by WB McKay
Contents
Copyright
Title Page
Newsletter
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
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A Note From the Author
Thank you
www.McKayManor.com
Copyright © 2018 Robert McKay
Copyright © 2018 Faith McKay
Cover designed by Najla Qamber Designs
All rights reserved.
INDEBTED TO FAERIE
(Stolen Magic, #6)
WB McKay
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CHAPTER ONE
"You can stick your problems with the fae council right up your ass," I shouted, my nose an inch from Dave Hammond's face. That's probably not the way you're supposed to talk to your boss in the middle of the work floor where everyone can see you. I'm pretty sure I'd been told I wasn't supposed to talk to my boss that way at all. "It's not my fault you were playing every angle and one of those happened to be evil."
"Erik Bresnan is an upstanding member of Volarus, and a prominent member of the fae council," said Hammond, wiping a fleck of spit from his face. It may have been mine. "You can't talk about him like that. He's done a lot of good work for this office."
"He was a prominent member of the fae council," I corrected. "He resigned last week." I left out the part where I'd marched into a closed door session of the council and told him to quit. I, being a lowly agent of the Magical Object Division at the Faerie Affairs Bureau, should have been promptly tossed out on my ass. Instead, empowered by the Golden Fleece, I'd gotten exactly what I'd asked for. Life would have been so much easier if I could have just used the Fleece on Hammond to take care of things with him as well. I wasn't doing that again. I needed to stop using the Fleece, once and for all. No matter how infuriating Hammond could be. "And his position in society doesn't make him any less of an evil, kidnapping, supervillain that I wouldn't piss on if he were on fire."
Hammond opened his mouth to argue. If he made any sounds, they were drowned out by the sounds of dozens of crows cawing.
"No," I whispered, closing my eyes as if that would make the swirling feathers dancing through the room disappear.
When I opened my eyes again, the feathers had formed into the shape of a person. A naked, pale woman stepped through the swirling mass and came out the other side with black feathers adorning her body in ways that paid lip service to modesty. The remaining feathers formed into large black wings on her back. Cold, dark eyes surveyed the room and finally landed on me. The Morrigan's head tilted to the side in a distinctly bird-like gesture. "Hello, Sophie. I have come to collect on the favor you owe me."
Hammond took a couple steps back, his face switching from red to deathly pale in an instant. "The Morrigan?" he spluttered.
My mother ignored him and all the other whispers that started around us. "Come with me and I will tell you how I can be repaid." She held out her hand.
I stared at that hand for a long time. I'd been dreading this for a week, and yet, I'd naively believed I'd have a lot more time to dread it before it came to pass. I owed The Morrigan a favor. I wanted to believe it would be better to get it over with, but this was The Morrigan. I was pretty confident it wouldn't be as simple as getting it done and moving on with my life unchanged.
Her hand still hung there, waiting. There was no reason I had to leave in order to hear what she needed from me, but I knew it wasn't likely that I'd be able to refuse. As long as she asked for something reasonably equivalent to the favor I'd asked, I'd have to do what she wanted. Since she'd helped me wipe out dozens of fae in order to save Owen, her repayment would likely be pretty gruesome. It was probably better she told me about it elsewhere; I didn't need that kind of office gossip. I took her hand.
We dissolved into a cloud of feathers and then further into a dark cloud of smoke. My mind brushed against hers, feeling the madness that was barely kept at bay. I also felt her ridiculous power surging through me. I couldn't imagine what she could ever need my help with. My magic felt like a drop in the bucket compared to hers. I had a brief moment of worry that she would take me on a killing spree in my office, like we'd done in Oscura. Then we were out of the MOD offices and on the street. She was so fast in this form. With that thought in mind, I concentrated on how she shifted into smoke. If she could do it, maybe I could as well.
I almost thought I understood it, then she dumped me onto the ground outside a very familiar castle. My stomach roiled at the thought of what she would ask me. The last time I'd seen her at this castle, she'd been in her huge crow form, swallowing her worshipers whole. Since then, Graulfv, the only survivor had been recruiting a new group. They'd helped me rescue Owen. My feelings toward the clansmen were complicated, but definitely growing fonder.
"I won't kill your clansmen," I said, knowing that if she really wanted me to, I likely couldn't deny her.
The Morrigan's head tilted in confusion, and then flicked toward the castle and back to me. It was creepy watching her behave like a bird while in human form. "I have no desire to be rid of them at this time. They pleased me with the havoc they helped you wreak. I've decided to grace them with my presence for the time being."
"What havoc?" I asked. "All we did was rescue Owen from the Orani."
The Morrigan's smile made my stomach drop. "You did what has never been done in recorded history. You ventured into the green mist and came out with what you sought. You killed their silly pets, wiping away the mist, and with it their mystery. Then, with my aid, you destroyed dozens of their warriors and several of their illusionists." Her smile turned into a grin. "You've reshaped the power landscape in Faerie, plunging it into chaos. It's delightful. Now, in repayment of that favor, you will continue that work."
