by Eric Asher
Nixie pursed her lips. “That’s different.”
“I’ve never tried to heal a human before. Did I do it wrong?”
“She’s alive,” the woman beside them said. “I don’t care what you did wrong. You did that right.”
“You’re like a princess,” the girl said. “That’s what Base said.”
“Not … exactly.” But Nixie couldn’t stop the smile that slid across her face. “Base?”
“She has trouble with her Ps,” the woman said.
“May I try something? A healing … technique?” Nixie waited for the woman’s response.
“Come on, Mom,” the girl said.
“Sure, of course. You people …” her eyes trailed down to Pace’s fins, gracefully twitching in the waves. “You saved us already. I trust you.”
“You shouldn’t always trust the Fae,” Nixie said. “Some of them have ill intentions.”
“Like your king?” the mom asked. “He rubs me the wrong way. People shouldn’t be killing each other, but stealing those weapons was no way to make peace.”
“He’s not my king,” Nixie said, reaching out to the girl.
“Is it going to hurt?” she asked, leaning back against Pace.
“No more than it already hurts,” Nixie said. “You might be tired, though. That’s normal. Are you ready?”
She nodded, but Nixie could see the tears in the corners of the girl’s eyes.
“Socius Sanation.” The incantation wasn’t much above a whisper, but the child’s gasp was like thunder. White light that gave off no illumination glowed all around them, casting Nixie’s fingers and the blue flesh into a dim gray.
And then it was over. A hint of blue remained on the girl’s throat, but Nixie couldn’t see the veins and lifeblood pulsing beneath her skin. She took a deep breath and nodded to the girl.
“All done.”
“Done?” she asked, cracking open one eye.
“Yes, now let’s get you back to your mom.”
Pace gently raised her to Nixie when the flash burst around them. And then another as Nixie set the girl down just on the edge of the shore by her mother, but she wouldn’t let go of Nixie’s hand.
She turned back and said, “Thank you, Base.”
The blue man of the Minch nodded to her. “Of course, princess.”
The girl grinned, squeezed Nixie’s hand, and reached out to her mother. Another flash of light and Nixie squinted at the commoner some twenty feet away. A brilliant flash from the man’s camera threatened to blind her.
“Reporters,” Nixie groaned.
“Are you really a queen?” the girl asked, looking up at Nixie from her place beside her mom.
“I am, child.”
“I’m a princess.”
Her mom squeezed her child’s shoulders. “Thank you. Get out of here. I’ll talk to the reporter.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Nixie said.
“And your people didn’t have to save us,” she said. “You didn’t have to save my princess. Now go.”
With that, the mom and her child walked toward the reporter.
The Mosasaurus roared in the distance.
“Rest well, guardian,” Nixie said as the earth vibrated beneath her feet.
“Until we meet again,” Pace said with an awkward salute off his eyebrow.
“Thank you, friend. Until then.”
The blue man vanished into the waters.
“Would you please let me by?” a raised voice shouted.
Nixie saw the reporter, blocked in by the dancing child and her admirably stubborn mother. Nudd and the Unseelie Fae had dared to attack commoners on the ancient shores of Atlantis. That would not stand.
She took a deep breath as exhaustion settled in. Two fingers ran down the back of the gauntlet on Nixie’s left hand. For a moment she feared what might be waiting for her in the shadows, but whatever it was, she’d be ready.
The Abyss opened its arms once more.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The golden path materialized between one step and the next. No cage appeared. No long savage teeth of the fire demon’s face. Instead, it was just the darkness of the Abyss, and the dim lights in the distance.
Nixie felt the tug, but the path before her did not change. Instead, a small shower of golden lights drifted down beside her until footsteps echoed hers, and the glowing form of Gaia took shape.
“Is Damian okay?” Nixie asked. “Did something happen?”
“He is as well as he can be,” Gaia said. “You need not worry yourself more.”
