by Cheree Alsop
“She’s been asking for you.”
Vey’s familiar voice turned his head. At the sight of the wood nymphs entering the street, the fae citizens parted to let them through. Whispered words and a quiet reverence surrounded the ancient healers. Between them walked the woman who held Aleric’s gaze. Lilian’s eyes searched the fae quickly. It was only when her gaze met Aleric’s that her tension seemed to ease. Valerian and Vinca supported her from each side; it was easy to see that she had been through a hard fight to survive, but at the sight of the werewolf, she moved past the wood nymphs to him.
She clung to Aleric. He felt the trembling of her arms.
“Can we go home?” she asked in a desperate whisper.
Aleric looked over her head at the fae creatures who watched them. He understood why Lilian was so terrified. If he hadn’t grown up with demons, goblins, gnomes, trolls, centaurs, and all other manner of Light and Dark fae, especially considering the time she had spent as a prisoner of the gorgons, he would probably have been afraid as well. After all she had gone through, he couldn’t blame her want to get back home to her father and a normal life.
“Mathen?” he asked, meeting the banshee’s gaze.
He inclined his head. “I’ll have my children do it. As you know, they’ve shown much more skill with the Rift than I.”
“I appreciate it,” the werewolf replied.
Daylen and Elianna followed their mother into the street.
“Promise you’ll come back and visit,” Elianna begged.
Aleric hugged her. “I promise I’ll be back.”
The words made his chest tight. A glance past the little girl showed the smiles and nods of the Drake City citizens at his words. Acceptance was something he hadn’t thought to find in the city of his youth. If he had been told that bringing a dragon to rescue the fae would clear the name of werewolves, he would have figured out a way to do it a long time ago.
“I promise I’ll be back,” he repeated. Diablo purred and rubbed her head against his chin. Aleric was grateful the little kitten had escaped the battle unscathed. “Ready to go?” he asked the minky.
She gave him one more meow, then jumped from his arms and soared across the street. He followed the minky’s flight to two little grim children hiding in the shadows. Diablo landed in the arms of the little girl. When he met their gazes, Grimma and Grimsley gave him huge smiles and waved. Diablo rubbed her head against Grimma’s cheek. Aleric’s keen ears caught her giggle. He nodded. As much as he would miss the little minky, he was glad she was with the grims.
The banshee children sang their sweet song at the corner of the Glass District. Whispers ran through the watching crowd as the Rift shimmered to existence in front of the waiting werewolf and vampire. The sight of the alley brought with it a sensation of returning home. Aleric felt another shiver run down Lilian’s body. He held her close and she leaned against him for support.
“Ready?” he asked softly.
“Definitely,” she replied.
Aleric motioned for Dartan to go on ahead. The werewolf glanced back once at the fae they would leave behind.
“Don’t be a stranger,” Mathen called out.
“You know where we are if you need us,” the governor said. “It’s good to know that if any of us fall through the Rift, you’re on the other side to help us get home.”
Aleric nodded. “I’d recommend staying on this side if you can help it.”
Chuckles ran through the crowd at his words.
“Let’s go,” Lilian said.
She stepped forward, giving him no choice but to follow. Aleric entered the Rift with a strange lump in his throat. As reluctant as he had been to enter Blays, the thought of leaving was harder than he had expected. There had been good times along with the hard ones. At least he knew that if he was forced to return, he would be met in a far better light than he had left.
When Aleric reached the other side of the Rift, the cool early morning air brought with it the asphalt and exhaust scent of Edge City’s streets. Aleric looked back in time to see the Rift shrink and then disappear completely. He reached out a hand to catch the salamander totem, but a white palm snaked out first and snatched it from the air.
“Too slow, Wolfie,” Dartan said. “One might think you were reluctant to leave.”
Embarrassed that his friend could read him so well, Aleric was about to give a flippant reply when Lilian’s voice stopped him.
“I never want to see a fae creature again as long as I live.”
