by Tom Keller
I don’t mean time stopped in some sexy, gushy kind of way. I mean time stopped for real. As in Cameron was frozen in place, his hand still pointed at the window while dust motes hung in the air and never fell. As I said before, I had no issues with the Irish Fae. Quite a nice touch of magic, actually. But noting that this was probably not a good thing, I willed my weapons to appear. Allowing the sword to collapse into the grip, I sheathed it on my belt, and waited to see what would happen next.
"Lord of Hades," she said, appearing a few yards in front of me, her own sword sheathed on a golden belt she now wore. "I would have words with you."
"Dramatic entrance," I replied. "Couldn’t we have discussed this over coffee the other night?"
"I was not sure of you then," she replied. "But I know when a gateway to the Underworld has been opened. You can be no one else."
"All you had to do was ask," I said, relaxing just a bit. If she was going to attack me she would have done so. "Now, what can I do for a representative of the Tuatha Dé Danann? Last I heard you weren't interested in Vegas. Something change that I should know about?"
"There are whispers in the Aether," she began. "Once locked, the gates to Hades have been opened, and beings enter there again. Ancient beings are said to have been freed from Tartarus, released after sentencing by Zeus himself. It is rumored that ancient weapons are once again being forged. I would ask if this was true."
"If you mean the Cyclopes," I said, slightly irritated. "You bet I freed them from Tartarus. More than a few Satyrs too. They were there on trumped up charges if you ask me. Which you didn't, but I'm telling you anyway. Quite the place to send your enemies to, I might add. But then again, Zeus wasn't exactly known for playing fair. As for weapons… Yeah, we're making a few. But those are destined for Bernd and his war against the evil Dwarf King, Grerin. Even I can’t believe you’d take the wrong side in that one. But if you must know what I'm up to, don’t forget to write down that I've shipped some big ass tanks down there too. I won’t play for the wrong side, but don't ask me to play fair with a bunch of lying assholes, either."
"And when the Dwarves war is over, what then?" she asked. "How do we know it will stop there? Much destruction was caused by those that came before you. What guarantee do we have that you will lay down your arms when your enemies are defeated? Prophesy or not, that is not the way of the old Gods. War and conflict are in your nature. History has shown that to be true. Why should you be any different?"
"You wouldn't ask that if you knew anything about me," I countered, angrily. "But since that's not the case, you'll just have to take my word for it. Hell, I never wanted this job in the first place. But I've got it and I'm gonna make the best of it. Don’t get me started on this "way of the old Gods" bullshit. Let me be frank here. I don’t remember anybody saying how helpful your Fae where when mine were still picking up the pieces left over after The Fall. You've got a lot of balls showing up now and questioning my intentions."
"Loki, too, gave his word that his intentions were honorable," she replied. "Yet history has proven his words to be false."
"So now you're calling me a liar," I began to say, but I was stopped by the sudden appearance of another Fae. I gaped as Kyras pushed little Nyxia into my arms.
"Perhaps you would value my words, Brigid, Goddess of Warriors," Kyras said, stepping between me and the Irish Fae. "Many are the times I spoke with you and others of the Tuath Dé in the fields of battle as you vanquished those that opposed your line."
"You two know each other?" I asked, wondering what the hell the Queen of the Keres was doing here. Don't get me wrong, I didn’t mind last minute babysitting duty. But hey, not in the middle of a heated argument that seems destined for swordplay.
"Kyras?" Brigid said, sounding as confused as I was. "Why do the Keres involve themselves in the business of the very Gods that think so little of them. You told me often of their mistreatment of you and your kind."
"Times change," Kyras replied. "Something you might know if you left your mounds and visited the worlds of the humans now and then, or even those of our Fae. Many an age has it been since I have gazed upon the fair folk. You would do well to see that things are different now. As my word as Queen, this High Fae is not like those that came before him. You know our kind well. Never would I have borne his child were he anything less."
"His child?" she asked, sounding shocked. "Since when have the females of your kind recognized individual males as a father?"
