by WB McKay
"You can line them up," I said, "and judge how big their steps need to be. I will give them the timing."
Ava considered my words for a moment and nodded. "That's good. The delay could be a problem if I tell them when to go."
"Get to it," I replied.
Ava walked over to Enid's lane and spoke to her through the swinging blades. I couldn't make out very well what they were saying, but Enid walked several times from one side of the lane to another, adjusting the length of her stride. After that she stopped exactly in the center of the obstacle and Ava called out, "Ready."
"I'm going to call out 'go' when you need to step. Take one of those steps Ava helped you with. Got it?"
Enid gave me a thumbs up and I saw her shoulders rise and fall with a deep breath.
I watched the first blade swing back and forth, getting the timing down. "Go!"
Enid took a step forward, just after the blade passed. I held my breath on the backswing. It passed right by her, leaving her safe and sound between two deadly pendulums. It took me a few swings to get my nerves under control to do the next one.
Finally, I took a deep, steadying breath. "Go!" Enid took her step. I focused on the next pendulum. It swung by. One more pass. "Go!"
Enid was through and I heaved a huge sigh of relief. One down and two to go. I was pretty sure I was going to have a heart attack before this was over. I'd heard that air traffic controller was the most stressful job in the world, but if humans knew about this, it would have to be near the top of the list.
Next up was Art. Ava and Patricia went through their calibration, and I took over. In under two minutes, Art was through and hugging everyone, his smile so contagious that it even rubbed off on the usually stoic Ava.
Last was Owen, Ava's brother and my boyfriend. Had we both decided he should be last to make sure we could have some practice with the others first? I hadn't thought about it that way, but love had a strange way of working itself into your decision-making whether you meant it to or not. I vowed to be more aware of that going forward.
Ava and Patricia went through their walking calibration with Owen and it was time. I was still nervous, but I'd done it twice in a row without any trouble, so I felt confident.
"Ready?" I called.
"Ready!"
I watched a couple of swings and got my rhythm. "Go!"
He stepped past the first pendulum with no trouble. The second came just as easy as the first. I cracked a small smile. There was no way the pirates had gone through this series of obstacles faster than we had. I was sure we had made up enough time to beat them. This was the third set of obstacles. It had to be the last. Just two more pendulums to go. My breathing settled into a steady rhythm. It was easy now. "Go!" I shouted. Then, without thinking, I said it again. "Go!"
The world stopped. My heart lurched in my chest. All that time of being careful and taking it slow, and I'd rushed it at the end. I couldn't bear to look.
Gradually, the cheers of my team reached my ears. "Sophie, Sophie, Sophie!" they chanted while they clapped.
My head snapped up. One of those voices definitely belonged to Owen. Sure enough, there he was, looking right at me with his beautiful green eyes. He could see. He was alive, and they could all see. We'd done it!
Before I had the chance to gather my thoughts, my feet were moving. I cleared the stairs with reckless hops and ran across the open space that had held the lanes of obstacles a moment before.
I plowed into my team with my arms wide open. It was the best hug of my life. It was pure joy and triumph. "We did it!"
"You did it!" replied Owen, pulling me out of the group hug to crush me to his chest and spin around. "You're such a badass!"
When he put me back on the ground I took the time to lock gazes with each of them and waited for their excitement to settle. "No. I didn't do this. We are a team. None of us would be alive if it weren't for the others. You all deserve as much credit as I do. Probably more."
There was another round of cheers, then common sense took over again. "That door over there is either the exit," said Owen pointing, "or it's the entrance to another challenge. We should check that out."
"Party pooper," said Enid, pouting prettily, if not exactly convincingly. She wanted to know if this was over as much as the rest of us.
I waved for the team to go in front of me and surreptitiously checked out Owen's injured leg as he passed. It really wasn't more than a scratch on the back of his calf, no signs of inflammation or poison. It probably burned like Hades, but it wouldn't need medical attention. I only hoped that whatever was coming next wouldn't put him in more danger than that, because I wasn't sure I could handle it.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
A glowing blue portal waited for us in the next room. Beside the portal was a stand holding two scrolls. "Yay, another puzzle!" I could practically hear my own eyes roll.
