Chapter 35 – Fractured

Night had fallen over the Congo, and Lauren's path back to camp was shrouded in black. She had Bo had spent another hour or so, lazing in the waters of the EXL lagoon, telling stories and laughing and cuddling and doing all that sweet stuff that comes with being in a relationship. They had managed another go round, this time without any explosions or energy transfer of the sort that would make a Bacchus blush. Truth be told, they had stayed far too late.

"Damn it!" Bo swore, as she tripped over a root and nearly faceplanted into Lauren's back. "Why can't being a Succubus come with night vision?"

"I don't know. It's a travesty." Lauren humored her girlfriend, and dug around in her pack. A moment later she emerged with two pairs of headlamps. She placed one on Bo's head, and tightened the strap. "There." She kissed Bo's forehead, then clicked a button on the side. "Let there be light."

"You know, I like being able to see. But when I suggested we try a strap on, this isn't what I had in mind." Bo adjusted her headgear, fiddling with the lens to widen the field. Lauren pulled her own headlamp on.

"There are fringe benefits to looking like a spelunker." Lauren patted Bo's cheek, and began to follow what was now a clear path.

"Oh really?"

"Yep. Now, you get to look at my ass the whole way back to camp." Lauren gave a little wiggle.

"Now that is a truth I can get behind. So to speak." Bo gave Lauren a playful slap on the butt. "Lead on, Sex Bomb." She grabbed Lauren's hand, and followed.

"Sex bomb." Lauren laughed, and pushed a branch from their path. "Not entirely accurate, as far as descriptions go."

"Well, you knocked me unconscious."

"True. There was an expulsive, concussive force involved, which originated somewhere inside my body and was released through my 'chi'." Lauren pushed another leaf out of the way. "But it wasn't a destructive force, in the sense that all the surrounding plants and trees remained intact, there was no inflammatory element – no fire – and I didn't blow your head off."

"So, you're not a bomb."

"No."

"But there's something happening."

"Absolutely." Lauren shoved another branch aside.

"Lauren?"

"Yes?"

"You realize you're not actually touching those branches, right?"

Lauren's hand froze, her arm extended, and she looked down. She had been in the process of shoving a large cacao branch out of the way – it was just one of those automatic actions that a human being undertakes, without even consciously thinking about it. Her eyes grew wide as softballs. Bo was right. She wasn't touching it. Her hand was almost four inches away from the branch.

"I don't understand." Lauren moved her arm backwards several inches, and the branch seemed to follow. "I can feel it pushing back against my palm…but I'm not actually making physical contact." She glanced down at her other hand, where Bo's fingers remained enlaced with her own. "And yet, I can still touch you." Lauren moved her arm back to where it had started, and again the branch mimicked her movements. "It's like an energy field of some kind."

Bo gulped. "I have a theory."

"I'm listening." Lauren's eyes remained on the branch as she inched it back and forth, back and forth.

"Well…it's like this. The farther we go into this jungle, the freakier things have been with you. No offense."

"None taken." Lauren pushed the branch until it was bent at nearly a 70 degree angle. It was nearly two inches in circumference, and was pushing back against her with some force…the tension was quite strong.

"When you were telling me that story about your first time in the Congo, you said that one of the Khassu elders brought you into the temple. He handed you the Siancyn Stone, and there was a weird swirly light." Bo bit her lip.

"Yes?" Lauren was only half paying attention now, as she pushed the branch until it was on the verge of breaking in two.

"I think he did something to you. And the closer you get to the Siancyn Stone, the more powerful you're getting." Bo gulped and took a deep breath before continuing. "Lauren?"

"Mmhmm?"

"I think he turned you into a Fae."

"What?" Lauren turned to Bo, scrunching up her forehead. "But that's not…Bo that shouldn't be…I don't think that I can…"

Lauren, deep in thought, allowed her hand to drop to her side.

The branch, finally set free, promptly whacked her in the face.

"OW OW OWWW!" She doubled over and covered her nose, a steady trickle of blood falling through her fingers as her eyes began to water.

"Geez Lauren are you okay?" Bo kneeled at her side, trying to stifle a chuckle.

Lauren glared at Bo through her fingers. "You dink dis is fuddy?"

"No." Bo patted Lauren's head. "I don't think it's fuddy."

"I dink I broke my dose."

"Here, let me see." Bo gently pulled Lauren's hands away, so she could have a look. Bo grimaced – this definitely wasn't 'fuddy' anymore. Her girlfriend's nose was clearly broken – Bo didn't need to be a doctor to tell. It was practically pointing sideways. Above them, the branch swayed back and forth maliciously, until it spent its kinetic energy and came to a stop.

"Fractured?" Lauren managed to ask.

