Once the guests started arriving, I didn't have the time or energy to worry about what Donovan did or didn't know. Around five o'clock, limousines began pulling into the circular drive, and for the next two hours, they didn't stop. Men in tuxedos and women in designer gowns, and enough jewels to finance a small nation, streamed up the steps into the lobby.
"Don't worry; everything's going to be fine," Justin said, resting his hand on my shoulder as I bounced nervously next to him. "Tish will be with you the entire time, and the rest of us will be across the way." He said, nodding to where Eurie and Emily already stood on the other side of the room. "Remember, you're here to identify, nothing else; we'll handle the rest." He smiled, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze before walking over to join the others.
The guards must have been warning people about the readings because no one seemed surprised when I reached out to them, though more than one mouth twisted with a distasteful grimace as my weave brushed over them. We didn't allow many Faye to cross through the Tear at any one time, so most of the guests were Tuathan. Like mine, their awen felt smooth, almost gentle, and I passed over them quickly. Instead, I focused on the awens that had a wild feel that identified them as Faye.
I was able to move through a few of the Faye as quickly as I had the Tuatha when I noticed their awen had a warm undertone. I distinctly remembered the frigid chill that had permeated the shifter's. For the others, it took a little longer.
I'd been clearing guests for a little over an hour when I hit my first real snag in the form of a tall strawberry blond in a blue gown. The first reading caused me to involuntarily suck in my breath, beside me Tish stiffened, placing her hand on my trembling arm. The Faye's awen felt like I'd just submerged my entire body in ice water, the cold prickling across my skin, causing a shiver to run down my spine. There was something angry about it, not just wild but feral, like a predator eager to tear out the throat of its prey. The shifter had had an angry, hostile feel to him as well, and I quickly tried to check a second time and a third, but I was too nervous, and the weaves were too disjointed to be of any use.
"Is it him?" Tish asked, leaning towards me, her eyes glued on the woman.
"I'm not sure," I said, reaching out for a fourth time. "The awen feels very similar, but I - I can't be sure." I stammered.
Tish whispered something into her mic. The guards let the woman pass through, but Justin met her before she'd gone more than a few feet past the checkpoint. He gave a short bow, offering her his arm. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but she flashed him a brilliant smile before taking his arm and allowing him to lead her towards one of the rooms off to the side, looking for all the world like he was just escorting her in. After a short but heated conversation with Emily, Eurie followed them into the room while Emily remained at her post, absently turning the large diamond ring on her finger, and shooting icy glares at the door.
I continued screening the rest of the guests, but I found myself unable to concentrate on the task fully. Casting nervous glances at the door, I half expected it to fly open and the shifter to come storming out. I jumped, almost losing the weave completely when the door finally did swing open, but it was just the woman, looking no different than she had when she entered. In fact, she seemed to be in high spirits, clinging to Justin's arm, laughing as he led her towards the banquet hall.
I felt horrible about being wrong, but at least she didn't seem put out or upset by the mistake. Emily actually seemed more upset than the unnamed guest. She stood there, glaring at the Faye's retreating back, her hands clenched at her side. Even from across the room, I could see the tension in her body. She started to storm off after the guest, but Eurie quickly reached out, grabbing her arm before she could go more than a couple of steps.
Emily tried to jerk free, but Eurie held tight. Leaning down, he whispered something in her ear. Once again, I couldn't hear what they were saying, but Emily looked even less happy than last time. Her face flushed red as she angerly hissed back at him.
It was clear they were both trying to keep their voices down, but more than one of the guests were starting to stare. Beside me, Tish's body had gone tense as she watched them, more than once taking a tentative step towards them, before drawing back. I don't know what Eurie said to her, but Emily finally took notice of the attention they were drawing and relented, almost seeming to deflate in front of him. Looking close to tears, she yanked her arm free and turned around.
"Don't ask." Tish immediately said when I looked towards her.
There was a definite tension in the room that hadn't been there before, and I was glad that I was almost done. My weaves were sloppier than they'd been all night as I screened the last of the guests, but Tish didn't seem to notice. No one else came nearly as close to matching the awen, and in the end, I cleared everyone. I wasn't sure if I was relieved or not. On the one hand, I definitely didn't want to come face to face with him again, but on the other, at least it would have all been over.
"Sorry," I mumbled as the last guests made their way towards the banquet hall.