He turned to see her walking quickly toward the mouth of the alley with far more strength than she had shown in Blays.
He hurried to catch up to her. “Lilian, I—”
She spun around. “Aleric, I have never been so afraid in my life.” Her voice shook, but when he reached out a hand to comfort her, she backed away. “Your people are-are monsters. You’re animals. You’re savages.” Her gaze shifted to where Dartan watched her wide-eyed. “You are blood-sucking monsters and I never, ever want to see either of you or any of your kind ever again.”
Aleric felt as if a troll had punched him in the stomach. She stalked away. He knew he should go after her, but he could only watch her go.
“Lilian, are you alright?” Officer Ling’s voice said from the street.
“I need to get to my father,” she replied.
“Right away,” the officer said. “Come with me.”
“You should go with her,” Dartan urged quietly.
Aleric shook his head. “She’s been through too much. I need to give her time.” He heard the door of the police car shut. The sound felt as if it trapped a piece of his heart.
Dartan waited quietly for the rumble of the car to fade away. He cleared his throat, something Aleric had never heard the vampire do. “Let’s go get some of the pie you love so much.”
Aleric glanced at him. “I thought you said it tasted like chalk.”
Dartan nodded and led the way down the street. “It does, but the waitresses are cute and you need a break before you go back to the hospital.”
The werewolf and vampire were in the middle of a mild argument about that subject when they reached Minnow’s.
“I don’t think I should return,” Aleric repeated for the third time. “The protesters have made sure that nobody will go to a hospital where a werewolf is one of the treating physicians, qualified or not.”
“You only treat the fae,” Dartan pointed out again. “They can’t complain because you aren’t healing humans.”
“Just the same, you saw Lilian. Fear and distrust are the hardest emotions to get over. It’s going to take a long time, and that’s if Dr. Worthen trusts me to treat again.” He pulled the door open and stepped inside.
“He already let you back,” Dartan reminded him. “Without you, who knows what would have happened to Maes? Nobody else knew how to treat the ifrits.”
“I failed her husband,” Aleric said quietly.
“But you saved Starija’s mother,” Dartan replied.
“Hello, Dr. Wolf,” Iris said when she saw them. She nodded at the vampire. “Hello Dartan. Come right this way. Your table is open.”
“At this hour?” Dartan said with humor coloring his voice. “I figured you’d be full before dawn.”
She winked at him as she set menus on the table of their usual spot. “Some days, you’d be surprised. And full or not, after all you’ve done for this city, you’ll always be welcome here.”
“That makes one place,” Aleric said quietly as he took a seat.
Dartan sat down and gave the waitress a pleading look. “Will you tell my friend he’s not scary?”
She turned a surprised gaze on Aleric. “You’re not scary at all,” she said. She nodded toward the television set hanging near the corner. “I’ll have to admit that we all watched you ride that dragon away from the city with our hearts in our throats, but the dragon was the scary thing, not you.”
“See,” Dartan replied. “Maybe jumping from a helicopter onto t
he back of a very disgruntled fire-breathing beast did something to help with your reputation.”
“What reputation?” Iris asked curiously.
Dartan sat back with a sigh. “Our werewolf friend is afraid to return to the hospital because he fears the protestors have ruined his reputation as a friendly neighborhood fae doc.”
Iris shook her head with a warm smile. “Haven’t you heard? The protesters are gone. They went home after the footage of you saving the city from the dragon aired. As Gayle Wetherby from Channel Two said, how could anyone believe you were responsible for those brutal murders after watching you risk your life yet again for our city? That pretty much quieted them up.”
Dartan grinned. “That cute reporter has a way with words, doesn’t she, Wolfie?”
Aleric nodded. He felt numb. Even the relief of knowing the protestors were no longer at the hospital couldn’t banish the pain of watching Lilian walk away from him. All he had done to save her had only resulted in her being afraid of him and everything he stood for. It didn’t feel fair.
Iris exchanged a look with the vampire. “I’ll get him some food,” she said softly.