"Oh….nawwwww. It's not that bad." Bo lied, with a wince. Her girlfriend's beautiful face was disfigured. It seemed like a crime against humanity. Bo reached out to touch Lauren's cheek, but before her fingers reached Lauren's skin something strange happened. Bo fell backwards with a start as Lauren's nose shifted…and with a crack and a snap, set itself back into place. Good as new. "Oh my god, they DID turn you into a Fae!" Bo gaped.

"Bo what are you talking abo-oh!" Lauren touched her nose. The pain was gone, and the swelling was rapidly going down. She wiped the blood from her face. Within ten seconds, there was no indication at all that anything had ever been out of place.

Lauren fell to the ground as Bo threw herself on at her, in a tackle hug that sent them sprawling on the grass, head laps lighting up the trees above. "You're Fae, Lauren! Do you know what this means?!"

Lauren sighed, as they lay on the ground staring at the canopy above. "There's definitely something happening to me. And you're probably right – it most likely is related to this jungle, and the Stone. But I'm not Fae."

"Yes you are!" Bo rolled over and laid a hand on Lauren's stomach. "The speed and the energy and the healing and the sex bomb and Lauren don't you get it? You'll never have to die! Not for thousands of years! And…"

"Bo." Lauren sat up and placed her hands on Bo's cheeks, to slow her down. "I'm not Fae. I can't become Fae. Humans and Fae are barely in the same phylum and class, let alone order, family, genus or species. I can no more become Fae than I could become a Pseudoceros Dimidiatus."

Bo stared back blankly.

"A flatworm," Lauren explained.

"But…what about Dyson? He can turn into a wolf…"

"It's not the same thing."

"How isn't it the same?"

"It just isn't! Bo, I really don't feel like debating biology and genetics with you." Lauren smiled sadly. "Bo. Not even an hour ago, you had a taste of my chi. Did I taste like I'm Fae?"

"…no." Bo admitted. "You were like you….but you were more of you. I don't know how to explain it. There was something though…something was different, and maybe that was…"

"Bo, how old do I look to you?"

The Succubus frowned. "Is that a trick question?"

Lauren chuckled. "No, it isn't. But please trust me. I look older than I did when I first came to the Congo. I've aged since the elder stuck that rock in my hand. You see these?" She pointed at the corner of her eye. "Those little creases weren't there six years ago. The Fae are giving me wrinkles. If the elder had turned me Fae, those wrinkles wouldn't exist."

Bo's shoulders shrunk and she hunched over, seemingly deflated. "Come on," Lauren wrapped and arm around Bo, and together they stood up. "We really need to get back." They began walking toward the camp once again. This time, it was Bo pushing the branches out of the way. Just to be safe. They walked together in silence for some time. Lauren kept glancing over at her girlfriend. She could tell the Succubus had something heavy weighing on her mind.

"You okay?" Lauren rubbed Bo's arm.

Bo sighed, tried to force a smile, and failed. "Yeah. It's just…well…I think this is the first time I've realized that you're human. And humans…" Bo gulped. "I mean, I know you're human. Obviously. I'm not a moron. But this is the first time I've really thought about it."

"Bo…"

"And it's not fair." Bo fought back a tear, as her voice trembled. "It isn't fucking fair, Lauren. Because if you wanted to…I mean, if it was really what you wanted, we could spend the rest of your life together. But I…I won't get to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Oh hey, come here." Lauren wrapped Bo up in the tightest hug, as Bo finally let the tears fall, dripping onto Lauren's shoulder and soaking her shirt. She pulled Bo as close as she possibly could; as close as two people could possibly be. She ran a hand through Bo's soft hair, and kissed her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere, okay? Not anytime soon."

"But you will. Someday, you will. And there isn't anything I can do about it."

Lauren pulled back far enough so that she could kiss the tears from Bo's cheeks as the drops fell, one by one. "Bo Dennis. You are going to get sick of me long before that happens. I am a workaholic, socially awkward, snobbish and stuck up introvert. I am an anal retentive neat freak, who somewhat contradictorily keeps lethal UnderFae spores in my kitchen cupboards. I wear a nightguard, okay? You don't know that about me, because I don't wear it when you're around, but it's true. I would grind my teeth into dust without it."

Bo pulled back, and shot Lauren a look. "You really think I give a shit if you wear a nightguard?"

"Well…it would make it weird if you tried to kiss me in the morning."

Bo let loose with an exhaled laugh, and touched her girlfriend's cheek. "Lauren Lewis, you are the dumbest smart person I have ever met." She rolled her eyes, and muttered "nightguard" under her breath.

Lauren brushed a stray hair from Bo's forehead. "But in all seriousness. You could do so much better than me. I feel like I'm being selfish, tricking you into sticking around." She looked into Bo's eyes. "I know we said 'I love you'. But it's not too late. You can still walk away. You can still change your mind."