"It's okay," Tish said, patting my arm. "We didn't expect him to show up tonight. Their kind relies on anonymity, with his cover blown; this event was just too obvious."
"Then why did you make it seem like it was life or death that I master this weave." I had felt on the verge of an anxiety attack all week because I'd thought they were counting on me, just to find out they hadn't even been expecting a problem.
"Because we couldn't take the risk that he would show up, it never hurts to take precautions. Come on; we can watch it start and then will get you something to eat from the kitchen, you look famished." Pulling my arm, she led me towards the balcony steps. I was still fuming a little, but I followed her up.
Several other staff members were already crowding the balcony, trying to get a look at the Faye delegation. Tish pushed her way through dragging me behind her until we were up against the rail in practically the same spot I'd been standing in earlier.
Below us, every seat was full. I spotted Donovan right away, sitting with his mother and two of his sisters, at one of the front tables. His father was up on the dais with the delegates. After a little searching, I also found Agent Grimes, whose position in the Vanguard at least warranted a seat at a table though it was near the back. I didn't see anyone else I recognized, which wasn't surprising since outside of Donovan I didn't run in these kinds of circles. Everyone became quiet as a young man with white-blonde hair down to his shoulders, and a red coat with gold trim stood up from the banquet table positioned on the dais.
"That's Prince Leopold," Tish whispered in my ear. "He's the youngest son of Queen Belin. The guy next to him," she pointed towards a handsome, curly-haired gentleman dressed almost identically to the Prince, "is his older brother Prince Allister. He was in charge of the delegation a couple of years ago, but I heard he fell out of favor with the Queen, so now his younger half-brother is the heir apparent," She said, seeming to be personally offended by the elder Prince's plight.
"He started an unsanctioned border dispute," I said.
"What?" she asked, turning to me.
"Prince Allister, he was demoted because of a border dispute. I heard the Queen had considered excommunicating him over it." About four months ago, the elder Prince's disgrace had been the go-to gossip in Otherworld. Along with a general agreement that most prefered the younger Prince. I'd heard it mentioned a few times while I was there.
Tish seemed a little put off that I knew more about it than she did. What did she expect? I didn't actively pursue any particular knowledge, but I kept my ears open, you never knew what would turn out to be useful down the road.
She didn't say anything further. We both turned to listen to the delegates give their speeches. The young Prince gave a pleasantly short one about letting go of past slights and renewing old ties, which was promptly followed by a somewhat longer, and to my untrained ear, pompous one by the Summer Court representative.
The Summer Court no longer had a monarchy, having converted to a semi-democracy some time ago though only a few were allowed to vote, and the candidates invariably always came from one of the major houses. I hadn't heard his title when he was announced, but he looked to be too old to be the Premier. I had heard more than one person mention how young the new Premier was, and this guy had more gray than brown in his hair, which spoke of a great deal of age for a Faye.
After the delegates finished with their speeches, the staff quickly filed out to begin dinner service while Tish and I retreated to the kitchen to grab a bite. We sat at one of the counters. I was savoring a delicious slice of rare roast beef while she picked at a piece of flakey white fish swimming in a delicate cream sauce.
"Is something wrong?" Tish was usually so upbeat and bubbly.
"It's nothing," she said, pushing her barely eaten plate away. "I'm going to start making rounds. You can go watch if you want, just stay in the background. Remember, we're not actual guests here." She said, a hint of bitterness in her words.
Finishing my dinner, I put my dishes in the sink and headed for the banquet hall. I wasn't feeling particularly social, but I would just be underfoot if I tried to hang out in the kitchen. I did as Tish advised and stayed off to the side. Leaning against one of the columns, I resigned myself to spending the rest of the evening people-watching.
Though I didn't care much for political posturing, I had to admit it was a little entertaining to watch how the people in the crowd arranged themselves in relation to each other, each vying for a favorable position. You could tell who was the most important simply by the number of people who seemed to be orbiting them, waiting for their chance to move in and make an impression.
More than once, I caught sight of Donovan, who seemed to have more than his fair share of circling admires, mostly of the young female variety. I'd always had a bit of a crush on Donovan, and there had been a hint that he might have felt the same, but neither one of us had ever had the confidence to try to take that next step. Now watching him mingling with guests and doing it surprisingly well, I couldn't suppress a bit of jealousy.
