by J. S. Malcom
I wonder if it might have something to do with Cade’s apartment. In fact, maybe that’s why he has no electronics. I decide to try my luck outside, get as far as opening the door, and then jump back with my heart pounding. A huge beast stares at me. He’s black and furry and about the size of a bear. I slam the door and wipe my brow free of sweat that wasn’t there moments ago.
“What’s the matter?”
I jump out of my skin a second time, and spin around as Cade shuffles into the room. He’s wearing sweatpants and a wrinkled t-shirt with a faded My Chemical Romance logo. He yawns and rubs his eyes.
I point at the door with a trembling hand. “I thought you were kidding about the hellhound thing.”
“Oh, did he finally come back? The big idiot.”
Cade walks past me, opens the door, and the giant creature bounds into the room. The damn thing has to weigh at least a hundred and fifty pounds. He has a head the size of a basketball, one of his ears is tattered and he has half a tail. Once I get past the shock at his size, I realize he’s actually a dog. One that looks to have seen his share of fights, although he may not have won many.
“Cassie, this is Hellhound,” Cade says. “Hellhound, Cassie.”
It’s not particularly comforting that the mutant dog continues to bare his teeth at both of us. He stares with bloodshot eyes while issuing a low growl.
“What are you complaining about?” Cade says. “You know the rules. If you’re not home when I go to sleep, you stay outside. We’ve been over this.”
The dog shifts his attention to me and growls again.
“Yes, she slept on your sofa,” Cade says. “I said she could, so get over it.”
Seriously? Gross. Am I going to get fae fleas?
The dog walks toward me and it takes everything I have not to step back. Actually, it takes everything I have not to scream and run from the room. His head reaches my stomach, and he has yet to put those chompers away. I glance at Cade. “Does he bite?”
“Bite? He doesn’t even bark,” Cade says. “The big goof never stops smiling.”
I glance at the dog again. Wait, is he—? Oh, my God, he is. Hellhound is displaying the biggest doggie smile I’ve ever seen, his giant stump of a tail whipping back and forth.
“Should I pet him?”
Cade shrugs. “He’ll never leave you alone if you don’t. Then again, he’ll never leave you alone if you do.”
I reach out a hesitant hand as Hellhound sniffs me up and down. On closer inspection, he looks more like a Muppet than a bear. I touch the top of his head and he softly rams into me, sliding me back across the floor.
“There you go. Friends for life,” Cade says.
I keep petting Hellhound’s giant head, which is now pressed into my belly. Meanwhile, my back is pressed to the wall where Cade’s half-realm dog has me pinned. “Why do you call him Hellhound?”
“Well, I had to give him some sort of an edge, didn’t I? Otherwise, the other dogs would never take him seriously.” Before I can comment on the lack of logic there, Cade whistles. “Come on, boy. I’ll get you something to eat.”
Hellhound’s response is an excited huffing and a sideways prance across the floor in Cade’s direction.
“Be right back,” Cade says.
He and Hellhound disappear into the kitchen, and I listen as Cade shovels dry food into a metal bowl I imagine being the size of a stock pot.
I’m checking my phone again when Cade comes back. I look up to find him grinning. “Seriously?”
I feel my face grow warm. “I don’t know. I figured...” I let my words trail off since anything I say will sound ridiculous. I mean, come on. What was I thinking?
“That thing is useless here,” Cade says. “To say you’re off the grid would be kind of an understatement. So, listen. Grab a shower if you’d like, but we should get moving soon.”
Where we’re going he doesn’t say, but at least one of us has a plan. I take that as a sign that I’m doing better than yesterday.
We both jump as something crashes hard against the kitchen floor. Cade sighs and starts heading that way, speaking over his shoulder. “Ten bucks says Hellhound just knocked the damn table over again.”
I head in the opposite direction, hoping I won’t be sharing Hellhound’s towel.
*
As it turns out, we ‘get moving’ by coming out of Cade’s apartment to climb the stairs to the floor above.
