And, action! Or not. Hey, everyone, I told you the wait wouldn't be long. I'm not always an asshole. Just a good deal of the time.
Be excited, this is where the magic happens.
I still don't own any of the Iron Fey series. It'd be nice though.
Chapter 7: Hangover Rhapsody
By the time we finally left the mansion, leaving the screams of fey and chicken alike far behind us, the sun had started to set. Around us, the sky glowed a light shade of pink. The cool hair chilled my heated skin. My lightheadedness ebbed slightly, too – washed away by the fresh Summer Court air. It was good to be out of there.
As soon as we were underneath the cover of trees, on our way to the Wyldwood, Puck was cackling.
"Ah, that never gets old." I tried to pull away from him at that point, convinced that he no longer had a reason to hold onto me. The action caused my head to spin, and I wobbled unsteadily on my feet. "Woah, there. Easy…" His hand caught me at my lower back.
"I'm fine." I managed to groan, holding my head in my hands and looking substantially un-fine, I'm sure.
"Not likely, Sunshine – it looks like all those drinks are catching up to you. Do you happen to know how many you drank? I stopped counting at five."
Well, that explained the floaty feeling.
A high-pitched giggle escaped me before I even knew what was happening. "Shit…" I slurred, "Is that a lot?"
"Well it isn't a little."
"It looks as if we'll have to stop for the night, then." Came a new voice. "She's no good to us drunk." Minerva and Ash stepped through the brush and onto the path. Ash looked more than a little annoyed, plucking stray feathers from his clothes and hair.
Puck looked ready to make a comment, but Ash shot him a warning scowl. "Just because I haven't made another oath yet, doesn't mean I won't run you through, Goodfellow." The redhead snickered, not even the slightest bit worried.
"Keep saying that, Prince, maybe one day you'll mean it." I was hyperaware that his hand still remained firmly on my back, feeling like it was burning through the fabric of the dress straight to the skin. I told myself the flush of my cheeks was due to the alcohol and nothing else. "Anyway, looks as if we're setting up camp for the night.
"Let's go farther in. We can find some heavier brush and avoid any unwanted attention." Came Minerva's suggestion as she stretched her limbs tiredly. Everyone obeyed and traveled farther down the path, but I was having a hard time knowing where to put my feet. After I tripped for the umpteenth time, Puck grunted and stopped in his tracks.
"Okay, Sunshine. – your walking-on-your-own privileges have officially been revoked." He bent before I could get the protest out of my mouth and knocked my legs out from under me with one arm and supported my back with the other. "Upsy-dasiy." I complained and attempted to push myself away off of his chest, but he kept a tight hold on me. My fight didn't last long. I gave up and let myself rest against him.
He was strangely silent the entire time, and when I looked up to see his face he looked oddly subdued – as if thinking about something unpleasant. My eyes followed the sharp curve of his jawline as he ground his teeth together within his tight-lipped mouth. In that moment I was almost tempted to reach out and touch him. Then the memories came back – of how he abandoned me without a word in a world that had nothing but contempt and disgust for someone like me. When he had been my only refuge from such a hateful place, he left me alone. He could suffer in silence.
On that note, I forced my eyes away, staring instead at the passing trees. The blurs of green and brown lulled me into a tired trance until we came to a halt in the middle of a secluded clearing. Puck sat me down and murmured that I should get some rest. Minerva turned circles beside me and laid herself at my side, so I rested my head against her side and buried my face in her fur.
"I'll get the firewood," I heard Puck's voice, and it sounded far away.
"I'll find something to eat." Ash replied. Then silence. All consuming silence that lulled me into a dreamless sleep.
I felt like crying.
Or screaming.
Maybe both.
Hangover hell in a nutshell.
"Holy fuck."
"Well, good morning to you, too." My pillow suddenly started vibrating with gentle laughs. "How do you feel?" I made a whiney sobbing noise rather than giving a straight answer.
"Yes, I figured so."