That was good to hear, but even if he was as well off as he had been before, that wasn’t exactly a good thing. He was still trapped in the Abyss, still trapped in the corrupted mantle of Anubis. And he would be until they could transfer Gaia’s powers, but even that had no guarantees.
“Your journey was a success?” Gaia asked.
Nixie felt it had been more of a statement than a question, but she answered regardless. “I got the Eye. I’m taking it to Zola now. Hopefully she’s still at Coldwater.”
“Her journey will perhaps be the hardest of them all.”
“Why?” Nixie asked. “Why is Zola burdened with anything more than the rest of us?”
“Because she takes the guilt for all that has happened onto herself,” Gaia said. “But these things are not her fault. Perhaps one day she will be able to understand that. But for now, that guilt fuels her, drives her to the end of her path.”
“What else do we need to save Damian?” Nixie asked.
“The items you have gathered thus far will assist in saving Vicky, and Damian’s sister, Samantha. Once Zola acquires the third piece, the cores of the blood knot can be transferred. Should she fail, then the gift of my powers to Damian will kill both of them.”
Nixie cursed under her breath. “It would be great if for one damn time the consequences weren’t life and death.”
Gaia offered her a warm smile. “That is all the world is.”
Nixie sighed. “I suppose it is.”
“But I have not visited you merely to discuss philosophies. I am afraid Damian’s time is limited.”
“What do you mean?” Nixie looked up at the goddess when she didn’t answer.
“His consciousness is fading,” Gaia said. “I cannot feel much of who he is anymore. I believe the Abyss has slowed the effect, but you do not have long.”
“How long?” Nixie asked.
“It is impossible to say exactly,” Gaia said. “But it would seem the magic of the Mad King has damaged the mantle more than we realized.” Gaia closed her eyes and turned her head skyward for a moment. “There are still many souls trapped within him, many voices, and I think they have given him some anchor. But they are being pulled away, and I do not think he has more than a few days.”
Nixie cursed. “We need the last core.”
“Yes,” Gaia said, “but that is not all we will need to transfer my powers to Damian. That is what you need to spare the life of Samantha and Vicky. The cores and an anchor to bind the three.”
“That has to be our priority,” Nixie said. “Damian wouldn’t be able to live with himself if those two died.” Her own words cut deep into her heart. But she knew it was true. That wasn’t the kind of thing he’d come back from. That would bury him in agony until the end of his days.
“Be quick, my Queen, for time has grown short. Find a worthy anchor for their life-force.”
Nixie blinked at Gaia’s use of her title. “Do what you can to keep him here. Keep him safe.”
“Be wary,” Gaia said. “Gwynn Ap Nudd has escalated the forces he’s sending against you. The chaos you fought outside the fort was a mere reflection of what that monster can be. Be wary.”
Nixie felt the tug on her being from the gauntlet, telling her she was at her destination. She slowed to a stop and Gaia hovered beside her, the golden motes of her eyes studying Nixie for a time.
“I’ve seen much change in the world and the
time I have lived. But perhaps the change in you, and your people, has surprised me more than any. I wish you well on your journey, my Queen. Protect your people and do not forget you have many allies.”
“Thank you.” She inclined her head and swiped her fingers across the back of the gauntlet. The Abyss shimmered, and Nixie fell.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
It wasn’t a smooth exit from the Abyss. Nixie frowned at the sudden feeling of weightlessness until her vision returned and she saw the water rushing up to greet her. A muffled curse escaped her lips as she splashed down into a pond filled with some very surprised looking frogs.
Nixie glided to the edge of the water and climbed out of the blue pool. A small patch of algae stuck to her shoulder and she peeled it off with some irritation. Something wiggled near her waist and she looked down to find a bulky frog nestled between her satchel and her armor.
She held her hand out and scooped up the little amphibian. It was then that she remembered the pond, remembered talking to Damian as he stood on the shore not far from where she was. She’d done a water sending, and one of those little frogs had gotten sucked up into it. Nixie smiled at the memory and set the squishy green lump back into the pond.