“I just need to check in with Isaac and Sloane,” Cade says. “They’re my partners. Well, at least some of the time.”
“By partners, I assume you mean fellow thieves.” We start walking down the second floor hall.
“Not just thieves. There’s more to it than that. But, to answer your question, we do combine our efforts on some endeavors. More importantly, Sloane is especially adept at creating charmed objects.”
He knocks on a door and a deep voice calls out, “Who goes there, friend or fae?”
Cade turns to me and says, “I wish I could say that never gets old.” He directs his attention back to the door. “It’s me. Are you guys decent? I brought someone.”
The door swings open and the voice calls out, “Enter.”
Given the theatrics, I half-expect to see a knight wearing armor. Instead, Isaac turns out to be a guy our age kicking back in a reclining chair as he polishes an electric guitar. He wears faded jeans and a leather vest, his muscular arms displaying tribal tattoos. He has olive skin, dark hair and pointy ears. His brown eyes widen at seeing me.
“This is Cassie,” Cade says.
Isaac recovers from his surprise and sets his guitar down. “Hey, Cassie. Nice to meet you.”
A girl calls out from the kitchen, “Cade, is that you? I just made some coffee if you want some.”
“Cade brought someone,” Isaac informs her.
An Asian girl appears in the kitchen doorway. She has spiky hair, an impressive array of earrings and clearly shares Isaac’s affinity for tattoos. Sloane also looks surprised at seeing me. She stares with her mouth slightly open, as if not sure what to say.
“This is Cassie,” Cade says.
It takes Sloane a moment, but she offers a smile. “Nice to meet you, Cassie.”
I’m tempted to ask what the deal is. I mean, I realize that only half-bloods can supposedly come here. But I get the definite feeling there’s more to it than that. Last night, people seemed curious. Upon seeing me, these two seemed almost shocked.
“So, Sloane,” Cade says. “I was wondering if I could borrow that amulet you scored a couple of months ago. You still have that, right?”
Sloane narrows her eyes. “You know I still have it. I risked my life getting it.”
Cade smiles back at her. “I remember. I was right there with you.”
“That’s true. You stood guard while I scaled a wall, climbed to a third-story window and disabled two wards plus a vertigo charm.”
Cade’s smile broadens to a grin. “I agree, that was impressive. But I was the one who brought in the tip to begin with.”
Sloane stares at him for a couple of moments, then sighs. “Fine.”
She spins around, walks down the hall, and returns a minute later. Cade holds his hand out as Sloane dangles the amulet above his palm, an amber stone glowing from within, attached to a silver chain. I can literally feel the magic that stone holds. I tear my eyes away when Sloane says, “You realize it takes about a week to recharge this thing.”
Cade lifts his hand closer to the amulet. “Got it, and I promise to take good care of it.”
Finally, Sloane lets go. The amulet drops into Cade’s hand, and he slips it into his pocket.
“You better.” Sloane turns to me and says, “I meant to be polite sooner, but—” she gestures toward Cade like he’s an annoying little brother—“I had to deal with him first. Anyway, would you like some coffee?”
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee has started permeating the room, and I’d be tempted to ask if it wasn’t offer
ed. “Coffee sounds great,” I say.
Isaac invites us to take a seat in the dining area, and goes about helping Sloane set us up with coffee. Soon, I have a hot mug in front of me and one sip proves the taste to be even better than the smell. It’s quite possibly the best coffee I’ve ever had. What is it with Silvermist and beverages?
“So, guys,” Cade says. “Change of plans for today.”
“Wow, big surprise,” Sloane mutters.
“Yeah, I kind of had that feeling,” Isaac says, glancing my way.
Cade looks back and forth between them. “Look, it’s not like I planned it. Right now, I just need to take things in a different direction. We can get back to it in a day or two.”
Sloane sighs. “Our rent is due in a few days.”
“I know, and I’m sorry,” Cade says. “It’s just that I told Cassie I’d try to help her find someone.”