I was almost afraid to open my eyes. My brain was throbbing so hard behind them that I couldn't be sure they wouldn't pop right at as soon as I did. The wyldwood wasn't ever really bright, as the leaves on the trees were too damn thick to let any real sunlight through. Even so, the light that did make it through the canopy felt like magma being poured straight into my corneas.
In front of me, a small fire fought valiantly to stay alive among a pyramid of twigs and dry leaves. The guys were nowhere to be seen, but I spotted Ash's vest lying on the ground and an indent in the grass where Puck must have slept. I pushed myself upward.
"Where'd they go?" I inquired through a yawn.
"The prince is off doing some morning drills with his sword, as he put it. The jester is somewhere collecting mushrooms for breakfast."
"Glorious," I sighed. "Everything hurts. I'm going to go look for a place to wash up."
"Try to refrain from doing anything troublesome."
"Ship has sailed." I murmured under my breath as I walked off, massaging a temple with my fingertips.
After I left, I relaxed a bit. Walks in the Wyld could be nice – what with the gentle breeze through the trees that could never get too strong this far inside, and the distant grumbles and chirps of animals making their way through the underbrush. It didn't take too long for me to find a sizable pond of clean, uninhabited waters. It was too small to be of interest to any dangerous water fey.
Relieved, I immediately shed my party clothes – sticky with sweat from the night – and sunk into the water. It was pleasantly cool against my skin. I just sat there for a few blissful moments, plunging down until only my nose and mouth were above the surface. Being almost completely submerged was like living in a bubble. The only thing I could hear was the water as it flowed around me, pushing against my ear drums. For a moment, it was a simple existence.
I lived for those moments. No one else around – to shun and sneer and watch me from corners of eyes like I was a thing to be feared and wary of.
Here I was Kirie – the Kirie I liked. Just a simple faery girl with no ill intentions towards anyone.
When I came back up, though, I wasn't alone. I saw sleek black feathers and beady glass eyes – shining green as they watched me brush my sopping hair back from my face.
"What do you want?" I hummed, pulling myself out of the pond. There was a gentle caw, and after it, a pause.
"Breakfast is served. Thought you might be hungry since you sawed logs all through dinner last night." I pulled my glamour around me like a towel, drying myself completely before turning to see Puck – back in his normal clothes – holding out a skewered bunch of mushrooms. I took the stick from him carefully, our fingers brushing, before magic-ing up a simple pair of jeans, a cropped black shirt, and black boots that laced up to the knee.
"How thoughtful." I grunted. Even though my words were anything but appreciative, I did offer him a tiny grateful nod. He grinned, seemingly picking up on my apathetic mood towards him at the moment. "Is Ash back, yet?"
"Yeah, but Wolfy went to hunt." He shrugged, "Said we should 'get ready to leave when she returns'." He adopted a dignified feminine tone as he quoted her. I almost smiled, but stuffed a mushroom in my mouth to stop it.
"Hm." I gave an affirmative grunt through a mouthful, which earned me a light flick on the tip of the nose.
"Was it Ash who taught you to talk with your mouth full?" Indignant, I stuck out a tongue full of chewed up food. He pretended to gag, noises and all. This time I did smile, and I couldn't quite stifle the soft laugh that followed. For a moment afterward, he looked a little caught off guard. He quickly recovered, though and another brighter smile lit up his features. It was like old times, then – comforting and familiar. Then the clearing came into view and I remembered why we were here. I coughed and looked to the side, anywhere but his face.
Ash was there, as Puck said he would be – sitting on a log and looking as if he had just come from a bath. He was chewing at the last mushroom on his skewer.
"We're back." I announced, moving to gather my weapons and fasten them to my person. The former Unseelie prince looked at me, then Puck, then back again.
"Everything alright?" He questioned casually, but his eyes bore into mine intensely.
