《The Aftermath》


 1 SOVEREIGN

    A part of Slade was tempted to stay there on that distant rooftop all night watching Eli and his girlfriend make love; she hated herself enough to witness it all.


    But what was the point?


    Just moments ago, she''d awoken in that bedroom with no recollection of how she''d gotten there and no feeling beyond guilt and regret. It was her choice to leave despite Eli''s semi-coherent pleas for her to stay. It had also been her choice to use Eli''s phone and text his girlfriend to come there to take care of him. They''d gotten drunk and made a mistake¡ªa dumb mistake.


    Werewolf men deserved werewolf women.


    Leave the wolves be. Just go home, a voice in Slade''s head said. This might be the only thing you''ve ever done right. He''s a distraction. You have bigger responsibilities. Remember that.


    "Shut. Up."


    Letting out a sigh, she turned and made her way to the fire escape. She had to get home before morning.


    A taxi zipped past, flashing a bumper sticker of a red X over an exaggerated image of a vampire.


    "Ha. Jokes on you, asshole. Ain''t got no money for a cab so you wouldn''t have to refuse me anyway." Slade squinted as she memorized the plate number. "Giving you a nice service review, you prick."


    Night and day; the city never slept. It hadn''t in the Time of Man either, though they pretended it did. Now, at dusk, her time, the faint chill of autumn hung on the breeze. That was meaningless but the rough cobblestones under her feet told her just how old and worn these boots were. She was still unaccustomed to poverty¡ªten years in.


    By the time she reached the bus station, she''d written a dissertation on her phone reviewing that crummy cab driver. "And he even touched my beard. I was very hurt." She deleted the last word and kept on, "I was very offended. Sincerely yours.... Very offended dwarf."


    The bus door opened, and she stepped back.


    "Vamp routes are through for the night, Miss," the driver called. "Try again after the sun''s come up."


    He drove off and the fading taillights shrunk into the night.


    "At least you called me Miss."


    Never mind the taunt. When the sun''s come up. It hurt. Being reminded that even glancing in the sun''s general direction hurt. But Eli''d been good enough to campaign against forcing the day buses on vamps.


    How she regretted never being able to see it again¡ªfeel its rays. When the humans still roamed the earth, their blood offered many advantages, the one disadvantage being a vulnerability to the sun. Now, ten years on without a single human alive, and no human blood, vampires didn''t have that worry.


    The sun was no longer deadly¡ªit just hurt. A lot.


    What a pathetic liar. He just didn''t want to take you.


    Slade waved a hand to dismiss the voice. It came stronger each day.


    You can''t ignore me. Not forever.


    Maybe not but Slade intended to try. "Watch me, bitch."


    As the sun wouldn''t be up for some hours yet, she took some comfort in knowing that after a few more years without human blood, she''d be able to withstand being outside yet again.


    When she had become a vampire, this place was a mere city. And now...now it was a sight.


    A world without humans....


    She scoffed. Because it was beautiful without them.


    The land was green, waste management was almost nil, vehicles fueled by magic had no exhaust, and the woods were safe.


    All children of the Runes rejoiced daily in their good fortune. All but the ones who needed the humans more than they''d realized¡ªthe vampires. Her kind.


    Without human blood, a vampire was no vampire¡ªshe was something else. She was the undead. True in all forms.


    At one time, her kind ruled. Now....


    The dirty glances her way as she passed two dwarfs, who scurried to give her room, was enough. It didn''t bother her the first time; now, she couldn''t stand it.


    Catching the bus was a must so she waited farther away until the other Rune-kind loaded on.


    The goblins were the last. Slade feared rejection here, too, but she didn''t have much of a choice. At this weakened state, if she legged it, she''d arrive home by morning.


    Remembering her manners, she didn''t make eye contact with the minotaur driver, only bowed her head.


    "Is there room, sir?"


    For a long while, she received no answer. This was a trick, and she wouldn''t fall for it.


    "Suppose you can get a ride as far as the fields," the creature said with a snort. "But not farther."


    Slade bowed her head and stepped on. Without looking up, she fished through the pockets of her dress and pulled out two teeth.


    "Oi. Where yu get dem?" the driver asked.


    Swallowing hard, Slade spoke into her chest. "Just rabbits."


    A snort sounded the driver''s amusement, and she dropped them into the grinder for payment.


    "Nice." In one swing, the door closed. An announcement followed. "Vampire on board. Everyone head to the back."


    As small as the remaining free space was, all passengers gave Slade a wide berth. She made the mistake of focusing on a pair of shoes to her right. When she looked up to meet the young faun''s curious gaze, she found terror.


    The little girl''s mother hurried to cover the child''s eyes. "Don''t look! They hypnotize you."


    With that, the child cried. Slade recoiled. She would have taken a seat if not for the risk of it being seen as a sign of disrespect.


    She''d earned this¡ªher and her kind. Twenty years ago, vampires ruled the entire earth. Nothing moved without their say so. No one even pissed.


    But without humans¡ªwithout human blood, there was also no power. And overnight, Vampires went from the top of the food-chain, to the very bottom. And the children of Runes had long memories.


    At the next stop, a centaur hurried to catch up. He carried his exhausted offspring in his arms.


    "Any chance he could ride with you a ways, Frin? He''s been running all day," the centaur said.


    Slade stopped looking, but the whispers reached her.


    "Got a vampire on board. Best try ''nother bus, Mew."


    Letting out an audible gasp, the creature galloped on.


    The bus couldn''t reach the fields fast enough. Slade hopped off.


    She was sure to turn and bow to the minotaur yet again. "I really appreciate the ride."


    The driver made a face. "You cost me a lot of good fares."


    He was hinting but this was hardly a new practice¡ªmaking her pay twice. She''d wondered if that was his original intent. Others paid a tenth of what she gave.


    "I haven''t got no more rabbit teeth," she lied.


    Kissing his own teeth, the driver shut the door and drove off, calling out, "Won''t be wasting the time on da next one. Ya hear?"


    Slade watched it go. Ten years ago, hell, five years ago, she would have run up beside it and tipped that contraption over. She''d done similar enough in her lifetime.


    But now...now she was just lucky to have met a driver greedy enough to give her a lift.


    His judgement was harsh, but it was with good reason. The first reason showed itself when she saw the half-naked skeletal-thin ghoul wandering the road.


    Slade hurried to retrieve her. "Auntie. Come. You shouldn''t be out in the cold."


    "I''m hungry," the woman moaned, her sunken in eyes perpetually wide. "I''m so hungry."


    "I know, darling. I know." Slade couldn''t hold her too tightly because although it was impossible for a vampire to die now, an injury wasn''t hard. And it would be an injury that''d never heal. The skin was so thin that she feared bruising it.


    "Come, Auntie. How about some rabbit? Slade''s got plenty. Won''t take long to get you some."


    Eyes unseeing, mouth unclosing, the starved vampire lamented, "I''m hungry. So hungry¡ªBut that''s what she said last time. I didn''t say any of that¡ªYes, you did! You certainly did."


    This was the part Slade dreaded most of all. The madness. And she dreaded it because hers had begun.


    Suppose it won''t be long now. You reckon we''ll still keep our breasts once we get that thin?


    "Shut up," Slade commanded. It was a chore getting the ailing vampire back to the barn, but it was either make the effort or leave her to perhaps fall.


    No one had understood the repercussions of a world without man right away. In two years time, nearly all vampires'' powers had been cut in half. In four more years, the madness showed itself. Now, this year, vampires wandered.... Hungry ghosts with no end.


    The barn wasn''t far from the road and Slade hesitated to approach. She had to, though. She had to put this poor creature back.


    The barn door gaped ajar.


    Slade swallowed hard and pushed it open. A chorus of groans filled the air.


    "Hungry. I''m hungry."


    "Hungry."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "I''m so hungry."


    By far the worst were the ones lying close to the door. Once prominent vampires ambushed and beaten merciless now lay there, groaning and whimpering. Unhealing.


    And it never ended.


    It would never end.


    Never.


    "Oh, you got one," a voice said.


    Slade turned to greet her former servant. There wasn''t much authority left around, but she tried to use some when she said, "You were tasked with keeping them out of sight. If others saw¡ª"


    "Yes, yes. I understand." Margarite cradled her bible and tiptoed around her. The bandage on her right arm came loose and she tucked it back into its knot again. "We were just about to have a prayer. Would you like to join, Sovereign?"


    Sovereign. The title made Slade sick.


    "You waste your time, Marg," Slade assured her. "The god of man died with the last man. He is not listening."


    Margarite was a nice enough familiar¡ªa hybrid between vampire and witch, one of the very few still around. As such, her deterioration was slow, but as the gods of her parents greatly resembled, there was no forgiveness from the damned.


    "Witch and vampire alike, we started as human," Margarite reminded her. "That is our base. That is the base of all from our kind."


    "Our kind?" Slade scoffed. "Tell that to your mother."


    Margarite flinched. It was a crude thing to say but Slade needed her level-headed, not dreaming of forgiveness and mercy from a dead god long forgotten.


    "Take that back," Margarite demanded. "You take that back or we are no longer friends."


    Slade scanned the horde of withering people, some crawling, others going so far as to gnaw at their own arms and legs in search of blood.


    "There''s no need for friendship at a time like this," Slade answered. "The same way your mother was burned by her own kind for having you, is the same way you will be burned by the witches should they find you. And if you''re lucky, you will die. If not, you''ll come here with the rest. Skin charred, never finding comfort or rest. This isn''t the time for daydreams."


    Posture stiff, Margarite held her bible to her chest. There was still fight left in her but not much.


    "Take it back," she begged.


    Go on and take it back, you heartless bitch. At least give her that much.


    But Slade couldn''t. Instead she turned and made her way to the door.


    "I forgive you," Margarite yelled.


    A glance back showed her still focused on the floor.


    "You don''t know any better." Her pink lips trembled with each breath she dragged through her slight frame. "You and your kind don''t know any better. I forgive you."


    Unmoved, Slade replied, "I have as much use for your forgiveness as I have for these fangs in my mouth."


    A bleeding heart wasn''t why Margarite remained in the barn. Slade debated confronting Margarite about whatever child the woman hid herself away and had here.


    Hybrids like her couldn''t always have children. And as all vampires were turned from humans, the bandage on Margarite''s arm, no doubt hiding a bite, meant this child was something else. It was also a distraction. All the better that the wound wasn''t from an attack from one of these starved vampires.


    Slade focused on the dirt on the ground before she slipped out and latched the doors.


    It was her turn soon. She hated being this harsh but vampires were harsh. The softer she acted, the less people trusted her. All vampires got soft when they went mad. Every day she could feel it stronger, an itching in the back of her skull, a hunger unsated...and the voice.


    No one''d seen these vamps till now, not even Eli.


    Things had gotten so bad in the beginning of the year that several decided to euthanize these ones. But a stake through the heart now...only remained there, causing agony.


    No one knew why. Slade was tempted to spend another batch of rabbit teeth to hire yet another soothsayer. But they were useless. Vampires couldn''t risk letting non-vamps find out just how bad it was. People still feared them. This would give them a very valid reason to¡ªit would cause panic and confusion.


    She closed in on the neatly arranged row of trailers. For this, she was proud. If not for the dilapidated state of the vehicles, the windows boarded up, and paint peeling, it''d look nice. Not as nice as her former mansion but...nice. They kept them clean otherwise.


    At this time of night, people should have been shuffling out. When someone rushed past and waved a warning, Slade slowed in her stride.


    Door after door slammed shut. That meant one thing: tax collectors.


    "Damn." Slade took to her feet, racing with all her might. She headed to the only safe haven¡ªthe only real structure, not on wheels, anyway. The club.


    It was a long way to the club and she was already low on power. Once she reached the double doors, she shoved them open and they banged against the wall.


    "Tax collectors!" Slade warned. "How much iron we got?"


    She froze at the sight of the fluttering wings. The plump Fae attached to them rotated to face her.


    "Pardon?"


    Hands trembling, Slade fought to smile. Her expression shifted from fear to sick amusement and back again.


    "Marrow¡ªMr. Marrow. How are you? T''was just a joke, you see. I try to be as funny as you. How''d I do?"


    A plump red face glistened as Marrow raised his fancy cane. "Oh. A joke. You really shouldn''t waste the brain cells, Slade. Really. Come inside, come in. We''re nearly done with business."


    "Business?" Slade slowed in her approach. "But I''ve got the teeth you need. What sort of business you got?" At the raised eyebrow, she gritted her teeth and said, "Sir?"


    "Just a sale," Marrow said.


    Fairies weren''t all that big. Not to the untrained eye. To vampires, though, the only ones immune to the glow of the Fae, this fairy was a good five-foot-nine. He carried a black cane with a golden top¡ªfor show. Because the damn things flew.


    The one standing behind him was no less than six-foot-two. And then the one after that.


    The third fairy''s posture confused Slade; the woman was hunched over, her dress hiked up.


    Slade''s stomach dropped when she caught sight of Manny, kneeling with his head under said dress.


    She took a step forward, but Marrow floated before her. "Now, now, it was a fair transaction."


    Fair.


    "Sir...he''s not right in the head. Letting him feed...feed off a Fae. That''s...there are laws against it for a reason."


    Marrow floated forward, insulted. "And who wouldn''t want our blood? You lot should be lucky for the offer."


    Such generosity wasn''t common among the Fae. The woman''s moan made quite a few things clear.


    Marrow met Slade''s gaze and grinned. "Getting it close enough to the loins is the most effective way."


    Mouth tasting stale, Slade tried to counteract her own scowl. "Thank you, sir. But I''d rather you let him up."


    "No," the woman gasped. "I''m almost¡ªow." She looked behind her and her wings started to flap. "Ow. Get him off. Get him off!"


    Marrow fluttered to her, cane raised.


    Slade hurried to intercept them. "No. No, that''s dangerous," she lied. "Let us¡ªlet one of us do it. We can get him off."


    "Ow. Remove it. Get it off me." As much as the woman fluttered those wings, Manny anchored her.


    Marrow looked from his ailing colleague to Slade. "Do it. And be fast about it."


    Slade wanted to refuse. This wasn''t how she wanted to see her older brother. But there was no one else she could trust, so it was only her.


    She lifted the black dress.


    Just as Slade suspected. Manny, eyes closed, teeth biting into the fairy''s pale right buttocks, refused to let go.


    "Hey," Slade said, crouching down to meet him. "I''m back. You missed me?"


    Two gray eyes opened to regard her. Manny smiled and opened his mouth in greeting. Once the fairy took the chance to scramble away, he lumbered to his feet.


    "Sofie!" Manny towered over her. He extended his arms but paused and gnashed at the air. "Of course it''s Sofie. Sofie!"


    The giggles of the fairy didn''t usually bother Slade, but today they hurt for other reasons.


    "Hey, Manny. Did you miss me?"


    Manny''s sunken in features took on some color thanks to the fairy blood. It wouldn''t last, though. And that wasn''t the problem...the addiction it brought was.


    "Oh, would you look," the woman complained. "He left a big mark."


    Marrow floated toward her. "Well, how was it otherwise?"


    Blonde hair and green eyes aglow, the woman agreed, "Yes. It was rather enticing."


    Slade blinked, intentionally letting the fairy''s glow dull from her perspective. A fairy''s glow wasn''t only about sight. The dust they shed had the power of...persuasion. It masked their looks, their height, everything. Even their rank smell. The straggly rodent-like creatures before her fit their demeanor rather perfectly. Most vampires were glad to allow the dust to do its job, but in the last ten years, Slade no longer cared about illusions. Their reality was quite real and quite grim.


    "I take it you have our payment?" Marrow fluttered to her. "Yes?"


    A giant rat. A giant flying rat. That was what Slade saw, and it was the only reason she willed herself not to lop off its head.


    "Yes, sir," Slade chimed. "Right in the back room. We''ve even taken the liberty of crushing it down. Finest rabbits'' teeth around. All prime."


    The three fairies converged, giddy with anticipation.


    "Are you sure?" Marrow asked. "I''d remind you of the law¡ª"


    "Honest. Here, I''ve even got a few right here with me." Slade fished through her pockets for what was left. Two teeth. She''d wanted to keep these ones.


    When she met Marrow''s smug look, she relented and handed the two teeth over.


    "Here. This is a sample."


    Marrow''s companions zipped close, nearly salivating.


    At first about to rub his hands together to crush the teeth on his own, Marrow paused and cut Slade a glance.


    "Would you do the honors...Sovereign?"


    That word immobilized Slade for a long while.


    Speak! Speak you fool or it''s our hides. Speak. Think of your brother and open your mouth.


    Blood still dripping from his lips, Manny stared at her, doe-eyed.


    The sight of him helped Slade pull off the best simper she could manage.


    "Sir. When you call me such things, it reminds me of a madam at the brothels. Please, call me by name. It''s the least I could do for such low-quality product."


    They waited, and she did, too. With how much energy she''d used up the night before, doing this barehanded was stupid. Still, it was better she did it than poor Manny or anyone else.


    Slade held out her hands for the teeth. Once they touched her palm, she rubbed them together. A minute later, an off-white dust remained.


    The fairies salivated. Slade had a good grip, but she let some fall, satisfied when they flew low to catch it.


    "Useless bitch," the tall one growled. "You''re wasting it."


    While they gathered up those fibers, Slade called to the barkeep. "Get a mirror. They''ll wanna savor it."


    Five minutes later saw Marrow and company huddled in a booth, dragging the dust up their nose.


    Fairies...fucking fairies.


    Manny nudged her. "Here."


    Slade came back to herself and regarded him. His face looked fuller thanks to the fairy blood. It wouldn''t last though. As with any addictive substance, the more he used, the more he''d need to have the same effects.


    He offered his shoulder, but Slade refused. "Later. Let''s get the payment ready. You got the rabbits?"


    Hazel eyes fixed on her, Manny grinned wide and extended his arms. "Much. So, so much." He paused and snapped at his right, gaze low. "Fine. Many. The word''s many. Do you mind?"


    Getting him to focus on one task¡ªone conversation at a time was becoming a problem now. She even doubted his utterance of success with the rabbits.


    When he looked at her, she straightened up and tried to smile in an effort to wipe any worry off her face.


    "Who''s the best vampire big brother ever?"


    Manny''s eyes widened. In time he pointed to himself, unsure.


    Slade fought back her sorrow and smiled through it. "Yup. That''s right. It''s you."


    Beaming, Manny nodded. "Me."


    "So you stick close to me. All right? No more wandering off or..." she swallowed down her anger. "Or talking to the Fae."


    Someone short of breath rushed in.


    Slade didn''t have to look, she waited and sure enough, Trixie came with her sorry excuses.


    "A overslept. But today''s Tax Day and I came to w...arn...you." Trixie focused on the fairies then dropped her voice. "Shit." She was sure to tuck her wings close.


    As usual, she carried her jacket which she hurried into. Harpies weren''t pleasant company, but they were loyal to a fault. Lazy and half-useless, but loyal to a fault. They were also the Fae''s natural enemies.


    Trixie rushed to pull her long black hair down to cover the sawed-off horns.


    "Think they saw me?"


    Slade watched Marrow and company and came to a grim conclusion. "They''re not seeing much of anything. Get in the back. We''ve got business."


    "Business?" Trixie''s black eyes took her in. "Huh?"


    Lazy, useless, and stupid. But loyal to a fault.


    It finally dawned on her. "Oh. With them rabbits. Right." She grinned. "Gonna make a fortune, ''eh, boss?"


    It''d be something. And it''d prove a new feeding ground was possible¡ªalbeit one harder to cultivate. It was hope; it was something.


    Leaving the fairies to indulge, they made their way to the long hallway. The backroom teemed with vampire customers in various degenerative states.


    "Sovereign," one said, bowing.


    It became a chorus soon enough.


    Once they ducked inside the room, Manny hurried to her, offering his arm, and subsequently, a filtered dose of the Fae blood coursing through him. "It''s near gone."


    Slade hated this. She looked into her brother''s pleading eyes then nodded. She wanted to refuse. The blood they had now was a good enough bounty. They could refuse.


    But when she stared around the entire room to find all eyes on her, then the giant heated pot. One man stirred the blood within. As sovereign, it would be her right to drink first¡ªto drink her fill.


    There were no less than thirty vampires waiting for some shred of normalcy, of dignity. She thought to refuse Manny.


    Trixie leaned close and reminded her. "He''s feeding ya? A few drops of Fae blood, filtered through another vampire or not, is worth ten of these cauldrons."


    Manny needed it, though.


    Slade made a hard choice and turned to regard her brother''s bruised shoulder. This wasn''t the first time. And although she prayed it''d be the last, she knew better.


    She bit into those bruises¡ªand she did so in fear another vampire might catch poor Manny unawares and drain him instead.


    Instead of feeding long, she took enough to get the voice in her head to shut up. Once she was finished, her brother staggered against the wall.


    Trixie hurried to put his arm around her shoulder, helping him up. "I''ve got ''im, boss. Don''t you fret."


    "Right." Slade scanned the room. Hungry faces greeted her. "Tonight''s full moon means we''ll get a more potent result. We''ll tally it up and give everyone an equal share. But reserve your energy for a few months. That''s more than enough time to prove the value in my proposal for substitutions. The tax collector is here. It''s no coincidence they choose this day. Since them being here saps into the power of the moon, we''ve got two options, take the lower dosed blood tomorrow morning, or fess up and ask them to leave."


    After much grumbling, they all agreed.


    "Leave the Fae outta it. No good comes of their kind," one vampire admitted.


    Slade could barely stand it. This much rabbit''s blood took ages. And keeping it from congealing was no easy task, either.


    "All right." Slade nudged Trixie. "Get the bowls."


    "Wait, that''s not right." Manny pointed at the cauldron. "What''s that?"


    But there was nothing to see there. When Slade raised her hand, the vampire stirring the blood obeyed and paused.


    Despite the calm, the blood still rippled. Slade scanned the room and took a deep breath. "All of you, drop your vision."


    The world darkened to reveal a short fairy, fluttering over the cauldron¡ªpissing in the blood.

 2 Tax Collectors

    The last of the wolf brigade jumped through the open doors, landing crouched down from the shift.


    Slade hove a sigh.


    Lomos, the one in charge, unhooked his cape and affixed it around his waist, as did the others. It was either that or go naked. Werewolf or not, exuding authority while in the buff was easier said than done. The Wolf brigade had several division¡ªeach led by an alpha. Of the twenty werewolves there, Lomos was by far the smallest¡ªhis skill and ferocity in a fight earned him his title.


    The collar around his neck doubled as a gun harness which he looped his shoulder through and tightened.


    ¡°Right,¡± he said, brushing down his cape turned kilt, ¡°where¡¯s the victim in question?¡±


    ¡°Over here, Officer,¡± Marrow waved from the booth, a bawling fairy in his hold. ¡°Over here.¡±


    Lomos focused on Slade and said, ¡°We¡¯ll get a statement from you soon enough. Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Slade, leaning with her back against the wall, eyed the floor. Eventually she stood and sauntered to the bar. Trixie caught hold of Manny and hurried to follow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get discouraged, boss. There¡¯s another full moon that¡¯s perfect for enriching the runes in three months¡¯ time. Ey?¡±


    Without responding, Slade raised her left hand. Trixie wasn¡¯t the brightest, but she knew to shut up.


    Manny hunched over, mewling. Trixie patted his back. Fae blood withdrawal. It was rushing through him fast. The high came with a crushing low.


    There was nothing left to do but wait so Slade called for a drink.


    A goblet of blood landed before her. She eyed it, unmoved.


    When a tall figure sat down beside her, she didn¡¯t regard him. The fact that Eli came fully clothed meant he¡¯d been heading her way intentionally. His white cape hung on his shoulder.


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± he said, leaning forward.


    Slade supposed they did. Letting out a sigh, she cut him a glance.


    That cape. She hated seeing it. Its ornate gold bezel made her sick. She especially hated the monogram of Eli¡¯s initials on the top. At the time she¡¯d bought it for him¡ªfor a couple, it had seemed cute. A fitting engagement present for Eli and his would-be bride. But two years past without that marriage getting underway and Slade had a hard time looking at that cape now without a mountain of regrets and what ifs.


    He followed her gaze and brushed the cape back. ¡°Focus,¡± Eli commanded. ¡°We have to talk.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, sir. We¡¯d like a word with Slade,¡± Lomos said.


    Eli didn¡¯t take his eyes off Slade when he answered the werewolf. ¡°Give us a minute.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s all the same, I can¡¯t. These fairies aren¡¯t leaving quietly.¡±


    They went back and forth for some time before Eli got the information he wanted.


    ¡°They what? In the blood? All of it?¡±


    Marrow flew forward. ¡°It was just a prank, sir. A simple, silly prank. And the boy would have apologized but¡ª¡±


    Lomos raised his hand but didn¡¯t look back. ¡°Tax Collector, with all due respect, we don¡¯t want to be down here in a den of hungry vamps. Please give us some space.¡±


    Letting out a snort, the fairy flew back to his colleagues hard at work comforting the crying youth.


    ¡°A prank?¡± Eli marveled. ¡°There¡¯s a reason it¡¯s called life¡¯s blood. It takes ages for them to cultivate that stuff. It¡¯s not even a tenth the potency of what they¡¯re used to. Here they are, making an effort to stay out of everyone¡¯s way, and this is the result? And you¡¯re just gonna¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just gonna,¡± Lomos answered. He turned his attention to Slade. ¡°He says one of you cussed the kid. Now. I don¡¯t gotta remind you what negative words do to Fae. It makes ¡®em heavy and their wings don¡¯t flap as fast. It¡¯s excruciating to fly after that. The law states¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh for¡ª¡±


    Eli quieted when Slade held his shoulder.


    Turning in her chair, Slade told Lomos, ¡°That was me.¡± She struggled to chuckle. ¡°Yeah. It was just a prank but...well, we were all kinda shocked. Wouldn¡¯t you be?¡± she challenged.


    The werewolf¡¯s stone-cold expression showed wear. ¡°It¡¯s the law, Slade. That¡¯s a strike for the month. Don¡¯t force it.¡± He looked back to the fairies who stood and approached. ¡°Says also that one of you assaulted them¡ªbit her right in the rump, or something.¡±


    Slade glanced past to Marrow¡¯s smug look then focused on the wolf again. ¡°That was also me.¡±


    Lomos fished into one of the small pockets of the collar and produced a gold coin. ¡°Gonna fine you. You take this into the clerk and make payment. Ya hear?¡±


    ¡°Gold?¡± Eli stood. ¡°She can¡¯t pay for a gold penalty.¡±


    Without looking at Slade, Lomos stared Eli down and handed it over. ¡°It¡¯s now got her essence. It¡¯s her penalty to bear. I can always take it back,¡± he challenged.


    And exact a physical punishment right here.


    With that, Eli backed down.


    Slade took the coin and put it in her pocket.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go losing it,¡± Lomos said. ¡°All right?¡±


    Once she nodded, the werewolf reported back to the Fae and Slade turned to her goblet.


    Eli stared her down. His gaze burned her skin, it was so hateful.


    ¡°Say something.¡±


    Slade sighed. ¡°I¡¯m here trying to enjoy my piss-blood, sir. What¡¯do you want?¡±


    When she reached for the cup, he boxed her hand away. ¡°Stop. Whatever rune magic was in, it¡¯s been neutralized by the fairy piss. If you take even a sip of that, I¡¯ll consider it as an act of aggression and as your way of getting back at me.¡±


    It was an act of aggression, directed at her. The barkeep actually put it there. One of her own¡ªone of her own had the nerve to try and feed it to her.


    That said all she needed to know; they no longer had faith in her or her ability to provide for them.


    Rather than call Eli¡¯s bluff, Slade eased the cup to the side. He was a gentle soul usually, but when provoked, he was unpredictable.


    ¡°I need to talk to you,¡± Eli said, easing closer, ¡°about yesterday. About last night.¡±


    Here it comes. I wonder if he¡¯ll compliment us.


    Slade gnashed her teeth to keep from cussing that voice.


    ¡°What you did...what you made me do was unforgivable,¡± Eli began. He scanned the room then eased closer. ¡°I know it was you who invited Sarah over. That was unfair. How could you leave me to...to be taken advantage of like that? Especially....¡± He paused and whispered, ¡°Especially after what we had.¡±


    Slade turned and looked him in the eye. ¡°I was with Trixie all night last night. Right, Trix?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Trixie stopped rubbing Manny¡¯s back long enough to chime in. ¡°Right. All night.¡±


    Eli raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We hunted rabbits. Right, Trix?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Trixie looked up from Manny and told Eli. ¡°Right. Hunting rabbits.¡±


    Fighting battles head on was never Eli¡¯s way. Slade could hardly believe he¡¯d come to her directly about this issue. Everything about him said he¡¯d do what he always did¡ªgive up when something looked a challenge.


    Today, he wasn¡¯t backing down. ¡°Are you honestly going to sit there and deny this? You¡¯d swear¡ª¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll swear,¡± Slade said. ¡°I¡¯ll swear it on my mother. I was with Trix from sundown to sunup.¡±


    Eli¡¯s glare turned hateful. ¡°You hate your mother. Swearing on her death or injury is hardly proof.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll swear on my father, too¡ª¡±


    ¡°Another person you hate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll swear on Trix.¡± At the silence, Slade faked a smile. ¡°How¡¯s that?¡±


    Eli glanced past her to the harpy. When his eyes settled on Slade again, there was gravel in his voice. ¡°Like you¡¯d care if Trix broke her neck tomorrow. Try again.¡±


    Trixie snickered and leaned in. ¡°He¡¯s got you there, boss.¡± She paused and protested, ¡°Hey!¡±


    Slade raised her left hand and Trixie backed down. ¡°What¡¯do you want me to swear on, then?¡± Slade asked.


    Eli¡¯s stern gaze softened. ¡°Swear on us. Swear on our friendship, on any affection we¡¯ve ever had. You swear on that. Swear on it right now and I¡¯ll stand up and never bother you again.¡± His tone held a challenge. ¡°I dare you.¡±


    It was a way out. It was a way to get everything Slade knew they needed. It was a way to be rid of him. Despite that, each time she willed her mouth to open, it couldn¡¯t.


    Still with his eyes fixed on her, Eli reached into his pocket for his smartphone. Whatever he wanted to show, lay dormant on the screen.


    One tap had Slade¡¯s voice coming from the device.


    The Eli on the phone laughed. ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t record¡ª¡± He took the kiss and pleaded, ¡°Don¡¯t record this. Here.¡± The next protest was cut off with an equally soft smooch and a moan. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Upon Eli pausing the video, Slade fought back her anger. That was her. And she couldn¡¯t recall any of it. Once upon a time, she might have cared who saw or heard but as modesty was a human flaw, she¡¯d lost most of hers the day she was turned into a vampire. And what with being naked most of their lives, werewolves were less than shy about things of the flesh. Still, doing this in private would have given her enough silence to think of a better lie.


    Instead, she settled for honesty.


    ¡°So we got drunk,¡± Slade admitted. ¡°We made a drunk mistake. It happens.¡±


    ¡°Drunk?¡± Eli marveled. ¡°You think we were drunk? Neither of us where drunk. Look.¡±


    He unpaused the video, but Slade refused to witness it. She made up her mind not to until her own tone changed, directed at her.


    ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re watching this, don¡¯t go putting up a strong exterior.¡±


    Slade met eyes with the stranger on the phone screen, convinced the woman wearing her own face, using her own voice, wearing her own clothes, was speaking to her directly.


    That Eli, sitting behind her, leaned in to put his chin on her shoulder. ¡°Why are you doing this again?¡±


    The woman kissed his brow then his lips when he sat up to accommodate her.


    She reached for something, but Eli caught her hands.


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t need that,¡± he told her.


    ¡°You were the one who insisted on the condoms.¡± Eli dropped the phone on the bar counter. The video still played. ¡°Does that look drunk to you?¡±


    It didn¡¯t. Not even slightly. Slade watched them undress. Though the Slade in the video held the phone with one hand, recording them, she took the video like an expert. Slade herself doubted she could be that skillful.


    ¡°I know about the barn,¡± Eli said, dragging Slade¡¯s focus to him.


    Her mouth still agape thanks to the video, she gasped.


    Eli lowered his voice, going so far as to hold her shoulder. ¡°I know about the barn. I¡¯ve seen...I¡¯ve seen it.¡±


    The wave of anger to flood through Slade ebbed when she shrugged his arm away. ¡°Who told you?¡±


    I did.


    Slade stared at the floor, praying her own condition wasn¡¯t as obvious.


    ¡°You can answer her,¡± Eli said. ¡°Now everything¡¯s making a lot more sense. I know you hear something. You don¡¯t have to fight it. You can answer.¡±


    As generous as those words were, Slade hated them¡ªshe hated him for having the nerve to fashion said words then utter them in her presence.


    ¡°Look at the end of this video,¡± Eli challenged. ¡°You¡¯ll want to see this.¡±


    What Slade wanted to do was to throw the phone in his face and march away in a huff. The desperation in his eyes drove her to look down at the screen. It was only petting and kissing but the tenderness of it wasn¡¯t lost on her.


    In the video, Eli kissed the woman¡¯s throat, pulling her closer to him. Slade? She held the phone up and stared directly into the camera.


    ¡°Feed,¡± the creature said. ¡°You feed.¡± She paused and licked Eli¡¯s cheek. ¡°Or I will.¡±


    Eli sat up. ¡°You want to feed on me?¡±


    The woman grinned. ¡°Would you let me?¡± He hesitated but she laughed. ¡°It¡¯s a joke.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to but...would it help you?¡±


    Slade put her thumb against his lips and promised, ¡°I¡¯d never do that to you.¡± But she looked straight at the camera again and the image faded.


    Heart pounding out of her chest, Slade struggled to regain control of her body. She patted her chest, confused.


    ¡°It took me over?¡±


    Eli pocketed the phone and held her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ve commissioned a soothsayer. We¡¯ll go to her and we¡¯ll tell her what¡¯s wrong. We¡¯ll tell her everything and pay to have her tell us how to fix it. They can see beyond our reality. That can even talk to the Fates and influence our destinies for the right price. We¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll nothing.¡± Slade boxed his hands down. ¡°Messing with fate is a dangerous game, one that¡¯ll likely come with unforeseen consequences. My situation¡¯s already in the shitter. You saw it yourself, that wasn¡¯t me on that video. And whatever it was, it was more than ready and able to bleed you dry. For once, be smart and keep out of my affairs.¡±


    Mouth agape, Eli stared at her. He looked helpless.


    ¡°Why must you do this? Ma¡¯am, I wasn¡¯t with you on a whim. And I know you have feelings for me. So why deny them?¡±


    Slade¡¯d heard enough. She nudged Trixie and the harpy yanked Manny to his feet.


    ¡°Sovereign?¡± Eli called after her. ¡°You owe me an answer. Why won¡¯t you let me help you? Why don¡¯t you let us try to be more?¡±


    Without looking back, Slade answered, ¡°Because you keep calling me Sovereign. Ma¡¯am isn¡¯t an affectionate term for a lover.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you told me to think of a nickname. And I gave you it. Then you went and threw it away.¡±


    Of that he was probably right, but she didn¡¯t pause to entertain the argument.


    Manny flopped over in Trixie¡¯s arms, but the harpy caught up. ¡°Boss, did you really? You know. You¡¯re the one who always said never bed a wolf. And that¡¯s advice you¡¯d give to me. How you gon¡¯ go against the most basic natural law? Vampires and werewolves stay outta each other¡¯s genes. They¡¯re territorial or something.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Eli,¡± Slade reminded her, ¡°he¡¯ll be gone before long. We have to meet back with the others and get this botched feeding sorted. No wonder those fucking fairies came so late.¡±


    Trixie adjusted her hold, nodding. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point. They do ever so love to come midday when people are suffering the most. That why you stayed away?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t. Being gone on Tax Day was stupid¡ªit was suicide. And now she¡¯d have to bear the consequences.


    Trixie looked back at the bar then leaned in and whispered. ¡°He ain¡¯t left yet, boss. And he¡¯s got that look. You know dat look when someone owes you money and you know it¡¯s their payday. Kinda one-a dem looks.¡±


    Slade ground her teeth. She didn¡¯t want to appear weak. ¡°Just tell me the damn Fae are gone at least.¡± The thought of the gold coin in her pocket made her turn and bang her head against the wall. ¡°I can¡¯t afford this.¡±


    Harpies were dumb, lazy, useless...and loyal. ¡°Trixie¡¯s got some¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Slade drew the line at all of them ending up broke and infirm. ¡°No. You start giving away your runes and you¡¯ll have none for yourself. I¡¯ll pay it¡ªI¡¯ll find a way.¡±


    Thud.


    Something slammed against the wall, on the other side.


    Cautious, Slade backed away. ¡°Trix?¡± she called.


    It wasn¡¯t often Trixie was a quick study, but for all things underhanded, she never missed a beat.


    ¡°I see ¡®em.¡± Trixie hefted Manny but kept a close watch on the wall. ¡°All-a demn arguing. Saying...saying...a....¡± She paused and looked to Slade for help. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m losing my touch.¡±


    A harpy¡¯s gift of foresight couldn¡¯t get far. With no way to go back once it started, Slade hurried to indicate the wall.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Tell me, anyway,¡± Slade instructed.


    Trixie went back to watching the chipped paint. ¡°It¡¯s the same word again. Monkey. Something about...about a monkey.¡± She slowed then gasped. ¡°Blood.¡±


    Slade trembled. Primate blood, the closest substitution for humans. Desperation had led to strange measures. It did one thing, though, it wiped out any primate in the entire country. Every zoo was emptied within a matter of months. As it stood, the importation of primates of any kind was outlawed.


    Rumors came and went about vampire factions in Asia and Africa still functioning, safeguarding their primate supply with firepower and violence untold.


    There were no primates left. But Trixie was rarely wrong. The next words out of her mouth made Slade¡¯s blood run cold.


    ¡°Her wolf friend.¡± Looking equally terrified, Trixie told Slade, ¡°Sir, I think we have a problem.¡±


    She didn¡¯t have to say it. The piss-blood put before her twenty minutes ago said it all.


    ¡°I suppose there¡¯ll be a new Sovereign soon enough. Huh, Trix?¡± Slade forced a smile, hoping for one in return. Nothing. She got nothing for her efforts. ¡°They mean Eli.¡±


    Trixie nodded. ¡°Without a proper feed, that madness¡¯ll come faster. Once the Wolf Brigade leaves, it¡¯ll just be the Fae...or....¡±


    ¡°Or the lone wolf whose death they can blame on me.¡± Slade closed her eyes and sighed. Interfering with a set future had dire consequences, but there was wiggle room. ¡°How long before this plays out? Is it safe to take countermeasures?¡±


    It took some effort for Trixie to heft Manny up against her shoulder. ¡°Aye, it¡¯s safe. If I¡¯ve seen it, it can¡¯t be changed but I ain¡¯t seen ¡®em do it. Just plan.¡± With her left hand, Trixie touched the wall. ¡°The first part¡¯s starting. Maybe...seven minutes before they settle on slitting your w¡ªhey, wait.¡±


    Slade didn¡¯t look back. She was already halfway down the hall when Trixie gave chase.


    ¡°Think,¡± Slade told herself. ¡°Think!¡±


    But why think, darling? We both know the only way Eli¡¯s leaving, is with you. I made certain of that. We didn¡¯t go through four condoms for nothing.


    Teeth gritted, Slade slowed in her stride. ¡°Shut. Up.¡±


    But the bitch was right. Eli wasn¡¯t about to leave. Not with all he knew.


    At the doorway, the Wolf Brigade gathered and Lomos ordered his men, ¡°Keep this under wraps. No talking to the press.¡±


    The Fae even shuffled around, making themselves comfortable in that booth. With all the free booze they¡¯d get for the night, why not?


    It was true. Between the wolves and the Fae, the wolves were a more forgivable target. Armed with that knowledge, Slade made her way to Marrow.


    The plump pixie eased off his chair in the booth and fluttered to her, smug and satisfied.


    ¡°Come to apologize? Well.¡± Marrow tucked his fingers into his vest pockets and turned up his nose. ¡°I won¡¯t accept. Not without a good deal of groveling¡ª¡±


    Slade planted her left foot and kicked him in the face with all her might.


    He propelled back, flipping over like a toy in freefall. His wings stopped flapping and he plummeted to the ground, unmoving.


    The room fell silent, all patrons stunned. But she wasn¡¯t finished.


    Of the three remaining fairies, two wisely ducked down, leaving the woman Fae to fend on her own.


    ¡°You ugly, smelling, rancid, sick sacks of shit,¡± Slade drawled. She slammed her hands down on the table causing the Fae to shriek. ¡°Do you know what the best part of you lot is? It¡¯s the smell. It¡¯s that palpable, rancid, odious smell that follows you everywhere you go. You need all your magic to mask it from the wolves. But you can¡¯t mask that from the vampires¡ªnot when we feed. Is that why you did what you did?¡±


    At a loss, the female Fae looked around for help. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Slade slapped her with all the energy she had left.


    The shriek it tore from the Fae¡¯s mouth came with tears.


    ¡°That,¡± Slade said, ¡°was a trick question, bitch. I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Lomos, frozen with his hands mid-waist to unhook his kilt and wear it like a cape, looked on. ¡°Slade.... You were my Sovereign once. And as my Sovereign....¡± He finally left his clothing intact and approach. ¡°I can give three gold coins for this. But please stop. Stop now.¡±


    Eli eased off his stool. Slade didn¡¯t have to look; he was coming.


    With a frown of affection, Slade touched the fairy¡¯s hand. ¡°I should apologize. Fairy bodies get brittle when lopped with insults.¡±


    Nodding, the fairy fought back her tears. Her voice vibrated with that squeaky echoing effect they were so fond of using. ¡°Yes. We are quite fragile.¡±


    ¡°Like this?¡± Slade slammed her fist down on the woman¡¯s arm.

 3 Press

    It happened with a war, one the vampires sat on the sidelines to watch, confident the humans would prevail as they often did because man was a cruel breed and the otherwise gentle children of Runes feared such aggression.


    Only, the children of Rune magic to answer these drums of battle this time weren''t the gentle fauns or the curious pixies. They were the griffins, the harpies, and other war-weathered creatures. They were ancient, and more than ready to wipe mankind clear off the map. Which they did.


    And vampires?


    No amount of regrets would bring the humans back. Because they''d waited. At their request, witches conjured up spells, soothsayers peered into the hidden, all in search of a glimpse of man but after ten years there was no sense in denying it any longer.


    All humans were dead.


    ***


    Eli had nothing to say as he watched the city race by, Slade at his side.


    The stretched car was a new design. It allowed up to four people to sit facing each other, two on either side. Lomos, opposite Eli, still dressed in his Wolf Brigade garb, tried to sound cold.


    "Best if we get this underway before sunup." At the silence, Lomos sought assurance. "Eh, Eli?"


    After a short bout of silence, Eli finally said, "There''s no way they''ll let this happen before sunup."


    Sat hunched over, hands clasped in a wooden plank, Slade watched the floor. "You two are stupid for accompanying me."


    On Lomos''s left, Manny slumped against the window. He waved now and then. Outside, flying high above, Trixie waved back.


    "With all due respect, ma''am," Lomos said, "we''re literally the only ones who can."


    Eli focused on the world outside that car¡ªit was far easier to deal with.


    "Former pets would be excused for their loyalty to their Sovereign," Eli muttered.


    "Sure," Slade drawled. "If I was Sovereign at the time of your servitude. You two forgetting that?"


    Lomos watched Slade in sympathy. "Ma''am¡ª"


    "Don''t do this to yourself," Slade said. "When this car stops, you take off. You take the side that''ll keep you and yours outta silver."


    Lomos''s gaze dimmed. The way he started taking interest in the window meant he agreed.


    That just left Eli.


    Slade turned to him, but he didn''t meet her gaze when he warned, "Say it, and you won''t like my damn answer."


    By the time the courthouse closed in, morning came, painting the sky in orange and blue.


    And then the crowd gathere. It was a few people at first, and then they were everywhere. All manner of creatures lined the street, some holding signs.


    Eli jumped out of the car, Lomos on his heels, and hurried around to the other side. "Leave Manny to Trix," he told Lomos. "You can go. I''ll get the sovereign inside." Before the wolf leader could conduct his own escape, Eli caught his arm. "Give us a clear path."


    Trixie swooped down and careened to a halt before them. "Come on, Manny, Manny. Trixie''s got you."


    But instead of taking off into the sky, she brought her jaket over her shoulder and hefted Manny up.


    Slade was a bigger problem, she refused to exit the vehicle. It seemed less like a refusal and more an inability. That meant one thing, Fae blood withdrawal. So she had been telling the truth¡ªshe''d attacked that fairy. This was unlike her.


    "Can you get up?" Eli asked. "Should I carry you?"


    The glare she cut him stole any other foolish utterances he''d had planned.


    "Trixie can''t carry both of you, boss. Sun''s almost up, too."


    Slade slipped out of the car. Her knees buckled and she lost power like a discarded marinate.


    "Ma''am!" Eli panicked and reached for her.


    No sooner had he touched her shoulder, she said, "Don''t, pup. You''re gonna get yourself hurt. I need a minute, but I can walk."


    The nickname was a slip of the tongue. Upon realizing it, they met eyes.


    Slade wasn''t as stunning as the others in her family, but her determination in the face of danger was her most charming asset. Even now, with her wavy brown hair faded, her face somewhat gaunt, and her lips cracking¡ªeven now, that determination hadn''t dulled.


    It was what fueled her to stand.


    Eli stood by just in case she fell again. When he was sure she was steady, he caught sight of the awaiting Wolf Brigade. "Come on. If we can get to them, they''ll bring you the rest of the way."


    The journey to the steps leading into the building was slow and laborious, hampered by the rowdy crowd.


    A reporter hurried beside them, walking backwards as she spoke into the camera. "And now that the vampire''s arrived, having brutally attacked a group of Fae unprovoked, many are questioning the strength of the Wolf Brigade. Sophia Dresden, known as Slade, Do you have anything to say in your defense?"


    Slade kept her head low as she marched on. Eli swatted down a bottle thrown at them.


    Even the reporter ducked. "Isn''t it true you got the call name Slade due to your involvement in the Fae cleansing? A massacre that killed over thirty Fae. Most old and feeble?"


    Trixie, Manny in her arms, stayed close as they weaved through the crowd.


    The reporter, to her credit, didn''t miss a beat.


    "Is this some sort of fetish," she asked, "attacking fairies? You even drank their blood."


    They were almost at the top. Eli allowed the Wolf Brigade to lead Slade and Trixie on as he stopped to address the reporter.


    "I was there firsthand. You can ask me any questions."


    Three hours later, the four of them sat in an empty courtroom.


    Manny, weak to the sun even while indoors, lay with his head in Trixie''s lap. Anyone could say what they wanted about harpies, but they were good natured. That was the best description for Trixie as she continued to pat Manny''s shoulder. She''d gone so far as to use her jacket to cover him.


    Sitting on the bench in front of them, the next row over, Eli started talking crazy.


    "You could have run off. You''ve got a damn harpy," he grumbled.


    Trixie interjected, "Common misconception. Ain''t easy carrying a body, ''specially a dangling body. Unless it''s a baby. We''re real good at snatching up babies, in fact¡ª"


    "Or," Eli shouted, "or you could have not injured a damn fairy. That would have been good, too."


    Slade fell onto him. The action quieted them until she said, "Just so you know, I''m not leaning on you of my own volition. Push me back up."


    Groaning, Eli complied. "Of all the asinine¡ªlook at you."


    Hunched, Slade wheezed, "The Fae blood''s wearing off, Trix."


    Trixie reached around to touch Slade''s forehead. "Oh. Yeah. This is bad."


    Body vibrating, Slade begged, "Don''t sugarcoat it. How bad?"


    Pale blue eyes blinking, Trixie considered it. "Reckon you''ve got about another hour before you''re on the floor singing. And it ain''t a pleasant tune."


    "Fuck."


    "And chances are, they''re waiting for the sun to get high enough ''fore commencing. So...yeah, it won''t be a dignified cry for mercy, I''d say."


    This time when Slade fell against Eli, rather than voice her disgust of the fact, she curled into him.


    Eli risked wrapping his arms around her. "If it''s blood¡ª"


    "Yes. Because a pack of wolves smelling the remnants of Fae blood then werewolf blood on me will certainly work in my favor."


    There was no argument after that. Everything in him wanted to admonish her for drinking Fae blood in the first place. That wasn''t like her. That was more a habit for.... Eli looked back at the harpy and the stupid vampire she cared for. Manny.


    Tightening his hold, Eli grumbled, "How about harpy blood?"


    "I know you''re just joking, sir," Trixie offered, "but harpy blood''s not good for vampires. And since harpies and Fae are kin, having one after da other''ll...how do I say this in layman''s terms? It''ll fuck her up." At their silence, Trixie clarified, "In a bad way."


    "Yes." Eli glared at her. "I gathered that''s what you meant."


    "But I got some runes here." Trixie tapped her person. Two feathers cascaded to the floor and she snatched them up, embarrassed. "Sorry. Feathers from those places tend to shed."


    Eli raised an eyebrow at her. "Those places¡ªno. Never mind. I''d rather not know."A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Trixie''s runes turned up in her jacket pocket of all places.


    "Who puts something so valuable as concentrated magic into something so easily discarded?" Eli marveled.


    The first rune was a green pebble, the second a red paste.


    "What...exactly do these do?"


    Trixie raised a gray eyebrow at him. "If I''m honest, sir, I dunno. I just suck the magic outta dam now and then."


    She put them into his hand before the words could compute.


    "Suck?" Eli met her stupefied gaze. "You...you put these in your mouth?"


    "Mouth?" Trixie had the grace to blush. "I suppose that''d been a better option."


    Eli cringed. "And how the hell am I to...administer them now?"


    The harpy blinked at him. "By...crushing one down and rubbing it on her neck?"


    Was that a question?


    "Rune negates rune¡ªthe basic ones. So it should take away the effects of the Fae blood. Second one after that''ll give her bout...three hours of energy."


    "That''s useless," Eli lamented.


    "Nah. Boss is real stingy. She can stretch that out for hours. Once saw her stretch out the tiniest rune for a day. Right boss? It was so tiny; it was barely worth the damn effort."


    Slade, voice muffled by Eli''s throat, said, "Shut up. And I told you to keep your runes for yourself. You''ll need ''em."


    "Ain''t got no reparations to pay back like the vamps. Don''t need ''em."


    The silence meant Slade wouldn''t cooperate.


    "All right," Trixie said, winking at Eli but speaking to Slade. "I''ll take ''em back, shall I?" She nodded Eli on, mouthing, "Do it."


    Eli looked at the stones and mouthed back, "Which one first?"


    Trixie tapped the red one and brought her hand to her throat. If that was meant to mean death, Eli wasn''t sure. He scrambled for a possible hint.


    His left arm still around Slade, he whispered, "Blue? Blue first?"


    Trixie cocked her head. "What?"


    "They''re colorblind, idiot," Slade grumbled.


    Nodding, Trixie laughed. "Boss is always clever."


    The two doors at the back opened and people shuffled in.


    Eli thought fast and crushed both runes together, praying it''d do some good. He managed to slap the paste-like substance against the back of Slade''s neck as the last of the officials took their places.


    Trixie watched the spectacle but whispered to Eli. "Whatever you do, just don''t mix ''em together."


    Body frozen, Eli rotated his head to face her. "What? What happens then?"


    A gavel sounded and everyone stood.


    Trixie pulled Manny up with her.


    "Trix?" Eli took to yanking Slade up. "Trix, what happens then?"


    "Shh!" a minotaur bailiff ordered.


    The reason for the solemn atmosphere became apparent shortly after as a practically mummified fairy was wheeled in on a incredibly complex looking half-bed, half-wheel chair. An arm cast and two leg casts?


    Eli eyed them in contempt. Last was Marrow who waddled in, a neck brace snugly affixed.


    Trixie''s sudden laugh left the room humming. Her amusement was understandable¡ªthis was absurd.


    Slade''s body trembled under Eli''s touch. That same bailiff came back, shaking his head, indicating they separate.


    Though reluctant, Eli complied. He held his hands out just in case she fell again.


    She looked steady, albeit...unstable.


    For the next twenty minutes, Slade could sit up on her own. Whatever the effects of two runes mixed together, it seemed mild for vampires. Maybe Trixie''d meant it was dangerous for her own kind.


    "Trixie?" Slade said.


    The harpy''s eyes widened as she sat with Manny''s head on her shoulder. "Yes, Legion?"


    Eli looked back at her, confused.


    "How long do I have?"


    Trixie swallowed hard and breathed out, "Six minutes¡ªat best."


    "Good." Slade rose to her feet. "Take care of Manos."


    After glancing down to Manny, Trixie nodded. "Yes, Legion."


    Eli watched as the room responded to Slade''s boldness. He managed to tear he eyes away from that scene and focused on Trixie who eyed him in hate.


    "Moron," Trixie admonished.


    "Legion?" Eli froze as the thought occurred to him. "Is that...?"


    But it was more than obvious from the confident demeanor as the woman waited to address the crowd.


    Eli growled, "You...."


    Slade glanced back to him and winked. "Hey, lover." She set off toward the Fae on the other side of the room but called back. "Trixie, if Manos''s Legion awakens, you put it back to sleep."


    "Yes, Legion," Trixie answered. She stared after Slade but finally acknowledge Eli''s hateful glare. "What? It''s your fault. You mixed the runes! Who mixes runes?"


    Eli had one nerve left. "What is that thing? How do we get rid of it?"


    Trixie sunk lower in her seat. The way she held Manny said she needed the comfort more than he did. "You don''t. And you shouldn''t. And I can''t talk about it."


    Gnashing his teeth together, Eli whispered, "Your loyalty is to the sovereign."


    Trixie wouldn''t look at him. "And that is why I can''t talk about it. Watch."


    Slade slowed in her stride, hands up as she approached the frantic group of fairies. "Please. Please," she said, head bowed. "I come to ask for forgiveness."


    Marrow bobbed and dipped as he tried to escape her reach; he couldn''t get far. "Get her away¡ªget it away!"


    The gavel sounded and the faun holding it, demanded attention.


    "Sophie Dresden, stand your ground."


    Slade''s posture still hunched as she turned to address their authority. "I plead guilty for all my charges, and I beg for mercy."


    "Mercy?" the injured female fairy squawked, struggling to turn her head. "Like the mercy she showed me? Like the mercy she showed my grandfather? What mercy?"


    The faun judge told Slade, "I''d hoped to never see your kind in here again. The last time, you bowed your head and got away. I doubt your back can withstand just how much show of humility''s instore."


    Slade kept her eyes low. "It''s true. And I have no other excuse than to call it a moment of madness. But what happened to these beautiful fairy folk at my hand is still unforgivable." She entreated Marrow, "You''re such a good and just tax collector. I couldn''t say a critical thing to you even if I tried."


    Marrow''s face regained some color. His wings fluttered freer, too. He took in a deep breath, drinking in the praise and the rune magic that reacted to it.


    "Such a sweet and honest man," Slade went on.


    Cheeks bright pink, Marrow zipped forward then back. He looked reborn.


    "Well," Marrow said, "I suppose you do look sorry."


    "I am," Slade went on, "and what handsome brave colleagues you brought with you. Now, you say it''s a prank, but I could just imagine it to be more."


    The two male fairies in attendance sat up, the smaller one asking, "You could?"


    "Of course. You saw us about to feed and perhaps felt threatened by the idea of us being at full power¡ªor any power, really. So you were forced to take such drastic measures. How brave. I bet you were scared, you little hero."


    The small fairy glowed, a brightening sheen. "That''s right. I''m a hero."


    "And you...."


    Pointing to himself, the tall fairy looked around. "Me?"


    "Yes, of course. Look how gentle and meek you are, and yet I still set upon you in anger. I''m sure others expect so much from a tall Fae like you, all the time."


    The fairy''s cheeks filled. His baritone voice thundered despite his mumbles, "That is so true. No one really gets it. Nobody''s ever gotten it till now."


    Eli watched on, awed. "This is incredible."


    Trixie counted down. "Two...one."


    Slade kept her pensive expression as she held out her arms. "Am I worthy of a hug? You fairies are such generous folk. I''m sure you''ll have mercy on me."


    They rushed her, even the female fair, cast from head to toe, fluttered toward her.


    "Mother fucker," Slade drawled.


    One Fae came to a stop and the rest bumped into each other due to the chain reaction.


    Slade scanned the room, eyes cloudy.


    "That time, I was awake." Slade looked from the fairies to the judge then back again. For a long time, she didn''t move.


    Eli willed her to shut up. In time, he even whispered it, "Just shut up. Shut up and take this way out."


    Trixie scoffed, "Then you don''t know the boss."


    When Slade finally spoke again, it was to no one in particular. "That''s it, isn''t it?" Slade asked the Fae. "You''re easily bought with a few kind words. A bit of groveling''s all you''re really after."


    "Yes, that''s all they''re after," Eli whispered, "so shut up and let them have it."


    There was no way she could hear but deep down, Eli was sure no amount of words could change Slade''s mind¡ªnot when she turned to address the faun.


    "Well fuck them. And fuck you."


    The crowed gasped.


    "You want to know what happened?" Slade asked. They surely didn''t but that didn''t stop her. "These spiteful little bastard fairies came to starve us for fun."


    A collective silence fell over the room until Marrow gave off a weak chuckle. "Starve? Who? Fampires? How many dead fampires you see in the streets?"


    One chuckle sounded, then another.


    There were no dead vampires, but Slade couldn''t tell them why¡ªshe wouldn''t dare.


    "Vampires can''t die," the faun said. "We all know this."


    Slade swallowed her automatic response. Finally, she asked, "Then why the wooden bullets? You all know it won''t kill us. And it''s harder to remove than metal because the wood fractures. And yet...you lot still use them¡ªstill authorize them."


    Eli wasn''t confident about Slade''s tone but her logic certainly resounded. It was cruel, everyone had whispered it to themselves here and there.


    Marrow looked around, disbelieving. "What? Oh boo-hoo. The fampires are hurt. The poor, feeble, helpless fampires who''d never hurt an elf! Ha! Who are you telling that to, fampire? Yes, we ruined your blood and yes, we did it on purpose and yes," he screamed, "everyone here should thank us for it."


    His voice reverberated.


    Most of the sympathetic looks in the crowd vanished.


