Breaking Out

by Gayle Parness

And they disappeared in a whisper of flux.

  CHARLIE

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  My head hurt and my stomach was doing flip-flops, but that wasn’t the worst part. No, the worst part was that I couldn’t connect to the lines because they were either blocked on didn’t exist at all. I wasn’t in Kansas anymore, Toto.

  I was flat on my back on what could have been grass, but wasn’t. I was outside, I think, but there was no sun or moon or stars and the sky was a strange shade of blue, like mouthwash. Unless I was looking at the ceiling of some house. Anything was possible down the rabbit hole.

  Something slithered past my head, so I sat up really quick, which was a mistake—but not as big a mistake as doing nothing and getting consumed by a giant boa constrictor. Only it wasn’t giant sized or snake like or even dangerous looking. It was fuzzy and kind of cute and it slithered because it had these finlike pieces on its legs that brushed the tall grass, parting it as it moved.

  “Do not try to stroke the limm, young male. It will consume your fingers with great delight and then look to your toes for further sustenance.” The language was fae, only more formal than what I was used to hearing. I turned slowly, partly to keep the throbbing in my head to a minimum and partly because the voice was unfamiliar.

  She was lovely and very much a fae royal, her platinum hair thick and wavy, her eyes a purple so deep they would look black in a dimmer light. Her gown sparkled like holographic stars, a gown that only a Faerie Queen could ever look good in.

  At first glance she reminded me of Aedus’ mate, Philladre, acknowledged by many of her people to be the loveliest fae lady in Cascade. Even though my tastes ran to a different blonde, I had to agree that Philladre was beautiful. But unlike Philladre, when this lady smiled at me, there was no warmth in those black eyes and no welcome in her expression. That’s when it hit me. She was the clone of Fionna, or, on the flip side, Fionna had been her clone, because this had to be Queen Aine, Fionna’s mother and Finvarra’s mate.

  And I was in deep shit.

  I forced myself to stand and bow, clenching my fists against the nausea. “Queen Aine, it is an honor to meet you.” Playing the politeness card had worked in the past. “Did you summon me here for a reason? Is there something I can do for you?” Summon wasn’t really the correct word, but asking if she’d drugged and kidnapped me was maybe not the best way to start negotiations.

  Her smile did nothing to ease my mind. “Charles Liam William Cuvier. You are not what I had expected, although you do bear a marked resemblance to your father.”

  Not what I liked hearing. “Also my mother.”

  “Ah yes, I have heard of the cheetah-demon. Does she work her blood spells in the house or does she journey to the demon realm to conjure her magic?”

  “My mother does not practice blood magic, your Highness.” I kept my voice calm.

  “Nonsense. All demons practice blood magic.” Her reply was sharp. She probably didn’t like to be disagreed with. Since I didn’t want to piss her off, I changed the subject.

  “Would you please tell me where we are? Is this Faerie?”

  “Silly child. We are in Tir na NOg—the place of no returning.”

  Not a good catch phrase. Nope. “Um, what does that mean, exactly?”

  “That you and I shall be sharing this realm for eternity. Unfortunately, your eternity will be quite a bit shorter than mine.”

  “But I am needed—desperately—in my realm.” I wasn’t going to panic. She was just trying to scare me.

  “Truly-one so young? I have grave doubts as to your usefulness.” She moved gracefully to inspect a strange plant, leaning closer to smell its flowers. One of them tried to bite her, but she only laughed and moved away. “Their scent is delightful, but the bite of an odrym flower will put you to sleep. If they have time, before the other predators arrive, their vines will drag you closer to the roots, then strangle you.” She pointed to the curling appendage-like vines. There were several small skeletons near the roots. “Your body becomes nourishment as you rot.”

  Okay, I had to convince this female that I had to get back to the real world, pronto. I wasn’t spending one extra minute in this bizarre place. “You see there’s a war coming and I’m needed. The archdemon, Naberia, is gathering an army and I’m going to face her on the field, leading the fae against her.”

