Chapter 17

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It had been three weeks since she last saw her mother. Three weeks since Aife had turned the fae world upside down. Three weeks since she had felt this excruciating pain. Three weeks since she last saw Dyson. Her mother had disappeared. And Dyson also had disappeared. Instead, she felt this emptiness inside her chest. This feeling had not left. And unfortunately the pain would sometimes come back. Replacing the emptiness she felt. It was not just an empty feeling, it was as though she was missing a limb. Something had been taken from her. It had been three weeks and she still didn't know what it was that was taken. Ripped would be a better term. Somehow, she knew her mother had a hand in this.

"Here, little Underfae-monster-thingy," Bo called as they walked through the tunnel. Danielle and Hale walking behind her. "Remind me why we agreed to waste a perfectly good Friday night helping you track these bastards?"

"Because having a bunch of our less evolved brethren running amok in the city is a bad thing." Hale answered. "Not to mention your moms are the ones who went all vigilante Barbie and bombed the Ash and the Elders."

"So?"

"So—it's your moms' fault the Ash is on life support, the elders are dead and all their pets are running free and feral—"

"And we're the Fae SPCA. Yay." Bo said. "You know whose job this really is?"

"I told you I haven't seen Dyson in like, three weeks." Hale replied. "Same as you. Once again, what happened between you two?" He turned to Danielle.

"You're gonna have to ask him that, cause I have no idea." Danielle shrugged.

"Find it yet?" Kenzi asked from behind them.

The three of them jumped out of their skins. They turned around to face the human. "Kenzi! Not cool!" Bo slapped her shoulders.

"Ow! Well, you didn't see your faces." Kenzi retorted. "It was way cool."

"Didn't we tell you to stay in the car?" Hale asked her.

"I thought we did." Danielle grumbled.

"Cars are the basements of horror movie clichés." Kenzi countered.

There was crack in a tree behind Kenzi. "Up there, up there!" Bo called out.

The underfae—that looked like a dark reptile creature that could fly—attacked the group. Hale used his flamethrower to no avail. The underfae kept flying around them. Danielle pulled Kenzi behind her. Bo roasted the creature with her own flamethrower. It fell to ground. And attacked them once more. It clawed at them, it evaded them but after many struggles, the group was able to neutralize the creature.

"Bye, bye, Birdie—" Hale sang as Bo put the underfae in their trunk.

"Uh, is it weird that I'm craving fried chicken?" Kenzi asked.

"Do I even need to answer that one?" Danielle looked down at her friend.

"Damn, what was in those claws?" Bo asked, looking sick.

"Must be toxin." Hale said. "Let me call Lauren."

"No, no, no. No time." Kenzi stopped him.

"We got this." Danielle assured him as Kenzi started to get Bo to the car.

"You sure?" Hale asked her.

"Yeah, she just need to feed." Danielle nodded getting in the driver seat.

They stopped at a gas station to get Bo her snack. Danielle and Kenzi waited in the car. Danielle's thoughts drifted back to Dyson and to his whereabouts. Even Hale—his partner and best friend—didn't know where he went. Or if he'd ever come back.

"Hey, the mighty hunters have returned!" Trick greeted them as they walked in to the Dal.

"Done—and done." Bo said walking up to their makeshift map.

"It looked like a Piwichen, Trick." Hale informed him.

"Whatever it was, it was ugly and dawn cranky," Bo said. "And totally reeking up my trunk—"

"Hale said you were scratched." Lauren came closer to Bo. "Let me take a look." She examined Bo. "Residual bruising? Why didn't you fully heal?"

"I thought it might be nice to leave the kid alive—"Bo replied. "I'm fine. Besides, Physician, heal thyself, when's the last time you even slept?"

"I can't trust anybody to monitor the Ash in his coma." Lauren answered. "It doesn't leave a lot of time for siestas."

"So, what are you doing here?"

"I heard you needed me." Dani and Kenzi glanced at each other. When would those two stop dancing around each other? "I came."

"We swept the whole West quadrant and tonight's catch makes eight." Hale told Trick.

"Underfae! Collect the whole set!" Kenzi joked.

"Please, tell me, that's the last of them?" Bo turned to Trick.

