Agent of the Fae

by Alex Rivers

  I watched him pull a large book from the shelf and blow on it, the dust clouding around his head. When he crossed back over, he dropped into a chair across from me. I peered over at the enormous book in his lap, at the faded lettering, the stark slashes of the fae alphabet that marked the front of the book. “What’s that?”

  The spine creaked as Roan cracked it open to the yellowed pages. As he turned the first page, bits of it crumbled to pale dust. “This book revolves around the magic of traveling between realms. Most of it talks about portals, like the portal between London and Trinovantum. There are a few pages about reflection magic…” He flipped the pages gently, staring at the fae runes. He ran his finger along the page, reading under his breath, until at last, his finger went still. “Here it is. About the risks of travelers stuck in between realms. Travelers who stepped through portals and arrived at the other side hundreds of years later.”

  He turned the book around so that it faced me. I slowly scanned the runes. Nerius had had been teaching me to read the fae language, but my grasp of it was sluggish.

  “The travelers had no words…” I said slowly, trying to make sense of the ideas. “They had no words…” I looked up at Roan. “They couldn’t describe what they’d seen.”

  “Exactly. They couldn’t describe the empty spaces. Now… here.” He flipped another page. “There’s an explanation about how to help a traveler who is stuck between places. I read it years ago, and couldn’t quite grasp it at the time.”

  I read the page slowly, the runes cumbersome to decipher. “A traveler and another traveler… two travelers… To help. To exit.” As my terrible translation percolated in my mind, I looked up. “It sounds like one traveler can help another traveler find the way out. Right? And then there’s more that I don’t understand.”

  Roan nodded. “The second traveler has to stand at the threshold of the world in between. Does that idea make sense to you?”

  “Maybe. I don’t know.” I chewed on my lip. “Who the hell would help her?”

  “Someone who can use traveling magic.”

  “So whoever helped her knew how to travel into the mirror realm.”

  Roan shook his head. “Not necessarily. A fae who can create portals could do it, though it’s been centuries since a fae has done that. There may be a firewalker or two who could do it, and…” Roan slowed down, his eyes widening.

  “What?”

  “Dream fae can shift between the waking world and the dreams of others. That’s a form of traveling magic.”

  I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. “Dream fae like… Abellio?”

  “Exactly like Abellio.”

  I tapped my fingers on my thighs, imagining the boundaries of sleep, the liminal dream between wakefulness and sleep. The moment in between.

  My mouth had gone dry. “The threshold of sleep. The books said the second traveler would stand at the threshold.” I shook my head. “But how would Abellio know Siofra had been trapped there? Did you tell him before we knew he was a traitor?”

  “I told no one. Who else knew where Siofra was trapped besides me?”

  “Scarlett knows some of it, I think.” My heart sank. “And Alvin, purveyor of secrets.”

  “Alvin Taranis?” His voice sharpened. “He’s not trustworthy.”

  “I needed something from him,” I said. “I traded this secret for something else, but I can’t believe he would have freed Siofra. He isn’t a bad person.”

  Roan arched an eyebrow. “Is there anyone else who might have known?”

  I racked my mind… Nope. I couldn’t think of a single person. “Just Alvin.”

  “Maybe he sold your secret.”

  My stomach was turning. “We should go find Alvin. Tonight. I know he’s not working with Abellio, but…” I took a deep breath. “But we need to find out everything we can. And besides that, we need his help with the Court of Dreams.”

  “How would he be able to help us?”

  “Alvin hoards secrets. If anyone knows how to get to that court, it’s him.”

  Chapter 9

  Roan and I walked down the creaking stairs of Leroy’s bar, and I tried not to wince at the feel of bruised muscles every time my body moved. Siofra had really done a number on me.

  At the bottom of the stairs, we found the bar half-empty. A few patrons sat around the candlelit edges of the room, nursing drinks, their eyes shifting left and right, shoulders hunched. No one lingered in the dark stone tunnels jutting off from the central atrium.