Bo kissed Lauren softly on the lips. "I won't ever change my mind. Not even when you're ninety-eight years old and I'm changing your diapers."

Lauren grinned and looked at her feet, before meeting Bo's gaze once again. "That might be the sweetest thing you've ever said to me." She wrapped her arms around Bo once again, and didn't let go.

Lauren never, ever wanted to let go.

Vex leaned against the tree trunk. He tied the vine tightly around his waist so as not to fall out of his perch 300 feet above the jungle floor. He gave the vine an extra tug, and inspected the knot. "I have a friend – name is Vivica. Taught me everything I know about knots, and I'd bet my left bollock that she could think of a hundred things to do with these vines."

"And how many of those require the use of a safe word?" Serena raised an eyebrow.

"Most of them, I should think." Vex winked. "So, where do you suppose old Charlie Brownie went?"

"No idea." Serena leaned precariously from a high branch, scanning the canopy with her night vision goggles. "There hasn't been any unusual activity since that strange wind gust earlier."

"Something odd about that breeze. It made little Vex sit up and pay attention, I can tell you that."

Serena looked at him with disgust. "Is there anything that doesn't make you horny?"

Vex thought for a minute. "Kidney beans. Nothing sexual about kidney beans."

Before Serena could answer, she felt short, stubby fingers gripping her throat, slowly choking the life out of her. Her bulging eyeballs shot downwards to find Mumphert, his eyes glowing a demonic red. She gasped for breath and clawed at his hand with sharp fingernails, but he didn't even flinch. "You LIED to me!" He hissed, tossing Serena against the tree trunk like a rag doll.

"Oi, what do you think you're…"

"QUIET!" The Brownie screamed, as Vex found himself suddenly staring at the jungle floor below, vine wrapped around his ankle, swaying back and forth. Mumphert turned back to Serena. "Four Fae. Two humans. THAT is what you told me. I. Count. FIVE!"

"No." Serena clutched her neck, gasping for breath. "There are four Fae. The Succubus, the Wolf, the Fairy, and the Siren."

"And what of the Blonde?"

"Blonde"

"The one who fornicates with the Succubus!"

"You mean Lauren Lewis?" Serena pulled out her cell phone. "She's one hundred percent human. A doctor, employed by the Light Fae. Here's her file, her medical records, everything." Serena's hands shook as she handed Mumphert the phone. She could feel the rage radiating off his small frame like a space heater, or an Easy Bake Oven from the seventh circle of Hell.

As the Brownie scrolled through the file, his eyes slowly changed from red, back to their innocuous green. By the time he finished reading, his voice had also changed from a demonic growl to his usual, lilting tone. "Well then. It appears we have an unforeseen development. I believe reinforcements are in order." He dialed up a number. "Ah, Lich my old friend, how are you? Yes…yes well, I'm in a bit of a pickle; can you tell me where I might procure a small band of mercenaries? Ta." He threw the phone at Serena. "Finish making the arrangements."

"Wait…where are you going?" She asked, still rubbing at her throat.

"I suddenly feel a burning need to see a doctor." He turned and leaped from the tree, gliding effortlessly to the ground below before taking off through the jungle at a full sprint. Serena watched him go, mouth agape.

"Oi?" Vex shouted. "A little help down here?"

Serena tossed a small fireball at the vine, grinning as it snapped in half and sent Vex tumbling through the branches to the jungle floor below. Nearly twenty seconds passed before Vex gave any indication of having survived the fall. A small voice rose to meet Serena's ears, punctuated by a satisfied moan. "It hurts…so…goooood."

A black SUV tore down the side streets, nearly crashing into a dumpster of very confused stray cats. Val grasped her seat belt for dear life. "You drive," she shouted, "like Cruella-freaking-deVille."

"You have a problem, get out and walk darling." The Morrigan slammed the wheel to the left, taking a corner so tightly that the car tipped precariously on its outside wheels.

"Just two more blocks and then take another left." Trick instructed from the backseat. "We're almost there."

"You still haven't explained where we're going." Val shouted over the squeal of tires.

"The others need to know exactly who they're up against. We need to tell them right away. I know someone who can help!" The SUV skidded as the Morrigan slammed the brakes, bringing them to a whiplash-inducing halt in front of a decrepit looking building. A rusty out front advertised the "Faede Away Travel Agency."

"Subtle." Val frowned at the name as she stood on wobbly legs, tempted to kiss the solid ground below.

"Ugh." The Morrigan whipped off her sunglasses and grimaced. "I hate it when businesses use a play on the name Fae. It's so tacky. And not clever at all. Well come on, let's get this over with." Her heels clacked on the pavement as she, Val, and Trick entered the country's first and only Fae travel agency. Upon entry it seemed like any other failing travel business – faded posters of tropical islands covered the walls, an ancient looking Apple computer sat at a currently unmanned counter.

