Eyes Like Autumn (Seasons of the Magi Book 1)

by C. E. DeRosier

  I just hummed, not trusting myself to open my mouth without giving her an ugly retort.

  “My name’s Jane, by the way,” she offered, continuing on as if her hatred was totally normal. “Yours?”

  Thinking fast, I said, “Suzanne.”

  “Interesting, I don’t hear that name too often. Is it a family thing?”

  I smiled. Sue was pretty much family. “You could say that.”

  ~~~

  After a short walk, Jane led me into a room full of men and women unpacking boxes and carefully examining the contents. They were pulling out everything from jewels to pottery. I kept an eye out for the rabbit.

  “Do you also deal in antiques?” I queried.

  “Sort of. We get these huge shipments in and pull each item out to examine it. If it’s a magic relic, we keep it to auction ourselves. If it’s not, we sell them to a regular auction house.” She elbowed me with a grin. “You’d be surprised how many precious family heirlooms are actually full of magic.” That made me wonder how many things in my grandpa's house were actually magical.

  “I’ll bet I would,” I replied, trying to sound flirty. “What about you? How did you get into all of this?”

  “I was an archaeologist on a dig in Egypt when I found this artifact that seemed almost… alive,” she said. “One of the guys from here approached me and offered me a lot more than I was makin' trying to dig up dirt walls or piece together a shattered pot.”

  “Hey, Jay!” A stout man with the beginnings of a beard made his way over with an egg-shaped stone the size of a softball. “We sorted this into stuff to be auctioned, but I’m pretty sure it’s just a rock.”

  “Yeah, 'cause you hit it with an MPB...” I heard someone mutter. What was an MPB? I couldn’t imagine it was anything good.

  She grabbed it from him and looked it over herself. “Looks like a plain ol’ thunder egg. Used to find these all the time out west. Here, a souvenir for the tour.”

  Jane plopped it into my hand. I nearly dropped it, surprised by its sudden weight.

  “Thanks.” I smiled at her, though I was entirely unsure what to do with it.

  She grinned and patted my arm. “If you crack it open, it actually looks pretty cool inside.”

  Yay? Ugh… I plopped it into the purse. I would deal with it later. If all else failed, I could use it like a flail.

  We continued on. She showed me all sorts of various artifacts they had stored up, both for tonight’s auction and the next. I made polite noises and asked the occasional question, keeping my arm looped through hers. Finally, from the corner of my eye, I saw the bunny slip underneath a large rolling sheet door that was opened a foot or two off the ground. I tugged Jane to a stop and pointed at the door. “So… What's in there?”

  She pressed her lips together. “Technically, I could get into a lot of trouble lettin' you in there, but a quick look shouldn’t hurt. Just don’t get too close; some of them can reach through their cages.”

  I nodded, letting her lead me to the entrance. As she pushed the white metal up and open, my gag reflex hit hard. I did my best to hide it. The room stank of something I couldn’t place at first, but the farther into it we walked, the more my stomach rolled, and I began to recognize what it was: fear. There was also a distinct scent of urine and the metallic tang of blood.

  I was having a hard time trying to find where the toy had slipped off to between the rows of glass and metal cages. But I knew Ben was in here, and I would find him.

  “We’ve got the show-stoppers over this way.” Jane nodded to her left.

  The first cage had a small creature that snarled at Jane with rows of sharp yellow fangs settled into dark gums.

  “That’s a redcap,” Jane explained. “Caught that little bastard on my own while on a trip to Ireland. They’re pretty vicious.”

  I vaguely remembered the name from a Faerie lore book. They kept their hats red from the blood of their enemies. This one seemed more than happy to touch up the color of his hat using her.

  The row was long, each cage holding another type of Fae or creature. They were all clearly suffering. Johannes had tried to convince me to take Ben, find Doctor Thompson, and leave, but I couldn’t let them all stay here. Every one of them would be free by the end of the night. I would make sure of it.

  “What’s that one?” I nodded to a cage that had a thick black cloth draped over it.