"Yes, Princeling – you overbearing mother hen, you." Puck answered for me, eyes flashing. Ash fixed him with a look, but it wasn't as dangerous as it used to be. The air between them wasn't tense anymore. They both had been different, lately, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Something had changed, just as it had when Ariella – Ash's first love – perished suddenly. I watched as a silent conversation seemed to take place. Puck finally snorted, shook his head, and looked away.
The awkward silence didn't last long, though. Minerva found her way back soon after. "Is everyone ready?" We all stood, eager to be on the move again.
Minerva led us to a trod she knew of that fed straight into Central Park. It was only logical to have a doorway here – it was one of the largest producers of glamour. I could feel it as soon as we passed through. It washed over me like a wave – almost overwhelming, and definitely enough to make me stumble a few steps before finally getting used to it.
"Goddamn…"
A hand clapped me on the back, almost knocking me off balance again. "Don't tell me you've never been, Sunshine. You've been missing out." Ash breathed deeply, Minerva stretched lazily, and even Puck looked brighter – more devious, somehow.
"I can see that." A content sigh escaped me. "Ava wasn't kidding about this place."
"It is a shame we do not have time to soak it all in." Minerva intoned with half-lidded eyes, scratching an ear with a hind paw.
"Aye." Puck agreed, "Alright, alright – we're walking, we're walking." Like a flight attendant, he motioned towards the road with two fingers on both hands. I rolled my eyes and forced myself to leave my spot planted in the grass. The others followed reluctantly. Our movements were languid and slow. I don't think anyone was really in a hurry to leave, and as we got closer the hot stench of iron reached me more and more. It singed my nostrils and stung my lungs, but only minutely. I could only imagine what riding inside a rolling box of death would be like.
So we stood there at the sidewalk trying to hail a cab for close to twenty minutes before one actually stopped and picked us up. Ash sat up in front, unbothered thanks to his new handy-dandy immunity. The rest of us piled in the back, and Puck immediately rolled down both windows while Minerva laid her front paws across my lap. I wondered absently what the cab driver saw her as.
"Where to?" The disgruntled man asked with an unfriendly grunt.
"We're looking for Lady Chesa's." I spoke as clearly as I could without sounding too much like I was holding my breath.
"Fortune teller, huh?" I couldn't answer as we jerked forward, my stomach was rolling too much. This really did nothing for my hangover.
"You gonna live?" Puck teased, though he was looking a bit pale at the moment.
"Don't start, Goodfellow." I growled as menacingly as I could, teeth clenched against bile. This only seemed to amuse him more. He had obviously had more experience dealing with iron, because he hadn't even broken a sweat, so far. I was not so lucky – having spent most of my life in the Nevernever.
"Starting," Came his smug snicker as he bumped me gently with his shoulder. "You know, I would've let you have the window seat if you'd asked nicely. Driving in New York City is hell. A twenty minute drive anywhere else is a forty minute one here." A groan of hopelessness pushed its way out of my throat.
"Tell me you're lying."
"Well, seeing as I can't."
"Shit."
Ash gave me a sympathetic glance from the front seat. "Hang in there, Kirie."
"Easy for you to say, Iron Man." He cracked a smile at my weak attempt at humor.
We suffered – or most of us did – through nearly fifty minutes of road rage and iron before finally making it. "Alright, we're here." Announced the irritated driver, after having had enough of Goodfellow's deliberately annoying questions and comments for his lifetime. I almost felt bad.
Ash pulled something out of his pocket and handed it over. At first they were just scraps of paper, but with a ripple of his glamour they transformed into crisp green bills. We couldn't get out fast enough.
"I sure hope you didn't give him a tip, Ice-boy. We don't reward shoddy service." Ash snorted and rolled his eyes, but he couldn't really argue against that last point.
"It was fake money, Goodfellow."
"Even so."
The building was a tiny little corner shop at the edge of a bustling sidewalk. People flowed around us like river water around a stone, paying little attention to the four fey hanging around with seemingly nowhere to go. The curtains of the place were drawn despite the flashing neon sign that claimed it was open. The wooden, old-timey sign read "Lady Chesa's Fortunes and Charms".
