Gray and Graves: A Dark Fae Menage Urban Fantasy (The Three Courts of Faerie Book 1)

by C. M. Stunich

  “Can we kill them?” I asked. They'd killed the boy. He'd seemed nice. There were few people left like that in the world. Even the loss of one would hurt. Rachel shook her head.

  “We have to go. Quickly.” Her words were frightened. She hadn't been scared before, but she was now.

  Like a lighthouse casting its glow over the sea, Rachel's call would echo across the city and down, or up, or to wherever it was that Faerie was situated. If there was a faery ring in this area, and I knew that there was from Corey's ramblings, then they would hear. The Unseelie would find Rachel and no amount of glamour would stop them. One little slip and they would spirit her away.

  I didn't ask why she'd chosen that of all things. She had other tricks up her sleeve. Deadlier ones. Something was bothering her, and it was more than just what we'd seen.

  “Where's your car?” she asked, her brown eyes scanning the street for my Impala. I was moving slower than I needed to. I shook my head and tried to focus.

  “In the parking lot, around back.” Rachel didn't wait for me to elaborate; she grabbed my hand and pulled me along the darkened sidewalk towards the balloon guy. When we hit the edge of the glamour, there was a moment of resistance, a split second where I was thoroughly convinced that I didn't need to go that way, needed to turn around and head back. I closed my eyes and held my breath, like I was about to dive underwater, and burst through to the outside.

  Balloon guy screamed, lost hold of the bunch he was clutching and stumbled back, mumbling incoherently. We ignored him as we turned the corner, flew through a crosswalk and past the chain link fence that surrounded the parking lot. My car was the only vehicle in the lot, parked right in the front row next to a handicap space. Fumbling, I pulled the keys from my pocket and thrust them into the door. We both climbed in, and I had the car running before Rachel's door was even shut. My back tires skidded wildly as I hit the gas and we sped from the parking lot with the stench of burnt rubber in our wake.

  As we approached the on-ramp for the highway, I rubbed a shaking, sweaty hand across my brow and glanced over at Rachel. She was trembling, one hand clutched to her chest, eyes closed. As I watched, her image flickered briefly between the girl I knew and the banshee that was hiding within. Moonlight streamed through the window in narrow beams, cut across her brow, and turned her brown hair white. The magic she had used outside the library had drained her considerably. She was going to need the vial I had in my purse before long. “Thank you,” I said before I forgot. Rachel gave me a weak smile.

  “I was sure that psycho was going to pump a shot or two into your head,” she said softly. I sighed.

  “He probably would have.” I tossed her my purse. No reason to hold out on the inevitable. When she saw what was inside, she was going to flip. And when, if, Corey heard about this, he would have a temper tantrum. In short, I was prepared for the night to turn to shit real fast. “It's in the side pocket.” I heard the zipper opening and waited for an intake of breath, a gasp, another scream. Anything to tell me that she had seen it, that she was disappointed in me. She said nothing. Silence reigned for several moments as I took an unfamiliar exit and turned onto the nearest suburban street. I pulled the car over and turned off the ignition. We sat in darkness again for another minute before Rachel spoke.

  “How long will this last for?” she asked. I didn't look at her, and it wasn't because I didn't want to; it was because I couldn't. I couldn't handle seeing failure in her eyes again.

  “I don't know. Maybe a week.” She whimpered and the sad sound of it drew my unwilling eyes to her. “I'm sorry, but it's all we had left. It was the last bottle in the cabinet, and I emptied out the backup last time. Unless Anelie was extra generous tonight, I'm screwed until next week. Hopefully, Corey has some trick up his sleeve.” He usually did, but I didn't say that; it would hurt her too much. “I'm sorry, Rachel. Really, I am.” She tucked a strand of brown behind her ear and looked up at me, eyes blurring with unshed tears. She had sacrificed so much for me, and I'd sacrificed so little. If her glamour dropped, the Unseelie would sweep down on her and take her back to Faery. That is, if her call hadn't already set them on the trail. If that happened, she would never be whole again.

  “You're not sorry,” she said to me, and I automatically opened my mouth to protest, to spout the same silly lies that I had fed her from the beginning. I stopped myself just in time.