"It's not like I have an official count but, I think so." Trick answered her.

"Not for nothing, but with the Ash out of commission," Hale started. "We, Light Fae, don't have a real leader. If he doesn't get better soon, bigger and more organized baddies are going to start testing us."

"Seconded." Lauren agreed. "Just got a call from my assistant. There's been a body dump, side of Highway 9. The Cleaners have taken it to my lab."

"Are you sure it's a Fae kill?" Trick asked her.

"Very likely. It's been flayed." Lauren replied.

"What does that mean?" Kenzi asked her.

"It means its skin's been ripped off." Danielle replied to her.

"Oh, horf." Kenzi made a disgusted face.

Trick looked between Bo and Hale, to know which one of them would go. A decision that was decide in a game of rock, paper, scissors. Hale won.

"You suck, Siren!" Bo groaned.

"Hey, now!" Hale took offence.

"I'm gonna need you to come with us." Bo turned to Lauren. "This could get science-y."

"I'm tired." Kenzi complained.

"Can I stay here?" Danielle asked. Bo pulled the Banshee away from the bar. "I just want to sleep."

After a quick change of clothes, they went to the crime scene. Danielle could barely keep her eyes open. They had been awake all night chasing an underfae. And now, they were investigating a crime scene. She just wanted some rest. She hadn't have a good night's sleep in over three weeks. Any moment where she could just rest for a few minutes or hours, was welcome.

"It's definitely a body imprint from where the corpse was left." Lauren said as they examined the bloody body shape imprint on the side of the road. "But it's mostly just blood and fluids. I mean, there's some lymph matter and interstitial tissue and—" She took a swab of the matter on the ground. "Let's see—" and smelled it. "Possibly some digestive secretions. Neat."

"Wow, do we ever have a different definition of that word." Kenzi commented.

"You think something swallowed it?" Bo asked Lauren. "Spit the corpse out here but digested the skin?"

"Possibly." Lauren answered. "I'd love to get a look at that skin, it'd tell me a lot. We'll know more when we get back to the lab and I do a work-up."

"Meanwhile, what kind of Fae feed on skin?" Bo asked.

"It might not be feeders." Dani answered. "There's various types of Flayers. There's collectors, sadists, priests performing rituals."

"There's creepy dudes who likes to make body suits out of other people's skin." Kenzi added.

"Who or whatever did this needs finding." Bo said. "Fast." She stood up and Kenzi and Danielle followed her. "A lot of different tracks in this one area, like a bunch of them pulled over at once. Got their wheels in the mud."

"Could be old." Kenzi suggested.

"Uh, uh, no, we had that big rain yesterday afternoon." Bo shook her head. "Anything earlier would have been washed away. Whatever did this might not be travelling alone."

"Fantastic." Danielle sighed. "That's exactly what we needed."

"We should talk to Trick, see if he knows any trackers we can trust." Kenzi suggested. "Since, Mr. Dyson left us high and dry. He really picked a shitty window for some 'me time,' huh?" Danielle just let out a deep breath.

"Kenzi."

"She said, leaving an open opportunity for her friend to snark—?"

Danielle stopped and turned around. "I don't have the will nor the desire to snark. Okay? I don't even know if he's even coming back."

"He wouldn't leave us for good without saying goodbye." Kenzi assured her.

"How do you know?" Dani asked her.

"I know Dyson." Kenzi answered. "And he just isn't that massive a dick."

"Kenzi's right." Bo put her arm around her shoulders. "He's head over heels for you, he wouldn't just leave like that."

"And come on, how much can a dude change in three weeks?"

They were back at the Dal. There Trick had hired the help of the Bloodhound to track the murderer. He had led us to a circus show where all performers were Faes. One of them—the one who seemed to be the leader—presented to them the murderer. A tall Fae that did not seem very intelligent. He was kept in a cage. But neither Bo or Danielle could do anything. Not at the risk of starting a war.

Danielle was trying to get some sleep when she received a call from Bo. Dyson was back. He was home.

"Hey." Dyson greeted Dani as she stepped into his loft.