"Huh. Real charming." Puck's eyes sparkled, contradicting his nonchalant tone as he looked between the three of us expectantly. "Eh? Eh?"
I would've punched him had I not still been suffering the effects of that death machine and its grumpy handler. Luckily, Ash had the same idea and did it for me. Puck yelped more in surprise than pain and rubbed at the spot on his chest. "Shut your mouth."
"I second that." Minerva sighed, though her tail flicked with mirth.
"You guys suck," Puck sulked, "Hearing my great puns – you're actually pretty fortunate."
Ash hit him again. Puck shut his mouth.
The inside of the shop was dark. Wooden shelves lined the inside, creating makeshift isles that led straight to the center, where a round table draped in shimmering black cloth sat under a single ray of light. There were plenty of fortune-telling devices lying there, but if this oracle was legit then they were all for show. Not to say those methods – if used correctly – didn't work, but an oracle really didn't need them. They were likely smoke and mirror tricks to fool humans.
"This would be a lot less creepy if someone turned on a light." Puck whispered, close to my ear.
Ash whacked him on the back of the head – hard but good-natured, nonetheless. "You're not allowed to speak again, yet." Minerva and I both chuckled at the indignant look Puck gave him, and also at the fact that he did not – in fact – speak in his defense.
I went back to searching the place with my eyes, confused. The place seemed totally empty, besides the four of us.
"The sign said it was open." I huffed, "So, where is she."
"You'd think she would've seen us coming from a mile away." The faery jester made a ring with his index finger and thumb and planted it on his forehead, "Third eye sees all, or whatever."
"It does not do to gossip about the one you came to for help, Mr. Goodfellow." There was the slamming of a door from somewhere in the back, making me jerk back in surprise before quickly recovering. We exchanged looks, surprised that she could tell who was here without even seeing us. Eventually, a woman with ebony skin and braided hair down to her hips emerged from some back room. She had a colorful scarf tied into a headband, a long equally colorful skirt, and a black tube top. She wore brown strappy sandals that I could see when the skirt swirled around her feet when she walked. "Shit, Thero wasn't joking about you two, now was he?" Her eyes were the only thing that didn't match her coloring.
Her irises were a pale ring of white, purer than the actual whites of her eyes. Not the way a blind person's eyes could cloud over, either, but a true ivory color that almost seemed to glow.
"He told you we were coming?" I inquired, not sure whether she was friend or foe. Past experience with any fey had me betting on foe.
"Said you might be around, yeah. I glimpsed the prince and wolf, myself though. Very sneaky how you got the boy into the party, yeah. Well done." She crossed her arms and gave us a Cheshire grin that almost sent shivers down my spine. "Told me I might wanna be sittin' down when you tell me what it is you lookin' for, too." Her teeth were so blinding that they cut through the dark like a beacon. With a flourish of her hand she motioned for us to take a seat before doing so, herself.
I moved to take a seat first. Ash and Puck flanked me protectively. "The Cursed Three."
I kept it simple – short. I figured that was all it would take to hook her. I was right.
Hands placed face down on the tabletop, the woman leaned back against her chair and breathed deep. Her eyes searched mine, but I couldn't say what it was she thought she would find there. Her mouth turned down, twisting her pretty face into a scowl. "Oh?" Her tone was almost a song, the way it lilted up at the end. "I see you're quite prone to meddlin' in things you know nothin' about, little girl." My jaw clenched just slightly, but my anger brought the temperature down enough to notice. Little girl?
Chesa smirked as if that was what she had been expecting from me.
"We'll pay the cost." Ash's voice was cool and collected, his face fashioned with the utmost composure. I winced and struggled to get my temper under control. In my silent outburst I had proven her jab at my immaturity correct. Pride stung, I let Ash do the talking for now. "Just find them."
