by Melissa Haag
The biker shrugged out of his jacket and something heavy fell from his back. He shook himself again, and the thick leather of his wings unfurled further. I’d read about his species in a book. Dragon.
“My kind used to rule the skies,” he said. “Now, I hide in a hovel of broken buildings on a forgotten island. Where’s the pride and majesty in that?”
I didn’t know what to say.
“If you’re smart, you’ll stay away from enforcers,” the dragon continued, tilting his head toward Oanen. “You might actually find a few moments in life where you can enjoy being what you were meant to be.”
The cloaked figure stood and clapped the dragon on his back.
“Only the lucky can fulfill their true purpose,” he said before making his way toward the side door the bartender had used.
“Very true,” the bartender said. He took the money from the guy’s spot and started to move away.
“Wait. There’s a fury here in the city. Do either of you know where I can find her?”
The bartender started to laugh, and the dragon swore.
“I’m done with this place.” The dragon threw down some cash and stood. His gaze pinned me as he put on his jacket and hid his wings.
“If you had any brains, you wouldn’t be in here asking for that kind of trouble.”
He stalked out of the bar.
“You should listen to him,” the bartender said. “Furies are nasty business. Not just for humans. Don’t involve yourself with them, or you’ll find yourself with a one-way ticket to hell.”
He reached for the dragon’s untouched plate of food.
“Hold on,” I said, stopping him. “What is that?”
“A bacon cheeseburger. The best you’ll find in Harlem.
“The dragon paid for it, right?”
“Yeah, so what?”
I grabbed the plate and pulled it toward me.
“He knew bacon cheeseburger was my favorite.” I picked up the burger and took a large bite before the bartender could take it from me. The bacony goodness hit my taste buds with love, and I groaned.
“So good,” I said around a mouthful of burger.
The bartender shook his head and walked away. I swallowed my first bite and took a second one. Burgers in Uttira had been okay. The lean meat and limited topping choices stunted the flavor possibilities, though. Unlike this burger. Grease and mayonnaise dripped onto the plate as I held the concoction, ready for my next mouthful.
I turned it slightly to look at the wadded stack of bacon, onion rings, lettuce and tomato on top of the inch and a half thick patty. There had to be seven pieces of bacon. I swallowed, grinned, and took another mouthful.
As I chewed, the room gave a weird spin.
Frowning, I shook my head slightly. My blink felt heavy, too. The background noise faded, and movement slowed. I breathed sluggishly. Something was wrong. Why wasn’t I concerned? I knew I should be. It felt like when Eliana touched me to syphon my anger. Only, no one was touching me.
I swallowed my bite and looked down at the burger. A grey-green powder dusted the bacon.
A darkness swam into the room, rapidly tunneling my vision. I opened my mouth to call Oanen’s name, but nothing came out. The bar and the people sitting beside me disappeared.
The last thing I saw was the burger falling to my plate.
Chapter Three
“Just get rid of her before the spell wears off.”
The words poked at my mind in the persistently annoying way of a mosquito until the echo of fading footsteps took the place of the words.
My brain didn’t want to work. Neither did my eyes.
I wanted to sink back into the fog shrouding my thoughts, but some small part of me insisted I resist the pull. I groaned, my head lolling to the side.
A small laugh teased my ears.
“The spell’s already wearing off. You’re in trouble.”
The sharp rattle of metal and a high-pitched shriek annoyed me enough that I managed to open my eyes. Bits of my surroundings swam in and out of focus with each slow blink.
A cement floor. A table with a cage on it, not far away and to my right. A bald kid walking toward me. Sharp teeth.
I jerked back and tried to lift my hand to rub my eyes. My arm wouldn’t move.
I opened my eyes again and stared at the glowing ropes tying me to a sturdy chair. The cloud of my exhale momentarily distracted me as I gave another tug. The ropes tightened around my forearms, biting into the skin. It should have hurt, but I was too cold to feel anything.
“Struggling only makes it worse.”
Lifting my gaze, I found the child-sized creature standing within kicking distance, which I would have tried to do if my ankles hadn’t been bound, too.
He studied me as I studied him. His size was the only thing he had in common with a human kid. The wizened wrinkles creasing his face and the tuft of hair sticking out from his pointed ears matched perfectly with his rough-spun shirt that looked a hundred years old.
“You’re in a pickle, aren’t you, my pretty plaything. Old Elbner will set things right. For a price.”
“This is really not the way to make a good impression with me,” I said, my voice surprisingly clear. “Untie me now.”
“I can’t. Once those bonds are on, only the buyer can untie you. Prevents backcrossing on deals struck.”
“He’s lying,” a high-pitched voice chirped.
I looked beyond good ‘ol Elbner to the cage on the table. A small creature with wings flitted around, shaking the bars as if testing their strength. When the thing saw I was looking at it, it flew at the bars and stared at me in return. A tiny shirt hung loosely from its bony shoulders, and the long pants it wore were held up with a string belt.
“You’re pretty,” it said.
“Thank you. What are you?”
“A brownie.”
Elbner stepped in my line of sight.
“We can share his wings if you’d like.” He licked his lips, the glisten making me feel sick.