“I’ll bet some of that mud pie will cheer him up,” Dartan suggested.
“Pie it is,” Iris replied with her usual cheery smile. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.” Her blonde hair bounced on her shoulders as she walked away.
Silence filled the air. Dartan waited for a moment before he said, “You can’t do this to yourself.”
Aleric gave him a disinterested look.
“Seriously, Aleric,” Dartan continued. “You did everything you could. You saved Lilian’s life for Blays’ sake. But you weren’t the one who held her prisoner and terrified her. It’s not your fault.”
“I promised to keep her safe,” Aleric said, his voice flat.
“Then stop promising things you can’t carry out,” Dartan replied.
At the strength of the vampire’s voice, Aleric forced himself to meet his friend’s gaze.
Dartan continued in earnest, “Aleric, you want to save the world. Both worlds, really. And you actually did it today. You are the only person I know who has ever ridden an Almedragon through a Rift to save a fae town plagued by giant flying snakes.”
“You rode the dragon with me,” Aleric pointed out quietly.
A slight smile revealed the vampire’s fangs. “I was going to leave that part out, but yeah, I’m proud of myself as well.” At the werewolf’s sad expression, he continued with, “But that’s my point. You did everything you could and went far beyond any normal fae or human, and yet here you are with your broken heart in your hands and a wish to give up on everything you’ve done here. You can’t walk away from the hospital. What will Dr. Worthen do when the next fae walks in?”
That brought a hint of a begrudging smile to Aleric’s lips. “Probably give a water IV to a fairy.”
Dartan slammed a hand down on the table. It made Aleric’s muscles tense.
“Exactly!” the vampire said. “You need to be there or every fae that falls through the Rift is going to die a slow, painful death due to the ignorance of humans.”
“That’s a mouthful,” Iris said as she set a plate of eggs, bacon, and hash browns along with a piece of pie in front of Aleric. The waitress crossed her arms and gave the werewolf a frank stare. “You know, when you first walked in here, before I knew who you were, I knew I could trust you.”
That brought Aleric’s head up. He gave the waitress a searching look. “Why?”
Iris winked at him. “Besides the fact that you’re cute and charming? There’s something about you that told me I could.” She waved a hand to indicate the diner. “Believe me when I say I don’t trust just anyone who walks through the doors. We’ve seen plenty of folk come in here I wouldn’t give the time of day to; but you, I knew you were different the moment you sat down. You were good clear through. I felt that then, and I still feel it now, so whatever you’re going through, you may have felt like it changed you, but you’re still good.”
She paused, then leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m glad you’re back in Edge City, Dr. Wolf.”
She walked away, leaving him to stare after her.
A chuckle brought his attention back to Dartan. “What?”
Dartan tipped his head to indicate the waitress. “I guess werewolves do have some appeal.”
Aleric shook his head, but he couldn’t deny the hint of a smile that touched his lips. He took a bit of pie onto his fork. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
“Tell me about it,” the vampire replied. “I wish they served a more palatable beverage here than coffee. I could use some blood.”
Aleric stared at his friend. “You can’t say that here.”
Dartan gestured to his fangs. “It’s pretty obvious. Besides, this is a diner. It’s where you talk about food.”
“That’s different,” Aleric pointed out.
“It’s not that different,” Dartan replied. “You drink milk or coffee, or whatever you’re thirsty for. What’s wrong with me drinking what I’m thirsty for?”
“Nobody died for what I’m eating,” Aleric said.
Dartan pointed to the bacon on his plate. “Are you sure about that?”
Aleric rolled his eyes. He picked up a piece of bacon. “This is acceptable. You should try a bite.”
The vampire gave a face that nearly made the werewolf laugh out loud. As bad as he felt about Lilian, the relief that the danger was over and both Blays and Edge City were safe was finally hitting home. He sighed and took a bite of the pie.
“This truly is the best thing I’ve ever eaten,” he told the vampire. “You don’t know what you’re missing out on.”