  “Why don't we meet again on Wednesday?” I asked instead, hoping to see those eyes light up again. I was disappointed when they didn't, but at least she wasn't crying. Rachel twirled the tiny vial of red around in her fingers until the inside glass was completely coated with crimson. She paused and opened her door. I reached out my hand to stop her, but she jerked violently away, face hard, eyes steely,

  “No thank you.” She spoke coldly, and I winced at the ice in her tone. “I have other plans. I'll see you in two weeks. I'll call in a couple of days with a meeting place.” She paused, stood, and slipped the little glass container into the back of her jeans. “Don't ever go back to the library again, okay?” I started to answer her, but she cut me off. “And don't forget to call me if anything happens.” I never forgot to keep her informed, but I knew that she was reminding me of more than just that; she was reminding me that I had cheated on her, left her for someone else. That's what she was reminding me of.

  “Stay with me tonight,” I blurted, knowing immediately that I had made a mistake yet unwilling to take it back. I hated dropping her off in these random places, but that's all she would let me do. To know where she lived was to get to close to her and she would never allow that again. “I won't go home, stay with me. I'm whole until morning, Rachel. I miss you.” She spit in my face. I supposed that I deserved it, but it didn't hurt any less.

  “Be careful, George. I've heard rumors and none of them are good.” Rachel slammed the door, and I watched her storm across the street and climb over someone's fence. Great job, Georgette. You really did it this time. I turned the car back on and sat idling until a man in white and blue pinstripe pajamas opened his door and glared at me. I got the message. I wasn't welcome here.

  I pulled back onto the highway and almost crashed into the median when my cell rang. It was Corey. I swallowed and pretended not to hear it. The annoyingly cheerful ringtone the girl at the shop had set for me played on merrily for several moments before reverting to voice mail. My phone binged back at me, alerting me to a new message. I ignored it. It began to ring again. Corey. I debated the odds: listen to that goddamn ring tone or talk to him. Neither sounded pleasant, but I knew the talking would come sooner or later. I supposed it was better to talk to him on the phone rather than in person; he was less scary that way.

  “Hello?” My voice sounded faraway, timid, weak. I hated that. But my night with Rachel hadn't gone exactly as planned. Plus, I'd watched a kid die and hadn't done a thing about it. I felt like shit and my tone was reflecting that.

  “Where the fuck are you?” he snapped.

  “I miss you, too.” It was cheeky, good for me. I rarely stood up to Corey.

  “What the fuck do you think you're doing carousing all over town on a fucking full moon, George? Do you like being dead? Is that your thing?” I held the phone away from my ear and let him vent. I supposed I deserved it, a little. I had put myself in unnecessary danger. Still …

  “I was visiting my mother, Corey. Fuck. Can't I be alone for a minute?” He paused and took a deep breath.

  “You were visiting your mother?” he asked slowly, carefully.

  “Yes. You know she had that wrist surgery the other day. I just wanted to see how she was doing.”

  “At three in the morning?” I glanced at the clock on the dash. Shit. It really was that late. The twenty-four hour library had thrown me for a loop; I'd forgotten.

  “She couldn't sleep. I made her some tea and put her to bed.” That didn't sound like my mother at all, but he didn't know that.

  “Oh,” he said, voice still low, calm. Dangero
us. “And was that before or after the shootout at the library?” I coughed and swerved dangerously into the other lane. A series of honks and a slow correction later and I was certain I was the world's most terrible driver. I hung up on him. It wasn't the nicest thing to do, but I didn't care.

  The phone rang again. I rolled the window down and seriously considered tossing it, but when I looked at the caller ID, it wasn't Corey.

  “Rachel,” I breathed. God, I sounded desperate. What was wrong with me? “Hello?” I queried. No answer. There was some rustling on the other end of the line so I waited.

  Then a scream, Rachel's scream. It wasn't the scream of a banshee but one of a girl in trouble. I panicked, turning my wheel violently and careening over the grassy median. I was flying down the highway when the red and blue lights appeared in my rearview mirror. I cursed and stepped on the gas. Rachel needed me. Screw the cops.