  By the bar, three ivory-skinned women, all dressed in sea-foam green, glared at a lithe fae with a beer-foam mustache. A man with deep sepia skin stood with a hand in one pocket, his eyes shifty as he scanned the room. Four men with sheathed swords at their hips stood against the walls, arms folded. By their muscular physiques, black clothing, and stony expressions, I assumed they were bouncers.

  As we stepped into the room, all eyes turned to us—including Alvin’s.

  He was sitting at the bar, and when his gaze landed on Roan, his entire body tensed, as if he was about to leap from his bar stool and flee.

  Roan leaned down, whispering, “Careful. People here are jumpy.”

  I nodded, and we slowly crossed the bar. The air shimmered as we crossed, and I glimpsed details under the glamour. An axe slung across a man’s back. A huge sword on another’s hip. The sea-foam women wore raven feathers in their pearly hair, their teeth sharpened like piranhas’. I shivered, grateful for the hired muscle around the room.

  Alvin was visibly shaking by the time we reached him, and I pulled out a stool, its legs scraping against the flagstone floor. “Hello, Alvin.”

  His yellow T-shirt read The Bermuda Triangle Was An Inside Job, the fabric more wrinkled than usual. He looked pale, with purple smudges beneath his eyes.

  “Hey, Cassandra.” He nodded in Roan’s direction without ever meeting his gaze. “Hello.”

  I’d never actually seen them together, and now that they stood mere feet from each other, I could see no family resemblance. Roan stared at Alvin with hard, emerald eyes, saying nothing.

  Alvin rose from his stool, wiping off his hands on his corduroys. “Well, I was just leaving, but it was really nice to—”

  I grabbed his arm. “We have a few questions.”

  He shrank away. “Sorry, mate, I’ve really got to bounce.”

  I tightened my grip on his arm. “You look even thinner than usual. Don’t you want something to eat?”

  “Nah. Don’t have much appetite these days,” he muttered. “Not with the Unseelie body count rising, know what I mean?”

  Roan took a step closer, boxing him in. “I’d hate to have to add another body to that count.”

  Alvin’s throat bobbed as he plonked back into his chair. He ran a hand through his sandy, unkempt curls.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Leroy sliding a glass of amber claret over the bar, not even asking.

  I relaxed my grip on Alvin’s arm. “You sure you don’t want anything to eat?”

  He shook his head. “Nah. I’m good.”

  As Leroy disappeared, I surveyed the bar—the pairs of eyes all nervously locked on us. “What’s with everyone?”

  An uncharacteristically angry glint shone from Alvin’s eyes. “You overthrew the king, didn’t you, Cass?”

  No one called me Cass except Scarlett, but I remained silent.

  “It’s chaos now,” he said. “The courts are at each other’s throats, Seelie murdering everyone… it’s every man for himself, innit?”

  Roan cocked his head. “You’re a fae without a court. Isn’t that how it always is for you?”

  Alvin shot him a defiant look, his eyes flickering into orange. “That’s right. I didn’t have anyone to help me, did I? Had to learn to fend for myself!”

  I placed a hand on Alvin’s shoulder, working the role of the good cop. “You don’t look too well, Alvin. Are you okay?”

  “There’s some mad shit going on, you know that? I’v
e seen fae die. I’ve nearly been merked myself, twice. Half the time I think an Unseelie with a grudge will finish me off.” He stared at Roan. “Other half, I’m sure the Seelie will kill us all. Can’t sleep for more than an hour. Keep having nightmares. I can’t get rid of the fucking nightmares.”

  I glanced at Leroy behind the bar. “Can you get us some bread and cheese, please? The kind Alvin likes?”

  “What doesn’t he like?” Leroy grumbled, turning back to the kitchen door.

  I faced Alvin straight on. “We have some questions for you. And we need answers.”

  He shrugged. “Ask your questions, I’ll name the price.”

  Roan slammed his fist down on the wooden bar next to Alvin, making us both jump. A few patrons turned to stare at us, and one of the bouncers eyed us threateningly.

  Roan narrowed his eyes. “Answer her questions.”

  Alvin crossed his arms. “She didn’t ask them yet, did she?”