"Since Gaea herself named him so," she replied, reaching out to take Nyxia from my arms. She held her towards the Irish Goddess. "At her christening. Which you could have attended had your guards bothered to pass on my message. A Princess of Hades she has become. Your mind appears to have become as closed as your lands are."
"The Mother of all herself appeared?" Brigid asked, her expression even more one of awe than before. "Perhaps I spoke in haste. There is much more here than I was led to believe."
"Yes there is," Kyras replied. "He is Gaea's hero, and his motives should not be in question."
"Okay," I said, seeing where this was going. "Maybe we could continue this conversation later." I took Nyxia from Kyras and played a little coochie coo with her before kissing her and handing her back. "Now that that's settled, why don’t you change into something less Fae like. Brigid's got a daughter of her own that I bet would love to see the baby. I've still got other problems to deal with. I've got to find a Fae before Circe does, and time, even if it is stalled, is wasting."
"Circe?" Brigid hissed, just before mouthing the words can I hold her to Kyras. "What does the ancient Goddess of Witchcraft want here?"
"Little issue of a jewel I'm trying to find," I replied, not wanting to get them involved. "Magic thing, nothing special. But I'd rather she not get her hands on it. And it's the new Circe I'm talking about. Not the old one. This one's her great granddaughter."
"Ha!" Brigid said, taking the baby from Kyras. "Circe's line has long been closed off. Do not be fooled. She is an immortal Goddess, even if she did not reign with the Twelve. Be wary of her. She has used that trick before. She knows not what truth is. Only her own version of it."
"Why am I not surprised," I replied. "I figured she was hiding something. But I hadn't considered that she might be lying about who she was."
"Do you require my assistance," Kyras asked.
"No," I said, turning to face her. I didn't want the Irish Fae to know what I was looking for. As much as I could use Kyras' fierceness in battle, should Circe or one of her beasts show up. This was one time I had to decline. "I appreciate the offer, but I think I have this one covered. Go play mom for a while. Might do you good to see how the humans act. Brigid seems to have mastered it well."
"As you wish, my Lord" she replied, placing her forehead against mine. "You need but call out my name, and I will be there."
"Seems I don’t even need to do that," I whispered, then thanked her for showing up when she did. She smiled and kissed my cheek before turning to walk back to Brigid and the baby. As I watched, Brigid's appearance returned to that of her human self. Then Kyras waved her arms. Smoke swirled around her and the long black silk that made up her only attire changed into a simple dress. Gotta love magic, I thought to myself as she took Brigid's arm and walked through the office door.
A moment later, time began to flow again, and things went back to normal. Of course I'd just dodged a bullet from a Warrior Goddess of the Irish Fae thanks to a Greek Death Spirit. I guess that was just a normal day for me. I waved a goodbye to Cameron, who was moving again, and got into my car. A minute, or two, later, I was heading up Cheyenne toward the house. It was still early, and the sun wouldn't set for a bit. That gave me time to take a shower before meeting up with Charlie. The ride in the SXS had kicked up a lot of dust and I was starting to itch.
Chapter 15
"Do you have to do that?" I asked the Imp as his wings created swirls in the air outside the shower door. "Is it too much to ask for a little
privacy? Get out of here, will you!"
"I will never understand humans and their need to cover their nakedness," Alf replied, totally ignoring me. "Besides, your comment about the Techno-Fae has given me much to ponder. We need to discuss it."
"First off," I said, turning off the water and grabbing my towel from the shower door. "I'm not human. Second, maybe I'd just like to be alone a minute to get some peace and quiet. Ever think about that?"
"No. The thought had not occurred to me," he replied, then settled down on the counter as I dried myself off.
"Of course it hadn’t," I said, wrapping the towel around my waist. "You’re killing me. You know that? Fine. What is it about this Techno-Fae that has you pondering so much that it can’t wait until I'm done?"
"Something Siegfried said," he replied, moving as I turned on the water to rinse off my toothbrush.
"Go on," I said, as I began to brush my teeth.