  The phone was still pressed to my ear, but I couldn't hear a thing even though the call was still connected. I cringed when the sound of sirens blared from behind me. Things were getting serious; if I didn't pull over, I'd have half of the highway patrol bearing down on me before I reached the exit I had turned off with Rachel. Shit. I didn't know what to do. Rachel always made me crazy like this. Maybe, just maybe that was why I had cheated on her. I bit my bottom lip and checked the phone again. The call had been disconnected. I tossed it onto the passenger's seat and almost crashed when a squeaky, “Watch where you're throwing things!” answered.

  Wide eyed, I turned and found Elizabeth, another one of the undead under Corey's control. “How did you get in here?” I asked, which was stupid. Elizabeth was a ghost. That's how. She laughed and reclined in her seat.

  “Running from the cops? Is that really your style, Georgette?” she asked, biting her bottom lip and adjusting her frilly, white, Lolita dress.

  “I didn't know I had a style,” I said, finally pulling over. Elizabeth laughed again and turned towards me.

  “You are such a goody-goody! Gods, I was almost starting to like you!” She smiled at me again, and I resisted the urge to choke her. That probably wouldn't look very good to the officer that was knocking at my window.

  “Put your hands behind your head and step out of the car, ma'am.” He was holding a gun. I sighed. One gun per night was enough for me. I decided that my best course of action was to sacrifice my pride and dignity by encouraging Elizabeth to help me.

  “Hey,” I said, fingering my now silent cell phone. “Want to do me a favor?” Elizabeth raised her perfect, blonde eyebrows and tilted her head to the side.

  “Now, why on earth would I bother to do that? What have you ever done for me?” I had to grit my teeth in order to keep myself from a vicious retort. I decided to play off her weakness.

  “I bet it would make Corey happy to see us getting along.” She wasn't buying it; I could tell from her smirk.

  “Oh, I wouldn't lie to myself like that, Georgette. It's not good for you. We both know how unhappy Corey is going to be when he finds out you stole the blood.” My mouth dropped. How the fuck did she know that I was the one stealing our supply? She nodded her head at me and touched a finger to her lips. Whatever she was about to say was interrupted by the cops.

  “Step out of the car with your hands on your head!” They weren't speaking to me from outside my window this time but from a speaker inside the car. This was getting serious. Who knew what was happening to Rachel as I wasted my time here? I cursed under my breath. Tonight, full moon night, when I was powerless was when all the shit had to go down. Typical.

  “Please, Elizabeth, please.” I was begging and it made me sick, but the thought of someone hurting Rachel made my insides twist. “Please. Rachel called me.” This phrase alone was enough to get Elizabeth's attention. She knew our story; everyone did. I thought that if I gave her this juicy bit of information, she'd help me. Elizabeth was madly in love with Corey, and I was dangling a chance of breaking us up right in front of her. I knew she'd take it. “She just called me; she needs help. I'm going to her. Tell Corey, I don't care, but please, please help me get out of this.” Elizabeth considered this for a moment before becoming transparent and stepping through the car door. I didn't wait to see what happened; I figured it would buy me enough time.

  I turned the keys and hit the gas, sending a dust storm flying in my wake and almost smashing into the side of a green Caravan. I was a terrible driver. I hit the on-ramp at a speed usually only reserved for the Autobahn and was relieved to find that my rearview was dark. “Thank you, Elizabeth,” I whispered and for a brief second, I forgot how much hated her. That would come back later; I was sure.

  It didn't take me long to find the spot where I'd left Rachel. I opened my door and took off, forgetting the keys in the ignition and not even bothering to close the door. At that moment, I couldn't have cared less. I climbed over the same oak fence and landed on a lawn so perfect it could have passed as AstroTurf. I stood and crept along the side of the house. A floodlight turned on, one of those motion sensor types I supposed. Rumbling voices sounded from inside, and the window I was currently crouching under was suddenly bright and casting shadows along the ground in front of me.

  “Goddamn raccoons!” a man shouted, and I heard the unmistakable sound of a shotgun being cocked. Great. Another gun. I looked around the backyard. To the left and right were more yards just like the one I was standing in but in front of me, a forest. That must be where Rachel went. I raced towards the fence and was hauling myself over when a gunshot burst through the wood next to me. I turned back and saw the man in the white and blue pajamas. My day was getting worse and worse. “I called the cops on you!” he screeched as I threw myself onto the red and gold leaf litter on the other side of the fence. Another shot sounded as I dragged myself up and took off into the trees. God, I knew people in the suburbs were crazy, but really?

