Dance with the Devil
Say goodbye,
as we dance with the devil tonight.
Don't you dare look at him in the eye,
as we dance with the devil tonight?
Trembling, crawling across my skin.
Feeling your cold dead eyes,
stealing the life of mine.
I believe in you,
I can show you that I can see
right through all your empty lies.
I won't last long, in this world so wrong.
- Dance with the Devil, Breaking Benjamin, /watch?v=lMSkC2PGyTs
The sleigh burst out of empty sky above an empty field in England, circling the air above as Puck scrutinized the ground for fae traps.
North took them in to land when Puck gave him the all clear, coming to a sedate stop in the grass. Puck floated out of the sleigh, landing on the grass delicately, almost daintily, despite the anger that still crackled around them in a near visible cloud.
They looked around sharply before gesturing for the Guardians to follow them. Tooth's hands refused to leave her sabers, clutching them spasmodically as she fluttered behind North and Puck as the pair lead the group toward a barrow, heads together as they argued before Puck rushed forward, inspecting the barrow.
Puck stopped them with an upraised hand before the Guardians could get closer, ushering the four into a tighter cluster as they debated. Coming to a decision, they faced the group, directing their comments mostly towards Tooth.
"Since it was an Unseleighe Knight that took Jack, he's going to be in Unseleighe territory. Technically I'm allied with the Selieghe court, so I can't send you directly to him. Underhill can be tricky, and it's easy to get lost in there, and be there for longer outside than in." Puck heaved a sigh. "If we had anything connected to Jack, it would make things easier, but we'll have to make do."
They fished a small globe out of a pouch and held it up so everyone could see it. "Pass this around among yourselves, and think of Jack when you hold it. When it turns blue, it's ready, and it should lead you to Jack. I'll try and land us as close to him as I can...unless there's another job you need me to do, rather than come along?"
"Having you come with us into Unseleighe court will bring war between courts," North said, watching as Sandy concentrated on the globe on his hands, the smoke inside taking on a blue tinge. "We want to have quick rescue mission, in and out as fast as possible, before deciding what to do. Could declare war on Unseleighe court for this, but...we need to avoid that if we can. Avoid bringing Selieghe court in for as long as we can – if they start war before we get Jack out, might never find him."
"Spread the word about what's happened, to those who should know," Tooth ordered, impatiently waiting for her turn with the globe. "That's some of the more powerful spirits, anyone you think could help, or anyone who needs to get out of the way if things go to worst and we do end up at war."
"If we ain't back out in a few hours, do whatever ya think ya need ta do," Bunny said, passing the globe on to Tooth.
Tooth took the globe in both hands, Puck and the others' conversation fading into the background as she concentrated on Jack. His strong hands, gentle on her waist during that one magical dance, the way he looked at her when he thought she couldn't see him, the way he treated her girls, a flash of a grin...the globe in her hands lit up, a soft blue the shade of Jack's eyes.
"There, it's all ready," Puck announced. They traced a circle in the air, and it glowed gold before the center whited out, turning swiftly into a swirl of color like one of North's portal's. "Feel's like it's close to the Queen's hall – best be careful in there. Bring Jack back quick, and let's all hope Queen Maeve hasn't gotten her claws in him yet. Best of luck."
Gripping the globe tightly and feeling the weight of her sabers at her waist, Tooth gave Puck a grateful nod before following the other three Guardians through the portal, stepping deep into Underhill.
Jack gripped his staff tightly, watching warily as the Queen of the Unseleighe rose, stepping down from her throne to approach him, feeling the glamour pouring off her, trying to entrap him, just on the edges of his senses, like a buzz just on the edge of hearing, one felt more than heard.
He swallowed hard, not sure how to handle this. On the one hand, Queen and Fae, super powerful – and he was in her realm. On the other, she – or her Knight, so it counted as the same thing – had kidnapped him, dragged him down here, and there were kids down here, somewhere.
That knowledge decided it for him, Guardian instincts to the fore. He had to find the kids and get them out of here!
"Why are you breaking the treaty?" he asked bluntly, eyes fixed on Maeve.
She paused, looking at him with eyes a touch to wrong, too alien to pass as human. "Whatever do you mean?"
"The children," Jack said, barely keeping himself from growling it. "A group of your fairies and one of your Knights took a group of them before grabbing me."