    "Everyone. Every race here has a bone to pick with the famps. Each and every one. Even the damn harpies they enslave! Look at that one, forced to turn nursemaid. You think a fampire would care about what happens to those who serve it?"


    He couldn''t flutter as high now with the praises no longer fueling his rune, but he was visible enough.


    "My own father and grandfather died by the hands of the fampires. Slade herself gave the final blow."


    The gasp that time had Eli rubbing his face.


    "Oh," Slade argued, "you want me to elaborate on that?"


    Marrow lowed and bobbed to take refuge back with his kind.


    "Sophia Dresden," the faun called, "you admit to this?"


    "Please," Eli begged in a whisper, "please just don''t¡ª"


    "Oh gladly."


    Eli slapped his face. "Shit." He looked to Trixie for help and got a slow shrug.


    Slade looked smug. "His grandfather stole a baby."


    The faun didn''t react much. "Yes. It sometimes happens that fairies steal babies here and there. We''ve come to understand that it''s just a strange habit. Most are brought back unharmed. Others that require a search are always turned over to the authorities without incident."


    Head cocked, Slade asked, "Wait, you idiots know about this and allow it?" She didn''t wait for an answer. "Do you know what they do to babies?"


    The silence meant no one did.


    Marrow''s nervous laugh failed to mature into a chuckle despite his efforts. "Why are we listening to this monster?"


    "Monster?" Slade turned to him. "You sick fucks and what you do to children and any animal too weak to escape your perverted clutches are the true monsters. Babies returned unharmed? I hope they perform a thorough physical on said child."


    In the ensuing silence, Slade leaned in close.


    "And it didn''t even take much to off your grandfather. Me catching him in the act was enough to drop his power. A kick to the groin and his body shattered like a shell. So you could say the shame killed him, not me. But I''d gladly take credit for it."


    The gavel sounding stopped her from continuing.


    "That''s enough," the faun said. "You know the law. The Fae are emotion bound. Their rune reacts to words. For the rest of us, it''s sticks and stones, for them, words can literally harm them. Throwing out falsehoods¡ª"


    "Falsehoods? Eh. I guess saying that''s better than admitting that you carelessly let this little flying rats abuse the children of Rune unchallenged. Right?"


    The direct attack was met with a direct ultimatum. "Apologize to this court. Apologize to the Fae, and apologize to your fellow citizens and you might leave here with the layer of skin you walked in with."


    Slade finally cast her gaze low, submitting.


    Eli prayed she''d keep it that way.


    No such luck.


    "I won''t defend vampires," Slade said, thoughtful. "We were cruel. When we ruled, we weren''t gracious in our reign¡ªeven me. Though I wasn''t sovereign at the time, I take on that title now and all the responsibility that goes with it. Not a day goes by that I don''t regret not being a better person when it counted. I won''t even defend what we did against the Fae, though I will admit that in all we did, that target might have been the only just one we had." She ignored the murmurs of protest. "At one time I could have grouped all Fae together, but I won''t do that now. So to say there aren''t some innocents felled by our hands? I can''t make that claim. There are countless. Comparing us then to us now¡ªnow when we are literally of no threat to no one¡ªI''m compelled to speak my mind. Would I be this way if I hadn''t fallen from grace with the others? No. I''d still be a tyrant."


    "A tyrant? A tyrant doesn''t do it justice!" the faun rose from her seat. "Need I remind you what brought your downfall? Need I remind you what sealed your end?"


    Slade returned the cold stare.


    "Two hundred wolves. Two hundred werewolves forced to shift into wolf from then fixed on the orders of their Sovereign, your brother."


    And just like that, all chance Slade had at getting out of this vanished. Eli himself though to argue for her. She wasn''t the Sovereign then. She had no part in it. She even fought it. But there was no point in saying it now?


    "Two hundred?" Slade asked. "It''s quite a leap from twenty to two hundred."


    "Even one," the faun growled, "even one is unforgiveable."


    With this, Slade nodded. "It was¡ªit is. I do not argue it. The vampires were cruel. So I do not beg for your mercy or sympathy. But I deserve it."


    The crowd erupted. Even the sound of the gavel did little to calm them.


    "And I say to you all," Slade called.


    More than ready for further reasons to hate her, the spectators quieted and let her speak.


    "And I say to you all," Slade repeated. "Be mindful of how you treat me now. Because yesterday was my time of power, today''s yours, none of you knows what tomorrow brings."


    Face set in a scowl, the faun brought the gavel down. "It''s brings you one day in the sun."


    Slade took the gold from her pocket and flicked it in their direction, disgusted. "It was always going to bring me a day in the sun, assholes."

 4 Nodes

    Slade¡¯s sentence under the sun required two days despite the one in its title. It started from noon. There was a cruelty to it¡ªburning a vampire who couldn¡¯t die from midday till sundown, then leaving them tied down all night to ensure they¡¯d heal somewhat, only to burn them again in the morning.


    There would be no relief because even after her release at noon the next day; she¡¯d have to endure the sun, or the presence of it, until nightfall.


    Eli watched, silent and helpless. Trixie, at least, could find refuge in Eli¡¯s apartment with Manny.


    But Eli, the dimwitted werewolf who was already walking on thin ice in his pack, waited in the square all day.


    There was a big crowd in the beginning when Slade was first strapped down. Dried flesh still stained the cuffs¡ªthey could have at least cleaned those from the previous vampire.


    Most people stayed for the start of the process. By the time most of Slade¡¯s flesh turned red and faded in the wind, people started to leave. There was no fun in watching something slowly die, again and again, without it perishing.


    Eli was the last one at sundown. Boredom. He told himself people hadn¡¯t left because Slade refused to whine or cry and that her stoic expression and motionless response wasn¡¯t boring for them. He told himself that, but he was wrong.


    The moonlight helped repair some of the damage, but it was hard to stomach. Eli stood more than once with the intent of unchaining her.


    Each time, he sat down again and made excuses as to why that was a bad idea.


    None of them mattered now. At midnight, he made up his mind.


    ¡°Not a good idea,¡± Lomos said from a nearby pillar. Wherever he came from, he still wore his Wolf Brigade kilt and gun harness. ¡°Turn fugitive and this gets messy. Endure the pain and hold your head high.¡±


    Eli felt less anger and more hurt.


    Lomos scoffed, ¡°You don¡¯t even retaliate verbally, huh? I keep forgetting that you were and will always be just her pet¡ªher dog.¡±


    After casting him a glance, Eli turned his attention back to Slade. Everyone always had an opinion of them, none good.


    ¡°I¡¯m a wolf. Just like you,¡± Eli countered. The words made him feel sick. He needed no defense.


    ¡°Yeah, but a wolf, like a dog, can be broken. And that¡¯s what you are. Broken. A perfectly domesticated mutt. You go where your father says¡ª¡±


    ¡°Call me that again, and you won¡¯t need to doubt me anymore.¡± Eli¡¯s heart raced. He was posturing but he couldn¡¯t figure out why. Rarely could he muster up enough fucks to give about what his pack or extended pack thought of him. As it stood, with Lomos¡¯s skill and ranking, Eli¡¯s six-foot two frame was just a yapping infant in the presence of a five-foot six wildebeest. He wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. Still, he wasn¡¯t backing down, especially now.


    Lomos was fair in most things, and he allowed Eli his big talk by breaking eye contact to instead focus on Slade.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to watch it,¡± Lomos admitted. ¡°I claim her as my Sovereign, too.¡±


    ¡°And you arrested her.¡±


    ¡°Well, what was I going to do?¡±


    Admittedly, there wasn¡¯t much anyone could have done. And Lomos himself had done far more for her than any other Brigade leader would. But it still seemed wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault,¡± Lomos said, gravel in his voice. ¡°Your fault Dresden¡¯s sovereign got hurt. It¡¯s your fault.¡±


    Those meager words stole Eli¡¯s power of speech. He could only stare at the man, awestruck.


    ¡°Heard whispers. Some informants here and there. Fae pissed in the blood as a joke. A fucking joke. That¡¯s all. No big conspiracy, nothing malicious, just a joke. So the vamps gathered there sought to bleed her pet wolf dry.¡± Lomos eased off the pillar and sauntered forward. ¡°Don¡¯t know bout you, sir, but the only pet wolf of Sovereign Dresden I know of is the useless runt of the litter.


    ¡°The one werewolf who wouldn¡¯t¡ªcouldn¡¯t shift into human form that she took a liking to¡ªthe one who, when every other wolf in his family was dragged out and put in silver and...snipped, managed to keep his balls on his body thanks to hiding under a woman¡¯s skirt. You.¡±


    Eli trembled. It was both his proudest and worst memory. And Slade hadn¡¯t gotten her way unscathed, either. Some nights Eli thought back to that event and fell in love with her all over again. Despite being older than her, he was tiny as a wolf, and he¡¯d been content to remain as one forever if allowed.


    And when they all got dragged out, one by one, forced to shift into wolves, and mutilated, he wasn¡¯t spared. They¡¯d gotten him, too. Slade came running. Deep down, he knew it might have been the impudence of a petulant thirteen-year-old refusing to let her toy get harmed and not a big rescue, but he didn¡¯t care. The way she held on to him, taking whip after whip until she could barely move.... It resounded. It resounded even now because here she was...taking a beating on his behalf yet again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it be in vain, sir.¡± Lomos reached him and cast his eyes to Slade. ¡°You let her survive this, and she¡¯s off. I knew she couldn¡¯t pay that gold. But if I treated her lax, then those miserable fairies would have called for someone worse. Figured she¡¯d just never pay that coin and I¡¯d just pretend I never noticed.¡±


    Eli hung his head. His knees gave out, so he crouched again. Eventually, he had to sit least he breakdown right there.


    Lomos crouched as well, kilt dragging on the cobblestone. ¡°She¡¯s tough as nails, though. Ain¡¯t she?¡± he admired. ¡°I was always jealous of you. So jealous.¡±


    Shamed, Eli watched the moonlight bring some comfort to Slade¡¯s skin.


    Despite all the ills of the day, something stuck with Eli even now. ¡°Sovereign said there were twenty.¡± He asked Lomos, ¡°Everyone knows it¡¯s two hundred. You¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Lomos nodded to Slade again. ¡°She locked a good ten of us in the pantry and literally ate that key.¡±


    Eli gagged. In time, they both laughed. ¡°She really was a terror,¡± Eli admitted.


    ¡°I think she was actually trying to get back at her brother for something else. That¡¯s why.¡±


    Manny. No wolf in this area would dare utter his name, even now that he¡¯d gone mad. He¡¯d been the sovereign. He¡¯d been the one to order the neutering. He¡¯d been the one to set this upheaval in motion. And now...now he was being cared for like some innocent bystander.


    ¡°What if there were just twenty?¡± Eli asked. As far as he knew, he could confirm five¡ªhe¡¯d seen the blood as he cowered in Slade¡¯s arms. ¡°Why would Dad say there were two-hundred. How many other vampire clutches communicated with us back then?¡±


    Lomos shrugged. ¡°Plenty. Your woman¡¯s clutch especially.¡± He was sure to ask, more than hinting, ¡°How is Sarah? Bet she loved seeing you on the news.¡±


    Eli ignored the question. ¡°When¡¯s the earliest I can get her a doctor?¡±


    ¡°No doctors for vamps. New orders.¡±


    Meeting Lomos¡¯s yellow eyes, Eli gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Why this cruelty? This is insane.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°It¡¯s the law. And the legislative order is eighty-percent Fae. She was right stupid to beat the fairies. Better if she went after me and my lot. No wolf of mine¡¯s gonna bite out the throat of my own sovereign. We only get the one. Once that oath¡¯s said, it can¡¯t be undone.¡± He paused for some time then asked, ¡°How many of us you reckon¡¯s left?¡±


    ¡°Of us?¡± Eli wasn¡¯t sure he understood but hazarded a guess. ¡°Us sworn to this sovereign? Outside of vampires?¡±


    ¡°Vampires¡¯ got no loyalties. That¡¯s why they can serve under any sovereign. But the rest of us: wolves, harpies, any other children of Rune.¡±


    Eli considered those words. ¡°After today?¡±


    Lomos snorted out a laugh. ¡°You¡¯ve got a point. No way anyone¡¯s supporting her now. Not publicly.¡±


    Letting out a sigh, Lomos stood.


    There was no custom but Eli felt compelled to stand with him.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Eli said, ¡°I know what you risk.¡±


    ¡°I risk nothing.¡± Lomos gestured his head at Slade. ¡°I¡¯m fulfilling my oath, and I can do that so long as it doesn¡¯t interfere with my work. But don¡¯t act like I¡¯m on their side. Vamps were a terror. An awful terror.¡±


    Eli countered, ¡°And what have we become with how we¡¯re treating them?¡±


    The werewolf stared through him and shrugged. ¡°My brother got fixed that day. Hell, so did all of yours.¡±


    With no further protest to give, Eli nodded.


    ¡°But you love her; I get it.¡± When their eyes met, Lomos tried to smile. ¡°And she loves you. I mean, look what she¡¯s doing for you.¡± Despite the words of flattery, the tone held no joy. ¡°Look what she¡¯s doing for you,¡± he repeated.


    It was a warning Slade herself had already given. Let her go. That was what they were both saying. Eli considered those words.


    The first day he ever shifted into a human was the day he had to drag himself from under Slade¡¯s bloodied, limp body. She took a whipping on his behalf so strong that she appeared dead. It was the only thing to force Eli to want to be human bad enough to become one for her. It was the last day he¡¯d stayed in wolf form longer than a few hours.


    As a wolf, back then, he couldn¡¯t do much more than run. As a human, he could half pick her up, half drag her to a safe hiding spot. He could tend to her wounds. He could clean her off. He could catch rabbits and bring them back alive for her.


    And now? Now he wasn¡¯t leaving her without a fight.


    Lomos¡¯s brown eyes took him in. The brigade captain debated speaking up. Finally, he said, ¡°There¡¯s gonna be a raid...of the vampire reserve.¡±


    He waited, but Eli waited, too. He welcomed being included but took insult. ¡°You expect me to just leave her here and go run interference¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Keeping the peace is what the brigade does. So if there¡¯s anything that needs to be hid, now¡¯s the time to hide it¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving her. Even if I¡¯m just her pet.¡±


    Lomos, though disappointed, relented. ¡°No. Don¡¯t suppose you would.¡±


    Shortly after, Lomos departed.


    All the better for the heads up. Eli still had faith in common decency.


    Vampires weren¡¯t the only ones once in power that fell from grace. Ancient races had something similar. But though the oppressor feared vulnerability, once down, their victims often retained their compassion and punished in a fair way.


    The vampires¡¯ inability to die was what people feared because there was power in immortality. But all beings were capable of corruption under the wrong conditions. Eli believed that firmly.


    The vampires he saw in the barn were weak, crazed, suffering. No one with a heart would find a reason to add to that misery. Once people saw them for what they truly were, harmless, they would react in a natural way¡ªwith empathy. They¡¯d find a more just punishment for Slade and her kind.


    Eli¡¯s phone vibrated in his pocket.


    Ten missed calls from Sarah. As he scrolled through, another one came in. He let it go unanswered.


    The next time his phone vibrated, he made the mistake of looking.


    His father.


    Eli closed his eyes and swore under his breath. He knew better than to ignore it. Summoning up his courage, he accepted the call.


    He didn¡¯t even say hello; a barrage of cussing came his way.


    ¡°You ungrateful bastard. Who do you think you are? Dragging my name in the mud. Who the fuck do you think you are? You think you can get away with this? Huh? You think I won¡¯t find it? Huh? You think I won¡¯t? I¡¯ll find it. I¡¯ll fucking find it and then I¡¯ll fucking find you.¡±


    Beep.


    Eli lowered the phone and swallowed hard.


    He made a call right away.


    ¡°Trix, hey. Where are you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Trix is here enjoying your ice cream. Where else?¡±


    ¡°Get out of there now. Fly if you have to. Take her brother.¡±


    ¡°How many times I gotta tell people? Harpies can¡¯t fly with no people. A dangling body¡¯s heavy cargo. Now...a baby, a baby I can snatch up.¡±


    ¡°Will you stop with the baby thing, already? You¡¯re just as bad as the fairies,¡± he grumbled.


    Trixie took insult. ¡°Fuck you, wolf. We ain¡¯t sick like the fairies. All we do is take ¡®em for ransom. All right? And we say pay us in runes or we¡¯ll drop it in the ocean, but that¡¯s just for effect. Name me one harpy¡¯s done it¡ªwait, make that two. Because there was this one time¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said get out of the house.¡± Eli let a growl come from the back of his throat when he told her, ¡°Werewolves are headed there. And they¡¯re fit to kill.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Trixie paused. ¡°Wait, werewolves are coming? Lead with werewolves are coming.¡±


    Beep.


    Eli sighed. At least that was taken care of.


    The next phone call came from Sarah¡¯s father. The words future father-in-law flashed. If Sarah¡¯d entered it, Eli¡¯d feel better. But he¡¯d entered it himself. He had been the one stupid enough to think he could go through with this arrangement. He had everyone¡¯s approval for it¡ªeven Slade¡¯s. Hell, she¡¯d been the one to select Sarah as the best match for him before her fall from grace.


    Back then, it had hurt. It felt like her way of dismissing him or giving him away. Now, he saw it for the gift it was. Joining Sarah¡¯s faction to his own was pivotal.


    Everything in Eli screamed to answer¡ªsmooth things over. At the very least, he should let it go to voicemail. That was better than hanging up.


    Despite that, Eli clicked on the end button.


    He felt sick. That was it¡ªthat was that.


    ¡°Goodbye, future father-in-law,¡± Eli grumbled.


    It was hotter than hell at noon when Slade was finally freed.


    Eli stood back, watching her charged, blistering remains peeled from the bindings.


    ¡°What is with the wolf, anyway?¡± one minotaur muttered to his ent colleague.


    A wooden eye glanced at Eli, waiting close by, and muttered, ¡°Oath to the sovereign. I feel bad for the guy. Stuck in a debt like that.¡±


    The minotaur got the binds at her legs. ¡°Can¡¯t believe I¡¯m here having to touch a vampire.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    Once they were finished, Eli picked up the folded blanket at his feet and spread it on the ground. ¡°Bring her here.¡±


    The officers shared a glance with one another and walked away. Eli watched after them, open-mouthed.


    Left with no choice, Eli put the blanket over Slade¡¯s remains and rolled her onto her side. The groan made him groan in return. The middle of her back wasn¡¯t as tender but her sides were.


    An alarm on his phone went off and he checked it. The words he saw made his eyes widen. His breathing grew shallow and slow.


    ¡°Oh...shit,¡± he whispered, biting back his panic. He dismissed his troll driver and sought to work alone.


    Getting her into the car was easy after that, but hard to bear.


    Today he traveled without a driver because as soon as he got out of town, he ditched the car and waded into the stream. Slade¡¯s body slung on his shoulder, he trudged through the water for a good hour. He had to cross two more rivers and double back to make sure he wasn¡¯t followed.


    Once he arrived at the little house it was well into the night. The structure was cement, sturdy and sound.


    He hadn¡¯t had time to decorate it, but he¡¯d managed to get a matrass this far out in the middle of nowhere.


    After lowering Slade onto it, he peeled the blanket from her skin. Most of her blisters had popped, staining the fabric in yellow as he pulled it away. Sadly, his actions took some flesh with it.


    ¡°Shhh,¡± he soothed. But there was no helping it. She wasn¡¯t coming out of that blanket, not easily. He made a hard choice and lay next to her, cooing, ¡°Hey. Hey, do you hear me?¡±


    Eyes burned shut, Slade groaned.


    With this much damage, Eli doubted she could say anything coherent.


    He brought her mouth to his throat and waited. Nothing. When he tried a second time, she turned her face away.


    Eli sighed. That was just like her.


    A thought occurred and he whispered, ¡°Legion? Are you there?¡±


    He received no answer.


    ¡°Legion? This is your chance to feed. Don¡¯t you want to take it?¡± He wasn¡¯t sure this would work but he prayed there was a reason that Trixie, who apparently had the ability to control the thing¡¯s awakening, chose to let it rein. ¡°You either feed now or remain like this. Remember the barn, there¡¯s no healing coming to you. With no way to heal, how long do you think it¡¯ll take to get you something worth drinking? Hours? Days? Weeks? And in that time, you remain like thi¡ª¡±


    The bite had Eli crying out. It was a slow suck at first, the force of it making Eli feel lightheaded. It was a mistake to allow a vampire to feed this close to the head. Much needed blood wasn¡¯t reaching its destination.


    But Eli endured for as long as he could before he put his thumb in Slade¡¯s lips and pried her mouth open.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°Hungry....¡± Slade whispered.


    ¡°I know.¡± Eli eased off the mattress and watched her. ¡°But I can¡¯t let you feed unabated.¡±


    Werewolves¡¯ blood just didn¡¯t have much potency for vampires. Even a small rabbit¡¯s blood was a better choice. Still, within a few minutes, most large listers began to shrink down.


    Slade was finally able to open her eyes an hour later.


    Eli, who was nodding off, sat up. ¡°Hey.¡±


    When she tried to move, he hurried to stop her.


    ¡°No. You¡¯re still not nearly healed. This just closed most of the scabs. And...it kinda gave you a thin layer of skin. It¡¯s weak, though.¡±


    Slade opened and closed her mouth again and again. In time, she gave up and scanned her surroundings. ¡°This isn¡¯t your apartment.¡±


    Eli smiled. ¡°So observant.¡± She had no eyebrows, but she raised one at him regardless. ¡°I had it built some years back in anticipation for this.¡±


    ¡°For this?¡± Slade struggled to sit up and managed it with his help. ¡°For me?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Eli hesitated then nodded forward to the thick glass wall and the thing beyond it. ¡°For that gorilla.¡± He met her gaze and said, ¡°I bought him for you. His blood¡¯s going to help you heal.¡±

 5 Bad Bromance

    Slade refused to go anywhere near Eli. Instead, she watched him, blanket hiding her look of shock.


    ¡°Go through this one more time,¡± Slade ordered.


    Eli wanted to refuse. As was his habit whenever Slade demanded something from him, he gave in, eventually. ¡°Two years ago, we were celebrating my engagement to Sarah.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That I remember.¡±


    ¡°After the drinking¡ª¡± The way her eyes narrowed in confusion told Eli to clarify. ¡°We drank. We went to the dock and I brought some of the werewolf themed beer Sarah¡¯s family makes.¡±


    Slade nodded. ¡°The type you say tastes like piss?¡±


    He ignored her comment and continued as if she hadn¡¯t interrupted.


    ¡°You started to bawl¡ª¡±


    ¡°Impossible.¡±


    Eli admitted, ¡°Yeah. Now looking back, I think it was Legion.¡±


    ¡°Legion?¡± Slade held up a hand to him and waved him on. ¡°We¡¯ll address that later.¡± She leaned forward, reluctant to seek out an honest answer. ¡°Are you saying you¡¯ve known about the barn for two years? But the condition¡¯s only started this year.¡±


    That might be true but not for Eli. ¡°Legion knew. She knew it was coming because she told me exactly when it would start. So I began preparing. But when I went to the barn to check, there really was nothing. I felt stupid. But a week later, when I went back, it was nearly packed. So I kept on.¡±


    Slade, face turned away from the direction of the glass, risked glancing there. The animal still watched her. Like a bolt, she sat up straight.


    ¡°And this was your plan?¡±


    ¡°This was your plan,¡± Eli insisted. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought so at first, but now looking back, it was pretty manipulative. Talking about other factions in other countries breeding and keeping primates. And how you were sure some were still left in this country but only certain people could get in that sphere¡ªsomeone like my father.¡±


    Slade watched her knees, awed. ¡°And how¡¯d you get an animal that big all the way out here? And how did you even build this place¡ªlet alone have enough confidence that no one¡¯s gonna find it.¡±


    Eli let out a sigh and said, ¡°Trust-fund.¡±


    Pale blue eyes heavy with sympathy, Slade met his gaze. ¡°You used your currency?¡±


    ¡°And I literally bought runes for each and every brick and used a basic transformation spell to will them here. Then I¡¯d come whenever I could and build the structure. Masonry¡¯s all I know howta do.¡±


    Doubtful, Slade asked, ¡°A spell. Since when did werewolves practice magic¡ªand earth magic at that? Where¡¯d you learn it?¡±


    Face heated, Eli grumbled, ¡°Internet.¡±


    Slade covered her head with the blanket and groaned. ¡°Moron.¡±


    ¡°Well, it worked.¡±


    She yanked the blanket down; her hair stuck out in all directions. ¡°And the monkey? You telling me your little Renaissance fair spell got something that big all the way out here?¡±


    Throat tightening, Eli shook his head. ¡°No. That was...definitely more illegal.¡± He hesitated but admitted, ¡°Firstly, he hasn¡¯t been here all that long, and secondly, your eyes are playing tricks, he¡¯s not all that big.¡±


    ¡°Not all that big?¡± Slade stared him down. ¡°There is a gorilla here. What¡¯s supposed to happen? I bleed him dry and what? You eat his flesh¡ª?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Eli struggled for an answer. ¡°I just thought....¡±


    Slade waited. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I just thought....¡±


    Words failed him again and she growled.


    ¡°What? What¡¯d you think?¡±


    ¡°I just thought....¡± He tilted his head, gesturing to the glass. ¡°You know. You know!¡±


    But that stupefied expression meant she didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°You¡¯re a vampire. You...you go vampire things.¡±


    ¡°Vampire things?¡± Slade¡¯s eyes filled with tears. ¡°People caught him to feed off¡ª¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t catch him,¡± Eli countered. ¡°As far as I know, they¡¯ve had him since birth. He¡¯s used to this. That¡¯s what he¡¯s used for. Word has it, vampires with influence sold that influence and deep secrets for a chance to feed now and then.¡±


    She shed a tear and he flinched.


    ¡°What in the...are you crying?¡±


    Slade covered her head again, a shaky finger pointing at the glass. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that this poor thing¡¯s been in captivity since the day it was born, being fed on and left in a cage each and every day?¡±


    The muffled sound barely made her coherent.


    Eli tried to reason with her. ¡°That¡¯s not¡ª¡±


    ¡°And now you want me to do the same thing? What do you take me for?¡±


    She actually cried. He hadn¡¯t expected this. This was Slade; the same woman who reveled in weakening a fairy, gaining its trust then crushing its arm up to the shoulder.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s calm down,¡± Eli soothed. ¡°Can I...can I come near you?¡±


    Though she gave no response either encouraging him or otherwise, he risked crawling to sit beside her. He barely touched her shoulder before she turned and buried her face in his neck.


    ¡°This is so unlike you,¡± Eli began.


    In all fairness, he wasn¡¯t sure that was true. It had taken a lot to convince Slade to kill a rabbit on her own once she¡¯d recovered from her injuries ten years ago. Sure, she¡¯d fed on them as he brought them but once she¡¯d sobered up and realized it, there had been tears and hysteria then, too.


    He should have realized this sooner.


    Eli rubbed his face. ¡°Sovereign, I went through so much to get this primate for you. So much. It¡¯s a two-year plan and I had to speed up taking him because you were starting to talk to yourself more and more like those people in the barn and it scared me.¡±


    She pulled closer and he decided to stop.


    His own blood¡¯s effects hadn¡¯t amounted to much beyond restoring some of her skin. The color of her body was still gray. Her face was still gaunt and bruised. Beyond this, there was really nothing more they could do.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t like this, and you don¡¯t like doing this, but really, there¡¯s no other way. At least...at least...at least he¡¯s used to it, right?¡±


    She sniffed, gripping his shirt and he lost his nerve.


    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s rest for today.¡±


    With regards to that, he had no trouble. She was exhausted. From a day in the sun, to the Fae blood¡¯s effects, to now, it¡¯d all been a lot of stress for her body to go through. So he let her sleep.


    He¡¯d built the structure with no windows¡ªit was literally a tomb. With how soundly she slept in his arms, he felt proud that he¡¯d gotten that right.


    He wished he could sleep, too, because each time he glanced at that glass, he met eyes with the cold stare of that animal. Everything in him said to ignore it¡ªhe¡¯d resolved to, but he could feel its stare....


    Finally, he snapped. ¡°What? What do you want me to do? Let her stay like this?¡±


    The beast cocked its head.


    Eli regretted not making a damn curtain for it that glass. His kingdom for a curtain. Thoughts of Slade came and went; each time he smiled. She was an animal lover.


    Thoughts of how she used to carry him around everywhere when he was young should have told him as much. But now he had to admit it: what he saw as a special friendship¡ªa special bond, was just something she would have done for anyone¡ªany animal at all.


    ¡°Eli?¡±


    He hardly recognized the soft tone. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am?¡±


    For a long while, she said nothing. He thought to entreat her to answer but she spoke on her own.


    ¡®Thank you.¡±


    Pulse racing, body warm, Eli asked, ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re getting your vegan hands dirty on my behalf. I¡¯m horrified but I need to remember what this must be doing to you, too.¡±


    Eli held her tighter, he couldn¡¯t help it. He¡¯d pull her into his flesh if they could actually combine. No, he wasn¡¯t vegan, and it was her way of calling him...compliant, but there were far worse ways she could have said it.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    At her initial rejection, he¡¯d panicked. Now, he felt more than confident he¡¯d done the right thing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna kill it, Sovereign. But you need to eat, so for you, I will.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Slade crouched up. ¡°We¡¯re not killing it. There must be a better way. Maybe...maybe some rabbits¡ª¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t hunt any in this condition and I¡¯m not leaving you to find any. And again, I don¡¯t think you know what I did to get him. And yes, he was brought here with magic.¡±


    Slade grumbled. ¡°And where did you find this cracker-jack spell?¡±


    Eli hesitated then admitted, ¡°I didn¡¯t. My father did. This one primate¡¯s been rotated to at least thirty former vampire clutches. It¡¯s been rotated to the wolves.¡±


    ¡°Wolves?¡± Slade turned her face upward, her cold lips against his chin. ¡°What do the wolves do with him?¡±


    ¡°Well, judging from the bite marks on him¡ªI¡¯d say feed.¡±


    Slade broke his hold and met his gaze. ¡°You wolves are so full of surprises. I feel like I don¡¯t know you anymore.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense. We don¡¯t feed off anything. There¡¯s only one species I know of that feeds without a kill.¡±


    Slade gasped. ¡°Vampires? But that¡¯s the wolves¡¯ enemy. Why would they keep vampire food?¡±


    Eli focused on her throat, or rather, the sharp collarbone sticking out under the thin flesh. ¡°Maybe for the same reason I¡¯ve got it.¡± Their gazes met. ¡°They¡¯re feeding their sovereigns¡ªformer sovereigns. Because all new sovereigns look starved. And your parents disappeared into the night. Your mother¡ª¡±


    ¡°My mother got her hooks into a weak-willed, fat fairy she could bleed dry each month. And she keeps him close to stave off the withdrawal.¡±


    Eli didn¡¯t want to say it, so he was relieved when Slade did the honors.


    ¡°My father, however. He¡¯d be a possible culprit.¡±


    When she closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against Eli¡¯s chest, he rubbed her arms.


    ¡°Come on. This is a good chance for us. Let¡¯s stop debating the morality¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. What have we got left but morality?¡±


    The upset came so suddenly that he was unprepared. He didn¡¯t know what to say or do.


    ¡°Especially now,¡± Slade whispered. ¡°Especially now when we¡¯ve seen how terrified we¡¯d made people. So much so that they lash out at the first shift of power. So how can you ask me to do what you¡¯re suggesting? Especially if those bastards former sovereigns that put us into this position haven¡¯t even felt a day of hunger from it. Those careless vampires.... I¡¯d slept easier thinking that at least they were getting their comeuppance, too. This new information¡¯s shattered me. They get nothing. No consequences. All this time, they¡¯re still feeding¡ªthey¡¯re still monsters. So how can I do this!¡±


    ¡°We have to do this. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Eli¡¯d hoped to keep this from her, at least a bit longer. He¡¯d been foolish, far too foolish. But she had a right to know. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you something¡ªand I¡¯m going to need for you not to panic.¡±


    Slade eyed him in suspicion. ¡°That means I¡¯m gonna panic.¡±


    He opened his mouth to deny it but instead fished through his pocket for his phone. The alert he¡¯d received before leaving the courthouse still lingered in the notification bar. He hadn¡¯t watched it but the headline alone was bad enough.


    ¡°Vampire conspiracy uncovered: Sophia Dresden,¡± Slade whispered. Her hand shook as she took the phone and tapped on the link.


    ¡°Disturbing footage coming to you live from designated home of Sovereign of Dresden. No less than fifty emaciated vampires found huddled, crammed together in a bar¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fifty? Bitch has a lot of nerve. There¡¯s only fifteen,¡± Slade hissed. But as she spoke, her voice quivered.


    ¡°What is this compound?¡± the reporter asked, following the path to the barn. ¡°A number of these ailing undead were injured¡ªsome split through the head. Is this Sophia Dresden¡¯s torture chamber? A place she punishes dissent?¡±


    Slade nearly dropped the phone but recovered before Eli could take it.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± he insisted.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in hiding me from what¡¯s to come,¡± Slade whispered, heartbroken.


    ¡°Torn muscles, gnawed off hands, head injures, all manner of vampire injuries, all done, at the hand of the once feared and famed Sovereign of Dresden.¡±


    A commotion had the reporter running.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s come out! And she¡¯s healthy looking.¡±


    Margarite¡¯s thin frame, carrying a bundle, started to run.


    ¡°Her baby,¡± Slade muttered. ¡°She should have left. Why hadn¡¯t she left. Her and her stupid sense of loyalty.¡±


    The camera jolted and tires cried on the asphalt. A car stopped before Margarite and the window rolled down. She managed to put the baby inside but couldn¡¯t open the door in time.


    Just as the reporter reached, the tinted windows rose up to block their view.


    Margarite leaned back at the mic shoved in her face.


    ¡°What do you have to say for yourselves? How is this a civilized way to treat your own kind?¡±


    The bright lights of the camera had Margarite raising her hand to block her eyes.


    ¡°Please. It¡¯s not what it looks like. We were just in prayer,¡± Margarite insisted. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be there. I was stuck in there, too.¡±


    The reporter¡¯s focus shifted. ¡°You have a bandage on your hand. Was that inflicted on you by your sovereign? What does she make you do in the bar to these people?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Slade moaned. ¡°No. Blame it on me. Don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait. Are you saying...it was the starved vampires? The ones everyone¡¯s been insisting are harmless?¡±


    Now it was Eli¡¯s time to plead. ¡°Please don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying.¡±


    Slade¡¯s breath hitched. She dropped the phone on Eli and pulled the blanket higher, forlorn.


    ¡°We¡¯re fucked,¡± she choked out. ¡°So many layers of fucked.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯ll be all right. She¡¯ll clarify it,¡± Eli insisted. But Slade didn¡¯t watch as Margarite undid her binding to reveal the fang marks. The wolf brigade finally stepped in and ushered the media back.


    Margarite yanked open the door and threw herself in. The car reversed full tilt, took a sharp turn then sped off.


    ¡°Why would she do that?¡± Eli asked, stunned. ¡°Even if it was true.?¡±


    It took ages for Slade to move. After hanging her head, her hands at her face, Eli pulled her close.


    ¡°All that effort. I understand she did it to save her kid, but all that effort!¡±


    ¡°Shhh.¡±


    This hadn¡¯t been Eli¡¯s intent.


    He expected a sensationalized story based on that topic but...but not this. Not this character assassination.


    Considering the effort Slade¡¯d put out, he understood her upset.


    ¡°How am I going to fix this?¡± A tear escaped her left eye but no others. She repeated the question but he had no answer for her.


    ¡°Shhh.¡± Eli pried her off him and leaned down to meet eyes with her. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    Puffy red eyes regarded him in doubt.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we? There¡¯s an entire planet out there. There¡¯s got to be some place for us.¡±


    The next onset of tears made Eli feel worse.


    ¡°You¡¯re worried about your brother and the harpy but...but they¡¯ve got each other. So why don¡¯t we run?¡±


    Slade focused on his chest; the idea¡¯d crossed her mind a time or two if that weary expression was any indication.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you strong, you don¡¯t have to be too powered up, and we¡¯ll confront this head on. You get in motion, I get in motion. But you can¡¯t go without power. Even if you look starved, you¡¯ll have some reserve. So let¡¯s run.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯ run,¡± Slade muttered. ¡°I only became sovereign because Manny lost his mind. I can¡¯t abandon everyone.¡±


    He wanted to remind her that she was the one abandoned.


    The lack of eye contact meant she wasn¡¯t going to entertain his proposal. Because of that, he found his resolve even more now.


    ¡°Then you need power¡ªyou need to feed if you intend to fight¡ªwhether with words or more.¡± He glanced back at the gorilla cage and decided, ¡°I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll facilitate it. Okay?¡±


    Slade shook her head. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have that luxury! My father knows I took him. We can¡¯t let this chance pass. Do you know how many vamps would kill and slaughter for what we¡¯ve got right now? Huh? You¡¯re the one always calling me stupid. Well now you¡¯re being damn stupid. Well trying to take on a world set against you is truly foolish.¡±


    When the tears came this time, he didn¡¯t shy away from them¡ªhe understood. Deep down she knew this was necessary but couldn¡¯t justify it. He should take the blame.


    She could forgive him if it was his fault.


    ¡°Good.¡± Eli pulled her to stand. The fact that she didn¡¯t let him go left him confused. In their time together, she was never this vulnerable. An awful thought occurred. ¡°You¡¯re not...her, are you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Slade took two shaky steps and looked up at him. ¡°Her? You think I¡¯m possessed again?¡±


    Eli wet his lips and nodded. ¡°Kinda worried that you are.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to trust me when I say I¡¯m me.¡±


    He had no reason to be disappointed, and he would have denied his feelings as such if she hadn¡¯t read right through him.


    ¡°You¡¯d rather have her around?¡±


    Eli shook his head. ¡°No. But just now, I had the urge to kiss you. And at least the other you¡¯d let me.¡±


    Slade shoved him back and wrapped the blanket around herself better. ¡°I¡¯d always let you,¡± she grumbled. ¡°You just never tried.¡± When he tried to step forward, she raised her left hand. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on this. What do we do?¡±


    Heart still pounding, Eli backed down from his previous train of thought.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he explained, trying to sound knowledgeable, ¡°they¡¯re strong. Pretty damn strong.¡±


    Slade watched the gorilla that watched them. ¡°Yeah. No shit.¡±


    ¡°So...we tranquilize it. You feed, then you get out before it knows you¡¯ve even been there.¡± Eli hurried to the door where a black suitcase rested. Once he returned with it, he put it on the floor by the mattress.


    On their side of the glass, all was uneventful. The gorilla within the barrier, however, started to go berserk.


    Eli hesitated. He looked up to Slade who watched him.


    ¡°He knows the case,¡± Slade said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can do this.¡±


    ¡°None of that.¡± Eli sorted through the various liquids and stood with the tranquilizer gun in hand. ¡°He¡¯ll sleep. You go in, drink as much as you can manage then come back out. It¡¯s a two-step process. Shoot....¡±


    He raised the gun.


    Slade turned and tried to walk away.


    Eli caught her under the arm and pulled her close.


    ¡°And score,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll last on him. And at least common drugs don¡¯t work on vampires, so you¡¯ll feel no ill-effects. It¡¯s worth it. And it¡¯s a sound plan.¡±


    He handed the gun over.


    ¡°There¡¯s a second one. Just in case.¡± Nudging her with the gun, he insisted, ¡°Take it.¡±


    The fresh onset of tears had him rethinking the backup plan.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll carry them both. But that means I can¡¯t catch him if he comes around too fast. If you start feeding, I won¡¯t need to, though. Okay?¡±


    They stood side by side, neither moving. The gorilla calmed and sat some distance away, eyeing them both.


    But after a minute, neither of them moved. Then three minutes came. Four, seven, fifteen minutes past with not even a footstep in that direction.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in first,¡± Eli decided. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long.¡±


    Eli marched past the thick glass and came to the door on the stone wall. Guns in hand, he dragged open the door and fired once, then a second time.


    The animal regarded him in confusion then charged.


    ¡®Shit.¡± Eli dropped the guns and slammed the door shut.


    Thud.


    Thud.


    Despite the violence behind the steel, Eli was sure he¡¯d struck his target. When he crouched down to find both guns warped in their shape, he sighed.


    ¡°Well, there won¡¯t be a second attempt.¡±


    He stood, more than ready for Slade to meet him.


    She was already at the front door, struggling to open it.


    ¡°You....¡± Eli hurried to intercept her. ¡°It¡¯s already done. Where are you going? I struck it well. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll take effect soon¡ª¡±


    The next thud was unceremonious.


    Eli hurried back to the glass and laughed in triumph. ¡°He¡¯s down. He¡¯s down! Come on.¡±


    Slade¡¯s weary expression didn¡¯t affect him. He grabbed her by the arm and marched her to that door and opened it.


    ¡°Go. Go on.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t gonna push her in¡ªnot in the off chance that thing might awaken.


    Still, he nudged her. ¡°Go. Come on.¡±


    Hands at her face, she turned to walk right to Eli.


    An ugly sound came with each sob.


    Eli held on with his left hand but rubbed his face with his right. What was he supposed to do with her? Cutting that animal¡¯s throat and taking the blood was obviously no option. And he couldn¡¯t risk bringing her in there and arguing. Besides, what if she wouldn¡¯t drink? Should he hold her against the thing¡¯s neck and force her to feed? Could he go in there and suck some of the blood for her?


    As werewolf teeth were sharp, they served one purpose, a killing, not a feeding.


    Eli ran through all the scenarios. He would have kept on debating it if he didn¡¯t see the gorilla stir in the distance.


    Its speed despite its size was incredible. Eli barely made it to the door in time. The beast slammed against the metal.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna do this. Let¡¯s find another way, please,¡± Slade begged. ¡°Let¡¯s find another way.¡±


    On and on she cried but there was literally no other way. When Eli thought of what he had to do, the lengths he had to go through to get that thing here....


    They found themselves back at that wall. This time they no longer watched the gorilla with interest¡ªthe gorilla didn¡¯t watch them either.


    As sick as it sounded, Eli was thankful to hold Slade as she cowered against him. The tears had ebbed at least.


    That was the only bit of good news.


    A knock came at the door.


    Slade eased from his hold. ¡°You said this place was unfindable.¡±


    Eli trembled. ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be.¡±


    ¡°Then who¡¯s at the door?¡±

 6 Runes

    Eli gripped Slade¡¯s arm as he backed away from the front door. ¡°Let¡¯s not panic,¡± he said, panicked.


    Slade¡¯s frail frame turned to him. ¡°She says to let them in.¡±


    At first staring at the metal door, Eli risked focusing on her. ¡°She?¡± The answer came to him. ¡°Legion?¡±


    It was a slow nod due to Slade¡¯s weakened state. ¡°She says she¡¯s called for help. And we can trust them.¡±


    Her words were clear. To anyone, they¡¯d make perfect sense. But try as he might, he couldn¡¯t understand them. ¡°What? And you trust her?¡±


    ¡°Fuck no,¡± Slade wheezed. ¡°But do we have a choice? What else can we do?¡± Her arms flopped as she twisted and struggled to point to the gorilla behind the glass. ¡°Sic Tiny on ¡®em and pray he doesn¡¯t do a victory lap to snap us in two as well?¡±


    Talking took so much effort that Slade dragged in deep breaths often. It was a wonder she was standing up at all.


    Short of guns used against vampires, werewolves didn¡¯t carry weapons. Eli had none. If he were alone, he would have shifted into wolf form and taken his chances that way. One look at Slade¡¯s slight frame told him she wouldn¡¯t get far. And he wouldn¡¯t get far with her.


    Eli dragged her to stand behind him.


    The banging was a constant now.


    She shadowed him, inching forward with his every step. More than once, he turned to usher her back, and each time, she¡¯d eventually join him anyway.


    Six bolts kept the door firmly in place. Eli¡¯d been proud of that accomplishment¡ªmetal wasn¡¯t easy to use magic on¡ªnow he wished he¡¯d made a damn peep latch.


    After guiding Slade back one last time, Eli flipped the top lever. The sound of it falling out of its designated slot put a stop to the banging. He flipped the second¡ªthird. By the fifth, a deep sense of dread fell over him.


    Flip.


    He stopped at the final one.


    No. He wasn¡¯t gonna do this¡ªhe couldn¡¯t.


    One knock at the door came.


    He glanced back at Slade¡¯s terrified expression a final time before regarding the door again.


    They¡¯d make do somehow without any so-called help. He reached for the second latch but the final one flipped on its own. Magic like that was rare¡ªand forbidden. Other than harpies, only the truly evil possessed such power.


    ¡°Shit.¡± Eli turned to rush Slade. ¡°Shit. Hold on!¡±


    He slammed into her, tackling her to the ground. In one swoop, he threw his cape back and revealed his throat.


    ¡°Drink so you¡¯ve got some power to take flight. There¡¯s a sunroof.¡±


    Slade¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What? No¡ª¡±


    ¡°Damn you, woman. Drink. Take enough and you can at least fly.¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± a familiar voice said, affirming. ¡°He¡¯s got you there, boss.¡±


    Eli froze.


    Disbelieving, he stood like a puppet on a string and turned about face.


    With Manny tucked under her arm, Trixie waved. ¡°Hey, sir.¡±


    ¡°What...in...the hell? There¡¯s no way you could find me.¡±


    Trixie looked from him to Slade. ¡°Didn¡¯t. Manos¡¯s Legion woke up. I meant to put him back to rest, but he said you were in trouble. Told me where to go and everything.¡± She put her free hand on her hip. ¡°Tell you what, flying with a person at rest, difficult. Flying with a nearly starved vampire? Surprisingly...not so difficult. S¡¯a bit like carrying a sack of bones.¡±


    Relief washed over Eli who rushed to the door and flipped each and every latch back in its proper place. He was right about that rune at least. Even harpies couldn¡¯t get in at will.


    Manny sniffed at Trixie¡¯s chest then throat. The harpy laughed and gave him a gentle box in the cheek.


    ¡°None-a dat. You know what¡¯ll happen. Come on.¡±


    After putting Manny to rest against the wall, she hurried to Slade.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°How you doing, boss? You look like right shit.¡±


    Slade tried to laugh. ¡°Just help me up.¡±


    Eli pushed Trixie aside and did the honors. He expected Slade to act tough with an audience but she surprised him by leaning most of her weight into him.


    Trixie watched them, smiling wide. ¡°Well, look at yu twooo. Guessing you don¡¯t need ole Trix, ¡®eh boss? Let me put Mano¡¯s Legion back down and be right back. You got a john up in here, Wolfie?¡±


    Although the thought did occur to inquire as to her plans, he thought better of it and pointed.


    ¡°Right then.¡± Trixie pulled Manny from the wall.


    It was weird seeing them together. Sovereign Manos wasn¡¯t known for his playfulness, least of all with dirty harpies as he¡¯d often describe them.


    He nipped at Trixie now, an action that had her giggling. He even went so far as to yank her jacket down. The brown wings tucked in closer against her body for safety.


    ¡°None-a da, you. Come on. Let Trixie help.¡± The harpy picked him up like a bride and he wore a dopy smile as he wrapped his arms around her.


    ¡°You gonna have your way with me?¡± Manny teased.


    Trixie shook her head and made her way to the aforementioned restroom.


    She would get rid of Legion? How exactly?


    When Eli finally focused on Slade to find her eyeing that glass in sorrow, he felt sorrier for himself. She wasn¡¯t going to feed. All this effort, all this criminal and life-threatening effort. And she wasn¡¯t going to feed.


    ¡°Is there a place where we can be alone for a second?¡± Slade whispered.


    Much like Trixie picked Manny up, Eli gave Slade the same treatment. The only other place was the shower room, on the opposite size of the structure.


    No sooner had he closed the door that Slade pulled him in. Eli tensed, unsure of a proper response.


    ¡°Eli?¡±


    That sweet tone was unfamiliar. Her body trembled so he held her. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Can we let it go?¡±


    She said it¡ªthe one stupid thing he¡¯d dread¡ªshe¡¯d said it.


    At least he could trust that this wasn¡¯t Legion. He had a feeling Legion would have jumped at the chance to bleed that poor thing.


    Eli was gentle as he held on. ¡°Is it wise to let it go? Can we think about this? How long before something else finds it? It¡¯s lived all this time in a cage, it probably can¡¯t hunt. And a rogue vampire might find it and...rent it out. Right now, it¡¯s had few feeders, I think. But imagine two hundred plus vamps on it...daily.¡±


    Slade¡¯s grip was weak, but she stepped closer.


    ¡°And what about the practicality of it?¡¯ Eli muttered. ¡°He won¡¯t be finding another lady gorilla anytime soon. Don¡¯t you think he¡¯d be a little lonely?¡±


    That was stupid. It was in a cage.


    A strange sensation on Eli¡¯s throat had him confused. By the second he recognized it to be cracked lips. They traveled up his chin then his cheek.


    He caught her when she climbed him.


    ¡°Wait. Ma¡¯am, wait. For one thing, your skin¡¯s still so tender. And for another....¡±


    He hesitated but she took a step back.


    ¡°For another, you don¡¯t know if it¡¯s me.¡±


    But could she blame him?


    Eyes fixed on her hands, he shrugged. ¡°Waking up alone after that was a big kick in the gut.¡± Speaking of guts, his roiled. ¡°Not even alone, because you called for Sarah. But that¡¯s not who I wanted to wake up beside.¡±


    Slade slipped from his grip. ¡°That wasn¡¯t...that was for you. It¡¯s not like you to cheat.¡±


    Maybe that was how she saw it but how could he explain that he saw being with Sarah as the betrayal? A part of him feared that she was angry about it.


    The gorilla shrieked.


    ¡°Shit. What now?¡± Eli dragged the plastic door open and hurried out to find Manny banging against the glass, his tongue pressed to it. ¡°This....¡±


    Eli looked around for the vampire¡¯s handler.


    Trixie looked worse for wear as she rushed out fixing her clothes. She didn¡¯t wear her jacket, and her wings failed to rest. Her flushed face looked stern at least when she dragged Manny from the glass.


    ¡°Stop it. Come.¡±


    Manny shrugged her off. Trixie slipped and landed on her ass.


    Eli thought to help her but Manny surprised them all by pausing in his taunt. He didn¡¯t reach for her, however. Instead, he crawled a top her and butted her head.


    ¡°That was your fault¡ªthat wasn¡¯t my fault. And what¡¯d you care?¡± he snapped.


    Eventually he came to rest his head in the harpy¡¯s lap. Trixie didn¡¯t often show much emotion but she patted his shoulder with affection.


    ¡°Want Trix to find you some rabbits?¡±


    Manny curled up, arms crossed, eyes closed. ¡°Hug.¡±


    Slade made a noise. Her woeful expression confused Eli at first. But then he could see it. She saw herself¡ªwhat she would become¡ªreflected in her crazed older brother.


    But Eli had to admit, Manny was...tolerable this way.


    He was playful.


    When the vampire¡¯s hand came up to cup Trixie¡¯s ample bosom, he raised an eyebrow. To his surprise, Trixie said nothing. Harpies weren¡¯t known for modesty but it still felt...off.


    ¡°You guys...you guys need some privacy?¡± Eli asked, uncomfortable.


    The way both Trixie¡¯s and Slade¡¯s head snapped to face him was telling.


    ¡°Well...I...I guess not.¡±


    ¡°Ain¡¯t dat sorta relationship,¡± Trixie muttered, looking embarrassed for the first time Eli could ever remember.


    Manny practically had his face in her breast by the time she staggered to her feet and dragged him up. ¡°Come on, sir. You still recovering from that Fae blood.¡±


    But rather than let her push him, Manny slipped around behind her and wrapped his arm around her throat.


    ¡°Harpy¡¯s blood don¡¯t taste.¡± He grinned. ¡°Otherwise....¡±


    There was no mistaking Trixie¡¯s discomfort.


    Manny let out a laugh and sucked her neck. ¡°Joke. Joke. You never understand my jokes.¡±


    When he palmed her chest again she yanked his hands down. ¡°A said stop. A mean stop.¡±


    Rather than lead him, she walked past. A moment later, the restroom door slammed shut.


    Manny looked to Slade for guidance. His eyes even settled on Eli before he marched to the door. Knuckles mere inches away, he lowered his hand and simply stared at the impediment.


    ¡°I need to get you guys some food,¡± Eli muttered.


    Slade¡¯s eyes drifted to the primate then Eli and he groaned.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. Fine. I¡¯ll send Trix; she seems restless.¡±


    But when he approached to perhaps nod, Manny blocked his path.


    ¡°My harpy,¡± he affirmed. ¡°Man¡¯ll get rabbits and come back.¡± The wringy vampire gave a weak salute then rushed the door.


    Eli went on an intercept course.


    ¡°Let him go,¡± Slade insisted. ¡°He¡¯s the fastest at it. It¡¯ll keep him busy. I¡¯ve¡ªI¡¯ve never seen Trixie mad before. Not even at him. And he¡¯s puked on her more times than I can count.¡±


    The front door slamming shut punctuated her words.


    ¡°We¡¯re in hiding,¡± Eli insisted. ¡°Are we forgetting that?¡±


    But it was too late.


    Wings covered and looking more like her old self, Trixie came out of that room.


    ¡°Okay. All set...sir?¡± She scanned the room. ¡°Wh¡ªwhere¡¯d he go?¡±

 7 Hard Knocks

    Slade slept soundly on the mattress and Trixie watched the table, face creased in worry.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t wait for me.¡±


    That was three hours ago. Eli worried less about that moron Manny ending up even more undead and more so about him leading anyone back here.


    ¡°He coulda waited.¡±


    Was she out of her mind? ¡°That¡¯s one of the strongest vampires on Earth you¡¯re worried about.¡±


    But she did. The way she hunched, arms on the table, face buried there, spoke of distress.


    Eli sat up, stunned. ¡°You like him¡ª¡±


    ¡°A do nyot!¡±


    She might have been more convincing if she didn¡¯t pull her right wing close and stroke it.


    With a heavy sigh, Eli broke the news to her. ¡°He¡¯s...he¡¯s...he¡¯s never been a fan of.... He¡¯s never been¡ª¡±


    ¡°Not a day went by that he didn¡¯t let me know it. A know it.¡± Trixie shrugged. ¡°Besides, vampire¡¯s ain¡¯t got nothing to offer meh. They can¡¯t even get hard without blood in dem anyway. He¡¯s only lucky he got some Fae in ¡®im now.¡±


    Brow narrowed, Eli cocked his head. ¡°What? You...he and you¡ª?¡±


    She gagged. ¡°Urg. What do you take meh for? I just mean in theory. Da dead is still dead.¡±


    Her hand went to work stroking that right wing yet again.


    ¡°It still hurts?¡± Eli asked.


    Trixie didn¡¯t often react to self-pity. ¡°He kicked me right here. It¡¯s been years. But A still feel it.¡±


    The way she stared at the table meant she was working on a conflict of her own. Eli prayed it didn¡¯t involve anything to do with liking Manos Dresden. He might look pitiful now, but he was a cold-blooded killer...and an asshole.


    His thoughts fell to Slade, as they often did, more importantly, to her sudden bouts of affection.


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    Trixie pulled her jacket up to cover her wings. ¡°So long as it¡¯s not about Legion.¡±


    Eli made a groan. ¡°What is¡ª?¡±


    ¡°That, I can¡¯t answer.¡±


    ¡°Well, how do you get rid of it?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t answer that neither.¡±


    ¡°Well, can you tell me how you recognize it? In the courthouse, her back was to you.¡±


    Trixie held her jacket closed with one hand. ¡°Can¡¯t tell you dat neither.¡±


    Eli let out a sigh. ¡°Please,¡± he begged. ¡°I want this¡ªI want to be with her, but I can¡¯t, not if it¡¯s not her.¡±


    For a long while, Trixie stared at him. Finally, she broke eye contact and muttered. ¡°Legion can¡¯t stare at you head on.¡±


    As miniscule as this bit of information was, Eli¡¯s heart leapt. ¡°Ever?¡±


    Trixie shook her head. ¡°Predators can¡¯t look at prey head on.¡±


    Her cringy choice of words aside, it was valuable information.


    A bang came from the door. Trixie leapt to her feet but Eli caught her by her jacket.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know who that is.¡±


    ¡°Course we do.¡±


    Eli hesitated.


    Trixie sighed and reached behind her, under her jacket. The size of the dagger she revealed had him flinching.


    ¡°Fine. Are you happy now?¡±


    Satisfied with remote level of defense, Eli went about unbolting the door.


    Manny, once leaning back against it, crashed to the ground. His hands were empty.


    Eli wanted to kick him. ¡°Where¡¯re the rabbits!¡±


    Pouting, Manny pointed to his own mouth.


    ¡°You....¡±


    Trixie took him by both hands and dragged him in before Eli could stomp on the useless excuse for a big brother.


    ¡°She needed it more than you.¡±


    But Manny took the scolding in stride. He looked up to Trixie and pointed at his mouth.


    ¡°What?¡± Trixie leaned in. ¡°There¡¯s something in his mouth.¡±


    Eli cringed but was equally hopeful. ¡°A mouse, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t get much runes from mouses,¡± Trixie complained. She helped Manny stand. ¡°Give it here.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    After she held out both hands, he gaped and allowed something wet and slimy to fall into her grip.


    Eli recoiled. ¡°What in the hell?¡±


    The harpy stared at it, confused and unmoving. After a short moment, she looked choked up.


    ¡°Honey?¡± She met Manny¡¯s gaze. ¡°You got this for Trixie?¡±


    Wearing a fat grin, Manny turned to reveal his back and the large gash there.


    There¡¯d be no sense in scolding him after that. There was also no point in trying to treat it¡ªit wouldn¡¯t heal. Not without a proper feed.


    Manny looped his arms around Trixie who analyzed him like an enigma.


    And then Manny kissed her. She yelped.


    Her body was slow to defrost at first but when it did, Eli turned his head rather than watch them.


    ¡°Gift,¡± Manny declared. ¡°You mad?¡±


    Trixie mulled over those words for some time before she broke his gentle hold.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me no more gifts. You hear?¡±


    The vampire blinked two pale brown eyes at her.


    ¡°You hear! You don¡¯t get me no more gifts.¡±


    Flinching, Manny nodded.


