping it?"

  "For now," I said. "Is that going to be a problem?"

  "No," he said with a laugh. "It's a point specific weapon, so it's not what I'd call a threat to national security. Unless, of course, they start popping up everywhere. Besides, now that we know what it does, we'll hear about it if you use it again. I'll make a note of it in your file. Although we might like to examine it at some point, when you can part with it."

  "I'll let you know when that happens," I said. "Anything else you need from me?"

  "Not for the moment," he said. "We'll take possession of the body, or what's left of it, and then your team can clean the place up. We're still sifting through the information we gathered at Stockton's house, as well as from your battle with the Demon. I'm sure there will be some follow up requests when that's done, especially if we can link this one to the other. I'll be in touch."

  When he left to meet up with his agents, Siegfried and I took a few minutes to discuss what had happened. We both agreed that there was a lot more going on than we knew about. Unfortunately, neither of us could figure out a way to change that. But there was one thing we both knew. We had to find a way to seal this gateway, or crack, or whatever the hell it was, before we ran into something we couldn’t handle. Now, we just needed to figure out a way to do it.

  There were a few more things I covered with Siegfried as well. One of which was to have his technology Mage touch base with Mal. I had something I needed him to look at and it probably wouldn’t hurt to have somebody with him when he did.

  Sendy and Charlie were waiting when I finally got back to my car. I let her know that Charlie would drive back with me. Before she left, I retrieved the cell phone I'd taken from the Mage and handed it to her. I asked her to have Mal examine it; but only after coordinating with Siegfried's Mage. Who knew what was on the damn thing or if some kind of spell was in place to protect it. That done and Sendy on her way, Charlie and I headed home; my fingers crossed that this day was finally over.

  Chapter 14

  I swear I had just fallen asleep when Charlie head butted me.

  "What?" I asked, pushing his big nose away and pulling a pillow over my head.

  "You must come," he said, nudging me again.

  "This had better be good," I said as I sat up and looked at my phone. It was barely 5:00 a.m.

  "Not good," he said. "Come."

  Shit! What now? I pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and followed him downstairs and into the kitchen. The place was full and Nikki had already made coffee.

  "Dad," she said as she pushed a mug into my hand. "You need to sit down."

  "What the hell's going on?" I asked as I pulled out a chair. Then I it registered. Lucinda had returned. But what worried me more was the fact that my aunt, Cacilia, and Nikki were in my kitchen as well. That was not a good sign.

  "There's no easy way to say this," my aunt began. "But we have received word from Valen. Bernd has fallen."

  "Fallen?" I repeated, devastated by the news. Bernd was my mentor, and the first Dwarf I'd ever met. He was also my friend. "What happened?"

  "Motgnir and Bernd were discovered near Dwarfheim, Grerin's stronghold in Nidavellir, one of the nine worlds," Cacilia said. "From what we have been told, they were planning an uprising. Contacting supporters while Valen was at Svartalfheim, gathering their forces. They were to meet up before confronting Grerin. Something went wrong, and they were attacked before Valen could arrive."

  "Betrayed," Lucinda hissed. "There is no other explanation."

  "Be that as it may," my aunt continued. "Valen has returned to Svartalfheim to regroup. With Bernd dead and Motgnir captured, Valen does not have the numbers he needs to threaten the Dwarf King, and he fears for Motgnir's safety. For now, Grerin seems satisfied. "

  Dealing with all this mythology is a pain. Especially since some of the shit just doesn't make sense. In this case, Nidavellir and Svartalfheim are both one of the nine worlds of the Norse. Earth, also called Midguard, is one as well. Nidavellir was known as the home of the Dwarves. Svartalfheim, was the home of the Dark Elves. Problem is, they're really the same beings. I mean they're both populated by Dwarves, which is confusing as hell!

  The big difference, as far as I can tell, is that the Dwarves from Nidavellir, Grerin's bunch, made weapons and other artifacts for the old Norse Gods. The Dwarves from Svartalfheim were more the counselor type, giving advice and the like. When The Fall occurred, we saw the difference between the two. Grerin's group sat back and watched the Gods fight amongst themselves, not giving a shit about the Fae that were suffering as a result. They figured they would come out better at the end, after the Gods fell. Valen's Dwarves got involved and tried to help.

  "What about a rescue?" I asked.

  "I don’t see how," Cacilia replied. "Only the Dwarves know the way to their worlds, and the gates would be well guarded, as are our own. Even if we knew where they were, it would be a fool's errand. Nikki needs the light and the forests of our home to harness power. The dark worlds are no place for our Fae."

  "Sorry, Dad," Nikki said. "It was the first thing I thought of. But she's right, alone, and in such a dark place, without our Fae or woods, I'd never be able to repeat what I did the last time we encountered them."

  "What about his body?" I asked. "Was it recovered?"

  "When a Dwarf dies, they go to their own place in the afterlife. What is left turns to stone," Lucinda said. "There was nothing left of him to recover."

  "Valen sent us this," Cacilia said, handing me his pipe. "He thought you might want it. To remember him by."