"I will find one." She snapped. She obviously did not like his demanding tone, and her burning eyes glared. "And you will agree to whatever price I choose when everything is done."
"One?" I asked, incredulous. "That's it?"
She turned on me slowly, lips parted in a snarl. "You'll be unlikely to find an oracle more generous than I, mix-breed. If they willin' to show you anythin' at all, it won't be more than what I will. You ain't got a clue the kinda evil those things hold within them."
"Okay." I bit out. "One Token – no more and no less. One of the Cursed Three." She straightened in her chair, the deal sealing in the air around us. I cursed inwardly and wished that there was another way to do this. But there wasn't, so I just had to sit the hell down and deal with it. Her words sent a chill through me, though. What about these things had everyone so spooked, and what did Grim's "acquaintance" want with them.
Before I could react, the oracle reached across the table to where my arms were resting and grabbed my wrists forcefully. Her eyes fluttered shut, even as I cried out in shock and tried to yank away. I found I could no longer move. My chin fell against my chest as I fully lost control of my body and darkness enveloped my vision.
Chesa spoke, and suddenly her voice was the voice of millions –of everyone. I heard mine and Puck's, Ash's and Minerva's. People I had never met before and even the rulers of the courts. They all spoke with her in my mind. The weight of time seemed to be crushing me.
This was the power of an Oracle.
Stone of ruby, band of brass
Find it through the looking glass.
In valley of water, hidden deep
A sister's ring lies in sleep.
If you would, take a swim
But careful of the keeper's whim.
One wrong move and none can save
The fool from their liquid grave.
Images flashed behind my lids, most too fast and vague to make heads or tails of. There were a few that I made out perfectly, though. There was a brass-colored ring, glassy water, and me lying dead at the bottom of a pond – eyes milky and hands reaching for the surface.
All at once my body was mine again, and I choked on the air I sucked in, too fast. I yanked myself away from her, feeling violated and shaken to my core. Ash called out to me and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. He bent his neck to try and look me in the eye while Puck glared dangerously at Chesa.
I turned on her, eyes blazing. "What did you show me?!" I demanded. She leaned back once more, looking all too pleased with herself as she smirked smugly at me.
"Only the many different futures that could come to pass should you find the Cursed Three – or die trying." She spread her arms grandly, laughing, "You should know that there are thousands of different outcomes, girl, and very few of them are pleasant. You are on a suicide mission – I only wanted to make that clear. This is only some of what may come to pass should those Tokens be awakened."
Awakened? I turned over the word in my head. Why was that the one she chose? It could've been a slip, but Oracles were usually very particular with their choice of words.
Before I could voice my confusion, she continued. "But I figure I'll be unable to persuade you to cease your ridiculous quest of death. Instead, let's discuss my payment." Everyone tensed at the greedy way she smiled.
I swallowed hard but kept my face even. "What is it you want?"
But she wasn't looking at me, anymore. My stomach twisted as her pale eyes locked onto the summer prankster beside me. "From the moment you all darkened my doorway I could sense somethin' strong in you. Potent as only a summer faery's emotions can be." Puck's jaw clenched, but he kept his expression even. He managed to look lazy and unworried, even though he was just as baffled as the rest of us. "I can feel it even now, so intense it is almost palpable – love."
Oh no. I bit my lip.
"Something else…" His lips hardly moved, and his voice was so soft that I almost didn't catch it. "Pick something else."
Lady Chesa's grin only widened at this. Her gaze was cruel and unrelenting. "Oh? What makes you think you in any position to bargain now, boy?"
He forced a nonchalant smirk and kicked back in the chair, the picture of lazy grace. "I have plenty of emotions, Lady Chesa." There was a sharp edge to the way he spoke her name, like a wordless threat.