She jumped into his arms. She buried her face into his neck. She had missed his scent. His arms, his voice, his face. In his arms, the emptiness she had felt for weeks, seemed to disappear. She felt whole again. But it lasted a moment. Quickly enough, the emptiness returned. It stirred something inside of her. It wailed in pain. It wailed at the loss.

"Where have you been?" Dani pulled away. "Why didn't you call? I was worried about you."

"I was dealing with some personal stuff." He answered.

"What kind of personal stuff?" Dani frowned at his back.

"Hale said there's, uh, a body?" He answered instead. "I was just on my way to the Dal. You wanna join me?" He hopped on his bike.

Dani was confused at the coldness with which Dyson was treating her. It had been three weeks since they last saw each other. She got nothing more than a hug. No apologies, no explanation, no love. Dyson was pulling away from her. And she did not understand why. And now he was ignoring her question.

"I did a forensics work-up." Lauren informed them. "The killer is definitely Fae. So is the victim."

"Our side?" Dyson asked her.

"I'm still ID'ing the remains." Lauren replied.

"Well, we might be able to help with that." Bo said. "We tracked the kill to a group of circus Fae camping at an old candy factory. We can push them harder to talk."

"I'm guessing it'll take more than a push." Kenzi said. "Zael never told us the kill was Fae, so, they're definitely hiding something."

"Want to go investigate? For old time's sake." Dani suggested to Dyson.

"I'm gonna take this with Hale." Dyson sighed getting up. "I've got some catching up to do."

"Yeah, you do that." Dani got up and left.

She felt furious. She didn't know why but she was mad at the Shapeshifter. He had done something. She knew that. He was avoiding her, pulling away. She was mad. She was frustrated. She needed to know what was really going on. She needed to understand why she felt this way. Why this emptiness.

She was still at the Dal with her friends. Sitting in a corner while Bo and Kenzi were at the bar with Trick. They had received a call from Dyson. They had found the skin, half burnt down. On the inside of the skin, there was a map tattooed. How they were able to do that was a mystery. Especially, since it was done before his death. And he disappeared in his lair to find what he could about the tattoo.

"You're doing it again?" Bo said sitting down next to Danielle. Kenzi sat on her left.

"What?" Danielle asked leaning back in the couch.

"Rubbing your chest." Bo replied.

"Is it hurting?" Kenzi questioned.

"Yeah, sometimes." Dani took a sip from her beer. "Lauren did all the checkups and there's nothing wrong. I'm fine physically and yet—"

"Something's wrong." Bo finished for her.

"That why, you and Dyson are icy with each other?" Kenzi asked her. As Bo stood up and disappeared in Trick's lair.

"Maybe." Danielle shrugged. "It's been three weeks since he disappeared. He's back and he barely looked at me. It's like—he's pulling away. And I would love to know why?"

While they were speaking, Trick had received a visit in his lair. A rather unpleasant one. His very unpleasant visitor had eaten the books he had gotten from the Ash. The very books that were supposed to help to identify the tattoo.

"That's the rat dude that attacked you?" Kenzi asked. There was a book opened on the bar. There was a drawing of the Fae that had attacked Trick.

"Tesso. Or rather one of his descendants." Trick answered.

"Rare Japanese Fae. Powerful shamans." Lauren added. "They absorb knowledge by, well, eating it."

"Good. If we can figure out what books he was targeting, we'll know what he was trying to learn, right?" Bo said.

"Have you seen the states of those precious books?" Dani grumbled. "Piecing them together is going to be a real bitch. That's plain cruel." Bo and Kenzi chuckled.

"Meanwhile, this tells a tale of its own." Trick said picking up the robe the Fae, before shifting into a rat.

"I saw those at the circus camp." Bo said. "What do they mean?"

"What do you know of the 'Sluagh?'" Trick asked her.

"The Wandering Damned?" Dyson replied. "I thought they were just superstition."

"No, they're real." Trick retorted. "And they're not damned or dead, they're cursed. Forced to wander the earth, without rest. Without a home."

"Who'd they piss off?" Kenzi asked him.

"Let's just say in the early Fae wars between Light and Dark, they tried to play both sides, and fooled neither."

"I like them already." Bo said. "But why are they here, now?"