    ¡°Trix.¡± Slade opened her eyes and tried to stand from the mattress. ¡°What you getting upset ¡®bout?¡±


    ¡°Look at the gash on him. And for what? For this?¡±


    Eli hurried to help Slade stand.


    ¡°Then throw it away if you don¡¯t want it. But don¡¯t get upset. He doesn¡¯t know any better.¡±


    ¡°The shower only catches rainwater, Trix, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Eli looked around. ¡°But you can drop it someplace.¡±


    ¡°Told you to get the entire thing,¡± Manny muttered. ¡°You try getting the entire thing since it¡¯s so easy¡ªwell she doesn¡¯t like it¡ªshe likes it fine! It¡¯s just an ugly harpy, what¡¯d you care? You¡¯re the one that cares¡ªyou wasted our time. Shut up¡ªyou shut up.¡±


    He walked off, muttering to himself.


    No one watched but heard as he flopped down against the wall shortly after. When he curled up on the floor and found slumber, Trixie still didn¡¯t look away from the honey in her hands.


    ¡°Harpies don¡¯t need sweets. It was just a lie in fairy books.¡± She reached into her inner jacket pocket for a handkerchief and wiped the mess clean. Still, she tucked the cloth back into her inner pocket yet again.


    Eli felt sorry for her. Unlike their distant cousins, the Fae, harpies weren¡¯t known for either grace or beauty. That was probably the main reason Trixie kept covered, even on the hottest day. Hell, Eli never realized her curves until Manny took interest in them.


    Still holding Slade up, Eli said, ¡°Trix, you want the bed?¡±


    With a kiss of her teeth, Trixie jumped up and flipped. She didn¡¯t land. Her talons gripped the ceiling, sending debris falling as she found purchase and crouched up, much like Manny. Her natural runes would keep her from falling, at least.


    ¡°Trix?¡± Eli struggled with something to say.


    ¡°Leave her.¡± Slade slipped form his grip and landed on the mattress. Her lack of complaints almost made her state seem tolerable.


    As she lay, Eli took great interest in her. He wanted to join her in there but was unsure.


    It can¡¯t look you in the eye, he reminded himself.


    Slade cringed at how Eli watched her. He was slow to lay and let out a sigh of relief when she didn¡¯t protest.


    ¡°Why¡¯re you looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°Am I?¡± Eli cleared his throat. He still held her gaze. When he put his hand on her waist and she regarded it, he let go and guided her chin back to him.


    It was just out of surprise why she turned away, not for anything sinister.


    ¡°Have you changed your mind?¡± Eli asked, hopeful. ¡°Ma¡¯am if¡ª¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep calling me ma¡¯am. Please stop calling me ma¡¯am. Look at me. How am I deserving of any title? Look at me.¡±


    But she looked bold, even now. And strong, despite her frail body.


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    Face pressed into his throat, she nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯ve liked me? For how long now?¡±


    Till now, she¡¯d always been either forthright or deflected. The silence was a new tactic. Pride never looked good on her. He didn¡¯t back down as he hazarded a guess.


    ¡°If I¡¯d known about the barn sooner...?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just silence now; she was rigid. That response spoke volumes. Two years now. He¡¯d known for two years and she...they....¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have let you close,¡± she confessed. ¡°Nothing that comes close to me lasts. I¡¯d rather have your friendship.¡±


    The sentiment was foolish. ¡°But we¡ª¡±


    ¡°Could what?¡± She waited then challenged, ¡°Could what? Will you go strolling arm in arm with me through the park? When they spit on you for doing that, and when my kind spits on me for doing that, then what?¡±


    Each word reminded him how fleeting this all was¡ªthis embrace, this trust.


    ¡°There is no in between for us. Even back then before you made your selection¡ª¡±


    ¡°You made that selection,¡± he insisted, unfamiliar with this anger. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have made it. I would have waited on you.¡±


    ¡°To what end, Eli?¡± She was rarely patient but today she earned that badge. ¡°What was supposed to happen back then? The lone wolf of his family who kept from getting snipped marries the sister of the one to order the mutilation?¡±


    The words came out bitter and he choked on equally surly words of his own.


    ¡°Or did you mean before that? Before all that? Was I supposed to keep you in wolf form forever? Huh? Carry you around? Huh? Wait for the dog years to catch up to you and you die before me? Which time was best? Which instance was worth all the effort it¡¯d take?¡±


    ¡°I would have come out of the wolf,¡± Eli told her. ¡°For you, I would have.¡± When he let out his next breath, his drive left with it. ¡°Eventually.¡±


    Eventually.


    That was a lie. He¡¯d been happy that way. He took his first steps on two legs to save her. A werewolf¡¯s wolf aged faster. It was slower than that of a pure wolf but faster than a man¡¯s. Time spent in that form¡ªextended time spent in it lessened the human years more and more. Most werewolves risked a few years here and there. The standard was to leave the wolf side to mature until adulthood. But all werewolves were born as wolves and shifted. All but Eli who¡¯d refused¡ªwho¡¯d been too weak to.


    ¡°There is no place for us¡ªfor this. So no, two years ago, ten years ago, nothing would have changed. I¡¯d still be on this side of the war and you on yours. And admittedly, yours was the more justifiable.¡±


    Until yesterday, he might have believed that.


    Seeing werewolf after werewolf, those bound to her by oath, help tie her down in the sun had shattered all pretense that this was a fair and noble fight.


    What had Slade done to deserve all that? This was a chance for her¡ªa good chance. With power and some allies, she could force the other children of Runes to restore some of the vampire¡¯s prestige. At the very least, put in some safeguards. A creature with no power earned no seat at the table. They could even bluff¡ªmake everyone believe humans were back and vampires would rise again. Once the laws were written, nothing could change them.


    It was now or never.


    ¡°The gorilla....¡±


    ¡°Is no option.¡± Slade hung her head. ¡°It¡¯s no option. You must have known that from the start. It¡¯s no option, Eli. It¡¯ll never been an option.¡±


    The finality in those words broke him. What was he supposed to do with it? He never even thought past this point of his original plan. Now what?


    She snuggled closer to him and he let out a sigh. No rabbit, no primate, nothing. No blood to give her. It was late out but maybe he could catch something. When he tried to go, she tightened her grip.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave.¡±


    Eli gave in. They¡¯d figure it out in the morning. And not just figure out. He¡¯d threaten slit that thing¡¯s throat if he had to, she had to feed.


    A werewolf¡¯s sense of time was impeccable. Eli was no different. It was early in the morning when he awoke to the sound of flesh striking flesh. It came with a grunt and a mewl. Eli skinned up his face, praying that harpy wasn¡¯t trying to do something quietly in a corner with Manny.


    A guttural wail sounded and Eli shot into a sitting position. Slade wasn¡¯t far behind. Trixie landed seconds later.


    Only a hungry gulping tore through the stillness.


    ¡°No.¡± Eli gasped. He stood and tapped the walls, illuminating the earth runes that glowed when disturbed. ¡°No. No,¡± he begged.


    He rushed to the glass but was too late. The gorilla lay motionless, clinging to life as Manny, teeth lodged in the thing¡¯s throat, drank his fill.

 8 One for the Road

    Eli¡¯s wolf snapped at Manny, missing his throat by fractions. Slade had to use both hands to hold him by his collar and drag him back.


    Unable to speak, Eli shifted part way and growled. ¡°You fucking mutt. You absolute fucking mutt.¡±


    Trixie kept Manny safely tucked behind her as she blocked Eli¡¯s path each time he darted after the bastard vampire.


    Slade tried to drag him with little success.


    ¡°Boss, he¡¯s coming loose,¡± Trixie warned. ¡°You¡¯re wasting up the last of your runes.¡±


    ¡°Evelyn Monroe, sit!¡±


    A force slammed Eli into the ground so hard his face stung. Huffing and puffing, Eli tried to rise but the force still held him.


    Slade¡¯s body trembled as she finally backed away. Face creased into a frown, she leaned down to stroke his muzzle. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s either I use your rune or mine and I¡¯ve got none left. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Teeth still bare, Eli growled.


    Behind Trixie, Manny giggled. ¡°Evelyn? His name is Evelyn? Mother Monroe wanted a girl that badly?¡±


    Eli darted for him again but that same force stomped him. Until Slade reversed the command, he wasn¡¯t going anywhere.


    Slade brushed Trixie aside and slapped him. ¡°You swine.¡±


    Manny held his face with both hands. When he stood to his full height, black hair hanging past his shoulders, he no longer hunched or snickered. This wasn¡¯t ¡®Manny¡¯ the village simpleton. It was Manos, the former sovereign of Dresden.


    ¡°I dare you, with everything in me, to touch me again.¡±


    Visibly shaken, Slade tore her eyes off him and focused on the glass cage.


    ¡°Boss, he ain¡¯t dead,¡± Trixie insisted. ¡°It¡¯s hell drinking cold blood but it¡¯s hot now¡ª¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Slade glanced down at Eli then back to Manny again, brokenhearted.


    Trixie pleaded, ¡°Boss. You¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut it, harpy.¡± Manny didn¡¯t look back at her to see the woman¡¯s shock. Instead, he kept his focus locked on his little sister, his smooth cadence contrasting greatly with the harsh words uttered. ¡°That blood is not for you. You even think of drinking a drop and I will snap your spine, too.¡±


    Slade regarded him in anger and loathing. ¡°I¡¯d never be like you. So don¡¯t flatter yourself.¡± When she stepped toward the cage, however, Manny met her. ¡°I¡¯m going to put it out of its misery,¡± she insisted.


    ¡°Let me not take your word for it.¡± Manny narrowed his eyes. ¡°I am saving that last drop for something important. If I cared about its suffering, I would not have cracked its back...twice.¡±


    The gravel in Slade¡¯s voice meant she wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°Move aside.¡±


    Manny met her face to face. He had to lean in which had a dwarfing effect. The sing-song lilt faded. ¡°Fucking make me.¡±


    A tentative hand held out, Trixie tried to sooth him. ¡°Sir, if¡ª¡±


    ¡°Get your fucking hand off me, bitch.¡±


    Trixie shrunk away. When she took a step back, Eli finally calmed.


    ¡°It¡¯s suffering,¡± Slade explained. ¡°I¡¯m going to help it.¡±


    ¡°And I am telling you, the only way you are helping it is if you are lying down there dying beside it. You step one foot, even a glance in that direction and I am taking your god. Damn. Eye.¡±


    For a long minute, nothing¡ªno one moved.


    ¡°Rise up, Evelyn Monroe,¡± Slade said, wise enough to realize she needed the back up.


    ¡°Oh good,¡± Manny drawled. ¡°Now I can fuck all three of you up.¡±


    ¡°Actually,¡± Trixie¡¯s voice was a grumble as she satisfied her habit of oversharing. ¡°Harpies don¡¯t fall under a vampire¡¯s gaze¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut.¡± Manny turned to her. ¡°The fuck up.¡±


    Trixie obeyed the order, eyes fixed on the floor. She took hold of her right wing but uttered not another word.


    Eli¡¯s cape still hung on his back. Although he didn¡¯t dare make any sudden movements under the gaze of Manos Dresden, he risked a slow shift back into human form.


    He was equally gentle when he unhooked his cape and brought it around his waist. What was left of his clothes lay tattered on the floor.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°All righty,¡± Manny said, satisfied with their undivided attention. His smooth cadence returned when he said, ¡°We are just going to calm down and try to all make it out of this with our skin still on our backs.¡±


    A long index finger thrust out at Trixie had her flinching. Manny kept his eyes on Slade and Eli but told her, ¡°You, harpy, make me some food. This bloody gorilla was gamey as all hell. As for you two,¡± he addressed Eli finally, ¡°sit the fuck down.¡±


    Slade didn¡¯t budge but she was insane. This was a fully fed vampire she stared down as if she had a snowballs chance in all hell.


    Trixie hesitated but leaned forward and pulled back, fearing a strike. ¡°We...we ain¡¯t got no food, sir. But Trixie can catch you something. You sit tight here and A¡¯ll go into the market. The one close by¡¯s got that chips you like. Won¡¯t be but a minute.¡±


    Two green eyes cut her a sharp enough glance that she shut up. Face beet red, she swallowed hard.


    Eli¡¯d never seen a harpy sweat till now.


    As was Trixie¡¯s habit, she rambled. ¡°Ain¡¯t given ¡®em to you in¡¯while cuz I¡¯m fittin¡¯ to throw up when¡¯you open dat pack but considering how rotten a mood you¡¯re in, that¡¯ll be best, yeah?¡±


    Manny¡¯s hateful glare never faltered. ¡°You have two minutes to get into that kitchen and fix me something, I do not care if you have got lay a fucking egg and crack it open in that time.¡±


    Trixie shivered. ¡°Common misconception ¡®bout Harpies...¡±


    The hand raised, poised to come across her face, made her shrink away but a harpy was a harpy through and through; their thoughts couldn¡¯t be easily dissuaded. She at least spoke softer when she said, ¡°We don¡¯t lay eggs. Our anatomy¡¯s very human in that area.¡±


    Face ghostly, she took the shaky steps needed to head towards the burner. Eli had some raw goods, but nothing Manny¡¯d care for.


    Eli waited and was shocked when Manny simply watched her go. Till now, he¡¯d never seen one of Manos¡¯s threats unfulfilled.


    ¡°And to think,¡± Eli grumbled, ¡°she wasted time taking care of your sorry backside.¡±


    Manny¡¯s head swung forward to face him. ¡°Says the moron who brings a gorilla anywhere in the vicinity of a starving vampire.¡± He drawled into a half smile. ¡°Thanks, by the way.¡±


    Groan after groan from the cage had Slade glancing at it ever so often.


    Manny instructed them to sit at the table and they waited for the food like a bunch of assholes.


    What Trixie managed was half raw dough. Slade sighed in defeat.


    ¡°Harpies and fire,¡± she grumbled. ¡°You think she was gonna get over that fear for your behalf?¡±


    Her brother met eyes with her then glanced at Trixie who put another plate down. It was partially burnt. If Eli didn¡¯t know any better, he assumed she threw that dough into the pot, flicked that fire, and ran like hell. Then maybe ran back and shut it off. Whatever her method, she could only stomach it once.


    Scowl unmoving, Manny took the burnt food with his bare hands and bit into it.


    Trixie tried to approach the same side of the table as Slade and Eli but Manny snapped, ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Eyes fixed on the table, the harpy cradled her right wing and asked, ¡°Ain¡¯t hostages ¡®supposed to sit with hostages?¡±


    He opened his mouth to protest but changed his mind. ¡°Right.¡± Manny chewed, often forced to run his tongue along his teeth. ¡°God damnit, Trix, you could at least put some bloody syrup on it.¡±


    When the harpy was silent, Manny eyed her. Everyone did.


    No ¡®common misconceptions¡¯ no ¡®in facts¡¯ nothing.


    ¡°As of now, I am running the show,¡± Manny told them. ¡°And the first thing we are going to do is head to Bayern because I need to fuck in the worst way. And then¡ª¡±


    Trixie¡¯s hand eased up into the air.


    Manny sighed through his nose. ¡°What now, harpy?¡±


    After glancing once at Slade, then Eli, Trixie told Manny, ¡°You¡¯ve just gotten a ton of blood from a pure animal. Ain¡¯t like it¡¯s a wolf or one-a-dem animals dat¡¯s got a covenant with man. It¡¯s a pure essence. That¡¯s why rabbit¡¯s blood and teeth are so potent in magic, cuz their god¡¯s got no covenant with humans. Like wolves or dog¡¯s covenant brought about werewolves so their magic¡¯s tainted. Same for horses, cuza dem centaurs and even goats and such, you see¡ª¡±


    ¡°Get to the point,¡± Manny growled.


    Trixie hesitated then stepped behind Slade as she muttered, ¡°You could stretch out the rune ina dat blood to make it last, but not if you go sticking yourself into something. A rigorous activity like back-bending can rob you of two days of runes. Well, unless you find an old whore¡¯ll love you slow. But even then, any uptake in da rhythm and that¡¯s more runes wasted. And¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    The harpy fell silent. Letting out a sigh, Manny rubbed his temple.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go fuck. So we are going to Bayern.¡± His eyes settled on Trixie and he almost smirked.


    Eli saw it; some sort of trick in wait.


    ¡°Shame we cannot see what will happen when we arrive.¡±


    Slade gasped. ¡°No.¡± She turned to Trixie to find her friend¡¯s eyes rolling back until all that remained was whiteness. ¡°Shit.¡±


    Eli stood from his chair. ¡°What is going on?¡± He gasped. ¡°A harpy¡¯s gift of foresight?¡±


    ¡°A gift they love to show off.¡± Manny planted both elbows on the table then propped his chin atop them. ¡°This is going to be fun.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go,¡± Trixie said, ¡°and you¡¯ll get what you¡¯re after¡ª¡±


    ¡°Skip that,¡± Manny insisted. ¡°What happens after? Say in oh...two hours from now?¡±


    ¡°Stop it,¡± Slade begged. ¡°You can¡¯t ask her this. The farther she goes, the harder it is to pull back the trance.¡±


    ¡°Two hours time, we¡¯re surrounded by werewolves.¡±


    Manny grinned. ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°One shoots Eli.¡±


    ¡°Is he dead?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell us if he¡¯s dead!¡± Slade insisted. Panicked, she rushed to hold Trixie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Trix, don¡¯t tell us if he¡¯s dead. Can you tell us where he¡¯s shot?¡±


    ¡°In the stomach.¡±


    ¡°And where am I?¡± Slade pleaded. ¡°Where am I?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not there.¡± Trixie twitched. ¡°But they catch us.¡±


    ¡°And where¡¯s Manny?¡±


    Trixie hesitated then answered, ¡°Sir¡¯s in a car. He¡¯s being taken over by Legion¡ª¡±


    ¡°Harpy, come out of that trance,¡± Manny insisted. ¡°Come out now.¡±


    ¡°The werewolves have silver. And they capture Trixie¡ª¡±


    ¡°Slap her or I will,¡± Manny warned.


    Slade tapped her friend¡¯s face, but Trixie opened her mouth to continue.


    ¡°Slap her!¡±


    The response was automatic. Slade struck, disbelieving of her own actions.


    Two green irises returned. Trixie blinked.


    ¡°How long before it starts?¡¯ Eli asked, more than ready to run.


    Slade confessed, ¡°It started the moment she came out of that trance.¡±


    Eli couldn¡¯t believe their luck. ¡°No Bayern for us then.¡±


    Manny snorted out a laugh. ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°You heard her yourself; we get caught there.¡±


    ¡°Eli.¡± Slade held his shoulder to calm him. ¡°This is the harpy¡¯s covenant. The gift of foresight but not forewarning. Now that she¡¯s seen, now we have to go.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Eli protested. ¡°Don¡¯t be daft. We¡¯ve just heard her. We¡¯ve gotten the heads up.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that,¡± Trixie muttered.


    Slade explained, ¡°They get foresight with the understanding that they not interfere with it. If we don¡¯t fulfill that what she¡¯s saw, she forfeits her own life. It¡¯s a trick. He knows that. As soon as he said we¡¯d be in Bayern and she saw it, we¡¯d have no choice but to go¡ªand to go to see you get shot.¡±

 9 She Doesn’t Want You

    Trixie nearly came off the ground as she rushed around. After she raced to the wall and actually took flight, a low groan had Slade inching Eli behind her.


    Manny eyed the harpy in hate. ¡°We do not have the time for this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just her way,¡± Slade explained. ¡°Harpies are creatures of habit.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Manny seethed. ¡°When we left the club and the courthouse, I did not see her dusting the god damned rafters.¡±


    Unease settled deep in Slade¡¯s gut as she watched her friend¡¯s talons find purchase in the stone wall. ¡°We didn¡¯t spend the night at the club or courthouse,¡± Slade explained.


    A minute later, Trixie fell from the ceiling, huffing and puffing. ¡°Approximately four minutes. Dat¡¯s rather fast, init, boss?¡±


    Slade tried to assure her, ¡°It was quick, Trix, don¡¯t you mind.¡±


    ¡°Enough of that.¡± Manny shot Trixie a hateful look. ¡°Can we finally go now?¡±


    The harpy hesitated to speak.


    Shit. Slade closed her eyes because Manny must have noticed it.


    Sure enough, it came. ¡°What is this?¡± he demanded.


    Trixie chewed her bottom lip then confessed, ¡°Tryin¡¯ to hold you here longer.¡± Manny darted for her and she took flight. A harpy, much like a vampire could float without trouble but as vampires had the power needed to propel forward without wings, harpies weren¡¯t as fortunate. A lot more advantages came with the wings than without and Trixie proved that by allowing them to wrap around her for safety. ¡°It was for your own good,¡± she admonished. ¡°Three...two....¡±


    Manny winced, clutching his eye. He used the table to break his fall but crumbled to his knees eventually.


    Slade laughed in triumph. ¡°Whatever you put in that food, Trix. Good thinking. Now help me lock him in that cage.¡±


    She turned with that intent. Something caught her by the neck. Manny hoisted her up and his stone, cold expression spoke of violent intent.


    ¡°Lock me where? What did you just say?¡±


    Eli¡¯s reaction was slow but it came. In one leap, he shifted. Manny stared straight at him and he fell like a rag doll.


    He twisted on the ground before failing to move.


    ¡°Well, look at that,¡± Manny boasted, ¡°I still got it.¡±


    Throat tight for many reasons, Slade warned him, ¡°He won¡¯t stay hypnotized for long.¡±


    ¡°It will be long enough to beat you until I prove my point.¡±


    ¡°Three...two...¡± Trixie landed.


    Sure enough, Manny winced but he didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Whatever you are doing¡ª¡±


    ¡°You are doing it, sir. And if you¡¯d let the boss go, Trixie¡¯ll explain.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Slade¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Don¡¯t you help him. He¡ª¡±


    The grip on her throat shut her up.


    ¡°Two...one....¡± Trixie waited. At Manny¡¯s distress, she said, ¡°If you¡¯d let her go, sir. Trixie¡¯ll explain it.¡±


    Manny¡¯s grip took time to loosen, mostly because of the agonizing pain that tore through his body. Bracing against the table with both hands, he said through gritted teeth, ¡°This is far from over.¡±


    Slade rushed to Eli. The way he rested, paws over his eyes, meant he wasn¡¯t going to be much help.


    ¡°Trix¡ª¡± Slade turned but came to a halt upon seeing Trixie rubbing the nape of Manny¡¯s neck.


    ¡°You just swallowed a lotta magic runes after a long hiatus. Your body¡¯s adjusting. Figured if we went now and you took flight, you¡¯d fall outta the sky and maybe get staked through by a tree branch.¡±


    ¡°If only,¡± Slade grumbled.


    A time or two, Manny tried to brush the harpy aside but she came back and kept on rubbing his neck and shoulder. Forearms on the table, he braced himself.


    He parted his lips and exhaled. ¡°How long will this rune last?¡±


    ¡°For you?¡± Trixie said, ¡°Thirty days.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Manny stood to his full height and brushed her off. ¡°A feeding that large should last almost a year with the proper conditions.¡±


    Trixie shrunk away. ¡°Dat¡¯s why I said...for you.¡±


    It was the gentlest Manny¡¯d been all day when he demanded, ¡°Explain.¡±


    ¡°Well...keep in mind that you¡¯re dealing with a primate. Their god is wild and unreliable. But wild and strong. Fury and rage is what he¡¯s known for and it eats away at that rune fast and...sir, you¡ªyou do have a temper. So, somebody like the boss could maybe keep that rune for upward of three years, on account of her being so stingy.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Trix,¡± Slade grumbled. Eli started to rouse. Once he shifted, she found herself rubbing his neck and shoulders, much like Trixie¡¯d done for her brother.


    ¡°So,¡± Trixie continued, ¡°for you, sir.... Figure you¡¯ll eat through that rune in ¡®bout thirty days. Faster if something ticks you off long term. And...that could be anything.¡±


    Manny braced himself against the table again. This time, when the harpy tried to comfort him, he shrugged her off.


    ¡°Do not touch me.¡± He pulled out a chair and sat, body slumped.


    Without uttering a gratitude of thanks, Manny rested his head on the table. ¡°How long before I¡¯m fully powered?¡±


    This hesitation was different from the rest. Trixie reached for her right wing and muttered, ¡°This headache signals you¡¯re fully up, sir.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Slade couldn¡¯t believe the betrayal. ¡°This news a little sooner would¡¯ve been helpful.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, boss.¡± Trixie shrugged. ¡°Didn¡¯t want you ta try nothing and he break your back.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    She said it as if it were written in stone as a guarantee.


    If going by Manny¡¯s track record thus far was any indication, that outcome was more than obvious.


    Still, at least everyone was at rest. The hangover-like effect for Eli would take a few minutes to fade.


    Slade rubbed his back and shoulder, but said to her brother, ¡°Why do you need us to go anywhere with you?¡±


    ¡°I do not need you per se,¡± Manny drawled. He looked healthier when he sat up. ¡°I need your Legion.¡±


    This got Slade¡¯s attention. ¡°What is this Legion thing? And why don¡¯t I know about it?¡±


    ¡°Why would you need to know about it?¡± Manny asked. ¡°You can¡¯t fight it and you don¡¯t know what to do with it. I do.¡± He told Trixie, ¡°Get ready to contact it.¡±


    The harpy swallowed hard. ¡°Interesting fact, sir, Trixie can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Well, Trixie¡¯d better bloody well try.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s....¡±


    Slade came to her rescue. ¡°She works for me, a-hole. I give her orders.¡±


    Trixie nodded and confirmed, ¡°Yes, this is true.¡±


    Manny still wore a scowl but turned his head and muttered, ¡°Please.¡±


    That single word came unexpected.


    Slade wasn¡¯t falling for it. ¡°Tell me what it is first and why you want to talk to it so bad. You¡¯ve got one of your own, apparently.¡±


    Manny took interest in the room at large, ¡°I cannot talk to the one in me, because when it comes, I go. Understand? So I must talk to yours.¡±


    Silence. Slade didn¡¯t even give him a blink as a response. Come hell or high water, she wasn¡¯t backing down. She needed to understand what was happening to them¡ªto her.


    ¡°Legion¡¯s our landlord,¡± he said without looking up. ¡°Vampires¡ªwhen we were human, we made a covenant with a deity to give us youth and power for x amount of years.¡± He told Slade finally, ¡°And we¡¯re about due.¡±


    Slade dragged Eli close to her and the man turned to put his head in her lap. ¡°You said landlord?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Manny leaned back in his chair, one leg dangling over the arm rest. ¡°It wants something. That is why it is awakening. Apparently, every Child of Rune is...inhabited by a piece of the deity they made the covenant with. Ours was Legion. Only...the name is hidden. Without knowing the real name, we cannot control it.¡±


    ¡°What happens when the agreement ends?¡± Slade asked. Thoughts of being dragged down with the likes of Manny plagued her.


    ¡°From what I understand,¡± Manny drawled, ¡°Legion wants to keep the covenant alive¡ªkeep us...alive. If you can call it that.¡±


    ¡°To what end?¡±


    ¡°What other end is there, dear sister? Survival. Humans are gone today. The logical progression is that vampires are gone tomorrow. Correct? And when humans died out, the god of man was silenced. Diminished to nothing. Vampires not feeding is like worshipers not going to church. Ask yourself, what is the choice we have got with no human blood? Hmm?¡±


    Slade didn¡¯t want to but she glanced at Eli to find him watching her.


    ¡°Live as the undead and make do,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Break the covenant and find a new god to serve,¡± Manny corrected. ¡°And we¡¯d be in our right to. And we would get back what we lost.¡±


    Slade¡¯s head snapped around to face him.


    What was the madman saying?


    ¡°Our humanity¡ªour souls. Whatever the fuck you want to call it. It is returned. Legion is expelled. We are still technically undead but we are whole. That is what this is. The pain from not eating is excruciating. And Legion guaranteed that to discourage us starving. But without man, we do not have a choice. Each reversion we go through, that is us grabbing a sliver more of ourselves back from it. Go long enough....¡±


    He let the words linger and Slade was floored. ¡°And we¡¯d be back to normal.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not alive. But...¡± Manny boasted. ¡°Then we find a pure deity that is underrepresented and make a new covenant. And since we know what a shit one looks like, we would be set.¡±


    That sinking feeling in Slade¡¯s gut returned. She wasn¡¯t sure what deity Legion was, but it was able to control vampires, who knew how many. It also had harpies, one of the most war-hungry Children of Rune panicked. Thoughts of trying to wrestle power from it was less than appealing.


    ¡°Why are you doing this, brother?¡± Slade asked. ¡°Why are you looking to fight with a god?¡±


    Manny¡¯d always been an enigma to Slade and she cursed having known him before he¡¯d turned. It was those fond memories why she¡¯d often fall prey to any softness in his voice. The way he said, ¡°Do you never tire, sister? Tire of being a vampire?¡±


    Click. Click. Puzzle after puzzle pieces clicked in place.


    Upon the final click, Slade saw the big picture. She had only one conclusion. ¡°What are you doing, Manos? She doesn¡¯t want you.¡±


    Her brother¡¯s lips parted but no words came out.


    If not for Eli¡¯s limp body anchoring her down, she would have come off the floor in protest. ¡°Is this what your plan was? You maim that poor animal, bleed it dry, all in an effort to chitchat with our ¡®landlord¡¯? All for her? Is this all for her? She doesn¡¯t want you!¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Manny warned.


    ¡°Did you think she¡¯d just wait around¡ªwait for you to find some miracle cure for your vampirism? Wake up¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut the hell up!¡±


    He trembled. Trixie tried to approach, to perhaps put her hand on his shoulder in an effort to calm him. The look he cut her told her to keep her distance.


    Eli forced himself to sit up. Fear was certainly sobering.


    ¡°Your rune, sir,¡± Trixie reminded Manny, unafraid. ¡°Stay in the fury long enough, it¡¯ll give you the power of the Monkey God, but at a price. Why waste it on this?¡±


    Her hand still hovered but although Manny seethed, he allowed her touch.


    A series of strokes along his neck then down his back had him staring at the table, unresponsive.


    Being forced to calm was rare for Manny. It was an opportunity Slade had to exploit.


    ¡°She does not want you,¡± Slade cautioned. ¡°So why do this? Why seek out Legion?¡±


    With each stroke of Trixie¡¯s hands along his throat and back, Manny¡¯s tension faded. It was less likely due to the harpy¡¯s efforts, and more so because Manny feared losing his runes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel hollow?¡± Manny asked Slade. ¡°Food has no taste, even when we¡¯d fed and had taste buds active. Conquests hold no satisfaction. Not a second goes by that I don¡¯t regret it.¡±


    Slade nodded, convinced she was right. ¡°Margarite isn¡¯t waiting for you. I¡¯ve heard enough whispers to know that much.¡±


    The words hurt Manny despite his assured immunity to such useless attacks. But that face, the face he wore now, looking sad and defeated, that was the face of Manos, her brother, the man who had never wanted to be a vampire.


    ¡°I know it was hard,¡± Slade began, ¡°but you chose this.¡±


    ¡°She chose this.¡± Manny met Slade¡¯s gaze. ¡°This wasn¡¯t my choice. The moment she stopped aging, she chose this.¡±


    He still blamed her for it. While Slade was turned at eighteen, like most, Manny¡¯d fought to stay human until he was twenty-five. The cutoff was twenty-three usually. And he¡¯d done it for the love of a woman. A half vampire who he¡¯d decided to die old with. Only...she stopped aging.


    ¡°We decided it,¡± Manny confessed, sounding gentler. ¡°She did not want to live without me, nor I without her. So what else was there to do?¡± Two pained brown eyes met hers. ¡°Tell me, what would you have done?¡±


    A grip on Slade¡¯s hand signaled Eli¡¯s recovery. But when her friend interlocked their fingers, that meant more¡ªhe was listening, too.


    ¡°The very second, the very moment I rose from that grave with her standing there, that hallow chasm in me never faded. While the day before, I would have burned this planet to the ground at her word....¡± He scoffed and eventually laughed though it held no humor. ¡°When I saw her, I did not care who she was. I felt nothing. Absolutely...nothing.¡±


    ¡°Then that means you don¡¯t care now,¡± Eli challenged.


    His words met with no protest but Slade needed to understand his intent. ¡°Forgive his way of saying it. But...but he¡¯s right. Even when you dropped power and got back parts...of your humanity or whatever, you never went to her. Hell, that¡¯s how you ended up with Trixie¡ªyou refused Margarite.¡±


    ¡°Because it hadn¡¯t come back.¡± Manny picked his head up. ¡°When I was human, that was the last time I felt happiness. Now as a vampire, the only joy we get is from destruction and it still does not compare. Think of it, what did you feel the night you were turned?¡±


    Slade had no answer. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant night.


    ¡°Anger? Apprehension? Fear?¡± Manny explained, ¡°Perhaps that is what most feel. Well our final emotion¡ªthe final one that belonged to our once human body, that lingers. And mine was of joy. It was of happiness at being with someone forever and it hangs on me like a phantom. And I would look at her¡ªlook at the reason I had agreed to even turn and...nothing. I felt dust.¡±


    And that feeling hadn¡¯t returned when he¡¯d starved himself of blood for weeks after he turned. It was then that he truly become evil, because when Manny couldn¡¯t have what he wanted, no one else could.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you neutered the wolves,¡± Slade said through gritted teeth. ¡°You sick. Fuck.¡±


    Manny warned her, ¡°Choose your words carefully. As of now, we are on the same side. I wish to free us of this¡ªof all of this and allow us to choose another deity freely.¡±


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have to choose another g¡¯damn deity if you hadn¡¯t wounded enough wolves to turn everyone against us!¡±


    ¡°Carefully,¡± Manny said again. ¡°Think very carefully before you speak.¡±


    ¡°Boss,¡± Trixie whispered, ¡°apologize.¡±


    Slade recoiled, disgusted. ¡°I¡¯d sooner die a thousand deaths.¡±


    ¡°That...can be arranged.¡± Manny stood.

 10 What is Wrong With It?

    Eli gnashed his teeth as Slade was guided from the house by the hand fisted in the back of her hair. Manny left no room for arguments once he¡¯d secured the ailing gorilla.


    ¡°No need to lock it,¡± he told Eli. Once he tossed Slade down, he declared, ¡°We will take a carriage.¡±


    ¡°A winged carriage? With what barter, genius?¡± Slade mumbled.


    Manny didn¡¯t appreciate her tone. ¡°Well the harpy said two hours, so it will be an hour and a half from now. And it does not matter which direction we go in.¡± He looked up, satisfied. ¡°Flying would be fast. The wolf will run. The harpy will fly and I will take little sister. Do not separate.¡± He scooped Slade up with a grin. ¡°And we all know what happens if you do.¡± He began to float. ¡°Oh, and wolf, you need not worry about masking your scent. The bear I killed last night and scattered around here will guarantee your hiding place is hid no more.¡±


    After he flew up and his silhouette meshed against the moon, he snapped at the harpy to take flight.


    Trixie looked worse for wear as she held her jacket in both hands and flapped her wings.


    Maybe she was wishing for the same thing¡ªto have the sick feeble Manny back.


    Once they faded from view, Eli hooked his kilt around him like a cape and shifted. Sure enough, the scent of bear blood hit him like a bat.


    That fucking asshole.


    He would have lamented it more but said asshole had Slade and by extension, Trixie. As instructed, Eli ran, giving little care as to covering his tracks.


    They traveled no more than ten minutes before Trixie dipped low, far too low, and two minutes later, she grazed the road, stumbled, and crashed to a halt on the asphalt.


    A landing in the dirt would have been too much to ask for.


    If Eli didn¡¯t know any better, he would have said she behaved like a Fae¡ªtoo heavy to fly. As they were distant cousins, Eli hurried to help her up.


    ¡°Trix? Trixie?¡±


    A minute later, Manny touched down and practically dropped Slade as he rushed to intercept.


    Unlike Eli who crouched, trying to help Trixie to sit up, Manny, on the other hand, put his hands on his hips and asked, ¡°What is wrong with it?¡±


    Eli bit down his response. Eventually, he confessed, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with her but I do know you being here¡¯s no help.¡±


    ¡°Well, get it up. We are in a hurry. Whores wait for no one.¡±


    Teeth bare, Eli pounced, shifting mid-jump. Something caught his cape. Trixie trembled as she struggled to stand, still with a good grip on the white fabric.


    ¡°No, wolfie. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Eli allowed his human form. He barely got the kilt around him as Slade staggered toward them a well. Between her and Trixie, this was all a pitiful undertaking.


    ¡°We should turn back,¡± Eli insisted.


    ¡°To where?¡± Manny looked smug. ¡°To your man cave that is about to be overrun? Huh?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Slade said. ¡°If we don¡¯t follow the vision, Trix pays.¡± She ruffled the harpy¡¯s head with affection. ¡°And I¡¯m not that sick of her yet.¡±


    Trixie nodded. ¡°Thanks, boss.¡±


    But they didn¡¯t move otherwise. The highway stretched on in either direction with no signs of life.


    ¡°We can¡¯t walk there,¡± Manny concluded. He looked from Slade to Trixie and back. ¡°And I carry no harpy. So you will have to fly.¡±


    The way Trixie grabbed her right wing spoke of injury but that would be hard to prove.


    ¡°She can¡¯t fly,¡± Eli announced. ¡°We¡¯ve got to find a different way.¡±


    He expected some fresh retort so when he turned to find Manny eyeing the harpy in malice, he wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it.


    ¡°It is a lie then? Was that vision a lie then?¡±


    Trixie kept her head hung. ¡°It was no lie. We¡¯ll be there in the next hour and a half.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Manny demanded. ¡°And it is got be all of us, correct?¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Taking a step back, she nodded. ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Then how? Do I just grab you two dumb bitches by the hair and run with you? How? How the fuck are we supposed to get there if you do not fucking fly?¡±


    Still backing up, Trixie muttered, ¡°We¡¯ll get there. It¡¯s set. We¡¯ll get there.¡±


    ¡°Not if you are not airborne.¡±


    Eli caught Manny¡¯s shoulder as he advanced but the enraged vampire shrugged him off.


    ¡°Right. Because I am powered up now, meaning that any damn sunlight catches me and it will react. So what is this? Some sick attempt to get us stranded out here and murdered when some wolves find us? Are you stalling yet again?¡±


    ¡°Manos...¡± Eli began but added, ¡°sir. This isn¡¯t helping.¡±


    ¡°She is doing it on purpose,¡± Manny concluded. He searched her eyes for any defense. ¡°Same as at the bunker. She is doing this shit on purpose. Correct?¡±


    Slade hobbled to them. ¡°Manny? Don¡¯t you hurt her. Manny!¡±


    ¡°How do we get there?¡± Manny demanded. ¡°Huh? You are holding your damn shoulder like something is wrong with you. Yet you had no trouble carrying me half-dead here.¡± He shoved said shoulder again. ¡°Huh? How do we fucking get there?¡±


    ¡°A truck,¡± Trixie met his gaze and insisted. ¡°We¡¯ll use a truck. Please, it¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°What fucking truck? Look around you. There is nothing for miles. I hear nothing for miles.¡±


    Eli looked right then left, coming to the same conclusion.


    ¡°So how do we go? We have wasted enough time.¡± Manny demanded, ¡°What truck?¡±


    ¡°The one that hits me,¡± Trixie admitted.


    Manny¡¯s scowl bordered hatred.


    Gaze cast low, Trixie hunched her shoulders.


    ¡°Oh yeah? Well let¡¯s see.¡± Manny gave her one shove.


    A force slammed into Trixie, dragging her down the street as a truck tore out of a portal formed from thin air.


    ¡°Trix!¡± Slade was faster to react.


    Eli overtook her, forcing his body not to shift in an effort to reach her sooner.


    The crumpled mess that lay where Trixie¡¯s vibrant being should have been, covered in blood and feathers, forced Eli to step back.


    He caught hold of Slade before she could witness it.


    ¡°Trixie!¡±


    ¡°No. Stay back here. You shouldn¡¯t see this. Stay back here. Her vision said she¡¯d be all right. She¡¯ll be all right. But just stay put here.¡±


    Slade struggled to move past him. ¡°It didn¡¯t say she¡¯d be all right. It said she¡¯d be alive.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s better than nothing. Just stay put and give me a second.¡±


    Though wringing her hands, Slade finally obeyed him. Eli felt uncomfortable with making a rescue attempt.


    By the time he turned his attention back to Trixie, he was stunned to find Manny already helping her up.


    ¡°Trix. Hey, harpy. Hey.¡± Manny moved fast, wincing as he set every bone. ¡°Hey. You are damn overdramatic. Right. I¡¯ll give you that.¡±


    He left her there and zipped back down the road for her jacket. Once he returned, he dug through every pocket until he found the napkin with the honey. ¡°Knew you¡¯d kept it. Here.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Trixie couldn¡¯t do more than turn as she writhed in pain. ¡°No. Not that.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, idiot. You are lucky to even have this.¡±


    ¡°Oi. Oi. You lot okay?¡± A dwarf jumped out of the rig and hobbled toward them. ¡°What in the hell was that?¡±


    Manny took a good portion of the half-dried honey and smeared it along the harpy¡¯s neck despite her very vocal protests.


    He had her half naked by the time Eli thought to turn. Feathers decorated Trixie¡¯s body. Mostly her shoulders and sides. The middle of her, from neck to groin was distinctly human otherwise but her legs had feathers and her feet were as always, talons.


    Eli focused on the dwarf who watched Manny¡¯s efforts despite Eli and even Slade turning away to give them some privacy.


    ¡°Wow. So that¡¯s what a harpy looks like naked?¡± The dwarf chuckled and focused on Eli. ¡°Looks kinda nice cpet¡ª¡±


    A fist caught him in the throat. Manny darted for him again.


    ¡°You fucking moron. ¡®The fuck rides a gateway on a highway at night!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The dwarf trembled, perhaps finally noticing that he was talking to a fully powered vampire. ¡°What? Sorry. Sorry. But no one¡¯s got that type of runes now. Not since vamps lost power. I wouldn¡¯t hit nobody else. We¡¯d just go right through. It¡¯s a one in a million possibility someone with that much rune power in ¡®em would walk on here. It¡¯s almost like it¡¯s fucking fated. I¡¯m sorry, mate. It¡¯s the norm now. It¡¯s the norm. Everybody does it to catch up on a few hours. Everybody!¡±


    Eli debated stepping in the path of dwarf. Trixie¡¯s groan took Manny away from his carnage. When he reached her, she yanked her clothes closed.


    A normal person would have helped her up. Not Manny. He looked down at her, annoyed with the inconvenience. Eli puzzled over that because a time or two, he was certain the asshole would picked his victim up.


    Nothing.


    Slade finally reached them and pulled Trixie to stand.


    ¡°Honey¡¯s a pure rune, Trix. Right? So let it heal you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done.¡± Trixie cast Slade off and lumbered toward the truck. After she flipped the lever and climbed up into the trailer, she sat with her knees at her chest.


    The moment she put her face against her knees, Manny groaned.


    ¡°Dramatic. Well, you are welcome for being able to fucking move.¡± He turned his attention back to Eli and Slade. ¡°Our ride is here. Get in. My whore-fucking time is waning. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Slade shot him a dirty look as she climbed in and rested against the supplies. ¡°Priorities.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Manny turned his attention to the dwarf. ¡°You said fated. You have no fucking idea. I assume you are heading to Bayern.¡±


    ¡°Actually¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, asshole. There is no actually. Get us to the closest city in Bayern or what¡¯s left of you won¡¯t be enough to identify as dwarf.¡±


    The dwarf brushed himself off and scoffed. ¡°Guess I could do with a detour.¡±


    ¡°You have ten minutes,¡± Manny said climbing up into the trailer.


    Eli was the last one to join them. His kilt secure, he sat down on Slade¡¯s side, thankful when she let him take her hand into his.


    Manny picked his head up. The truck¡¯s engine roared to life within seconds but Manny vanished. He returned with Trixie¡¯s jacket which he threw to Slade.


    ¡°You carry this. I¡¯ve got a feeling we¡¯ll be needing this honey.¡±


    A voice came over the intercom. ¡°Which city is best, Mr. Vampire¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Hey dwarf,¡± Manny called. ¡°Two second says you won¡¯t want my answer. Move.¡± He paused and called, ¡°Whatever you do, don¡¯t choose M¡ª¡±


    ¡°M¨¹nchen it is. Brace yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Aw, fuck.¡±


    Eli held on to Slade who watched Trixie unabashed.


    ¡°Can you get a hold of her?¡± Slade begged.


    But when Eli thought to do just that, the glare he received from Manny stole that boldness.


    The trailer vibrated and a whom sound preceded the snap that propelled them onward.


    ¡°Well,¡± Eli drawled, ¡°you figure they¡¯ll be happy to have the Barbarian of M¨¹nchen back?¡±


    Manny showed him the middle finger. ¡°You¡¯d be good to take heed as well.¡±

 11 Timing is Everything

    In a hotel parking lot in M¨¹nchen, Manny held out his hand and tapped his palm.


    ¡°You hit my harpy, asshole. A little more. Whores do not come cheap in this city.¡±


    The dwarf sighed and emptied yet another pouch of decorative stones. ¡°That¡¯s all the runes I¡¯ve got. Honest.¡±


    Standing close as previously instructed, Trixie cradled her right wing.


    ¡°Well, look at her. Her wing is still busted up and everything.¡±


    ¡°But why was a harpy even walking? Why would one even come close to a road? They know better than most of the Gateways¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re denying you hit my harpy?¡± Manny challenged. ¡°Because I can call a few wolves up here. Bet they would love to check your cargo too, tiny.¡±


    Teeth grinding, the dwarf shoved his hands down the front of his trousers and fished around.


    When he dragged out another pouch from his nether regions, everyone grunted.


    Everyone but Manny, who waited for more runes. Magic flowed like water throughout the earth and like water, it could take on various forms depending on how it was tampered¡ªgas, liquid, vapor, or solid. Everything on earth had some rune in it and that rune could be extracted. The most basic form was rune stones, for which dwarfs were famous for making.


    ¡°What is that one?¡± Manny inquired, pointing to a yellow stone. ¡°What is that one? That honey?¡±


    The dwarf held it up and squinted. ¡°Might be. But I¡¯ve had It for ages.¡±


    Manny snatched it. ¡°This¡¯ll do.¡±


    He turned to Trixie but she took a step back, hands raised. ¡°Please. Please no,¡± she begged.


    Try as he might, Eli couldn¡¯t make sense of it. There was a note of anger in Manny¡¯s voice when he asked, ¡°Will this help you or not? It has helped already, has it not? The dose you got on the road.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± was all the harpy said as she took a shaky step back.


    Manny groaned in the back of his throat and turned to the dwarf. ¡°You got a holder?¡± He spoke before the man could protest. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a question. Course you do. Gimmie the nicest one you got. And I can tell the difference.¡±


    Five minutes later saw Trixie¡¯s forlorn expression when Manny put the beautiful pendant around her neck, the yellow rune safely inside.


    ¡°There. That should help.¡±


    And he was right. Trixie practically glowed. She looked more radiant. If not for her miserable expression, Eli might have mistaken this for a nice gesture.


    ¡°Harpy, you come with me. You two,¡± Manny didn¡¯t look back as he said, ¡°you two can fuck off. You know where to find me.¡±


    He didn¡¯t get far. Still clutching her wing under her jacket, Trixie trailed behind him. So did the dwarf.


    When Manny stopped to inquire, the little man straightened his beard.


    ¡°Different echelons open for different power levels. Let¡¯s just say...I don¡¯t make enough to see the ¡®good¡¯ offers. But a vampire...and a harpy?¡± He snorted under his breath. ¡°That¡¯s gotta be an amazing selection. Hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Manny kissed his teeth and made his way to the motel. ¡°Considering where your runes just came from, this will be hilarious for many reasons.¡±


    There was no sense to keep places like these shrouded in magic, and yet they persisted.


    An establishment like this was visible to all magical creatures. The door to the hotel was a regular swinging door but before they reached it, an ancient gate fell from the sky¡ªone side then the other. They slid apart to reveal the colorful world.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    In the time of humans, that magic was necessary to keep them out. That was how the speed gateways had come about, too. And the dwarf was right. Size mattered to the children of Runes. The bigger the being, the more magic it required, the more magic it consumed, and the more magic it could carry.


    Anyone else on that highway, including Slade with how low on power she was, wouldn¡¯t have disturbed that speed Gateway. Well, almost anyone. Manny would have disturbed it just fine.


    Eli regretted that it wasn¡¯t that prick getting slammed by a midrange truck; he¡¯d more than earned it.


    Once they entered, the gateway closed and slid up before fading from view.


    ¡°We have to get them.¡±


    ¡°Leave it,¡± Eli insisted. ¡°Nobody fucks quite as frequent as werewolves. There¡¯s no way it won¡¯t open that same chamber to us. We¡¯ll head there later. For now...we¡¯re in luck. This is where the soothsayer is. And we need to find her. She¡¯ll help us¡ªhelp you. I know.¡±


    Slade hesitated. ¡°Somebody shoots you in an hour. What we need to do is get you some clothes. And a possible dampening vest. Trixie needs us.¡±


    Eli planted his feet. He wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°Soothsayer first. Or I¡¯m not moving.¡±


    Instead of insisting again, Slade stared him down. ¡°This is important.¡±


    ¡°Well, so is this.¡±


    Steeling himself for a fight, Eli opened his mouth to cuss.


    ¡°She needs us.¡± Slade¡¯s woeful expression spoke of oncoming tears. ¡°You know Manos, what he can do, what he¡¯s capable of. Trixie only took care of him because she¡¯s got a kind heart. What¡¯s that ever done for anyone?¡±


    As true as those words were, Eli resisted. He wanted to find a way to help Slade, now more than ever. And she didn¡¯t have to remind him of what Manos was¡ªwho Manos was. All the more reason to find a way to fight him.


    When Eli looked at the entrance to the motel, he hesitated. Manos walking side-by-side with a harpy much less referring to her as ¡®my harpy?¡¯ unheard of.


    ¡°I think he likes her.¡± Eli wasn¡¯t sure where those stupid words came from, but the more he thought about it, the more he was convinced. ¡°He likes her. Maybe¡ªmaybe getting cared for day in day out for the last five years left an impression. He went to find honey for her¡ª¡±


    ¡°He went to get a fucking bear,¡± Slade reminded him. ¡°And yes, let¡¯s talk about that honey. Honey she keeps refusing but he keeps on her anyway. Why?¡±


    Eli didn¡¯t know. Each second they stood there, he felt foolish.


    He wanted to declare it again, Manos¡¯s change of heart, but those words died in a scoff when he dared to utter them.


    ¡°What he likes is what she knows. And she knows everything that¡¯s going on. And she¡¯s got the gift of foresight. Manipulated properly, that¡¯s the gift of setting things in motion. That¡¯s what he¡¯s after, not her, and he¡¯s willing to do whatever it takes to get it. No matter who it hurts.¡± When she met Eli¡¯s gaze, she begged, ¡°Please. All we have left is our humanity. Trixie¡¯s not just some servant, she¡¯s our friend and she wouldn¡¯t leave any of us unguarded around the likes of my brother. We can¡¯t leave her. Any secret she betrays is coming back to her, not him. And he knows that.¡±


    Thoughts of the soothsayer came and went but equally, thoughts of Trixie¡¯s body in a ditch did too.


    Letting out a sigh, Eli relented. ¡°Fine.¡± He breathed out another, ¡°Fine,¡± before setting off toward the motel. ¡°And then we¡¯re seeing that soothsayer. All right?¡±


    Slade nodded. ¡°Right.¡±


    When they were close enough, two doors slammed down before them.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Slade asked, looking up and waiting. ¡°The doors aren¡¯t coming back.¡±


    Eli met her gaze, stunned. ¡°They¡¯re back.¡±


    That realization had Slade floored. ¡°My rune magic¡¯s too low. It¡¯s like a human¡¯s.¡±


    But she didn¡¯t look like a human. She resembled a ghoul. He should have forced her. If he¡¯d forced her to feed, they wouldn¡¯t be like this now. Manny wouldn¡¯t have gotten this far. Slade would have awoken and intercepted him if she¡¯d had power.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why I¡¯m not in there when the wolves come.¡±


    Eli held her hand. ¡°Stop saying that.¡± He pulled the collar of his cloak around until the pocket watch sewn into it came into view. ¡°We have time, well over an hour. So just sit tight.¡± That¡¯s what he said but below the surface, he panicked. ¡°We...you know, it¡¯s not too late for the soothsayer....¡±


    Between the look she gave him and the situation at large, he felt like scum.


    ¡°Trixie,¡± he admitted, ¡°I¡¯ll go save her.¡±


    Slade¡¯s stern expression softened. When she stepped close and hugged him, he tensed.


    In time, he hugged her back. This was unexpected...and nice. Considering that she¡¯d always been prickly till now, a thought occurred to him. He leaned back and tried to meet eyes with her.


    She returned the gaze, confused. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°No¡ªnothing.¡± This new development put a fire in his gut. Speaking of guts, he held his. ¡°Shit.¡±


    ¡°You just save Trixie. I¡¯ll worry about saving you,¡± Slade promised. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna stand around here wait for my piece of shit brother to work his way through the brothel.¡±


    Eli turned to face the double doors and they slid open for him. In the distance, Manny and company stood at a counter.


    Now or never.


    Slade gave his hands a squeeze then backed away, shivering. The earth magic was doing its job of crippling anyone with low power who might stumble in. This wasn¡¯t bluffing or hyperbole, she wasn¡¯t able to follow.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of her,¡± Eli promised, and ran in. ¡°Don¡¯t go far.¡±


    Slade let him go but not before calling out, ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± At Eli¡¯s look of confusion, she brought her thumb along her throat indicating death. ¡°Watch your back with Manny.¡±


    The doors slid shut and she faded from view.

 12 Life’s Banquet

    <table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td></td><td> </td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid?¡± Eli muttered to himself as he caught up. Like what? Like interfere with a horny vampire trying to make up for the last ten years?


    He wasn¡¯t the only one sticking close, the dwarf took the extravagant surroundings in, telling Trixie, ¡°Our stuff is much, much tinier. And people don¡¯t think it, but elves are super delicate and small, right? But such assholes and they¡¯re who we¡¯ve gotta deal with.¡± He picked his foot up to check. ¡°But not even one dead pixie under my boot or nothing. Those elves charge extra if you maim one. Kill it, no complaints though. I guess ¡®cause dead pixie¡¯s can¡¯t complain, right?¡±


    But as he chuckled and went on and on, Trixie, usually the one chatting without pause, kept her eyes on the front desk and the fawn behind it flipping through a large book.


    ¡°For here or to go?¡± she asked, her nasally voice coming with a snort.


    Two hands came down on the counter as Manny leaned forward. ¡°For here. Biggest room you have got.¡± He dug into his pocket then offered up the dwarf¡¯s abandoned runes. ¡°I am spending it all.¡±


    Quite pleased, the fawn reached for the treasure but met up on resistance.


    ¡°Two. That¡¯s the most we offering,¡± Trixie said, guiding over half the stones back to Manny¡¯s direction. ¡°And we taking a moderate sized room with a high ceiling.¡±


    Manny cut her a look. It spoke of evil and Eli inched around them, determined to step in the way if he had to. To his surprise, the vampire swung his head around to face the fawn. His scowl never changed.


    ¡°Well,¡± that nasally voice said, ¡°that¡¯s still very generous. High ceiling it is. What is it you are interested in? What do you like?¡±


    ¡°Blondes,¡± Manny announced, grinned.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t like blondes,¡± Trixie said, stepping forward. ¡°A brunette with a lighter highlight is better.¡±


    This time when Manny swung his head around to face her, he said with more conviction. ¡°Blondes.¡±


    For a long minute, Trixie returned that glare then said, ¡°These are Rune-kind, not humans. Blondes come with different Runes so they look more ethereal. Namely, fairy.¡±


    Manny clenched his jaw. Finally, he muttered to the fawn, ¡°No blondes.¡±


    After adjusting the auburn rune stone in her neck broach, the fawn flipped through the book. ¡°Is skin color an issue?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± both spoke in unison.


    Under Manny¡¯s sharp glare, Trixie wisely took a step back.


    ¡°All right. No blonds so all Fae are out,¡± she muttered. ¡°Even the ones of Fae descent from the south.¡±


    ¡°Yes. A hundred times yes,¡± Manny decided.


    Eli calmed. This was his first time in such an establishment and while the pretty colors and lights captivated him, what was truly surprising was how detailed this selection was. Thanks to this experience, he also learned a lot about the creatures of Runes. Trixie had been right¡ªeven Fae from different contents with darker skin still had blond or light-colored hair. That wasn¡¯t all she was right about.


    ¡°Here.¡± Manny stabbed the book, grinning. ¡°A minotaur. This is what I want.¡±


    But as he spoke, the fawn, and truthfully everyone else, stared at Trixie. Everyone but Manny who still braced himself against the counter by his forearms. ¡°Did you hear?¡±


    The hostess met his gaze finally.


    Then it came. ¡°He¡¯s not getting the minotaur.¡±


    Manny easing up and standing to his full height sounded his annoyance. He¡¯d had enough.


    With a look of hate, he turned to Trixie but told the fawn. ¡°I want the heifer.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you listen to him. He¡¯s not getting the minotaur,¡± Trixie said, leaning around him. ¡°Under no circumstances.¡±


    Manny met her face to face. ¡°Where the hell do you get off¡ª¡±


    ¡°Girl minotaur¡¯s are still bigger than you. Bigger the size, bigger the runes. Bigger amount of energy used up. Remember France?¡±


    That last question put a dent in Manny¡¯s stone-cold expression.


    Trixie didn¡¯t let up. ¡°¡®Member Prague?¡±


    Embarrassed, Manny turned to regain his previous posture of leaning forward.


    He muttered, ¡°What else you got?¡±


    After giving Trixie a long hard stare, the hostess tried to salvage her business. She leaned in, whispering, ¡°Something exclusive...mermaids. Mermen. Fully-fledged. No enchantment or nothing.¡±


    Manny¡¯s grin widened. ¡°That so?¡± He paused. ¡°But it¡¯s a fish¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mammal,¡± the dwarf corrected. ¡°This is amazing. I¡¯ve heard stories.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Okay¡ª¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°No.¡±


    This time Manny pivoted, and she took a step back.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get a solid foot placement in water. Dat...and the smell of fish.¡±


    Manny let out a deep breath then turned his attention back to the counter and the book atop it.