  She gave me a long once-over, then started to laugh. It was so much like Fionna’s laugh I got goose bumps. “You are an extremely entertaining, child. I will enjoy our short time together, as will Celine.”

  “Celine?”

  “Remember me, naked boy?”

  The fae park ranger was dressed very differently this time around. Unlike her friend the queen, she was dressed in warrior garb, similar to what Brina wore. “I do remember you.”

  “Where’s your furry friend?” Celine looked around.

  “Safe, I hope. Jay wasn’t taken by your thugs.”

  “Too bad. I could’ve shown him a thing or two about treating a female with respect.”

  “He was respectful.”

  “He was an arrogant ass.”

  “He was teasing you.”

  “Shifters do not tease their superiors.” She looked me over. “Why aren’t you kneeling?” With a fast kick behind my knees I was on the ground, a sharp pain shooting up my right leg as my knee connected to one of the paving stones. “If you don’t please us, we’ll play with you until you do.” I was still suffering from the effects of the drug I’d been given, in no condition to fight back. I stayed where I was.

  “Celine, please. He is of Finvarra’s line—the son of one of his bastards. You must not injure him too badly. We have time and it is more fitting that he walk to our palace rather than you dragging him like a common ruffian behind.”

  “Fine. Get up.” I struggled to my feet, the pain in my leg still sharp.

  “We do not travel the lines here. It is healthier to walk. Follow me.” The queen set off down a gravel path and I followed behind her with a few painful, limping steps. For the second time, I reached out, searching for the lines so I could try to heal myself, but there was only space where there should have been power. A void.

  Which might mean Aine had no stored magic with which to create the lines. Was this a prison? Would every fae who lived here be unable to use their magic?

  Celine pushed me between the shoulder blades with the butt of her rifle. “Walk faster.”

  The walk wasn’t far but it was painful. I looked around for a sturdy branch I could use as a walking stick, but there were no trees or even any large bushes. Everything was soft edges and calming pastel colors. The ground was paving stone over gravel, but there were no large rocks that I might be able to use for a weapon. We passed a stream, shallow and narrow. You could drink from it, or bathe in it, but it would be pretty tough to accidentally drown in it. The more things I passed, the more it made sense. This was Faerie’s version of a psych ward, probably built specifically for Aine.

  I was the prisoner of a nutcase and a sadist. Terrific.

  As soon as the house came into view, I felt a flux, a change. Although the lines were still missing, I found a stick, the perfect length and thickness to help support my weight. The relief was instantaneous, but I was still happy that the walk to the house was almost over. Of course I still didn’t know what these two loony birds had in store for me once we got there.

  I had no doubts that someone would come for me. I hoped it wasn’t Jay. Not being able to shift, he’d be helpless. Ivy would be helpless too. Brina…but no, I didn’t want Brina here. She was also the child of one of Finvarra’s “bastards” and would also be a target for Aine’s abuse. If you took magic out of the equation, Brina had better fighting skills than me, but Celine had firearms, which made her a dangerous opponent.

  I had three ancient family members who could store large amounts of magic and wouldn’t need to use the lines at all. Isaiah didn’t know the way or even that I was here and Naberia would wan
t me to stay exactly where I was. That left Fin. He was probably my only hope. And of course the last time we’d been together I’d insulted him. My prospects at being rescued took a nosedive.

  I stopped outside the wooden front door of the small house. Aine had called it a palace. Actually, it reminded me more of a gingerbread cottage out of some old fairy tale, a place large enough for a female or two to live in, but not glamorous in any way, at least not on the outside.

  Celine came up beside me. “Do you have ice? My knee’s swollen.”

  “Ice?” She laughed, taking a look at my knee, which was at least a third larger than the other one. “You think that’s swollen? I can do better.” She raised the butt of the gun intending to drive it into my knee, full force. But Aine raised her hand, flicking it in a motion that sent Celine flying against the sturdy wall behind her.

  “You will not injure him further without my express permission. Do you understand? I will not repeat myself again.”