Owen and Enid made their way in front of me, ready to tackle it. When they reached the stand, Owen took one of the scrolls, glanced at it briefly and handed it to me.
"Not a puzzle," said Owen. "More instructions. This time, they're in English."
I took the scroll and looked at the stand holding the other one. There was a small sign that said "Take One". We'd beat the pirates there? The relief was intoxicating; I had to remind myself this thing wasn't over yet. I shook my head and read aloud from the scroll. "Congratulations on completing the second trial. Please step through the portal and enjoy a period of rest and replenishment before the final trial begins. You will be allowed to replace deceased teammates at this juncture. A messenger will guide you on the other side." I rolled up the scroll and let out a long breath. "So, it looks like beating the pirates to this point didn't matter. They will be allowed to catch up. Their only penalty will be less time to rest."
"Well, let's take advantage of that. I could use a good nap," said Enid, letting out a big yawn.
"We'll all take a break for an hour and then meet back up to plan a strategy for this rest stop," I replied. "There has to be a reason they're putting both teams together for a while. I intend to use it to our advantage."
We stepped through the portal and were greeted with applause and raucous laughter… from the pirates. They sat on one side of a long table. Tattered Vest stood and waved the rest to silence. "Good of you to finally show up. We've been waiting. Apparently our hosts won't deliver dinner until all of us are here, no matter how late you are." She gestured to the empty side of the table. "To be fair, we wouldn't have saved you any."
I surveyed the situation. From where I stood, I could hear gentle waves. The air was humid and salty. Other than that, it was hard to tell what part of the world. Not that it really mattered. There were five pirates there, but one of the originals Ava had described was missing. The one with the tentacles. In their place was a face I recognized: the bald man from the marina in Puerto Vallarta stared intensely back at me. Great. They'd replaced an octopus with a snake. There was no sign of the messenger from the scroll. Not that one was needed at this point.
"New plan," I said as quietly as I could. I turned my back to the pirates and my team closed in around me. "Medical first, then dinner. Get as much info as you can. We rest after."
"I'm starving anyway," said Owen. "Let's eat."
"Ah, ah, ah!" I tsked. "Medical for you and your leg, buddy."
He growled at me, and the rest of the team looked miffed, but all of them went off to have their injuries treated. It didn't take long, and all of them looked much better, thank fae.
A huge feast materialized when we stepped up to the table. There were several platters of various meats, vegetables, gravies, and even some pies and cakes. My instinct was to grab all I could from the first selection to pass my way, but I held back and took my time piling my plate high with a little bit of everything. It was worth it. I ate things I couldn't identify--sweet, savory, sour, and surprising--and let the experience bring me more into the moment. It was a relief to get out of my head; after the
day I'd had, it was easy to get lost in there. There was more food than even ten starving adventurers could dream of eating, but I made my most valiant effort. To my delight, there were several bottles of wine and beer. Not that I wanted any, but the pirates couldn't seem to resist. They downed glass after glass until all of their words were slurring.
Once the initial frenzy of food shoveling died down, I held out my hand to Tattered Vest. "I figure it's about time we had a real introduction. Sophie Morrigan." I pointed to each of my team in turn. "Owen, Ava, Art, and Enid."
Tattered Vest shook my hand with a firm grip. "My name is Tara. My crew are Sylvia, Niko, Julian, and Saya." She pointed at each one in turn. Sylvia was the selkie woman I'd seen with her several times before. The others had shown their faces around The Hairy Barnacle, with the exception of the bald snake shifter, Julian. Niko and Saya, like Tara, seemed to be unique fae. Niko's waifish body was covered with thin slits that looked like gills. He was probably some form of water fae, though I had no idea why he'd need that many gills. Saya was interesting. I wasn't sure of their magic, or their gender. They looked like a living ice sculpture, though they moved just as easily and fluidly as any other being at the table. They also put away a large quantity of food. I was glad for whatever magic kept the food from being visible as it traveled through their body. "It's a pleasure to meet the crew giving us a run for our money."
