by Holly Evans
"Fae magic.” His lips were pursed and he was distracted as he looked over the floating web.
I hadn't realised that it was a literal web; they'd always described it as the network, the web, but I hadn't understood what they meant. Seeing the thin lines floating just above head height was a surreal experience.
"Why is that one," I gestured at a the one I saw over the kitchen counter, "lower and broader than the others?"
His eyes flicked to the Sidhe who were crowded into the bedroom. "That is where she was harmed and some magic was thrown around."
I narrowed my eyes at it. "But it's a straight line, shouldn't it be splattered or something?"
He smiled. "It's complicated."
I glared at him; the condescension grated on me.
Kadrix was grinning when he emerged from her bedroom with Raif just behind him. "The cub can see and smell magic. He will be of use. Sabine was alive when they took her, and is believed to still be alive."
"We will be borrowing the lycan," Azfin said.
Lysander growled. I crossed my arms.
"Not without me, you won't be."
I didn't trust the Sidhe was far as I could throw them.
"Evelyn,” Kadrix started.
"No. You are not experimenting on him. You are not using him. He is under my protection, and I will damn well protect him,” I said.
Kadrix smiled. Azfin and the other Sidhe stepped up behind him. I stood a little taller and put my shoulders back; I was not going to be railroaded or pushed around. I didn't give a shit how much danger those Sidhe were in, Raif was under my protection.
“Lives are at stake," Azfin growled.
"Then you'll have no problems stopping wasting time and bring me along to watch over Raif,” I replied.
They passed a look between them, their mouths tightened, their eyes darkened before they finally nodded.
"So be it,” Azfin said.
Raif grinned.
I stepped aside from the doorway and said, "Lead the way."
The other two missing Sidhe lived three buildings away. Apparently there were a lot of Sidhe in that neighbourhood. I tried to make a mental note of it for future reference and investigation. Their flat was larger and more modern than Sabine's had been. It was bright and full of modern Swedish furniture. Once again I leant against the door as the Sidhe looked around. Faint blue and green lines criss-crossed over the sofa and exploded in front of the large window overlooking the courtyard. I walked over and tried to touch them; there was the fainted of tingling in my fingertips, but I could have imagined it. I could have been imagining the entire thing. The Sidhe and Kadrix were busy discussing something in the bedroom; they had been taken from there. Quin threw his magic revealing powder, although I was sure he had a more eloquent name for it. The sparkling dust clung to the lines and highlighted more. The web was cracked here, whereas it had been smooth and intact in Sabine's flat.
I glanced back at Quin before I gestured up at a prominent crack on a larger thread that went directly across the centre of the room. "What's this?"
He frowned. "I'm not really sure; Kadrix has been quite closed about the finer details."
I pointed at the window where the eruption of lines was. "That's where more magic was thrown around?"
He smiled. “Yes, it seems they put up quite a fight. There are three lines there, the attacker was hit."
I peered at it, trying to pick out three separate threads. I couldn't see it. It was a mass of lilac powder to my eye.
The chatter coming from the bedroom increased in volume and excitement. Lysander was on my heels as I cautiously approached. I never quite knew what to expect from Sidhe, especially in these situations. The room was lit up like a light display, bright coloured lines filled the air just below the ceiling. Raif was pointing to a small red orb in the middle of the bed; his eyes were dancing. The Sidhe circled around it slowly. Kadrix finally threw some of his own magic at it. The orb coughed and spluttered before it sat still again. Raif leaned a little closer to it.
His cocked to one side, his mouth tightened. One of the Sidhe huffed and went to grab the orb.
Raif knocked his hand aside before he shouted, “Out!”
It was too late. The room was filled with a blinding white flash. I was thrown against the wall by what felt like a rolling wave. Someone shouted in pain. My body wasn’t responding to my commands. I lay sprawled on the floor in an undignified heap while I waited for the effects to subside.
Once I finally came to fully, I looked around to assess the damage. Lysander was trying to sit up. He put his hand on my thigh.
“Are you ok, Evelyn?” he asked as he scooted closer.
I was in pain, but nothing unbearable. Kadrix was stroking the side of Quin’s face as he tried to help him stand. I got my feet under me and tried to see around the bed to check on Raif.
“Raif?” I called.
He groaned in response. Lysander was on his feet first, but I wasn’t far behind him. The lycan cub had propped himself up against the bed. Blood trickled down his jaw and was beginning to soak through his shirt.
I knelt in front of him. “How badly are you hurt?”
He curled his lip and gave a small shrug. “I’ll be ok in a minute.”
Lysander gave him a dark look. I lifted his shirt to look at the damage myself. He tried to get his legs under him to stand, Lysander pressed down on his shoulder.
“Let Evelyn help,” he said firmly.
Raif smiled and relaxed back against the bed. I checked him over as gently as I could. His lycan healing had already kicked in. The broken skin had healed over and the bones were knitting well.
The Sidhe on the other side of the bed were muttering and spitting something in their fae language. I stalked around the bed and glared at them.
“You did this. You should have let Raif continue checking it instead of trying to snatch it like a petulant child.”