  I didn't know where I was going, so I just ran until I figured I was far enough from the man's yard that I wasn't going to run into him or his shotgun anytime soon. The tree branches above were menacing in the moonlight, like the outstretched arms of madmen. Or fae. I shivered and realized that I was shaking. I tucked my wool coat tighter around me and tried to figure out a plan. I had rushed out here on nothing but a whim. Now that I was standing in the darkness with nothing but my cell phone as I clue, I felt a bit stumped and a little stupid. I was – essentially – human tonight. And weaponless. I needed to find Rachel, but I wasn't sure how. I opened my phone and dialed her number, but there was no answer, and I wasn't hearing any ringing in the trees around me. Either she wasn't nearby, or her phone was on silent. What am I doing? “Trying to help someone,” I told myself aloud as I crunched obnoxiously across the semi-frozen ground, ferns tickling my calves and ankles. There was no way I was sneaking up on anyone around here. I was a zombie, not a hunter.

  “Rachel?” I called tentatively. I turned around and surveyed the forest. Silence and shadows were all that greeted me. I sighed and kept walking; there was no point in standing still. A light cut through the darkness ahead of me. A flashlight. The cops? It was certainly a possibility though such a quick response from the Eula Police Department would've surprised the hell out of me. Still, if I were to get arrested, tomorrow the entire precinct would be privy to my true form. I couldn't let that happen. Not if I wanted to keep on pretending I was still alive. I walked as fast as I could in the opposite direction, cringing every time I stepped on an errant twig. Heading back towards the fences was also out of the question, so I skirted along the wall of oak and down a gully, across a frozen creek, and paused at the head of a trail.

  Lights cut through the trees like lasers, sliced across my midsection and traveled slowly towards my face like eyes. I stepped back, twirled so that I was back to back with a mossy tree trunk and tried to catch my breath. Shit, damn, fuck, I cursed. Everything I had done tonight had been on impulse, without consideration that anything bad might happen. Maybe I wasn't an anomaly among zombies; I cert
ainly wasn't using anything that resembled brain function.

  Male voices echoed hollowly along with snatches of radio. Definitely the cops. I sighed and took stock of my options. I still had to find Rachel. Period. I wasn't leaving here until I did. I took off, running clumsily in the wedge boots that I had thought had looked so stylish in the mirror. I really needed to get over trying to impress her; it only bought me trouble.

  Beams flashed, whipped wildly across the night, and striped the forest around me in yellow and white. A lot of man power for little old me, I thought as I spun, ducked beneath a spotlight and came up for air only to get one right in the face.

  “Hey!” the man shouted. “You, stop!” I panicked and took off running, away from the light that was now behind me and the ones bobbing steadily forward through the trees. My breath was coming in ragged gasps as I let panic overtake me. Tonight was just a series of terrible mistakes, one after another, and I couldn't seem to stop making them. Corey is going to be pissed, I thought nervously as my coat caught on the edge of a branch and tore with a horrible wrenching. When the necromancer was mad, the zombie suffered. It was an unfortunate fact of life. If he has to bail me out, he'll freak. If he even could. Please don't let me get arrested; spending the average day as a rotting corpse is bad enough. And that's without the world knowing. Being toe tagged and sliced up on an ME's table would only make things worse. And if they decided to dissect me to try and understand the mystery, I would live through the whole damn thing. A living, breathing sack of frozen organs. Fear clamped down on my throat and threatened to strangle me.

  My lack of attention to the landscape caused me to trip over a jumble of roots, tangled together like a nest of snakes, sending me face first into the moist dirt. I was instantly rewarded with the ripe smell of almonds. Lifting up with my arms, I found myself in front of a ring of small brown mushrooms. My heart froze in my chest.

  A faery ring.

  I stumbled back on my knees, crashing to my ass against a tree. I took a few deep breaths as I brushed the dirt from my bare legs. I was lucky. If I had run into it … I shook my head and stood up, backing away slowly. Things were not looking good. I glanced behind me but didn't see the telltale lights. Thank the gods for my time spent on the high school track team. It almost made up for the lack of undead speed that I was used to. Almost.