Coldwater was a strange place. On the surface it was peaceful, tranquil even. But something was unsettling about the old fields. Demons had been slain here. Necromancers, commoners, and the ghosts of all of them prowled the shadows.
Nixie stepped through the tall weeds at the pond’s edge and started toward the cabin that sat on a short hill in the distance. She frowned at the sun, higher in the sky than it had been in the Caribbean. Traveling great distances was far more jarring near sunrise and sunset.
The green tin roof caught the light and the old oak in the front yard looked like an inferno in the reflection. A copperhead snake raised a curious head above the grass before vanishing once more into the undergrowth. They were venomous serpents to commoners, but harmless to the undines.
Nixie ran her hand along the tips of some tall purple flowers, an unnatural color to see in this part of the state, but she knew what lay buried beneath her feet. The remains of a demon, the one known as Azzazoth. It was a story Damian liked to tell, and one Nixie had heard far too many times. She only hoped she’d get to hear it again.
Startling Zola Adanaya was to invite a terrible death. Nixie let her boots thump hard on the wooden steps leading up to the screen door. Gray shingles hung across the wall and a mangled rusty chair sat in the corner.
Nixie pulled the screen door open, and it squealed like a piglet. She pushed through the door behind it and stepped into the cabin. The conversation in the front room died.
“Girl,” Zola said, tapping her knobby old cane on the hardwood floor, “I’ve seen three-days dead raccoons that looked better than you.”
Nixie gave a weak smile. “It’s been a rough day.”
Motion on the coffee table drew her attention. Aideen was there, camped out on a miniature bench next to Zola’s coffee mug.
“Did Mike do that?” Aideen asked.
“What? No! Mike would never do this.” Nixie traced the lines of rough flesh along her right cheek. “It was another fire demon. Several of them, actually. A trial guarding the Eye of Atlantis.” She prodded at her other cheek, but the wound from the Unseelie knight had already healed.
An old black and white television sputtered in the corner opposite a wood stove. The words from the reporter drew Nixie’s attention and she blinked at the image.
“Once again, we haven’t confirmed this is the wife of infamous necromancer Damian Vesik, but that is the current belief.”
Nixie frowned at the television. “Excuse me? I have a name.”
“Not to mention a title,” Aideen muttered.
“This photo shows the mother and daughter rescued outside the fort called Del Morro in Puerto Rico. When asked for comment, the mother tripped our local reporter. Sadly, the queen vanished. But this shows you what we’ve been saying for weeks now at Channel 15 News: the Fae are as multifaceted as we are. They aren’t all your enemies. And if you slip back into a hatred of all Fae, remember this photo.” He pointed to the small rectangle floating above his shoulder. “Remember that she killed those monsters and saved that family. Never forget it.”
The photo took up the whole screen now, showing Nixie hand in hand with that mother and daughter, Pace just a blur in the background. But the gratitude on the woman’s face was plain to see, and the admiration caught in the little girl’s smile cut Nixie to the bone.
Her façade fractured and she covered her face with her right hand. Tears fought their way free no matter how hard she resisted them. Nixie bit the inside of her mouth, dug her nails into her palm, but nothing could stem the tide.
Something slammed into her as she stood on the orange area rug and wept. Nixie opened her eyes and found a teenager with hair like an inferno wrapped around her waist.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Vicky said. “It’s kind of like Damian’s here, too.”
Nixie tried to speak, but only a sob came out. She crushed Vicky in a hug. A firm hand squeezed her shoulder and she didn’t need to see the old necromancer to know it was Zola.
“Oh god, my feels,” another voice said from the kitchen.
Nixie looked past the little bar and gave a shaky laugh when she saw a wide-eyed death bat standing there, fur as white as a winter’s snow. Luna sipped at a soda before shuffling into the living room and flopping on the couch. A small, round furball sat on the counter, his eyes wide and black.
The queen of the undines sniffed, wiped her eyes and gave Vicky another squeeze. “I’m …”
Zola held up her hand as Vicky joined Luna. “Did you get it?”