The brownie squealed, and I scowled at Elbner.
“He looks pretty attached to his wings. Now, are you going to untie me or what?”
“I told you. Can’t.”
“He’s lying,” the brownie called again.
Elbner growled and pivoted to the cage, which made the brownie squeal and take off. It zoomed around it’s prison in a panic, trying to find a way out.
“How is he lying?” I asked.
“His master told him to get rid of you. He’s supposed to set you free.”
Elbner stopped advancing toward the cage and cast a sly look over his shoulder at me.
“‘Get rid of’ doesn’t mean set free,” he said.
“Someone bigger than you briefly considered killing me,” I said. “She decided not to risk it, though.”
He turned toward me fully, a low chuckle rising from him.
“Oh? And what stopped her? Fear of you?”
He moved closer and reached out a bony finger, trailing it from my chin down my throat. The sharp edge of his nail scraped my skin, not quite breaking it but definitely leaving a mark.
A spark of anger lit inside of me. Small in comparison to what I’d felt in the past, but enough. I tugged hard on the bonds. They bit in painfully, and I pulled harder still. The fire inside me burned brighter with the pain.
“Fear of pissing off the gods,” I said.
Elbner stopped touching me and stared at me with a puzzled frown.
“What are you?” he asked.
“You tell me, and I’ll tell you.”
“I’m a goblin.”
I closed my eyes and focused on the fire burning inside of me. When I opened my eyes again, an orange glow reflected on Elbner’s skin.
“I’m a fury.”
The old creature’s eyes rounded. He made a choked sound and stumbled back a few steps as the ropes binding me began to smolder. The glow faded, and the ropes fell away in seconds.
&nbs
p; I stood, and the old guy fell to his knees in a shaking heap.
“Looks like you’re in a pickle, aren’t you?” the brownie chirped happily from his cage.
“I never meant to hurt you,” the goblin said, his voice muffled. “It was only a prank. Just my nature. To trick and tease.”
“And the brownie wings? Is that tempting offer still open?”
The brownie looked at me in horror as Elbner jumped up and raced over to the table.
“Yes. Of course. Two might be a bit filling, but I’d be happy to eat the second one for you.” He pulled a rusted knife from the back of his ripped pants.
The fire, which had freed me, slowly died. How could wanting to cut the wings off that tiny creature not be wicked?
Annoyed, I reached Elbner before he could open the cage. The old goblin made an awful moaning sound when I grabbed his arm and spun him around. The useless knife went clattering to the floor.
“I’m not interested in his wings. I said that to see what kind of person you are. And, I have my answer. Not a good one.”
He started to frantically shake his head.
“I’m no enforcer, but I’m not wicked. Just a few pranks. Harmless tricks.”
“Right now, I don’t care what you’ve done in the past; I’m interested in how I got here and why. Start talking.”
“My master only wants—”
His words stopped, but his lips still moved. I wanted to swear.
“What can you tell me?” I asked, interrupting his silent confession.
He licked his lips nervously as his gaze shifted around the room. Suddenly, his expression brightened.
“I can serve you,” he said. “You can be my master if you’ll have me.”
“Ew. No.” The last thing I wanted was this creepy old goblin hanging around me.
“Say, yes,” the brownie said. “The spell will fade once his ownership changes hands. He’ll be able to give you answers eventually.”
I looked at the brownie.
“You’re just full of information. If I let you out, is something bad going to happen?”
The little creature giggled and pointed at Elbner.
“I’ll pull out his ear hair.”
Elbner growled. “Touch me, and I’ll eat your wings.”
“No, you won’t,” I said. I reached for the cage door. “What does being his master mean?” I asked.
“He has to listen to you,” the brownie answered earnestly. “And, if you treat him well, he’ll listen. If you don’t treat him well, he’ll make your life miserable then leave.”
My hand hesitated on the latch.
“Treat him well? What’s that mean, exactly?”
“Feed him. Goblins like milk. Milk soaked oats. Milk soaked oats with honey are their favorite.”
“Not true,” Elbner said. “Milk soaked oats with honey and brownie wings are my favorite.”
“Why are you so willing to trade masters?” I asked, ignoring his obsession with the brownie’s wings.
“His master forgot to feed him today.”
The phone in my pocket buzzed.
“It’s been doing that a lot,” Elbner said. “I like the sound. Reminds me of wings beating.”
I pulled out my phone and looked at a string of messages from Oanen, the oldest from over three hours ago. The first one started out calm enough, asking where I’d gone. Then, each one after progressively showed his growing concern. The final one worried me.
If I don’t hear from you in ten minutes, I’m calling Adira.
I typed out a quick message while keeping an eye on Elbner.
I’m okay. I’ll call in a minute. Are brownies and goblins safe to be around?
His reply was immediate.
Safe enough. Where are you?
I looked at Elbner.
“Fine. I’ll be your master. As soon as the spell wears off, you’re going to tell me what’s going on here. Got it?”
He nodded.
“And no eating brownie wings while I’m your master. I’ll feed you everything else but that.”
He scowled at me and gave a single nod.
I opened the brownie’s cage and squealed when the thing flew straight at my face. Its tiny arms stuck to my neck as it hugged me.