  “He’s our little surprise. Some of the guys were uncomfortable looking at ’im though. Bunch of pansies. You just have to realize he’s not really a kid. He’s a monster.”

  Jane ripped the sheet off, and I couldn’t suppress the gasp of horror. There Benjamin was, kneeling on the ground with shackles on his wrists and that familiar inhibitor collar around his neck. The bunny had come to rest on the side of the cage.

  His eyes slowly cracked open. He squinted in the sudden light. Before he could say anything, I quickly put a finger to my lips, moving my hand away as Jane turned to face me.

  “It’s a Magus,” she explained. “Magi are rare for us to find, especially young ones. Usually their little magic school takes them before we’re able to register them on our radar. But the boss got a primo tip about a little town that was full of them.”

  If someone gave him a tip… that meant someone either in the town or from it had to have sold their own people out. How could they do that? So many innocent lives were at stake… I had no idea what to say to her, but thankfully I was saved from having to reply. There was a shout from the entrance. “Jay, you in here?”

  “Shit,” she muttered. “I’ll be right back. Stay quiet, all right? Don’t wanna get us into trouble.”

  I nodded my agreement as she darted off toward the voice. As soon as she was out of earshot, I turned to crouch in front of Benjamin… Well, attempt to. God, I understood why so many movie heroines tore the bottom of their gowns off, but there was no way I was going to be able to rip thread made by Chesca. I hiked the dress up so I could finally get to him.

  “Sweetie, are you okay? I’m so sorry. We’re going to get you out of here.”

  He smiled weakly at me. “And the others?”

  I ached deeply within my chest. He was such a sweet boy. Even when faced with all of this horror, he wanted to make sure others were helped too.

  “We’ll figure something out,” I promised.

  “Do you think they’ll play with me after?”

  My heart shattered. His whole life he had been tucked away and hidden from the rest of the world, and now that he’d seen the worst of it, all he wanted to do, still, was to be around other people and make them happy. I tried to steel myself, but a few stray tears slipped down my cheeks. I was going to do this no matter what it took.

  “Of course,” I said. “After this, you and I will play all the time, too, okay? We’ll go to the park, and we’ll go see a movie. Anything you want to do. Stay strong for me.” I reached for the bunny and brought him up to Ben’s eyeline. “See, I brought Mr. Hopps for you.”

  “What are you doing?”

  I froze at the sound of Jane’s voice. Slowly, I stood. “He’s just a child,” I said. “How can you do this to him?”

  “Mama…” Ben whimpered behind me.

  “You’re one of those monsters,” she spat, a look of utter revulsion on her face.

  How dare she? If anyone was deserving of a look like that, it was her. How could anyone not feel for all of these people trapped and being prepped for sale?

  She reached behind her and pulled out a gun. It didn’t look normal—it glowed as she pressed down on the safety.

  I clenched my fists. “Are you going to kill me? Or should I say, are you going to try to kill me?” I would be strong in the face of danger.

  She smirked. “Oh, this isn’t going to kill you. We call these beautiful babies Magical Pulse Blockers. Think of it like a focused EMP, but instead of knocking out the power, it'll block access to your magic.”

  “I won’t let you do this. Not to him,
and not to any of the others here.”

  “You don’t have a choice.”

  She pulled the trigger. I barely had enough time to dodge. The cage Ben was in took the majority of the blast. A large split in the glass fractured all the way to the top, spider veins splintering off. She roared in anger as she fired again.

  I turned and ran as fast as I could, trying my best to dodge behind the cages and crates.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Jane taunted as she stalked down an aisle past me. I stifled my breathing, shrinking behind a large cage.

  “Hey, let me out of here. I can help you,” a tiny voice whispered.

  It came from a row of small, locker-sized cages. A woman no taller than a cat caught my eye. Her skin was a soft green, and she had wings that glistened like gold behind her, though they drooped like they hadn’t been used in a while.

  “I can’t let you out,” I whispered. “I don’t have the keys.”

  I flinched as I heard Jane fire another shot.