I had no idea whether Tara could lie or not, but her words and smile appeared sincere. Pirates were certainly strange characters. I could never tell whether a rude comment would earn a slap on the back, or a punch in the face, so why should I understand the way they felt about a rivalry over the same treasure?
I released her hand and said the most sincere thing I could think of. "These trials sure are a pain in the ass. I'm sorry that you lost one of your crew. My condolences." It was surprisingly true. Before this experience, I probably never would have felt that way, but I couldn't imagine the pain I would have been in if I'd lost any of my people, including Enid who I'd only had a passing acquaintance with before today. The weight of other people trusting me so completely with their lives was just too much. "I hope it was quick."
"Aye, it was. We lost Marco to the lava. I appreciate your condolences." Tara gave me an appraising glance. She was probably trying to figure out how I'd known about Marco, but didn't want to admit it. She shook her head and raised her glass. "To Marco!"
Everyone, including my team and I, raised our glasses and repeated, "To Marco!"
Now that the death was out in the open, the alcohol really began to flow. My team held themselves to a glass or two, but the pirates raised toast after toast to their fallen comrade. It loosened their tongues considerably. I was certain that each member of my team would have valuable intel when we settled in to rest.
Did I feel bad that their grief had led to their drinking, and thus the spilling of information? Absolutely not. Whatever kept my team alive was fine with me.
For my part, I focused on Tara. I had a grudging respect for her making it through all of those obstacles. "How did you handle the long gap at the end of the lava pit?" I asked.
"We only figured it out because of Marco," she said, turning somber. "When he died, some of his screams were at the right pitch to light up the platforms."
Well, that sounded like a moment of actual hell. I nodded solemnly, all the while trying to stop myself from picturing Marco's death. I couldn't afford to think about how that could have just as easily been us. Art had wanted to try his luck with water magic. Ava had wanted them to toss her across. And I'd considered letting them try it. I'd spent my day considering attempts at tasks I knew might violently kill my friends. "It was a long day," I finally said.
"That it was," she agreed. "Anyway, Niko is a wizard at singing. He held all the right notes for us and we walked across after that." I noted the information about the guy with the gills for use during tomorrow's challenges. As good as Tara said he was, I still doubted he'd beat Enid at anything that came up with singing.
"You made it out." It was all I could think to say.
"As did you," replied Tara. "And tomorrow, we shall do the same again."
Tomorrow. The memories of the day clawed at me; the present moment demanded I stay focused; and the worries of tomorrow stood in the center of my mind, wanting to be considered. I had no doubt we would be facing each other in the next trial, and with the constant sets of three, it was likely to be the last one. Tara had to be thinking the same thing. "I hope you won't take it the wrong way when I say that we plan on wiping the floor with you."
"Not at all," said Tara, slapping me on the shoulder. "We plan on doing the same."
The rest of the evening drained away in much the same fashion. Loud talk and boasting, followed by bouts of somber silence. I couldn't speak for my crew, but it was nice to take some time and talk over the ordeal we'd just been through. It took a while to process all of the near-death situations we'd survived. It was sobering to realize that any one of us could have died during the day and the trials would have just kept going.
Owen sat at my side, rubbing my back gently. For most of the evening, he shot death glares at Julian, the snake man. If I hadn't set the tone for a peaceful dinner, I was sure that blows would have been thrown. As much as I might have liked to take out some aggression that way, it wouldn't have helped us get to victory tomorrow.
"Well, I think it's time to call it a night." I stood from the table and shook Tara's hand. "Good luck tomorrow. You're going to need it."