    ¡°You got....¡± He hesitated. ¡°You got anything...in feathers?¡±


    ¡°Feathers?¡± the fawn hazarded. ¡°Like...like a harpy¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. Fuck no,¡± Manny protested. When he remembered himself, he glanced at Trixie¡¯s uncomfortable face but said to the fawn. ¡°No. Nothing like that. Like...like an angel or something?¡±


    The hostess let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh, you frightened me. This place¡¯d be a laughingstock of people caught wind of something like that. Harpies? Uck.¡± She flipped through the book, saying, ¡°But no. Angels are quite rare. If you see anyone advertising that, know it¡¯s a lie. If we don¡¯t have it, it doesn¡¯t exist. How about¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re losing time.¡± Trixie eased Manny aside and turned the book around. When she found what she wanted, she tapped it. ¡°Here. A succubus.¡±


    Manny scowled. ¡°You sound like my father. No way. It¡¯s similar enough to a harpy. Pass.¡±


    It was one of the few times Trixie showed raw emotion. ¡°They ain¡¯t nothing like us. But more importantly, they use up their own runes mostly, not yours. And since they do you in your sleep, a minute can last an hour. Time is what we don¡¯t got right now.¡±


    ¡°One minute can last an hour?¡± At the nod, Manny turned to confirm her choice.


    The hostess began to sweat. ¡°Sir...um...we¡¯ve got a waver, you see.¡±


    ¡°Great! I will get two of em.¡±


    Awestruck, the fawn said, ¡°T¡ªTwo? Are you certain? By law we are unable to give any information that might infringe on this worker¡¯s ability to earn a living....¡±


    While she went into an unending explanation, Eli grabbed Trixie¡¯s arm and dragged her further away.


    He didn¡¯t know how to say this.


    ¡°Succubus kill once they¡¯re finished.¡±


    Trixie nodded. ¡°They do.¡±


    Eli stared her down, waiting for her to reach some enlightenment.


    ¡°They kill you, Trix. That¡¯s kinda their thing. Hell, I knew a few wolves who decided to check out that way when they got too old to hunt. Still, what they leave behind with the corpse.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Trixie calmed then struck him in the stomach. ¡°Nah. Can¡¯t kill what¡¯s already dead. Vamps were their biggest customers. Bet you they¡¯re hurting now with vampires being low on the food-chain. It¡¯s fine. Even two won¡¯t matter none, either. Sides, sir¡¯ll be outta our crawl for a few minutes, yeah?¡±


    And that was what she wanted¡ªany amount of time away from Manny. Eli couldn¡¯t blame her.


    So when Manny turned to them and announced, ¡°All set,¡± they followed him through the ornate hallway.


    Behind them, the dwarf leaned in, trying to see over the counter. ¡°If it¡¯s all the same, I¡¯ll try the merman and a succubus as well right after. Ain¡¯t like I get a lot of chances to spend this big.¡±


    Eli slowed in his stride. He thought to head back but Trixie and Manny grew more distant.


    The hostess led the way, Manny following eagerly behind. The look of woe Trixie shot Eli said one thing, Don¡¯t leave me alone with him.


    But the dwarf....


    Rather than turn back, Eli ran to catch up. ¡°Did we just kill that dwarf? He ordered a succubus because of us. Shouldn¡¯t we go warn him?¡±


    Manny sauntered on. ¡°Nah. Need penetration. She¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Eli looked between them. ¡°Who? The succubus?¡±


    ¡°No. The dwarf. She¡¯ll be fine.¡± It dawned on Manny and he slowed in his stride. ¡°Wait, did you just say he? You thought it was a boy dwarf? Because of the beard? It had tits.¡±


    Face heated, Eli admitted, ¡°I thought that was maybe a condition.¡±


    Once they reached their destination, the hostess looked between them. ¡°I¡¯ve taken the liberty of choosing the suite with an observation deck.¡±


    ¡°Observation deck?¡± Eli muttered.


    ¡°Well, yes.¡± She looked from Trixie to Manny then back to Trixie again. ¡°Since your harpy was so...specific. I figured....¡±


    Trixie¡¯s face was crimson, but Eli stepped before her and thanked the fawn. ¡°We appreciate it.¡±


    After she was gone, Manny shoved the double doors open. His eager smile fell.


    Eli followed next and saw why. ¡°It¡¯s empty.¡±


    ¡°They come when you lie down.¡± Trixie said, ushering them in. ¡°Can¡¯t look prey ina the eye, remember?¡±


    That made sense. Eli thought to excuse himself, but he watched stunned as Trixie helped Manny out of his shirt without prompting.


    ¡°I...¡± Eli began, intent on stepping out.


    But Trixie¡¯s gaze met his and the desperation there left Eli beside himself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait on you, Trix. But he¡¯s capable now.¡±


    ¡°Nobody asked you,¡± Manny said, shimming out of his trousers. He padded to the end of the hall and hopped into the glass shower. ¡°Harpy.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m coming.¡±


    Lips puckered, Eli glanced from her to him in the distance. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he admonished in a whisper.


    ¡°Just...¡± Trixie hesitated then confessed, ¡°Before he got sick, he¡¯s never stayed this close to me.¡±


    ¡°Harpy!¡±


    ¡°Just...just stay here. Please don¡¯t leave. Don¡¯t leave Trix here.¡±


    Eli wanted to argue that she shouldn¡¯t leave him here considering that two succubi were scheduled to arrive any minute one of them nodded off.


    He stepped into the hall in time to see Trixie shed her jacket then her dress. The shower was big enough to accommodate her wings, something impossible from a mortal place of business.


    The structure was grand. If not for Manny¡¯s complaints, Eli might have enjoyed the room a bit more.


    ¡°What is this one?¡±


    ¡°Leave that one,¡± Trixie warned. ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Manny¡¯s sharp cry had Eli looking despite his best intent not to. The vampire held his eyes, a small bottle in his hands.


    ¡°That would be the ambiance. It¡¯s supposed to be used on the floor, not you. Just¡ªdon¡¯t touch nothing else. Please. You act like you never been in one dese places before.¡±


    ¡°Never had to. Humans, remember? I used to have my pick.¡±


    Trixie grabbed the bottle and recapped it. Her wings guarded her naked frame, for which Eli was thankful.


    ¡°Yes. That I remember,¡± Trixie grumbled.


    What transpired next was both bizarre and...surprising. She washed him.


    The biggest¡ªperhaps only¡ªadvantage was that he stopped talking. Seeing Trixie care for the giant man child was sad on many levels. There was no reason for it. Perhaps it was just another way for Manny to show his authority or humiliate her.


    Hands braced against the wall, Manny kept his head down as the harpy worked around him, conducting a routine they both knew well. He anticipated her every turn, raised his arms before she even reached his left then right side. If he was still infirmed, this scene might have looked different. But as of now, with him fully powered, it was just sickening.


    When it was finally over, Manny stepped out of the glass doors. He dried himself off at least. He jumped onto the bed and lay back before Trixie even returned.


    If those wings were any indication, she¡¯d need a minute. Eli caught sight of the two large chairs by the door. The observation deck. He sat down and waited.


    The process of drying her wings required two towels. Eli took them both in, relieved to see Trixie pull the top of her dress over her neck then down past her waist, much like an apron that crisscross at the back. A shirt was impossible for a creature with wings.


    She didn¡¯t dry off when she arrived; she only carried the towels. Within minutes, Eli understood why.


    The first succubus, her pale body shining, came through the window. Then the second. They were two creatures in contrast, one completely black, and the other completely white. And both...interesting in looks.


    Each time he blinked, they shifted positions, they also shifted appearances. Another blink had them looking identical...looking like Slade. And not the current Slade who was slim and slight, but the Slade he¡¯d always known. The full curve of her hips were back, and doubled thanks to these two creatures. Her face was round and radiant. A curtain of long brown hair hung past her shoulders. The first dress dropped, then the second and Eli¡¯s breath caught. They were stunning.


    And they were coming towards him.


    He let out a gasp and stood. Something was strange about it. If he hadn¡¯t seen it for himself, he¡¯d never believe it. That¡¯s when he looked back at the chair to find himself, right fist pressed against his cheek as he slept. He slept.


    ¡°Oh...shit.¡± As stupid as it was to try to run, he turned to do just that. The twin creatures caught up to him.


    ¡°Oh, no darling. We¡¯ve only just begun.¡±

 13 Don’t Look

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    ¡°And another thing, you assholes, do you know the preparation that goes into dying your body black?¡±


    The second succubus leaned in to say, her hushed voice a whisper, ¡°Tell ¡®em.¡±


    ¡°Long. Time doesn¡¯t run the same for you pricks. So you can¡¯t appreciate it.¡±


    Once again, the second succubus, the soft spoken of the two, nodded in agreement. ¡°Preach.¡±


    The darker skinned one prepped her hands on her hips. ¡°And who the hell ruins a transaction like that? We gave you two years in two minutes and all it amounted to was you sitting on a dock drinking weak werewolf beer with a vampire whose hand you don¡¯t even touch. I mean, obviously you are more than deserving of this death. We are doing you a favor.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± the second one echoed. She leaned into her dark counterpart and whispered, ¡°Make sure they know¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nonrefundable. Damn right.¡±


    With a definitive nod, the second succubus raised her nose.


    ¡°Ladies, ladies.¡± Eli held up both hands which took a considerable amount of effort. Even now his face still stung from where Trixie¡¯d slapped him awake with all her might. He focused less on those bitter, and very serious words, and more so on remedying such a hostile situation. ¡°This is a misunderstanding. Of course you¡¯ve got a customer.¡±


    The identical women traded a glance then turned to Eli once more.


    ¡°Oh yeah? Where?¡± the more aggressive of the two demanded.


    She folded her arms but Eli tried to keep smiling. ¡°You won¡¯t be disappointed. You can play with him all you like. If you¡¯d turn your attention to the gentleman at your back.¡±


    Still sitting up in bed quiet, Manny watched their interaction. Trixie sat next to him.


    ¡°Right this way,¡± Eli instructed.


    But both women scanned the room. In time, they turned back.


    ¡°Asshole,¡± the quiet one drawled. ¡°We can¡¯t see couples with genuine affection if they¡¯re together. How do you think all these races survive this long?¡±


    Her lips began to tremble, and her dark-skinned counterpart held her shoulders.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. This idiot just doesn¡¯t know any better. His fantasy was lame anyway. Hand-holding with that vamp for two years? Damn, what a pathetic excuse for a wolf. I don¡¯t know if this kill¡¯s even worth our time. Come on. There¡¯s a nice politician scheduled for later. It¡¯ll be more than worth it.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s a fairy,¡± the second one sobbed. ¡°And this werewolf was so disposable he¡¯d be easy to consume. Fairies break as soon as they¡¯re in. Last time it took ages to vacuum one out.¡±


    She continued her bitter lament as she was led away. Eli gritted his teeth, body blushing at how he was referred. He wasn¡¯t...boring or...pathetic. Right? In time, he cringed.


    The aggressive, all-black succubus paused at the door, still with her hands on her friend¡¯s shoulders, and looked back. ¡°And you won¡¯t be getting a point card or a good review. Dickhead.¡± She scanned the room and called out. ¡°All-a ya. You pricks.¡± Her tone softened when she comforted her friend. ¡°Come on. We¡¯ll just butter the fairy up before we off him. That¡¯s the trick.... We¡¯ll even read some of his shit poetry¡ªbet you he¡¯s got tons of poetry. Alla-dem do. Urg.¡±


    Their voices trailed off into nothing once the doors closed.


    Every cell in Eli wanted to fall back into that chair in relief but he feared falling asleep once more.


    Once they were gone, Manny groaned. ¡°Fuck.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t the only one concerned. Trixie let out a sigh. ¡°Less than an hour. We¡¯ll go and see about a new set.¡± She was unsteady as she rose to her feet. ¡°I¡¯ll get you the minotaur.¡±


    Eli was more than ready to leave. Once they were out of that room, he let out a held breath.


    Trixie leaned back against the double doors.


    She patted the last of her wings with the towel which she threw in an open box close by. ¡°Sorry for hitting you so hard but the boss would never forgive me.¡±


    The layout resembled that of a villa. It put Eli in the mind of Ancient Rome. Tall white pillars supported the ceilings. Everything was accented in gold and vines.


    Eli never got to see much of the observation deck inside but there was a bench in the hall and that was where he and Trixie ended up eventually, waiting on the minotaur to finish the session with Manny.


    Now and then, her eyes left that room door and instead drifted to the pendent she wore. The yellow rune had diminished quite a bit since the previous hour.


    ¡°Why does it bother you so much?¡± Eli asked.


    Trixie took interest in the door. ¡°Can¡¯t say.¡±


    On any normal day, a harpy chattered away about anything to cross their mind. Her having nothing to say now meant it was important.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help you if you can¡¯t say.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d you know about the first Children of Rune?¡±


    Eli shrugged. ¡°Just know about the werewolf¡¯s covenant. Same as everybody knows bout their own original covenant.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why humans were so dangerous for the gods,¡± Trixie explained. ¡°They didn¡¯t have physical strength but their great minds held only mischief. They could fly like birds without wings, move like the wind in metal. Even project themselves with broadcasts.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. They were something,¡± Eli agreed. A lot of human technology was still in use even to this day, despite how unpopular humans themselves were. Most weren¡¯t upgraded but they worked just fine. ¡°Hard to believe it wasn¡¯t magic.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t.¡± Trixie watched the floor. ¡°Because there was no balance to it. And the more they made, and the less magic we all used, the less the Children of Runes remembered about what was required of them. Man had a tendency to...erase faith...to pervert it and make it into something else. As a consequence, vampires don¡¯t talk about their original covenant. They¡¯d forgotten it. While harpies...we know them all. Every last one.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    That was surprising. ¡°Thought only soothsayers knew that.¡±


    ¡°No. Not even them.¡± Trixie didn¡¯t often sound down but today her anguish was palpable. She spoke less casually, too. ¡°In the beginning, all creatures were separate, but all spoke, all walked on two legs, and all were equal. But man got jealous. He wanted to run like a horse, or the strength of a bull, or the agility of a deer. He started making covenants with animals. But he¡¯d have to make them to their gods first. Make a sacrifice and get a covenant. But there¡¯s a law¡ª¡±


    ¡°Of equal exchange. Yes.¡± Eli was happy to contribute that much. But the happiness was short-lived because she wouldn¡¯t look away from that door.


    ¡°Right. To get something, we must give something. And we must seal our pact with a gift. Dwarfs brought their gems, cows their milk, wolves their loyalty, but man...all they had was blood.¡±


    Their eyes met and Eli nodded. ¡°The vampires. That¡¯s why they didn¡¯t change shape and they feed off that blood rune.¡±


    ¡°Right. That¡¯s their original rune.¡± Trixie watched him for some time then confessed, ¡°Do you know that harpies have two?¡±


    Two covenants? Eli was floored. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t know we could have two.¡±


    ¡°Others can¡¯t. Not no more. But we do.¡± Trixie prepped her elbows on her knees, her jacket dragging on the floor along with her wings. ¡°We were dumb. But we...we harpies were the first. We made a covenant and we got tricked.¡± She gestured to herself. ¡°Where we look like this¡ªunappealing like this. And it was because we got foresight. But we kept talking and the Fates took issue with us. So they forced us into a second covenant. And this time, we lost the will to tell secrets. We¡¯ll ramble, go on and on about shit nobody really cares for. But things...things that can save us, we can¡¯t, not without death.¡±


    Eli wanted to hold her shoulder at least. He decided against it. ¡°Well, what did you get?¡±


    ¡°A chance to choose when we end.¡± Trixie snorted out a laugh. ¡°But it was a trick, because coulda done that with the first covenant. The Fates tricked us. They only wanted to make sure we¡¯d shut up and not ruin their plans.¡± Her voice petered down to a whisper. ¡°So instead of getting something for it, we risk our lives each time we use foresight.¡±


    This time Eli did hold her shoulder. He prayed he was wrong. ¡°So you can¡¯t say anything to even save yourselves?¡± At her silence, he guessed, ¡°And your first offering to get your covenant...was honey?¡±


    ¡°Pure honey. It¡¯s my base rune. The same as blood is to vampires. Praise is to fairies. Ours is honey. It¡¯s the most powerful rune I can get. The same way your loyalty gives you power. The same way blood gives the vamps power. This is my power. He¡¯s given it to me and he doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s done in doing so.¡± Face in her hands, she lamented, ¡°I can¡¯t stop the visions now. I can¡¯t keep them back. And....and I can¡¯t see past tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Trix.¡± Eli gasped. The logical course of action would be to take the pendent off. Each attempt he made to suggested it petered down to nothing. Maybe it wasn¡¯t just talk. She couldn¡¯t act against her fate¡ªshe thought so. So to her, was the will of someone else fated? It dawned on Eli that Trix wasn¡¯t one to risk it. ¡°We¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see past tomorrow, wolf. What does that mean?¡± She sat up, a grim scowl in place. ¡°I can see that minotaur about to bust outta that room, pissed. In three, two...one.¡±


    Two door shot open and banged against the wall. The scantily clad ¡®worker¡¯ marched out in a huff. ¡°Never. Never has this ever happened to Dotty. Never. Dotty takes no responsibility if he can¡¯t get interested.¡±


    Eli watched her go. He let out a sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this shit. Why are we wasting time?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t the only one angry. A ruckus coming from the room had the harpy on her feet in seconds. Eli wanted to stay out there but decided against it. Trixie needed the back up.


    Manny shoved Trixie away and dropped down on the bed. His eyes stayed fixed to the floor. ¡°Get out,¡± he demanded.


    Countless broken vases littered the room. Eli prayed it was the minotaur and not Manny¡¯s doing¡ªit all looked expensive.


    Trixie approached again and Eli opened his mouth to warn her against it.


    When two strong arms snaked around her and Manny pressed his face into her torso, Eli¡¯s mouth snapped shut.


    No. This was no game. Was it?


    ¡°Just come down here,¡± Manny whispered.


    Trixie stared at him with affection then knelt on the bed, allowing herself to be pulled into his lap.


    Manny pressed his face into the shallow feathers on her neck. When he slipped one shoulder of her dress off, Trixie squirmed out.


    Eli watched them, waiting for any indication that he should go to her rescue. Any minute now, he was sure she¡¯d scream bloody murder.


    The clothing of winged creatures was simple at the back for obvious reasons. But for the obvious reason of not having it fall open at random instances, they were secured at multiple areas. Manny loosened the two hidden knots of the harpy¡¯s dress without even looking.


    He¡¯d done this before. He¡¯d done this to¡ªwith her before.


    ¡°I can keep the dress,¡± Trixie insisted. ¡°Sir¡ª¡±


    Manny¡¯s lips met hers and Eli stumbled backwards. It wasn¡¯t an aggressive or disgusting undertaking. The vampire looked genuinely pleased when she ran her fingers through his long black hair.


    It was becoming very apparent that Eli didn¡¯t know the nature of Manny and Trixie¡¯s relationship all that well.


    Eli turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Trixie, twisting her upper body to look back at him, pleaded with her eyes.


    What? Eli waited for her to laugh it off or cast him out. She did neither. Modesty was a human habit. Most creatures of Rune didn¡¯t care for it. In fact, the wolf brigade would roam bare if not for the original laws left over from the time of man. Modesty wasn¡¯t a factor here. Did she honestly expect him to stay? And would Manos even allow that?


    The way Manny loosened the harpy¡¯s dress and toss it aside said he didn¡¯t. Not even slightly.


    Manny muttered something into her throat.


    Trixie¡¯s wings flew up, nearly lifting her off the ground.


    ¡°Get back down here,¡± Manny demanded, laughing. ¡°I will not do that again. I promise. Come here.¡±


    This was more information about harpy anatomy than Eli ever wanted. As Trixie stated, their physique was human. Her ample breasts were bare of feathers but not her shoulders or hips. With the wings raised, he could judge that the back of her had the same attributes¡ªfeathers on the sides but all human and bare down the middle. The tailfeathers were rather sweet. Like the wings, they remained raised.


    Manny took hold of her ass, spreading it as they kissed. The care with which he found his way around Trixie¡¯s supple body was telling. This was not their first time. Maybe the second but certainly not the first.


    When Trixie gasped, wrapping her arms around Manny¡¯s neck, Eli pivoted. The vampire groaned, equally pleased.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you offer from the start?¡±


    Trixie confessed, ¡°You hit me with a truck.¡±


    ¡°Stop it.¡± The pain in Manny¡¯s voice didn¡¯t sound like an act. ¡°That was...that was.... That was not intentional. You know that.¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Wait. You did not know that was an accident?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI told you¡ª¡±


    ¡°But I had not expected it. I just wanted you to get airborne again. That was not...I did not want that. I got beat up by a bear getting you that honey.¡±


    He waited for a long minute and Trixie said, ¡°You seemed to be having fun selecting.¡±


    It was unlike Manos Dresden to hesitate. ¡°I¡¯d asked for feathers. Figure...figured that¡¯d....¡±


    Trixie snorted a laugh. ¡°What? My cue to shove everyone aside and boldly offer myself up?¡±


    Manny¡¯s voice petered down to an awkward whisper, ¡°No¡ªnot like that. I gave you honey,¡± he muttered again; supposedly that meant something only he understood. He growled in the back of his throat then took a kiss. ¡°So reward me.¡±


    Disgusted, Eli turned to yell.


    Trixie¡¯s laughter stole the fight in him.


    ¡°Stop it,¡± she whispered.


    Manny planted kiss after kiss on her neck then her breasts. ¡°Reward me,¡± he demanded, still playful in his caresses.


    ¡°What reward? This isn¡¯t like the times when you¡¯ve got a bit of Fae blood and it¡¯s making you act up. You¡¯ll waste your rune.¡±


    Now it was Manny¡¯s turn to fall silent. His gaze held affection but a stern resolve when he decided, ¡°Stop calling it a waste. You are not a waste. If you¡¯d lie on your back, I will show you that. Will it hurt your wings?¡±


    Their new position had Eli blinking. He¡¯d never imagined the vampire sovereign with his face between a harpy¡¯s legs.


    Without knowing where to look, Eli cast his eyes to the ceiling.


    Manny chuckled and all movement stopped. ¡°The feathers tickle,¡± he explained.


    Trixie was slow to reply, ¡°Then stop¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. Or am I not doing this well?¡±


    Eli could guess the next wet kiss wasn¡¯t put on the harpy¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°No,¡± Trixie told him, gasping. ¡°It¡¯s quite well.¡±


    ¡°Good. Because....¡± Manny paused then groaned. ¡°Here I come.¡±


    The unified reaction had Eli rolling his shoulders, desperate to find something else to focus on.


    Manny was surprisingly vocal as he found a good rhythm, so when he paused yet again, Eli worried for his own sanity. What was the protocol for witnessing something like this?


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Manny observed. ¡°Do they...do they always react like that?¡± Trixie said not a word and Manny boasted, ¡°Is it involuntary?¡±


    It was the wonder in his voice and nothing more that forced Eli to glance at them. He would have kept it short but the vision before him was probably a once in a lifetime thing.


    Manny sat, the harpy firmly on his lap, face buried in her throat as her wings wrapped around the both of them. Each time they rocked and Trixie responded, the wings twitched and continued to close up.


    ¡°So it is involuntary.¡± Manny kissed her neck, panting in her throat. ¡°When you¡¯re so quiet, it makes me want to coax a sound out of you. Otherwise, you make me doubt my skill.¡±


    The ecstasy on Trixie¡¯s face faded when her wing enclosed them both, leaving her unabashed pleas.


    Skill? That was how Manny referred to it. He was doing a good enough job because when Eli decided to leave that time, no one called out in protest. Trixie had other concerns.

 14 Other Concerns

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    Eli looked down at his watch again. Nearly an hour, to the very second before those doors opened and Trixie walked out fixing her dress. The grim expression on her face made Eli rise to his feet.


    ¡°You left,¡± she admonished, tears shimmering in her eyes.


    At a loss, Eli glanced past her to the ornate doors then back again. ¡°You...you didn¡¯t seem all that insulted. I...I didn¡¯t want to impose.¡±


    ¡°You left,¡± she said again, fuming. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Manny¡¯s approach cut her off. The former sovereign looked pleased with himself as he stepped past, slapping her ass. ¡°Well, that wasn¡¯t hard getting that info out of you. Huh, harpy? Let¡¯s go get ourselves an audience with Legion.¡±


    His laughter echoed throughout the hall.


    When Eli met Trixie¡¯s woeful gaze again, he cringed. ¡°Trix....¡±


    The harpy trembled and begged, ¡°Don¡¯t tell the boss. We¡¯ve...it¡¯s never gotten this far. But don¡¯t tell the boss.¡± Tears shimmered in her eyes when she confessed, ¡°Now I know why I can¡¯t see past tomorrow.¡± She walked by him, following after Manny as she muttered, ¡°He¡¯s made certain there isn¡¯t one.¡±


    She snatched the pendant from her throat and threw it down; the honey was gone entirely.


    A sinking feeling dragged Eli back to his senses. He¡¯d left her. Slade¡¯d begged, Trixie¡¯d begged and for some stupid sense of morality...he¡¯d left her. He¡¯d left Trixie in the clutches of a manipulative prick who coaxed what information he wanted out of her. This was his fault.


    Manny walked tall as he passed the front desk. The fawn was on his heels.


    ¡°Sir. The room and the matter of the minotaur. An unsated minotaur costs extra.¡±


    The golden door bolted on their own and a wooden plank fell down, trapping them in place.


    ¡°Nobody leaves without payment.¡±


    Manny came to a stop in front of the barrier and said, ¡°Move this, or I move it.¡±


    The smirk in his tone wasn¡¯t lost on Eli who hurried to catch up. ¡°How many runes?¡± Eli asked, rifling through his own belt of his kilt. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll need ¡®em.¡± Manny leaned back, body turned forward. ¡°We¡¯ll not be paying anything else. Open up, fawn, before I open you up.¡±


    The hostess gasped. ¡°I knew it. I knew it.¡± She darted for her desk and pressed a button. ¡°Vampire!¡±


    Manny caught her by the throat in a flash. ¡°Oh. Call for help all you like. But open up.¡± He squeezed. ¡°Now.¡±


    Eli scrambled for a way to save that woman¡¯s life. ¡°Do it,¡± he begged. ¡°He won¡¯t ask again. Just let him out. Please.¡±


    Arms flailing, the hostess stretched down and pushed yet another button. The door unbolted and Manny tossed her aside, not looking as she slammed into the wall.


    There was no point in questioning whether or not she¡¯d summoned the brigade. This far from Dresden, wolves that they knew were unlikely so Eli kept his hands on his kilt, determine to shift and run no matter the odds set before him.


    But Trixie¡¯s words pounded in his mind. She couldn¡¯t see past tomorrow. Meaning...there was no day after that for her. Slade had warned that any deviation from the original plans set by the Fates meant death. Trixie¡¯s death.


    With that, Eli left the kilt and resolved to weather what lay ahead. It might only buy her a day but it was a day they needed in order to find a solution.


    They emerged from that establishment to the graying morning sky. Dawn.


    Whether Manny noticed or cared, he didn¡¯t let it show. He arched back, sucking in the morning air.


    Dawn with a fully powered vampire, a distraught harpy, and no clothes. Eli scanned the parking lot to make yet another grim discovery. No Slade.


    ¡°Oi. All right. All right. No need to push. Ai¡¯m going.¡±


    The voice from behind them wasn¡¯t one Eli knew right away. The dwarf, dressed in off white underwear and a top, stumbled out of the twin doors barefoot, clothes in hand. ¡°I¡¯m going. I don¡¯t even know ¡®em!¡±


    Eli groaned in the back of his throat. Now what?


    He had to think because that brothel¡¯s doors didn¡¯t close as they usually did once someone had entered or exited. Eli turned his attention back to Manny and the timid harpy at his side clutching her right wing. The vampire wasn¡¯t moving. In fact, he seemed intent on waiting for someone¡ªsomething.


    ¡°Oi,¡± the dwarf drawled. ¡°Where¡¯s my rig?¡±


    To the naked eye, the lot was empty but Eli hadn¡¯t taken that to mean anything beyond a spell of some kind¡ªit wasn¡¯t uncommon. Dwarfs liked hiding things. Eli blinked, and blinked again. He allowed a partial shift in order to benefit from his rune. The dwarf¡¯s words were true¡ªthe rig was gone.


    ¡°Sophie,¡± Eli hazarded. ¡°Are you doing something stupid?¡± Like going back to see about a halfdead gorilla? And she was low on power, traveling a magical tunnel meant for creatures with runes to trade in exchange for speed.


    Even the most basic human had some runes, albeit low, but none...that was death. Vampires were already in a state of disarray, what would become of her if she used up all of her life runes? Could she even walk after that?This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Asking for help was a longshot but it was one Eli had to take. He rushed to Manny, swallowing down the urge to punch the bastard, and informed in, ¡°Your sister¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Is she?¡± Manny said, arching back. ¡°Sure she did not get picked up by the whore house and traded about somewhere?¡±


    The casual tone meshed greatly with those terrible words.


    Eli wore a scowl, ¡°So is the rig.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I did notice that.¡± Manny stretched. ¡°Ga, I¡¯m tired.¡± He leaned back and called the Trixie, ¡°You wanna keep showering me?¡±


    When she hung her head, he laughed.


    ¡°Thought so.¡± He tasted his mouth then spat. ¡°Why do you guys even have feathers in a place like that? S¡¯not like nobody¡¯s looking.¡±


    She took a step back and Eli shoved him.


    ¡°Stop it.¡±


    Manny met his gaze finally. ¡°You can no more get a vampire to speak against his thoughts than you can get a harpy to shut up.¡±


    But Trixie had shut up. Judging from her grim expression, maybe not fast enough.


    ¡°You risked her life,¡± Eli said. ¡°Do you realize that?¡±


    The raised eyebrow accompanied by the smirk was the last injustice. Eli punched. Something caught it and wrapped his arm around his own neck.


    Manny¡¯s speed was unfathomable. Using Eli¡¯s arm, he brought it up to the werewolf¡¯s throat with more force.


    ¡°Do it, dog. Give me a reason to snap your neck.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a natural pose and the strain pushed more against Eli¡¯s arm than his throat but he reminded Manny, ¡°And give Slade a reason to hunt you in the sun? She¡¯s weak enough to and she¡¯d know where to look.¡±


    Manny shoved him forward.


    Eli stumbled, landing on his hands and knees.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see her find me.¡± As the sun closed in, Manny watched the horizon. ¡°Gonna miss seeing the sun, huh, harpy¡ª¡±


    A gasp left him.


    What drew his focus caused Eli to slow in his efforts to stand. Trixie. Coat sprawled around her in her collapse, she lay taking shallow breaths.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Manny asked. When she gave no answer, he directed the question at Eli. ¡°What is this? What¡¯s happened to her? What¡¯s happened to my fucking crystal ball! Get her up.¡±


    That was easier said than done. Trixie writhed.


    ¡°Oh dear,¡± the dwarf drawled, ¡°that¡¯s not good.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s not?¡± Manny demanded. ¡°Talk, idiot. What¡¯s not good!¡±


    ¡°That...it¡¯s transforming, innit?¡±


    Eli was cautious as he stepped close. He wasn¡¯t sure what was happening to Trixie but he could form one conclusion and only one¡ªshe was in pain.


    ¡°Transforming?¡± Manny growled, ¡°Into what? What¡¯s worse than a fucking harpy?¡±


    He, and even Eli, looked to the dwarf for help. What they received was a vacant shrug as the man¡ªer¡ªwoman fixed the last of her clothes.


    ¡°Whatever it is, we¡¯re about to find out.¡±


    Manny regarded Trixie again and growled. ¡°Shit.¡±


    A howl broke through the night taking their attention away from the helpless harpy on the ground who curled into a ball, weeping.


    Eli recognized that brigade. ¡°Lomos. Why¡¯s Lomos out this far from home?¡±


    Manny gathered up Trixie¡¯s jacket. ¡°Because this is where I sent them. You think it¡¯s coincidence I chose Bayern? M¨¹nchen wolves don¡¯t answer to me. Help me get this up.¡±


    Eli rammed him and he fell on his ass. ¡°Stop saying it. You fucker. She¡¯s a person and you¡¯re the one who¡¯s done something to her. At least have some fucking decency. You won¡¯t even pick her up!¡±


    Though the strongest of the three of them, Manny stared back at Eli rather than attack.


    He struggled with something to say but eventually confessed, ¡°I can¡¯t help what I am, no more than you can help your fixation with my sister. That¡¯s the way of our kind. Anything I say, even a kind word won¡¯t ever lead to a kind result. That is our covenant. We have no compassion left. So even if I touch her, I¡¯ll hurt her. So which would you prefer?¡±


    Eli stared down at him, half tempted to grab hold of him and anchor him into oncoming sunlight somehow while he still had the bastard by surprise.


    Trixie shrieked. Her skin tore at the shoulders and feet.


    Panicked, Eli hurried to her. The dwarf was the only one calm, ¡°Earth runes come fast. That¡¯s for sure. But painfully,¡± she scolded. ¡°This one was right dumb to use so many runes so quick.¡±


    Heartbroken, Eli snatched the jacket and threw it over Trixie¡¯s crouched frame. ¡°Trix. Trix, what¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s wrong with you? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Break it,¡± she wailed. ¡°You must break it. Break it. Please. Break it. I don¡¯t have the heart. Break one!¡±


    ¡°Break it?¡± Eli looked around for an answer.


    ¡°Oh,¡± the dwarf said, easing Eli aside. ¡°I think I know.¡±


    She reached under the jacket and searched for something. ¡°Oh whoa...it¡¯s huge.¡±


    ¡°What? What is?¡± Manny reached them, his ghoulish face paler than usual. ¡°What is it?¡±


    The dwarf looked up at him and said, ¡°An egg.¡±


    Both men recoiled. Eli jumped to his feet and stood back. Sure enough, a large white egg came from under the jacket once the dwarf stood. It resembled a football in size. Worse yet, once it was out, the harpy wailed harder.


    ¡°Break it! Break one! You must break one of them.¡±


    Eli looked from Manny to the dwarf. ¡°Does she mean there¡¯re two?¡±


    The dwarf shook her head. ¡°Nope. Just the one.¡±


    Judging by the screams, Trixie didn¡¯t agree.


    Eli sighed and crouched. ¡°I¡¯ll look.¡±


    ¡°The fuck you will!¡± Manny dragged him up by his hair. ¡°That¡¯s my fucking harpy.¡±


    Forced onto his toes, Eli fired back. ¡°Then you fucking check.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t check. I told you. Good things don¡¯t come from vampires.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    The dwarf was already crouched down trying to feel around. She dropped the egg but Manny caught it. The look he gave Eli suggested this was a mistake.


    ¡°Break it.¡± Trixie turned, face pressed into the asphalt as she wailed, ¡°Please.¡±


    Once the dwarf stood, she attested, ¡°There is no other. That¡¯s the only one.¡± Her brown eyes shifted from the egg to Manny. ¡°Will breaking it help her?¡±


    Trixie¡¯s skin cracked, a red light peeking through.


    ¡°We...¡± Manny began.


    Eli gasped, appalled, ¡°We¡¯re not breaking it, you fucking monster.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Maybe it¡¯s a twin. A duality.¡± The dwarf looked up at them. ¡°Heard once you bring two offerings. One you kill, the other holds power. Is she supposed to have two?¡±


    But from Eli to Manny, neither were any help.


    ¡°Somebody say something,¡± the dwarf demanded.


    She snatched at the egg but Manny zipped back. The scowl he wore meant he wouldn¡¯t comply, maybe not until he was sure it benefited him.


    The egg didn¡¯t break, but Trixie surely did. She flipped over, body arched back. The feathers started to shed.


    And then it stopped.


    All movement stopped. All molting stopped. And her breathing...stopped.


    The pack of wolves to empty into the lot came with a black car, tinted for the purpose of transporting a vampire.


    Wolf after wolf shifted and secured their kilts. Moments later, they pulled their guns and trained them on Eli and company.


    The limousine¡¯s driver door opened and a werewolf masquerading as a law enforcer stepped out.


    Eli gasped. ¡°Lomos.¡±


    The man fired. Eli dropped, immobilized.


    Voices closed in. ¡°Sir, sir. Are you all right? Sir, are you all right!¡±


    But despite those sirs, no one came Eli¡¯s way. In fact, they stepped over him and hurried toward the car.


    ¡°Sir.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Manny said. ¡°Here, take this and put it in the limo. Make sure nothing happens to it. It might be useful. Gimmie your kilt.¡±


    Someone must have complied because the limo door opened and closed soon after.


    The car roared to life but didn¡¯t otherwise move. Manny hesitated.


    ¡°And...and...and put the harpy...put the harpy in the trunk.¡±


    Lomos asked, ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Just do it. The dwarf, too. She¡¯s seen too much.¡±


    ¡°And Eli?¡±


    Manny scoffed. ¡°Fuck Eli.¡± He called to the driver, ¡°Lomos?¡±


    The trusted wolf brigaded captain hurried around the car. ¡°Yes, Sovereign?¡±


    ¡°Relay a message to the boys. I had to maim Louis the second. It¡¯s dead by now. Prepare Louis the third.¡±


    ¡°But...but he¡¯s too young.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You figure it out then. Get me the fuck out of here.¡±


    Footsteps patted around. Feathers cascaded to the ground when the wolves hoisted Trixie up.


    ¡°Oi. Get your hands off me. I have rights. I¡¯m a respected member of the work¡¯s guild. They¡¯ll be hearing bout this,¡± the dwarf protested. ¡°You¡¯ll be hearing from my lawyer¡ª¡±


    The dwarf¡¯s cries ended with a thud. A trunk slammed shut and the tires cried out before the car sped into the dawn.

 15 The Wake

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    Slade fought to keep her balance. ¡°Rig pause!¡± The next sharp turned sent her slamming into the window. ¡°Rig. Stop!¡±


    Oh, you¡¯re fucking useless. Just shut up and let me drive it. Eli must have been shot by now.


    Colorful lights flashed before her. On her right, another truck zipped by. They nearly collided.


    Sooner or later these tunnels of light would reach a destination. More than likely right into a wall to stop any runaway vehicle whose driver had become...compromised.


    The imagery wasn¡¯t pretty. Slade slid back into the driver¡¯s seat and scanned all the dials. She had no idea what any of them meant. All she knew was that this bitch¡ªLegion¡ªused a vocal spell to get this rig in motion.


    ¡°Rig....cease,¡± Slade tried again.


    Nothing. The steady speed worried her but not as much as the glowing sign up ahead that read M¨¹nchen . They¡¯d miss it. Her only alternative was to surrender to Legion and let it take it from here.


    Your pride or your werewolf? Which is it, bitch?


    Slade let out a sigh and closed her eyes. It was Eli. It would always be Eli.


    A force sucked Slade back and she stared up at a clouded window. Whatever her body was doing, she wasn¡¯t sure. All she knew was that her lips moved and words came out. Moments later, the bright lights zipping by faded to white and they tore out of the Gateway, got airborne, and flopped down into the parking lot with a crash.


    Fuck, she thought.


    Legion slipped out of the cabin and hit the ground running. Countless creatures surrounded Eli, patting him down and searching his collar for runes.


    ¡°Get away from him, you morons,¡± Legion bellowed.


    Vampires. And not the lucid kind. While Slade was in awe of their animalistic movement in this much sunlight, she became aware of her own.


    We¡¯re in the sun. Hey. You. We¡¯re in the g¡¯damn sun!


    And it didn¡¯t hurt. Maybe she simply could feel no pain in this state but it didn¡¯t hurt, not even slightly. Was the ape¡¯s blood really this powerful?


    Legion reached Eli and turned him over. She tapped his face. ¡°E? E, wake up. Pup, wake up.¡±


    He was naked save for his kilt, the one thing no one could steal from a werewolf as it was enchanted. All the small pockets were empty, however. All his runes were gone.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Legion pronounced. ¡°We need him. We need him alive.¡±


    Slade wanted to see, willed the thing to focus on Eli¡¯s gut to see what condition he was in.


    What are those? But in a flash, Slade knew. She gasped. Silver.


    ¡°It¡¯s a wide spread,¡± Legion told her, yanking Eli up into a sitting position. ¡°It didn¡¯t pierce all the way through his skin. But it¡¯s hurting him.¡±


    Don¡¯t move him! What are you doing? We¡¯ve gotta take them out. Each and every pellet.


    ¡°What we need to do is get him out of the open. And we don¡¯t know anyone friendly in M¨¹nchen; keep that in mind.¡±


    A thought rushed to Slade before she could stop herself. The soothsayer. We can pay her in promises. We¡¯ve still got Eli¡¯s phone. This dumbass probably got this rando on Craigslist.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Sitting with Eli breathing shallow in her lap, Legion fished through Slade¡¯s dress pocket, pulled out the cellphone, and typed the passcode in. Slade was taken aback. Even she didn¡¯t know it.


    ¡°Well, you get a few things when you fuck. And anyone fucking a vampire better guard their secrets and keep their mouths shut.¡± Legion paused and said, ¡°Well, not Criagslist but there¡¯s an incantation here under the memo: flea market.¡±


    Eli, you stupid.... Slade groaned internally. That¡¯d be it.


    As werewolves avoided magic, this seemed a safe bet.


    ¡°Right,¡± Legion drawled. She dragged Eli up and hunched under him. ¡°I can¡¯t carry him far.¡±


    Just get to a light pole, Slade insisted. You need raw magic. Every light pole¡¯s got a port. Thought you were the know-it-all.


    ¡°Legion knows what Legion knows.¡± Grunting, Legion took the deliberate steps needed to carry such heavy cargo. This wasn¡¯t just a man¡ªit was a man carrying another body inside him.


    Despite being a metaphorical passenger, Slade could feel the fatigue of her body. Her knees trembled but Legion carried on.


    ¡°Almost...there.¡± A few more labored steps took her to her destination. She was ready to throw Eli down and get relief.


    No. Don¡¯t put him down. We need to be touching him or else he might get left behind.


    There was no real distance with regards to magical epicenters. Each city had one. So long as they held the streetlight, they¡¯d be fine.


    How long is the incantation?¡± Slade asked. Do you want me to do it?


    ¡°Nice try,¡± Legion drawled, ¡°but you¡¯re staying right down there outta my way.¡±


    But Eli...I should be the one to help him. He¡¯s my werewolf. He¡¯d expect it to be me.


    Werewolves had a terrible track record with magic. It was no secret wolves hated most things to do with runes and magic of any kind. She didn¡¯t know why but she felt her speaking the incantation would be faster.


    The first zap Legion received from her attempt proved Slade¡¯s intuition correct. By the second, Legion growled. The third had Slade seething, what¡¯s wrong?


    ¡°There¡¯s something blocking me,¡± Legion finally admitted. ¡°I cannot travel awake like this.¡±


    She cursed under her breath but Slade found herself echoing a previous threat.


    Your pride or Eli? Which is it? Slade prayed Eli was useful to the creature somehow and she¡¯d save him despite having to surrender this body once more.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Legion conceded. ¡°Just get him inside quickly.¡±


    Held by the face and dragged forward by an invisible force, Slade gasped once she could taste the crisp morning air.


    Eli¡¯s heavy weight made her knees tremble. ¡°Shit,¡± Slade lamented. After examining the incantation and repeating it to herself, she pocketed the phone and took hold of the light pole. Her words flowed effortlessly, and an archway slammed down before them¡ªconnected to the pole she held.


    Everything in Slade told her this was a bad idea. When she thought of Eli¡¯s slow-breathing body, she came to one conclusion. It was a bad idea, but what else could they do? From the gorilla to Slade¡¯s sickness, which was coming full force, like it or not, Manny¡ªManos, the former Sovereign of Dresden, the same idiot who inadvertently set this in motion, was fully powered and untethered. It was a bad idea¡ªbut it was an idea at least and she had no other. Eli needed this


    ¡°Door, open,¡± Slade said, holding a hand onto the werewolf on her back. ¡°Hang on, puppy. I¡¯m getting you help.¡±


    Slade walked through. Eli slipped from her grip, snatched from her hands.


    Panicked, Slade searched the all-white room for some sign of him. The light brightened then faded with a whomp sound.


    ¡°Welcome. Welcome. You¡¯ve come at a great time. A twenty percent discount for all referrals!¡±


    Slade still trembled as she scanned the cluttered shop. No Eli.


    Each time she tried to speak, nothing came out.


    The smartly-dressed man donning a gaudy burgundy robe hurried from around the counter to give her a smile.


    ¡°Ah!¡± he announced. ¡°Your first time traveling a rudimentary lock, I see. Welcome. Welcome. Give your body a moment to adjust and then you can speak.¡±


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Slade moaned, ¡°mmmy ffffrrrrr.¡±


    Two thick eyebrows knitted together. ¡°Your...? Do you mean your friend? The werewolf? Well, why didn¡¯t you just say so? We¡¯ve got the best healing runes can buy. Though....¡± He paused and leaned in, nudging her. ¡°It¡¯ll come at a cost.¡± A bright smile shot her way. ¡°But not too much. Not too much. Of course. It¡¯s all affordable. All of it¡¯s affordable.¡±


    A harpy. Slade tried to adjust her vision with little success. This...man was enchanted, his true form hidden under a spell but she knew harpies. The repeated phrase was their way of fulfilling their expectation of empty chatter without droning on and on was an obvious harpy.


    This was a harpy and Slade calmed. She feared nothing from them.


    Fool. You act like Trixie¡¯s the common. This is a harpy. Wait. Wait. Don¡¯t you dare. Don¡¯t you dare pass out. Don¡¯t you dare pass out with a harpy we don¡¯t know! Don¡¯t you dare!


    But how exactly was she supposed to stop it?


    Much like a circling buzzard, the man walked around her. ¡°Interesting. A vampire with an active Legion. You...must be important.¡±


    Wake up! Wake up, idiot!


    Slade blinked herself lucid. Despite the wooziness, she had some of her wits about her.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my friend?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°He¡¯s safe.


    That drowsy feeling came back again, and she recognized it. She was drugged.


    This¡ªthis wasn¡¯t a soothsayer, not a regular one. She gripped the counter in an effort to keep upright. Eli. Fucking Eli.


    Fucking Eli. He¡¯d been tricked.


    This was a fucking collector.


    Slade¡¯s body lost power and she slammed into the floor. Without more runes, she was literally unkillable. Whatever became of her, she was safe, of that she was sure. But Eli. ¡°Fuck.¡±

 16 Davenport

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    Slade groaned at the next kissed to her chin. She wasn¡¯t naked but the hands rooting up her dress to unbutton both sides of her body-hugging spats would take care of that soon enough.


    Everything in her screamed as she willed her body to respond.


    The shorts peeled off effortlessly with a yank. That was the only place the sun hadn¡¯t burned her during her sentencing.


    Without blood, vampires didn¡¯t perspire but she could still cry tears when her panties were yanked down.


    Eyes shut tight, she cried out, ¡°Eli!¡±


    Two soft lips met hers, stealing those words along with her sob.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Slade went rigid.


    The kisses traveled down her neck then up again. ¡°What?¡±


    As slow as she dared, she risked opening her eyes to see the flushed face looming above her.


    ¡°Eli...?¡±


    He smiled and nipped at her nose. ¡°Why do you sound so surprised?¡± Naked body pressed against her, the werewolf dragged her dress up. ¡°Hurry.¡±


    Slade crossed her arms, hampering his efforts.


    Scoffing, he dropped lower and kissed her navel. ¡°Fine. Keep it on.¡±


    His fangs playfully gnawing into her right breast shot her with alarm.


    ¡°Eli?¡±


    Body thrusting, Eli pressed his lips to her stomach. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Are you...are you really Eli?¡±


    He pulled her dress down and popped his head up. "What?¡±


    They looked the same. Whatever this thing was, he talked the same, cocked its head to the right the same, and that smile. That was absolutely the same.


    She wanted to believe it.


    He stroked her thighs, idle as he waited. ¡°What?¡±


    Their eyes met and she came to one grim conclusion.


    She loved him.


    Not as a friend or a companion or a werewolf in her servitude. But him. She loved him.


    So when he kissed one knee after the other than parted her legs this time, she let him.


    Eli rushed her, his face between her legs before she thought to protest. At first he was eager but in time he slowed. He slowed and savored her so thoroughly that her nerves trembled.


    He was careful and she was tired, so she let him. And when he dragged her dress up then off and flipped her onto her stomach, she closed her eyes, praying this was real and nothing something she¡¯d regret.


    The warm dick pulsed against her leg, then higher. Eli sent their bodies in motion, hip to hip. His cock pressed against her clit and she allowed his slow practiced thrusts that ended when he eased back and met his mark.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Slade¡¯s lips parted. Eli waited; she waited, too. Where was her protest? She didn¡¯t know what this was¡ªwho this was.


    The pulsing dick slid into her pussy, snug and full. Eli gripped her hips and she reached out and clung to the bedpost to keep from losing balance. The pace was languished and careful and she held his hips, not to stop him, but to encourage him on.


    With that, the tempo picked up and Slade hung her head. Two hands grabbed her breast, pinching the nipples as Eli called out with each buck.


    Even the cry was convincing enough to prove who he was. He growled in her throat, running his canines against the nape of her neck.


    Slade opened her eyes, intent on looking back at him in appreciation. What she saw was a curious expression to her right.


    ¡°You know, I supposed this would be a werewolf¡¯s favored position for lovemaking.¡±


    Eli froze. The way he trembled meant he hadn¡¯t noticed the man sitting beside the bed until now either.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± Eli hazarded, ¡°who the fuck is this?¡±


    Slade wanted to ask the same question.


    ¡°Davenport.¡± The fancy purple suit adorned with gems and gold trimming twinkled.


    ¡°The harpy,¡± Slade drawl. ¡°You....¡±


    ¡°Now. Firstly, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in any position to threaten anyone. Not with a werewolf so firmly lodged inside you.¡±


    Eli growled. He sounded like he was about to shift.


    Davenport focused on him next, index finger raised. ¡°And...I doubt she¡¯d appreciate ending up with a dog after starting out with a man.¡± He paused and raised his right eyebrow. ¡°Unless....¡±


    ¡°Go to hell,¡± Eli growled.


    ¡°Rrightt. Thought so.¡± The harpy told Slade, ¡°And secondly, is that anyway to treat the one to save your pet?¡± Their prolonged silence made him sigh. ¡°Oh, come on. I put you two together thinking you¡¯d wake up feeling more secure with knowing the other was safe and well...this happens.¡± His eyes drifted the length of Slade until he focused on Eli. ¡°Is this a common thing for werewolves to seek out desires of the flesh in times of distress?¡±


    Eli tensed but Slade had to admit the truth in those words. When she¡¯d awoken in Eli¡¯s bed and he appeared ill, this was all he wanted. Whether or not it was true for all werewolves, it was certainly true for Eli.


    ¡°Um,¡± Slade began, breaking the tension. ¡°Could you excuse us?¡±


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯d like to finish. That¡¯s understandable.¡± Davenport rose to his feet and stretched. ¡°Though, I have to admit, you two have been at it all night. At least this time he had the decency to undress you instead of just rubbing up against your clothes.¡±


    Slade¡¯s eyes gravitated to her dress on the floor. She didn¡¯t need to make the stains out. Head hung, she let out a ragged breath.


    ¡°Could you excuse us?¡±


    Footsteps grew distant followed by a door closing.


    For a long minute, neither of them spoke. Eli finally said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    He tried to ease away but she caught his waist and bowed her back.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stop.¡±


    There was no movement save for Eli¡¯s panting. Slade searched herself for an answer as to why he wouldn¡¯t move. She had a heartbeat, a pulse, of that she knew. That meant magic. So she wasn¡¯t too tight a fit. A vampire body without blood runes to warm it must have been a terrible lay. Eli hadn¡¯t minded their first time and that wasn¡¯t even her. But she had a pulse now, her flesh was warm. So why wouldn¡¯t he fuck?


    ¡°Look at me,¡± Eli said¡ªbegged. ¡°Look at me, please.¡±


    At first hesitant, Slade gripped the bedpost and complied. When their eyes met, he took a slow lunge. She shuttered, eyes closed. He wouldn¡¯t move after that, so she forced herself to meet his gaze again.


    He wanted her to watch him, watch him take her on her knees. To watch him humble her.


    On her back would have been an obvious option but a werewolf was still a wolf. This positioning was his craving.


    ¡°Keep your eyes on me,¡± Eli commanded. Dick still inside her, he pressed her to lie on her belly then picked her right leg up over his arm. They could see each other easier this way. And when she put her leg on Eli¡¯s shoulder, he could kiss her with each deep thrust.


    Now and then he¡¯d wait until their eyes met to continue but overall, he was very good at this.


    After kissing the crook of her knee he pulled her with him as he knelt by the bed and took on their original positioning with her on her knees.


    He gnashed his teeth and growled. His inhibition faded with each second, amounting to a soft groan each time he slowed and kissed the nape of her neck.


    Slade shuddered at every deep lunge and when she gripped the sheets, he paused and went slower, sliding in and out of her at a steady rhythm. At her climax, he waited, moaning along with her shout. He left a trail of kisses down her shoulder then up again and let off a chuckle.


    ¡°What?¡± Slade panted.


    Eli leaned down to press his lips to hers. ¡°The muscles are pulsating.¡±


    Eyes closed, Slade asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that normal?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but...I don¡¯t remember if they did our first time, so I¡¯m just pleased you came.¡± He leaned to the right and said, ¡°I know it¡¯s probably not pleasant but....¡±


    His pained expression made Slade curious. The answer came to her in an instant. ¡°You wanna fuck me harder?¡±


    He twitched. ¡°Till you break in two.¡±


    Moaning at the sentiment, she nodded. ¡°Then break me in two.¡±

 17 Now What?

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    Slade stared down at the two bowls put down for her and Eli. At the other end of the table, the werewolf glanced at the food then met her gaze as well. There was no way in hell either of them were eating any of that.


    The harpy didn¡¯t seem to mind as he sat down and reclined in his chair.


    ¡°Your dress will be a bit longer. Hope you don¡¯t mind the robe,¡± Davenport drawled.


    Within minutes it was a standoff, or rather, a stare-off.


    As Davenport sat between them, the length of the rectangular table, he looked from one end to the next then demanded, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯ll it take for you to let us go?¡±


    ¡°Go?¡± The man scoffed. ¡°I spent two hours painstakingly careful in removing twenty-four tiny silver pellets from your torso and stomach¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Eli demanded, with not a hint of humor.


    He did have a point. Once in a while, a human was generous for no reason. That was not the case of children of Rune. Every action had a reaction. Ever favor demanded something in return. And therefore, acts of kindness came with strings. Often, literally.


    ¡°I need nothing,¡± the harpy announced.


    Eli growled in the back of his throat, more than ready to strike.


    ¡°Eli,¡± Slade called. The way he calmed, looking somewhat meek was cute. ¡°Let¡¯s hear him out.¡± With no further opposition, Slade asked the man, ¡°What are you exactly?¡±


    Davenport recoiled, insulted. ¡°So forward.¡±


    ¡°Answer her, dirtbag.¡±


    That one command was the first time Slade could recognize Eli¡¯s change. Eli was gentle. He wasn¡¯t a coward necessarily, but he was a diplomat before a warrior. Seeing him so riled up was both troubling and confusing.


    ¡°Ah, that would be your addiction acting up.¡±


    Slade asked Davenport, ¡°Addiction?¡±


    The harpy looked between them. ¡°Well...yes. Silver addiction.¡±


    Eli gritted his teeth. ¡°What addiction? Such nonsense.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve seen it before,¡± Davenport assured him. ¡°Grogginess. An insatiable lust for the flesh. Throwing up blood. Irritability. More than once, I¡¯ve treated a werewolf or two whose friends shot him with a gun similar to yours or¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough of this shit.¡± Eli¡¯s fist landed on the table. ¡°What the fuck are you, creep? And when can we go?¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± To Slade, this all sounded eerily familiar, down to the vomiting blood bit. That was how she¡¯d awoken with Eli that morning in his room. He was lustful but hurt. Deep down, she even feared that her weakened and sickly state might have meant she fed on him in blind desperation. That wasn¡¯t it. It was something else.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± Eli said, ¡°this is bullshit.¡±


    Slade never took her eyes off Davenport, even when she answered, ¡°Maybe. But I can¡¯t let this pass.¡± Gaze unbending, she affirmed, ¡°So you are a harpy?¡±


    Davenport recoiled. ¡°What? No¡ªnot exactly.¡±


    ¡°But you have the gift of foresight.¡±


    Two rows of jagged teeth gritted. ¡°Welll...not exactly. I¡¯m...not really a harpy per se.¡±


    Slade wrinkled her brow. ¡°Then what? How do you have the gift of foresight but you¡¯re not a harpy?¡±


    ¡°I...never said I have the gift of...foresight, you see.¡±


    Eli stood.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Slade tightened her robe. She wasn¡¯t sure who this guy was or what he was up to, but she wanted to at least steal this robe if she needed to run with Eli.


    ¡°Now calm down,¡± Davenport told Eli. ¡°I do have a gift...a similar gift to my harpy kin. But it¡¯s not forward.¡±


    ¡°Not forward? What is it? Sideways?¡± Eli admonished.


    Davenport didn¡¯t seem the shy type but his posture shrank when he muttered. ¡°Hindsight.¡±


    Even Slade groaned. ¡°Wow. Talk about lame.¡±


    ¡°We all have hindsight,¡± Eli informed him. ¡°It¡¯s called a memory.¡±


    ¡°Now, now.¡± Eyes cast to the table, Davenport raised both hands at Eli. ¡°Hindsight is equally accurate at predicting the future.¡±


    The werewolf scoffed.


    ¡°Yes. Not many people see it that way.¡± Davenport told Slade¡ªEli was a lost cause in his efforts to find an ally. ¡°As history repeats itself, Hindsight is actually more accurate. The future can change, but not the past. Correct? For example, looking at you two, I can see your history together. You¡¯ve shed blood for him, and he for you. Doesn¡¯t it stand to reason that you two will continue to do so?¡±


    Eli didn¡¯t advance but he didn¡¯t sit down either¡ªthe man had his attention.