"Ah, yes, of course. But love makes people do some crazy things, yeah?" She twirled her finger in the air, drawing out the crazy a little bit. "And such all-consuming devotion is rare among our kind, you know? Love on its own would be powerful enough – but with yours comes a myriad of other emotions. Guilt. Suffering. Anger. Despair. Think of all the things someone could do if only they knew how to harness it. Trust me boy, it will be in safe hands."
"I am summer as well." I spat. Puck's eyes widened as he peered at me through the corner of them. I could feel Minerva and Ash's shock, as well. I ignored them all. "You can take mine."
Chesa laughed deep in her gut. "Child, you have not yet felt what true love is. I can feel only anger and betrayal from you – that is not what I want; the remnants of some sniveling girl's petty tantrum. Your Unseelie blood dulls anything positive anyway – that pesky stone-face of yours isn't just physical. Feelings of love and happiness are severely muted – that's just how Winter fey are."
"Regardless," I snapped, frustrated, "Your bargain is with me, Oracle!"
"I was sure I spoke clearly when I said that I would choose my price. I never did specify from whom I would take payment from." My stomach dropped to my feet. She was right. I hadn't paid enough attention, even though I knew how faery deals worked. Stupid! I scolded myself. "My previous statement stands, and it is time you paid up. This may sting a little."
We all watched as she reached out across the table as if she were ready to rip Puck's beating heart from his chest. He stiffened in his chair, but he could not move due to the binding agreement. The agreement I had made.
"Yeah – well, this might, too." I swept up from the chair. My fingers closed around my sword's hilt. The cool surface responded to my touch, springing to life in my hands. Fast as light, I spun the sword in my hands like an expert. One blade came down on her wrist. Blood spurted, Chesa screamed. Her severed hand dropped heavily to the table.
I almost expected the thing to start writhing, but it lay still like a dead bug. In a split second the others were standing with me. "Kirie what are you doing?" Ash shouted over Chesa's howling.
"You'll fade!" Puck grabbed my arm and turned me to face him. "Do you understand that? We made a deal!"
"You little mix-breed bitch – " In the middle of all the chaos, the door was blown off its hinges. Puck quickly snatched me out of the way, pulling me tight against his chest. His heart was hammering. The door hit the back wall so hard that it cracked. Chesa's chest heaved. She had obviously not looked this far into the future. I could see the blood seeping through her fingers where she clutched her stump.
Ash's sword was already drawn. Minerva bared her teeth and pinned back her ears. I picked up on the deep, rumbling growl coming from deep in her chest.
There was silence as everyone waited for the next move to be made – for the intruder to show themselves.
"Lady Chesa – I'm glad you are in!" By the tone of the voice, I could have guessed it was a grandson come to visit his granny. It was thick with an accent – Indian, maybe? "We have some business to discuss with you." When I looked to the doorway I had to squint while my eyes adjusted to the sudden light. I could tell that it was a large group – large enough that some of them were still piling inside. They were all fey, but they looked to be varied in type.
I saw horns of satyrs, furry ears poking out of hair that obviously belonged to phouka, and some even sported the pointed ears and sharp features of the sidhe. What threw me off for a second was that they were all holding some sort of metal weapon.
"Half fey," I whispered, breathless, "What's going on?"
"You're asking me?" Puck snorted, in just as much shock as I was. He twirled his daggers in his hands, ready for a fight if it came to it.
"You'll have to excuse us, friends." The voice came again, and I could tell it was addressing us, this time. Someone pushed through the crowd. "You got here first, but we are in a bit of a rush."
I gripped my sword tight.
The boy who seemed to be the leader was tall – maybe six feet – and built like a swimmer. His skin was the color of rich caramel, and his dark eyes burned into each of us with the intensity of a wildfire. Wicked and untamable. When they landed on me, they lingered. He stood with confidence. Ray-bans balanced on his head just behind the two horns poking out of his hairline. An expensive-looking, slim-flitting black sweater was pulled over the waist of dark wash name-brand jeans, which fell over Hollister sandals. On his shoulder rested a large and menacing metal bat.