“Thank you! Thank you! I thought I would die in that cage like my grandparents.” He released me and flitted back to look me in the eyes.
“My name is Piepen. What’s yours?”
“Pie Pen?”
He nodded.
“I’m Megan.”
He flew forward and hugged me again. His little hand stroked the side of my neck.
“I love you, Megan.” The tiny puff of his breath brushed my skin. Or was that his lips? Were his hips moving?
“Okay. I think I’m all hugged out.”
He didn’t let go. I carefully pinched his shirt and tugged him loose.
“You’re free to go, now,” I said.
His happy face fell.
“Go? I have nowhere to go. My grandparents are dead now, and I have no parents. Please don’t leave me behind.” His small cherub face scrunched up, and tears glistened in his eyes.
“Let’s talk about this later. I really need to make a phone call.”
With numb fingers, I dialed Oanen. He picked up immediately.
“Megan, where are you?”
“Oh, um…” I looked around at the empty room. “I think I’m in some kind of old warehouse.”
The phone was quiet for a long moment.
“I want an address, not a description.” The warning in his tone made me grin.
“Hold on.” I looked at Elbner. “What’s the address for this place?”
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. I wished I was a lip reader.
“Fine. Where’s the exit?”
Elbner led the way to a set of stairs. I clumsily jogged down the first flight with Piepen flitting alongside of me, his tiny wings buzzing.
“What’s that noise?” Oanen asked as I started down the second flight.
“That’s Piepen, a brownie I set free.”
“And you won’t regret it,” Piepen said. “I’m good at making beds and washing dishes.”
“You’re going to regret it,” Oanen said in my ear.
“Already am,” I said softly.
I pushed through the door at the bottom of the stairwell and stepped into what looked like a shipping yard. Metal containers and boards poked through the snow and littered the space before the building.
“There’s a sign to the right,” Elbner said.
Glancing back, I caught the glint of his eyes as he hovered in the shadows. He pointed down the road.
“Just a second, Oanen. I need to run to the street corner.”
He remained quiet as I jogged.
“26th and 4th street,” I said, looking at the signs.
“There is no 26th and 4th street in Harlem, Megan. Open the map on your phone.”
I put him on speaker, pulled the map up on my phone, and sent him my current location.
“You’re not even in Manhattan. How did you get across the river?”
I looked around and saw the glimmer of lights reflecting on water further down the street. A shiver coursed through me. How in the hell had I crossed that?
“Not sure,” I said. “I just woke up fifteen minutes ago.”
“Woke up?”
“Yeah, I think the burger I ate was drugged.”
A shiver of emotion tingled along the back of my neck. Anger. Fear. A lot of fear.
“Are you safe? Right now. Are you safe?” he demanded.
“Oanen? Did you just…” The idea that I’d just felt what he was feeling made my stomach dip and my heart flutter.
“Just what?” he asked.
“Nothing. I’m safe.”
“I’m flying to you.”
The call disconnected, and I frowned at the phone.
“I don’t like him,” Piepen said. “He didn’t sound nice.�
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“He’s really nice. And, I like him a lot.”
A scruff of noise from behind us had Piepen diving for my hair. I turned, trying to ignore the brownie shaking on my shoulder.
“Lost, honey?” a man asked, stepping from the shadows.
“No. Just waiting for my boyfriend.”
“Want me to keep you company?”
“Thanks, but I don’t think that’ll help his mood.”
A snarl came from behind the man a moment before a long piece of two by four lumber swung out of the dark. The chunk of wood hit the man in the head. His eyes rolled back, and he fell like a brick to reveal Elbner standing behind him.
“What the hell, Elbner? Why did you hit him?”
“He was going to hurt you.”
“No, he wasn’t. I’m a fury, remember? I would have felt his wickedness if he was going to do something.”
Elbner cast the board aside and scowled at me.
“If you mistreat him, he’ll make you miserable,” Piepen said softly, right in my ear. “He’ll want extra milk for protecting you.” I was about to thank the brownie for the reminder when something touched my earlobe. Something tiny and wet. I shuddered and reached for Piepen.
“Okay. Ride’s over. Get out of my hair.”
The little guy flew out and went to investigate the fallen man.
My phone rang again, and I quickly lifted it, ready to ask Oanen to hurry up. Instead of Oanen’s name, Eliana’s flashed. I smiled and answered.
“You officially broke your promise,” she said.
“Huh?”
“It’s after midnight. You said you would check in daily, and I didn’t get a call yesterday.”
“The day I left doesn’t count.”
“Sure, start bending the rules already. So, what’s it like having freedom?”
I watched Piepen lift the guy’s eyelid.
“Knock it off,” I said.
“Do I even want to know what Oanen’s doing?” Eliana asked.
“Not Oanen. A brownie named Piepen is messing around with some guy’s eye.”
Piepen zipped over to me and flitted around my head, trying to listen. I waved my hand, shooing him away.
“A brownie?” Eliana asked.
“Yeah, long story.”
“I’ve got time.”
“I let him out of a cage, and now he’s following me.”
“I’m not following. I’m going to help you. I’ll take care of your house.”