    ¡°So with that knowledge for example, for example, if I were to attack either of you, the other will likely take the blow before fighting back. Stab at you, he¡¯ll get it in the gut. Stab at him, you¡¯ll be the one falling on that dagger. No?¡±


    Stunned, Slade sat back. She traded a glance with Eli who eased into his chair once more.


    ¡°That¡¯s Hindsight. It¡¯s just as powerful and useful as Foresight,¡± Davenport boasted.


    Eli grumbled, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure.¡±


    But it was a true gift, perhaps.


    ¡°Fine. Then how would you explain me knowing you two would continue to completion rather than end your...entanglement out of shame?¡± Davenport challenged.


    Eli sat back, arms folded. ¡°I¡¯m a werewolf. Modesty isn¡¯t our strong suit. Besides, we¡¯re kinda known for¡ª¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t do that to her.¡± Davenport waited for any disagreement. He had Eli on the defensive and he¡¯d struck a nerve. ¡°Never. That is what Hindsight says to me. From your start to now, the idea that you¡¯d keep going without her say so...impossible.¡± He turned his attention to Slade. ¡°And you look low on runes, and you are so it¡¯d be painful without a pulse. But as I¡¯ve got the Hindsight to see that you¡¯ve recently fed, I knew you¡¯d want to indulge.¡±


    ¡°Recently fed?¡± Eli picked his head up and focused on her. ¡°Ma¡¯am, is that true?¡±


    Rather than admit to anything, Slade told him, ¡°Let¡¯s find you some clothes and leave.¡±


    Despite this sound request, Eli took interest in the table. He wrestled with something before asking Davenport, ¡°So you are a soothsayer? I¡¯ve never met a male soothsayer before. Can you prove yourself useful?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± the harpy began, ¡°I think I¡¯ve more than proved it. But you¡¯ll likely try to challenge me to a fight. In which time I¡¯ll know from Hindsight that you favor your right and I¡¯ll use that to my advantage to beat you. But please, let¡¯s not waste time and runes. We have a bigger problem.¡±


    ¡°You drugged us,¡± Eli reminded him. ¡°Why should we believe you?¡±


    ¡°Precisely because I drugged you.¡± Davenport turned to Slade. ¡°You tried to enter my domain with a fully awakened Legion. That is a problem.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    He had Slade¡¯s attention now as well. ¡°How¡ªwhy¡ªhow do you know that?¡±


    ¡°Hindsight.¡± The harpy ignored Eli¡¯s groan. ¡°I used history to install a rune that resists them. Therefore, when I saw this rune activated, I knew that the next person to enter had an active Legion. That is Hindsight. The very same as Foresight. We just have to tweak it a little. And if I¡¯m honest, my gift is more useful because at least I was prepared. I assume you certainly weren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Slade begged, unabashed. ¡°What is this thing?¡±


    Much like Trixie who avoided meeting her gaze whenever asked about this strange voice, Davenport took interest in the table.


    ¡°We are not allowed to say.¡±


    Eli sounded gentler when he told the man, ¡°But this is Hindsight. It¡¯s already happened, and it won¡¯t change the plans the Fates have set in motion. Right?¡±


    ¡°Hindsight or Foresight, I cannot speak about Legion. But I can speak...about the werewolf.¡±


    Right eyebrow raised, Eli nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Davenport turned to him. ¡°For a price.¡±


    ¡°Ah, there it is,¡± Eli scoffed. ¡°Right on time.¡±


    ¡°Nothing...nothing untoward.¡±


    Slade raised her hand before Eli could respond again in the negative.


    ¡°What can we do for you?¡± That pumping heartbeat wasn¡¯t going to last much longer but it beat erratic now in distress.


    ¡°I,¡± Davenport cleared his throat. ¡°I...I need for you two to be more careful. Especially...when you make love.¡±


    Eli¡¯s chair moved back before he stood.


    ¡°Puppy, please,¡± Slade entreated him. ¡°I get the territorial thing and it¡¯s...honestly pretty hot but give us a second. Please.¡±


    Letting out a muffle growl, he flopped back down again.


    Slade turned her attention to the harpy¡ªhe had a lot of nerve.


    ¡°You just need us to use protection in bed? Well, all right. We can do that.¡± Slade¡¯s face hurt from how hard she forced that smile. ¡°Please. Say your piece.¡±


    Davenport opened then shut his mouth again. After glancing at Eli, he scooted his chair closer to Slade.


    ¡°Right. Werewolves. They have two bodies. But do you know, all children of runes have two bodies. At the very least.¡±


    This was news. ¡°I thought only changelings and werewolves did.¡±


    ¡°No. All of them. There¡¯s a healthy form, and a starved form.¡±


    ¡°Starved? Starved of runes?¡±


    The nod propelled her back. As much as she knew this to be a sound judgement, she feared it was true.


    ¡°Like me¡ªlike now?¡±


    ¡°Exactly like now,¡± Davenport praised. ¡°The reason why you lot can¡¯t die farther is because¡ª¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re already dead.¡± Eli looked up from the table. His eyes looked haunted. ¡°The runes give them a sense of...false life?¡±


    Nose turned up, Davenport folded his arms and grumbled. ¡°Correct. A werewolf¡¯s original form was that of a man. Runes make them into a wolf. That¡¯s what people think!¡± The harpy grinned, ¡°But actually.¡±


    ¡°We were originally wolves.¡± Eli¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re born as wolves. That¡¯s what we are¡ªwere.¡±


    Less than pleased with having his thunder stolen, the harpy slicked back his ponytail and muttered with a hiss, ¡°Do you mind?¡±


    Slade tried to keep up. ¡°So without runes...he... Werewolves¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are wolves, yes.¡± Davenport added before Eli had the chance to interject yet again. ¡°Simply wolves. But with their runes, they can get the gift of the human body. And live with both forms. Vampires are corpses.¡±


    ¡°Living corpses....¡± The words tasted stale. It was stupid to take it so hard, she shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. But as she stared at that table, yet another part of her died¡ªher last sliver of hope.


    A hand put on her shoulder drew her focus. In the time of her self-wallowing, Eli¡¯d crossed the room. When he crouched down by her side, his kilt dragging on the floor, she thought to assure him she was all right.


    That¡¯s what she meant to do when she opened her mouth but instead, she drew up her shoulders and fell into his arms.


    Forced to sit fully, Eli wrapped his arms around her. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°That is true, too,¡± Davenport said, shattering the tenderness. ¡°But that¡¯s not all it does. Man gave blood to seal their covenant but they gave up¡ª¡±


    ¡°Their humanity,¡± Eli whispered, planting a kiss on Slade¡¯s forehead.


    Scowling, Davenport sat back in a huff. He kissed his teeth. ¡°Right. I was going to say their compassion. But humanity works fine.¡±


    Eli continued as if he hadn¡¯t heard the man. ¡°That¡¯s why when you have no runes, you get...softer.¡±


    That made sense. ¡°So Manny....¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The more power he gets¡ªthe more blood, the less likely he¡¯s gonna be able to feel anything. I¡ªI do think he kinda likes Trix.¡±


    ¡°Oh. He more than likes her. If you¡¯re speaking of a vampire with no runes, he can love a person normally.¡±


    Slade searched herself for any truth in that. When she met Eli¡¯s brown eyes, she confessed, ¡°I possessed you. You weren¡¯t a love interest, you...you were....¡±


    She couldn¡¯t say it but he nodded and said it for her.


    ¡°A pet. I know.¡± Eli watched her with affection. ¡°Ma¡¯am. I know. I figured it out when Manos talked about Margarite. How he hated her after he turned. It¡¯s an unspoken stipulation, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Body trembling, Slade confessed, ¡°Yes. We forever lose interest in the one thing we cherished. Her cherished Margarite.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t love me, so you didn¡¯t end up hating me. I¡¯m glad.¡± He hesitated but he didn¡¯t need to ask, Slade wasn¡¯t sure what it was she lost.


    ¡°Your freedom,¡± Davenport offered. ¡°What you held dear and sacrificed upon turning into a vampire was your freedom.¡±


    Despite Eli¡¯s warm embrace, Slade felt cold. She searched herself for any indication that it was true. When she found the answer, she gasped.


    ¡°Then I didn¡¯t love you¡ªI hadn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t mind,¡± Eli assured her. He tightened his hold. ¡°We¡¯re lucky.¡±


    ¡°No. How¡¯s that lucky? That....¡± This recent feeding was making it hard to communicate her true feelings.


    ¡°Just say something general,¡± Davenport suggested. ¡°It¡¯s not your imagination that you can¡¯t say words such as I love you. You¡ªvampires, literally cannot say them. That was a part of the covenant, too. And it¡¯s not coincidental.¡± When she didn¡¯t move, he urged her, ¡°So say something general. I know you two hardly get a chance to have this sort of contact.¡±


    That was true¡ªthat was more than true.


    Face buried in Eli¡¯s neck, Slade confessed, ¡°That¡¯s why I hold on to you so strong these last few years. That¡¯s why I¡¯m holding on. Because as agonizing as it is to be without food, the hunger doesn¡¯t matter to me so much when I see you.¡±


    Eli tightened his embrace.


    ¡°And I didn¡¯t...I didn¡¯t want to let you get close and we don¡¯t make it and I lose you. I¡¯d rather just be happy for you. When I¡¯d chosen Sarah, I did it because I wanted cute new wolf pups, because her coat was so pretty. I¡¯m sorry to say that. It was shallow.¡± Eli¡¯s fingers combed through her hair and she fought through the urge to deny these stupid words. ¡°But now...I think she takes good care of you. So I think¡ªI thought it was good and I wasn¡¯t mad¡ªI was happy I¡¯d chosen well.¡±


    Upper body still bare, Eli wrapped himself around her.


    ¡°You should have said something sooner¡ªI wish you had.¡±


    Davenport snorted. ¡°I¡¯ll say.¡±


    Eli stared him down until he looked away. When he was satisfied, he stole a kiss and asked, ¡°So can we try, even if it doesn¡¯t lead anywhere?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Slade protested. ¡°You¡¯re not listening. Basic rule, vampires and werewolves don¡¯t mix. A friendship is safe¡ª¡±


    ¡°Anddd unlikely,¡± Davenport interjected. ¡°More than likely, a vampire who¡¯s fed will try to maintain that level of runes. You¡¯re not greedy and you¡¯re clever enough now to realize how to do that. So that¡¯s blood flow. You having a pulse, you having urges, and your horny boyfriend humping your leg every night.¡±


    Eli loosened his grip to stand but Slade held him down. ¡°No. Don¡¯t attack him.¡± She sat back and met Eli¡¯s angry gaze. ¡°Forgive the way he talks but...but look, this is good for us to know.¡±


    Still staring the harpy down, Eli told her, ¡°I¡¯d already figured most of this out.¡±


    Davenport scoffed. ¡°Not the why.¡±


    Slade interlocked her fingers with Eli in hopes of calming him. There was still a bigger problem on hand. ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain what Legion is. Is that common for the undead?¡±


    All boasting about Hindsight faded from Davenport¡¯s narrative when he repeated, ¡°I cannot help you with that. I can only talk about the two forms all children of runes have. But if you think long and hard, you¡¯ll probably figure it out. In the meantime...you¡¯ll remember our pact?¡±


    The sex. Slade was sure to tighten her hold on Eli when she told the harpy, ¡°Yes. Now that I have runes, it¡¯s probably a better idea anyway.¡±


    He let out a sigh and sat back in his chair.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± Eli protested, so uncomfortable he could hardly form the words.


    Slade kissed him and promised, ¡°I¡¯ll put you to good use. And fine...let¡¯s...let¡¯s try it.¡± The harpy made a sound and she laughed. ¡°Carefully.¡±


    ¡°Good. Today should be fine,¡± Davenport said, clapping his hands. ¡°But he¡¯s already fathered one child and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fuck this.¡± Eli pushed Slade to stand and got to his feet as well. ¡°I didn¡¯t father nothing.¡±


    Two purple eyes darted from Eli to Slade then back again. ¡°Fine. Fine,¡± the harpy conceded. ¡°Fine. It¡¯s in my interest, too, if I tell you. If you two have a child together, it is a problem. A big problem.¡±


    ¡°A child?¡± Slade recoiled. ¡°Vampires can¡¯t have full vampire children. That¡¯s why our numbers can¡¯t rise. Whatever we sire children with becomes that creature. Without a human to give us a child we¡¯ll eventually turn, we¡¯re it. We¡¯re all there is.¡±


    For a long moment, Davenport returned her gaze. The half huff, half laugh he gave off didn¡¯t speak of amusement. He raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. The world faded.


    The all-white turned to black. Eli¡¯s grip on her hand was all to keep her sane. They materialized where they left off, in the parking lot. Slade looked down at herself to find her black dress clean. Beside her, Eli stood, still in his white kilt. It was night.


    He dragged her close. ¡°I thought maybe¡ªI¡ª¡±


    Slade savored the embrace but was too ashamed of what it costs. ¡°The gorilla....¡±


    Admitting that much took all she had. Eli tightened his hold. ¡°I know. I know. Don¡¯t say it.¡±


    How did they end up so far from where they were supposed to be? All of the obligations came back to Slade full force. ¡°I want to check that none of the sick vampires have caused irreparable damage to our reputation. That¡¯s where my focus should be¡ªrounding them up to make sure they don¡¯t hurt themselves further...or anyone else.¡±


    Eli nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll get to it.¡± He hesitated then admitted, ¡°Lomos told me about the raid.¡±


    Slade tensed. Eyes shut tight, she asked through gritted teeth, ¡°He told you they were going to find them?¡±


    ¡°You can get angry, it won¡¯t matter. Because I¡¯d thought...I¡¯d thought....¡±


    The way his tense embrace drooped was enough of a tell. ¡°That¡¯d it¡¯d do some good to show people?¡±


    ¡°I strongly believed that¡ªbecause they were harmless. But after your brother fed off that gorilla, I realized that anything starved, is probably the most dangerous.¡±


    Despite the truth in those words, Slade held out hope. ¡°We¡¯ll fix them. We¡¯ll find a way. But first....¡±


    He trembled and then confessed, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten tell you something...about Trixie.¡±


    Slade scanned the bare lot. Her eyes settled on the remnants of brown feathers scattered in the breeze. Knowing full well she wouldn¡¯t like the answer, she turned to ask Eli, ¡°What about her?¡±


    Eli¡¯s lips trembled before he said, ¡°The¡ªthe wolves have her. Lomos¡¯s wolf brigade.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± she concluded, ¡°then we get her.¡±


    That won¡¯t be necessary. Where have you been?


    Slade gaped her mouth to answer but instead asked, ¡°What do you mean that won¡¯t be necessary?¡±


    Manos¡¯s Legion¡¯s summoned you. Whatever you do, don¡¯t listen.


    A howl in the night made Eli stand at attention. ¡°Lomos is calling. It¡¯s bad.¡± He asked Slade, ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°My Legion¡¯s threatened to take my head if I step one foot in that direction.¡±


    Eli nodded. ¡°Right. So that means we¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±

 18 Trix

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    Eli watched the world zip by, more than a little aware of how foolish it was not to take control of it. Everything could be reined in with enough force. Even his life.


    A soft hand palming his own on the seat tore his focus away from the city and the night. He instead focused on Slade. For the past hour, since they¡¯d entered this frigging deathtrap vampire limousine, she¡¯d said nothing.


    Manos summoned them. Why?


    And why go?


    If Slade was willing to go against her very nature and bleed an ailing gorilla of the last of its lifeblood in an effort to save him, maybe he could convince her to run with him now.


    They were under no obligations. She was ineffective as sovereign. He¡¯d die before admitting it, but he had to¡ªsomebody had to. She wasn¡¯t good at it. She wasn¡¯t forceful or swift. Now looking back, he could see her tantrums as a child for what they were, not for any real exertion of power.


    Slade wasn¡¯t a good sovereign. But she was a good friend and she¡¯d die before leaving poor Trixie to her brother.


    Eli didn¡¯t care. Everything in him said to grab her. Grab her, open this car door, roll with her, find some runes, even if he had to hijack it from someone, and get her away from here.


    And where could they go? Anywhere. They could go anywhere. Maybe to Africa. Anywhere.


    When she scooted closer and took hold of his right arm with both hands, he had to look away.


    She¡¯d never allow it. She¡¯d just keep going into danger.


    Fine.


    Get Trixie. Get that fucking harpy, no matter what state she was in, and get the fuck out. Fine.


    He interlocked their fingers and kissed the back of her left hand. ¡°We¡¯ll get her,¡± he promised. ¡°By all means. Of that I swear. It¡¯s a sound plan.¡±


    Color returned to Slade¡¯s face as she calmed. She trusted him.


    When the vehicle came to a stop nearly three hours from where they¡¯d began, Eli looked up at the manor and gasped.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am....¡±


    ¡°I see it,¡± Slade said. Making sudden movements in the presence of jumpy werewolves was never a good idea so they waited for the doors to open.


    Sure enough, Lomos greeted them, less than pleased.


    Eli wanted to punch him.


    ¡°Save it¡ªsave your petty anger,¡± the wolf brigade captain said, kilt securely around his waist. ¡°Just get in there and do something about her. He¡¯s...it¡¯s not good.¡±


    One gasp was all Slade let out before she overtook Eli and rushed up the stone steps. They all knew it by heart. It was their own¡ªtheir original home before they were run out and sequestered in Dresden.


    A woman¡¯s harrowing cries echoed off the stone. A man¡¯s voice came muffled with it. The man argued with someone, screaming and threatening violence.


    ¡°Get the fuck up!¡±


    Slade broke into a run. Eli nearly left her behind, but he was in no hurry to see what Manny had done¡ªwas doing to Trixie.


    ¡°Get that thing,¡± Manny¡¯s voice carried. ¡°Get it now or it is your bloody head. Just fucking smash it.¡±


    Slade bit back a sob. Eli listened for the harpy¡¯s cries and was disappointed to find he¡¯d guessed right. The cellar. She was in the fucking cellar. Where they¡¯d kept feral werewolves like dogs.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°That bastard.¡±


    Eli gained speed and raced down the coiling stairs. Slade hopped the railing and fell ten feet. She landed in a crouch but regained her senses fast and raced along the corridor.


    ¡°What are you doing? I said that one.¡± Manny struggled to keep hold of something. ¡°Harpy¡ªTrix, damnit, stop it.¡±


    Slade reached first. She careened to a halt and stepped back, hands at her mouth.


    Eli feared for her enough to jump through the open cell door. He landed as a wolf, teeth bare.


    Manny, sitting crouched in a corner, took one look at him and wailed, ¡°Well, it¡¯s about bloody time!¡±


    The pale, naked creature in his arms, shivered, screaming like a banshee. Maybe that was what she was turning into because her hair was all gone, so thin it resembled string. But the worst...was her back, and the nubs that used to be wings.


    She looked like she¡¯d been plucked.


    ¡°Shh. Shh. Here. They have come,¡± Manny soothed. ¡°They have come. Look. Your friends are here¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she wailed. ¡°Get them out.¡±


    Manny looked equally on the verge. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    The high-pitched scream convinced him to shake his head at Slade. ¡°Get out. Get out for a moment.¡± He leaned to his right and called, ¡°And where is that fucking aloe?¡±


    ¡°Here. Here. I¡¯m coming.¡± The dwarf pushed past them, a bucket in hand. ¡°I smashed as much as I could.¡±


    ¡°Give it.¡± Manny shoved his hand into the slime and dragged it along her fingernail-scratched skin.


    When Trixie shivered, weeping quietly instead, Manny slowed.


    ¡°There. That¡¯s good, right?¡± His attempt at seeing her face had little success. ¡°Should I get the front?¡± Another layer of aloe against her back had her leaning into him. She fell silent.


    Slade watched in tears. ¡°You prick. What have you done?¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± Manny waved her back. ¡°She will not stay down for long. Just an hour.¡± He told the dwarf. ¡°Help me clean her before she awakens. Get the buckets and towels.¡± He focused on the would-be rescue and growled. ¡°Lot of good you fuckers did.¡±


    Feathers lined the walls. That, mixed in with the bloodied hand marks were the saddest part. Eli was less than enthusiastic when he shifted back into his human form.


    He needed to in order to hold Slade up. She lost power. He grabbed her before her collapse.


    ¡°What has he done to her?¡± Slade trembled. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have left her. I shouldn¡¯t have left her!¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± Eli helped her to sit then held her face in both hands. ¡°You falling apart won¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°Break it,¡± Trixie whispered. ¡°Please...please break one. Please break it. Save Trixie. Break one.¡±


    ¡°Okay. All right.¡± Manny rocked with her, his face pressed against her balding scalp. He cradled her close, though there was no tenderness in his voice. The words, from anyone else, would have been gentle. ¡°All right. Whatever you say. Let¡¯s calm down. Can you tell me¡ªcan you tell Manny why you want to do that? Will it help you?¡±


    ¡°Break it,¡± Trixie whispered. ¡°Help Trixie. Please.¡±


    Manny leaned his head back. And there he sat, a naked harpy crouched between his legs, hands dripped in slimy aloe, rocking with her. He wouldn¡¯t focus on anyone. Even when the dwarf arrived back with two bucks which she put down, he refused to acknowledge her.


    The look of woe on Manny¡¯s shifted and settled into one of fury. He kicked the first bucket then the second, sending them both flying across the cell.


    For a long while, no one knew what to do¡ªwhat to say.


    ¡°Wolf,¡± Manny muttered at length. He failed to focus but since there was no one else here, he had to mean Eli. ¡°Wolf,¡± he repeated. ¡°Could you do me a favor...could...could you hold onto her? I do not want to deal with this.¡±


    Eli recoiled. ¡°What?¡±


    Manny was too proud to repeat the request.


    ¡°Vampires,¡± the dwarf explained. ¡°Acts of kindness from them, their karma¡¯s twisted. Bad deeds pan out better than intended but good deeds inadvertently turn out badly.¡±


    Eli looked down at Slade who watched Trixie with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°So...¡± Eli inquired, ¡°he can¡¯t....¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t offer comfort. I think that¡¯s what he means. Even though he says it the way he says it. He thinks somehow that him holding her is making it worse. But a werewolf, anybody else with a positive rune should pacify the Fates. I¡¯d do it but...if it don¡¯t work out, I¡¯m not looking to have a mad vampire hunting for my head. So...I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve refused. My rune¡¯s neither positive nor negative. It¡¯s just basic.¡±


    Eli nodded. He focused on Slade and hesitated. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please. Please help her.¡±


    Letting out a sigh, Eli stood. ¡°Right. I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°You do not fucking touch her when she is naked,¡± Manny snapped. He acted as if he hadn¡¯t just begged for this intervention. Instead, he told the dwarf, ¡°Get a blanket. A soft one. A real soft one. ¡®Do not care which room you get it from.¡±


    Five minutes later saw Manny standing with Trixie in his arms. Once the sheet landed on her body, he deposited her into Eli¡¯s waiting arms. The way he tucked her into it was almost touching.


    ¡°Take her out into the sunlight,¡± Manny begged. ¡°She¡¯s not so bad in the day. Runes like hers work on sun and moon cycles. But...I trust no one else to do this.¡±


    Eli nodded and made his way to the steps.


    Behind him, Manny told the dwarf, ¡°I will¡ªI will clean up. Get some rest.¡±


    The dwarf hesitated. ¡°What if¡ªshe keeps asking to break the egg¡ª?¡±


    ¡°I am not breaking her fucking egg,¡± Manny snapped. ¡°You do not know her. She has got a bigger heart than Mother Nature. She would never want her egg broke. I am not breaking it.¡±


    ¡°But it¡ªwhat if there¡¯s a connection? What if it¡¯ll help her?¡±


    ¡°So I break it?¡± Manny asked. ¡°So instead of her dying, when she recovers, she will only wish she were dead?¡±


    At the silence after that he turned said to Slade.


    ¡°You helping or not?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯d you do to her?¡± Slade asked, her shattered tone sounded like someone else was talking. ¡°What¡¯d she ever do to you to deserve this?¡±


    A bucked scraped the floor when it was turned upright.


    ¡°She was stupid enough to think I could give her anything she wanted.¡±


    Eli took the steps two by two and used his shoulder to shove the door open.


    Manny¡¯s voice grew distant but was still audible when he said, ¡°Only a fool would love a vampire.¡±

 19 Or the Egg?

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    A day in the sun did wonders for Trixie¡¯s disposition, just as Manny¡¯d predicted. She no longer wailed. With no way to safely leave with her, Eli brought her back to her captor.


    But where Eli was instructed to lay her was beyond the pale. Instead of putting her on the dog rug set at Manny¡¯s feet, he stared the asshole down, willing him to combust.


    Manny finished smoothing out the hay. ¡°What?¡± he snapped.


    ¡°She¡¯s not a bird.¡±


    ¡°She is a fucking harpy. Close enough. And it is all we have got. Just put her here.¡±


    Eli studied that stupid grimace for ages. Finally, he came to a very serious conclusion.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what the fuck you¡¯re doing.¡± Everyone sitting at the massive wooden table gave no response. Eli couldn¡¯t believe the nerve. ¡°You kick off this shitstorm, and you don¡¯t know what the hell you¡¯ve done.¡±


    Manny looked up at him. ¡°Put her down and I will tell you what for.¡±


    Slade made her way around the table and sat on the floor next to the spot put out.


    ¡°E, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll sit down here with her. But...I can¡¯t touch her either.¡±


    ¡°You were right about him,¡± Eli said, ¡°he just wanted her gift of foresight. Even now, it¡¯s what he¡¯s hanging on to. That¡¯s why he¡¯s holding onto that egg.¡±


    Slade took to brushing the blankets off. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about the egg later. Here. Put her here. Now that her skin¡¯s dried, it¡¯s best on the ground. We can¡¯t leave her alone in a room. Harpies sleep high up. I¡¯ll sit with her,¡± she repeated. Her skin wasn¡¯t just dried, it was brittle and even cracking in some places.


    Maybe nobody else would show the harpy respect, but Eli resolved to when he lowered her. She curled up and Slade covered her bare body with the fabric she was wrapped in.


    Manny sat at the head of the table, looking down at her as if she were a prized pet.


    ¡°We will drain her rune,¡± he decided. He met eyes with Eli. ¡°But we cannot until she has...turned into whatever this is.¡±


    Eli gritted his teeth. ¡°How generous of you. But what gives you the right? So now after you¡¯ve forced magic on her she never wanted, you¡¯ll hold her down and extract it against her will?¡±


    Manny ignored him. His light brown eyes never left the harpy.


    Werewolves, now grateful for the silence, lined the walls. One face stood out against the rest, and not because of his fancy badges and designer cape. Lomos; that prick.


    Manny was his old self as he sat back in his chair, laughing. ¡°Surprised?¡±


    Eli grumbled, ¡°Mild compared to the word I¡¯d choose.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Manny laughed. He held his belly in the process. ¡°I think he was more shocked than you. Hell, as was I.¡± After reclining, he explained, ¡°I am there flopping around with Trix, about ready to eat my g¡¯damn arm off, I am so hungry. This was about...four years after it all went to shit. And suddenly this dog is following me around. And I am playing with it.¡± One leg over the chair arm, he tapped his head. ¡°Right? ¡®Cause I am not all there.¡±


    Eli¡¯s eyes gravitated to the hypocritical brigade captain who wouldn¡¯t even look at him. ¡°He got stuck in wolf form¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡± Manny¡¯s laughter had the room singing. ¡°Because his rune is loyalty and there is none when you do not serve your sovereign. Which is me. Ha!¡±


    Those words made Eli¡¯s lips part. Lomos was five years Eli¡¯s senior but...it couldn¡¯t have been true. Eli searched his memory for the timeline. When it occurred to him, he was stunned. Lomos wasn¡¯t serving Slade all this time, even when he was generous and understanding to her, it was in his sovereign¡¯s presence¡ªin Manny¡¯s presence. He served Manos and was too ashamed to admit it because none of Manos¡¯s wolves escaped the neutering. Except him, this mangy mutt.


    Lomos and Eli traded a glance. That meant one thing, his ability to walk around on two legs proved his loyalty to a fault. And Manny knew it.


    With Slade on the cold stone floor, as promised, patting Trixie¡¯s arm covered by the blanket, Eli decided to let things play out. At least they had Lomos¡¯s wolves...and maybe half of the wolf brigade here had pledged allegiance to Slade. Maybe it was enough. Their plan they¡¯d formulated before coming could still work.


    Eli dragged out the heavy wooden chair closest to him and sat. ¡°You¡¯ve said Legion was your landlord? And you want to break the covenant. To...to get back to how you were when you were alive. To go back to normal.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    His train of thought put Manny at ease. ¡°Maybe we will not be technically alive. But....¡± He cleared his throat and focused on Trixie. ¡°Not pushing women in the path of trucks either.¡± With a clap of his hands, he told Eli, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s in your best interest to do this¡ªto help me do this.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Eli lamented. ¡°No way it¡¯d be that easy.¡±


    ¡°Well no, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Manny confessed, ¡°Like with any gang, it is blood in, and blood out. But we just catch an unsuspecting drifter. Does not matter much if it is a Child of Rune or not. And slice him up. Drop his ass on the altar and we are set.¡±


    Eli sagged in his chair, defeat. The monster said it so casually like he¡¯d hardly cared.


    ¡°And then you¡¯d make a new covenant.¡±


    ¡°Right. One that uses something plentiful for currency. Like grass, or....¡±


    ¡°Or the sun.¡± Eli hadn¡¯t meant to make the suggestion, but he found himself playing along. ¡°Something that can¡¯t be extinguished.¡±


    Manny¡¯s smirk was slow but full in no time. ¡°I had considered that. But sun and moon deities are not easy to access. We would have to know which animal is bound to them.¡±


    He stared Eli down so intently that the werewolf nearly backed into his chair. ¡°That¡¯s a myth. We howl at the moon. But we don¡¯t have a connection to power that total. Nobody knows.¡±


    The vampire¡¯s eyes drifted to the harpy but so did Eli¡¯s.


    ¡°But Trixie,¡± Eli breathed out. ¡°Trixie¡¯d know the deities¡ªand which was best.¡±


    Manny shrugged. ¡°Sure.¡± He stretched his arms over his head. ¡°And once we are set, we are done. I would say the rabbits but all they do is fuck and die. So no. Though....¡± He grinned. ¡°The idea of crashing the hell out of that currency does make me hard.¡±


    Eli gagged. ¡°Right.¡± He paused. ¡°Wait, but a covenant formed and a covenant broken...that requires the original rune. Blood. Human blood you don¡¯t have.¡±


    ¡°Says who?¡± Manny smirked. He called back over his shoulder, ¡°Bring in Louis III.¡±


    Mouth agape, Eli stood when Lomos returned and handed Manny something Eli thought he¡¯d never see again. A baby. A human baby.


    ¡°Shifted.¡± Manny grinned. ¡°A werewolf shifted in the womb and forced out in human form. Isn¡¯t he precious?¡±


    Eli stood. Slade wasn¡¯t far behind.


    ¡°Brother,¡± Slade began but no other words came. ¡°Brother,¡± she said again.


    Manny cradled the child and smiled at it. He threw the child up and caught him again, eliciting a giggle. When his grinning fangs gleamed, that gummy grin faded, replaced with a frightened cry.


    ¡°Urg,¡± Manny handed him back without looking. ¡°Somebody catch this.¡±


    Lomos gasped. He arrived by Manny¡¯s side in time to rescue the baby from meeting the stone floor the hard way.


    ¡°Get it out of here,¡± Manny commanded. ¡°Don¡¯t need it disturbing the harpy.¡±


    When Manny met Slade¡¯s gaze, he said, ¡°We will bleed the harpy of magic once she has transformed. Then you, and I, we will feed off her rune.¡±


    Nodding, Eli said, disgusted, ¡°So you won¡¯t feel anything with hurting an innocent child. You fucking monster. No one¡¯ll stand for this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll stand for it,¡± Manny said, rising to his feet. ¡°You¡¯ll stand, you¡¯ll sit. You¡¯ll wag your g¡¯damn tail.¡± The room fell silent and he reminded them. ¡°Because loyalty is what was promised... Evelyn.¡±


    In a flash, Manny vanished. When he returned, he held Slade...and a butter knife. He brought it to her throat.


    ¡°She will not die, Evelyn. But rest assured, this wound will never heal either. I have no quarrel with her, with any of you, but if you get in my way....¡±


    The knife pressed to Slade¡¯s skin and Eli raised his hands. ¡°No. Don¡¯t do anything drastic.¡±


    ¡°Command him to stand down,¡± Manny ordered Slade. ¡°Now.¡±


    Eyes wild, Slade scanned the room and swallowed hard.


    Eli tensed.


    Do it. Please. He willed her to do the incantation to bring them all to Davenport once more. They¡¯d decided on it in that parking lot. That thing, whatever he was, must have known they¡¯d come back. He¡¯d be ready. He¡¯d definitely know how to subdue Manny.


    But Slade remained quiet, however, and Eli understood why she wouldn¡¯t¡ªthe egg was gone. But this was no time to be picky. Maybe they could come back for it somehow.


    At the silence, Manny grabbed a fistful of Slade¡¯s brown hair and yanked it back so far her head tilted.


    ¡°Do it. Now. Command him to stand down.¡±


    Rage lit through Eli and he decided to end this¡ªto end Manos right here, damn the consequence.


    He shot forward but couldn¡¯t move. Like a statue bolted to the floor, his feet weighed him down.


    Slade observed his distress and whispered the incantation louder. Everyone froze on the spot and she shoved Manny back and touched the floor. Once the spell was finished, the world faded to white.


    Eli blinked and blinked again. It took ages for him to focus. The first thing he saw was Slade¡¯s face which made him sigh with relief. He rushed her but she didn¡¯t greet him in kind. In fact, she looked horrified.


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡±


    Davenport waved at them from behind the counter of his shop. ¡°This is everyone. Just you two.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Slade rushed to him. ¡°No, there were...there were five of us in that spot. Me, Eli, my brother, Trix...and a dwarf.¡±


    The harpy eased off the counter and stood to his full height. He didn¡¯t answer so Eli held Slade¡¯s shoulder and explained instead, ¡°Anything with an active Legion can¡¯t come in, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Slade brushed his hand away. ¡°Manny didn¡¯t have an active Legion. I know my brother. That was him¡ªthat was his arrogance.¡± She turned to Eli and demanded, ¡°Why would Legion formulate how to break the covenant?¡±


    ¡°A Legion wouldn¡¯t,¡± Davenport offered.


    But Eli still wanted her to face facts. ¡°It was Manos. I¡¯m sure of that too, he looked me in the eye more than once. But ma¡¯am, when he had you, when he held that knife to your throat, he wasn¡¯t meeting eyes with me then. I think...I think when threatened, they come.¡±


    Slade backed away, fingers raking through her hair. ¡°And what about the rest? Huh? The wolves were too far away. But what about the rest.¡±


    ¡°Oh, one wolf was close by,¡± Davenport said. ¡°I took the liberty of subduing him. But he¡¯s the only one that came.¡±


    Both Slade and Eli turned to Davenport, disbelieving of the bastard¡¯s delayed info-sharing.


    ¡°Oh. Was I supposed to say that sooner?¡±


    Eli was the one holding Slade back now as he muttered, ¡°It would have been nice.¡±


    ¡°He was holding something, but it didn¡¯t come through. Sorry.¡±


    The baby. Slade made a sound but Eli was the one who wanted to cry. Lomos. They got Lomos but didn¡¯t get the baby.


    Eli found himself trembling when he turned to Davenport and asked a stupid question. ¡°If¡ªwhen humans were alive, did¡ªdid you cater to them?¡±


    The harpy gasped, clutching his collar. ¡°Oh, No. Of course, not.¡± He tapped the counter. ¡°Standard cloaking spell.¡± He leaned in and whispered, ¡°My shop looks small and shabby, but I keep it safe.¡±


    Body vibrating, Eli turned with his back to Davenport but faced Slade and met her gaze. She didn¡¯t dare vocalize it but he knew she understood.


    Either that baby had a Legion in him, which was unlikely, or...it was human.


    Slade brought both hands to her mouth. ¡°Trixie has a Legion?¡±


    ¡°Not just Trixie,¡± Elie confessed, ¡°how well do we actually know that dwarf?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t believe me about the Hindsight,¡± Davenport called out. ¡°Otherwise, I would have told you that answering his distress call was sort of...a bad idea.¡±

 20 A Bad Idea

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    Slade tried to ignore the fact that Davenport conveniently had a holding area on hand. It was a single jail cell, bars on all four sides. In the center of it, Lomos sat, posture and expression stoic.


    Other than the cage, there was nothing more in this open room. Davenport stood off to the side but Eli, next to Slade, watched the wolf brigade captain with contempt.


    After a full five minutes of silence, Slade hove a sigh. She supposed she would be the one to do this. A part of her had expected Lomos to be forthcoming, to even explain himself straight away without prompting. That didn¡¯t come to pass.


    Lomos didn¡¯t apologize, but he spoke first. ¡°What he¡¯s doing is just.¡±


    Eli bristled but Slade caught his hand, unsure what had gotten into him. Slade half wondered if Eli also had a Legion. Until now, Eli was thoughtful, conscientious, slow to anger, and open to hearing everybody out.


    Slade was unsure what had changed. When Eli¡¯s hand slipped around her waist, she regarded him in confusion.


    The man was putting his faith into her, akin to saying, You do it. I can¡¯t trust myself.


    But Slade could barely stomach it. When she regarded Lomos again, she saw the anguish tinging his cold exterior¡ªthis bothered the brigade captain greatly.


    ¡°How can it be just, Lom? He¡¯s going to kill a baby to break the covenant. You can¡¯t believe this is just.¡±


    Two brown eyes narrowed in on her. ¡°And what¡¯s the alternative? Vampires keep deteriorating into deranged lunatics?¡±


    ¡°What do you care?¡± Eli snapped.


    Slade held his hand on her waist to keep him calm. It worked. He slunk behind her.


    As painful as those words were, Eli had a point, what did a werewolf brigade captain care about the plights of vampires?


    Lomos watched her and she returned the gaze.


    ¡°What we are now is unfortunate, but we¡¯ve earned it,¡± Slade explained. ¡°To take an innocent life¡ªto...to take an innocent life for the sake of our own necks? That only solidifies my stance that vampires need not rise to power again.¡±


    Arms folded against his chest, Davenport watched on with a nod. Slade ignored his acknowledgement and instead tried to reason with the werewolf behind the bars.


    ¡°Think of what this is; this is barbaric.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Lomos scoffed, ¡°and what do you plan to do? How will you fix this? Every soothsayer and harpy within a hundred miles must know something about this. So long as the focus is breaking the covenant, I bet you any money they¡¯ll stay out. But as soon as the focus changes to stay in and rise to power again, bet your ass Children of Runes from coast to coast will bear down on that place.¡±


    ¡°We cannot really do that, though,¡± Davenport interjected, ¡°interfering with the will of Fate.¡±


    Lomos scoffed. ¡°No? Then how did these two end up in that mansion trying to steal back a harpy and her egg?¡±


    Slade came to Davenport¡¯s rescue. ¡°He¡¯d sent us back to the parking lot¡ª¡±


    ¡°At what time? A day later? The very moment we were sent to find you all?¡±


    Had it been a day later? It felt like mere hours.


    ¡°Wake up. People with the gift can¡¯t directly interfere, no. But they¡¯ll pull whatever strings they have to. And they won¡¯t be the ones in the crossfire.¡±


    Davenport eased off the wall. ¡°Now see here¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Slade told him without looking back. ¡°Maybe it was in your best interest but it was in our interest, too. So I don¡¯t care. Thank you for giving us a chance to go back there.¡± She stepped closer to the bars and begged Lomos, ¡°How do I stop him? How do I stop Manos?¡±


    Gaze cast low, Lomos shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t. He¡¯s got my wolves. He¡¯s got foresight from that harpy. He¡¯s even got an egg with a pure rune uncorrupted. As soon as that harpy¡¯s able to talk again, she will tell him what he wants. And he will break that covenant.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°He¡¯ll kill that baby, you mean,¡± Eli corrected.


    A hush fell over the room until Slade held the bars. ¡°You won¡¯t go against him, but we will. Is there a way inside? Could you tell us where they keep the child? You don¡¯t have to say much. Just give us a fighting chance. We¡¯ll go in and out quietly at sunup. It stings but I¡¯ll manage it.¡±


    Eli stepped beside her. ¡°We¡¯ll manage it.¡± He hesitated then said, ¡°I¡¯ll¡ªI¡¯ll contact some other wolves. We¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    ¡°The wolves are already here.¡± Lomos picked his head up. ¡°We were instructed to gather them. They think they¡¯re coming for some...some crusade to keep vampires suppressed. They¡¯ve come to rescue some primate.¡± He focused on Eli. ¡°Thanks to your father.¡±


    Swallowing hard, Eli breathed out. ¡°The gorilla.¡±


    ¡°Louis II,¡± Lomos corrected. He took interest in the floor once again. ¡°What Sovereign Manos said was right. A wolf¡¯s rune is his loyalty. And all werewolves from our time¡ªfrom your father¡¯s time had sworn allegiance to one vampire or another. Like that thing over there pulling the strings....¡± He used his chin to indicate the harpy. ¡°An indirect attack won¡¯t matter. But directly, we must show loyalty.¡±


    Floored, Slade whispered, ¡°The wolves provided the primate blood.¡±


    ¡°To the kings and queens of all the provinces, yes. In exchange for a little info here or there. And then they¡¯d rotate it around so no one would try to attack. And it was always a controlled amount. Sovereign Manos killed one¡ªactually killed it. He killed Louis II. That¡¯s going to send the wolves into a panic. They think there¡¯s another one in that manor. Why else would Manos get rid of theirs? He¡¯d have to have his own, right?


    That made sense. Only, they¡¯d storm the castle to find a human.


    Relief spread through Slade as she smiled. ¡°Good. We can ask the wolves¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. We can¡¯t.¡± Eli closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the bars. ¡°We can¡¯t ask the wolves for help.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Slade shoved him. ¡°We need all the help we can get. If there¡¯s a wolf army already gathered¡ª¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t say it, ma¡¯am. But I will. An ape they¡¯ll rescue, a baby that looks human,¡± he scoffed, ¡°a possible food source for vampires once more? A food source that would tip the scales of power once more in a vampire¡¯s favor?¡±


    That fluttering of hope vanished.


    ¡°They¡¯ll kill that baby anyway. And if the wolves won¡¯t, countless other Cha-Ru will.


    Cha-Ru, Children of Runes. Any and all feared man. Before the vampire numbers rose high enough, it was man who dominated the earth. Man who abused the earth, hunted her creatures, enslaved and raped their precious Children of Runes. No one wanted to see them roam again, not even Slade.


    ¡°He¡¯s mine,¡± Lomos said, fighting back a sob.


    His eyes shimmered and Slade stepped closer to the bars, hoping she¡¯d heard wrong. ¡°What?¡± When he didn¡¯t answer, she gritted her teeth to keep from screaming, ¡°You gave your child to a vampire!¡±


    ¡°He was safest with a vampire!¡± Lomos jumped to his feet. ¡°He¡¯s worth more alive to them than dead. That was the point. And no, I didn¡¯t want to do it. Everything in me said not to do it. But I ain¡¯t got no g¡¯damn ape. I ain¡¯t got access to one and the day my kid was born, I started losing runes. And if I¡¯m just a wolf, a single wolf in a sea of weres, how far could I bring him? I can¡¯t protect them on my own. At least the vampire¡¯d keep him alive. Four years after vampires became pariah, I got stuck in the wolf so deep I couldn¡¯t even recognize myself as a werewolf. But I gravitated right to my master¡ªright to Sovereign Manos. Six months later I shifted. After that, despite serving Sovereign Manos again faithfully for years, as soon as my son was born, I turned into a wolf for hours. That¡¯s why I chose and as soon as I did....¡± His breathing calmed and he sagged, rubbing his face. ¡°As soon as I did, I could shift. But the point was to keep my boy alive. And it¡¯d make no sense for them to feed on him so young. I figured it¡¯d buy me some time. The blood¡¯s more potent around teenage years. And if he¡¯d shift...maybe his wolf would answer and¡ª¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s human,¡± Eli explained. ¡°He can¡¯t shift, Lo. You¡¯re fooling yourself.¡±


    Lomos trembled when he said, ¡°No. He¡¯ll shift. He¡¯s a wolf. And once he does, it¡¯ll ruin his rune and his blood¡¯ll become as useless as any other werewolf.¡±


    He waited for them to agree but Slade couldn¡¯t meet his gaze. She had to say it though. ¡°He¡¯s human. He couldn¡¯t come through with us because he¡¯s human.¡± She asked Eli, awed, ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡±


    Eli often looked others in the eye when he spoke. Now, however, he looked back at Davenport.


    The harpy eased off the wall yet again and cleared his throat.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t realized why I want you two to be careful?¡±


    A pit formed in Slade¡¯s stomach and the bottom of her world fell out. Eli¡¯s jaw dropped. Lomos looked the most shaken.


    ¡°How?¡± Eli breathed heavy. ¡°How!¡±


    Davenport fought back a smirk. ¡°You¡¯ve never asked yourself why someone would neuter so many healthy werewolves en masse?¡±


    Eli trembled. ¡°Are you saying...her child and mine...?¡±


    ¡°Would have the same result? Yes. Oh yes. Werewolves tend to breed with werewolves. And a breeding with any other will lead to a werewolf. All except...a vampire.¡± He was quick to add, ¡°This was a stipulation of Legions convent.¡±


    Slade¡¯s breaths came shallower and shallower still. ¡°She knew.¡± Her eyes settled on Eli and she wanted to scream at her own Legion. ¡°That bitch. Four times, with four condoms. It was like she was testing me out¡ªseeing how far it could all go. Because she knew.¡±


    The calm that came over Slade didn¡¯t speak of peace of mind or tranquility. It came with her defeat.


    Lomos watched the ground as he confessed, ¡°I¡¯d prayed he was a wolf, but in the off chance he wasn¡¯t....¡± His eyes met Slade¡¯s. ¡°He¡¯s dead anyway. And at least...with the covenant broken, I could have more, and they wouldn¡¯t be vampire food. The next ones might be were instead. And if they turned out the same, maybe Cha-Rus would let them live. But from the start, this was lose-lose. But it¡¯s a chance I¡¯ve gotta take. I have no other choice. I can¡¯t lose them all. And it¡¯s me against the entire world.¡±


    A chill filled the room and Slade struggled with something to say. Not only had her world just been flipped inside out, she¡¯d been damaged beyond repair.


    ¡°And you have the same choice to make that I did,¡± Lomos said, voice cracking. ¡°Sacrifice the one and let him die peaceful and not grown up in some vampire clutch, sucked on day in day out by those parasites. Or go on the run and pray to all creation I can care for, feed, clothe, clean and protect that one child as one very weak wolf. Which would you decide? Because it¡¯ll be your problem eventually, too.¡±

 21 Decide

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    A hand grazed Slade¡¯s and she looked down to it as Eli interlocked their fingers. He was holding on. He was holding on but there was no sense now.


    Slade slipped from his grip. She couldn¡¯t bear to see his crushed expression.


    ¡°Then on the run it is,¡± Slade said. She met eyes with Lomos. ¡°You¡¯re not alone. You can¡¯t be the only one with a human child. Not if the combination is that direct. There must be more¡ªmaybe hiding. Maybe some werewolves have lost their rune to shift, but you¡¯re not alone. We¡¯ll help you. We¡¯ll do what we can.¡±


    Lomos didn¡¯t calm or otherwise look ready to take her up on the offer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to save him?¡± Eli yelled.


    ¡°Them.¡± Lomos told them, ¡°His mother¡¯s in that manor, too. And she¡¯s not walking away from this Scott free.¡±


    Eli calmed. ¡°Them,¡± he repeated, ¡°don¡¯t you want to save them?¡±


    That look of woe was all the answer they needed¡ªthe brigade captain was willing to humor them, but not for long.


    ¡°But now that you¡¯ve come and gone at will,¡± Lomos said, ¡°it¡¯s unlikely Sovereign Manos allows you to enter there again. If...if it¡¯s even him. Sometimes he loses time. And I know it¡¯s that¡ªthat thing inside him.¡± The way his skin reddened spoke of embarrassment. ¡°He even told me to keep my kid. But then the next day, he busts in and demands him. Like he¡¯s two different people.¡±


    Slade supposed that was an accurate depiction. Eli set his mouth to confirm it but there was no point so Slade shook her head and he backed down.


    Innocent lives were on the line. They needed to act now. Before that, she needed more information. If Trixie and possibly that...dwarf had a Legion, why didn¡¯t Manny already summon them?


    The word Legion meant an army, an infinite amount. Weren¡¯t they all the same? What if they weren¡¯t?


    She spun around to ask Davenport, ¡°Is my Legion special? Are they all distinct?¡±


    Davenport worried his lips. Eventually, he cocked his head. ¡°They are all the same.¡±


    But he kept on biting his bottom lip like he had more to say but couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°In every aspect? Even in motives?¡±


    After clearing his throat, Davenport repeated, ¡°They are all the same.¡±


    Eli stepped beside Slade but asked the harpy, ¡°Are all werewolves the same?¡±


    Davenport resisted. Eventually, he cleared his throat. ¡°Yes. They¡¯re all the same.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Slade regarded Eli in awe. ¡°You¡¯re clever.¡±


    Eli told her, ¡°At the courthouse, when yours awoke, she told Trixie to keep Mano¡¯s Legion suppressed if it awakened. Are they...are they even on the same team?¡±


    ¡°All wolves are on the same team, aren¡¯t they?¡± Lomos called from behind them. ¡°Maybe we don¡¯t think the same, but what benefits one, benefits the rest.¡±


    Slade tried to think through the confusion. She came to one conclusion, ¡°We need help. And if there¡¯s an army of werewolves gathered, that¡¯s where we need to be. They think they¡¯re acting in their best interest by saving a gorilla. Let them. As of now, that shifted in the womb crap is now our lie, too. We help them get in, get the baby and disappear into the night.¡±


    Davenport scoffed. It wasn¡¯t loud, or derisive but it was there and even Eli caught it.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Eli demanded.


    Wearing a weak smile, the harpy shrugged. ¡°Just the ease with which you lot speak. The word Legion is not coincidental. They are insidious. Meaning that every harpy is against you. Every vampire is against you. And as dwarfs carry no Legion, whatever that creature is, its lot is against you. You have a minimum of three races on your heels, metaphorically speaking. And let¡¯s not forget everybody else on the opposite side who means to make absolutely sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt that man does not return. We are against you.¡±


    Eli grabbed Slade¡¯s arm, inching her behind him.


    The harpy raised his hands. ¡°I mean you no harm. As of this moment, I do not. But look around you. You have no allies. From this way or the other, there is no winning for you.¡±


    ¡°Then what choice do we have?¡± Slade demanded. The fact that he gave no answer meant he had a proposal, one they wouldn¡¯t like. ¡°What is it you want from us? You¡¯ve allowed us to enter your shop twice now. How convenient.¡±


    Davenport¡¯s body looked bulky when he turned to eye them in profile.


    ¡°There is a way to cure...your plight. To ensure that you bear no human child. But you must do something for me.¡±


    As Davenport began to circle them, Eli turned to watch him, all while keeping Slade at his back.


    ¡°On what condition?¡± Slade asked. ¡°The human baby¡ª¡±


    ¡°A human baby can be given a covenant as well. That will make everybody happy. He¡¯s too young to bear an oath to become a wolf, and besides, wolves turn human, not the other way around. But there are other deities he can be offered to.¡± When Lomos tensed, Davenport added, ¡°Alive. That would make him useless to vampires, and unthreatening to the Children of Rune. Correct?¡±


    He¡¯d almost circled them. If not for that action, Slade would have jumped at the offer. The man reminded her of a vulture.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± said Slade. ¡°What do you want in return?¡±


    ¡°Oh. I think my request is more than reasonable.¡± Davenport came to a stop before her, smiling. ¡°More than reasonable.¡±


    With a snap of his fingers, the world went white, when it returned, all four of them stood by a light pole, the last one before reaching the forest.


    That wasn¡¯t all, the conditions, they pounded in Slade¡¯s brain. If the ghostly expression on Eli¡¯s face was any indication, he knew it, too. As did Lomos because he wouldn¡¯t make meet eyes with them.


    ¡°Are we in agreement?¡± Davenport asked.


    Eli reached for Slade¡¯s hand but she dodged his hold.


    Still with her eyes cast down, Slade muttered, ¡°Agreed.¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± Eli gasped. ¡°Let¡¯s think about this.¡±


    She returned his gaze but told Davenport, ¡°Agreed.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Davenport waved behind him. ¡°Because I¡¯ve gathered backup. The werewolves aren¡¯t far into the forest. You will bring these fighters with you as your own contribution.¡±


    A high-pitched sound closed in. It sounded like unfocused noise at first but grew into an unbearable screech.


    Body after body landed. If not for the robes they wore, no one could distinguish them from humans.


    Eli bristled. ¡°Banshees.¡±


    Long white hair cascading past his shoulders, their leader hurried to meet them.


    As with all banshees, he spoke in a whisper, ¡°We have arrived. Are we late?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Davenport gestured at Slade and company. ¡°And this is your charge.¡±


    The banshee turned to them and brought his right fist to meet his left palm as he bowed and greeted them in the old tongue. ¡°At your service.¡± He told Davenport, ¡°Had thought I¡¯d seen the last battle since the end of man. This is rather exhilarating.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t the only one in flight. The distinct buzzing sound to close in made Slade close her eyes. ¡°Please tell me I¡¯m wrong,¡± she begged.


    Eli patted her shoulder, but it was Lomos who swore under his breath, ¡°Not the fucking fairies.¡±

 22 The Vucking Fairies

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    Every ally to come their way was a creature of flight. The griffins were the last to arrive, right after the manticores.


    As impressed as Eli was, Lomos, at first with jaw dropped, leaned in to complain under his breath, ¡°How fucking old are these races?¡±


    Slade turned with her back to the mass of creatures, echoing the same sentiment as she muttered, ¡°I half expected to see a fucking wyvern at this point¡ªthat¡¯s how ridiculously old these runes are. Are they from the dawn of fucking time?¡± she screamed in a whisper. ¡°How are we supposed to fight Manny with spears and whips...?¡±


    She picked her head up, but Eli turned to meet her. ¡°Spears? How about rocks?¡±


    Marrow zipped by them. His shoulder clipped Slade¡¯s and she allowed herself to fall into Eli so the bastard fairy would feel some satisfaction. Davenport was who the fairy answered to when he said, ¡°The wyverns aren¡¯t coming.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Davenport didn¡¯t mask his disappointment well. He muttered under his breath, ¡°Mistake one for a dragon and they never forgive it! Curse them. Fine.¡± He extended his arms to Slade. ¡°Your army. Please do yourself a favor and do not step on any pixies. They are very hard to clean up after and the odor...well, that never really does go away.¡±


    Slade tried to pick up her foot to look but caught herself.


    ¡°Best if you amble,¡± Davenport advised.


    One thing was very interesting about these so-called volunteers¡ªnone of them looked like Davenport. Slade had held out hope that seeing a female of his kind, or perhaps another male, would narrow down his race for her. Nothing.


    They set off into the forest, Lomos too embarrassed to walk all that closely, so he went ahead.


    Slade wished she could disappear in there with him.


    ¡°He¡¯ll go in as a wolf probably,¡± Eli told her.


    Throughout the day, he¡¯d tried to hold her hand but with little success. Lately, he¡¯d been acting differently but now he was back to his old self because he didn¡¯t try more than a few times before giving up all together. Typical Eli.


    Despite their embarrassing army at their back, Eli¡¯s focus was elsewhere.


    ¡°Have you changed your mind about us?¡±


    Slade didn¡¯t think this was the time for this discussion. She didn¡¯t want to argue but his stance surprised her. ¡°You heard them.¡±


    Eli, still bare save for the kilt, dodged low tree branches as they went further in. As expected, most of their ¡®army¡¯ took to flying over them instead of venturing in on foot. All but the fairies who zipped here and there, and...Davenport. He had wings, of that Slade was certain, but they were...short. Even those she wanted to see.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡±


    Slade groaned. This wasn¡¯t the time. ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not looking to argue. I¡¯m looking for a reason to fight.¡±


    His words dragged her to a halt. If not for the others stopping as well, she wouldn¡¯t have walked on.


    As soon as she started to move, everyone else followed. Slade felt helpless. ¡°You¡¯d abandon this endeavor?¡±


    Eli didn¡¯t answer for some time. Finally, he said, ¡°Your brother¡¯s methods be forgiven, I don¡¯t know that he¡¯s wrong. He wishes to free you all. I...if he could use a wolf instead¡ª¡±


    Slade shoved him. ¡°Say that again,¡± she challenged. ¡°Open your mouth and say something equally as stupid.¡±


    But whatever aggression Eli showed others, he never turned it toward her. Today was no different.


    ¡°You need to be realistic,¡± he warned. They broke through to the clearing. ¡°You¡¯re a vampire, and I¡¯m a werewolf. I will die before you. We all know this. Why do you think werewolves stick together? You think it¡¯s some pride or bigotry? It¡¯s because at least a family¡¯s lifecycle will be synced. But if you¡¯d get a chance at freedom, then why not take it?¡±


    This time when they stopped and turned to one another, their so-called army overtook them and closed in on the wolves exiting various tents.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Think realistically. What do you want? What is best for you and your kind? What is best for us?¡±


    Slade willed him to shut up. As stern as she¡¯d made her glare, he ignored it.


    ¡°So give me a reason to fight,¡± Eli begged. ¡°Are we or are we not done as a couple?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t that obvious? Life and death hung in the balance and this was his concern.


    ¡°This is not the time¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the only time. We don¡¯t fight for our lives; we fight for our families. That¡¯s why solitary creatures like wyverns have no reason to come until something they love is threatened.¡±


    His challenge was sound and the words to confirm his fears should have been easy. She struggled to say them but all she could utter was, ¡°I don¡¯t trust Davenport.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. No shit.¡± Eli let out a sigh. ¡°You cannot give him Trixie¡¯s egg. It doesn¡¯t matter if he says it¡¯s for a collection¡ª¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    Eli drilled an index finger against his own temple. ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything at all! Putting the thought into our head is even worse.¡±


    Slade stared at Eli¡¯s chest, praying for any sort of distraction.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want whatever child I bring into this world to be food.¡± It was hard to see his disappointment in her admission of giving up on them but she endured it. ¡°And I don¡¯t want them to be vampires¡ª¡±


    ¡°Damn it. How much more self-hate can you display!¡±


    His shout had birds taking flight.