"Who are you?" Chesa spat venomously, seeming to have found a way to wrap her wound for now. "What is your business here?"
The leader chuckled, glancing down at his feet and tapping the edge of his bat against the floor. He ignored her questioning and took a few lazy steps forward. "Your 'associate' sold you out pretty quickly, you know. You should be careful who you make nice with." His eyes flashed as he kept his head lowered but still managed to meet hers, grinning a sadist's grin. "No need to worry, though. He won't be spilling any more secrets." My stomach churned at the hidden meaning of his words.
Chesa grunted in surprise, but otherwise kept her cool. "I won't ask you again. What is your business here?"
"As we understand – you're selling information on the Cursed Three." Around him, his lackeys muttered excitedly at the mention. Twisted grins spread all over their faces. The leader locked eyes with me once more. "You aren't too secretive, are you, Kirie?" His casual use of my name made me jump. It wasn't a surprise that he knew it, so much that he actually deigned to use it. Most neglected to give me that much respect – to treat me that much like an equal.
"What do you want from me?" I wasn't stupid, and I wasn't playing his game. If he really didn't need anything from me, he wouldn't have acknowledged me. I wasn't waiting around for answers to bite me in the ass, I was gonna drag them out if I had to.
In a flash, his entire demeanor shifted. He was no longer intimidating and malicious, but a starry-eyed idealist. He approached me with wide eyes and a hopeful smile. "You and I have the same goal, you see – a common purpose. Both searching for these three hidden Tokens. We could work together, the two of us." I watched him as he stopped just short of a foot away, beseeching me. "You know what it's like, yes? To be stomped on and belittled by the courts for being different. You know so even more than we do – you are the only one of your kind. You've been alone your whole life, only because the courts decided you should be."
He motioned to his band of half-breeds with a sweep of his arm. They all stared openly at me, as if I was a long lost sister – not an enemy. Not an abomination. Their eyes were full of understanding rather than the malevolent intent I had seen when they looked at the others. "Let us change that. Help us find the Three and destroy the courts as we know them. It is time the outcasts take the crown."
The instinctive denial was on the tip of my tongue. I should have said no right away – there should have been no doubt in my mind that this was wrong.
But for how long had I just faded into the background in hopes of remaining unseen? For how long had I accepted that his was the way things would always be? For how long had I been answering to things like "Mix-breed" and "abomination" and "Little girl" rather than my own given name?
Part of me said that it was time they learned what to call me. Part of me roared in protest of being treated like common trash. Part of me wanted the bloodshed that I knew this would entail.
Everyone was watching me – waiting to see what I would say. I bit my lip.
"Sorry, but she's with us." Puck gave a dangerous grin. He tossed a dagger in the air and caught it casually – as if we weren't surrounded by people who wanted to kill him. "Good speech though, maybe in another life you can do that for a living, instead."
Just like that the friendliness was gone from his face, even though his expression doesn't change. "Robin Goodfellow, right? One of the oldbloods and right-hand-man to Oberon. I'll be sure to send him your head as a message."
"If I had a nickel," Puck sighed before a flock of ravens burst through the open doorway. A cacophony of caws drowned out most of the surprised yelling. I saw Lady Chesa start to sneak away, moving towards the back room – but in an instant some quick-thinking half-breeds were on her. She was the least of my problems. A fight had already broken out.
The air chilled and Ash sent a flurry of ice daggers towards the leader. They sailed for him, but with a wave of his hand the wood of the surrounding shelves branched out and shielded him. I switched my sword out for my whip as Minerva launched herself onto one of the half-sidhes and tore at his shoulder with her teeth. They went down, the boy screaming.
Then I was surrounded. They hunched down low, but held no iron weapons. They weren't here to kill me; that was clear. With a flick of my wrist, my whip shot out and caught a girl by the wrist just as she dove for me. I yanked and sent her careening off of one of her partners – heads knocking together loudly. I sent the others falling with clean hits to the face until I felt a back press against mine.
