by Linsey Hall
Tarron had been hit by this curse while we’d been trying to rescue Aeri and her boyfriend. She’d gotten cleaned up first, getting into a fresh ghost suit so she was fight-ready, and he should be done in the shower any minute now.
“I’ll check.” She shot me a serious look. “But you need to eat something before we go. You look ready to drop.”
I nodded, my stomach grumbling at the thought. Though food held little appeal, I needed to keep my strength up.
I looked at the Thorn Wolf. “Keep an eye on him, will you, buddy?”
He woofed low, then sat in front of Tarron, his eyes glued to the bound man.
Aeri went to find Declan while I hurried to my kitchen. Quickly, I put some bacon in the microwave—not ideal, but I wasn’t rolling in time—then went to my bedroom and changed into fresh clothes. Fight wear, of course.
I grabbed a huge stack of cash from the bottom dresser drawer, just in case the root of Paeoria was pricey, and withdrew my potion bag from the ether. I stashed the cash in it and shoved the bag back into the ether.
By the time I made it into the kitchen, the microwave was beeping. I pulled out the hot plate and threw together two sandwiches.
I bit down into the first sandwich, and deliciousness exploded on my tongue. Life was always better with bacon. I ate as I returned to the workshop and handed Burn the second sandwich.
“For you, buddy. You earned it.”
He nipped it gracefully out of my hand and chomped down.
Tarron had slumped in his bindings, finally exhausted from fighting against the enchanted metal.
“I’ll keep an eye on him.” Declan’s voice sounded from behind, and I turned.
The fallen angel had wet hair from his recent shower, and Aeri stood at his side.
“Thanks. I don’t think he can get out of those chains, but I’d hate to lose him if it happened.”
Declan nodded.
Aeri approached. “Let’s get a move on.”
I held out my hand for her. She reached out and gripped my palm. I called upon my magic, envisioning St Vincent Street in Glasgow, with its wide road and massive stone buildings.
The ether sucked us in and spun us through space, finally spitting us out on the dark road in the middle of the city. Streetlights shed a golden glow on the creamy flagstone, and drunken revelers stumbled along ahead of us.
“It’s got to be near midnight here,” Aeri said. “The Fae pub will still be open.”
“Good. We can pretend to be patrons.” I spun in a circle to get my bearings, then pointed. “This way.”
Together, we hurried down the street, headed toward the east end and the alley marked with the rowan bough.
As we walked, Aeri broke the silence. “So, if you overthrow your mother, that will make you queen, you know.”
I swallowed hard. “Yep.”
“You don’t sound that excited about it.”
“I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it.”
“Now that you have?”
The words blurted out of me. “I don’t think I want it.”
“The responsibility, you mean?”
“Exactly. The crown is fine, the deference and being called Your Highness—that all sounds great. Plus, the palace is fabulous. But it’s so much work. So much responsibility. And it all takes place in another realm.”
“And I thought I was gone from home a lot these days. You’d never be around.”
“Exactly. We’ve built an awesome life in Magic’s Bend. I like that life. I don’t suddenly want to be doing a lot of bureaucracy—because that’s what it is, if you’re a decent queen. The boring minutia and stress of making sure everyone is okay.”
Aeri shuddered. “Yeah, no thanks.”
“It’s definitely not how our mother is ruling.” My heart twisted. “I can’t believe that the only family I’ve ever known sucks. Our aunt. My mother.”
“I don’t suck.”
I wrapped my arm around her neck and leaned my head against hers. “That, you do not.”
“But I get it. Would be nice to have some good family besides the two of us.”
I nodded, then shoved the thought away.
We passed several bars and restaurants before I spotted the stone rowan bough. It was subtle, but unmistakable. Compared to the other spots on the street, the Fae pub was distinctly lower key. A narrow set of stairs led down into the shadowed alley.
“There’s not even a sign,” Aeri said.
I glanced up at the rowan bough. “Just that thing, if you know to look for it.”
“Do you think they’ll let me in, since I don’t have Fae blood?”
“Let’s try.”
She nodded and started down the stairs. I followed, keeping my footsteps silent on the stone. By the time we reached the bottom, the light from the street lamps above had faded. Faerie lights glittered a few feet over my head, shining a faint glow on the alley.
A narrow door stood at the end of the passage, closed tightly against the night air.
“Not very welcoming,” Aeri muttered.
I frowned and strode up to it. “There’s no door handle.”
“But there is a little hatch.” Aeri pointed to a tiny hatch set into the door, just above our eye level. “Should we knock?”
“What if there is a fancy knock we have to do and we screw it up and they know we’re not regulars? Or invited?”
“Good point.” She frowned, then pointed to the middle of the door. “Is that stain what I think it is?”
I peered at it, then nodded. “Definitely blood.”
“Then you know what to do, fairy lady.”
I smirked at her, then sliced my fingertip and pressed the bloody tip to the door, trying not to think about how gross it was.
Nothing happened.
I glanced at Aeri. “You try.”
She shrugged and cut her finger, then pressed it to the door.
The little hatch on the door slid open, and she yanked her hand back. My gaze flew up to the hatch, meeting a pair of black eyes.