    Stunned, Slade gave no response.


    ¡°You are what you are. I am what I am. But you never accept it. You never accept what roles we play in this game called life. I have. I never fooled myself into thinking you never indulged. I never fooled myself into thinking you were different from your people.¡± Teeth gritted, he yelled, ¡°You are a vampire. You don¡¯t get the luxury to walk around brooding about the world being on your damn shoulders. You¡¯re a vampire. Act like it!¡±


    He stomped off toward the awaiting wolf pack.


    Act like it.


    Slade stared after him, feeling stupid. No. Stupid wasn¡¯t the word. When she finally took the steps needed to reach the werewolf camp, it occurred to her. Shame. He¡¯d shamed her.


    A gathering was taking place, one that the fairies organized. Marrow, along with several of his ilk, zipped here and there, calling the wolves to attention.


    ¡°Those vucking fampires. We all know how terrible they are. So we¡¯ve come to help you fight. And you couldn¡¯t ask for a more dedicated posse!¡± Marrow¡¯s gut practically dragged him down when he attempted to look stoic and regal. ¡°Night or day, we¡¯ll fight those vucking fampires.¡±


    One fairy chimed, ¡°Right. Vuck them! Vuck those fampires!¡±


    It was a chorus within a matter of minutes, one that had werewolves in kilts turning their heads to keep the snickers at bay. There was a reason the Fae were rarely called upon for a battle cry. Still, the wolves made no objection; some even managed to nod without smiling.


    Lomos was among them. He blended rather well as a wolf.


    Slade¡¯s intent was to catch up to Eli to see if he was serious about abandoning the fight. He half talked like he meant to help Manny, which was impossible. When she closed in on him, he cut her a glance then pretended not to see her.


    As small as that gesture was, she was gutted.


    She needed him; she couldn¡¯t trust anyone else. Trixie was gone, who knew if she was alive or dead. Lomos was acting in his own self-interest. Manny...was Manny. Eli had been her only constant.


    But maybe that was the problem. She leaned on him too much.


    The oldest of the wolves converged on the tent in the middle. Davenport made himself at home. Marrow shoved several others aside to get a more dignified entrance. Two fairies joined him. Creature after creature entered. Whichever were too big to go in, sent two pixies to represent their interests. Slade was all that was left. Lomos met her at the mouth of the tent. He shifted to a man and made himself presentable. Eli didn¡¯t join them.


    Instead, Eli stood before that tent, staring Slade down.


    Did he intend to make her beg? She¡¯d thought as much at first but it started to dawn on her that he was wrestling with what to do, if he should go in at all.


    Lomos looked between them then asked Slade, ¡°Ma¡¯am? Should we enter?¡±


    Much like a wounded animal hiding from sight, Slade drew her shoulders up and skulked into the tent. It was bigger inside than she¡¯d imagined. Magic could go a long way for the ones in power¡ªwerewolves. And considering that wolves weren¡¯t known for using magic freely, all of their runes were plentiful and rich.


    The last of the officials entered.


    ¡°That¡¯s everyone,¡± a pixie said in a baritone voice. ¡°The thunderbirds are represented by I.¡±


    ¡°The griffins by me,¡± another pixie said. Pixie after pixie called out their prospective charges.


    Slade thought to look back to see if Eli¡¯d come but she forced herself not to. Someone stepped beside her and tugged on her dress. Rigid, Slade waited for that familiar grip to slip into hers before she could breathe easier.


    ¡°Thought you had no reason to fight,¡± she muttered.


    Eli muttered back, ¡°That¡¯s always going to be up to you.¡±


    ¡°We have news,¡± a familiar voice thundered.


    The werewolf to have entered made his way toward them. Much like Eli, Slade remained rigid.


    Eli¡¯s father passed them by and joined the other five werewolf elders gathered around a small table.


    The fact that he was here wasn¡¯t as surprising as what he said next. ¡°There is no gorilla. We have it on good authority.¡±


    Marrow flew forward, vexed. ¡°Then what are we here for? Isn¡¯t this a raid to save a primate? That¡¯s why we¡¯ve gathered, to stop those vucking fampires from feeding and causing more trouble. They¡¯re dangerous. Everyone knows¡ª¡±


    Franklin Monroe put up his right hand and received quiet. ¡°That was our original thought. But we¡¯ve been informed of something bigger.¡± He scanned the crowd and said, ¡°There isn¡¯t a gorilla, but rather, a baby.¡±


    Slade¡¯s breath hitched. Eli squeezed her hand, urging her to calm down and play it off.


    ¡°And it¡¯s human.¡±


    Gasp after gasp sounded until all hell broke loose.


    ¡°Friends. Friends.¡± Franklin raised his hands. ¡°Hear me out. We must rescue this child¡ªwe must rescue him at all cost.¡±


    Several pixies disappeared, moving so fast the eye couldn¡¯t follow. When they appeared again, the one from the thunderbirds bellowed, ¡°The thunderbirds will not stand for this.¡±


    ¡°Calm.¡± Franklin still wore a pleased smile despite the utter hell breaking loose outside the tent if the stomps were any indication. ¡°It is a werewolf shifted in the womb.¡±


    Relief rushed through Slade and she glanced at Lomos who wouldn¡¯t look at her.


    Franklin beamed with pride and announced, ¡°Eli¡¯s child. My grandson. So we have to save him.¡±


    Eli picked his head up and zeroed in on Lomos who watched him defiant.


    His chest heaved and his tight grip was no longer for Slade¡¯s benefit; it was to keep him from killing a fellow wolf.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir,¡± Lomos said, looking Eli in the eye without a hint of guilt to the lie. ¡°I tried to keep your secret for as long as I could.¡±

 23 Keep your Secret

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    The excited chatter around them threw anger and elation from side to side. Eli barely held on. If not for Slade putting her hand around his waist and yanking him closer, he would have lunged at the brigade captain and bitten out his throat.


    Despite the buzzing chaos all around, they continued to stare each other down.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Lomos whispered. ¡°An army of werewolves is one thing. Look at what is out there. You two were the ones going on about keeping him. What¡¯d you expect!¡±


    Eli charged but a force slammed him down.


    Slade still whispered as she approached, muttering the commands to keep Eli on the ground. She crouched and rubbed his face then throat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind it,¡± she promised. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t either. It¡¯s for a good cause. Think of it. What would you do if it was ours? You¡¯d lie to any god¡¯s face to keep us safe.¡±


    Gut still roiling, Eli growled. He hadn¡¯t allowed his wolf to surface but the creature was poised and more than ready to rise up.


    ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± Franklin shouted, rounding the table to meet them. ¡°What have you done, vampire? What have you done to him? Let him up. Your jealousy is unwarranted here.¡±


    Slade put her forehead against Eli¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°If this can work, if human babies can find safety, think about what this would mean for us¡ªfor ours.¡±


    That sweet promise rushed through Eli, dragging any sense of rage out. Ours. She¡¯d said ours. Eli breathed out a low sigh and managed a nod.


    Upon being released from the incantation, Eli dragged himself up to stand and dusted himself off.


    His father beamed, boastful and proud. ¡°My boy.¡± He debated something but came to a conclusion. ¡°Were you trying to barter with them? Was that it? A primate in return for his freedom?¡±


    Eli cast Lomos a glance. The fear and desperation he found there had him telling his father, ¡°Something like that. Father, I¡¯m sorry¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. You should have come to me sooner.¡± Franklin shouted his praise. ¡°The first wolf from our family born after that tragedy. We must find him. We must protect him.¡±


    The thunderbird pixie zipped forward. ¡°If it looks like a human and smells like a human, the thunderbirds request permission to end it,¡± the pixie bellowed.


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Franklin glanced back at his fellow wolf elders and received solemn nods. All but one wolf lent support. ¡°A werewolf is a werewolf, no matter the form.¡± He considered something and told the pixie, ¡°We will retrieve the child. If he¡¯s been sired by a werewolf, no matter appearances, he must remain safe.¡±


    In a flash, the pixie faded then reappeared again. ¡°Thunderbirds repeat the previous request.¡±


    ¡°The thunderbirds are denied said request. My bloodline was nearly wiped out and I¡¯ll be damned to hell before I give up on my grandchild. Anyone to harm this baby is the werewolves¡¯ enemy and more than likely the enemy of all ground animals we can gather.¡± He searched the remaining ally¡¯s for help. ¡°We all knew this was a possibility. We all knew. As humans make up parts of so many of us, an anomaly here or there was expected.¡±


    Another pixie hovered before him. ¡°Yes. We all knew. And it was the decree by the wolves that stated to kill it on sight.¡±


    ¡°Yes...but...¡± Franklin blanched. ¡°I rescind that order. All wolves will agree to rescind it.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Eli said, unaware of where his own boldness came from. ¡°The vampires wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to take him if I could have presented him to everyone outright.¡±


    Franklin took a step back. ¡°You¡ªyou gave him to them?¡±


    Eli swallowed hard. Words rushed through him but all he could utter was the same defense Lomos used. ¡°Vampires would keep him alive. What choice did I have?¡± He scanned the crowd, getting far too comfortable with this act. ¡°Would any of you dare say you¡¯d have done things differently if you were in my place?¡±


    A collective silence fell over them until Franklin chuckled. It held little joy and more embarrassment but he struck Eli¡¯s back.


    ¡°Of course. Of course.¡± He calmed and focused on Slade. ¡°The both of you¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not mine,¡± Slade interjected.


    The collective sigh of relief wasn¡¯t lost on either her or Eli. If she¡¯d kept her mouth shut, they could have at least seen how things would play out. Eli regretted her arbitrary action but when he glanced at her and she shook her head, he nodded. This was the right action¡ªsaving that baby.


    Franklin took his son by the shoulders, pride dripping from his mouth as he said, ¡°All this...all this was for the right reasons. I¡¯d thought you¡¯d stolen it for...for her. You¡¯d thrown us away for her. I¡¯d hated you. Beyond words, imagination, I¡¯ve hated you. But to hear this, to hear this wonderful news....¡± He sucked in a deep breath and fell on one knee, head bowed. ¡°Forgive me.¡±


    The collective gasp was shared by Eli who hurried to help him up. ¡°No. Stand. Stand, please. I don¡¯t need any supplication. Please.¡±


    This was bad. And when his father stood and embraced him, Eli caught sight of Lomos¡¯s shock and he knew¡ªthis was worse than bad.


    Someone clapped¡ªmaybe Slade but within seconds the cheers filled the entire tent. Franklin nodded at all the hand-shakes and slaps on the arms he¡¯d garnered.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Save the congratulations,¡± Franklin said, ¡°and let¡¯s formulate a strategy to get the boy back unharmed.


    For the first time, Slade interrupted the talks. ¡°Send in an envoy,¡± she suggested. ¡°Let¡¯s try diplomacy.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense.¡± Franklin dismissed her with a wave of the hand. ¡°We have succubuses. They¡¯ll go in and scout for a night then tell us their movement. We go in, strike, and return.¡±


    ¡°Succubus?¡± Eli asked, feeling queasy, ¡°Is that a normal strategy?¡±


    ¡°When confronting a vampire? Of course,¡± Franklin answered with a laugh. ¡°They can put everyone to sleep and they are guaranteed to observe any vampire at close proximity.¡±


    Eli swallowed hard. ¡°But...they can¡¯t be seen by a couple with genuine affection?¡±


    ¡°Affection?¡± Franklin spat. ¡°It¡¯s a vampire. What affection? This is the most effective strategy and it¡¯s been proven again and again. We will send them without delay. Don¡¯t you worry, my boy.¡± Franklin slapped Eli¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This new grandfather will make it all right in no time.¡± His eyes settled on Slade. ¡°No offense, but we¡¯d rather not have a vampire here eavesdropping.¡±


    Within minutes, Slade was cast out. Eli and Lomos traded a glance.


    As the elders converged and strategized, Eli eyed Lomos.


    The werewolf finally snapped, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t work.¡±


    Lomos wouldn¡¯t look at him. Instead, he watched the table and the creatures there. ¡°Course it will.¡±


    ¡°Not on Manny. And not on Trixie. He actually likes her.¡±


    The way Lomos froze would have been comical at any other time. He rotated his head to look Eli in the eye. ¡°Impossible.¡±


    ¡°It was supposed to be impossible but I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s not gonna work. Any succubus sent in won¡¯t see him. They¡¯ll see the baby but that won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    Lomos backed up until he found the tent entrance. He slipped out. Eli kept his eyes on the crowd as he followed. Once they greeted the night air, he felt empty.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Eli asked.


    The wolf brigade captain sounded hollow. ¡°Go back and pray for forgiveness.¡±


    Considering that Lomos hadn¡¯t lost his ability to shift, Eli suspected that decision had never been far from his mind.


    ¡°Then go,¡± Eli urged him. ¡°Warn your brigade of what¡¯s to come.¡±


    Lomos at least looked pensive when he bowed his head, unhooked his kilt, and started off toward the forest. Once he shifted and ran into the trees, he faded from view.


    This was bad. Manny had more than an advantage, he must have had Fate on his side for so many favorable factors to fall into place. Did the Fates want the vampire covenant broken as well?


    A quick scan of the grounds gave no indication of where Slade went. She wouldn¡¯t be far. Once Eli found her, he had to convince her to think of their hides. Lomos¡¯s baby would only be safe until a DNA test came back. And what of the mother? Was she a vampire?


    He wanted to find a quiet place to talk to his father. But equally, he wanted to act like the man never existed. A familiar voice called his name.


    Instinct drove Eli to freeze but he regained his senses and walked on like nothing¡¯d happened.


    ¡°Eli,¡± Sarah called, dodging two playful wolf pups. ¡°Eli. You made it. I was afraid when I didn¡¯t see you at the gathering. I have so much to tell you.¡±


    As shitty as it would be to walk away, Eli considered that course of action. Finally, he let out a sigh and turned to face her. What was she doing here?


    ¡°Did you see?¡± Sarah took hold of his hands, at peace. ¡°Did you see my messages to you?¡±


    Since entering this misguided quest, Eli donned only a kilt. Now, despite that fact, he felt exposed.


    He was sure to take his hands back. ¡°How are you, Sarah?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you do remember me. What with me being your fianc¨¦e.¡± She wrestled with something then said, ¡°When did you arrive? Did you bring anybody else?¡±


    ¡°What exactly are you doing here?¡± Eli demanded. ¡°I¡¯d never imagine you in anything like this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a war, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°After Sovereign Sophie got arrested, things just came untethered.¡±


    ¡°War?¡± Eli scoffed. ¡°You do like to embellish.¡± He always hated that about her. But she didn¡¯t defend herself. There was no need. Her long auburn hair was cropped at her shoulders. Rather than her usual designer outfits, she wore a simple kilt and shawl that ended mid torso. If she wanted to sell that this was a time of necessity, she was going the extra mile. Now when Eli took in the packed campground, he tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. ¡°Why would you think this was a war?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s been announced. But this is a good strategic point but...I¡¯ve heard rumors, whispers. Vampires. Someone¡¯s said there¡¯s a vampire sovereign up there, and he¡¯s strong.¡± She looked from right to left and, upon finding no one, she whispered, ¡°They say he¡¯s fully powered. But Eli, how¡¯s that possible?¡±


    When she reached for his hand again out of comfort, he dodged her hold.


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± he said. ¡°As soon as possible. There¡¯s something I¡¯ve got to tell you.¡±


    Sarah¡¯s usual pale face shined radiant today. ¡°Me, too.¡±


    Eli prayed it was news of the same vein¡ªthat she found someone and was moving on. He had a feeling he wasn¡¯t going to be that lucky.


    ¡°You should talk to your father,¡± she said. ¡°He was worried about you. You were all he could talk about, even when we came here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Eli grumbled, ¡°I bet.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± He wondered when the best time was but concluded that the sooner the better. ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    When he repeated those words, Sarah¡¯s calm features showed ripples. ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve said that. And I have to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Me first,¡± Eli insisted. He couldn¡¯t meet her gaze so he stared at her throat then her chest then her throat again. ¡°You know...I hold you in high esteem. In high regard.¡±


    Sarah backed away, eyes wild. ¡°Why does this sound like a breakup?¡±


    Eli let out a held breath and said, ¡°I slept with Sophie.¡± The audible gasp conjured up guilt, but he summoned the courage to meet her blue eyes and confessed, ¡°And I¡¯m gonna sleep with her again. It¡¯s...when I¡¯m with you, I feel like I¡¯m betraying her. I....¡±


    Face twisted in fright and horror, Sarah took a step back. ¡°But...but.... Two weeks ago. Two weeks ago, we¡ª¡±


    ¡°That was her idea.¡± Eli confessed, ¡°She woke up beside me in bed and...and she freaked out. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t have any condoms left¡ª¡±


    The strike shut him up.


    Sarah trembled. ¡°You.... You and Sophia Dresden. Why do you keep fooling yourself? What kind of life is that supposed to be? She¡¯s a vampire! Basic law: wolves and vampires don¡¯t misx.¡±


    Her voice was loud enough to attract several eyes on them. Eli couldn¡¯t focus on her. Instead, he looked past her but answered, ¡°I love her. I¡¯ve always loved her. Hell, I only wanted to marry you because she chose you and this would prove my love for her.¡±


    On any normal day, her onset of tears would deter him. Today was different.


    ¡°And I regret being with you two weeks ago. I wasn¡¯t in my right mind. I was crazy. I was out of it. I can¡¯t say I even recognized you.¡±


    His tone wasn¡¯t harsh or forceful but the finality in his words tore a sob from her.


    What shocked him was how relieved he felt. He didn¡¯t feel guilty or...wrong. This felt right.


    ¡°But...but,¡± was all she could utter.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Eli said. ¡°But I don¡¯t love you. I never have. I never will. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t¡ªnot even slightly¡ªbut it seemed like the right thing to say. She, on the other hand, offered nothing to him.


    Instead of standing there gawking at one another, he resolved to find Slade and figure out what the hell their next move was. And more importantly, convey the fact that Manos Dresden was not to be underestimated.


    He turned to walk away but Sarah grabbed his arm. ¡°Eli....¡±


    Whatever she had to say died, swallowed down by the gasp when a strong hand came down on her shoulder. Eli suffered the same fate.


    ¡°Oh, so it is you!¡± Sarah¡¯s father said, beaming. ¡°Oh good. Did she ask you about naming the baby after me yet? Kinda surprised to see the one. Usually we have three or more but hey, I won¡¯t judge,¡± he promised, chuckling.


    Eli looked between them. ¡°Sorry?¡±


    Sarah¡¯s father was a heavyset man, graying at the beard and temples, so it came as a surprise to Eli that the man looked sheepish if not shy. ¡°What?¡± He asked his daughter, ¡°Does he not know yet?¡±


    ¡°No. I...we were getting to that.¡±


    Eli blacked out. That was to say, he blocked them out. He couldn¡¯t hear Sarah¡¯s coded pleas to not reveal the breakup, or her father¡¯s insincere apology. Instead, he thought back on one thing and one thing only.


    Davenport.


    And he¡¯d said it. He¡¯d said it and he was right. He saw this coming a mile away.

 24 I’m Not Sorry

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    Slade slipped from the tent with a sinking feeling. Lomos was a louse. That was her first thought when he¡¯d confessed to giving his first born to vampires to ¡®save¡¯ him rather than run like hell and live with the consequence of being a wolf for the rest of his life. But now¡ªjust now, she couldn¡¯t measure her admiration for him. And Eli...he was making quite a sacrifice.


    Now it was her turn. She needed to act like a vampire. And vampires didn¡¯t have doubts.


    This had to work. For there to be a future for vampires or even...humans. Her gut roiled again at the thought¡ªthe irony that her children would be what could save the vampires.


    It was cruel. She touched her own chest and waited. No signs of Legion. But Legion knew. That was why she¡¯d set Slade on a path to Eli. This was exactly why.


    ¡°Look! Look.¡± Two fairies floated close, peering at a smartphone video.


    They whispered amongst themselves then flew to the closest werewolf standing guard at the tent.


    ¡°We wanted to show you something,¡± the girl fairy said, giggling. She turned the video to the man who blushed.


    The male fairy held the female¡¯s shoulder and peered over her head to the werewolf. ¡°And guess what,¡± he said with a grin, ¡°only one of those wolves is a were.¡±


    Repulsed, the werewolf turned his face from them. ¡°That¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    Both fairies sagged. Their flying was a lot choppier as they watched him.


    They traded a glance with each other and the girl nudged the boy. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just shy. You ask.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± The freckles of the male fairy¡¯s cheek shimmered as he flew to the offended werewolf and held up the video. ¡°We wanted to ask you which one¡¯s which.¡±


    Wearing a cold expression, the werewolf stared through them.


    The male Fae tried again. ¡°Come now. We¡¯re all adults here. If you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Get that shit outta here, you sick fucks.¡± A slap of the hand sent the smartphone flying.


    When it landed, the girl fairy covered her face and broke into tears.


    ¡°You¡¯re terrible. Simply terrible!¡±


    Her male counterpart held her close and looked around for any help. ¡°Bully. This werewolf¡¯s a bully!¡± he cried.


    There was no flying for them after that. In fact, they limped once their other fairy counterparts rushed to them.


    Fortunately or unfortunately, the video landed at Slade¡¯s feet. The two wolves mating was on a loop. She groaned.


    ¡°Why me? Why¡¯d it have to land by me?¡±


    Marrow charged the tent, his wings picking up dirt due to the speed.


    ¡°Get out here,¡± he commanded. ¡°Bring your wolf leaders out here. We demand an explanation!¡±


    The werewolf to box the phone to the ground shared a glance with Slade¡ªthey both wanted to leave. That chance faded when a couple of wolves came thundering toward them. After shifting mid jump, they dragged on their kilts and rushed to intercept the commotion.


    The guilty werewolf drew himself up to his full height.


    Marrow gripped his cane, his eyes wild with anger and fury. ¡°Somebody explain what¡¯s happened! We demand it. Are we not allies against the filthy fampires!¡±


    Of the two werewolves to arrive, one was a woman. Instead of one cape, she had two. One she wore around her waist, the other around her shoulders.


    She was the one to find the video at Slade¡¯s feet. After viewing it, she was less-than-pleased. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±


    Marrow flew forward to investigate. He watched the video far too long before clearing his throat. ¡°I wonder who that belongs to. Surely you don¡¯t mean it¡¯s ours.¡±


    The two offended fairies clung to each other, both with tears in their eyes.


    ¡°And even if it was, what is wrong with it?¡± Marrow looked from one person to the next. ¡°It¡¯s got wolves on it. Seems likely it belongs to one of you.¡±


    Eyes squinted, the she-wolf cocked her head. ¡°But are you sure these are werewolves?¡±


    Marrow fluttered forward but caught himself and moved back. ¡°Are you saying one is not a werewolf? Or that they¡¯re both werewolves? How can you tell which one?¡±


    The eagerness of his words made the she-wolf bristle. Teeth gnashed, she opened her mouth to scream but Slade snatched the phone.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Sorry. This is mine.¡±


    A collective silence had her looking from the fairies to the werewolves, challenging either group to bring the all-out fight that was inevitable.


    The first werewolf, the one to box the phone, looked ready to confess but Slade shook her head.


    ¡°There¡¯s no sense. Right?¡±


    He took a step back. Although the two authoritative werewolves looked between them, the she-wolf focused on Marrow¡¯s smug expression.


    The fairy folded his arms. ¡°You heard her. If you¡¯ve got some sort of prude law, take it up with this filthy fampire.¡±


    ¡°That...won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the injured fairy couple asked in unison.


    ¡°But we¡¯re injured,¡± the male said. ¡°Look at our wings.¡±


    The she-wolf made a growl, much like Eli made before pouncing.


    Slade closed her eyes, sucked in a deep breath, and turned to them. ¡°Lovely fairies, are you sure those injuries were intentional? I promise you, you¡¯re mistaken.¡±


    All fairies in attendance gasped in one breath.


    ¡°Are you saying...¡± Marrow said, appalled, ¡°that we¡¯re making this up? That it¡¯s in our head?¡±


    That sinking feeling came back. Why couldn¡¯t she have shut up? ¡°Well¡ª¡±


    ¡°It was her,¡± the female fairy said, pointing. ¡°Of course, it was her. It makes so much sense now. She hypnotized him. She hypnotized him to hit us. Admit it. Admit what you did. Everybody loves us. No one would say even one bad word to us. So it must have been the hateful, hateful fampire.¡±


    To his credit, the werewolf to blame for all this stepped forward to counter the argument.


    Slade raised her hand to him and said, ¡°Yes. You are right. I hypnotized him.¡±


    ¡°String her up,¡± the male fairy hissed. ¡°She deserves to be strung up in the sun.¡±


    ¡°You come with us,¡± the she-wolf said, leading Slade away. ¡°Right this way, vampire.¡±


    ¡°Are you gonna string her up?¡± the female Fae demanded. ¡°Let us see it. Let us see it so we can be well!¡±


    ¡°Rest assured,¡± the she-wolf said, looking back, ¡°she¡¯ll get what¡¯s coming to her.¡±


    They left the now satisfied fairies and closed in on a score of wolf pups and she-wolves tending to them. That¡¯s where Slade saw her¡ªSarah. They made eye contact only once before she hurried to her feet and asked the male werewolf walking with them, ¡°Is Eli here?¡±


    After receiving a nod to the main tent, she set off. Slade didn¡¯t bother watching her go.


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± she asked the she-wolf.


    ¡°What you did was stupid,¡± the woman admonished. When they were close enough to the forest, she let Slade go. ¡°But I won¡¯t forget it. Stay out of trouble here with the witches.¡±


    Witches? Slade glanced to her right and saw them, six blindfolded women huddled together. They were attended by two of the younger witches who still retained their sight.


    Slade hated being around witches as they were rather creepy. She was almost tempted to take her chances with the Fae. At least those jackasses she understood.


    But witches? How was she supposed to trust people who willfully blinded themselves by a certain age?


    Someone stepped from the tent closest to them and called out, ¡°Ladies, we¡¯re ready.¡±


    Davenport.


    When he caught sight of Slade, he looked about ready to run.


    He stopped the first witch from entering, whispering, ¡°Can we do this at a later time?¡±


    ¡°There is no later time,¡± the hag drawled. ¡°This is the witching hour. Take it or leave it.¡±


    The harpy¡ªfaux harpy¡ªdebated her words then nodded. After all six were in, the two young witches guarded the entrance.


    Slade wanted to inquire about their dealings but the she-wolf took her leave.


    ¡°Tri Xe,¡± someone muttered.


    ¡°Tri Xe?¡± Slade gasped. She stepped forward to investigate but the two witches took on a defensive stance.


    ¡°Try it, vampire. There is no stronger hour for us,¡± one warned.


    ¡°Yes, but....¡± Slade heeded their words and stepped back. Maybe she¡¯d been wrong. But she knew that name.


    ¡°Three daughters three,¡± the chant started from within the tent.


    Thunder rumbled and clouds rolled in.


    A spell. A powerful one at that.


    ¡°Come on, ladies,¡± Davenport cheered, ¡°you¡¯ve almost got her. Summon it again! Get the offspring as well.¡±


    Helpless, Slade waited. The first drop of rain had the werewolves scrambling for shelter. Slade didn¡¯t move¡ªit would only last the length of the spell.


    A harrowing scream broke through the night and she gasped. She knew that voice. There was no mistaking it now.


    Trixie.


    ¡°Almost there, ladies. Put your backs into that chant. Come now!¡±


    Lightning struck close by. Slade flinched.


    And just like that, the storm ebbed and cleared. With that calm came the cries. ¡°Break it. Save Trixie, break it.¡±


    ¡°Trix.¡± Slade wanted to rush to her but the two witches took on a fighting stance.


    Trixie¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t the only sound in that tent. ¡°Where is it? Where is the egg?¡±


    One witch drawled, ¡°We...don¡¯t t¡¯ake the un¡¯born.¡±


    ¡°Unborn?¡± Davenport huffed and puffed. ¡°It was an egg.¡±


    ¡°Un¡¯born is un¡¯born. Keep the harpy. You¡¯re lucky to have her.¡±


    Another hag snickered. ¡°Ain¡¯t no harpy no more.¡±


    There was a chorus of laughter as they shuffled out.


    One of the younger witches helped guide them.


    ¡°Mother, how was it?¡±


    The hag adjusted the blindfold and chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re about to see one of the most powerful beings slaughtered tonight. My only regret is not having eyes to witness it. But the Fates demand blood for such a change. Gather the rest. The fight is soon.¡± The hag caught her daughter¡¯s arm. ¡°Do not trust the ones with wings. Especially the Fae.¡± When the woman didn¡¯t leave, the hag asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°But....¡± She glanced at the tent then her mother again. ¡°But if that¡¯s what she is, couldn¡¯t she heal you? Couldn¡¯t she heal everyone here? Give you your power and your sight?¡±


    Rotten teeth bare, the witch laughed. ¡°Of course. But magic requires sacrifice and that price is too high. Do not allow anyone to touch that thing. This will be a glorious night¡ªone for the history books.¡±


    When they finally shuffled away, Davenport exited the tent looking haunted. He met eyes with Slade but said nothing as he walked on, face twisted in a scowl. The night hadn¡¯t gone as he¡¯d expected.


    Trixie.


    Slade meant to rush that tent but a commotion from where she¡¯d just left drew her focus.


    ¡°This is business for the sovereign,¡± the witch warned. ¡°Best you go to it. This one¡¯ll keep. That won¡¯t last for long.¡±


    The witch still stood on guard so Slade made a hard choice and hurried to quell whatever bullshit the fairies had wrought.


    Instead of the Fae, what she saw was werewolves¡ªa sea of them.


    ¡°What in the hell...?¡± Slade marveled at their numbers. Screams and cheering from the center of the compound fueled her footsteps. If she were wise, she¡¯d keep her presence a secret. Instead, however, she followed her intuition and lurched toward the cheering.


    Men in kilts as far as she could see, and none interested in letting anyone pass.


    The two wolves in the center of it stalked one another. Both were naked, sans their capes but despite that, Slade¡¯d know that wolf anywhere.


    Eli.


    Teeth bare, Eli growled. The equally pissed wolf on the other side of the little ring made Slade curious. Its smaller size and double cape meant it was female.


    She charged. Eil rose up on two legs and boxed her aside. The next strike was met with equal gentleness despite the bared teeth.


    A thought occurred and Slade gasped. ¡°Sarah.¡±


    The female darted after him again, as did Eli who used his head to box her aside. He looked like he was play fighting.


    Sarah was playing for keeps.

 25 Resolve This, Sovereign

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    Franklin, Eli¡¯s father, jumped in, ripping Sarah from Eli¡¯s throat. The cut was shallow and he held them both by the backs of their necks and commanded, ¡°Shift.¡±


    Eli complied but Sarah took a lot longer to revert back into a woman again. Once they stood and made themselves presentable, Franklin looked between them. Finally, his eyes settled on the one wolf who gave no support within the tent, Sarah¡¯s father.


    ¡°Come now. Must it really be like this?¡±


    Clutching her left shoulder, Sarah lumbered to stand by her father¡¯s side.


    A large gust of wind had Slade guarding her eyes when a griffin landed close by with a thud.


    It twitched its head and a pixie zipped to them, ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±


    Franklin hesitated then admitted, ¡°We have a marital dispute¡ª¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no marital dispute,¡± Eli said, ¡°Because I¡¯m not marrying her.¡±


    As with all pixies, it zipped forward, back, right then left, like an easily distracted hummingbird. ¡°The raid starts at sunup. We do not have time for this. Resolve this dispute.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a marital dispute,¡± Sarah growled, ¡°only a sovereign can resolve it. And this one caused the dispute.¡±


    Slade took her cue. Well aware of the eyes on her, she made her way to the couple in question.


    She didn¡¯t want to do this, not now, not publicly.


    Sarah¡¯s father watched her, unmoved. ¡°You are the sovereign, you blessed this marriage, you will see it carried out.¡± He shouted, ¡°Call the witches. We¡¯ll perform the ceremony now.¡±


    No protest came from Eli. Instead, he met Slade¡¯s gaze. If he was waiting for her to come to his rescue, it¡¯d be a long wait. She couldn¡¯t do this for him. He had to decide on his own and he had to decide on what he could live with. Lomos just dropped a child into Eli¡¯s lap, one that needed protection. Maybe if he explained it to Sarah, they could come to some agreement. Was it really fair to put her feelings above that innocent life?


    The witches¡¯ arrival meant she had to decide upon that quickly.


    Three of the four witches, two blinded and one guiding them, shuffled into the clearing. Once they arrived, the lead witch Slade recognized as the one to do the incantations, grinned up at them.


    ¡°What do you need, werewolves?¡±


    ¡°A marriage,¡± Sarah¡¯s father announced. He stared Franklin down, daring him to challenge it.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Franklin seemed desperate to do just that. And why wouldn¡¯t he? As far as he knew, Eli¡¯d already chosen someone, someone who guaranteed he¡¯d have a bloodline. No, wolves weren¡¯t encouraged to go from wolf to wolf, but werewolves...they adhered to some strict laws on pairing. There were politics involved and a seasoned politician like Franklin Monroe would want assurances about what he perceived to be his living grandchild before agreeing to any contract, verbal or otherwise¡ªeven a marriage.


    But he couldn¡¯t say that without revealing the truth about the raid being for a baby¡ªa human-looking baby.


    ¡°Marriage we can do,¡± the witches agreed.


    ¡°I refuse,¡± Eli declared. ¡°I absolutely refuse.¡±


    Sucking in some spit with her laugh, the witch grinned. ¡°Foolish werewolf, your oath to your sovereign is absolute. A vampire sovereign need no permission from either of you to solidify this pairing. And so long as that sovereign hasn¡¯t broken any promises, the oath and your obligations therein remain intact.¡±


    Slade swallowed down her automatic pleas for clarity. She wasn¡¯t a good sovereign, not because she didn¡¯t try, but because she hadn¡¯t been properly thrown into the role. Manny¡¯d become incapacitated. All traces of humans had vanished. Overnight she received her title as sovereign based on the simple fact that her mother had been sovereign and her grandfather before that. It wasn¡¯t something she earned and understood perfectly, it was just something she fell into.


    Her lack of motion had the witch¡¯s grin fading. ¡°Why do you hesitate, child? Give your command to wed them and I will make it so.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Eli met eyes with Slade and pleaded. ¡°Don¡¯t. Please don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°If she wants to maintain the oath sworn to her by all werewolves who follow her, she will,¡± Sarah¡¯s father said. ¡°Break one promise¡ªa promise this big, and it¡¯ll be a domino effect. Every wolf sworn to your reign are dissolved of that oath and you¡¯ve got nothing and no one. No protections.¡± He challenged, ¡°Would you do that¡ªrisk that, over one wolf?¡±


    He was right. That was foolish.


    Sarah waited, but Eli shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t he,¡± he repeated. ¡°I¡¯ll never forgive you if you do this.¡±


    But doing this was best. He and Sarah could give that child a home.


    The witch waited, everyone waited. Slade opened her mouth to give the order, ignoring Eli¡¯s begging.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am...¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Slade said with a gasp. Her own words shocked her. ¡°I can¡¯t allow it.¡±


    Leaning away the witch warned, ¡°Nothing is finalized yet. You will lose all claim to the wolves¡ª¡±


    ¡°I finalize it,¡± Slade said, cutting her off.


    Eyes closed, Eli held his knees and braced himself forward.


    ¡°No,¡± Sarah wailed. ¡°No. You cannot back what you¡¯ve already offered¡ªnone of you can!¡± She thrust a finger at Slade, ¡°Readjust your words or you¡¯re an enemy of every werewolf in this country.¡±


    Slade already felt like the enemy of everyone.


    ¡°No one will follow you in this raid,¡± Sarah reminded her. ¡°This is your doing.¡±


    ¡°Zaza¡¯ll follow you,¡± the she-wolf said, stepping forward. ¡°As will Bowen.¡± She looked from Slade then back to Sarah again. ¡°I¡¯ve traveled far to reach here, looking for a good cause. This is the first sovereign I¡¯ve seen who takes the blame for a werewolf.¡± She fell to one knee, fist to her chest. ¡°Zaza follows you, Sovereign.¡±


    The glow about her spoke of a strong rune. Slade stared at her, humbled beyond words.


    What was more amazing was how many wolves the she-wolf alpha commanded. Nearly half in attendance, some of Slade¡¯s former werewolves dotted in.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Slade said, ¡°I¡¯m deeply moved.¡±


    ¡°At your command, Sovereign,¡± Zaza said. ¡°What would you have us do?¡±


    Upon recognizing the accent, Slade breathed easier, ¡°You¡¯re from North Africa?¡±


    ¡°Vampire clutches in my area are acting erratic. They¡¯ve lashed out against us enough that our oaths dissolved. So...we set out.¡±


    Because what was a guardian without someone to guard?


    ¡°No,¡± Sarah moaned. ¡°No! This isn¡¯t fair. I¡¯ve waited two years.¡± She leapt, shifting as she landed.


    Teeth bared, the beast eyed Slade with malicious intent.


    ¡°Zaza,¡± Slade said, being sure not to make any sudden movements, ¡°tell your wolves not to interfere. I won¡¯t die if she bites me, and she¡¯s got every right to lash out. Is that understood?¡±


    ¡°But...you¡¯ll take on damage.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take on damage,¡± Slade repeated, not caring all that much. ¡°So I¡¯ll take on damage.¡±


    Sarah struck and Eli¡¯s wolf landed in front of hers. This time the bite in the throat was sizeable enough.

 26 The Harpy’s Revenge

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    Blood dripped everywhere as two werewolves hefted Eli into the open tent. Franklin cleared the table and instructed them to hoist him up.


    Two more werewolves dragged in a struggling Sarah, covered only to mid-thigh by her capes.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± she cried. ¡°He had it coming.¡±


    Slade continued to press what remained of Eli¡¯s cape against his throat. ¡°Throw her in chains. We don¡¯t have time for this. Emphasis on the throw.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Eli gasped. The blood came faster. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant.¡±


    For one week, Slade had not heard from Legion. She blamed that thing now for why she lost time and only regained it when Franklin screamed at her, ¡°Vampire. Didn¡¯t you hear me!¡±


    Blinking, Slade looked down. She¡¯d dropped Eli¡¯s cape.


    Pregnant. Sarah was pregnant.


    Imaginings of Slade ramming her finger into that wolf bite and yanking it open further with her bare hands came and went.


    When Slade regained her composure, she told Franklin. ¡°Take her out of here. Gently. And gather the witches. They¡¯re the closest thing we¡¯ve got to healers.¡±


    Several werewolves nodded. Slade prayed the witches were useful. Other than Trixie, there was no one who might have that power.


    Half an hour later saw Slade staring down at her bloodied hands.


    ¡°She¡¯s pregnant,¡± played in her head on a loop.


    It was there when the witches snickered and informed her that although a female¡¯s bite was smaller, it was life-threatening.


    ¡°She¡¯s pregnant.¡±


    That thought was there when the young witches asked to force Eli to shift out of wolf form.


    Pregnant.


    And it was there when one witch finally said, ¡°I¡¯ve done the best I can but he¡¯s going to die if you don¡¯t find a better healer.¡±


    Pregnant.


    Slade pulled her eyes from Eli¡¯s ragged frame. They¡¯d found a blanket to put over him but little else.


    ¡°Trixie.¡± The word came in a gasp.


    ¡°The harpy?¡¯ the young witch asked.


    Her mother cackled, ¡°A harpy no more.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the only one with enough runes to save him.¡± Slade hesitated. ¡°But...but I want to go alone.¡±


    A row of rotten teeth greeted her when the witch scoffed. ¡°He¡¯s got two bodies. What is that? 400lbs? How you going to move him exactly? Or should I bring her here?¡±


    ¡°No. Definitely no.¡± Two werewolves still remained and Slade instructed them to heft up the body.


    The sheet dangled as they followed after her. Upon reaching that tent entrance, Slade called out, ¡°Trix. Is that you? Trix, I¡¯ve come with Eli. Could I...could I maybe come in?¡±


    Nothing. No response. No matter; they couldn¡¯t wait.


    ¡°Put him on the floor inside quickly and see yourselves out. No matter what you see in there. Have I made myself clear?¡±


    It was a chorus of, ¡°Yes, Sovereign.¡±


    ¡°She is not the sovereign of us and that is my son,¡± Franklin bellowed. ¡°I will see to it he has a healer.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Five minutes later with no other prospects, Eli lay on the ground and the last of two werewolves¡¯ kilts disappeared outside the tent flap.


    Before Franklin could step in, the witches blocked his path. ¡°No. This is for her to do. And her alone,¡± one witch said.


    Another agreed, ¡°Yes. As this is her doing, she must undo it.¡±


    ¡°Get the hell outta my way, hags!¡± Franklin demanded.


    While a commotion started outside, the atmosphere inside the tent was serene and solemn.


    ¡°Trix?¡±


    What was left of the harpy¡¯s wings resembled gnawed off bones jutting from her back. Trix sat turned away from her, naked and uncaring, her knees to her chest as she rocked.


    Slade wanted to inquire about her well-being. Eli¡¯s situation wouldn¡¯t allow it.


    ¡°Trix. It¡¯s Eli. I need to heal him. How can I heal him? Can you help?¡±


    Body still bent, Trixie continued to rock forward and back. This wasn¡¯t uncommon for her.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Manny? You¡¯ve allowed them to steal me from him.¡±


    Her hoarse voice pained Slade even now. ¡°It¡¯s Eli,¡± she corrected. ¡°And he¡¯s...it¡¯s not good. Can you help him?¡±


    There was a glow¡ªa shine to Trixie that made it easy for the eyes to follow no matter how dark the tent was.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Manny? Will you bring me back to Manny?¡±


    Manny was no good for her.


    ¡°I will. Sure, I can do that,¡± she lied. ¡°I will do it. But Eli¡ª¡±


    ¡°Screw Eli. What about what you¡¯ve promised me! You¡¯ve promised me friendship. I follow you; you respect me. You¡¯ve taken me from Manos. How is that respectful?¡±


    What little was left of her thinning hair whisked with her motion. ¡°Bring me back to Manny. I want Manny.¡±


    Slade paced herself.


    ¡°Of¡ªof course, I will promise¡ª¡±


    ¡®Then promise.¡±


    ¡°Of course I will¡ªI do. I do promise.¡±


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°But Eli¡ª¡±


    ¡°When? When will you bring me back to him? Did he ask for you to take me away? Is he coming? Is he not coming for me?¡±


    It was unlikely. It was beyond unlikely. Maybe he needed her for her ability to talk to Legion but now that they were separated, he was likely to abandon her and cut his losses.


    This was going nowhere fast. ¡°Trixie, Eli, he¡¯s¡ªhe¡¯s hurt.¡±


    ¡°Because his girlfriend is pregnant and fed up. Yes. I know already. But I¡¯m asking you about Manny. What of him? Did he ask you to take me away?¡±


    Slade calmed enough to play her game. ¡°If you can see it all, then you can see that.¡±


    Trixie turned her face to the wall, her voice muffled. ¡°Powers have changed. Can only see backwards when someone¡¯s around. This rune¡¯s corrupt.¡±


    Eli coughed but it was weak.


    Slade stifled a gasp. ¡°Trix, please. Eli came back for you.¡±


    ¡°He wanted nothing to do with me. In fact, he was going to abandon me and take you away. Why should I help him?¡±


    ¡°No. He wouldn¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°I can see it,¡± she insisted. ¡°Are you calling me a liar? The only liar is you because you keep breaking your promises. You don¡¯t care about me.¡±


    Between the bouts of anger and the tears, Slade preferred the anger. This sudden crying was something else.


    ¡°Please. Help him,¡± Slade begged.


    ¡°And what if I do? Will you bring Manny here? Will you allow him to come here?¡±


    Here? Allow? He was the sovereign; he could go wherever he wanted at this power level. The fact that he hadn¡¯t come after her on his own was already telling.


    ¡°You are not a good friend,¡± Trixie said.


    Big talk from someone allowing a man to die at her feet.


    Slade closed her eyes and asked, ¡°Can you help Ei?¡±


    ¡°Of course I can help Eli. It¡¯s not hard.¡± She turned to peer at Slade through two wide purple orbs. ¡°But if you want him alive, you¡¯ll bring Manny here. Swear it? Swear it on Eli.¡±


    Slade¡¯s lips parted in awe. ¡°What? You¡¯d put his life as payment?¡± she marveled.


    The silence meant just that. Trixie was serious.


    Eli¡¯s hand in her grip was weak and frail.


    At first hellbent on refusing, Slade nodded and conceded defeat.


    She opened her mouth to agree but Eli used the little strength he had left to squeeze her hand. ¡°Tail,¡± he gasped. ¡°Tail.¡±


    Tail?


    But what could this dying werewolf see that a vampire couldn¡¯t? Swallowing hard, Slade blinked three times but saw nothing strange.


    There was no tail. There was nothing. Harpies had tails. Even without feathers, there should be some remnants of it.


    ¡°He¡¯s dying,¡± Trixie growled. ¡°Will you give me what I want?¡±


    As authentic as that voice was¡ªthose words were, Slade looked into Eli¡¯s dimming eyes and took a leap of faith.


    She trembled when she said. ¡°No. I will promise you nothing.¡±


    Trixie tensed. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. My friend would never put demands on me. You¡¯re not Trixie.¡±


    The graying body before her contorted and flexed. Whatever it was crawled on four legs until its sharp teeth brushed Slade¡¯s cheek. Being a creature with hypnosis, Slade knew better than to look at it head on.


    ¡°What I am, is impatient.¡±


    Slade stared through it. ¡°Davenport. I don¡¯t know what you are, or how to kill you yet, but I¡¯m through with your games. If you can heal him, you heal him. If not, go to hell.¡±


    Nothing happened for some time. When the flap of the tent opened and the harpy walked in less than pleased, Slade felt insignificant in this creature¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Begone,¡± Davenport commanded. The creature shrunk down and scampered away. He let out a sigh and stared down at Eli. ¡°I cannot heal him. But that promise could have.¡±


    Eli¡¯s grip loosened from his weakened state and Slade felt numb. Till now, she¡¯d never truly faced the idea of an existence without him. She forced herself to meet the bastard Davenport¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°You want the egg this badly?¡±


    Davenport worried his lips then confessed, ¡°Enough to turn this world upside down to get it.¡±


    ¡°Then do it,¡± Slade challenged. ¡°Turn the world upside down then.¡±


    Her words wiped all amicability in his voice away. ¡°You do not want me as an enemy.¡±


    ¡°I do not want you as a friend either.¡±


    This was a bluff. She prayed this thing needed Eli alive as much as she thought he did.


    ¡°It¡¯s a one-way trip,¡± he warned. ¡°And on the other side, you and I will clash.¡±


    ¡°Leave me here now,¡± Slade promised, ¡°and we are clashing regardless.¡±


    With a kiss of his teeth, Davenport turned his head and raised his fingers. ¡°I warned you.¡±


    A snap sent the world into a white haze that faded on the steps of the mansion.

 27 I Warned You

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    Once Slade readjusted her vision, she hurried to help Eli up.


    ¡°E. Hang on. E.¡±


    A wolf came bounding toward them. It jumped and shifted. Lomos recoiled at the sight of them.


    ¡°How¡ªhow¡ªI¡ªI ran for miles. How are you two here?¡±


    Slade pleaded, ¡°Get Eli. We¡¯ve just made an enemy who¡¯s smarter than us.¡±


    Lomos fixed his kilt and tucked his head under Eli¡¯s arm. ¡°Come on. Walk with me. Move them legs. Come on.¡± He twisted his head, partially shifted and let out a howl. Once he was back to normal, he assured them, ¡°The boys¡¯ll come.¡±


    And they did. Six wolves accosted them and shifted. They got Eli as far as the top of the steps before a barrier forced them to stop.


    ¡°Can¡¯t bring in wounded?¡± Lomos asked.


    ¡°No, sir. Sovereign Manos swore Eli and her would be back beat up. He said to let them die, sir.¡±


    Another werewolf interjected, ¡°But there¡¯s no telling if he was serious.¡±


    Groaning in the back of his throat, Lomos started down the steps again. ¡°Of course he was serious. How convenient if one of us gets gutted, there¡¯s no way to come back here.¡± Once they reached the bottom, they hurried to drag Eli to the base of the stone staircase. A metal door came into view with the shifting of some branches.


    Lomos banged.


    The peep latch slid open.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Lomos waited.


    Bolts after bolts sounded and the door creaked open. The face there had Slade frozen.


    Margarite had the grace to blush as she bowed her head. ¡°Sovereign.¡±


    She held the human baby close with both hands.


    ¡°No time for pleasantries,¡± Lomos said. ¡°We have to get him into the main house. That dwarf¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fuck the dwarf,¡± Slade said, overtaking him. ¡°If it¡¯s even a real dwarf and not something else. So that means it¡¯s useless for healing. We need Trixie.¡±


    All men, including Lomos, slowed in their efforts to find Eli fast help.


    ¡°The harpy?¡± Lomos asked. ¡°Must it really be her?¡±


    Slade nodded.


    ¡°Shit.¡± Lomos swore under his breath a second time, ¡°Shit.¡±


    Margarite blocked their path. ¡°Lo,¡± she begged, ¡°don¡¯t challenge him¡ªManos is...he doesn¡¯t bluff.¡±


    Her words resounded; Lomos looked ready to give up. In time, he glanced at Eli, blood still dripping down his body, then her yet again.


    ¡°I need all the loyalty runes I can get. Doing this isn¡¯t an empty gesture. He¡¯ll owe me one. Maybe¡ªmaybe if shit goes south and I¡¯m stuck in the wolf, this rescue can earn me some magic. But we have to do something. And we¡¯ve gotta do it fast or he¡¯s as good as dead.¡± He hefted more of Eli¡¯s body weight onto him and instructed the other men there, ¡°Clean the blood and two of you stay with Marg and the baby. Don¡¯t leave ¡®em, even if I call. You pretend you didn¡¯t hear it.¡±


    A chorus of, ¡°Yes, sir,¡± sounded behind them once Lomos brushed Margarite aside and slid the metal door open. He gave her a fleeting glance.


    These steps even outnumbered the ones at the main entrance.


    ¡°Emergency escapes,¡± Lomos explained, ¡°and only two of them in the entire house.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I remember. Wait, there are two?¡±


    The wolf brigade captain continued to drag Eli on his own. A time or two, Slade tucked her head under Eli¡¯s other arm and tried to help but ultimately she slowed them down. Lomos¡¯s rune was on full blast because he scaled those steps with ease, Eli barely able to move on his own.


    ¡°That room where you locked us. Do you remember? It¡¯s similar to that. I can take you to Sovereign Manos but I¡¯ll warn you, he¡¯s...even before you lot came and dragged me away, he¡¯s been...strange.¡± They reached the top step and Slade flung open the door for them. ¡°Whatever primate he¡¯s drunk from¡¯s got him strung out. The Monkey God¡¯s not one to mess with. Word has it he doesn¡¯t appreciate his apes being food. Sovereign Manos even killed one. I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. So brace yourself for when you¡ª¡±


    A force slammed into him, sending Eli sliding to the ground.


    Slade recovered from the shock to find the dwarf twirling a metal chain.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have come back,¡± the dwarf warned.


    ¡°The dwarf...¡± Lomos marveled.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Dwarf my ass.¡± Slade took on a fighting stance.


    Lomos jumped up and landed as a wolf. He shed his cover and bared his teeth.


    ¡°Barbra¡¯s the name.¡± The dwarf smirked. ¡°Call me whatever you like,¡± she said. ¡°But I made my covenant. Legion promises me everything I need.¡±


    Eli wasn¡¯t far but Slade feared more for this confrontation.


    ¡°Lomos,¡± Slade called, ¡°can you get him to Trix?¡±


    As a wolf, he couldn¡¯t answer but his head turning to her meant he disagreed with leaving her alone.


    ¡°No one¡¯s moving. No one¡¯s going anywhere,¡± Barbra warned. ¡°Not until¡ª¡± She froze. All aggression faded from her stance when she folded her arms. ¡°So you¡¯ve come back?¡±


    Slade prayed she was wrong, ¡°Legion.¡±


    The dwarf puckered her bearded lips and regarded Eli with a pout. ¡°And he¡¯s hurt.¡±


    With this tactic, Slade was ready. ¡°And you need him.¡± Barbra didn¡¯t budge but Slade wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°Because I¡¯ll rip out my womb and leave myself to fester if you think I¡¯m going to bed another man than him much less another werewolf.¡±


    Barbra swung her head back around to face Slade, her big brown eyes holding a challenge.


    ¡°Same ole wishy-washy Sophie.¡± Letting out a snort, it said, ¡°Perhaps it is us who should give up on you.¡±


    Slade glanced from Barbra to Eli then back again. She made a final decision.


    ¡°I¡¯m on your side if you heal him.¡±


    Lomos growled but Slade ignored him.


    Barbra eased her stance, more than interested in the offer. ¡°We cannot heal¡ªthis vessel cannot. But we know how. Are we agreed you will do nothing to help your brother¡¯s efforts?¡±


    Resolve set, Slade nodded. ¡°You have my word. How can I help him?¡±


    The dwarf bowed and said, ¡°Agreed. Then we are set. The solution is quite easy. And it will heal anything within a hundred-mile radius.¡±


    Slade lost patience. ¡°What should I do to help him!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already helped him by entering this structure. If you want him recovered,¡± Legion¡¯s voice wavered. ¡°Break the egg.¡±


    The dwarf blinked. She regained her senses and held the linked chain up. A moment later, she lowered it. ¡°So you¡¯re on our side now?¡±


    Lomos shifted to a man and snatched up his kilt. He wouldn¡¯t look at Slade as he reached for Eli.


    ¡°Stupid,¡± he muttered. ¡°You¡¯re making deals with a deity you don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s stupid.¡±


    Slade helped him. ¡°You¡¯re one to talk.¡±


    Lomos whistled for two more werewolves to join them. As they took to carrying Eli, he asked her, ¡°And how you gonna convince the boss to break that egg? It¡¯s like he thinks it¡¯s his.¡±


    Slade nearly slowed in her stride at those words. No. Trixie wasn¡¯t that foolish. Her obsession with Manos Dresden ended fifteen years ago with a kick to the back for trying to spare Slade from the whip. No. No. Absolutely no. No. This was a mistake. It wasn¡¯t that.


    They found Manny sitting in the dining area, staring down at an emaciated Trixie who quivered on the floor whispering in her sleep.


    ¡°Break it. Save Trixie.¡±


    Eli landed on the table as did Slade¡¯s hands shortly after. ¡°There¡¯s an army ready to take your head and you¡¯ve got few allies, I need your help.¡±


    Manny¡¯s gaze never shifted. ¡°Hello to you, too, sister.¡±


    ¡°Eli¡¯s never done you any harm,¡± Slade entreated. ¡°And he needs help.¡± She hesitated then asked, ¡°Have you¡ªwill you...?¡±


    Scoffing, Manny smiled though he didn¡¯t change his posture. ¡°Will you look at that? The holier than thou Sophia Dresden asking me to kill an offspring for her own benefit. The offspring of her friend.¡±


    ¡°An offspring that you helped make,¡± Slade challenged, praying she was wrong.


    Manny said nothing.


    Each breath Slade took left her queasy, but she couldn¡¯t back down. ¡°And one that was not invited.¡±


    ¡°Then you do it.¡± Manny tore his gaze away from Trixie and met eyes with her finally. ¡°Since it¡¯s so easy. You do it.¡±


    Slade¡¯s heart pounded. She had nothing to say.


    Manny¡¯s look of ennui shifted to fury in the blink of an eye. ¡°Because it¡¯s so easy to never get your hands dirty! That way you can judge and look down your nose at others! I asked you for help granting us freedom.¡±


    ¡°At the loss of an innocent life.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Because all things difficult should come with a clear conscience.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fucking neck you put in the noose, brother. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t respect you or your damn choice.¡±


    Manny stared her down for ages. Finally, he stood and crouched down to trace Trixie¡¯s nearly bald head, ¡°Harpy?¡±


    ¡°Save Trixie,¡± she begged. ¡°Please save Trixie.¡±


    ¡°And how can I do that, harpy? You¡¯re falling apart.¡±


    ¡°Will you save Trixie if Trixie tells?¡±


    The vampire watched the path of his fingers. ¡°You want me to break the egg.¡±


    ¡°Break one,¡± Trixie begged. ¡°Save Trixie. Break one.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s only one,¡± Manny snapped. The way she flinched had him quieting. It took a considerable amount of effort on his part. He finally asked, ¡°If I break it, will your pain stop?¡±


    ¡°Pain stops, everything stops. Everything repairs.¡± A boney hand reached up to touch her right shoulder. ¡°Wings... they were lovely wings.¡±


    ¡°You look better without them,¡± Manny lied.


    ¡°Three weeks,¡± she muttered, shrinking in on herself. ¡°Three weeks.¡±


    No one understood what that meant but Manny played it off as he left her there on the floor.


    ¡°All right, harpy. You rest here. But you must remember you asked for this.¡± He held her in his sights for a moment longer. ¡°I¡¯ll break it.¡±


    Trixie caught his hand before he could comply. ¡°Thank you for her,¡± she said. A tear escaped the swollen slit of her left eye. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Her feeble hold held Manny captive for a long while.


    Finally, he patted her face. ¡°I¡¯ll be back, harpy. I¡¯ll bring the cracked egg to you. Swear it.¡± He managed a chuckle. ¡°Least I got my egg. But you said harpies did not lay ¡®em.¡±


    Trixie¡¯s twisted expression amounted to a smile eventually. ¡°A lied.¡± One sniff wiped all amusement away. ¡°Figured you¡¯d hate it.¡±


    Manny opened and closed his mouth several times before finally giving up. He stroked her face, then her cheek and said, ¡°You look sweet all transformed up. So let¡¯s finish it, ¡®eh?¡± The next tear had him putting their foreheads together. ¡°You look sweet.¡±


    The lies were coming incredibly easy. She looked a fright. Anyone could see that. Even Slade, her biggest champion, couldn¡¯t bear to look at her for long.