“This?” Nixie asked as she fished the Eye of Atlantis out of her pouch.
Zola sagged into the couch, the relief plain to see on the old woman’s face.
“Thank the gods,” Aideen muttered, leaning over in her chair. “I can’t lose anyone else, so help me.”
Panic struck at Nixie’s heart. “Foster? Is he okay?”
“Oh yes!” Aideen said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. He’s still in Falias. Let me see those scars. What in the world did that to you? It was truly fire demons?”
“I don’t know what else they could have been. The Eye was in a cage of sorts in the Abyss. Like it was in its own private plane of existence.”
Aideen grimaced. “A barbaric tradition. Long ago, Faerie used to enslave demons to guard their more valuable artifacts. It was a practice abandoned well before the rise of the Mad King.”
Nixie rolled the Eye between her fingers.
“Let me take a look at that,” Zola said, extending her hand.
Nixie held out the small blue orb.
The old Cajun took it and studied it for a time. “I see where it got its name. If I didn’t know better, I could almost think this was an actual Eye.”
“It’s a weapon, Zola. With enough power to slay a great many water witches. I only hope we can harness its power to help Damian.”
Zola nodded. “It should be enough to anchor one of the cores. To transfer it to someone else.” Her voice lowered and Nixie almost missed the whisper. “Something else.”
Aideen launched herself off the coffee table and fluttered to Nixie’s shoulder. “Sit down. I need to see your face.”
Exhaustion threated to pull Nixie to her knees anyway, so she didn’t argue. She sat on a high-backed orange chair and winced when Aideen started poking at the scar tissue.
“Who healed you?” Aideen asked.
“An elderly undine I met in Atlantis,” Nixie said. “Shamus. I think he may be a descendant of the line of kings, but he wants nothing to do with ruling the old city.”
Aideen leaned back so Nixie could better see her. “A male undine? And, umm, isn’t the city dead?”
“Not as dead as we thought. Several deserters moved there when the wars began. And apparently some arrived long before th
at. And they’re living in peace with the blue men of the Minch.”
“Well that explains where they disappeared to,” Aideen said.
“Shamus used some kind of poultice wrapped in kelp and fed me something that tasted like the bottom of Damian’s refrigerator.”
“Oh gross,” Vicky said, revulsion plain on her face.
Aideen barked out a laugh. “That’s … graphic. I’m familiar with the concoction, or at least the story of it. It gives some credence to the idea he may be from another age.”
The fairy danced on Nixie’s shoulder and vanished into her scorched hair. “Okay, so, Shamus did a great job of making you not die, but this is going to hurt like a bitch to fix as Casper would say.”
Nixie blew out a breath. “Just get it over with.”
“You sure?” Vicky asked. “Dudes dig scars.”
Nixie narrowed her eyes at Vicky, and then the pain ignited across her body. Her teeth ground together, and instinct drove her to try to shift to water, escape the pain, but no matter what she did, Aideen kept her trapped in the incantation.
The fairy’s face twisted as she moved her hands down Nixie’s neck, up behind her ear, and finally traced the savaged flesh around her left eye until it felt she’d burst into flames at any moment.
“Fuck! Me!” Nixie barked when Aideen finally pulled away and the white light of the incantation faded to nothing.
Luna’s nose twitched as she slowly raised a handful of cheeseballs to her mouth. The crunch filled the silence of the cabin, an odd contrast to the quiet.
“Ah’ve seen worse,” Zola said.
“That’s … very helpful,” Nixie muttered. She turned her gaze back to Aideen when the fairy tugged at her armor.
“Do you mind?” Aideen asked.
“Mind what?”
Aideen sighed and rolled her eyes before exploding into her full-sized form. An eruption of fairy dust sprayed against the wall.
“My cheeseballs!” Luna yelled, covering the bowl as the cloud of glittering fairy dust settled around them.
Vicky tossed a few back, running her tongue over her teeth. “They’re still good. Foster tastes way worse.”