"Many of them became thieves," Trick continued. "So, if there's a band of them here—"

"They're probably here to steal something." Dyson finished for him.

"Something to which that map tattoo points." Lauren said.

"And apparently something worth killing for." Bo added.

"I'll check with the local Fae-fences, see if there's something unusually valuable in town." Dyson said before leaving. Without sparing a glance in Dani's direction.

Back at the clubhouse, Dani went to bed. Her eyes fell shut immediately as she fell in a well-deserved slumber. A dreamless slumber. Most of nights would start this way. A dreamless slumber. She could rest her mind and body. Or so she thought. Her slumber never lasted long enough for her to rest.

She woke up gasping for breath as a searing pain shot through her chest. She clutched her chest. Her forehead drenched in sweat. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think. She could only feel. And she wished she couldn't. And as suddenly and as quick as it came, her pain faded to a dull throb.

"How long did I sleep?" Danielle croaked out. Bo was reading a book on the couch while Lauren was sleeping.

"About an hour and a half." Bo answered. Danielle poured herself a glass of water. "You're okay?"

"Yeah," Danielle exhaled. "I'm making progress on my sleep schedule."

"Super-sized shit!" Kenzi grumbled as she walked in. She scrunched up her nose when she noticed Lauren in the couch.

"She's just taking a nap, relax." Bo reassured her. "What's up?"

Danielle moved up to the couch. As Kenzi sat on the armrest. "We may have figured out what the Sluagh want—or at least, what they're after next. It's called the Sword of Agros. Trick doesn't know where to find it yet, but he says—"

"I do!" Bo cut her off. "At least, I have a good idea who's protecting it."

"How?" Kenzi asked her.

"I'm super smart." Bo said in a duh tone. "Okay, these three are what the Fae call Guardians. It's a sort of life of servitude, donating your actual body to the protection for something."

"The kinda of something the Sluagh might want?" Kenzi nodded.

Bo's phone rang. "This Guardian, he's dead." She pointed to the victim's photo. "These two, no contact info—"She picked up her phone. "Dyson?" Danielle walked back to the kitchen. "His name wouldn't happen to be Ralph, would it?"

Their newest victim was a living sheath. Meaning there was a sword. Unfortunately, the Sluagh had taken the sword and left the sheath behind. With this new information, their small gang met at the Dal.

"Do we even know why this fool wanted that sword?" Bo asked Trick.

"Because they need it." Trick answered. "To help them steal something greater."

"Such as?" Danielle crossed her arms over her chest.

"Our land." Trick turned to her.

"What?" Kenzi frowned in confusion. "How's that possible?"

"In order for a district to be claimed by the Light Fae, each Ash has to make a covenant with the land during a secret, mystic ceremony, the Bohsee ahn talahv." Trick explained.

"Translation?" Bo said.

"He marries the land." Danielle answered.

"The Ash swears to protect the good of the land and in return, the land is good to his people." Trick continued.

"Used to mean better crops, and less disease." Dyson added. "Now, it's longer lasting infrastructure more wealth, less crime."

"But, only if the marriage ceremony is consummated."

"Define 'consummated?'" Kenzi asked him.

"Well, without getting into the grander more mind bending metaphysics of it," Trick said. "The soul of the land takes on corporeal form, with which the Ash will mate."

"Talk about laying some turf." Kenzi turned to Hale.

"Pounding some ground?" He said back.

"Okay." Danielle rolled her eyes at them.

"You done?" Trick sighed.

"Sorry—" Hale apologized.

"With the Ash on the verge of death," Trick went on. "He's already losing his bond. That's exactly the opportunity the Sluagh were looking for. By binding themselves to the earth, and claiming it for their own."

"Wait, is that really so bad?" Bo asked her. "Isn't there enough room for everyone?"

"If they steal our covenant with the land, all the Light Fae that currently live here will be forced into exile." Dyson explained.

"And the Dark would be free to over run the city." Hale added. "Not good news for the humans that remain."

"Yep, those are both bad." Bo agreed. "So, what can we do?"

"The Sluagh will need to fully sever the Ash's land-bond before they can forge their own." Trick replied. "They're looking for this—" Trick opened the book on the able. On the page was a drawing of a stone. "The physical manifestation of the bond. The Heart Stone. Breaking this with the Sword of Agros will completely sever the bond."