  She looked down at my hand. “Do you have anything heavy? If you smash the lock, I can get out.”

  “Look at me! Do I look like I have something—"

  I hadn’t even realized I was still carrying the stupid rock. I grabbed it from my purse and brought it down hard against the metal clasp. A loud noise rang out, and I cursed. She would know I was over here. I summoned all of my strength, thinking of being able to free everyone, save Ben from all of this, and go home to my grandpa… and to Atohi and Johannes. I brought the stone down again and smashed the lock enough for me to pry it open. My fingertips bled, and I fumbled, but was finally able to get it.

  The woman immediately flitted from her cage but nearly dropped to the ground when her wings almost gave out. After a few seconds, she was steadier. “That woman has the keys to the cages,” she said. “I’ll try to get them from her.”

  She darted off just before a blast hit the ground next to me. I lurched to my feet to run again.

  Suddenly a call went up from around me—all the Fae had begun to squawk and yell, covering the sounds of my footsteps. I dove into another hiding place just in time to see Jane come to a stop. Her eyes were frantic with anger, and she was nearly growling when she shouted, “Quiet, all of you!” She fired another round, a pulse of energy hitting the corner of another cage that contained a large Fae with gruesome fangs.

  She never even realized her mistake as she came around the corner where I was hidden and aimed her gun at my face. I locked eyes with the Fae in the cage briefly as he slipped the claws of one of his massive hands into the opening Jane had created with her blast.

  “Why do you hate the Fae so much?” I shouted, trying to distract her from the sound of bending metal or the jingling of the keys leaving her pocket as the Pixie grabbed them.

  “Do you know how many friends I’ve lost to these disgusting monsters?” she spat. Her hands quaked, making the gun waver in the air.

  “Friends? Those cruel, awful people who capture the Fae and Magi? They are the real monsters.” My pulse thrummed loudly in my ears. This would have to work. Even if she killed me, that little Fae would be able to free everyone, including Benjamin. That would be good enough.

  “How dare you? What could you possibly know a thing about them?”

  “You know, I pity you,” I said, talking fast. “Truly, I do. You’re filled with so much blind, seething hatred that you can’t see anything around you. You can’t see that you’ve taken someone that I care about.” A towering shadow rose behind her. I barely kept myself from smiling grimly. “Not that a Pixie has already taken the keys from your pocket. And especially not that there is a very angry-looking Fae just waiting to get his hands on you.”

  The growl that punctuated my words finally caught her attention. She whipped around to fire at the Fae, but it quickly slashed the gun from her grasp. It clattered to the ground heavily, and a wave of silence went through the room.

  The large Fae laughed darkly. Jane stumbled back a step but then lunged forward to punch him. He gripped her fist before it could connect with his face.

  She wailed in frustration before attempting to kick him. He grabbed her ankle in his other hand. He gave another low chuckle before spinning around and throwing her. She hit the ground with a heavy thud.

  “I need the keys.” I extended my hand to the Pixie. She dropped them in.

  I ran back toward where I thought Benjamin’s cage was. Across the room, I could hear the heavy footsteps of the large Fae walking toward Jane. In other circumstances, perhaps I would have been concerned about her wellbeing, no matter if I didn’t agree with her as a person. But these were not those circumstances.

  The Pixie flew near my face as I turned in a circle, trying to get my bearings. “What are you doing?”

  “I need to get someone out of here. Then you can have the keys.” I came around a corner and finally caught sight of Ben’s cage. “Ah, there it is.”

  But my sigh of relief was cut off as I realized the glass had been completely shattered, and Ben was no longer there. Neither was his rabbit.

  “Ben?!” I shouted, trying to have hope he was able to free himself.

  “He was taken by their leader,” a voice supplied.

  When I looked over, there was a serpentine man with a dark complexion and scaled skin. He looked like a Naga with his arms and tail-like bottom half.

  “Isn’t that your rock? Why is it shaking like that?” The Pixie flitted down by it, only to scurry away and hide behind some of my loose curls when chunks of rock began to break off it like eggshell.