"Wow," Val said. "It's even dumpier on the inside."

"Most of their business comes from their web site. There isn't much point in maintaining an impressive storefront, when you can zap Fae across the globe from the comfort of their own home." Trick walked up to the dusty desk and rang the bell.

"Wait…a website? We could have just done this over my phone?" The Morrigan held up her iPhone, and shot Trick a nasty look. "Why did I just drive all the way across town?"

Trick shrugged. "I don't trust technology."

Val smacked Trick on the head with a Bora Bora brochure. "Are you trying to get us killed old man? Making me spend thirty minutes in a car with this woman…I would have felt safer on a moped driven by a gorilla." She turned to the Morrigan. "Why doesn't it surprise me that the leader of the Dark Fae has an iPhone?"

"Because the leader of the Dark Fae has a brain, and good taste, and a healthy understanding of the iPhone's superior technical specifications. I suppose you're using an Android?" The Morrigan sneered at her clearly inferior Fae counterpart.

"Yeah see, I like the bigger screen, and the near field communication, and the fully customizable desktop…"

"What's the point of a bigger screen when your image quality isn't any good?" The Morrigan snapped back.

"What's the point of having Siri talk to you when she can't actually tell you what you need? 'Siri, find me a conscience and a soul…'"

"You're just jealous because you can't steal her voice…"

"Ladies," a woman cleared her throat, and Val and the Morrigan stopped their spirited debate and turned to find the source. A tall brunette Fae, grinning ear to ear in the most fake manner, stood behind the desk. Her teeth were so white that Val nearly had to squint against the glare. "Can I help you?"

"Let me handle this." Trick shoved his way through the bickering Fae leaders, and approached the counter. "Yes, hello. We need a trip for three to the Congo."

The Fae clerk raised an eyebrow. "You're…Fitzpatrick McCorrigan?"

"At your service."

She grabbed a weathered scroll and unrolled it on the desk, her finger searching across the parchment until she found what she was looking for. "Mr. McCorrigan, I'm afraid you have been placed on our 'no fly list'."

"Excuse me?" Trick puffed out his chest with indignation. "I have used your service countless times…don't you know who I am?"

The clerk rolled the scroll up again, and gave him another wide, fake smile. "You are the man who still owes us several thousand dollars for a series of trips to the Naiad Day Spa and Massage Parlor on the island of Ios." Her grin grew wider, and yet somehow more malicious. "I hear those ladies can be very…accommodating."

"Ugh." Val and the Morrigan looked at him in disgust.

"What?" He threw up his hands. "I go there for the chemical peels…they have GREAT chemical peels. Oh to hell with you both." He turned back to the clerk, and pounded his hand on the desk. "Listen. This is a matter of life and death. We NEED to go to the Congo jungle. Immediately!"

"I'm sorry sir but there's nothing I can do…"

"The future of all Fae hangs in the balance, you stupid stupid woman!"

"You aren't helping your case, sir."

Before she knew what was happening, Trick had climbed up on the desk and grabbed her by the collar. "Three. For the Congo. Now." He sneered.

"Fine." She pulled away from the furious bartender, and straightened her collar. Three for the jungle. That was the Amazon, correct?"

"No! I said the Cong…"

"Enjoy your trip." The clerk winked, and with that the Blood King, the Morrigan, and the Ash vanished into thin air. "Asshole," she muttered to herself as she returned to the back room, to answer e-mails and play internet solitaire.

Trick stood up on sore knees…he had landed directly on both of them when they rematerialized in…wherever they were. It was dark, and he couldn't see a thing. "Val? Evony? Are you still there?"

"Yes." Val replied, coughing.

"Nice job old man. Way to piss off the teleporter." The Morrigan snapped. "Hello?" She yelled into the darkness. "Is anyone here? AH!" She covered her eyes as all of a sudden the ceiling erupted with bright floodlights, all pointed directly at them.

"What is this?" Val asked. Now that she could see, she realized that the three of them were sharing a room…surrounded on all sides by cast iron bars. She stiffened as she heard a click clack, click clack of heels drawing closer.

"Well, well, well." The three travelers spun around, as they heard a deep, female voice accompanying the sound of heels on concrete.

The boots were the first things Trick noticed, as they emerged into the light. His gaze was drawn upward, past the tight leather pants, past the tighter leather bustier, and a slender arm holding a riding crop, up to the face of a sneering woman, framed in a tangle of curly blonde hair.

"Oh no." Trick muttered, as the woman was joined by seven towering females in prison guard uniforms.

"Who is that? Where are we?" Val whispered.

"That bitch." Trick gritted his teeth. "She didn't send us to the Amazon. She sent us to the Amazons."

"Welcome to Hecuba," the woman in leather snapped her riding crop against the bars. She winked at Trick. "We are going to have some fun."