"Well, where is it?" Bo questioned.

"I'm guessing that's what Marvin skin's map would have led them to." Dyson retorted. "Too bad it's too damaged to be of much use to us."

"Uh, hello? You're our Trick-o-pedia." Kenzi reminded the Bartender.

"Well, I was never local government." Trick smiled at her. "I'll have to summon Buzz, as much as it pains me. But as Acting Ash, there are some things only he's privy to. Sit tight."

"I'm gonna get some fresh air," Dani said getting up. "Anyone want to tag along?"

"I'm good. Thanks." Dyson replied.

"No problem." Dani turned around and left him.

Dyson was clearly avoiding her. She already knew that something was off but his constant avoidance of her, just scared her. Infuriated her. However, she felt stupid for trying to get his attention. For getting him to talk to her. To get him alone with her. He made her feel stupid for trying. She hated that. She hated that he made her feel like a stupid teenager in love.

"Did I ever tell you about the time the Third Ash and I went across the border incognito?" Trick was dragging behind him the acting Ash, Buzz. "Oh, there were some shenanigans that day, I promise you—"

"Buzz!" Trick said in annoyance. "Try to think. We need to know where it is."

"Where what is?"

"The Heart Stone."

"What about it?"

"There has to be another way." Bo groaned. "Or someone else who knows, I mean, how many old rocks representing the Ash's link to the land, can there be?"

"You mean the Heart Stone." Buzz said as it dawned on him.

"What did you think we were talking about? A type of cereal?" Dani countered.

"Well, why didn't you just damn well ask for goodness's sake?" Buzz shook his head. "You there, meat bag—" He turned to Kenzi. "Get me my glasses and a pen, will ya? I'll write you a map."

Kenzi jumped down and gave him the pen and a notebook that was on the bar. Put his glasses on his eyes. She then turned to Trick. "Meat bag?" She whispered.

"I'm sorry." Trick apologized.

"I never thought I'd say this." Danielle started as Bo and Kenzi followed Trick. Leaving her and Dyson alone. "But I'm starting to miss the Ash."

"I thought his voice was putting you to sleep." Dyson humored her.

"Yes, but this one is giving me a headache." Danielle sighed.

"Look, once we get that map, I think Hale and I can handle the stone." Dyson moved closer to her. "Maybe, you and—"

"Stop avoiding me—" Danielle grabbed his arm.

"I'm not."

"Could have fooled me?" Danielle countered. "Dyson, we need to talk."

"I know." He exhaled.

"Good." She looked over at Bo who was walking over to them. "Not right now, though. We need to deal with the Sluagh, first."

"Hey, We have the map." Bo smiled at her friend. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." Dani stood up.

"Actually, I was talking to Dyson." Bo stopped her. She pulled Dani aside. "I think it's best, if you stay here. Get some rest?"

"Is that your way of telling me that I look awful?" Dani snorted.

"It's my way of telling you that you should have some rest." Bo smiled. "And while you do, I'll beat some sense into him."

Danielle laughed. "I want him back in one piece, though."

"Don't worry, I won't be too hard on him." Bo kissed her on the cheek.

"You're sure, you're gonna be okay?"

"I'm handling this." Bo assured her. "And you should probably talk to Trick about—your chest pains. If someone can figure it out, it's him."

"Alright, I'll do that. Be careful."

Danielle remained behind. She did not talk to Trick, though. She had meant to in the past three weeks. Lauren had told her to do so but she did not. She was afraid of hearing the answer. Her mother's warning was still turning into her head. She had not forgotten those words but she was too afraid to learn of its meaning. She knew it was related to Dyson's running away and out of town. What did truly happen that night?

"So, what was Tesso looking for in those books he ate?" Bo asked Buzz.

She and Dyson had come back from the location of the Heart Stone. The one given to them by the Acting Ash. It was a trap. Buzz had been working against them and betrayed his people.

"An incantation." Buzz answered. "In order for their leader, Zael, to get enough juice for the, uh—the Fastening ritual."