"He is applying the concept of evolution to the Fae as one does to humans. Such a thing is not possible. The Fae do not evolve in the sense that he means. While they may learn new skills or develop stronger magic, their powers are linked to their line. They cannot change."
"I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at," I replied, rinsing and then walking into the bedroom with him following. "Why can't they change. I certainly did… and what about my kids. They didn’t have any power at first, either."
"Not true" he said, settling on the bed. "You were born as you are. Your children as well. The fact that your magic was hidden from you is not the same as evolving. As to the power of Hades, that came to you through lineage. You did not evolve; the magic was granted you."
"Okay," I replied, getting dressed. "What’s your point?"
"There is only one way for a new type of Fae to exist," he replied. "That is if it is created, and the only being that can create a new species of Fae is the mother of all, Gaea."
"Gaea? Why would Gaea need a new type of Fae? Besides, everything we've seen indicates that this Techno-Fae concept may not even be real. Her powers are hit and miss at best. I would think if Gaea was going to create a new species, she'd pop out one that could actually do what it's named for."
"Perhaps it is not that simple," he said. "You need but look at history to see that not everything Gaea has produced has not worked as she intended. Look at the Titans, she replaced them with new Gods when they crossed her. Those Gods are now gone as well. Then there is the matter of her offspring that were monsters. Let alone those we know nothing about. The Eye comes from her child. Who knows what help Hephaestus had in molding its power. For that matter, how do we know what it was really meant to do? The jewel itself could be just one way for her to create a new being."
"An interesting theory," I agreed. "But that doesn’t explain why it's out there. You'd think she'd be a little more careful with something like that."
"She needed a hero to find the scythe," he reminded me. Talking about the sickle she'd had me locate in Hades. The same tool that had once been used by Cronus to ambush and castrate Ouranos and spread his parts into the sea, creating even more offspring. "Perhaps she lost this bauble as well."
"Well shit," I said, putting on my shirt. I already knew she wasn't omnipotent. Even if she was the mother Goddess, she'd needed my help to procure it. "That would mean that she's behind everything."
"Yes it would," he replied.
"Wait," I said. "What about Circe? Where does she fit in in all this? She's looking for the jewel as well."
"Perhaps she is just hedging her bets, as the humans would say."
"Motherless shit," I murmured. But I wouldn’t put it past her to run a play like that. She had a reason for everything and it didn’t matter what the fallout did to the rest of us. Son of a bitch! "Then I've got to find this thing before Circe does. Who knows what will happen if she gets to it first."
Timing is everything, or so they so. Whoever they are doesn't really matter at the moment as the more important thing was that Sendy had just materialized at the base of the stairs.
"My Lord," she said, looking up at me. "Charlie has found something."
"You can tell me on the way," I replied.
"That is not poss…," she stammered, looking confused, but I stopped her before she could finish.
"Let's go."
We appeared in an alley on the west side of Boulder Highway, near Desert Inn. Not quite halfway between two of the larger casino's in the area. It was dark now, and there was still a lot of traffic, but the alley was clear. Charlie stood near a dumpster behind a bar that made its home in one of the many strip malls that dotted the area.
"Whaddya got?" I asked as Charlie moved between the dumpster and a gated back door.
"She was here," he said, still sniffing at the asphalt. "Earlier today. Her scent still lingers. But one of the beasts has been here as well. She is being stalked."
"How close?" I asked. "Any way to tell how far behind her it is?"
"No," he replied, his tail swishing back and forth. "Her trail ends in the parking lot, as does the beasts. Whatever magic is being used to cloak them is strong."
"Wait a minute," I said, looking around. "Where's the Lilin."
"I'm here," Kitlyn replied, walking around the corner. "I know this place. They serve good ribs here. I've had the cooks sneak food out the back now and then when I wasn't paying with money. Even your Fae friend has to eat. If she's keeping her head down she won’t want to travel far. Lots of apartments nearby. Maybe we can find a trace of her at one."
"Hopefully before anyone else does," I said, moving around the building to look down the street as they followed behind me. "Okay. Why don't you keep working this side of the highway up to Nellis? I'll walk the other side and we can trade off if we don’t find anything. Agreed?"