  “Yes, lady.” She was on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Fury was rolling off her body in bands of red, her aura a dingy mess.

  “Excellent.” The queen turned to me. “I am afraid I do not have anything frozen, but there is very cold water in the stream behind the house. You may soak your knee there.”

  I bowed. “Thank you, my queen.” She smiled and walked inside, responding well to my fake showing of respect. She should have been able to tell when I was lying, but her mind was running on half a charge.

  The last few steps were the worst, but when I lowered myself into the water, I gasped from the cold and sighed in relief. It did help. A lot. My shorts and boxers were soaked, but the pain had lessened so much I thought I might be able to walk normally again in a few minutes. I needed my knee to heal if I was going to be able to escape without magic.

  Then Celine showed up, rifle hanging from a strap across her shoulder, her accent sounding very American and unlike any fae I’d ever met. “You’re going to pay for what you did. I’ll mark up your face so you’re not pretty anymore, then maybe I’ll give you a matching burn on your other hand, or maybe on the bottoms of your feet. Walking would be lots of fun then, wouldn’t it?”

  “What did I do to make you so angry?” I twisted into a more strategic position so I could watch her. Not that I could stop a bullet in a realm without magic.

  “She took your side. I lost face with her.”

  “That had nothing to do with anything I said or did. You disobeyed her orders.”

  “You’re a weakling. You’re supposed to be some hot shot savior and all you are is a dumbass kid.”

  “And who are you, Celine? Do you work for the queen? How is it that you can travel between realms and she can’t?” I was still gripping my staff. There was no way I was going to let Celine burn or cut me without putting up some kind of fight.

  “Shut up,” she snarled.

  “She doesn’t know you go to my realm?”

  “She knows. I was sent by her as a spy.”

  “But you’ve gone other times she didn’t know about, right? You hung around outside my hotel room one night.”

  “Your friends think you can protect them, but you can’t even protect yourself.” The truth of that statement was punch in the gut. I’d been such an idiot. I should have been working on using my magic, not hiding from it, like Jay said. Those thugs never would have gotten their hands on me if I’d been thinking clearly. If I’d been prepared.

  Celine’s rifle was suddenly aimed at my face. “You have a bad habit of asking the wrong questions.”

  “Celine. Lower the gun.” The queen’s tone was stern.

  She obeyed the queen and lowered the rifle. “Yes, lady.”

  “Cook dinner. I am hungry.”

  “There’s nothing to eat.”

  “Of course there is. The kitchen is stocked with food.” Aine went back inside the cottage, but the door remained open.

  “She doesn’t understand. We don’t need food, so there is none.”

  “Well, I’m hungry and I need food. How long has she been here?”

  “A couple thousand years.” I was silent as that sunk in. “Yeah. And she’s bat shit crazy.”

  I felt something nibbling at my toes. It was a trout. Um…okay. So there was food after all. Jay was able to grab fish right out of the water, so maybe I could too. Being very careful not to make any unnatural ripples I imitated the movement he used, keeping my hand positioned where the fish couldn’t see it and then, wham. It was slippery and squirming, but I managed to throw my newly caught fish on the bank.

  Celine backed away. “There aren’t any fish in that stream.”

  “We need to eat.” I saw another one, grabbing it the same way, then a third and a fourth. I rose from the stream, my knee no longer hurting at all, and picked up a rock that had only just appeared by my foot to bash in the three trout’s heads. No need for them to suffer.

  “We have dinner.” I announced. “Where’s the kitchen?” A plan was forming in my devious mind, one that should get me away from these crazies by tonight.

  “There isn’t one.” She had her rifle aimed at my belly.

  “Except…I have a weird feeling there is.” I gestured toward the house and she shrugged, following close behind me as I stepped through the sliding glass doors into a modern kitchen.

  “How did you do this?” Celine looked really freaked out. The gun she was aiming at me was shaking in her hands.