"Hm. That is...unfortunate," she purred, seemingly unconcerned. She strode towards Jack again, hips swaying.
He froze, suddenly feeling very much like prey in the presence of a much, much larger predator.
Slowly she circled Jack, who didn't dare move so much as his head, even to follow her. That would be weakness, in her eyes at least.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when she trailed a perfect, shining nail across his shoulders and down his arms.
"No bad," she purred. "You're rather handsome, all told. All you need is a little feeding."
"I'll pass, thanks," he said dryly, trying to keep himself calm. Even he knew that to eat the food in the fae realm was to tie yourself to it, and while he wasn't sure that counted for spirits, he wasn't about to take that chance.
The fae queen chuckled, returning to her throne. "So, little winter spirit, so strong in your element, you want a favor from me – the return of these children you claim we stole. What are you prepared to offer me in return? No fae, be they Selieghe or Unseleighe, does anything simply because they were asked."
"Aww, really?" Jack leaned on his staff, trying the innocent look. Being blunt wasn't working, so maybe he'd try playing along until he got a better idea for getting all of them out of there. "Not even if I ask really nicely?"
"You're cute," Maeve said indulgently. She gestured imperiously for Jack to come closer. He hesitated before taking those few steps. Fae, especially fae as powerful as Maeve, were tricky – and he was in her domain, where she was strongest.
She cupped his chin, tilting his head from side to side contemplatively as he fought back a shudder at the contact. "Stay," she said abruptly. He blinked, gaping up at her in blank shock. She smiled, regal and suddenly covetous. "Be my child, or my consort. I give you that choice. I will see the children returned to their homes in return for that."
Jack kept staring up at her, unable to form a coherent sentence. Be…her iconsort/i?! He was courting Tooth! And she was courting him! Okay, so she hadn't isaid/i so in so many words, and he hadn't either, but still...
He pulled away, stumbling over his feet as he fought to put distance between them. "H–hey, that's a little sudden, don'tcha think?" he stammered, trying for a touch of humor. Let's not make the scary fairy queen mad, Jack, he thought, mind racing as he tried to think of anything he could try to get out of this.
Maeve chuckled, making an idle gesture with her hand, and Jack froze in place, feet glued to the floor by her magic. "It's the deal I'm offering," she said mildly, still smiling, a cat's secretive curve of lips as it played with a mouse. "You aren't like to get a better one, and I'm the only one who knows where you are."
"Well...what about...a dance?" Jack said, struck with sudden inspiration. Maeve tilted her head, interested though still teasing.
"I had heard rumors of your dancing," she mused, still watching Jack avidly. "But why should I bargain children for dances when I can have both, after you agree to stay?"
Oh please please let him be on the right track with this... "But bespelled dancing's nothing like willing dancing," Jack answered. "I can't stay, no matter how...appealing it may be." About as appealing as eating the eggs that hide each year from Bunny and go rotten in various corners of the Warren, but no need to let her know that. "I have...duties Overhill I can't just leave." Duties and Tooth, but again, no need to let Maeve know what he was thinking.
"And you think I should accept this deal for the children, when I could have you as mine? Do you really rate your dance that highly? What would you then pay for your own freedom?"
Jack smirked, a challenging dare, and shouldered his staff, holding out his free hand. "Why not accept my deal and find out?"
The part of Underhill the Guardians landed in was dark and cold, with water dripping down bare rock and echoing tunnels leading out from all sides.
The foursome turned in place, eying all the tunnel openings warily. "Thought Underhill was supposed to be fancy?" North said uncertainly.
"Only when they want it ta be," Bunny answered shortly. "Got a bit 'o a mind of its own, Underhill does."
Tooth looked down at the globe in her hands, clutching it tighter. "At least we have some kind of direction..." she murmured. Carefully she fluttered toward one of the tunnels, watching the globe intently. Its glow dimmed as she approached the tunnel entrance, so she moved on to the next. The other Guardians moved to cover her back as she swept over the tunnels one by one.
They were beginning to wonder if Puck's globe didn't work the way they'd hoped, or if they'd set the Guardians down too far from Jack, that Underhill was interfering with them, when the globe brightened at the next to last tunnel.
The four shared feral grins, stepping into the tunnel eagerly.