"So, this is the young lady responsible for all the unpleasantness at the doors this evening." A voice startled me. My thoughts had been so consumed with Donovan that I hadn't heard anyone approach.
"Considering the current situation, we decided it was prudent to take extra precautions and apologize for the inconvenience," Supervisor Agent Grimes said, addressing a shorter gentleman that I recognized. He had been sitting among the delegates from the Summer Court.
"Yes, well, we're all lucky Lady Aulander found your agent so charming. She's Prince Allister's closest cousin and could have been far less accommodating of the situation." He said
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
"Well, everyone, including yourself, agreed that in light of the current situation, precautions were prudent. It was a minor inconvenience at most. Agent Vaughn is a charming young man and one of our best. I'm sure he gave her no reason to complain." Agent Grimes said, turning to lead the delegate away, but the man refused to follow.
"It's also my understanding that you're the reason the security was necessary at all," he continued, his eyes traveling over me like I was an insect scurrying across the floor. I got the distinct impression that would like nothing more than to squish me under his boot. "You're lucky the incident took place in the Winter Court; the Premier would not have been as forgiving as the young Prince has been." His tone made it clear that he felt I should be in prison at the very least. "Can't imagine what kind of terms you had to agree to, to keep her out of the dungeons."
"Well, I guess it is fortunate that it didn't occur on your lands. As to whatever agreement the Prince and Council came to, that is between them," Agent Grimes said, with a sigh. It was clear he had been given charge of this particular delegate and wasn't enjoying the assignment.
"Yes, well, they do have more pressing matters. After all, with the Wilds practically beating at their doors and those
Morrigan resurrectionist fanatics causing trouble in the outlying towns, what's a little thing like trespassing and assault?"
I wanted to defend myself, but something else had caught my attention. "Morrigan resurrectionists?" I asked.
"A small group of zealots running around claiming that Badb is returning, and as the last Morrigan, she has the right to rule. They've been causing some disturbances in the smaller villages. Spreading their nonsense and trying to gain converts."
The Morrigan were the three sisters that had led our people to betray the truce and consequently to exile in Otherworld. The Summer and Winter Courts were founded by two of the Morrigans, Macha, and Anand, and Anand's descendants still ruled in the Winter Court. The last sister, Badb, had been driven out since she had failed to convince her tribe to fight, and the others blamed that failure for their defeat.
"How can she still be alive?" I asked. Sure, the Faye lived a long time, but four thousand years was out of the question.
"She not." He snapped, glaring at me like I was an idiot. "Her name is being used as an excuse to gather the weak-minded. Mark my words; this is just a setup for an attempted coup on the royal family. Why else would these followers only by harassing the Winter providences? They should have followed our example and given up the monarchy long ago."
The representative tried to grill me for a few more minutes on what happened when I crossed the border, but Agent Grime kept brushing him off, advising it was a confidential matter. When he finally gave up, I couldn't have felt happier to see him leave. I had been tired before, but now I felt dead on my feet.
"You look like your about to fall over." Tish walked up from behind. I was glad to hear some of her usual spirit back in her voice. She even looked happier with a broad smile lighting up her face. "I see you got cornered by Counselman Straus. He's the worst; everyone hates having to deal with him." She said, looking sympathetically in the direction Grimes had went.
"I feel like I'm about to pass out. Is there any way I can just go nap in the car?" I said.
"I don't' see why not. There's no reason for you to hang around here anymore. Let me find Eurie and get the keys."
"That would be great," I said, thankful for an escape.
She quickly returned with the keys and walked me to the service elevator.
"Remember where we parked?" I assured her that I did, and she left me to return to the party.
The elevator ride was excruciatingly slow, but when the doors finally opened, the cold blast of air was a refreshing boost. I hadn't realized how hot the banquet hall had gotten with all the bodies moving around. Though the garage wasn't exactly cold, the sudden change in temperature caused goosebumps to break out along my arms, and I wished I'd brought a jacket. Hopefully, there was enough gas in the car that I could let it run and warm up for a bit.
The sound of my heels striking the concrete in the otherwise silent garage was a little unnerving, and I found myself jumping at shadows as I tried to locate the car. Moving down the rows, I realized I didn't actually remember where we'd parked. Walking slowly, I moved my arm from side to side, repeatedly pressed the unlock button on Eurie's key fob, hoping I was close enough for the SUV to pick up the signal. I was beginning to think the vehicle was in the other direction when a set of flashing parking lights and a horn sounded from a few rows to my right.