  “Why don’t you put the gun down? I swear to you on my honor I won’t try to run away if you do. I’m going to make dinner, like she wants.”

  For some reason, there was magic again. It wasn’t ley line magic, so I couldn’t make a quick break for it. I’d cook a meal like the queen wanted, adding a couple of key ingredients that might give me a chance to escape tonight. Hopefully she and Celine would be asleep soon after they finished eating.

  Sinlae had taught me a lot about natural herbs and their properties and several very necessary bushes had been growing by the stream.

  Celine put the gun down. “There’s no magic here.” She was stunned.

  “I thought the fae could create their own environment, even without the lines. Isaiah doesn’t need them in the DR.”

  “In Faerie, maybe, but I’ve never lived there.”

  “Where are you from?” I pulled out pans from the cupboard, locating cooking spoons, knives for chopping and measuring cups.

  “None of your business.” She was wandering around the room, opening drawers and poking into cupboards.

  “Okay, fine, but this place still smells and tastes of fae magic. The queen should be able…”

  “But she can’t. She hasn’t.”

  “She’s ancient enough to store enormous amounts of magic. Maybe her skills are rusty. She needs a reboot.”

  “You idiot. The lines are dead. That proves she can’t store any.”

  “There must be something here, otherwise where did the fish come from, or the kitchen?”

  “It might be your dirty demon blood.”

  “Whatever it is, we have fish. Here.” I tossed her a trout. “Clean it.” I started cleaning mine, a skill I’d learned camping out with Jay in the Sierras.

  “I don’t know how.” She was planning on tossing it back, but I gave her the look that Isaiah used to give me when I started to whine about something. She frowned and smacked the fish back on the counter, picking up a knife. Huh. I’d have to file that look away.

  “Watch me.”

  We cooked and chopped and stirred, creating the best meal we could manage on short notice. There was a vegetable garden outside the back door, one Celine swore had never existed before, and plenty of spices in the cupboard and cheeses in the refrigerator—something else she insisted had just materialized a few minutes ago.

  The queen was quite pleased when I presented our small feast. “You have done well. I may keep you on as a servant for a few days.“

  Aine and Celine drank wine but I stuck to water,
keeping my head clear. I also ate only the food I’d put aside for myself. I needed information, but it could be difficult to ask Aine questions without pissing her off. Maybe a compliment would be a good conversation starter.

  “You look lovely, Queen Aine.”

  My comment drew her attention. “Are you blind, child?”

  I smiled, giving her the strongest wash of charisma I could manage. “I speak the truth. You shine with the magic of Faerie.”

  She laughed, a lovely, musical sound. “You wish to flatter me and therefore survive.”

  “You are powerful beyond my imagining, Queen Aine. I cannot lie to you.”

  “This is so.” She nodded, still amused.

  “I speak of your beauty because you dazzle me.” And she did dazzle me. That was totally true.

  Several moments passed. We ate our meal quietly. “You are not your father’s son, that is certain.”

  I grinned from ear to ear. “Thank you.”

  Celine sneered, “Oh I don’t know. I think there’s a real resem…” The queen’s angry look shut her up fast.

  Her gaze softened when it returned to me. “Kennet hurt you?”

  “He hurt my mother.”

  She didn’t respond, maybe thinking about the mothers she’d murdered. “Is there more food?” she asked. I jumped up to take her plate, giving her the last fish. “Thank you.”

  Aine dug in with relish and it suddenly occurred to me that it might have been decades since she’d had an actual meal. But hadn’t Fin lived here with her? He enjoyed his elaborate feasts and ate quite a lot. I thought about the other rooms of the cottage. They were small, not really suitable for someone with so large a presence as Fin.

  And then it hit me. This house was for her alone. He might have been in Tir na NOg, but Fin hadn’t lived here. Aine was lonely.

  She seemed to know my thoughts. “My sweet Finvarra used to visit me. He would bring me meats and cheeses and breads, but he would not stay for long. He lives over the hills and has important matters to see to. I love him so. I wish he would visit me again.”