The Sidhe bared his sharp teeth at me. I drew my blades.
“You harmed people close to me,” I growled.
“Evie, we’re ok. There are bigger things to worry about,” Quin said.
I ground my teeth and walked away. Not every fight is worth having.
Sixty-One
The Sidhe had gone their separate way while the rest of us went to Elise’s church. She was pacing around the area in front of her altar when we arrived.
“They’ve been taken for the ritual,” she said.
Her hair was scruffy, strands fell into her face, and her eyeliner was smudged.
“Do you know what this means?” she asked no one in particular.
We stood as a small group at a safe distance while she continued to pace. “If she completes this ritual, she will be one step closer to being a god. A power vacuum will form, that will allow the infernal realm easier access to this plane.” She paused and looked at us, her bottom lip trembling. “She’ll crack open the magical networks and leave them vulnerable while she drains them. Her coven will become even more powerful. More demons will come into our city.”
I pulled her into a hug as her legs threatened to crumple beneath her. Quin walked ahead of us as I led her into the living area. The familiar scent of her favourite white tea soon started unfurling from the kitchen area. Elise relaxed a little when the sound of water being poured came from the kitchen.
Once everyone was seated and Elise had relaxed, Lysander said, “How can we stop her?”
“We must find the location of the ritual and stop it.” Kadrix said.
Elise took a long deep breath. “It is a delicate procedure. They can’t do it tonight. My reading and my lady have said that we have a few nights before the stars align correctly. It must be conducted in a very specific place, too.”
“Then surely we can find this place.” I said hopefully.
A wan smile flickered across Elise’s mouth.
“Hopefully,” she said quietly.
Kadrix leaned against Quin, who wrapped his arm around
the elf’s shoulders. A crease had formed between his eyebrows.
“If she cracks the networks, as you put it, the fae will be harmed. We depend on those energies to sustain our life. Damaging the web will cause a great deal of illness and death,” he said quietly.
I looked between him and Quin. I knew that the fae were connected to their web, but I didn’t know what it actually meant.
Elise squeezed the bridge of her nose.
“We don’t know when the ritual will start. We don’t have much information. I’m sorry Kadrix, truly I am.”
The elf sighed softly and leaned on Quin a little more. Lysander pulled me closer to him and nuzzled against my neck.
“We’ve beat worse odds,” he said softly.
“What information do we have?” I asked Elise.
I wasn’t ready to give in. Maybe I was missing a key detail, but the witch wasn’t a god yet. We had a chance. I wasn’t going to sit around and squander it.
Elise took a long deep drink from her tea before she began outlining the necessary components of the ritual site.
“Do you have maps of the city and the surrounding area?” I asked the group.
“We have one.” Quin said.
“Then why are we sitting here?” I demanded.
Kadrix smiled. “You are infuriating at times, Evelyn, but occasionally I’m thankful for your presence.”
I ignored him. He likely meant it as a compliment, but my focus was elsewhere.
“I can see the magic, I’ll be of use,” Raif said.
Kadrix had pulled out his phone. “Azfin and Haeyl will be here momentarily. The cub can accompany them in looking at the web and trying to find any cracks that could lead us to the witch.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. Lysander squeezed my hand. “He can look after himself Evelyn. It’s the best way for him to help.”
Raif stared me down waiting for my response. I gave a small nod. They weren’t wrong. Kadrix accompanied Raif out into the main church area when the Sidhe arrived.
“Do we only have the one map?” I asked Quin.
“We’ll buy some more on the way back home,” he said as he stood.
“I’ll stay here and try to find some more information,” Elise said.
We had a plan. It wasn’t much of a plan, but it gave us something to do. It gave us some hope.
Sixty-Two
“Kadrix. You need to rest,” Quin growled.
Lysander and I shared a look; it was the first time we’d heard Quin use a sharp tone with the elf. He tossed his phone down on the sofa and went into the kitchen to make the next round of coffee. We’d been staring at the maps that were strewn around the living area for two days. Each time we thought we’d found a location, we had to cross-reference it with the magical requirements. It was time consuming and exhausting. We’d slept for a couple of short hours before we returned to it. Tempers were fraying as we were all painfully aware of the minutes ticking by.
Kadrix arrived when I finished my latest cup of coffee. He had Raif, Azfin, and Haeyl in tow. They all looked as worn down as I felt. Bags hung under the cub’s eyes. His hair stuck up every which way. Kadrix looked even worse.
Quin pulled him into a hug and stroked his thumb across the elf’s cheekbone. “Talk to me.”
Azfin’s lip curled. “A dark plague has begun claiming victims in the fae realm,” he spat.
I looked between him and Kadrix hoping for some answers.
“It means that at least one of the sacrifices has been made,” Kadrix said softly.
“She has damaged the network. Harm is being done to our number and we’re no closer to finding her!” Azfin shouted.
“At least one fae, likely more, is working with her,” Kadrix said.
I frowned. “I thought you were all insanely loyal to each other…”
Azfin gave me a very dark look. “We have been betrayed. Whoever is responsible is helping the witch cover her tracks.”