I swallowed hard. Faerie didn't have any sort of order that I was aware of. It was kill or be killed. But I was fairly certain The Morrigan couldn't lie. "I wasn't trying to do any of that. I just wanted to rescue my boyfriend."
The Morrigan tossed her head back in a small laugh that was even more chilling than her smiles. "All the better," she said, stalking in a circle around me. "You are certainly my child through and through if you spread chaos with such little effort."
I shuddered. I really didn't like thinking about being her child. "What do you want from me, specifically?"
The Morrigan continued to circle me, her dark eyes appraising. "In repayment of my favor, you will dismantle the power base of a lovesick fool here in Faerie. You will bring his power to ruin and destroy his place in fae society."
I did my best to keep staring forward instead of tracking her around me. My mouth turned down into a frown. "That doesn't sound comparable to what you did for me. It took you like five minutes to help me
kill some Orani."
The Morrigan stopped in front of me, fixing me with a hard glare. I think I preferred the evil smiles. "Are you refusing to repay my favor?"
"No." Favors owed weren't something to be trifled with. "I'm just debating the equivalence of what you're asking me to do."
The harsh lines of her face smoothed. "I helped you destroy the power base of the Orani people," she said simply. When I shook my head, she continued. "They lost most of their great illusionists and warriors in that battle. It is unlikely they will be able to regain the status they held in Faerie, or generate that mist again for decades. I only ask you to do the same in exchange."
The way she put it, her request was sounding more reasonable. "But how long is this going to take? I doubt that you're asking me to waltz into a room and kill a few people."
"Time is irrelevant. We are fae." She turned her nose up in a haughty expression. "It may take minutes or it may take centuries. Neither is of any consequence to the likes of us."
That came dangerously close to confirming my immortality, not something I liked to think about. Fortunately, I had plenty of other things to think about, but none of them good. The Morrigan was right. What she was asking for was a fair exchange, despite the time involved. I could feel it. "Fine," I said. "I will help you destroy this fae's power base. I'll get started in a couple of hours."
"You will start now."
I growled. "I thought time was irrelevant."
"The time it takes you to complete the task is irrelevant," said The Morrigan. I swear her eyes actually sparkled with mischief. "Taking time before you start your repayment is unacceptable. If I had taken a couple of hours before I helped you destroy the Orani, your companions, and quite possibly you, would be dead."
"Damn it," I muttered. I could see where this was going. "I need time to gear up, and notify my work and friends."
"You have your swords and your magic. You have all you need to complete this task. Dealing with any personal attachments is an unacceptable delay." Her mouth quirked up slightly. "Unless you would like to ask another favor for this time you request."
Yep, that's what I thought. I knew it was a mistake to allow her to set the time the favor was due. I weighed my options while The Morrigan stared me down impassively. I couldn't just disappear into Faerie without so much as a word to Owen. The office would be buzzing with rumors about my disappearing with my mother. He'd be worried sick, and probably come traipsing after me. Man, I had responsibilities. My life had changed. Once again, there was no getting around owing The Morrigan a favor. "I am considering the favor, but I'm not taking any of your ambiguous shit this time. I need to know the exact nature of the favor owed, and the time it will be called in before I agree."
The Morrigan nodded, ignoring my sass. "This is a simple favor. Time for time. While you are working on repaying the first favor, during your downtime, you will spend time with me, developing your magic. I want to see you ripen, little girl."
"Will this be an even exchange of time?" I asked.
The Morrigan was quiet, staring into the distance. "Since this is delaying a much more important quest, the exchange rate will be twenty to one."
My mouth dropped open. "You want me to spend twenty hours with you for every one I delay your quest?"
"Yes," she replied simply. "Or you can start now and will be under no obligation to spend further time with me. Do understand that any time spent on Earth will be subject to this same exchange rate unless it is specifically in service to my goals."
Damn. That meant I couldn't just agree now and then claim there was downtime and go to Earth because there was no way to advance her goals. "If I spend time with you in any capacity, then that will count toward time on Earth, even if I haven't yet taken that time."
"Agreed," replied The Morrigan, giving the slightest of nods. Did I see grudging respect in her gaze? "Do we have an accord?"
"Yes, any hour I spend on Earth before I complete your quest will be repaid twenty to one in time with you, learning to master my magic."
The Morrigan shook my hand, and yet again, I was surprised by its warmth. Her domain was death, but she was as warm and vital as any other person I'd met. As powerful as she was, The Morrigan wasn't physically that different from anyone else. I wasn't sure whether that bothered me, or if I should take comfort in it. "Very well," she said. "You may return to Earth, or you may get started now."
"I haven't been gone that long," I said. "I can take some time to familiarize myself with the objective. Who exactly will I be targeting, and what can I do to weaken their power?"