The vampire’s lips curled back in disgust. “Give me a finely aged Type A and I’ll be content.”
Aleric rolled his eyes. “You’re gross.”
Dartan grinned. “Good to finally see you again, Wolfie.”
A tap on the window turned both of their heads. Aleric stared at the sight of the Chosen from the Fervor. Beside him stood the chained werewolf. Fresh blood showed on the male’s face, hands, and bare chest.
A scream sounded behind Aleric. He glanced back in time to see Iris, her eyes wide and face pale. She dropped the pitcher of water she held, but before it could hit the ground, Dartan scooped it up and set it smoothly on the table.
“W-what is that?” she asked.
“A werewolf,” Aleric replied, rising. “The one responsible for the murders. Call the police.”
He took a step toward the door. Dartan passed him using the speed of a vampire and stopped him with a hand on his chest. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“They’re waiting for me, Dartan,” Aleric replied. Desperation filled him at the thought of letting the Chosen and the werewolf slip through his fingers again. They needed to pay for the countless murders around Edge City, not to mention releasing the Almedragon and kidnapping Lilian. “The families of their victims deserve justice for what they’ve done. Stay here.”
“I’m coming with you,” the vampire protested.
Aleric gestured out the window. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Early sunlight filtered down between the buildings. It caught in the blood on the werewolf’s face, highlighting the freshness of it.
“I’ve got to stop them,” Aleric growled.
“Not by yourself,” Dartan said.
Aleric stepped around the vampire and pushed through the door.
Chapter Fifteen
“Where’s your mighty clan of followers?” Aleric asked. He allowed a smile to spread across his lips. “Oh, I forgot. They’re arrested.”
The Chosen glared at him. “On false charges.”
Aleric’s humorless smile vanished and he walked toward the Chosen. “On true charges doing actions you put them up to in the name of your so-called ascendance. They did the crimes, but you’re the reason they’re in there. You deserve to be right besid
e them.”
The Chosen grimaced. “You lie.” The posts in his face and neck caught the light of the rising sun. He ran a hand across his shaven head, then down his long, braided beard. His fingers tangled in the gold beads, toying with them as if it was a habit.
“I tell the truth,” Aleric replied. “You’re responsible for their actions. How do you feel? A prophet without a people? A liar responsible for pain and suffering? Have you realized you’re bringing salvation to nobody?”
“They’ll ascend, just you see,” the Chosen replied. But there was a hint of loss in his voice that caught the werewolf’s ears.
“You doubt yourself,” Aleric continued. “How does it feel to be wrong?”
Aleric was nearly to the Chosen when the werewolf moved. Up to that point, the Ashstock fae had stood there with his gaze on the asphalt at his feet, a dull light in his eyes and a mild look on his blood-stained face. At Aleric’s nearness, the werewolf’s head lifted and his gaze locked on Aleric’s.
Aleric realized two things in that moment. One, the werewolf wasn’t just a mindless pet under the control of a human. Two, given the calculating intelligence in the creature’s eyes, he was the one behind everything the Chosen had done. He had put the Chosen up to the killings, growing the dragon, kidnapping Lilian and Vallia, and controlling the gorgons. Aleric’s steps slowed. But if the werewolf controlled the gorgons, who controlled the werewolf?
Aleric spoke the answer as soon as he realized the truth. “You’re a slave of the Drakathan.”
The werewolf’s lips pulled back in a snarl. “I’m no one’s slave.”
“You lie,” Aleric growled. “You’re the one behind all of this.”
The werewolf lifted a shoulder. “So what if I am?”
Aleric’s hands balled into fists. “You killed innocent people, you set a dragon loose on this city, and you terrified the woman I love to the point that I doubt I’ll ever see her again!”
“Poor you,” the werewolf replied. “Maybe you brought this down on yourself for saving lives better left to perish. And falling in love with a human? Disgusting. No wonder the Drakathan are targeting this city you love.”