Sloane nods as she sips her coffee, almost like she knew he was going to say that. I get the feeling she’s trying not to say something, but then she speaks her mind anyway. “And why would you risk that for her? I’m sorry—” She turns from Cade to me, clearly flustered. “Look, Cassie. Not to be rude or anything, but I’m sure you must know that your presence here is a mystery.”
Okay, good. Cards on the table time. “Tell me about it.”
“And it’s not just that we had plans.” Sloane gestures to indicate our surroundings. “So, the rent’s late a couple of days. Whatever. Won’t be the first time. But do you have any idea what you’re getting into?”
I shake my head. To pretend otherwise just wouldn’t make sense.
“Right. I didn’t think so. Because if you did—” She stops short, shakes her head, and then turns to Cade again. She softens her tone. “I know you mean well. It’s just the kind of person you are. But just because she can realm-slip without using a rift doesn’t mean anything.”
Beside her, Isaac shrugs. “Well, it has to mean something.”
Sloane slumps back in her chair, seeming almost defeated, and it occurs to me that what I first mistook for anger is actually fear. “Okay, you’re right. It has to mean something. But it can’t possibly—”
“Make a difference,” Cade says. “I know.” I get the feeling that might not have been what Sloane was about to say, but Cade continues. “But if we can get even one of them out of there, we’ll finally have stolen something from the fae that really matters. Up until now, it’s all been basically pranks. What do a few necklaces and brooches mean to the Seelie? But what if Cassie also has the magic to take one of their changelings back home again. That’s never happened before.”
“There’s probably a good reason for that,” Sloane says. “Because it’s impossible.”
I stare back and forth between them, as what they’re saying sinks in. “Wait. Do you mean no one has ever... They’ve just remained trapped there until...”
I struggle to find the right words, part of me not wanting to say it and have it be true. At the same time, I can’t help but think about what Ian said, that the old version of Grayson claimed to have been gone for forty years.
Cade turns to me, his eyes displaying a sorrow I couldn’t have imagined minutes ago. “I should have told you, but no. Not so far. None of them have ever been freed. Only the fae who created the changeling can do that, and they almost never make that choice. Even when they’re done with the changeling, for whatever reason they created it to begin with, they still don’t bother. What’s a human life to a fae?”
I struggle to keep my eyes from glistening. The last thing I want is for them to think I’m weak. I don’t want to give Cade a reason to change his mind. It’s quickly becoming clear that he might be my only hope, and I might not have much hope at that. “If what you’re saying is true, then that’s all the more reason I have to try. I’ve dealt with those kind of assholes before, and guess what? They didn’t win.”
Sloane’s head jerks in my direction. “Who have you dealt with?”
I lift my chin. “The Vamanec P’yrin. You’ve probably never heard of them, but they—”
“Of course I’ve heard of them,” she says. “Body-snatchers. Soul thieves. We know what they are. Wait, are you the same one who—?” She turns to Cade. “Hang on. Is she—?”
Again, my head swivels back and forth as I both try to track where this is going.
“The one from the nightclub?” Cade says. “I’ve wondered, yeah.” He turns to me. “Everyone heard about what happened that night. That there were two women who caused that whole deal. Then we heard about those people coming back, saying they’d been gone for decades. So, yeah, we’ve remained very interested. And when I saw you realm-slip like that, I wondered if you might have been one of those two women.”
Isaac speaks up for the first time in a while. “Okay, not to be rude or anything, but what the hell are you?”
Oh, geez. Here we go again. “I’m a veil witch.”
Isaac shakes his head. “Veil witches don’t exist.”
I point at him and say, “I’ve got news for you, pal. You don’t exist! At least, I sure as hell have never heard of you guys. And, believe me, I’ve been digging around in the supernatural dirt like nobody’s business.”
A moment of silence follows my outburst, and then a smile spreads across Sloane’s face before she bursts out laughing. The moment breaks the tension. Cade laughs too, and then Isaac.
“She does have a point,” Cade says.
“Well, shit,” Sloane says, appraising me anew. “We might just have something here. Damn. That was you?”