"His name is Aengus, and he is among the strongest of the Seelie fae. My opposite." For them being rivals, she didn't say his name with any bitterness. "Do you know of the differences between Unseelie and Seelie?"
I shrugged. "Not in any detail. From what I know the Seelie tend toward order and the Unseelie toward chaos. It's mostly a Faerie thing. It's not something that really comes into play for me."
The Morrigan let out a throaty laugh, but didn't explain. "If you say so. In any event, it is Aengus and his ilk that you must weaken. Are you at least familiar with which fae are Seelie?"
"I have a pretty good idea in most cases, but the fae in Volarus and on Earth are mostly Seelie." I looked at her skeptically. "You don't want me to mess with them, do you?"
"Earth and Volarus hold little draw for me," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "I want you to focus your efforts on the Seelie in Faerie." She reached into a bag I hadn't noticed, hanging behind her hip. "Here, this will help you."
I took the offered book and stared down at the title. It was called On Seelie Fae. It was nearly identical to the copy of On Unseelie Fae that Owen had. I had never thought to ask about its Seelie counterpart. If Owen didn't have a copy in his trove, it was either very common, or so rare as to be priceless. Given the situation I was in, I was leaning toward priceless. "Do you need this back?"
"No. Do what you will with it," said The Morrigan. "I've long ago memorized what it has to say."
It was a hefty book. I couldn't imagine memorizing that much information. Then again, when you had forever. I shuddered. "Fine. I'll be going to Volarus to wrap up some loose ends, then I'll come back to Faerie to get started. I'll keep track of my time."
The Morrigan's lips turned down at my mention of tracking time. "I have no doubt that you will." With that, she turned and walked into the castle. I caught a glimpse of Graulfv as the door closed.
"Well, this is going to be interesting."
CHAPTER TWO
The trip back to Volarus took several hours. I should have paid better attention to the portals The Morrigan had used to get us to the castle because the trip there had only taken minutes. I used that time to mull over what The Morrigan wanted me to do. I had to repay her favor, but I needed to consider how to best interpret it so that I wasn't doing anything I was too uncomfortable with.
I definitely didn't want to kill people unless they were trying to kill me first. I wasn't a hitwoman, no matter what I owed The Morrigan. But I wasn't naive either. If I started wrecking people's status in society, they were likely to get murderous. Overall, though, I wasn't that concerned. From what I knew, Faerie was kill or be killed, survival of the fittest. That didn't leave much room for order and society in the first place. What kind of effect could a little more chaos have on a place that was already soaking in it.
As if to prove my point, I watched what appeared to be a giant purple tongue reach out of the branches of a tree and pull in a bright red opossum. A few seconds later there was a rain of bones as the less edible parts were expelled. Faerie was bonkers.
A little while later I started the stopwatch on my phone and stepped through the portal in Last Stop. The convenience store looked the same as it had the last few times I'd been there. Ivan the ogre was behind the counter and gave me a smile. I waved at him and pulled out my phone to set up an Uber. I also shot Owen a text to let him know I was fine and I'd be at hi
s place soon.
"You becoming a regular customer?" he asked.
The last time I'd come through was only a week ago, and it had been in FAB custody. "No offense, Ivan, but I really hope not."
I poured myself a big cup of coffee and gave Ivan a couple dollars for it. I hated traipsing through his store without buying something. Besides, dealing with this The Morrigan crap was going to require lots of coffee.
"No offense taken. If the only reason you have to come through here is the portal, I don't blame you feeling that way at all." He shook his head emphatically. "I've never been there, and I don't ever plan to."
"I'll drink to that," I said, taking a swig of my coffee. It was delicious. "I might just have to become a regular for this coffee though."
Ivan managed to keep the small talk going after that and I kept up the best I could while I waited for my ride to show up. He showed me pictures of his two kids. They were a boy and girl, ages five and seven respectively.
"Mara is excited to have Ivan Junior coming to school with her," said Ivan. "She wants to show him everything."
"They're both adorable," I said. My phone alerted me to my driver arriving. "I see why Owen always asks about them." I pointed to my phone and headed out the door. "I'll see you around."
The Uber driver dropped me at the Olendra Suites ten minutes later. Leo, the doorman, greeted me with a smile as he opened the door. "Nice to see you again, Miss Morrigan."
"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Sophie?" I teased as I walked through.
"At least one more," replied Leo.
Owen met me at the door to his apartment. He wrapped me in a hug so tight I thought I might pass out. "I really hate the rumor mill at work. They said The Morrigan showed up and whisked you away in a cloud of black smoke."
I sucked in a breath and leaned back to look him in the eyes. "As much as the rumor mill at work tends to get things wrong, this time's the exception. The Morrigan did show up and take me away." The color drained from his face. "She's calling in her favor."