  "Thank you," I said, taking it from her. "So there's absolutely nothing we can do?"

  "No," Cacilia said. "But we knew you would want to know."

  Everyone was silent, waiting to see if I would say anything else. But what could I say? There was nothing I could do. Bernd wasn't the first friend I'd lost since all this started and I had a hunch he wouldn’t be the last.

  "Where does that leave us?" I asked after a moment.

  "To be honest," Nikki said. "Now that Grerin has Motgnir he seems content to leave us alone. He doesn’t see Valen as a threat with Motgnir as a hostage. He has even withdrawn his Dwarves from the Fae worlds. But like you told me before, he's got time on his hands. There's no way to know what he plans next, or how many spies he left behind."

  "Well, that's something," I replied. "Not that it makes up for Bernd's loss." I hate to be pragmatic, but what could I do? It's not like I could bring him back. I held my anger in check, knowing that there was no place for it at the moment. Instead, I spent the next few minutes bringing them up to speed on the Demon thing. Including the fact that Marissa had been involved with the Wizard that seemed to have started it all. When I was finished, I pulled out the orb.

  "Then there's this," I said, holding it out in front of them. "It's a weapon. I took it from a Mage that tried to kill me."

  "Jeez, Dad," Nikki said. "Gaea wasn't kidding, was she?"

  "It doesn't appear so." I replied.

  "What does it do?" Cacilia asked.

  "It uses magic to throw out a metal net that incapacitates and then kills the target, by cutting them into pieces."

  "That's disgusting," Nikki remarked.

  "True," I agreed. "But effective."

  "Who would make such a thing?" asked Cacilia.

  "That's what I'd
like to know," I said. "And why it suddenly showed up now. I had to use it to kill a Demon that attacked us last night. Something our other weapons were having a hard time doing."

  "Maybe Gaea had something to do with it," Nikki said.

  "It's possible," I agreed. "But why bother doing anything at all? It's too much like a game, and we still don’t know the rules."

  Nikki didn’t have an answer to that.

  "Did you learn anything from the Mage that carried it?" Cacilia asked, getting back on topic.

  "He's dead," I replied. "A Keres took him away. I was thinking of asking her about him."

  There was a hiss from Lucinda.

  "A Keres is here?" Cacilia asked, with a visible shudder.

  "Yes," I replied. "Is that a problem?"

  "They are not like us," she replied, glancing at the cat. "They follow Death wherever he leads."

  "That they may," I agreed. "But they are still of the Fae."

  "Perhaps. But they are not known for assisting the living," Cacilia said, shaking her head. She got up from the table. "We have taken up enough of your time. We should return."

  "Do what you have to do. Just figure out how to fix this," Nikki said. Then she hugged me. "And please try not to get yourself killed."

  "I'll do my best," I said with a grin.

  "Ok, Dad," she said as she followed Cacilia out the door. Then she smiled. "I'll be in Fae if you need me. I'll be back in a few days if you don't. Love you."

  "Love you, too."

  When they were gone, I locked the pipe away in my safe and cleaned up the kitchen. As I poured myself another cup of coffee, Lucinda jumped up on the table.

  "Tell me of the Keres," she said.

  I told her the story of the battle, then went over my conversation with the Death Spirit.

  "You asked for her name," Lucinda said, almost hissing the words.

  "I didn’t know it was such a big deal," I said in defense. "And no lectures. I've heard enough about it from Michael and Siegfried already."

  Her tail swished but she just turned her head, as if dismissing me. She jumped down from the table.

  Charlie, who'd sat quietly through the entire conversation, finally got up and came over to me. Butting his head into my stomach, he looked up. "We must avenge him," he said.

  "You got that right," I replied, grabbing the big dog's head and looking him in the eyes. Now I just need to figure out how.

  Chapter 15

  I was just getting out of the shower when the phone rang.

  "Good morning," Agent Browne said.

  "Don’t you ever sleep?" I asked, painfully aware that we had both been up late last night.

  "I used to," he said, with a touch of humor in his voice. "But then I met you."

  "Touché," I replied. "What's up?"

  "Last minute briefing on the Stockton spell. I was asked to see if you would like to attend."

  "Absolutely," I said. "When and where?"

  "It appears I've been tasked to be a driver again. I'll pick you up in a half hour," he replied. Oh, dress is business casual, and I won't be taking your weapons this time. Just so you know"

  "I'll be waiting." After shaving and getting dressed, I went downstairs and poured myself some coffee using the same mug Nikki had handed me earlier. This time I noticed the You can't scare me, I have a daughter saying on the one she had chosen. Well, at least something made me laugh today. After a quick conversation with Charlie to let him know what I was doing; almost 30 minutes to the second later, Browne pulled up outside in his SUV.

  "You realize your timing is impeccable," I said as I got into the back seat.

  "I do my best," he said, pulling out onto the street even before I got the door closed. "I hope you don’t mind, but I found this one on the way here, so I thought I'd bring him along as well."

  He was talking about Michael, who was already in the car.

  "Hey, it's your party," I said with a laugh. "But seriously, what's up?"