I shrug. “Well, me and my sister. She’s a veil witch too.”
“And on that note,” Cade says, “I guess you two better start cooking up some breakfast.”
Sloane smirks and shoots him a dirty look. “You set us up. Didn’t you?”
“You bet I did,” Cade says.
CHAPTER 11
Within moments, Sloane and Isaac go into the kitchen, where pans start clanging and dishes rattling as they go about making food. The weird thing is, neither Sloane nor Isaac asked if we were hungry. They just got up and left, but not without pretending to scowl at Cade again. I take advantage of the moment to ask about the joke I didn’t get.
“Old tradition,” he says. “People on this side prepare a meal for those about to cross into Faerie.”
I don’t like the sound of that, but I push on. “Is it really that dangerous?”
Cade takes a sip of his coffee. “Depends. Some supernatural beings can cross over without any issues. Your friends the Vamanec P’yrin, for example.”
I nearly spit out my own coffee. “Wait, what?”
“Oh, yeah,” Cade says. “Word has it that they were the first to cross between realms, from theirs to ours. Some even say that the Vamanec P’yrin were the ones to open the breach between the two dimensions, allowing for the fae to pass through.”
My cheeks tingle as I get a little psychic ping on that one. Yeah, it sounds about right that the Vamanec P’yrin would be the ones to screw up the universe. Well, at least our little slice of it. Still, I try not to blame Paul and Claudia. After all, they’re reformed body-snatchers. You have to give credit where it’s due.
“Any others?”
Cade nods. “Vampires, definitely. Not sure how much that happens anymore, but they once had an accord with the fae. And, of course, demons of all classes.”
You have to be shitting me. “So, you’re saying they’re all welcome to come and go?”
“I don’t know if I’d say welcome, but certain conditions might allow for various kinds of transactions to take place. Not all that different, really, than on Earth. Some people hunt demons while others try to make deals with them. There are those who want nothing more than to see a vampire turned to dust, while others are willing to sell their soul for that version of immortality. It all depends on the circumstances. Same goes for Faerie.”
“Okay, so what about half-bloods?”
“Killed on si
ght,” Cade says.
I wait for the punchline, but it doesn’t come. “Wait. Seriously?”
“Seriously, it’s the law of the land. Those laws are made by the Seelie, of course. They totally hate us.”
Okay, now I’m confused. Half-bloods are half fae, after all. And this is the second time Cade has mentioned the Seelie. For now, I just go with, “Why?”
At that moment, Sloane and Isaac return bearing plates of food. My stomach has been rumbling since they got to work. The aroma of cooking food has been wafting into the room the entire time. Sloane places down four plates, each holding what looks to be the world’s most perfectly cooked omelet—just slightly golden on the outside, glistening with butter and oozing just the right amount of cheese. Beside each rests a mound of red potato home fries and an artfully arranged assortment of berries, sliced kiwi and melon. I am seriously considering migrating to Silvermist.
“Cassie was just asking why the fae hate us,” Cade says. “And by that I mean the Seelie, of course. We haven’t yet delved into the nuances.”
Sloane and Isaac both laugh, not the reaction I expected at all.
“Well, that’s a long story,” Isaac says. He notices me staring longingly at my plate. “I hope you’re okay with vegetarian.”
“Oh, right,” Sloane says. “We’re not into the meat thing. Oh, and you might notice the overall taste being a bit more, well, intense. We haven’t been back in a while, but the food here pretty much knocked us out at first.”
I take a bite of my omelet and do my best to keep my eyes from bugging out of my head. Apparently, I’m only so successful since everyone laughs.
“Right,” Isaac says. “Things just taste different here. There’s basically no pollution in the air, and everything is organic, so that might account for it. Cade thinks we stay just for the magic. Right, Cade?”
“Okay, maybe there are other factors to consider,” Cade concedes. “Obviously the beer here is amazing too.”
“To get back on track,” Sloane says, “the Seelie hate us because we aren't supposed to exist. Not in their world.”