    When Manny stood, he stared Slade down.


    Too ashamed, Slade couldn¡¯t meet his gaze.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I should do this for nothing,¡± Manny said. ¡°Allow me to drain the runes in the egg.¡±


    Disgust stole Slade¡¯s protest although she couldn¡¯t say if she was disgusted with herself. The sight of Trixie on the floor there made her lose most of her fight. Was it even Trixie or was it a Legion? Was this really her choice? And once she was back to normal, if she could go back to normal, would she have wanted this?


    The fact that Manny was on the fence but Slade wasn¡¯t worried her to no limit. This wasn¡¯t right¡ªnot when they didn¡¯t understand it.


    ¡°I have a rune stone,¡± Barbra said, digging through her satchel. ¡°Sucks runes right out.¡± She paused then handed it to Manny. ¡°Can put runes in too if you need a bit extra. Got some left.¡±


    More magic for vampires meant less compassion. He could do his job without worry.


    ¡°Red for out, blue for in,¡± the dwarf explained but Manny¡¯d already put the stone to his throat.


    He winced, an action that had Slade trembling.


    She needed to save Eli. She needed to save him.


    Manny faded from view then returned, the large egg in hand. Slade expected it to be something plain, but instead it was ornate. The color was light green, an intricate design swirling around it.


    ¡°Brother....¡± Slade began. ¡°Brother...¡± was all she could manage despite her so-called convictions.


    But Manny looked her in the eye when he held the egg up.


    This was wrong. Maybe Eli¡¯s fate was already sealed.


    Slade took one step toward her brother, but he put the stone against the light green shell. Ten seconds later, it cracked.

 28 Ten Seconds Late

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    ¡°No.¡± Slade gasped. ¡°Please no.¡± Hands at her mouth, she bit back a sob. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No sense crying over it now, sister,¡± Manny said, meeting her gaze. ¡°The only thing lost in all this was something you¡¯d never have to see.¡±


    Eli coughed, curling into a ball.


    Lomos and other werewolves rushed him but Slade didn¡¯t feel worthy.


    ¡°Trix....¡± Shame robbed Slade of the ability to meet eyes with anyone. For Eli...she¡¯d thrown away every conviction for Eli. She was no better than any of them. Two hands under the table, Slade flipped it despite its massive size. It slid to a halt at Manny¡¯s feet. They were all the same. Even her.


    Slade stepped before him. ¡°Brother....¡±


    Manny tilted his head back and let out a sigh. ¡°Here it fucking comes. What now, you sanctimonious brat? You just saw it for yourself. Whatever¡¯s happening won¡¯t stop unless that egg is crushed. You¡¯re the one to lord your ¡®humanity¡¯ over me at every turn.¡± He gestured to the floor. ¡°Look at her.¡±


    Slade wouldn¡¯t dare. Instead, she stared at her brother¡¯s chest, pleading, ¡°Don¡¯t use the rune inside it. Let¡¯s...let¡¯s bury the remains. Let¡¯s respect it.¡±


    The sadistic vampire gritted his teeth and shrugged. ¡°Would it be terrible to consider eating it?¡±


    Eyes bugged, Slade screamed, ¡°It¡¯s a life. And until twenty minutes ago, we had no confirmation that it was life that you helped create!¡±


    Manny cocked his head to the side. ¡°All the more reason not to put it to waste.¡±


    She didn¡¯t dignify that with an answer. Instead, she stared the bastard down.


    ¡°Kidding,¡± Manny said with a chuckle. ¡°Mostly.¡±


    This terrible situation couldn¡¯t get much worse.


    ¡°Oh, and Barbra,¡± Manny said, ¡°you¡¯re no longer needed here.¡±


    The dwarf explained, ¡°Um, it¡¯s...Barba-ros, sir. Barba¡ª¡±


    ¡°Like I give a shit,¡± Manny said, grinning at her actual naivete. ¡°I need this rune relic a bit longer but your job is done here.¡±


    A pouch appeared in her hands moments later.


    ¡°Then I should be liking the relic back. After you bleed the harpy of power, of course. That is what Legion wants. A basic extraction incantation is all it needs. I¡¯d say make sure she is compliant but...that¡¯s not always necessary, if you know what I mean.¡±


    Manny raised his right eyebrow at her. ¡°Scandalous.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. If¡ª¡±


    ¡°Good, good. You may go.¡±


    Barbra glanced from him then down to Trixie again. ¡°You don¡¯t need me to look after her?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Manny squeezed the rock in his fist. ¡°Not with the egg broken.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Barbra sighed with relief. ¡°I wasn¡¯t gonna say nothing about her body her choice but it¡¯s good to see you¡¯ve come around. Respecting women¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yeah. What the fuck ever. Christ. Give you the time of day and you turn into some street preacher. Move.¡±


    The stunned expression on the dwarf¡¯s face faded with one sound.


    Crack.


    That one little fracture too many stole all the life from the room.


    Barbra¡¯s jaw dropped, her breaths came shallow. ¡°You son-of-a-bitch. What have you done?¡±


    ¡°Three weeks,¡± Manny said, bringing the egg close. ¡°She was right.¡±


    He pocketed the stone and held the egg with both hands.


    It cracked again.


    Slade backed away. ¡°What the...?¡± Eyes wild, she focused on Manny finally. ¡°You haven¡¯t stolen its rune?¡±


    ¡°Gave it rune,¡± Manny corrected.


    ¡°From where?¡± Slade protested. ¡°You¡¯ve got none.¡±


    ¡°From me. Three weeks¡¯ worth.¡±


    The egg broke yet again. That was what he was doing all this time.... He wasn¡¯t absorbing runes into himself, but rather, extracting it. For...for this.


    Crack.


    Manny never took his eyes off it. ¡°You know how we have that stupid bastard in our heads that keeps wanting to do one thing while we want to do the other?¡± he explained. ¡°I got to thinking, maybe she¡¯s got something like that. Maybe we all do. Some sort of deity¡ªor a piece of one that¡¯s all about survival. Yeah, she speaks in third person sometimes. But never that much. She couldn¡¯t say I or...or me. And she always could before. Just save Trixie. Well, she said three weeks and I think she meant for me to hatch this thing.¡± He looked less sure when he met Slade¡¯s gaze. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Barbra moaned. ¡°No. You fool. No. Legion won¡¯t stand for this. No one¡¯ll stand for this. Legion won¡¯t stand for this.¡±


    She lost power, her body limp as she rotated to face them.


    ¡°You have Legion¡¯s attention. What is your end goal?¡±


    Manny smirked. ¡°I think we both know....¡± He held out the nearly shattered egg, ¡°I¡¯ve got more than just your attention, old boy. Shall I prove it?¡± He glanced at two werewolves hovering beside the dwarf and they caught hold of her arms.


    As Manny approached, she twisted and cursed, ¡°Stop. You have no right.¡±


    ¡°What was it you said?¡± Manny teased, ¡°A basic rune extraction incantation. Whether or not someone¡¯s compliant. Bet you wished you¡¯d chosen better words right about now.¡±


    Amazed, Slade watched Manny¡¯s careful advance as he muttered.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Blue dust seeped from the dwarf, curling around her in a swirl. Still holding the egg out, Manny arrived close enough to hold her forehead with his left hand. The dwarf lost power and sagged.


    ¡°Amazing,¡± Manny marveled. The cracking came faster. ¡°It just eats up runes like it¡¯s nothing. And not just runes...but gateways.¡±


    Slade¡¯s body jerked. She looked down at herself, confused. Her chest jerked again.


    Leave. Get us out of here before he seals us off! Leave. A vampire with no Legion is no vampire! Leave. You¡¯ll have no power without me.


    Once Manny was satisfied with his incantation, he told the werewolves, ¡°If she moves, end her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sovereign.¡±


    Manny turned his sights on Slade and her body trembled. ¡°What¡ªwhat are you doing brother?¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem to know. ¡°It¡¯s a chance for you. Do you want it?¡±


    But she didn¡¯t know what it was.


    ¡°I wonder why it does this,¡± Manny marveled. ¡°And...somehow I know, just holding it, I know how to use it. Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡±


    Two white wings spread behind him and Slade gasped. A head peeped up along with it.


    ¡°Legion,¡± the voice called.


    Eyes wide, Manny went rigid. He couldn¡¯t see what was behind him but Slade could and she struck Lomos to get him in motion. ¡°Get Eli.¡±


    Lomos complied but gasped. ¡°Sovereign. He¡¯s healed.¡±


    ¡°Get him up,¡± Slade said, refusing to peel her eyes off the winged beast huffing behind her brother. ¡°Evelyn Monroe, rise up.¡±


    Eli obeyed like a puppet on a string. If he was healed, then he should be able to run, though that couldn¡¯t take him far.


    Manny meandered when he turned, ever cautious but eager. Upon seeing what became of Trixie, he gaped, amazed, ¡°Harpy. You....¡±


    Brown hair now blonde, Trixie stared at him behind the curtain of yellow which hung before her. The horns were gone, replaced by a golden circle of horn fragments which drifted around above her head. She was fortunate to be wearing clothes, but they were still harpy garb, and nothing for the creature they beheld.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you are?¡± Manny said, smiling. ¡°You¡¯re an ange¡ª¡±


    Trixie backhanded him, sending him flying across the room.


    She flapped her wings and gave off a terrible shriek as she climbed higher into the air. Her hands held flames and she made a fist and zoomed down the open corridor and into the courtyard.


    Slade and Lomos raced to the yard in time to see the angel rise above Manny¡¯s barrier and head for the forest, burning trees and anything else below her path.


    Morons! Absolute morons! You''ve let it out. You idiots have let it out! Get Manos up. He¡¯s the only thing that can stop her now.


    Slade ignored Legion and turned to ask Lomos, ¡°What the hell did I just see?¡±


    The werewolf still watched Trixie¡¯s path. ¡°I thought they weren¡¯t real. If angels are real, does that mean dragons are real?¡±


    ¡°At this point, I¡¯d even believe in Santa Claus.¡±


    Trixie didn¡¯t get far at least. Instead, she circled one area, setting the forest aflame.


    Manny groaned as he braced himself on his left forearm. He still held the partially cracked egg. ¡°My Legion says we can stop her.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure we should?¡± Slade tore her eyes away from the growing forest fire. ¡°Between an angel or a Legion, isn¡¯t it best to trust the angel?¡±


    The angel is also a Legion, you stupid fuck. You¡¯ve just unleashed a destruction you can¡¯t comprehend. Take the egg with you. Put it against any part of her bare flesh.


    As Legion explained, Slade found her own lips moving as she explained it. She looked to Manny for help only to find him speaking in unison with her.


    ¡°Any part of her bare flesh touched by that egg will neutralize her. But you best hurry. She¡¯s not what you think she is and she¡¯s unstoppable the longer she runs wild!¡±


    Once the stark warning ended, Slade and her brother still remained where they stood.


    Manny sighed. ¡°At this point, my panic button¡¯s broke. What¡¯s your excuse, sister?¡±


    ¡°Honestly,¡± Slade confessed, ¡°I¡¯m not moving till I get more information. Or at the very least a sweet deal outta this.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Eli whispered. He staggered toward Slade. ¡°What Legion is.¡±


    His knees gave out and he crumbled to the ground. Barbra looked down at him with a sigh. ¡°Did this asshole honestly just faint after saying that? What is that, five words? And he couldn¡¯t have just led with ¡®Legion is such and such?¡¯ He¡¯s fucking useless.¡±


    As much as Slade hated to admit it, she agreed with the dwarf.


    Screams rang out and Lomos said, ¡°Sovereign Sophie. She¡¯s heading for the army camp. There¡¯s a lot of innocent people there.¡± He turned to add, ¡°And fairies.¡± Worry made his voice shaky. ¡°Best we get this under control before it morphs into something we can¡¯t contain. We can get there fast. We¡¯ve got a car¡ª¡±


    But a car engine roared to life and tires screeched shortly after. Lomos rushed out onto the steps and gasped. ¡°Marg.¡±


    Slade ran down the steps with him. ¡°Fucking Christians!¡±


    Lomos shifted and broke into a run. He caught up with the car but his attempt to leap in was met with a swerve. Margarite took a sharp turn, revealing the baby still firmly in one arm. She was desperate, desperate enough to put her son¡¯s life at risk.


    ¡°Lomos, it¡¯s no use,¡± Slade called. ¡°We have to find a different way. Find the closest open field nearby. We need horse-power.


    ¡°Whatever it is you¡¯ve got planned,¡± Barbra said, yanking two large daggers from behind the back of her. ¡°I¡¯m in.¡±


    Slade turned and hurried to her. ¡°No. You stay here and look after Eli.¡±


    ¡°The hell I will. I¡¯m looking to fight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s gonna be pretty hard without blood.¡±


    Barbra¡¯s stupefied expression faded when Slade grabbed her by her beard then shoved her head back. She bit into the dwarfs throat, savoring the warm liquid in her mouth made her feel full.


    By the time she stopped, she dropped the dwarf with ease.


    Manny had already taken pieces of Trixie¡¯s bed and used it to secure the egg to his torso. When he saw them, he paused and asked, ¡°What? I¡¯m not letting this outta my sight.¡±


    Lying on the floor withering, Barbra cussed, ¡°Fucking vampires. No one can trust you.¡±


    Slade scoffed, ¡°Says the woman with an active Legion in her.¡±


    ¡°That was a trick! I was tricked. All I did was answer a damn ad.¡±


    The dwarfs blood was a base rune so that meant a slow reaction time. The moment Slade could float, she rose up and sent off, screaming, ¡°Lomos. A field.¡±


    The first family of centaurs lounging in the night air that Slade saw, she snatched up a branch and took a running start. She jumped and landed on the stallion. The animal bucked, showing its non-appreciation.


    ¡°What in the devil?¡± The centaur protested. ¡°Do you mind?¡±


    Whack. Slade slapped the stick against him with all her might. It got the thing in motion but not without vocal discomfort.


    ¡°You crazy piece of shit! What are you doing?¡±


    Slade landed a backhand when it tried to look back at her. It worked. It faced forward and she grabbed a handful of hair and used it to steer him.


    ¡°E-yah!¡±


    ¡°E-yah, my ass. Fuck you. Get the fuck off me.¡±


    Whack. The next one after that brought a change to the centaur who settled on pleading. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Just stop hitting me.¡±


    Whack.


    ¡°I need to catch that angel,¡± Slade explained, urging him on with the heel of her feet. ¡°Now.¡±


    ¡°Angel? What in Sam hill¡ªwho? When did we suddenly have angels?¡± Upon seeing Trixie¡¯s destructive path, he slowed to a trod. ¡°Whoa. We are not going there.¡±


    Another whack got him to move.


    Lomos wasn¡¯t far behind. They found the limo partially in a ditch, engine still on, door wide open.


    Margarite didn¡¯t even waste time with common sense precautions.


    Baby still in her hands, the half-vampire ran, screaming at Trixie.


    It seemed impossible that Trixie could hear from this distance, but she paused in her fire-making long enough to regard her.


    Wheezing from the exertion, Margarite got to the top of the hill and held her child higher, begging, ¡°Please bless him. Bless him, please.¡±


    Trixie wasn¡¯t listening, at least not at first. When Margarite knelt and began to pray, the former harpy turned midair to regard her.


    It was doing something, and Slade prayed it¡¯d keep on doing that something until Manny could get close enough. Chances were, with him already using up three-weeks¡¯ worth of runes, he wouldn¡¯t risk flight. He was heading their way in another car by now.


    Trixie¡¯s fire stopped. In fact, she looked almost pleasant as she lowered to the hill.


    The sight of Margarite holding her baby up at the angel descending should have been a pleasant sight but Slade struck the centaur and gained speed.


    ¡°You can just ask, you cruel b¡ª¡±


    Whack. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that word.¡±


    Trixie landed and Margarite bowed, baby still held up for display.


    The angel studied her, curious at first, then wore a pleasant smile when it held Margarite¡¯s chin and used it to guide her to stand.


    Slade dreaded the pleasing sight. She shouldn¡¯t have, but she did.


    The angel held Margarite¡¯s face with her left hand. The right, she rammed into Margarite¡¯s chest until it came out her back.


    Lomos lost power and took a tumble from the shock. Not Slade, she watched on, feeling sick and terrified when Trixie took Margarite by the hair and tossed her as if she were no more than trash. The baby fell from her hands with the upswing, not suffering quite as hard a fall as his mother who slammed into the ground when she landed.


    ¡°Holy...shit.¡± The centaur stopped hard, buckling at the knees. ¡°I¡¯m going nowhere near that.¡±


    Once he came to a stop, Slade said, ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± She bit into his throat and refused to let go until its body stopped twitching. She needed the runes. The ¡®where from¡¯ no longer mattered. Once she got enough and could get airborne, she took to the skies but the angel was gone.

 29 The Wherefrom

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    Slade was slow in her descent. Lomos had already reached. Although he shifted and picked up his crying son, he carried the boy, refusing to approach Margarite¡¯s body.


    As soon as Slade touched down, she brought her hands to her face. Margarite hadn¡¯t deserved this. No one deserved this.


    Lomos was in tears once he built up the courage to approach. ¡°Mar.¡± He fell to his knees, his face buried close to his crying son.


    Blood everywhere, Margarite lay back with eyes wide and empty.


    Slade struggled with something to say. This was Trixie, that was Trixie.


    When she finally opened her mouth, nothing came out.


    This isn¡¯t the worst of it, Legion warned.


    ¡°What could be worse?¡± Lomos wailed, ¡°What could be worse than this?¡±


    Slade touched her own lips, shocked that she¡¯d spoken Legion¡¯s words. Something was happening. She couldn¡¯t even notice that she¡¯d talked.


    A car came to a halt and moments later, Manny stopped beside them. For once, he had nothing to say.


    Instead, he crouched down, examining the body. ¡°The harpy did this?¡±


    His genuine shock was met with silence.


    When he looked up to Slade for guidance, she blinked back tears. It was then that she felt the dried blood on her cheek and chin, first from the dwarf, then the centaur. There was no telling how long the runes would last or if they were enough.


    ¡°My Legion said stand back,¡± Manny said, rising to his feet. ¡°But I don¡¯t know why.¡±


    Margarite rose to her feet, eyes still hollow. When she blinked, she regarded them in confusion.


    A shadow fell over her and Slade gasped at the sight of the hole in her chest closing.


    ¡°What? What is this?¡± Lomos stood as well, hopeful. ¡°She¡¯s not dead?¡±


    With considerable effort, Margarite turned her head to cry out to him. ¡°Lo, something¡¯s got me.¡±


    Once Margarite was on her knees again, her arms raised up. A pale figure approached her. The angel. But not...an outline of her. It resembled a ghost or a phantom.


    It was translucent but moved exactly the same as Trixie. The actions echoed that of moments earlier¡ªshe held Margarite¡¯s face, guided her to stand, and rammed her hand through the woman¡¯s chest before tossing her body.


    Lomos stifled a sound.


    Manny extended his arms and guided them back. ¡°Wait. Don¡¯t say anything, and don¡¯t interfere.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t interfere? She¡¯s killing her¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already killed her,¡± Manny concluded. ¡°But she didn¡¯t remain that way.¡±


    Slade looked at him, hopeful, ¡°Because she needs human blood?¡±


    Her brother shook his head. Margarite fell at his feet, body sprawled out exactly as she¡¯d been when he¡¯d first arrived.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe.¡±


    They stood on that hillside, watching Margarite¡¯s body rise, her wound heal and the phantom angel kill her yet again. No one understood it but the suffering was clear.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°She feels it each time,¡± Slade said. ¡°It¡¯s like she¡¯s on a loop.¡±


    Manny surprised her by crouching to examine the undead Margarite when she lay on the ground.


    It was then that Slade recognized Trixie¡¯s jacket he wore.


    As strange as that was, the scene replaying itself concerned them.


    ¡°It won¡¯t stop,¡± Lomos quieted his son but wore a look of woe as he watched on. ¡°She¡¯s in pain each time.¡±


    ¡°Do you know Sisyphus?¡± Manny asked.


    Slade tore her eyes off Margarite¡¯s agonized gaze. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Look at her. This is magic, and it¡¯s repeating.¡±


    ¡°For how long.¡±


    Manny cocked his head and said, ¡°An eternity?¡± He looked up at his sister and laughed. ¡°This is rather amazing, isn¡¯t it? All this time, we have this sniveling servant. And she was quite literally the harbinger of death right under our noses.¡±


    Slade kicked him in the face. ¡°You dumb fuck! This isn¡¯t amazing, cool, or fucking fascinating.¡±


    Having landed on his back, Manny opened his eyes and looked up at her.


    She readied for him, expecting an immediate attack. Instead, her brother sat up and watched Margarite rise yet again.


    Screams carried from the distance and Slade rubbed her face. ¡°You wanted to pick a fight with a god, now look where we are.¡±


    Manny lumbered to his feet, the egg still securely on his torso.


    ¡°Well, can¡¯t say we¡¯re not going out in style.¡±


    ¡°Sir....¡± Lomos met him, tears in his eyes when he pleaded, ¡°This is a rune¡ªthis is magic keeping her in this endless loop. You¡ªyou said that egg could absorb runes. Could you...could you put her out of his misery?¡±


    Margarite¡¯s cries morphed into, ¡°Please, no. No, no, no!¡± when her body rose up and reformed of its own volition. She wasn¡¯t addressing Lomos¡¯s words but in fact pleading to the heavens not to be remade and cut into once more.


    Even Manny observed her, saying, ¡°I think it does kill her. Look. You can see when the light leaves her.¡±


    Slade turned to perhaps strike him again but his expression spoke of seriousness. They watched on again, Slade forcing herself not to look away at the impact.


    Margarite did die. Again. And again. And again. Each time, the wound got bigger, and each time, her pitiful cries came sooner.


    ¡°Do it,¡± Slade begged her brother. ¡°Try the egg and see if it will stop this.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain that is wise?¡± Manny looked at her. ¡°Because this is a death played out endlessly. I do not think she can recover once the rune¡¯s absorbed. Everything in me says that if this rune magic fades, the next death will be a proper one.¡±


    ¡°Do it.¡± Lomos didn¡¯t look up from the blood on the ground.


    Manny fished the egg out and sighed. ¡°Very well.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Slade glanced from Lomos to her brother. She didn¡¯t want to entertain false hope but she had to. ¡°Can we try to save her?¡±


    ¡°How exactly?¡± Manny asked, annoyed. ¡°Do you happen to have an angel expert safely tucked away?¡±


    ¡°No. Just...can you absorb the rune before she¡¯s killed?¡±


    Manny eyed Margarite¡¯s death yet again. ¡°That would have been easier five minutes ago. As you can see, the phantom angel no longer approaches. It¡¯s just there now.¡±


    The span of time from rejuvenation to painful demise shortened. As Manny surmised, the next cycle had Margarite and the phantom closer together. There was no advance or touching of her face, just a hand at her chest.


    When it shoved through, Margarite fell then rose immediately.


    ¡°Now!¡± Slade called.


    Manny held the poor woman¡¯s head, eyes closed as he whispered the incantation. But the phantom¡¯s hand was already at Margarite¡¯s chest. It thrust and faded.


    Margarite collapsed to the ground in the pool of her own blood. Lomos shoved the baby into Slade¡¯s arms and rushed to hold his lover¡¯s face.


    Once he rooted up her shirt, he sagged back. Four dots, red and searing, indicated the fingertip marks outlining where her injury would have started. Otherwise, her body was intact.


    Lomos held her face. ¡°Mar. Mar!¡±


    Two brown eyes opened. At the sight of him, Margarite curled into a ball, crying. Never had Slade heard a grown woman bawl like that. It answered all questions of whether or not she remembered each death. Everyone of them appeared worse than the last.


    She was alive at least, and Lomos wrapped his naked body around hers, genuinely thankful.


    ¡°Sovereign, I owe you...I owe you so much.¡± Lomos patted the woman¡¯s shoulder one last time before standing to pick her up. ¡°If it¡¯s all the same, I¡¯ll return to the manor. Then I¡¯ll come join the fight.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Manny said, surprising them. ¡°I don¡¯t want the angel to know we can neutralize her. Keep to the manor. I still need Louis III. Now you¡¯ll have no quarrels when I come for him. Correct?¡±


    Silent, the brigade captain lowered his gaze.


    Margarite was inconsolable when Lomos put her into the limo. He returned for the child and Manny caught his arm before he could take him.


    Their eyes met and the vampire said, ¡°You run, you even think of running, and I¡¯ll make it my single mission in life to find you and put back that rune on her any way I can. Are we clear?¡±


    Stunned, Slade opened her mouth to protest but words failed her. That was the woman Manny once loved and if he could find no compassion for her now, there was simply none there.


    ¡°I understand, sir.¡± Lomos waited, and when he was allowed to retrieve his son, he bowed low then hurried back to the car.


    The tires cried out as he turned sharp, heading back to the house as promised.


    A time or two he nearly shifted while driving. Slade concluded that was his brain realizing that any attempt to leave now with a shocked lover and baby, would be an impossible task for a wolf. Each swerving of the car on the road grew shorter until it steadied and he could drive on. He was on board. There was no running for him. His loyalty was solidified.

 30 What Vessel is This?

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    ¡°Fascinating.¡±


    Slade kept tightlipped as Manny, egg secured on his chest, picked up speed at the wheel. The death and destruction outside their window was anything but...fascinating.


    Manny disagreed. A time or two he slowed to take it in. An overturned bus here or there, fire unquenching. And there was no death. There was also no ending the fires. Water didn¡¯t work. On the streets, they found destruction. Slade kept her eyes peeled for anyone in a death loop. Manny was surprisingly eager to help at those times. She told herself it was because fixing it was the right thing to do¡ªthat wasn¡¯t why. He was practicing. Now he no longer needed the incantation. Maybe he¡¯d never needed it.


    Manny drove on, avoiding all the rubble and ruin without trouble.


    ¡°Do you think the harpy was always capable of this?¡± he asked.


    Stunned, Slade reserved her anger. ¡°Why? Tasting your own mortality now that you realize you¡¯ve been bullying something more than capable of taking your useless head? This is literally hell on earth.¡±


    He scoffed. ¡°Funny you say something.¡±


    Eyes wide, Slade turned with the intent to curse him. She could barely summon up the strength. This wasn¡¯t Trixie. All of this pain and suffering. If someone told her that she herself was to blame she¡¯d find that more believable. But not Trixie. This wasn¡¯t Trixie. Maybe her Legion was causing this.


    ¡°That¡¯s not her Legion,¡± Manny said, somehow reading her mind. ¡°Speaking of which, can you hear my thoughts? Because I feel like I can sorta hear yours.¡±


    Slade turned to him. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Concentrate. I think it¡¯s our Legions communicating. There¡¯s like a buzzing in the back of your skull, isn¡¯t there? Like a lot of communicating. I imagine it is similar to a bunch of chickens running around with their heads cut off. They are shitting themselves. If deities do shit.¡±


    The path to the army camp took longer by car¡ªthey couldn¡¯t cut through the forest, but they neared. Everything burned.


    Once they got as close as they could in the vehicle, Manny pulled over onto the soft shoulder of the road but didn¡¯t exit.


    ¡°We have to think of a strategy,¡± Manny said.


    Slade didn¡¯t respond. A good strategy would be him not being moronic enough to bring them here.


    He waited, but Slade folded her arms.


    ¡°So let us think about this. All creatures were created with a purpose. What if angels were created...to punish?¡±


    Slade hoped the glare she trained on him would prompt him to shut the hell up. Strategize? How were they supposed to strategize against something that controlled life and death?


    And they sat there. When Manny mimicked her by folding his arms above the egg and sitting back, Slade bit back her anger.


    ¡°We need to go.¡±


    ¡°We need to be rational,¡± Manny corrected.


    But what did his words matter? ¡°Rational would have been you not causing all this.¡±


    Manny leaned his head back and rubbed his face. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Right. Of course you didn¡¯t. You only neutered some wolves and kick started a war that wiped out an entire race of people.¡±


    A fast retaliation was Manny¡¯s usual response. Hell, Slade half expected him to slam her face against the dashboard, he was such a prick.


    But instead, he held the steering wheel and said, ¡°That wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    Eyelids heavy, mostly from the contempt, Slade swung her head around to face him. ¡°What? The devil made you do it?¡±


    ¡°Call it whatever you want.¡± Manny said, ¡°But think about it for a second and listen to what I¡¯m saying. I whipped you that morning, do you remember?¡±


    Teeth gritted, Slade asked, ¡°And what is the purpose of this trip down memory lane?¡±


    Manny didn¡¯t look pensive but he wasn¡¯t his usual braggadocious self either. ¡°Do you remember it?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I remember it. I especially remember after the fact when you nearly killed me.¡±


    Letting out a sigh, Manny said, ¡°I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m perfect or that I didn¡¯t take a belt to you, because I did. But...we can debate this for another hour and let the world burn or you can just listen.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Which is it?¡±


    Slade turned her face toward the fires of the forest.


    ¡°Close enough,¡± Manny grumbled. ¡°Fine. I didn¡¯t authorize or request the wolves¡¯ neutering.¡±


    Slade¡¯s head whipped around to face him. ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Manny pursed his lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t. And I remember that day as vividly as any other. No Fae blood clouding my mind. Nothing. And I have replayed it a hundred times. All I know is I woke up to hell on earth¡ªwith nearly all our wolves deserted. But you were the one who was acting weird. You kept locking up random wolves in containers and what have you.¡±


    Most of Slade¡¯s anger receded when she blinked. ¡°What? Because they were being dragged out and cut.¡±


    ¡°Not under my orders. And I¡¯d guessed Legion ordered it but.... What if it was the wolves?¡±


    Slade swallowed down her disgust. ¡°You are pathetic.¡± She opened the door to leave.


    ¡°Sit the fuck down!¡±


    The gravel in his voice meant he was determined to be heard. She flopped back, refusing to focus on him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how you feel about me. I wasn¡¯t nice to you before I was turned, I wasn¡¯t nice to you after I was turned.¡±


    ¡°You were nice enough before turning,¡± Slade muttered because he had been. Other than a few claps on the backside when she was bad, he wasn¡¯t terrible. And when he¡¯d become an item with Margarite despite their vampire faction¡¯s disapproval, that had been bravery. No. He hadn¡¯t been perfect before turning. But he¡¯d been human.


    Afterward....


    The coldness about him afterward was hard to forget.


    ¡°Regardless,¡± Manny said at length, ¡°I can take responsibility for the things I did. And I can take responsibility for what my actions caused. I put honey on the harpy. I¡¯d done it to power her up because I wanted the visions stronger. I admit that.¡±


    Fists clenched, Slade struggled to calm.


    ¡°But I hadn¡¯t expected this,¡± Manny explained. ¡°And I don¡¯t care if you believe that. Being stuck without runes for ten years was agony, but...she wasn¡¯t terrible. A bit stupid at times, but not terrible.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Stop calling her stupid.¡±


    Hands raised, Manny said, ¡°Fine.¡±


    When he said nothing further, instead opting to stare her down, Slade sighed.


    ¡°Fine, speak your piece.¡±


    Manny said, ¡°I need for you to understand what I¡¯m trying to say to you as of this moment.¡±


    Slade kept her face turned away, the fire of the forest nearly blinding her at this point.


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    He hesitated then confessed, ¡°I do not mind the harpy.¡± At her groan, he groaned in turn. ¡°What the fuck more are you looking for? Can you utter three magic words to your stupid werewolf¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Stop calling them stupid. Stop talking down to us! Look around you. The world is burning because of you¡ª¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s because of me why you have got to get a fucking grip.¡± He calmed and said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind the harpy, and you don¡¯t mind the wolf but I¡¯ll tell you this, this isn¡¯t a fairytale and if getting this thing back under control must be at the cost of the things we both don¡¯t mind then so be it.¡±


    She turned to strike but he caught it and pressed her face against the window.


    ¡°Get emotional all you like but last I checked, you were more than ready to sacrifice your best friend¡¯s unborn for your own interests.¡±


    Those words robbed Slade of her readied fight.


    He didn¡¯t let up. ¡°And one dazed dwarf and a pissed off centaur later, you don¡¯t get the luxury of sanctimony. I will get this situation back under control with or without you, dear sister. But you remember one thing. I. Did not. Neuter. Those wolves. The wolves neutered themselves.¡±


    Mouth muffled by the glass, Slade screamed, ¡°Bullshit.¡±


    ¡°Is it bullshit? Because one baby human¡¯s got his werewolf father formulating night and day how to kill me without getting stuck as a wolf for the rest of his life. What would break an oath other than a betrayal wroth by the one you¡¯ve sworn to protect? They did it to themselves and they did it to free themselves of us and that¡¯s fine but when we get out there....¡± He yanked her arm harder, simultaneously pressing her face against the glass. ¡°I need you thinking straight and reminding yourself that they are not our friends and any one wrong move we make can have dire consequences for each and every vampire on earth. Are we clear?¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer.


    Despite that, his grip loosened and he sat back again. Once Slade was free, she pumped her fist then turned and punched him in the throat. His slow recovery time gave her an advantage. It faded in the blink of an eye and she was pressed against that window again. The fact that the impact wasn¡¯t bloody or agonizing was the only reason she calmed and gave him the time of day. He wasn¡¯t looking to injure her, that was unexpected.


    ¡°I can get that harpy with or without you,¡± he warned. ¡°But you¡¯re not getting in my way.¡±


    He gave her a final shove before getting out and slamming the door. Slade rushed to intercept him.


    ¡°You¡¯re not hurting Trixie.¡±


    Manny guarded his eyes and pushed through the forest. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve noticed. But Trixie¡¯s no longer home.¡±


    Walking through the woods was eerie because while the treetops burned, the base showed no effect. Ash hung in the breeze, however, and they guarded their mouths.


    Once they reached the clearing, Slade turned her head away from what she saw. ¡°Holy shit.¡±


    Manny stared on. ¡°This...is horrifying. And that¡¯s me saying this.¡±


    Mangled bodies lay dismembered, some were broken backwards. Even the larger animals weren¡¯t spared. A griffin, severed in two, reformed for a ghost of the angel to take it apart again. What was strange about that situation was how the white outline of Trixie grew in size before rendering the animal in half.


    The campground, considerably less populated, lay in ruin and blood.


    Slade could barely stomach it.


    ¡°We can put them back,¡± Manny reminded her. ¡°But don¡¯t get yourself killed. I suspect our own reformation wouldn¡¯t come easily.¡±


    Something strange became clear the further in they went. It was no longer Tixie¡¯s outline, but the outline of countless werewolves and some fairies running each other through.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Slade stopped before Marrow¡¯s severed head.


    The body was the first to rise up, then the head which reconnected.


    With a blink, the plump fairy wailed, ¡°Sovereign. Help me. Help us! We didn¡¯t start this. They attacked us unprovoked!¡±


    Something passed through Slade and she looked up to see the she-wolf¡¯s outline rush Marrow and decapitate him. The fact that it was a slow rejuvenation and repeat meant this was recent. If this was what hell looked like, Slade could understand the vampire¡¯s basic fear of being sent there. But now it had arrived at their doorstep in full force.


    ¡°Well look at that,¡± Manny said, hands on his hips. He took great pleasure in seeing the fairy¡¯s demise. ¡°Couldn¡¯t have happened to a nicer fellow.¡±


    ¡°Brother!¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes. Good. Good.¡± Manny scanned the repeated carnage. ¡°Looks like something started here before our dear harpy¡¯s arrival.¡± He chuckled. ¡°But what moron would dare gather winged and unwinged creatures together in one army?¡±


    Two specks of light flashed by and answered that question for them.


    Up high, Two angels fought. The male wasn¡¯t faring so well.


    ¡°Davenport.¡± Slade tried to keep up with the swords of light both he and Trixie wielded. As suspected, his wings were shorter than hers but he maneuvered just fine.


    ¡°Is it strange for me to find her blood-thirstiness so sexy?¡±


    Slade stifled a gag. ¡°Shut up. What we need to do is free these people before their eternal damnation runs in too short a succession to safely undo. Start with him.¡±


    ¡°The tax collector?¡± Manny scoffed. ¡°He¡¯s the last on my list.¡±


    Marrow reformed in time to scream and Manny smiled.


    ¡°Hang in there, old boy. I will free you.¡± He snickered as he made his way further in. ¡°Eventually.¡±


    Manny no longer needed an incantation. A touch of the hand to someone¡¯s forehead broke the spell, a blue dust swirling before disappearing into the egg.


    Freeing the people one by one was an exhausting task but they had to hurry. When Manny stopped in showing off, Slade paused, too. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Witches.¡± Manny scowled. ¡°Leave them.¡±


    ¡°Brother.¡± Slade stepped over the wreckage on an intercept course for him. ¡°We cannot leave them.¡±


    Manny spun to meet her. ¡°They are witches,¡± he repeated. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about this. We¡¯ve talked about not pretending we¡¯re all one tree-hugging family. Witches and vampires don¡¯t mix for a reason. I will not free them.¡±


    Slade grabbed his arm, a stupid move but one she could do nothing against. High above Trixie and Davenport¡¯s clash caused thunder to roar from the heavens. Whatever Davenport was, Trixie had him outmatched. This wouldn¡¯t last much longer.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Slade met Manny¡¯s gaze and pleaded. ¡°It¡¯s true, witches don¡¯t adhere to the laws of repayment. But does everything for us have to equal some payback?¡±


    ¡°Payback is the perfect word.¡± Manny yanked his arm free. ¡°Because if you help a witch, she exploits it and punishes you for your stupidity. They are literally the one creatures you help at your own peril. Each and every time.¡±


    Heart slamming against her chest at the prospect of giving him a fight, Slade struggled with a decent argument. From the dwarf blood to that of the centaur which was fading fast, she barely had the confidence in her power to catch hold of him much less win a fight.


    She settled for something she knew to be fruitless. ¡°We have to help them. Even if it¡¯ll harm us. We must.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡±


    A glance at the group of witches huddled together, most blind, as Trixie¡¯s outline cut each of them from gut to chin was already hard. Slade settled on one thing¡ªthe only thing that made sense.


    ¡°Because Trixie would have helped them.¡±


    Manny¡¯s scowl hadn¡¯t changed. He also didn¡¯t scoff or fire back with something rude. Instead, he looked down at the egg on his chest and cursed.


    ¡°Stupid woman.¡± He marched to the carnage, feet slowing with each step.


    The collective screams of the witches carried on the night breeze.


    Slade stayed closed to supervise but that wasn¡¯t needed; her brother¡¯s timing was excellent.


    One witch¡¯s situation was strange. Her daughter guided her to Trixie¡¯s phantom and allowed the woman to regain her sight with the touch of Trixie¡¯s hand before they were both run through with vicious zeal.


    ¡°Can you give them back their sight?¡± Slade asked, still watching the rune repeat.


    Manny scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about witches other than the fact that anything they choose to give up for more power, they lose said power once they get it back. So do we have a right to choose that for her?¡±


    The death started to replay revealing the daughter eager to rush to Trixie, much like Margarite hurried to her own demise.


    Slade gave no protest when Manny released them from the rune without providing the woman her sight once more.


    All six hags, four blinded, and two sighted, hunched over, gasping for precious air.


    ¡°Vampire,¡± the blind woman said, ¡°vampire, I thank you.¡±


    ¡°Save it,¡± Manny drawled. ¡°I want no thanks from the witches. Your dark arts bring me nothing. Do not even utter a word in my direction.¡±


    The crescendo of thunder came faster and they were back to Marrow and the other fairies in under twenty minutes.


    ¡°Must I really?¡± Manny skinned up his face. ¡°Because look at them all, they are rather hilarious, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    He meant the group of fairies set upon and killed by the ghost werewolves. A familiar smartphone lay close to the carnage.


    ¡°I mean, at least the witches aren¡¯t so damn sniveling. These centurions, they¡¯re such crybabies. It¡¯d be nice to see them experience actual pain instead of their often imagined phantom outrage.¡± After folding his arms, Manny concluded, ¡°I say we leave them.¡±


    ¡°We do not leave them. We do not leave anyone.¡± Slade marched to him, snatched the egg out, surprised that he allowed it, and hurried to Marrow. A touch of his head did nothing so she let the death play out and began to chant on his next repeat. Nothing. She tried again but had the same results. Slade examined the egg. It was cracked but not severed. An eye blinked at her and she nearly dropped it. ¡°Something¡¯s inside!¡±


    Manny hurried to scoop it out of her hands. ¡°Then be careful with it.¡± Once he held it up to see the same blink, he smiled. ¡°Well, look at that.¡± He looked up at the sky and called, ¡°Harpy, you¡¯re a mother.¡±


    His laughter after the joke drew Trixie¡¯s focus as she blocked Davenport¡¯s weapon.


    When she zeroed in on Manny, he tucked the egg back into its usual spot on his chest and wisely hurried to hold Marrow¡¯s head.


    ¡°Oh shit. I think she is heading this way,¡± Manny grumbled.


    And he was right.


    A backhand to Davenport sent him flying and Trixie dove.


    Manny managed to touch the last fairy before Trixie fell from the sky and landed with a boom.


    The earth shook. Slade¡¯s knees nearly gave out, feeling like gelatin. Some of the soil shifted. When she picked her head up, she was met with the beautiful face of death.


    ¡°Hello, boss.¡±

 31 Beautiful Face of Death

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    Frozen to the spot, Slade kept her gaze on the green eyes that studied her as well. There was a fury behind it that she couldn¡¯t quite place.


    Slade didn¡¯t dare speak; this wasn¡¯t the time.


    Knife or talon, it pierced flesh, tearing a flinch from Slade who struggled to stop herself from vocalizing it.


    In Slade¡¯s peripheral, Manny approached. He fished out the egg and kept it close to him. Slade stayed still, intent on not alerting the angel of the vampire behind her.


    Judging from the smirk and the power coming off the angel in waves, Trixie planned to drag this game out to her satisfaction.


    The angel scoffed and smiled before turning to strike. ¡°Too slow!¡±


    Without touching Manny, she recoiled then jumped back. He disappeared in a flash and caught up with ease. Trixie turned only once. Manny took the opportunity to put his hand on her forehead. The bright powder that left the other repeat-phantoms swirled, seeping into the egg at a rapid rate.


    The egg fractured.


    Trixie turned to run but a force brought her back and she arched, screaming.


    ¡°Just hold still, harpy,¡± Manny reasoned. ¡°This will be fast.¡±


    ¡°You were supposed to break it,¡± she cried. ¡°You swore it.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Well, I am a vampire after all.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Each struggle she made to break free was fruitless.


    The egg in Manny¡¯s hands cracked in two and a bird-like being darted after Trixie. It caught her in the face, latching on.


    ¡°What in the...?¡± Manny backed away.


    Trixie, mouth gaping, dropped to her knees in tears as the small animal continued to consume the power pouring out of her mouth. Her skin dulled.


    Slade worried for her enough to run to them. ¡°Is it working?¡±


    The little creature continued to feed, and Manny sounded unsure for the first time. ¡°I do not think this is... It¡¯s hurting her.¡±


    Slade held his hand before he could try and take back the offspring. ¡°Wait. Give it a second. Maybe¡ª¡±


    ¡°Maybe nothing. It¡¯s hurting her!¡±


    Getting emotional was unlike him but he caught the bird with two hands and pulled with all his might.


    ¡°Get her,¡± Manny demanded. ¡°Get her!¡±


    Slade, unsure of his meaning, looked from him to Trixie then pounced, knocking the angel to the ground.


    The bird in Manny¡¯s grip thrashed, pecking at him despite its human face and bird body. It had a beak, however, and it was as sharp as any knife, a fact Manny learned the hard way.


    Slade looked Trixie over but the former-harpy wasn¡¯t watching her, she instead stared at the flight of creatures heading their way.


    ¡°Harpies,¡± Manny said, gasping.


    Trixie rose, fists clenched and with a gleam in her eye that had Slade frightened beyond words. She intended to fight.


    Ten minutes previously, maybe she could have. But not now, not this weak due to the offspring¡¯s feeding.


    Flames came from Trixie¡¯s hands and she readied herself.


    Manny stared out at the approaching flock then met Trixie¡¯s gaze and begged, ¡°Go.¡±


    She blinked at him. Slade did as well.


    But Manny didn¡¯t repeat himself, he held on to the creature in his grip, his hand bruised from the pecking as he muzzled the child.


    When he met Trixie¡¯s gaze again, she looked neither grateful nor forgiving. She took flight, letting out a shriek before a clap of thunder sounded and she slammed into the ground. The impact knocked Slade and even Manny on his ass.


    Chains coiled around Trixie¡¯s body, locking her firm.


    Davenport landed, his ornate outfit glimmering against the burning forest as he rushed to them.


    ¡°Hold her a bit...¡± He slowed and looked around. ¡°... longer. What in the...? You did not break the egg?¡± He met Manny¡¯s gaze, terrified. ¡°Why have you kept that?¡± After a scan of his surroundings made his fears clear, he turned to Manny and growled, ¡°Are you mad? Why have you kept that?¡±


    ¡°What exactly is this?¡± Manny took one step to Davenport and the man took flight in his jump away.


    ¡°Stand back. Do not bring it closer.¡± Throughout his panic, he looked at the half-bird half human, but his eyes focused on Manny when he said, ¡°You must do away with it. You must. You¡ª¡±


    A buzzing sound came and a chant along with it. The chains once around Trixie rose up, doubled and shot toward Davenport. Once they held him tight, they yanked him to the ground, capturing him in the same fashion.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Davenport demanded.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Manny looked behind him and Slade followed. The witches advanced, huddled together as they continued with the chant.


    Their red rune magic seeped into the air, swirling around.


    Slade looked from Davenport to Trixie then to them again, unsure of the next course of action.


    Whatever was happening, the army of harpies had arrived. The fires around them meant they couldn¡¯t land but from this distance, and thanks to the dwarf rune, Slade formed one conclusion.


    ¡°Brother, they are heavily armed.¡±


    ¡°That I can figure on my own.¡±


    When the witches arrived, Manny gave them room, face still skinned up in disapproval.


    Slade took a chance and hurried to them; maybe the good deed would pay off¡ªone of these days it had to.


    ¡°We¡¯re trying to get our friend back.¡±


    The young witch greeted her with a bow. ¡°Thank you so much for what you did for my mother. I was foolish. I was beyond foolish to defy her choice. And I¡¯m grateful to you for saving us. That pain would have gone on forever.¡± She still kept her gaze low when she said, ¡°And I apologize for trying to trick you earlier.¡±


    Manny scoffed. ¡°Witches.¡±


    Slade ignored him and instead begged, ¡°Do you know what is going on? What this is all about? We don¡¯t really understand it. But how can we help our friend?¡±


    The young witch glanced beyond her to Trixie who eyed them with a cold hatred that hadn¡¯t dulled even once.


    ¡°Something¡¯s provoked it. But only a moron would abuse an angel. Once they get into a temper, there¡¯s no calming them. There¡¯s only one thing to do for it. You kill it.¡±


    Slade¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°No. That¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re doing?¡± she asked, gesturing to Manny. ¡°Figured that¡¯s what you were up to with releasing that to unmake her.¡±


    ¡°Unmake her?¡± Manny set his mouth in a straight line and nodded. ¡°Neutralize her, unmake her? I suppose kill her would just be too direct a saying.¡±


    Slade wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°Is there really no other way? Why would the offspring kill the parent?¡±


    ¡°Tell her nothing,¡± Davenport wailed. ¡°You tell her nothing or it¡¯s your¡ª¡±


    Manny stepped toward him and he shut up at the sight of the bird.


    The witch looked from Davenport to Slade again.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right child,¡± her mother said, inching her aside. ¡°I¡¯ll take the blame.¡±


    ¡°Hag,¡± Davenport warned, ¡°you shut your mouth.¡±


    ¡°I think you,¡± the witch began, snapping her fingers, ¡°should shut yours.¡±


    Davenport¡¯s mouth vanished.


    The witch¡¯s daughter gasped. ¡°Mother. Are you certain this is wise? Legion¡ª¡±


    ¡°To hell with Legion,¡± the old hag bit out. ¡°Look where he¡¯s led us.¡± She turned to Slade and explained, ¡°Harpies have no childhood. They are beings born with both foresight and hindsight. But they¡¯re born as twins. Two eggs. One male, one female. The females see forward, the males back. But it¡¯s a painful experience that requires a massive amount of runes. As such, harpies break one¡ªthe male one, and feed that rune to the other egg, allowing it to crack. That freshly born harpy will consume its twin¡¯s entire rune and grow. Then set off alone and within a month, after feeding on each and every rune she finds, grow to adulthood. As she receives hindsight from that feeding, there is no reason to learn and mature like others do. She will seek out an assignment from Legion, the one she serves.¡±


    Despite the calm nature of those words, Slade regarded Trixie with new eyes. Even vampires had a semblance of family. It wasn¡¯t a good family usually, but it was something. From the beginning, Trixie had no one. A bigger problem came.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Slade asked the woman, ¡°so Davenport is a harpy?¡±


    ¡°Davenport is a Legion. A Legion banished to our world for his hubris.¡±


    ¡°Shut. Up.¡± The man¡¯s lips returned for only a moment before it faded.


    The baby harpy in Manny¡¯s hands calmed under his care and he watched it with a heavy frown.


    ¡°How can we save the harpy?¡± Manny asked.


    ¡°You cannot save the harpy,¡± the witch said. ¡°Because when you release that offspring, it will attack any pure source of rune it can find. Nothing purer than a freshly formed angel.¡± She asked Manny, ¡°But why haven¡¯t you broken the other egg? The mother must have requested it.¡±


    ¡°There was only one fucking egg!¡± Manny struggled to calm. ¡°I swear, if I hear one more thing about a second egg¡ª¡±


    ¡°But all harpies give birth to two.¡± The hag paused and said to Slade. ¡°Unless it was broken while inside her. But short of a missile, it would require a great impact to shatter it.¡±


    Slade flinched at the imagery. She met Manny¡¯s gaze when she asked the witch, ¡°How about a damn truck going full tilt on a speed Gateway?¡±


    The witch scoffed. ¡°As unlikely as that is to happen, yes. That, perhaps, would do it.¡±


    An agreement so simple had Slade rubbing her face. ¡°Wait. Are you saying she¡¯s been pregnant this entire time?¡±


    ¡°No and yes.¡± The hag¡¯s daughter hurried to explain. ¡°Harpies don¡¯t keep eggs for long. It¡¯s a risk they run managing the Legions but so long as they keep themselves starved of runes, they cannot bear offspring. And the Legions don¡¯t awaken easily.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Trixie said finally. ¡°I am calm now. You may release me.¡±


    The tone of her voice alone had Slade stepping away. None of this made sense. From what Eli¡¯d said, Trixie and Manny were together after the business with the truck. Unless....¡±


    Slade marched to her brother and slapped him. ¡°You swine. How long have you been sleeping with her? Had you even given her a choice?¡±


    Manny¡¯s jaw dropped as if he was the one outraged. ¡°She slept with me, you nutcase. I was the one out of my g¡¯damn mind! I woke up and....¡±


    Modesty was a human illusion. Vampires cared nothing for privacy, least of all Manos. So why didn¡¯t he spit it out now?


    ¡°Is that it?¡± Trixie¡¯s chains tightened but she smiled before laughing. ¡°Is that it?¡± All amusement vanished. ¡°Do you know how we suppress the Legion?¡±


    ¡°You say we like it¡¯s you,¡± Manny challenged. ¡°I know the harpy¡¯s voice. You are not her!¡±


    The angel stared him down for some time then grinned. ¡°It is me. And I¡¯ll tell you why you¡¯re so confused. We surprise the Legion by exhausting it¡ªwe fuck it.¡±


    Slade flinched.


    Manny¡¯s eyes widened.


    Trixie focused on Slade and fought back her laughter. ¡°Yours got stuck awake because it was testing your limits. And it had to spend the night with Eli again and again until it was sated to return to a dormant state. And when you ran off with Eli, she forced his Legion awake and I was tasked with putting it back down. And I did it. It was the first time I¡¯ve ever had to, but I did it.¡±


    It was a huff at first, then something mixed with a laugh and a cry. ¡°So that was it? That was what got you so angry?¡± Manny marveled. ¡°I woke up part way and it embarrassed you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Nothing you do would embarrass me,¡± Trixie bit back. ¡°I¡¯ve been to hell and back. I won¡¯t crumble to the likes of you.¡±


    ¡°But I couldn¡¯t understand it.¡± Manny tried to approach but the way Trixie leaned away reminded him of the hazard he was carrying. ¡°You were doing your duty and I woke up and took over and it embarrassed you. Then when I tried to get you a damn gift, you blew up. You were the one on me.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t on you, sir,¡± Trixie answered, ¡°I was fucking a powerful deity, a god. Not a feckless, hollow, loud, dead and limp vampire.¡±


    A silence floated around them despite the crackling of the fires.


    ¡°Did you think I liked it¡ªthat I liked you? I hate you. I serve the Legion, but I hated¡ªI hate you.¡± Her eyes fell to the creature in Manny¡¯s grip. ¡°So let it go. Go ahead and let it go. And when she grows big enough, I hope she decapitates you before she leaves.¡±


    The witch picked her head up. She couldn¡¯t see but she lifted her face skyward. The harpies retreated.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming,¡± the witch muttered. ¡°And they¡¯re coming fast...with honey.¡± She focused on Slade and said, ¡°You must understand something. Your brother¡¯s Legion started this. He ordered the wolves fixed. He ordered the humans wiped out. He¡ª¡±


    An axe caught her in the head, and she recoiled then crumpled to the ground.


    ¡°Mother!¡±


    Huffing and puffing, Davenport shrugged off the last of his chains and wiped his hand along his face for his mouth to reappear.


    ¡°Damn witches. You talk too much.¡±


    The next axe he flung missed Manny who dodged it. But not the third. The blunt end struck Manny head on, lifting him off his feet. He landed hard, and the baby harpy darted from his grip.

 32 The Next Axe

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    Slade would regret nothing more in life than the moment she decided to put her body between an angel and a baby harpy. Arms wrapped around Trixie, shielding her, Slade moved as rapidly as she could to prevent the creature from going around to gain an opening area.


    When the thing landed and tilted its head back, Trixie drooped. It didn¡¯t even matter if they were touching, so long as they were close.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Davenport said, inching his way closer, fire sword drawn. ¡°Drink your fill. I¡¯ll be taking that foresight.¡±


    Something slammed into his throat, taking him off the ground. ¡°That¡¯s my kid,¡± Manny growled, ax in hand, ¡°as far as I know. I dare you to touch it.¡±


    But Slade had bigger problems; Trixie weakened with each second. ¡°Brother!¡±


    Manny looked up at Davenport then down at the child again. He debated which he should hold onto.


    Instead of letting Davenport go, he tried calling to the child. ¡°Hey. Hey.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not a damn chicken, you moron.¡± Slade pulled Trixie as close as she dared. ¡°Brother, she¡¯s shivering.¡±


    Manny growled and threw Davenport a good distance. Once he rushed the baby harpy, he picked her up and patted her head. ¡°Hey. None of that. Stop. Come on.¡± He winced. ¡°I can¡¯t get it to stop. She won¡¯t stop feeding.¡±


    It was having an effect because all the flames rose up, fading into a blue glow before shooting to the baby harpy¡¯s open mouth.


    ¡°The fire,¡± Manny said, gasping.


    ¡°You mean the only thing keeping the other harpy¡¯s back. Yes, I¡¯m aware of that.¡± Slade looked down at Trixie then told Manny. ¡°Give us distance. Please. I don¡¯t care how much of your runes it requires.¡±


    Manny gave a nod then vanished. He slammed back into the ground a second later, still with the child in his hold.


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. It¡¯s like she¡¯s anchored me. I can¡¯t get her detached.¡±


    Slade picked her head up. ¡°Brother, do you hear something?¡±


    ¡°I hear it. This time, I hear it.¡± Manny watched her, then took a step back and shut his eyes.


    ¡°Idiot¡ª¡±


    A force slammed into him, tearing a gasp from Trixie who opened her eyes.


    The truck broke through the speed Gateway, the dwarf at the wheel. ¡°Not again,¡± she complained.


    Eli jumped out of the passenger seat.


    He came ready for a fight but froze when he saw Trixie. ¡°Is she all right?¡±


    ¡°Not even slightly.¡± Slade struggled with her. ¡°Help me get her in. No less than thirty harpies are about to descend on us. Get my brother.¡±


    Both Eli and the dwarf traded a glance.


    Eli groaned and rushed to find what was left of Manny.


    The witches still gathered around their fallen. Tears in her eyes, the young witch stood and promised, ¡°We¡¯ll give you time. You have my word.¡±


    With everyone clamored into the back of the truck, Slade glanced from the young witch to the body of her mother.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Slade said. She fought to say more. Two words weren¡¯t enough.


    ¡°She knew what she was doing. This was her choice. You must understand something, prepare yourself, too. Harpies only give birth when their time is over.¡±


    Slade¡¯s throat tightened. She trembled but said nothing when she climbed into the trailer and the dwarf slammed it shut.


    The familiar awful rumble couldn¡¯t come fast enough.


    ¡°Can we trust this dwarf?¡± Slade asked.


    Eli went about resetting Manny¡¯s bones. ¡°As much as she can trust us.¡± He gave Slade a weak smile. ¡°The two puncture holes in her throat say otherwise.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    He looked almost proud. Slade didn¡¯t feel it. Manny¡¯s bones cracked and popped as he healed. What was striking about him was how he, even after taking the full force of the truck, still curled up around the baby harpy.


    Something slammed into the trailer, nearly tipping them over.


    ¡°Davenport,¡± Eli gasped. ¡°I can smell him.¡±


    Manny picked his head up. ¡°Let him in.¡±


    A whomp sound came and Manny sat up in protest.


    ¡°No. Let that bastard in first¡ª¡±


    Thunder cracked and they were in motion.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He risked looking down at the baby harpy resting in his hold. ¡°She¡¯s down at least. Probably something similar to the headache I had. I suspect she won¡¯t be for long.¡± He met Slade¡¯s gaze. ¡°That¡¯s why I said let that moron in so she can feed on him instead.¡±


    Slade wanted to punch him. ¡°Listen to yourself! We have harpies ready to take our heads because of you!¡±


    ¡°Not because of me. You heard them. It was my Legion, not me.¡±


    ¡°And why would the Legion kill our food supply, dumbass?¡±


    The intercom chipped in. ¡°If I may interject.¡±


    They all looked up as Barbra¡¯s voice called over the speakers.