With a pulse of glamour, Puck sent a shelf of luck charms down on a group of half-breeds' heads. I called out to him after tripping up another girl before she could attack. "Goodfellow! I saw Chesa trying to escape into the back room earlier. I'll bet my foot there's a trod back there we can escape through! It's our best shot."
"Sure thing, Sunshine. Duck!" I did as he said. A knife sailed over our heads. It buried itself in the chest of an unlucky satyr boy. He dropped like a rock. Puck dove out of the way as a huge chunk of ice came down on what would have been his head. He called for the rest of our group, who got the message quickly. I looked to see numerous opponents encased in ice, courtesy of the former prince. Minerva had plenty of blood on her muzzle, and bodies lay lifeless with throats torn.
The shop was practically a warzone, and any other time it wouldn't have made bile rise to my throat the way it did then.
I didn't see the leader until he was coming at me. I drew my sword and brought it up to meet his bat. He didn't fight to get any farther, which meant he had me where he wanted me.
"I understand you may not be on board right away – but think about it, Kirie! Think of all we could accomplish together. The oldbloods would be at our feet – and there would be no injustice towards our kind ever again! Join me. My name is Akhil, and I am the key to your new destiny." I shoved him hard to halt his enticing words. I told myself he was lying, that what he wanted wasn't practical, and without looking back I cleared a path with a strong blast of summer wind that knocked my opponents off of their feet.
I dashed for the door, where Puck stood holding the attackers off until I made it. He pulled me inside and slammed the door. There was no lock, but I managed to fashion a barricade of glamour and the wood of the door frame. My chest was heaving by the time it was over.
"Uh…Sunshine?" I turned to Puck, who looked just as winded. "I think you owe me a foot."
The room was basically a small office, with a mahogany desk pressed against one wall lined with candles that were probably used in lieu of electricity. An old rug that looked like something out of a thrift shop was spread out across the floor, and a long double-door cabinet stood in one of the lonely corners. It was all very empty.
"It's probably hidden. Look everywhere."
Puck took the rug and Ash the cabinet while Minerva and I checked along the walls for any hidden doors.
"Here!" The cabinet it was. How very Narnia of the oracle. The doorway inside was a complete glowing white and we couldn't tell where it led. "There's no other choice." Ash murmured, nodding to me. With that, he crossed over. Minerva followed close behind.
I shared a glance with Puck. He smiled encouragingly even as the banging on the door started. "Go ahead, Sunshine. I'll be right behind you."
"This was a bad idea." I muttered to myself before breathing deep and jumping through. I fell into a cool, hard chest.
Ash caught me with a slight grunt and chuckled as I squeaked in surprise. There was a yell and he pulled me out of the way as Puck stumbled through – sprawling on the ground. Ash's face is bright with amusement when I look up.
"Have a nice trip?" He asked. I groaned.
"No more puns!"
Ah, the puns…
Poor Kirie, surrounded by children.
-Little girls from Annie plays in the background-
I can already tell I'm gonna love my little antagonist, omg. My bbu. What a go-getter. And murderer, but I'll overlook that for now.
…
Only one reply this time. I kinda deserved that, my bad.
guestGuest5 – Idk if that was a typo or if you're a new Guest5, but I'm guessing typo. Pfft, correct me if I'm wrong, wow. But frenemies are so funnnn XD. Crowds, suck, I agree. Kirie is a precious cinnamon roll, too precious for this world, too pure. Protect her.
Oh yeah, he had to spike it, the big lovable jerk. Chickens, Puck, really?!
I…like ladies men I'm sorry, pfft XD. Everyone gets to be attractive, because why not. Also, they're fey, so they're unfairly pretty all the time. Dumb… XD
The Chickens look fantastic, too. Decked out in all their finery. Yaasss, chicken-fey, yaasss.
Soul-ified Ash is the best Ash. Thanks for reading! –sends fist bumps your way-