Lysander handed them all a cup of strong black coffee and made room on the couch for them to sit. Quin stroked Kadrix’s hair and tried to soothe him. I felt lost. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. Disaster was looming on the horizon, and we had nothing.
“Is there nothing more we can do?” Lysander growled.
“Felix and his pack are trying to track the witches. Elise is still looking at every possible angle,” Raif said.
“And they have nothing,” Kadrix said.
I exhaled slowly and glanced back at the maps. “We have to keep pushing. Does Elise know how long we have?”
“Fourty-eight hours,” Azfin said.
“Raif, go and get some sleep. You look like death,” I said as I walked back over to the maps.
We were not going to give in.
“You’ll be of no use to us if you’re exhausted,” Lysander said.
I heard Raif leave for the room he borrowed from Quin while I returned to poring over the maps. We had the necessary information, we just had to pull it all together.
The fae had slept on the couch and armchairs for a few hours while the rest of us continued scouring the maps. We had covered every square inch and pinned down five potential sites for the ritual when they woke. I rang Elise hoping for some new information, but she had nothing. Her lady was satisfied that everything was in place to play out as required. Felix had nothing. They couldn’t pin down a scent or get a trail anywhere. We had no choice but to gather as many people as we could and attack all five places.
“We will be weak!” Azfin snarled.
“What other option do we have?” I shouted back.
He paced around the living room. “We need to narrow them down,” Azfin growled.
“How? Do you have more information?” I snapped back.
He sighed and deflated. “We have thirty-six hours. Take twelve to rest and gather your people,” I said.
Azfin curled his lip but said nothing. He and Haeyl left without another word. I slumped down onto the sofa where Lysander wrapped his arms around me.
“It’s better than nothing,” he said softly.
“Raif, can you call in some favours with the lycans and get more of them on board?” I asked.
He growled quietly. “I am not well thought of among the lycans.”
I smirked. “I heard they tell bed time stories to their cubs about me to scare them into behaving.”
Raif smiled. “Fair point. I’ll do what I can.”
Lysander carried me to bed before I could argue. Quin and Kadrix were already asleep on the sofa, they’d crashed the moment Azfin left.
I didn’t want to sleep. I wanted to narrow down our options, to put an end to this. Lysander stroked my hair and nuzzled my neck.
“You’ll make our group weaker if you refuse to sleep, Evelyn. You know this.”
I sighed and did my best to let sleep claim me.
Sixty-Three
I woke up to a strange shuffling sound outside our front door. I dragged on Lysander’s T-shirt and ran to the door, peering through the peephole. Someone or something dark vanished down the stairs as I got there. I grabbed the long knife that sat behind the door for just such occasions and slowly opened the door. The hallway was empty. I almost shut the door again, thinking that I was over-reacting to a neighbour, when I saw the crisp white envelope on the floor in front of our door. I poked it tentatively with my toe. Nothing.
Lysander came up behind me. He rested his chin on my shoulder and looked down at the envelope.
“It smells of witches,” he growled.
After I’d poked it once more I picked it up by the very tip of a corner and carried it to the living room. Raif emerged from his room.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Something from the witches,” I said as I dropped it on the table.
He and Lysander circled around the table, inspecting it. Kadrix and Quin woke up and watched with bemused expressions.
Finally, Raif said, “I don’t see any harmful magics on it. W
e can open it.”
“Can you verify that, Kadrix? No offence, Raif, but I’d rather not be blown up.”
The cub gave a small shrug. Kadrix stalked over to the table and glared at the envelope for a long moment before he snatched it and tore it open. His face paled before his ears turned pink and pinned back against his skull. He threw the thick card on the table.
“They’re playing with us.”
Quin ran his hand up the elf’s back as I leant over and looked at the card that had been in the envelope. Elegant gold script informed me that we’d been invited to a very special event, and we were the guests of honor. It then gave us one of the addresses we’d picked out on the map. I rang Elise and told her.
She barked a harsh laugh. “They plan on us being the final sacrifices. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Prepare for war, Evie.”
She hung up before I could respond. I took a long deep breath. We were walking into a trap, but there was no other choice. We’d go in armed to the teeth and kill as many of them as we could. Failure was not an option.
Kadrix and Quin had run off to the elf’s workshop moments after the phonecall ended. Raif had spent the time growling and snarling on the phone to what I assumed were lycans. I took my time attaching as many blades as I could.
“Do not forget your fire, Evelyn,” Lysander said as I handed him a third knife.
I smiled and gave him a nod while I fastened the final throwing knife. Kadrix burst into the flat with a small army behind him. Azfin, Haeyl, and another elf that I didn’t recognise were hot on his heels, with Felix and a number of lycans behind them. Raif flashed me a satisfied grin; he’d gotten the lycans on board.
Quin marched over to us and handed Lysander, Raif, and I pouches full of magical orbs along with a fresh pouch of anti-magic powder. Elise slipped in shortly afterwards.
She shouted over the increasingly loud discussions about how this was going to work, “Quiet!”
Everyone stopped to look at the small priestess standing in the middle of them. One of the new lycans looked down around him before his eyes finally settled on Elise, with a look of pure fury on her face. The lycan shrank away.