  I moved over to it, staring stunned as one black eye appeared at a newly made hole in the stone, its gaze darting around before it settled on my face. A squeak sounded from inside the egg before it broke apart completely.

  A dragon-like creature plopped out onto the floor. It squeaked again, then shook itself and rose onto its feet, walking unsteadily toward me. I knelt down and scooped it into my hand. It made a delighted noise, small sparks of electricity popping from his mouth that felt like static shock from freshly dried clothing.

  The Pixie whistled. “I'm pretty sure it thinks you're its mom.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I groaned. It cheeped at me. “I don’t have time for this.”

  “You must hurry if you wish to catch up to them,” the Naga hissed.

  I unlocked his cage and handed him the keys. He immediately began unlocking the others.

  “I’ll take this guy,” the Pixie said. “My name is Danae, by the way.” She grabbed what I could only describe as a baby dragon around the middle. She grunted as she almost dropped him after realizing he was heavier than expected. “Now, let’s go get your boy!”

  Chapter Twenty

  The sound of my pounding feet filled the hallway. I stumbled briefly as the heel of my shoe cracked and broke. I pulled both off as well as my mask and threw them down; they were only getting in the way. I could hear a few shouts of confusion behind me and a loud howl that caused a shiver to run down my spine, but I paid them no further mind. Everyone working here would be dealt with as soon as the Fae were freed.

  I gasped. The tail of the rabbit caught my eye. I could kiss Atohi right now for that beautiful invention.

  “Give him back!” I shouted into the dark room the rabbit disappeared into as I rounded the corner and came to stop.

  It was hard to make out any shapes aside from where the small eruptions of electricity from the dragon lit the area immediately around us.

  “It’s about time for us to have a chat, Alice,” a man purred. Despite the unusual tone, I instantly recognized it as Cole.

  “I couldn’t agree more. How about giving Ben to me, and then you can crawl back into the slime hole that you oozed out of?”

  He tutted. “You always seemed so mild-mannered. But look at you now, with so much fire in your eyes. I guess that’s what happens when you’ve taken so many Magus cocks.”

  A spotlight from the ceiling burst t
o life and temporarily blinded me. When I went to cover my eyes, I found my hands immobilized.

  “Oh, dear, are you a little stuck?” His voice was filled with mock pity.

  I yanked against the invisible bonds. “But how—”

  The tingling of magic on my wrists made my eyes widen. With his ability to disappear earlier and this bind… Cole’s a Magus. There’s no other answer.

  “Did you figure it out? I don’t normally like to use it while others are around. One must keep up appearances, you know. But, seeing as you’ve just released my entire inventory, I need to give the people something. And everyone loves a good execution. You and these little mongrels with you.” Danae squealed as he forced her and the dragon pup into a bag.

  The rest of the lights flickered to life as I was forced to my knees. The small Pixie and dragon struggled inside the burlap sack next to me on the ground after Cole tossed it. Several feet away was Benjamin, still chained with the inhibitors.

  When I finally looked up into Cole's face, my eyes welled with angry tears. He towered over me with a disgusting smirk on his face.

  “Oh, sweetie, why such a look? Imagine how I felt when I learned you’re a Paean Magus. Such a beautiful treasure right under my nose.”

  “H-how did you find out?” I needed to know.

  “You truly want to know?” He cupped my cheek. “Daddy dearest.”

  My blood ran cold. “No… No, you’re lying!”

  “I know you want that to be true, my beautiful little meal ticket, but I met him at one of those sad little support groups. They’re so easy to manipulate there.” He patted my cheek hard. “He spoke about the town when your grandfather had fallen earlier in the year. I swooped in and started to pick people off when I could sniff out their magic… But, after the fight between Johannes and your father, he was too happy to make a deal with me.”

  “A deal?”

  “He revealed that Johannes is a Ghoul on the condition that I leave you out of it, but… that’s out the window now. You’ve ruined everything!” He growled. “I wish we could talk more, but the show must start. Thank you for leading me right to this little Ghoul. I’m sure he could have fetched me quite a pretty penny, but c’est la vie.”