The tunnel they'd chosen dipped and curved, but the light from the globe didn't falter. Several time Tooth had been ready to turn back, but the globe gave her strength, trusting in Puck's magic to lead her to Jack.
They turned another curve and stopped, nearly piling onto each other. A few feet down the tunnel, standing before a pair of massive, carved, and gilded doors, stood the very Knight that had stolen Jack.
They stood, feet wide, sword tip planted in the soil in front of them, watching the Guardians through the featureless mask covering their features.
Suddenly enraged, Tooth thrust the globe back at North, unsheathing one of her own sabers at the same moment. "Stay back," she hissed at the dumbstruck men.
She unsheathed the second saber as she flew to attack, and it was only elven speed that let the Knight block her first strike. But not even a fae could block two swords at once, and Tooth was ambidextrous enough to pull off a double attack.
Eying her warily, the Knight staggered back, bleeding sluggishly from the slash she'd managed to deal to their arm. They circled each other, Tooth hovering and the Knight stepping lightly, both watching for the other's next move.
"You stole Jack," Tooth hissed.
She got the impression of a fleeting smile. "A Gift for the Queen."
And there went any mercy Tooth had felt like dealing. Gift for the Queen, indeed! Who knew what that...that fae could be doing while this Knight delayed them! "Then the treaty says I have every right for what I'm about to do," she said, hefting her sabers. She smiled, and she knew it wasn't a nice smile, and was fairly sure she heard the Knight gulp.
Her sabers flashed in the dim light as she raised them, screeching a war cry as she dove for the attack.
Time passed strangely in Underhill. Jack knew that, but it didn't help – he kept wondering just how long he'd been down here, and hoping against hope that decades hadn't already passed outside.
He could almost see Maeve doing that on purpose – to force him back down Underhill in desperation, that those he'd loved had been forced to move on without him, and that he was back to being invisible and unbelieved in, his absence making the others unable to keep belief alive.
It had taken some verbal wrangling to get Maeve to admit that she knew where the children were, and more to admit a number – a round twelve – before she agreed to a dance per child. It wasn't the best bargain Jack could have made, and he was sorely regretting it, feeling the pull and burn of overworked muscles as they swept into the last dance, but it was that or accept Maeve's offer of being her child – or consort.
Yeah. Not gonna happen. Jack would dance until his feet bled before he gave in to that, and possibly after if he had to.
The dance finished, Maeve sat back on her throne in a swirl of fabrics, a small table twisting into existence at an idle gesture with one hand. She lifted a gem encrusted goblet to her lips, gracing the softly panting Jack a small smile.
"Something to drink, Jack? You must be so thirsty after all that dancing," she offered, eyes gleaming with wholly artificial innocence as she offered the second goblet.
Oh, but it was tempting. His throat was dry, and he was tired, so very tired right now. But it wasn't worth the risk that, spirit or not, food or drink offered here could tie him here.
Especially not with Maeve's open desire to keep him here like some kind of exotic pet. She could call it child or consort all she wanted, he really doubted she actually wanted him as anything more than a pet.
He still hadn't come up with an escape plan for himself. He'd insisted on seeing each of the kids be delivered back to their homes, and to his surprise Maeve had complied.
He'd suspected they were changelings, not the real children, with how easily Maeve had accepted, but he'd checked each over before they'd gone through the portal, and each had been the real thing. It hadn't been likely, since fae were sticklers to their word, but still. He had to be sure.
But now...he was so damn tired right now, and Maeve was still watching him over the rim of her goblet. He stared back, still not sure what to do now. The kids were safe, but he was far, far from it, still trapped in her realm, and out of ideas for just how to get out of here.
He tried to think of a plan, still watching Maeve's eyes for her next move. Every story he could recall of the fae taking a changeling or kidnapping an adult needed that adult to be rescued by someone else – preferably their true love.
Maeve's head snapped toward the double doors Jack had entered through earlier seconds before, as if summoned by Jack's thought of being rescued by his true love, the Guardians, lead by a furious Queen Toothiana, burst into the room.
A/N: So yeah, I managed to get a bit of a buffer going – enough that I can post two weeks in a row, the way I like to. :D
Yeah, no one wants a Fae war – those get really messy, really fast, and there's no way to keep mortals from noticing that isomething/i is going on – which just gets things messier.