"No, I don't think they will," said a new voice. It was a voice I recognized. The slight accent sounded like French. It set my teeth on edge. Standing off to one side was the asshole with the orange eyelids who had messed with my table at The Hairy Barnacle. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I'm here to keep you from making a big mistake," said Orange Eyelids. He gave me a sly wink.
Owen stepped forward, getting between us. He gave Orange Eyelids what I could only assume was a nasty glare and then turned to look me in the eye. "Who is this asshole?" He hooked a thumb at the horned fae.
Before I could answer, Orange Eyelids stepped forward and held out a hand to Owen. "My name is Paulo."
Owen shook his hand reluctantly, too polite to ignore Paulo's outstretched hand even after he'd just called the guy an asshole. "Owen Kinney."
"Oh yes, I know who you are Mr. Kinney. Your mother is part of the reason I'm here."
Owen rolled his whole head back. Rolling his eyes wasn't enough. "Of course she is."
This conversation wasn't going to bring out the best in me, and my team needed rest. "It's late. I'll deal with this. The rest of you should get some sleep." Art looked like he wanted to argue. Enid caught my eye and shook her head twice. Ava was the only one who didn't look bothered; I figured she had Patricia to spy on us. "It's fine," I assured them. "I'll wrap this up as quickly as I can."
"Fine," said Art, standing. "Make it quick. You need rest, too."
With that, my team--minus Owen--left the table. The sandy path was lit by tiny lights, ending at a large white tent that I could just make out in the moonlight. I wanted desperately to join them. My eyes felt like they were packed with grit. Art was right; I needed rest, too.
I turned back to Paulo and a growl involuntarily climbed up my throat. "What the hell do you want, and what does it have to do with Lana Kinney?"
"I want you to drop out of this competition and let the pirates retrieve the Fleece." It was Owen's turn to growl. "I'm not going to threaten you, as much fun as that would be. He gave Owen an appraising look that bordered on smoldering. "I'm here to tell you why Erik wants the Fleece. That way you will understand why it's best if he gets it."
"Get out--" started Owen.
"You've got two minutes," I interrupted. At Owen's incredulous look, I continued, "It doesn't hurt to listen." Thankfully, Owen calmed enough to realize that I needed to know what Supervillain was up to. Or, at least what Paulo believed he was up t
o. The truth was always tricky with these powerful fae types.
Paulo gave me a smile that made me think he was picturing me naked. I refused to give him the satisfaction of crossing my arms. He wasn't allowed to make me uncomfortable.
"This is your chance to talk," I told him.
He didn't waste any more of my time. "MOD is in Lana Kinney's pocket. She wants to keep things the same as they've been. We need change. Excluding ourselves from human society isn't working, and it won't get better going forward. We've already blended too much over the years with Volarus' presence on Earth. And with so many fae living on Earth, we can't deny that humanity has become part of our existence. The process has already begun with the wolves; there is no going back. Now is the time to take control of how that blending goes forward. With the Fleece, he will be able to do that. We understand you are a MOD agent and it goes against your code to not recover a dangerous object when it's in front of you. It seems very simple to you, I am sure, but I am saying it is very complicated. Sometimes you have to break rules in order to make a better world. We need your cooperation to protect the future of magic."
His fervor seemed genuine. "I will talk it over with my team." He started to say something more, but I cut him off. "You've made your case. You can go now."
Paulo gave me another smile that bordered on a proposition, and then bowed. "Be careful when you go to bed. I've been told that furniture can be unpredictable." When he stood, he turned and walked into the dark.
I grabbed Owen by the hand and led him back to the table. The pirates had all retired. We were alone. I waved vaguely at him. "Go ahead. Tell me what you have to say."
Owen slumped into his seat and rubbed his hands down his face. "This isn't good."
"What exactly does it mean for someone to have possession of the Golden Fleece? All the information I found was really vague." And layered in stories that didn't sound real.
Owen sat up and let out a sigh. "I can only speculate."
"So, my guess is as good as yours?"