  “A few months ago, I told you a secret,” I said. “About Siofra. I need to know who you told.”

  Alvin tilted back his head defiantly, his chin jutting out. “No one, mate. Swear to Danu.”

  “Then how did word get out?” Roan asked in a clipped tone.

  “How would I know? I told no one! Maybe I would have, for the right price. That’s my nature, innit? No honor in a gutter fae without a court like me.” Alvin gave Roan a bitter smile. “But no one even asked, mate.”

  “Alvin,” I said patiently. “Siofra has her powers back. She tried to kill me. Someone freed her.”

  His eyes widened. “What are you on about? How?”

  “Someone helped her,” Roan said. “Someone who knew where she was.”

  “I didn’t tell anyone,” Alvin protested. “Not a single soul. You’re interrogating the wrong guy.”

  Leroy returned with a wooden tray of sliced, steaming bread and a plate of camembert. Alvin glanced at the tray, poked at a piece of bread, then listlessly turned away from it. This was not normal behavior for Alvin at all. Something was off with him.

  I studied his thin frame, his gaunt features. What if he hadn’t told Abellio? Could there be another dream fae?

  As I thought about dreams, another idea sparked in my mind. “Alvin, what did you mean about your nightmares?”

  “They keep coming back, innit? The Seelie chasing me in the darkness, getting closer. Must be my subconscious, telling me to get out of here, fast. Tried some human sleeping pills, dream magic, some talking therapy bullshit with a bearded man in sandals. Nothing works. It’s all bollocks.”

  “Dream magic?” I asked. “What sort?”

  “I paid one of them creepy dream fae to soothe my dreams. Gave him a golden coin from a leprechaun. He entered my dreams like a phantom. Creepy shit. But the man couldn’t fix a damn thing, and after a few times, he just left.”

  I heard a low growl from Roan.

  My stomach was churning. “Can you describe him?”

  “I don’t know, Cass. Tall, I guess. Like most males. Blue eyes. Could really use a bit of sunshine, that guy. Looked like a damn vampire.”

  “Dark brown hair? Handsome?”

  He scowled. “I don’t know what makes a man handsome.”

  Men always said that. Like hell they didn’t know. “What else?”

  “Seemed like a solid guy. Kind eyes.”

  “Was there a scar on his face?”

  “Yeah…” He shook a finger at me, as if just remembering. “Two, on his cheek.”

  I exchanged glances with Roan, who shook his head in disgust.

  “Alvin, I gave him those scars when I clawed his face. It was Abellio.”

  Alvin started. “The king’s bastard?”

  I arched an eyebrow.

  “Sorry, Cass… I guess you are too, but…” Alvin blinked. “Oh, shit. What did I do exactly?”

  “You let him into your dreams, where he could dig through your subconscious at will, unearthing all your secrets.” I gritted my teeth. “That’s how he found out about Siofra, and whatever other valuable secrets you might have been hoarding.”

  “Bloody hell.”

  “What else?” Roan pressed. “What else does he know?”

  “I don’t know!” Alvin shouted. “Look, I know things, okay? That’s what I do. I hoard information. He could have stolen tons of things.”

  Roan’s lip curled. “What did I tell you? The leak came from him.”

  I leaned in closer. “You owe me for this, Alvin.”

  His face managed to go even paler than normal. “I couldn’t have known it was him! Besides, you traded me your secret. I owe you nothing.”

  “Fine!” I spat. “No more debts. You will help us now, because you fucked up, and you want to make up for it.”

  He paused for a moment, as if the notion was completely new to him. Finally, he sighed. “What do you need?”

  “The Court of Dreams. Who’s the head of the family?”

  “Luna. Luna of Caer Ibormeith.”

  “We need to talk to her. Urgently.”

  “She’s tricky to find…”

  “Well, you can do it, I’m sure.” I rose. “Help us fix this mess.”

  He nodded, shaken. “Cass, I’m sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

  “Okay. Apology accepted. Now help us talk to Luna.”

  I headed for the stairs, and I could feel Roan close behind me. As I climbed the stairs, pain shot through my muscles.