  "The EAB has deciphered some of Stockton's material," Michael said.

  "Really?" I said. "Any idea what they found?"

  "They haven't shared that yet," he replied.

  "That's why we're having a briefing," Browne said. "And no, I don’t specifically know what information they've developed either. But Robert, you'll be happy to know that your son will be there. He should be landing right about now."

  "Good," I replied. "He told me he was coming up, but he wasn't sure when he'd be able to make it." Then I turned to Michael. "Where's Siegfried? I figured he'd be going to this as well."

  "He is," he replied. "And Meredith will be joining us. They'll meet us there. Siegfried was with her when the call came in."

  We spent the next 15 minutes just chatting about nothing in particular, and then I brought up the meeting again.

  "I can tell you this," Browne added. "Samson will be here. So whatever they've learned, it's important enough for him to leave Washington to hear."

  "I hear they're bringing a Sorcerer in," Michael added. "But that's just a rumor."

  "Gods, Michael! How the hell did you find that out?" Browne asked, tipping down his sunglasses and staring at Michael through the rearview mirror.

  "I have my sources," he replied, a crafty smile on his face.

  "I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that," Browne remarked, then began to whistle as he continued driving down the freeway.

  "What's the big deal about a Sorcerer?" I asked, leaning in to whisper.

  "I'm not listening," Browne said, this time not looking in the rear view mirror.

  "Sorcerers are the big guns," Michael said. "There's only a few real ones in the world and they keep their movements secret. So if one's involved, then they think this has turned to shit."

  "I'm a little confused," I said. "What’s the difference between a Sorcerer and a Wizard, or is it just training?"

  "Oh, this should be good," Browne muttered.

  "I thought you weren't listening," Michael said with a chuckle. When Browne didn’t respond, he continued. "Okay. Let's keep it simple. We're talking about humans now. Someone without Fae blood. In the case of a Mage, it's more of a traditional position, almost like a priest."

  "I am not a priest," Browne interjected.

  "I said like a priest," Michael replied. "Do you want to answer this, or may I continue?"

  "Far be it from me to correct you," Browne said. "Please go on."

  "Thank you," Michael said. "As I was saying, they're all magicians; and I'm talking now of someone who practices real magic, not the Vegas Strip kind." He paused to wait for a comment from Browne. When one didn’t come, he continued. "Mages are what we call traditional practitioners. They follow long-established principles of magic that have been passed down through generations. It's usually parent to child, but one can, if they have the right skills, petition to join their circles. They have a formal training regimen, and ceremonies that date back to ancient times. Acceptance into their order means that they also have to follow certain rules and exhibit certain levels of skill, before they can advance through the ranks.

  "Wizards, on the other hand, learn magic on their own. They often start out as apprentices and learn the craft from one already well-established. There are a few schools of Wizardry, but they're pretty small, and they are very particular about who they let in. There are also, as you have already learned, Dark Mages and Wizards, with similar paths to learn the craft; but they don't mix as a general rule."

  "That’s an understatement," Browne said. "Since they are our enemies.

  "And a Sorcerer?" I asked.

  "This is where it gets interesting," Michael said. "Sorcerers are... Well... they're almost like Fae. Pure blood humans that were born with magical skills."

  "I didn’t know that was possible," I said.

  "It is," Michael continued. "But they're very rare, as you might imagine. Most, unless they come to the attention of someone who identifies them for what they are, never make it to adultho
od."

  "Why's that?" I asked.

  "Too much conflict. It eats them up if they don’t control it. Just think of all that magic kicking in during puberty. Every time they get angry, or horny for that matter, their senses go into overdrive. Very few survive without help. You have to understand; they don’t have the support system of a regular Fae; one that's born into the world of magic. They don’t know what they are, let alone what's happening to them. Their families usually don't either and they don't do well in society. Often their minds can't take it and they just go crazy."

  "Which is why we are always looking out for signs of such individuals," Browne said. "So that we can help them understand what is happening to them. It's also why we go after any Dark Mages or Wizards that we come across. Too risky to let them find one."

  "There's even a bounty program," Michael said. "Although you and I don't qualify for it, due to our positions."

  The car slowed, then stopped, and I saw that we had reached our destination, the EAB compound near Nellis Air Force Base.

  "You're going to have to continue this lesson later," Browne said as he pulled through the now open gate. "We've arrived."

  I'd been here once before. That was when I'd first met the current head of the EAB, Samson. That time I'd been unceremoniously dropped off at the back door. All my weapons and even my cell phone were taken from me before I was let in. This time, Browne drove us down a ramp into an underground parking lot. He parked the SUV in a numbered space not too far from the doors. We got out of the car and went in through the double doors.

  We entered a reception area like that of any government office. There were couches and chairs and a uniformed agent acted as a receptionist behind an open partition. Browne checked us in and we were handed identification tags. They already had our pictures and names. There was a mag stripe along the top of the back and they were microchipped. Mine had a small glowing tree symbol next to my name and I glanced over at Michael's to see a picture of a shield on his. It glowed as well.