I was cutting through the rows, threading my way between cars when I saw something scurry into the shadows next to the SUV. Stopping, I stood there frozen, staring at the darkness. I was tired and already on edge, so I wasn't sure that I had actually seen anything until another shift in the shadows caused me to duck down next to a silver car. Resting my head against the cool surface of the bumper, I tried to steady my breathing.
Glancing over my shoulder, I bit my lower lip as I tried to decide what to do. The elevator was a long way off, lost in the gloom of the parking deck. Should I go back up to the party? What would I say that I got spooked because I thought I saw something in the shadows? It had been so quick I had no idea what I'd actually seen. Maybe it was a cat, though what I saw seemed too big, just a play of the lights then, or nothing at all, just my tired mind playing tricks on me. I couldn't go back without at least checking.
Licking my lips, I tentatively inched towards the front of the car, my body trembling as I slid along the smooth surface. Pausing by the wheel, I took a deep breath and willed myself to have the courage to at least look. That's all it is a look; I told myself as I leaned over, peeking around the bumper.
Holding my breath, I studied the darkness. Dim yellow overhead lights were spaced every twenty or thirty feet and provided just enough light to bath the entire parking deck in shadows. My eyes strained against the gloom, trying to pick out any signs of movement. I had almost convinced myself it was, in fact, a cat or my imagination entirely when I saw it again.
It was no cat. At first, I had the vague impression of a terrifyingly large four-legged spider creeping out from behind the SUV. I watched as it slowly crawled out of the shadows and into the beam of an overhead light. I wished it was a gigantic spider.
It was humanoid, but its skeletal arms and legs, their joints swollen to grotesque proportions, carried its body like an insect; its torso held low and parallel to the ground. Its skin wasn't just pale, but the kind of sickly pallor that brought to mind images of death and disease. It scuttled back and forth in front of the SUV, periodically raised its head, sniffing at the air.
I don't know if it caught my sent or if I'd made some sort of noise or movement to draw its attention, but it started coming in my direction. It moved slowly, stopping every few feet to sniff at the air again like it wasn't sure I was there. Quickly I ducked behind the bumper and began inching my way back towards the middle of the car.
Presumably, several guards were still stationed at the garage entrance. I considered calling out to them, but I wasn't sure they would hear me, and even if they did that thing was close enough, it would probably have me before they got here. Running for the exit was out of the question. I'd have to go past that thing to get to it. Though it was some ways off, returning to the elevator seemed like the best option.
Pressing my body against the car, I started scooting along it, back in the direction I had come. Reaching the back bumper, I decided to work my way down the line of cars. I'd have to cross the open isle eventually, but I wanted to be a little closer to the elevator before I did, in case I had to make a run for it.
I raised from my crouch to peak over the trunk and check on the creature. To my utter horror, it was gone. Dropping back down, I tried to listen for any sound of movement, but all I could hear was my own ragged breathing. I sat there frozen like a rabbit, my body trembling as my imagination spiraled out of control. I could picture it moving beneath the cars, slowly creeping towards me until it was close enough to reach out with its bony hand and grab my ankle. Moving away from the car, I stared at the darkness beneath as I tried to swallow the scream I felt building in the back of my throat.
I remained there unable to move for what seemed like an eternity, though it couldn't have been more than a few seconds before I started to regain some control of myself. Get it together; you have to do something or your probably dead, I scolded myself. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my frazzled thoughts and think.
It might not be heading my way, but without knowing where it was, I no longer wanted to try for the elevator, but I couldn't continue to sit here exposed either. Moving to the driver's side door, I reached up and tried the handle praying it would be unlocked; it wasn't. Turning, I tried the passenger door of the dark van next to it, and to my relief, it clicked open. Thankfully no dome light came on as I opened it just far enough to squeeze in. As quietly as possible, I closed the door behind me and hit the lock.
Pulling on the seat lever, I scooted the chair back so I could crouch down out of sight. The creature had definitely been smelling for something but seemed unsure of my presence. I hoped that sitting in the vehicle would cover my sent if that was what it was tracking me by. I sat there for what seemed like forever before I finally got up the nerve to peek over the dash.