  Pushing through the old doorway, we crossed into the crisp night air, the moonlight silvering the buildings around Guildhall. I pulled my coat tighter as we walked.

  “When I was younger, I never imagined my future would involve seeking information from Alvin.”

  The breeze toyed with my hair. “And how did you imagine your future when you were younger?”

  He smiled faintly. “I thought I would be a great warrior, of course. If any enemies challenged the Unseelie, I’d tear their flesh from their bones.”

  I shuddered, thinking of what he might do to the humans if he knew what the CIA had in their armory. “Charming vision.”

  “I thought I’d be devastatingly handsome. And I was right about all of that.”

  “Oh, right. Sometimes I forget bragging isn’t frowned upon in fae culture.”

  “Humility is a waste of time.”

  The streetlights cast glowing light over the sidewalks. “And what else, besides being handsome and a great warrior?”

  “When I was a child, I thought I might have a soulmate. I hoped. I thought we would live in the Hawkwood Forest, in an elder grove. She would be my Taranis queen, but we wouldn’t live in the palace. We’d live by the river, with swans floating past the window. We would pick apples together, and she would cook them into a pie for me.”

  I smiled. “Oh really? You want someone who can make you pies.” I wrinkled my nose. “What if I can’t cook?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “I could learn, I suppose.” He glanced at me, green eyes glinting in the dim light. “What did you envision for yourself?”

  I took a deep breath, trying to think of something that matched the magic of his vision. I had basically nothing. “I wanted my own apartment, and a cat.”

  “That was your dream? An apartment and a cat,” he repeated.

  “Apartments are expensive where I’m from,” I said defensively.

  “You never envisioned yourself getting married?”

  I shook my head. “I always kind of saw myself living alone. I mean, apart from the cat. That’s a bit sad, isn’t it?”

  “There are wild cats in the Hawkwood Forest in the ancient ash groves.”

  I had to admit, it was better than my dream. “It sounds lovely.”

  A silence fell over us as we walked through the quiet London streets. Since the Seelie attacks, which had resulted in numerous human casualties, people didn’t tend to leave their houses as much.

  He cleared his throat. “When you sleep at night, I can feel your fear through the
walls. It keeps me awake.”

  Of course. Ever since I’d escaped from the king’s prison, the nightmares had been brutal, and I’d wake up to find my covers thrashed off my bed. “So sorry to bother you with my trauma.”

  He sucked in a long breath. “If I slept next to you, would it help? I could perhaps get some bloody sleep for once.”

  I smiled. “You want to sleep next to me?”

  “Just to help with your fear. We shouldn’t touch each other unless you’re certain you want to be my mate forever.”

  I frowned. “Why is that?”

  He fell silent for a long moment, then he said at last, “It will just make things harder if it has to end.”

  He was right, of course. I knew I had some reasons for not committing to him forever. And yet, right now, I could feel my chest flushing at the idea of sleeping next to him—even if I wasn’t allowed to touch him. “You know, Roan, I think it might help a lot.”

  Chapter 10

  I woke up with Roan’s powerful arms wrapped around me, his skin surprisingly smooth over his thickly corded muscle. His embrace managed to avoid the bruises and cuts all over my body—courtesy of my own naked reflection yesterday—but my body ached all the same.

  The sun hadn’t yet risen, and silvery light poured into my room. Still, I suddenly felt wide awake. Maybe it was Roan’s warm body pressed against mine.

  The night before, he’d come in shirtless, looking like a god in the moonlight, and climbed into my bed. If we weren’t supposed to touch each other, why exactly did he need to sleep shirtless?

  Unfortunately, all Roan and I had done in bed was sleep.

  And yet, the night had felt like a slow and seductive encroachment into my space. Was this calculated, or had he actually been sleeping, lured closer to me by his own subconscious? I had no idea. But in any case, I hadn’t been able to sleep at all with his perfect body next to mine. By three a.m., I had decided that two could play at this cock-tease game.

  Unable to sleep, I’d stripped down to my tiny, lacy underwear. After that, Roan had ended up pretty much wrapped around me in his sleep.