“What do you want?”
“A drink.” Aeri glared. “I suggest you let us in if you don’t wish to face our wrath.”
I let loose with a bit of my magical signature, and Aeri did the same. It was the supernatural version of flexing your muscles, and it worked.
The eyes darted left and right, then the door creaked and swung open.
Aeri and I shared a glance.
Well, that had worked. And apparently Penriel wasn’t a fan of the Fae, since her blood had worked and mine had not.
I stepped toward the door. The scent of the forest and a rushing river flowed out. Despite the welcoming sounds, the corridor within was dark and creepy.
“Definite creep vibes,” Aeri muttered.
“Perfect,” I said wryly. “Penriel is a weirdo.”
2
I stepped into the darkened corridor, dodging to avoid the hulking guard. Aeri followed.
A narrow stream burbled by on the right, rushing over rocks and flowing into a gap in the floor near the door. Tree branches arced overhead, full of black birds that stared down with red eyes.
“Don’t move too fast or they’ll attack,” the guard grumbled. He wore a dark uniform that allowed him to blend into the corridor easily.
“Noted.” I eyed them warily, determined not to incite their ire.
The bird closest to me cocked its head and cawed. I smiled, reaching up slowly to let it sniff at my fingers.
Could birds even smell?
The little creature pecked at my fingertips, clearly curious.
“Be careful…” the guard rumbled.
I wasn’t sure what I was doing exactly, but we needed these birds to like us. If things went south in here and we had to make a run for it, I didn’t want these cute little bastards pecking at my eyes.
“Hang on, buddy.” I reached into my pocket and withdrew a few of the butterscotch candies I always kept on hand. I raised the handfu
l to the bird, who took one.
Satisfied, the bird hopped to the side and chirped at me.
A few others came over and took the rest of the sweets.
“Thanks, guys.” I strode under his branch, gratified that he didn’t shit on me. “There’s more where that came from.”
The corridor ahead was long and narrow, forcing us into single file. The little river to my right widened as we neared the main entrance of the bar, splitting to enter the larger room and flow around the edges. A small bridge arced over it, and I strode across.
Aeri joined me on the bridge, which was wide enough for two, and we entered the dark underground bar side by side. The space was filled with comfortable chairs upholstered in green velvet. The river circled the entire space, filling the room with the scent of fresh water.
“This is nice. Places like this normally reek of booze,” I muttered.
“And vomit,” Aeri said. “But not for the Fae, apparently.”
“Even their underground dive bars are fancy.”
Trees were scattered throughout the space, dotted between the chairs and couches and reaching over them with their limbs. It gave the feel of being in an underground forest. Faerie lights sparkled against the ceiling, coalescing in greater numbers near the long bar at the back. It appeared to be made of one massive tree trunk that had been smoothed off at the top.
The bartender looked human. I frowned.
“Weird,” Aeri said. “I expected a Fae. Don’t they tend to stick together?”
“They do, but Penriel is without a court.”
Aeri shrugged. “Makes sense, then, I guess.”
A few faces turned to watch us approach the bar. Most people sat in the comfy green chairs, chatting in quiet voices over drinks that gleamed golden.
“Shifter, witch, vampire, and demon,” I murmured to Aeri, taking stock of the clientele. “Not a single Fae.”
“Maybe I should do the talking, then,” Aeri said. “Since he doesn’t like your kind.”
“Good plan.” I’d never thought of myself as being particularly Fae-looking, but better safe than sorry.
We stopped in front of the bar.
The guy behind it looked up, a bottle of Buckfast in his hand. I grimaced at the sight of the fortified, caffeinated wine.
“What can I get you?” he asked.
“Two glasses of wine, please,” Aeri said.
We rarely drank wine—preferring Manhattans and martinis—but at least it was low alcohol.
He raised the bottle of Buckfast. “This will do?”
“Not exactly what I was thinking,” Aeri said.
I grimaced. Buckfast was made at an abbey in England near where Claire had been born. She’d brought us a bottle of the awful stuff once, and I’d vowed to never drink it again.
“How about a white.” Aeri gave him her best smile.
“Suit yourself.” He shrugged and turned back to the shelves of liquor.
I leaned against the bar, turning to inspect the room around us. The other patrons had turned back to their conversations, leaving us in a dark little bubble. On the left wall, I spotted a small dark door.
I called upon my Seeker sense, asking it to find Penriel. As I’d expected, it tugged hard toward the door.
Subtly, I pointed to it. “That leads to Penriel.”
“I’ll take care of this guy,” Aeri murmured.
He returned with our glasses and set them on the counter. I caught sight of Aeri slicing her index finger with her sharp thumbnail.
“Thanks, handsome,” she purred, leaning over the bar to get closer to him.
He leaned toward her, the grin already spreading across his face.
“So, you’re not from around here?” he asked, his Glaswegian accent thick.
“What gave it away?”
“Well, your accent, for—”
Before he could finish the sentence, she swiped out and smeared a bit of her white blood over his forehead. Her magic flared briefly, and her voice filled with suggestive power. “Take us though the black door.”
He blinked, his eyes going unfocused.
I frowned.