No longer crouched down on all fours, the thing now stood on its legs, staring at me through the front windshield. It was probably about five foot when it stood upright and was female and naked, er breasts sagging down to her stomach. Now that she was closer, I could see that her skin was thin and pulled so tight that dark liquid oozed from cracks around her mouth and nose. Black stringy hair clung to her scalp in patches while the bare parts were red and mottled as if she'd ripped the rest of her hair out by the roots.
I couldn't help it, I screamed. It screamed back. Leaping up, it landed on the hood, causing the van to rock violently. With a strength far greater than her emaciated form should have been capable of, she struck the windshield. Leaving a web of cracks radiating from the point of impact. Her next blow brought her fist through, showering the van in a cascade of glass. Throwing myself between the driver and passenger seats, I tried to wriggle into the back seat, but her skeletal fingers latched onto my leg. Her sharp nails digging painfully into my calf.
Now that it was in the van with me, I could smell it — the putrid smell of rot and decay. Kicking out wildly, I repeatedly made contact with her face, ripping new wounds into her flesh, but she didn't seem to care. Using my leg for leverage, she started pulling herself into the car. Large dark eyes stared at me, but they didn't hold the malice I had expected. Instead, she looked sad, almost confused as if I wasn't what she had expected to find after forcing her way into the vehicle, which was ridiculous since she had been able to see me clearly through the glass.
The hand that wasn't clutching my leg reached out towards my face.
"Home. Go Home." The words wrenched from her throat as if she hadn't spoken in a while and had almost forgotten how to form the syllables.
I was stunned that she was intelligent enough to speak at all as much as by what she said.
"Home," she said again, her voice less rough as if she was regaining a skill she had lost. "Take me home. Take me home."
She started screaming it over and over, becoming more agitated with each repetition until it deteriorated into an incoherent wail. Digging her nails further into my calf, she drug her fingers across the surface, rendering bloody gashes down my leg. Frantically I fumbled blindly around the back seat, desperately searching for anything I could use as a weapon. A flashlight, an umbrella, anything, but there was nothing.
With nothing else to do, I forced myself to lean in closer to her hideous face. Before I could waver, before disgust could overwhelm me, I raised my hand and jammed both thumbs into her eyes. I felt the right one burst as a sticky liquid oozed out from beneath my thumb. Rearing back, she released my leg and started thrashing wildly, clawing at her ruined eye. I slid the rest of the way into the back seat. Scrambling, I threw open the door, falling out onto the concrete.
Adrenaline spurred my actions. I was up and running despite the excruciating pain that radiated from my lower leg. I was disorientated, and I wasn't even sure I was running towards the elevator, but it didn't matter, a heavy blow to my back sent me sprawling to the ground.
Either it had given up trying to speak, or it no longer had the wherewithal to form words because she made no further effort to talk to me. Instead, she silently sat on my back. I could feel her leaning in towards my head, and all I could think about was those sharp teeth digging in the back of my neck.
She was heavier than the seemed, and her weight pinned me to the concrete. Whimpering, I laid there waiting for the end. But the end wasn't to come through the rending of flesh. Instead, she placed her hand between my shoulder blades. I felt a tingling radiate across my back and then a tugging feeling behind my ribs. It took me a moment to register what was happening. She was draining my awen.
My whimpers turned to sobs. Fighting desperately beneath the weight, I tried to rock and throw her off of me, but I couldn't shake her. Kicking out at nothing, I flailed beneath her, but it didn't last long. I was already at my limit, and my muscles soon grew tired and weak, my struggles slowly subsiding until I lay limp and unmoving beneath her. As the world started fading around me, my mind insisted that this wasn't so bad. Painless, I couldn't even feel my throbbing leg anymore. There were certainly worse ways to go.
I heard angry screams, and it took me a moment to realize they came from the thing on top of me or the thing that used to be on top of me. There was no longer any pressure on my back. I couldn't lift my head, but I saw a pair of black shoes run past me moments before a white blur knelt next to my face.
"I've got her." I recognized the voice, but my mind was unable to produce a name to go with it.
All I knew was that I was no longer alone, and I had never felt so relieved in my life. The adrenaline which had been keeping me going, even if only minimally, drained from my body, and I found myself suddenly growing cold as my eyes drifted shut.