"As you say," Charlie said, looking up at the Lilin. She shrugged her shoulders and he trotted towards the sidewalk with her in tow.
I went back to Desert Inn and used the crosswalk, then headed Southbound a block or two behind them. While I couldn’t smell things the same way as Charlie did, I did have other senses that I could use. The most obvious being magic. I slowed my breathing and reached out as I walked. Searching for anything that might lead me to the girl or the beast. I wasn't happy with what I found.
I'd dealt with powerful Fae before, and the spell that muted my senses here wasn't much different, except that if I truly was dealing with the real Circe, she had a few thousand years of experience on me. Not that that was a game changer, beings like her tended to think they knew it all. More importantly, it meant she was out here, or at least her minions were.
I'd made it a block or so past the bank, when I saw the small trailer park next to the old skating center. As I stepped off the sidewalk I knew she was here, and while the palms that graced each side of the driveway had seen better days, the park was still here too. The trailer office that used to be situated in the front had been replaced by a loan company, but the sign was still visible above the entrance. I hate the Devil. Couldn't just make it easy. Had to speak in riddles, didn’t he? I looked up at the faded letters with the few still working lights illuminating the name. Welcome to the Boulder Shadow Trailer Park, it read. She hides in the shadows all right. I called out to Charlie, then chose a spot next to the loan office and waited for him to show up with the Lilin. A few minutes later, they arrived.
"The magic reeks here," he said as he joined me next to the wall of the building.
"Yeah," I replied. "As soon as you cross into the parking lot it hits you."
"What do we do now?" Kitlyn asked, crouching beside me.
"We don’t do anything," I replied, reaching down to my leg and pulling out my Walther PPK. I handed it to her. "Charlie and I can take it from here. You know how to use one of these?"
"I think so," she said, taking it from my hands.
"It's already loaded. Safety's on the top left. Push it down with your thumb when you want to shoot," I said, pointing to it. "You'v
e got 7 rounds. They're made by the Fae and will take down most magical creatures. Probably won’t kill a beast on it's own, but you should have time to get away if you hit one with them."
"What do you want me to do?" she asked, gripping the gun in her right hand.
"You've done all I asked. This isn't your fight," I replied. "As soon as we go in you find yourself a nice hole to hide in until it's over."
"But…"
"No buts," I said, pointing to the far side of the building. "Get out of here and find somewhere safe to wait it out." I moved to the other corner and nodded at Charlie. "You ready?"
I took off with him following, running past the driveway and into the small park. It was dark, and the trailers were packed in close. I ducked behind the first truck I came up to, after seeing one of the beasts pacing in front of a trailer four spaces down. Whatever muted my magic outside this place wasn't in play inside the park, and I could sense the trail of dark magic that the beast left in its wake.
"Look familiar?" I asked, as Charlie joined me.
"This one has horns," he replied, pulling his head back from the side of the truck.
"Then maybe it's the only one left," I said, pulling my sword. "I'm gonna need a distraction. I hate to ask you to do this, but I've got to get inside. Think you can take it without me?"
"Of course," he said, snorting.
"Okay," I replied with a grimace. I hated to put him in that position, but I had little choice. It was go for the beast or go after the Witch, I couldn’t do both. "As soon as you tackle him, I'll hit the trailer. Meet me inside when you can."
With a pat on his back Charlie was gone, streaking toward the beast for all he was worth. I was a few paces behind when he leapt, his jaws clamping down on the beast's neck as he took him down. They moved farther away, their bodies entangled as they slid down the asphalt. It took everything I had not to go and help him. But I had a greater threat to deal with.
Sword in hand I bounded up the wooden steps and burst through the trailers door. She hadn’t expected company, but that didn’t mean she wasn't prepared. They'd been arguing, but Circe held the upper hand, judging by the marks and tears on the Techno-Fae's face. She grabbed the girl by the shoulder with one hand and swung her around. Circe's arm now around her neck as her other hand grasped the Fae's clenched fist. She let go of her fist and a sword appeared. She pointed it at the girl's stomach.