The bartender stood stock-still, seeming dumbstruck. Or frozen.
Aeri leaned back. “Well, shit.”
“You broke him.” His eyes looked hazy and strange.
Gently, Aeri poked him in the chest. He didn’t so much as move. “Damn it. I didn’t see that coming.”
“Neither did I. It never happens.” I looked around to inspect the clientele. No one had turned to look at us. “Can you make a distraction so I can slip through the door?”
She nodded. “No problem. I’ll meet you in there.”
Silently, she snuck away, heading toward the ladies’ room. A few heads turned to check her out, but she ignored them, going through the wooden door. A moment later, the door cracked open, though no one exited.
Aeri.
She’d used her ghost suit to become invisible. A few seconds later, the chair closest to the bathroom levitated into the air, then smashed down.
Every head—except the bartender’s, which was weirdly frozen—turned in shock. Another chair went flying.
I grinned.
Aeri had the distraction under control, so I slipped toward the unguarded door. When I reached it, I grabbed the handle and tried to pull it open.
Nothing.
It was stuck solid.
Damn it.
I pulled harder, giving it some of my Dragon Blood strength, and the wood around the lock splintered. The door swung open.
Good enough.
I stepped into the dark little corridor. Here, there was no rushing river. Instead, fiery crystals were set into the wall, each seeming to contain an individual flame.
Quickly, I strode down the hall and into a large room. Four large tables sat in the space, each piled high with tiny jars and potion-making materials. There didn’t seem to be any sort of organization, and I assumed Penriel was a bit of a mess.
The dirt walls of the space were threaded through with tree roots, and faerie lights glittered in the crevices.
Penriel might have forsaken any Fae courts, but there was no denying his Fae nature.
“Penriel?” I called out.
“Kevin,” a voice snapped from the shadows. A slender man stepped out, his golden hair bright in the dimness of the room. “My name is Kevin.”
Oookay. “Great. Kevin it is, then.”
There had to be a reason he’d picked a super normal human name, and I didn’t want to piss him off—yet. So I’d play it his way.
“How did you get back here?” he demanded.
“I have my ways.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” He tugged at his dark shirt. Like most potion-masters, he seemed to favor all black. It was just practical. “Why are you here?”
“I need some root of Paeoria, and I heard you were just the guy.”
His frown deepened. “That’s rare. And expensive.”
“Do you have it?”
“Maybe.”
I sighed. “I’ll pay, obviously.”
“How well?”
Another presence appeared—invisible but unmistakable. Aeri had joined me. She stayed invisible, which was only smart.
I kept my eyes on Penriel instead of searching for her. “What do you want?”
“Ten grand.”
Ouch. “That’s pretty steep.”
“And you’re pretty desperate.” He sneered, and it changed his whole face. He went from blandly handsome to rat-like in the flash of an eye.
“I’m not.” I was proud of how stable my voice sounded.
“You are. I can see it on you.” He tapped the side of his nose. “Fae power.”
“Ten thousand, then. Fine. I just want to get out of here.” I reached into the ether and withdrew my potion bag. Quickly, I yanked out wads of cash. It was bound in stacks of hundreds, and I made sure he didn’t see that I had more than he’d asked for.
&n
bsp; He gestured for me to approach. “Come on, then.”
Was he being oddly twitchy?
Wary, I approached. “The root of Paeoria?”
“Money first.”
“At the same time.”
“Money first.” His demand was antsy. Like an addict looking for a fix. Or an awkward weirdo trying to pull a fast one.
“Fine.” I handed him the cash.
He grabbed it from me.
“The root of Paeoria?” I asked.
“It’s time for you to go.” He thrust out his hands, and magic exploded from his palms. I flew backward, an invisible force pushing me toward the door.
Panic flared. I struggled against his power, but was unable to break it.
Aeri.
He still didn't know she was here. Perhaps she could sneak through and take what we were after.
“And your invisible friend, too,” he hissed.
Damn it.
Aeri shouted from my left, surprise in the sound. She appeared a half second later, scowling as she was forced back toward the door.
I considered throwing the Aranthian Crystal at him to freeze his magic, but hesitated.
No.
We’d worked hard to get that crystal from the Dark Necromancer. It hadn’t worked against the false queen—not for long, at least—but we might still need it.
Quickly, I sliced my finger and smiled at the pinch of pain. I needed just a bit of magic…
I envisioned stopping time around Penriel, freezing him so his magic ceased and we could do what needed doing.
The magic surged in my veins as my Dragon Blood roared. It created new power, giving me a heady sense of strength.
Penriel froze solid, his face twisted in a sneer of victory.
The power that pushed me toward the door stopped abruptly, and I grinned.
Aeri stopped drifting backward and smiled, shaking her limbs out. “Good work.”
“Doesn’t work on strong supernaturals, but he’s fairly weak.” I brushed my hands off and stepped forward, staring at Penriel. “Your guards seemed to realize they were dealing with someone they shouldn’t mess with. Shame you didn’t get the memo.”
I walked past him, calling upon my Seeker sense to find the root of Paeoria. “I sure hope this bastard has what we’re looking for.”
“The book said it would be withered and purple.”