"Yeah, yeah, the magical boinking." Kenzi replied. "We know, go on—"

"Tesso will need to perform the chant. So, doing will funnel all the sexual energy from a large group of revelers to Zael." Buzz explained.

"What, crowd-sourced Viagra? We do that?" Bo asked.

"There's a reason why Fae and pagan rituals are often performed along with group revelry." Trick turned to them. "All that sex and joy essence is a powerful energy source."

"Playboy grotto must be, like, baam!" Kenzi commented.

"So, where does this leaves us?" Bo questioned.

"The easiest vessels for Fae to draw from are always humans." Trick said.

"Zael and his people will need some sort of event or something that gathers humans together." Dyson kept on.

"And spur of the moment, since they only just found the Sword and the Heart Stone." Dani added.

"Guys, are we looking for some kind of sexy pagan underground flash rave, tonight?" Kenzi wondered excitedly. "Seriously, I got this covered! Just give the human, like five minutes, tops!" And she rushed out of the room.

"You okay?" Kenzi asked Bo. "You look a little—nipple-y."

They arrived at the underground party. The music was blaring through the speaker while the people around them were dancing to the beat.

"Just hungry." Bo answered. "This place is dripping sex."

"Yeah, I can feel it to." Dani agreed, shaking off the feeling that was growing in her lower stomach.

"That Tesso is channeling some strong hoodoo." Kenzi said. "Even I can feel it."

"I think we need to split up." Hale suggested to the human. "Me and D can try and muzzle Tesso. Stop the incantations."

"Okay, Bo, DeeDee and I will—" She started to say as she turned to her friends. "Where's Bo?"

"What?" Dani turned to look behind her. The Succubus had disappeared. "Bo?"

Their friend was dancing with a group of young women. Danielle and Kenzi exchanged a look before going to get their friend. "Can you make it through on your own," Kenzi asked her as they pulled her away from the group of women. "Or do we have to cuff your muff?"

"I think I'll manage." Bo assured them.

They disappeared in the crowd of sweating and sexually charged people, looking for Zael. Dani walked around, the people were jumping up and down to the beat. Some were making out. But the one person she was looking for was nowhere to be seen. She felt a presence behind her. It was Dyson, standing behind her. She turned around to face fully. They stared into each other's eyes a few seconds, before Dyson slid his hands around her waist. Her hands came up to rest on his chest. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.

Danielle had forgotten the feeling of his lips against hers. She had forgotten the taste of his mouth. She had carved for that feeling. She had craved for his taste. And yet, here in the middle of the crowd, as she kissed him she felt nothing coming from him. No passion, no love. It felt as though she was kissing a complete stranger. Something stirred awake in her chest. It roared to be let out of the cage, it only needed to wail.

She pulled away from the kiss. She looked up at him as though she was seeing him for the first time. "What have you done?" She said her voice barely above a whisper.

Zael had not mated with the Land. Bo had stopped him before he could. But the bond between the Land and the Ash had been severed and it needed to be restored. Before someone else claimed her. This was at least solved. They had managed to save the Light Fae from exile.

Danielle was joined at the bar by Dyson. He stood next to her as she swirled the amber liquid around in her glass.

"So, you're finally going to tell me what's up with you?" Danielle said without looking at him. "Why did you run away?" Dyson was quiet still. "I have all night, I can wait."

"I asked the Norn to give you my strength against Aife." Dyson explained. "But you should know, it came with a price."

"I know." Danielle replied. "She takes in payment what you value most."

"I didn't know what it was at the time. I offered my wolf." Dyson kept on. "That's not what she took."

"What did she take?" Danielle exhaled dreading his answer.

"Us." She finally looked up at him. "She made it impossible for me to feel anything for you."

Danielle scoffed, her eyes welling up with tears. "Jokes on you, then. I didn't feel your strength that night. I couldn't. Because all I could feel was your pain." She stood up. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She fled the Dal.

Danielle finally understood where that feeling was coming from. The emptiness, the pain, it wasn't hers. It was his. She sobbed, clutching her chest. She could feel it coming. It always started with a dull ache. Before it spread and burst into blinding and searing agony. She fell to her knees. She was no longer able to contain it. Danielle let out a deafening scream in the dead of night. The Wail of a Banshee.