    ¡°Rebranding.¡±


    Slade traded a glance with her brother then focused on Eli.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain it. Just...is she all right?¡±


    Trixie sat with her wings encompassing her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Slade admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t know if any of us are okay.¡± A thought occurred and she asked, ¡°Do you know who Legion is? Really?¡±


    Eli nodded. ¡°I know. And that¡¯s why I think....¡± He met Slade¡¯s gaze. ¡°There¡¯s no winning.¡±


    Those meager words had Slade watching the floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s the one true god,¡± Manny muttered, eyes fixed on the creature he held. ¡°The god of man.¡± He asked Eli, ¡°Right?¡±


    Unwilling to meet his gaze, Eli nodded. ¡°When did you know?¡±


    Manny glanced at Trixie but not for long. ¡°The moment she changed into a fucking angel.¡±


    He said it like it meant everything but to Slade, it was all nonsense.


    Eli explained, ¡°Before the humans got wiped out, a Legion approached the dwarfs. More specifically, Davenport approached them. He was offering what the vampires had. Eternal life. Dwarfs need only break their covenant and reform one with Legion. Imagine a world grafted onto ours. And it¡¯s a world of deities where followers are currency. We¡¯re currency.¡±


    Slade shook her head. ¡°That still doesn¡¯t make sense. The witches said brother¡¯s Legion started this and that they knew man would get wiped out.¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t think they did,¡± Eli insisted. ¡°I think they were trying to get the wolves to turn and abandon the vampires.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Slade wailed.


    ¡°Because our covenant was ending.¡± Manny held the bird close to his chest. ¡°And we had an advantage. The other vampire factions all wanted to demand more. We ruled the entire earth for Legion. I was there for the talks, that¡¯s how I know about it.¡±


    Eli agreed, ¡°Barbra said dwarfs were seriously considering it, but ultimately said no. Everyone in attendance was taken over. Davenport just snapped. That mess up banished him to this realm to fix it.¡±


    Slade struggled to understand. ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why they¡¯d snip the wolves.¡±


    ¡°To leave us with no protection,¡± Manny said with a chuckle. ¡°I get it.¡± He met Slade¡¯s gaze and said, ¡°No wolves, less power.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than that,¡± a weak voice said.


    Slade wasn¡¯t sure where it came from until she focused on Trixie.


    ¡°Trix, it¡¯s okay,¡± Slade soothed. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out. You don¡¯t have to risk it.¡±


    ¡°Vampires threw their weight around, making it hard for Legion to recruit. So they set out to cut their power. They didn¡¯t anticipate that the other Children of Runes would slaughter the humans since it would further weaken their oppressors. Their gods didn¡¯t take kindly to Legion trying to spread. It was a stupid mistake and one they didn¡¯t intend to correct quickly, because they knew they didn¡¯t have to.¡±


    She didn¡¯t show herself from behind those wings.


    For the first time, Slade contributed. ¡°Because werewolves and vampires make human babies.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Eli agreed. ¡°So they decided to let the vampires starve.¡±


    Manny nodded. ¡°Yup. So that we¡¯d be out of our minds and willing to accept any deal. Even a covenant that would never end.¡±


    Trixie¡¯s voice came with a scoff, ¡°They hadn¡¯t counted on the damn sovereign of Dresden wanting to either stay starved or break the covenant. And they sure as hell didn¡¯t count on vampires taking to primates. It was all one big shit show. One that Davenport was tasked to remedy. With the help of this dwarf.¡±


    Slade picked her head up. ¡°What?¡±


    Trixie¡¯s wings receded to reveal the smug look. ¡°You¡¯re dealing with a disgraced Legion looking for redemption who can¡¯t see the future. Only the past.¡± She met Manny¡¯s gaze. ¡°He knew you¡¯d shove me into a truck. And he knew when.¡±


    Manny gritted his teeth. ¡°It was an accident¡ª¡±


    ¡°It was no accident! It was you. It was you and your stupid temper. You think this fucking truck coming twice was a coincidence?¡±


    ¡°Wait. It was my idea, though,¡± Eli insisted. ¡°Not hers.¡±


    Trixie gave off a sigh. ¡°When this truck stops, the army of angels to greet us will summon Legion, and render what they need to render.¡± She stared Slade head on. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, they¡¯ll rend us quickly.¡±


    Manny considered her words and stood. Holding the child with his right, he flipped the latch and yanked it up to reveal a winged army at their back, traveling the speed Gateway with them.


    ¡°Sonofabitch. Perfect.¡± Manny turned to give Slade a smile. ¡°Would you say you¡¯d have thought I¡¯d break this egg and steal its runes ten years ago?¡±


    ¡°Ten years? Try ten days.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Manny pressed his back against the wall and laughed. ¡°Then he was, too. Hindsight doesn¡¯t mean shit when people change.¡± He told Trixie, ¡°Summon Legion. Do it now.¡±


    She stared him down, defiant. Finally, she met Slade¡¯s gaze and snapped her fingers.


    Slade went rigid. A warmth coursed through her and her lips moved off their own volition.


    ¡°We are trying to be patient. Once you¡¯ve come to a stop, however, the outcome is out of our hands.¡±


    ¡°Listen very carefully,¡± Manny held the baby harpy out. ¡°I¡¯m about to let this thing go. In which time, it¡¯ll consume the closest, strongest rune it can find.¡±


    Legion wasn¡¯t impressed.


    Not until Manny said, ¡°This fucking Gateway.¡±


    Slade¡¯s stomach dropped.


    ¡°And it¡¯ll trap each and every one of your flying ilk in here. It will also set off a chain reaction and collapse maybe all of them. Either way, your precious ¡®minions,¡¯ all gifted with foresight, can see you being taken down by the vampires once more. Try keeping your authority then.¡±


    The fury that burned inside Slade wasn¡¯t one she could define. In time, she said, ¡°Name your terms of negotiations.¡±


    ¡°Same as they always were. Whatever I care about stays safe.¡±


    Legion considered his words then said, ¡°Acceptable. Return to the manor and prepare your sacrifice.¡±

 33 Harpies Have No Childhood

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    The siren-like noise preceded the truck¡¯s freefall. Once they landed, Slade blinked and refocused. They were back at the manor, as promised.


    A tear in the air remained and an army of angels and harpies emptied out, Davenport at the helm.


    ¡°Take their heads,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°No. That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Manny jumped from the truck, baby harpy in hand. ¡°We have an audience. You are welcomed to join.¡±


    Davenport¡¯s eyes burned with fury. ¡°I won¡¯t stand for this.¡± He looked at the ground, speaking to himself, ¡°We don¡¯t need to negotiate with¡ª¡±


    A wince had him falling to his knees.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he begged. ¡°Wait. I can fix this. Give me only a moment. He will offer up the human and the angel. I promise. I can fix this.¡±


    The first harpy to land was massive. She was followed by a smaller and yet another. Six women as far as Slade could count, two of them angels, all heavily armed and none happy to be there. Even more harpies flocked above, circling them like vultures.


    While Slade scrutinized them, they stared at Trixie.


    ¡°Leave her,¡± said the harpy in the lead, looking back to her people. ¡°She¡¯s made her choice. This is what happens to birds who can¡¯t keep their mouths shut. Nobody interfere. This transaction is set, and is valid.¡± She gave Trixie a fleeting glance filled with disappointment and disgust before taking off. ¡°Give them room. Secure the altar.¡± She called to Davenport, ¡°So this is what serving Legion leads to?¡±


    Still kneeling with his eyes fixed on the ground, Davenport seethed. ¡°She interfered. It¡¯s got nothing to do with me and my choices. I was tasked with securing an infinite covenant. And I could have done it with a bit more support! They gave me a dwarf and a shop!¡±


    Barbra hurried around the truck but hesitated to help Trixie out.


    ¡°I¡¯m real sorry,¡± the dwarf said. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Save it.¡± Trixie was heavy cargo but Slade persevered. ¡°Brother, you will not sacrifice her. I will not allow it. I¡¯ll take her place before I allow that.¡±


    Trixie¡¯s movements were shaky when she touched the ground. ¡°You never had any say in what he does,¡± she muttered. ¡°You never have.¡±


    Lomos, holding his child in his right arm, greeted them at the top of the steps, face scratched up, wearing a miserable frown. ¡°Sovereign. Welcome. We were confident you would make it back.¡±


    Manny glanced at him and scoffed. ¡°Glad to see you still in human form.¡±


    The brigade captain bowed his head and gave him room to pass.


    Eli helped with Trixie, looking over her wings to ask Slade, ¡°What do we do?¡±


    Slade shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what we can do.¡± From the harpies in the sky to the werewolves on the ground, she felt helpless. ¡°What do you think if we...?¡±


    They closed in on the courtyard but Eli watched her, nodding. ¡°I was thinking something like that. With how much runes you¡¯ve got, maybe...maybe it can be enough. I go first.¡±


    Mouth tasting stale, Slade looked away from him. ¡°I can¡¯t ask this of you.¡±


    ¡°Both of you are foolish,¡± Trixie muttered. ¡°There are only three things powerful enough to be sacrificed right now. Me, my offspring, or the human.¡± She dragged in a deep breath and brushed them off as she spread her wings and walked on her own.


    Slade paused in her stride to watch her. ¡°E....¡±


    Eli took her hand; he had nothing to offer beyond an empty promise. ¡°A sovereign is still a sovereign. There¡¯s power in that title. It¡¯s probably a sound sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not a powerful sovereign,¡± Slade protested. ¡°What if it¡¯s not enough?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be enough,¡± Eli promised. ¡°And I¡¯ll honor my loyalty rune and go with you. That¡¯ll make mine a bountiful sacrifice when he¡¯s reforming a covenant. It¡¯ll be enough. You have to believe that.¡±


    They exited the manor to the sight of Margarite, flanked by two men in kilts, watching the ground. She no longer had the will to protest.


    Judging from the scratch marks on Lomos¡¯s face, maybe she¡¯d already said her piece.


    Davenport stood in the center, miserable and enraged as he chanted to conjure up the blue fire of the altar.


    Two angels landed in harpy garb. Their less-than-pleased expressions were enough for everyone to understand who they were.


    ¡°We are Legion,¡± one said, ¡°and we¡¯d like to entreat you to consider what you are doing¡ª¡±


    ¡°You starved us,¡± Manny said, ¡°intentionally. I¡¯m breaking the covenant.¡±


    Both angels traded a glance. When they focused on Davenport in anger, the man stepped back.


    ¡°How can you argue this when you yourself are fully powered?¡± She gestured at Lomos and the child. ¡°In the presence of a human no less. It is not in our agreement to feed you. You can feed yourselves. Overfeeding¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not why the humans are dead,¡± Manny countered. ¡°They¡¯re dead because you got greedy and tried to poach other Children of Runes from their gods. Then you robbed us of our werewolves and those gods gave the word to eliminate the humans. And they did. And they were able to because you depowered us.¡± Manny smiled wide though it held no humor. ¡°On purpose.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    This time when the two angels glanced at Davenport, the man¡¯s breath caught.


    After trading a glance with one another, communicating without speaking, the angels turned their attention to Manny once more.


    ¡°We¡¯re listening.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ll break our covenant,¡± Manny demanded. ¡°And you¡¯ll do it with no consequences. Leave us undead, that¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll find another god who can work around it.¡±


    Davenport stepped forward. ¡°There¡¯s none more generous than Legion. Think of what you¡¯d throw away.¡±


    ¡°Silence,¡± the two angels bellowed in unison.


    Save for the harpies above, a hush fell over the crowd.


    The first angel to speak hove a sigh. ¡°Not all vampires need break it¡ª¡±


    ¡°All vampires,¡± Manny insisted. ¡°Every one of them. You can give some the option to go back to you, but I think you¡¯ll find all of us are fed up. We get to walk freely with no repercussions and no interference when we choose another deity.¡± He waved at Lomos and his son. ¡°And look on the bright side, without vampires feeding, the human population might come back. That¡¯s something, right?¡±


    The displeased looks on their faces said it wasn¡¯t something they relished.


    ¡°It requires a great sacrifice to break the covenant,¡± the angel reminded him. ¡°One that is difficult to pay.¡±


    ¡°Oh. No worries there.¡± Manny held the baby harpy. ¡°I¡¯ve got sacrifices in spades. Are we agreed?¡±


    An eerie calm of hopelessness washed over the courtyard, broken only with the two angels who glanced at one another again.


    ¡°Very well,¡± the second angel said. ¡°Give us the human.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Margarite darted forward but the two werewolves caught her. Lomos didn¡¯t look back as she thrashed and wailed. Instead, he watched the ground, cradling his baby close.


    Everyone waited but he didn¡¯t move.


    When his body trembled, Eli gasped. ¡°He¡¯s defying his rune!¡± He leapt in time to catch the child when Lomos shifted to a wolf. Each attempt he made at standing returned him to the wolf form. Teeth bare, he snarled.


    ¡°No need for that,¡± Manny drawled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to sacrifice your baby anyway.¡± He approached the animal and crouched down, boasting, ¡°I just wanted to see you suffer with the decision day in and day out.¡± He grinned. ¡°For my own amusement, of course.¡±


    Slade gasped. ¡°Brother.¡±


    Manny dismissed her with a wave of the hand. ¡°Again with the sanctimony. What vampire wants a werewolf that¡¯s disloyal? I noticed yours didn¡¯t change.¡±


    Eli¡¯s breathing grew ragged as he watched Manny¡¯s every move. ¡°Is it all a game to you?¡±


    ¡°Would you rather I take the baby?¡± Manny asked him.


    At those words, Eli held his peace. Still keeping a close watch on Manny, Eli approached Margarite and handed the child to her. She cradled him, eyes shut tight.


    Manny studied her. He then glanced down at the wolf at her side. The kilt had fallen away but that hardly mattered.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made your choice, Lomos. So I free you of our oath to me.¡± Manny asked the angels, ¡°Is this an acceptable outcome?¡±


    The second angel glanced from Margarite to Manny, confused. ¡°There is no sacrifice of human blood? Then how do you plan to break this covenant?¡±


    ¡°I intend to break it,¡± Manny explained, ¡°by sacrificing the sovereign. Is that acceptable?¡±


    Both angels focused on Slade who took a step back. Her heart pounded, stronger than it ever had, but she was unafraid. She wanted a way to save her people¡ªthis was that way, perhaps the only way.


    ¡°I accept those terms,¡± Slade said, advancing instead of retreating.


    The first angel scowled. ¡°You will not find a better master than Legion. If¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is it acceptable?¡± Manny demanded.


    For a long moment, both angels said nothing. When they spoke in unison, their voices were hollow. ¡°Acceptable.¡±


    Fire danced before the angels then formed into daggers. With a wave of their hands, they shot forward.


    Lomos leapt before Slade and a gasp tore through the night.


    Instead of a wolf, a man formed, holding Slade close.


    ¡°Lo!¡± Margarite raced to them.


    ¡°No.¡± Slade moaned because there was no pain she could distinguish. She shoved Lomos back and waited for him to fall.


    He didn¡¯t. Instead, he looked down at his bare body then at Margarite then Slade again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Lomos said. ¡°What has happened?¡±


    ¡°Harpy,¡± Manny trembled when he helped Trixie sit. The dagger she¡¯d taken on his behalf tore through her wing, lodging itself squarely into her back and came out her stomach. ¡°Foolish harpy. What have you done?¡±


    The bird-creature in his grip stirred and he stood, looking down at the dying angel before him.


    ¡°Trixie.¡± Slade shoved Manny aside and held her hand. ¡°Oh no. Oh no. I don¡¯t understand. I don¡¯t understand! What¡¯s happened?¡± She searched the Legion angels¡¯ uncaring faces for help. ¡°We agreed to sacrifice the sovereign! Isn¡¯t that what you agreed?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only sovereign,¡± Manny told her, ¡°because I was incapacitated. There was no need for two at one time. It was my title¡ªit¡¯s still my title. But she...she....¡± He wore a scowl of disgust and said, ¡°I knew what I was doing.¡±


    Tears in her eyes, Trixie told him, ¡°As did I.¡±


    Manny turned his back to her and told the two angels before him. ¡°This is not part of the agreement. I said all I care about would come out unharmed.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The two angels traded a glance. One said, ¡°Seems your Legion did report back to us something about that, but...¡± she scoffed. ¡°Seeing is believing I suppose.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re breaking the agreement.¡±


    ¡°Are we?¡± The second angel teased, ¡°You do not go to her. You do not touch her. How are we to know you care for her?¡± At Manny¡¯s silent defiance, she said, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve lost your angel to sacrifice to a new covenant, why not discuss the current one? Let us extend it. Say...another hundred years? We¡¯ll be willing to extend it and pretend this all never happened. Otherwise, if we break it now, you¡¯ll never be more than ghouls walking the earth. You would not like that, would you?¡±


    Manny held his baby harpy in both hands, staring them down.


    Trixie¡¯s grip on Slade¡¯s hand grew weaker.


    ¡°Trix.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, boss,¡± Trixie told her. ¡°It was my choice.¡±


    Slade shook her head, biting back a sob, ¡°You moron. You said you hated him.¡±


    A tear ran down Trixie¡¯s cheek as she smiled. ¡°A lied. Not very good at ¡®em, hey boss?¡± She trembled. ¡°But I¡¯s okay. He can still get out.¡±


    ¡°You think I care about being a ghoul?¡± Manny demanded.


    The smug expression on both angels¡¯ faces vanished.


    Davenport risked stepping forward. ¡°Think about what they¡¯re offering. Besides, these angels control life and death now, but once they leave, your intended sacrifice to the new deity is useless. Hindsight tells me you will try to sacrifice your infant harpy, but its power level is incomplete without the second egg to feed it. You have no means to make a new covenant. It¡¯s best to keep the one you¡¯ve got now!¡±


    At the silence, the angels turned to Davenport. ¡°Do something,¡± they demanded together.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m, I¡¯m trying! You¡¯re trying to play emotional chess with a vampire. There¡¯s no emotion to exploit! I¡¯ve told you this. Not unless you drop his power and that takes him out of the equation yet again mentally. I¡ª¡±


    The angels waved their hands and Davenport¡¯s throat split open.


    Gasping and shocked, he held his neck but didn¡¯t dare utter another word. Once they left, his own fate was sealed.


    And just like that, Manny¡¯d won. He¡¯d break the covenant. Slade brought Trixie¡¯s hand to her cheek, squeezing it despite the frailty of it.


    ¡°Trix.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s done it,¡± Trixie gasped. ¡°Look at him. They have to break it now. I¡¯m powerful enough. He could use my runes as the sacrifice.¡± In a sick way, she sounded proud. ¡°He¡¯s always able to play such a safe gamble to get his way.¡±


    ¡°Save her.¡± It came out of nowhere at first but then Manny picked his head up and told the angels, ¡°Save her.¡±


    Eli gasped. Even Lomos took a step back in surprise.


    Davenport¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Both angels exchanged glances then perked up.


    ¡°You are willing to deal?¡± One asked.


    The second one stepped forward, ¡°We¡¯ll save her, but it comes at a price. She¡¯s gone against the Fates. She¡¯s chosen this moment. This is her end.¡±


    Manny picked his head up and stared them down. ¡°I¡¯ll renew the vampire contract indefinitely. Save her!¡±

 34 Eating Feelings ... and Enemies

    <table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td></td><td> </td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not going?¡± Eli asked, crouching down under the table. No one was there. ¡°Come on. It¡¯s important. We¡¯d all want you there.¡± It was a sizeable greenhouse and he didn¡¯t relish the thought of having to check under each and every damn table.


    But when he reached another, he ducked down.


    Nothing.


    He came this far. Going back empty handed wasn¡¯t a real option.


    Something scurried away and he hurried to intercept it. Being half naked for over a month, he appreciated his new suit and didn¡¯t want to sully it.


    Even so, he knelt at yet another table. That¡¯s when he saw it, the large bird, the size of a chicken, with the human head. It cocked its head to the right and opened its beak.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Eli protested.


    Two hands snatched it up. ¡°Gotcha.¡± Manny held the infant up and preened. ¡°Did you think I would not find you, little one? I¡¯ve got you.¡±


    The creature smiled and Manny did as well. He threw her up and then caught her, her brown wings flapping in both the rise and fall.


    Five feathers waved on the creature¡¯s head when Manny put her on a wooden shelf and held out his hands for her to fly into them.


    ¡°Come on. Come here. Come on,¡± he entreated.


    He was almost playful.


    The harpy scampered out then ducked back.


    ¡°Aww. Come on,¡± Manny coaxed. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta fly some time. I got some more seeds. Look.¡±


    When he chewed one then offered it to the shadow, Eli approached with caution.


    A beak snapped the morsel up, nicking Manny with it.


    ¡°Ow. Shit.¡± He would have kept on whining if something didn¡¯t hop forward then back again. ¡°Aw. Come back for more, have you?¡±


    Eli narrowed his brow. This was unreal.


    By the time three more fingers suffered the same fate, Manny acknowledged him.


    ¡°Look at this,¡± Manny insisted. ¡°Look at this baby. It is perfectly hideous. Look. And I adore her!¡± Once he put the mush into the palm of his hand, he didn¡¯t move.


    The first thing Eli saw were the big eyes. They were disproportionate to the bird beak. Because while the rest of the creatures face looked fowl, those eyes were...human. As were the ears. It resembled something concocted in a madman¡¯s lab.


    The bird body was the bit that had him gagging. It had no hands, only wings and it hopped onto Manny¡¯s palm and ate.


    His fingers snapped shut. ¡°Gotcha.¡±


    The thing made a pitiful chirping cry as it was picked up.


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t you go running off until we can get you airborne.¡± Manny flopped down by the bag of seeds and went about chewing some more. But when he offered it, the thing simply cried.


    ¡°Ah. Come on. If I let you go, you are going to run away again.¡±


    The baby harpy stopped crying suddenly and instead stared him down.


    Manny raised his right eyebrow then scowled. ¡°Ah, crud.¡± A minute later, a white liquid ran down his forearm. He sighed.


    ¡°Is that a normal baby reaction?¡± Manny asked Eli. ¡°She just looks you in the eye when she craps all over you. Like...right in the eye like some mafia boss.


    ¡°Sir...¡± Eli began.


    ¡°Give me a second. She starts crying if she¡¯s not kept clean. I was gonna use this bucket and make it into a birdbath but the poor thing cannot swim yet. All the rest of her feathers just grew in yesterday. Isn¡¯t she sweet?¡±


    Eli focused on the creature as Manny fulfilled his promise and dipped a cloth in the bucket before wiping up the mess.


    ¡°Tell you one thing,¡± Manny boasted. ¡°It is so much easier than everybody says. And give me a harpy baby any day. It stinks far less than the human ones. And look.¡± He turned the thing toward Eli and pressed their cheeks together. When he made a yi-yi sound, it mimicked him. ¡°Isn¡¯t that fun? Ow.¡±


    It also bit at him.


    ¡°Well, she thinks everything is food right now. But she is doing well.¡±


    It¡ªshe wasn¡¯t all that large. He could hold her one-handed, she was so tiny.


    Eli had a bigger problem. Eli wasn¡¯t sure if Manny was playing a dunce or if he truly had given away his runes. With an action so unlike him, Eli concluded this was a ploy to get rid of him.


    ¡°Trix¡ª¡±


    ¡°How is she?¡± Manny asked, still struggling to keep hold of the half bird half human in his arms. ¡°Is she cross with me? I wouldn¡¯t blame her. I was not all that nice.¡±


    Eli said, ¡°It would be better if you asked her yourself. She¡¯s requested you again.¡±


    Rather than answer, Manny scoffed and chewed another seed. He fed it to his little friend who was more agreeable.


    ¡°Then tell her to stop requesting me.¡±


    Eli sighed out through his nose. ¡°What you did¡ªno one can blame you for what you did.¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m sure all vampires wanted to spend eternity in a trailer park.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    As saddening as the image was, Eli couldn¡¯t say whether or not vampires deserved more.


    ¡°That was the gamble we made.¡±


    ¡°No. I made. I made and I choked.¡± He looked up from his task and asked, ¡°What would happen if it got out that vampires are not the reason human went extinct. Legion was?¡±


    Eli¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°I¡¯d...we¡¯d all rather that not become common knowledge, if it¡¯s all the same.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I do not deny that.¡± Manny tried to feed the baby again and when she refused by turning her head a third time, he concluded, ¡°You must be full.¡±


    The thing yawned and he laughed, smitten.


    ¡°Do birds actually yawn, though?¡± He put the harpy on the floor. ¡°Watch this.¡±


    Clawed talons clicked on the floor as the creature turned around in place three times, then lowered itself to rest.


    ¡°Three times. Absolutely three.¡± Manny poked it until it awakened. Once again it turned, and turned. Before the third time, Manny picked it up. Another yawn followed.


    Once it was on the floor yet again, it turned once, twice. The vampire snatched it up.


    ¡°Three each time. It starts over.¡±


    But the thing didn¡¯t turn, instead, it titled its head back and cried.


    ¡°Oh. Oh shit. No, no, no. I did not mean it. Come now. Come on.¡± He used both hands to scoot her. ¡°Turn three times and down you go.¡±


    His words had little effect. He was learning the hard way that no one liked to be made into a plaything.


    ¡°Oh, come on.¡± Manny picked her up and turned three times then put her down. Nothing. She only wept. ¡°Oh. Come on. It was just cute. Look.¡± He mimicked her jumpy walk as he turned once.


    The baby harpy looked up at him. She hopped around for one turn but not for another. Manny did the honors and the child mimicked him. Once he made the third turn, she yawned and hopped to him. Using her right foot, she clawed at his ankle.


    A restless baby was a restless baby, no matter what manner of being.


    ¡°What? You want to come up?¡± Manny crouched and put his hands out. Once she hopped on, she turned three times, causing Manny to wince at her talons, and flopped down. ¡°Oh shit. Now I cannot put her down.¡±


    He resolved to sit with his back against the wall.


    Eli hated seeing whatever game Manny was playing. And to not let a baby see its mother. This was low, even for him¡ªand that was saying a lot.


    As he sat there staring at the floor, he asked, ¡°Really, how is she?¡±


    Those words made no sense at first. Once Eli understood them, he couldn¡¯t believe his nerve. ¡°You stole her baby and locked her in a cage¡ª¡±


    ¡°That is not fair.¡± Manny met his gaze. ¡°You know what we are. It was the only way to know she wouldn¡¯t cause any trouble. The entire country wanted her head. Remember?¡± When Eli had no counterargument, Manny asked, ¡°How is she?¡±


    Exasperated with all the games Eli sighed. ¡°If I tell you, will you go and visit her?¡±


    The silence meant he wouldn¡¯t. The night of the new covenant wasn¡¯t one Eli liked reliving, especially with the fit Manny¡¯d thrown once the harpies and angels, all quite satisfied, departed. As soon as Slade¡¯d pronounced Trixie healed, Manos Dresden walked out of his manor and disappeared. That was four weeks to date. It was no mystery where he went. There weren¡¯t many tombs he could inhabit easily.


    In that time, Slade had come to see him, countless others had. And he never left.


    ¡°She¡¯s going back home tonight, she said,¡± Eli told him. ¡°After Davenport¡¯s trial. So will you come see her?¡± Queasy, Eli shook his head. ¡°You did what you did for the right reasons. None of us blame you. Vampires don¡¯t even know how close they¡¯d come to freedom so there¡¯s no reason to feel guilt¡ª¡±


    ¡°I feel no guilt. I¡¯m a vampire.¡± Manny kept his eyes on the infant harpy, a frown etched into his face. ¡°My runes have dropped. Because I feel so proud of this creature before me. But I¡¯m still thinking straight so that tells me I¡¯m more of the old me.¡± He looked up from the ground to meet Eli¡¯s gaze. ¡°The harpy doesn¡¯t need me. She needs someone gentle.¡±


    Eli argued, ¡°Yes, but you know the difference.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not abusive.¡± Manny sat up, holding the child in both hands. ¡°And you¡¯re wrong, Evelyn. I did go see her. We went...once.¡±


    ¡°Stop saying my name like that. Evelyn¡¯s traditionally a boy¡¯s name, I¡¯ll have you know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. In prison.¡±


    Eli stared daggers at him. The previous words finally made sense. Manny¡¯d gone to see Trixie.


    This was news. Eli perked up. He leaned on a nearby table, feeling more at ease. ¡°You went? With the baby?¡±


    Manny rubbed the little harpy¡¯s head, smoothing out the feathers there. ¡°She used to have seven of these.¡± He looked up at Eli and said, ¡°Her mother plucked two...for fun.¡±


    A wave of dread forced Eli to stand to his full height. ¡°That¡¯s not like her.¡±


    ¡°I know that is not like her. Because it is not. Whatever that thing is...that...angel is, it¡¯s not her. It¡¯s not who I want. So I will wait.¡± He patted the baby¡¯s head. ¡°We will wait. I am a vampire. And apparently, I will be one for a while. I¡¯ll wait for her runes level to drop¡ªfor the harpy to come back.¡±


    Eli protested, ¡°But that could take years!¡±


    ¡°Roughly twenty,¡± Manny agreed. ¡°Her words.¡±


    Disappointed, Eli nodded. ¡°And you will not see her off?¡±


    Manny sighed. ¡°To what end? She¡¯s gorgeous now, yes, but...do you know it¡¯s strange. Somewhere in the last ten years, somewhere in there, I didn¡¯t see anything ugly. I couldn¡¯t say it; I was too dumb to say it, but I didn¡¯t see it. But what I see now...that¡¯s unsightly.¡±


    Although those words weren¡¯t directed at Eli, he felt slighted all the same. ¡°She deserves a goodbye. But if you¡¯d ask her...if you¡¯d ask her to stay, she would. Don¡¯t you think she deserves that? She took care of you when you were useless to yourself. Doesn¡¯t she deserve something similar?¡±


    Manny closed his eyes and whined, ¡°But I don¡¯t want to. I thought I could do it, but then she was just so damn mean-spirited. Seven feathers and she had to go and pluck two!¡±


    The baby harpy coughed and Manny cradled her close. He tucked her under his arm and stood.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go see her, but I¡¯m not happy about it,¡± he complained.


    Eli smiled, relieved. He¡¯d completed his task. ¡°You won¡¯t regret it.¡±


    ¡°I already regret it.¡± With his free hand, he picked up a bag and began to pack it with several things for his baby harpy. All the while, he grumbled, ¡°Tell you one thing, being around her reminded me...it reminds me of this human I¡¯d known. Right. Real pretty.¡±


    The force with which he shoved the towels into the bag drew Eli¡¯s focus. ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Also Christian, if you must know. But.... You know, after her, I concluded that pretty people were...weird. The majority of them. And I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s true, but she was so weird that she skewed my world view.¡±


    ¡°Weird?¡±


    Manny strapped the bag over his shoulder and started out. ¡°Well, for one, she was saving herself till marriage.¡±


    Eli hurried to catch up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    ¡°Well, not all parts of her,¡± Manny countered.


    At first slowing in his stride, Eli countered that and moved with him. ¡°Beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we did fuck. Fucked all the time. Just not the right way.¡±


    Eli squinted. ¡°Oh kay.¡±


    ¡°And the things she would let you do to her,¡± Manny shuddered. ¡°After a while, you just could not look her in the eye.¡±


    His lowered runes meant he didn¡¯t combust in the sunlight, but his skin did sizzle. This was another thing he¡¯d done for the infant harpy, taken her out into the day time.


    ¡°And prayed I would never get my reflection back, because I was pretty sure I could not even look myself in the eye.¡±


    Eli scowled. ¡°Honest, you can stop talking.¡±


    ¡°What if I¡¯m stuck with that for the next twenty years? Huh? Have you thought of that, werewolf? Because I certainly have. Being stuck licking angel taint for twenty years if she¡¯s creepy, too.¡±


    Fighting back a gag, Eli begged, ¡°Really. You don¡¯t have to tell me any of this.¡±


    ¡°And you never really question your humanity until you¡¯re fucking someone you can¡¯t even make eye contact with afterward. I will tell you that.¡± The little harpy stirred, and he looked down at her. ¡°Wait, she wants to walk. It¡¯ll take us ages, but I do not have the heart when she starts to cry.¡±


    As soon as the bird feet touched the ground, the infant harpy was off. Manny gave chase and Eli, glad that their discussion had come to an end, ran behind them.


    Two wings flapped like crazy when the little harpy came back, a worm in her beak.


    Manny gagged. ¡°Oh, come on. We¡¯ve talked about this. Seeds, fruit, anything that will not poison you. But nothing alive.¡±


    Eli watched on, fascinated as the harpy dropped the worm and blinked two big green eyes at him.


    After glancing from her to the expected food, Manny groaned and picked it up.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Eli protested, ¡°are you¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Might as well.¡± Manny held the worm up. ¡°Probably be stuck putting worse in my mouth for your mother.¡±


    Eli opened his mouth to curse but nearly vomited when Manny chewed on the worm then took the mashed up bits out of his mouth and fed the happy little harpy.


    Cringing, Eli swallowed down his breakfast which threatened to rise up.


    Once the bird-like creature was done, she hopped up and down and Manny picked her up again. He let out a sigh and told her, ¡°Let¡¯s go see your mother. Maybe it will be better this time.¡± He stepped by Eli. Just for curiosity¡¯s sake, werewolf, if I wasn¡¯t already dead, would swallowing urine kill me? Asking for a friend.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Eli hurried past him. ¡°You are the worst person on the planet.¡±


    ¡°Asking for a friend,¡± Manny called out.

 35 Asking for A Friend

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    Slade¡¯s heart broke with the next tear. ¡°Really. It looks all right.¡±


    A courtroom restroom was the last place to break down but Trixie hardly cared. One turn toward the wall had her wings covering her as she sobbed. ¡°It¡¯s just the way it is. One can¡¯t reduce runes easily with us. It goes all or nothing.¡±


    At first wanting to reach for her, Slade took her hand back and thought better of it. She wanted to scream at her friend and tell her to get it together.


    ¡°I¡¯m the one about to get locked up, Trix. Shouldn¡¯t I be the one crying?¡±


    It was meant to garner a chuckle but nothing came of it.


    ¡°He liked it. Without foresight I don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen. But he liked it. He considered it gorgeous.¡±


    Slade wanted to hit her. She wanted to go out of that room, find the closest bastard unfortunate enough to have a court date today, bleed him dry, come back here, yank a stall door off its hinges and beat her with it.


    In time, she simply sighed instead. ¡°Trix.... It¡¯s no reason to leave.¡±


    With the wings wrapped so tightly around her, Slade had nowhere to touch. Trixie hated having her wings caressed. The only one to ever get away with it was Manny and Slade had figured it was because he was incapacitated and didn¡¯t know any better. Now she wondered how long she¡¯d been incapacitated because she hadn¡¯t seen Trixie¡¯s infatuation get this bad before.


    No, the harpy¡¯s interest in Manos Dresden wasn¡¯t new. But his behavior toward her over the years should have more than cured all infatuation. It hadn¡¯t. Somewhere in Trixie¡¯s head, she¡¯d found contentment with caring for him. But those days were long gone and they weren¡¯t ever coming back. Not with the new laws protecting humans from repercussion-free slaughter.


    And it wasn¡¯t just that. Something about being around the baby harpy was having an effect on Manny¡¯s rune. He¡¯d neither gained in strength nor lost it. It was like he was stuck in limbo, the same sort that the angels controlled with life and death.


    When the ugly crying grew heavy, Slade settled on risking disturbing the wings.


    ¡°Trix. Please. You have to calm down.¡±


    ¡°I shoulda been content. I shoulda been content with it. But I thought I¡¯d at least get my foresight back like this. And A hadn¡¯t meant to drain so much. It was supposed to be just enough to stop being such a bitch. I could barely stand myself.¡±


    Slade smoothed down her wings. ¡°Trix.¡±


    ¡°Touching,¡± Trixie snapped, proving not all the angel rune had yet faded.


    Hands drawn back, Slade muttered, ¡°Sorry.¡± There was no sense in yelling but she couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°But why even bother risking it if you¡¯re gonna cry about it?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t,¡± Trixie wept, going further into the corner. ¡°I couldn¡¯t look at them. Each time he¡¯d chase her around laughing, I wanted to grab her by a foot and fling her off a cliff. I even had dreams about putting down seeds leading her into an oven or some nonsense. It was either turn into some fairy book psycho or drop all this maddening power. That¡¯s just the way it is with Legion. He¡¯s a jealous deity. So things fully powered by him are equally vain. I just hated it. One time....¡± She sniffed and turned her face to confess. ¡°I plucked her. I plucked two of her feathers. He didn¡¯t even notice. I lied and said they fell out and I was getting real good at lying.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t. Not even slightly. Whether it was a harpy trait was up for debate but Trixie was a terrible liar. Even now. More than likely, Manny noticed. He noticed and it probably pissed him off. And Trixie sensed it and tried to drop power. Now what was she to do?


    ¡°But...your wings are still white,¡± Slade said, trying to find a silver lining.¡±


    ¡°And my horns are back! And they¡¯re still too soft to saw off.¡± Her voice grew rougher as she wailed, ¡°Just leave me here. Leave me here in this latrine where I belong.¡±


    ¡°Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake!¡± Slade shouted. ¡°I¡¯d understand if it was for somebody half decent but it¡¯s for Manos! Come on!¡±


    Trixie glanced at her and shed another tear.


    Slade¡¯s spirits sank. ¡°Fine. Should I bring the rune stone to him to give the baby?¡±


    Upon turning to face the wall yet again, Trixie grumbled, ¡°I¡¯ve lost my jacket. I should stay here.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you should.¡± Slade let out a sigh and made her way to the door. It opened before she arrived, a benefit of now having some rune magic¡ªdoors and magical gateways now responded to her. ¡°You know,¡± she said, glancing back at Trixie, ¡°you might just regret not seeing him one last time before you leave. Going away with any good memories is fine, but that¡¯s painful. It¡¯d be better if you just see him for the scum he is, so that way you won¡¯t miss him.¡±


    Without another word, she stepped out and the gate slid to the ground behind her.


    ¡°Damn him,¡± she muttered. It was still early. In her hand she carried information for the two summons she was served. This was one leftover from the human era she as thankful for. Children of Runes of old usually took on a quest for revenge against all who wrong them. Humans? Litigation. She grumbled to herself as she made her way out the door. ¡°And centaurs were litigious as fuck.¡±


    They were worse than the fairies who the second summons came from. All mankind was gone, but their legacy remained¡ªlawsuits. The pettier the better.


    She made it out the door only to bump into someone dressed nicely. The man recoiled as did she.


    Eli¡¯s pleasant smile had her smiling in return. ¡°Hey,¡± he said.


    ¡°Hey, yourself.¡± Slade took him in then scanned the empty space behind him. ¡°You didn¡¯t get him?¡±


    With a groan, Eli looked back down the steps to the bottom where Manny played with the baby harpy, hellbent on not coming up.


    ¡°What now?¡± Slade asked.


    ¡°He....¡± Eli shrugged at a loss. ¡°Let¡¯s give up. I just had the most bizarre conversation with your lowlife brother. And it wasn¡¯t easy getting him here. The son-of-a-bitch jumped out of the cab and tried to run off. Luckily, I grabbed his baby.¡±


    When he looked at Slade expectant, she was reluctant to share her failings, too.


    ¡°I say we give up,¡± Eli said. ¡°Even when I mentioned that some werewolves were taking interest in the ¡®angel¡¯ his response was, and I quote, Good. Saves me having to cringe through sex while thinking of Christmas.¡±


    Slade groaned. ¡°Why Ch¡ªyou know what, best not to ask.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    Eli hesitated then cleared his throat. ¡°Davenport¡¯s probably gonna get off. He buttered up some fairies and even got married to ensure he¡¯d have a grounding in this realm.¡±


    Slade sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore. Let me go break the news to my brother.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Eli asked, ¡°She still insists on taking the baby with her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s her baby, Eli.¡± Slade made her way down the steps. ¡°It¡¯s her right to take her back to her island. He won¡¯t care.¡±


    Eli followed. ¡°Three chewed up worms says he will.¡±


    Slade meant to ask for clarification, but she¡¯d learned years ago, clarification wasn¡¯t always a good thing when it came to her brother. As Slade neared the bottom of the steps, something struck her¡ªdespite the weather, her brother wore Trixie¡¯s jacket.


    That mocking was the last strew. ¡°Hey, asshole,¡± she called.


    Manny took something out of his mouth and crouched down to feed the baby harpy. He barely cast her a glance.


    ¡°Oh, look,¡± he said, ¡°it¡¯s the resident saint nobody gives a shit about. Come on, holier than thou. I¡¯ve got time today.¡±


    He stood, a scowl on his face. It vanished as soon as he turned. Instead of his usual look of disdain and vexation, he let out a gasp, pleased.


    Eyes focused on the top of the courthouse steps, he put the baby harpy in Eli¡¯s hands and took the baby bag and slung it over Slade without looking.


    ¡°Anything happens to my kid, I¡¯ll skin you both alive. Keep her for a second.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Slade turned, confused and annoyed. ¡°Brother.¡±


    Eli held the baby close and followed Manny¡¯s ascension. ¡°Oh, wow. What luck,¡± he whispered.


    Slade focused on the haggard looking harpy at the top of the steps, face twisted in a frown.


    Manny took the steps two by two, Trixie one at a time until she took flight and landed from row to row.


    When she reached Manny, she jumped up, wings spread, and he caught her.


    The genuine embrace he gave her struck Slade as uncharacteristic. ¡°I¡¯m seeing things.¡±


    Eli sighed. ¡°The man condemned an entire race of vampires to eternal servitude to save a woman, and you still don¡¯t think he likes her?¡±


    Slade hadn¡¯t. She figured Manny needed Trixie for something and that he was biding his time or regrouping.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    The way he held onto her, despite nearly falling from her wingspan making him unsteady, she almost believed it.


    When he kissed her throat then her mouth, Slade flinched.


    ¡°Wait.... wait, so...so he does...?¡±


    ¡°Like her. Yes.¡± Eli gave her a smile. ¡°That¡¯s kinda sweet, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Slade squinted. ¡°No. That¡¯s not.¡±


    The languished kiss turned hungry. It ended when Manny yanked the strap of Trixie¡¯s dress and buried his face in her chest.


    ¡°See?¡± Slade complained. ¡°He¡¯s just being disrespectful.¡±


    Manny swooped the harpy off her feet and ran up the steps.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t,¡± Eli pleaded. ¡°We¡¯ve already got two complaints to fight. These idiots wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    Slade cringed. ¡°Oh...they would.¡± Several signs around the area caught her attention. The entire street was awash with positive reminders of the contributions humans made. A small parade even passed through. After thirty minutes once it faded, the signs were visible once more. ¡°Human Remembrance Day. Tomorrow. A renaissance fair,¡± they read. ¡°This is all so strange.¡±


    ¡°Well. My father didn¡¯t have much of a choice when he realized he¡¯d only get human babies.¡±


    Teeth gritted, Slade muttered, ¡°Sorry about Sarah.¡±


    Eli snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not. I don¡¯t even wanna know what coyote disciple gave her that shifter baby. At least it¡¯s similar enough to a were to pass as one.¡± He let out a sigh. ¡°Talk about dodging a bullet.¡± With a pause, he gestured his chin at the steps. ¡°There he is.¡±


    And there he was. Davenport.


    Dress down, his wings perpetually wrapped by a long cape, made his way down the court steps...with someone unexpected at his side.


    Slade wasn¡¯t sure where the podium came from but a familiar reporter asked, ¡°Could you give us a statement? Did the vampire, Sophia ¡®Slade¡¯ Dresden do that to your throat?¡±


    Davenport¡¯s disheartened expression deepened when he brought a black box to his deeply scarred neck and a modulated sound emitted from it.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± he attested. ¡°I merely showed her no unearned respect to which she viciously cut my throat.¡±


    Slade tensed. Eli grabbed her arm, squeezing.


    ¡°Even my wife can attest to the injustice.¡± Davenport lowered the box and took a step back.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Barbra reached up and pulled the mic lower. ¡°We plan to file a formal complaint. In fact....¡± She paused for effect and sniffed, teary-eyed. ¡°She touched my beard.¡±


    The collective gasp from the crowd had Slade groaning internally. ¡°What I want to do is cut her throat,¡± she grumbled.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, what about those who argue that the jury was eighty percent dwarf and therefore biased? In fact, after werewolves, dwarfs are the second highest population of Rune Kind. They even rival the vampires in numbers.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± The voice box screeched. Davenport grabbed the mic and brought it up. ¡°Does that make it excusable? An injustice is an injustice, even against a majority!¡±


    ¡°Fuck this guy.¡± Slade turned to Eli and said, ¡°Let¡¯s just find my brother and go. If he reacts to this, it¡¯ll be one hell of a shitshow. Bring the baby.¡±


    Eli took a step back. ¡°What? You have her.¡±


    The world expanded and shrunk in the blink of an eye. ¡°No,¡± Slade explained, ¡°you have her. He gave me the bag.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I gave you the....¡± Eli went pale. ¡°He¡¯s gonna kill us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic.¡±


    ¡°Sophia Dresden!¡± the reporter announced. She closed in. ¡°Would you like to make a statement. Defend yourself against these accusations?¡±


    Slade had bigger problems. She ignored the woman, more than a bad idea, and looked through every bush.


    ¡°What do you have to say for yourself? Vampire sentiments were just starting to shift after your day in the sun drew in grand debates. Don¡¯t you feel that your callous actions here could condemn your kind?¡±


    Not as condemned as she was once her brother found out she¡¯d lost his child.


    With all attempts to catch Slade¡¯s attention fruitless, the woman rushed to Eli, several camera people in tow. ¡°Mr. Monroe, Mr. Monroe. How about a statement from you? Your father¡¯s repealed the human extinction order. Why would he do that?


    ¡°He won¡¯t have much need of it at this point, lady. Outta my way. If I don¡¯t find that thing....¡± He paused, huffing. ¡°If we don¡¯t find her,¡± he told Slade, who looked equally grim.


    ¡°He will kill us,¡± Slade confirmed. ¡°Beyond kill us.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Who? Of whom do you speak¡ª?¡±


    Cursing the woman would be a bad idea but Slade¡¯s nerves were frayed enough that she almost did.


    ¡°He¡¯s here. The centaur. It¡¯s the centaur,¡± the reporter announced. ¡°Bring the cameras. Get him from all angles.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Slade said. ¡°We¡¯ve just gotta find her before¡ª¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s your brother.¡± Eli pointed to the top of the steps where Manny chased Trixie, wings spread, and caught hold of her. Once he picked her up and carried her down the steps, Eli whispered, ¡°Make sure he kills me first. I don¡¯t want to witness you suffering.¡±


    Manny reached them and put a bashful Trixie to stand. ¡°What?¡± he asked them.


    Slade looked from the harpy to her brother and back again.


    ¡°Whatever it is, boss,¡± Trixie said over Manny¡¯s shoulder, ¡°best to get it outta the way. Mean people don¡¯t much like surprises.¡±


    Manny scoffed and tugged at her long brown hair. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t put this in front of your face so much,¡± he pointed out.


    The harpy hid behind him yet again. ¡°I can cut the horns down later.¡±


    Reaching behind him, Manny tugged on her dress. ¡°that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± He slowed in his speech and looked from Slade to Eli. ¡°Where¡¯s Piper?¡±


    Eli swallowed hard. ¡°Yeah.... Funny thing....¡±


    ¡°And then she just jumps on my back and whacks me like some common mule! I tried to protest. Whack. A backhand right across my face.¡±


    Slade shrunk away from the high-pitched accusations.


    Manny looked from her to the centaur dressed nicely. ¡°Man, you were a busy bee. Don¡¯t worry about it. Big animals tend to garner little sympathy.¡±


    And he was right. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir,¡± the reporter said, ¡°are we to believe that a large child of Rune such as yourself was overpowered by a hundred and twenty pound starved vampire?¡±


    The centaur¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°She was on my back.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the reporter took the mic back and said, ¡°but...unlike a horse, sir, you¡¯ve...you¡¯ve got arms. You couldn¡¯t throw her off?¡±


    ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t throw her off, you insensitive fuck.¡±


    At the collective gasp, Slade shook her head. The centaur was the one victim she had felt sorry for.


    Manny shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, part-time wanna-be saint Sophia. You were planning to go to jail for that prick?¡±


    Slade muttered under her breath, ¡°I felt bad.¡±


    ¡°You are simply the sorriest excuse for a vampire! I¡¯d like to see them try to put me in an enclosed space with other prisoners. After I play dead then systematically bleed each and every one of them dry, I¡¯d give them a day to recover so I could fuck them up all over again. Then I¡¯d walk right out of there without a second glance back.¡±


    ¡°Well¡ªwell¡ªwell no, it¡¯s true, horses don¡¯t like fire. We centaurs don¡¯t either, but we can sorta withstand it.¡± The centaur started to sweat.


    That made Slade curious until she saw Marrow in the crowd, egging the reporters on.


    ¡°But you¡¯ve just said she rode you like a horse and you couldn¡¯t stop,¡± the fairy went on. He floated from right to left. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that fampire saved us from dirty wolves. We owe her some...some thanks.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Eli admitted finally, ¡°I¡¯d never imagined getting help from a fairy would make me feel so dirty.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s trying to pay back the rescue,¡± Manny observed. He gave Trixie a smile then nuzzled her cheek and she understood the signal.


    ¡°The idea of balance is big for Rune kind with regards to payment, boss. He¡¯s doing this to make sure he owes you nothing when he brings his own charges. ¡®Sides, looks kinda compassionate, right?¡±


    Slade felt sick. ¡°Fuck that guy.¡± She was forgetting about something¡ªsomething important. ¡°Oh shit. Listen. We lost¡ª¡±


    Manny gave off a whistle and waited. ¡°Lost what? Ah. Here she comes.¡±


    Eli looked around. ¡°What? How do you know?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s whistling back.¡± A bird flopped toward them, tearing a gasp from Manny who laughed. ¡°She¡¯s flying! Look! She¡¯s flying.¡±


    The baby harpy dropped something and slammed into her proud father who hugged her close, cheek to cheek.


    ¡°Look at you, flying like a champ.¡±


    Trixie was the first to regard the discarded object, then Eli and finally Slade who took a step back.


    ¡°Is that...?¡±


    ¡°Yup. Reckon it is,¡± Trixie cautioned. ¡°Human, adult male...shallow grave.¡±


    Eli waited for more. ¡°And where¡¯d she get this?¡± Manny still continued to throw his daughter up while catching her. ¡°Manos! Did you see what she was carrying?¡±


    Manny looked over the baby to the skull and said, ¡°Yeah? So?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a human skull!¡± Eli exclaimed. ¡°And you know it¡¯s human cuz it¡¯s not discolored.¡±


    Kissing his teeth, Manny punted it.


    ¡°And I was forced toward an angel. An honest to all creation evil angel who...wait. Right there. Isn¡¯t that her¡ªthat¡¯s her right there!¡± The centaur dodged the human skull sailed his way. ¡°What in the world is going on? Forget this sham interview and point your attention to this very real Angel of Death left to walk around. Has everybody lost their collective minds?¡± The more panicked he became, the higher the pitch of his voice. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m the one crazy! They¡¯re here throwing skulls now? Isn¡¯t someone going to say something? Anything!¡± he wailed like a banshee.


    Eli sucked in a deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s go address this.¡±


    Manny grabbed him by the back of his jacket and shoved him forward. ¡°Fuck that.¡±


    Though they began to walk, Trixie didn¡¯t follow.


    She nearly collapsed but Eli caught her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Eyes wide, she stared at the ground then looked directly at Manny. The accusation in the glare had him scanning them for help. ¡°What?¡±


    When the harpy couldn¡¯t take a step forward, he hurried to pick her up. ¡°Mean people don¡¯t like surprises, remember?¡±


    ¡°It should have been enough,¡± Trixie said. ¡°But without my power, I can¡¯t gauge it well.¡±


    Eli looked to Slade for help but Manny was the only one who seemed to understand.


    ¡°Like now? Like right now?¡± At her nod, he gave off a sigh. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s find an open field or something.¡±


    Slade looked between them. ¡°Mind sharing what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Manny hefted her and made his way to the open fair ground of vendors. ¡°You¡¯re about to be an aunt yet again.¡±


    Stunned, Slade slowed in her stride. Eli tugged her arm and she was in motion. ¡°What? Each and every time you two...? Each time.¡±


    Trixie dragged her jacket up, covering her face. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t care,¡± Manny said, smiling down at her with affection. ¡°Just...one request. I know if anyone deserves their son smashed to bits and fed to his twin, it¡¯d be me but...can we keep them both? And not hurt the boy?¡±


    Trixie resisted. ¡°A boy harpy? Those...those are rare for a reason.¡±


    ¡°Twenty percent off for all referrals,¡± a vocaloid voice called out. Davenport, fresh from court but manning his own booth at the festival, shied away when he saw them.


    ¡°Why?¡± Manny asked, walking on. ¡°Because they¡¯re losers?¡±


    ¡°Man that¡¯s sad,¡± Eli observed. ¡°Tell you one thing. Just goes to show you that whenever you work for a big cooperation, chances are, you¡¯re up to some evil.¡±


    The earth shook, forcing them to a stop.


    Earthquakes weren¡¯t a common occurrence, but it was still strange to see Trixie look up.


    ¡°What?¡± Manny asked.


    Trixie¡¯s eyes turned white. ¡°This is Legion. We need your help. You are to return to the courthouse immediately and remedy the problem that has arisen.¡±


    Manny scoffed. ¡°Fuck that. Our covenant with you is fulfilled so long as we stay out of your way. Find some other flying monkeys¡ª¡±


    ¡°Speaking of monkeys,¡± Eli said, pointing. ¡°Look.¡±


    The sky turned red and a bright blue light parted it vertically. Two huge hands tore open the dimensional portal and a giant ape peered out.


    Trixie was back to normal as she said, ¡°That would be the monkey god.¡±


    Slade gasped. ¡°We have to go back and help everyone.¡±


    Once the giant deity stepped out of the portal and arched back to wail while thumping his chest, Slade backed down.


    ¡°Whoa. Wait. Let¡¯s think this through.¡±


    ¡°Manos...Dresden,¡± the ape howled. ¡°Bring me...Manos...Dresden.¡±


    Manny pursed his lips. ¡®Interesting....¡±


    Eli shoved him. ¡°What the fuck you mean interesting? What have you done exactly?¡±


    Manny met his gaze. ¡°Hmm. It could be a number of things. But chances are, this is about the Louises.¡± At their blank stare, he shrugged. ¡°The ape from your bunker was Louis II. Buttttt.... I might have been a tad responsible for the death of Louis I.¡±


    ¡°Manos...Dresden!¡± the voice boomed.


    ¡°He knows you by name,¡± Trixie observed. ¡°Ain¡¯t never good when a god knows you by name. Under no circumstances should we head back there.¡±


    Slade looked from her brother to the raging ape. Heading back was the right thing to do. People¡¯d need help. And in fact, this appeared to be their fault.


    ¡°About the boy,¡± Manny asked Trixie, uncaring of the all out hell unfolding. ¡°Would you consider it?¡±


    She resisted. ¡°I¡ªit¡¯s illegal amongst us to leave the boys. And I keep telling you, Davenport isn¡¯t a male harpy. He¡¯s a Legion banished to our world. They just chose that body for him. Male harpies are.... Different.¡± His hopeful gaze never left her and she sighed. ¡°Other harpies would hunt us to our graves. Under our law, it¡¯s illegal. Don¡¯t you care about that factor¡ª?¡±


    Manny turned and waved a hand at the raging ape.


    Trixie paused and groaned. ¡°Dat was a stupid question.¡±


    ¡°Quite.¡± Holding her up with both hands yet again, Manny begged, ¡°Just consider it.¡±


    Screams punctuated the air as they gazed at one another. Slade gazed at the chaos about to unfold. This was the moment. A make or break moment. They had to do the right thing. And the right thing was to go back.


    Trixie gave Manny a nod and his face lit up. He took a kiss, genuine when he whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    With that taken care of, that only left the obvious decision of going back.


    ¡°Whatever you decide,¡± Eli told Slade, ¡°I¡¯ll fight to the death with you.¡±


    ¡°Hold that thought.¡± Slade turned to her brother and said, ¡°We¡¯re vampires, not heroes. Let¡¯s get the fuck out of here.¡±


    ¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C


    <div>


    (END)

 BOOK 2: Vampires vs. Gods (Chapter 1 )

    Jealousy didn''t come to Eli often, but he was having a hard time getting over this wave of jealousy. An even harder time because of who he was jealous of.


    The warm water from the sponge caused steam when the heat met the chilled air. Manny ran it along Trixie''s right shoulder, careful to avoid the newly bare skin there. Some of the fainter feathers came off with the next stroke and he pressed his lips to the now red areas.


    Trixie shifted. Despite her action appearing to be reflex, she hugged the soft cushion keeping her upright, hiding her blush.


    Manny was a terrible being but the way he adjusted the white sheet, tugging it up to cover her tail feathers but leaving the front sagging yet concealing her bosom pissed Eli off to no limit. Eli should be doing that¡ªnot to Trixie but....


    Across the room, reclined in a beanbag chair, Slade fought back sleep. Her job was turning the two large eggs. She''d taken to the task with gusto, shifting between holding one then the other. Both eggs, now triple their original size and different in color, always had someone on guard.


    Slade liked being around them. Manny took to soothing Trixie most of the day. That was fine, but when the bathing stop, bathing that was incredibly sensual despite Trixie''s efforts to stave off her pained moans, and Manny maneuvered to sit before her while feeding her fruit, Eli could barely stand it. A time or two, that asshole vampire had to caress the harpy''s face, urging her to eat when the pain became too much and she didn''t have the strength to move.


    A grape in his mouth, Manny rubbed their cheek together. Trixie refused to take it but the kiss did what it intended.


    Eli gritted his teeth. That should have been him and Slade. He seethed, so angry that he squeezed what he was carrying.


    A pained yapping reminded him of poor Piper, caught in his hold.


    "Hey. You''re holding her too tight, dumb ass," Manny snapped. "You have one job."


    Eli remembered himself and looked down at the human headed bird creature that glared up at him, contemptuous.


    "Oh. Oh, sorry Pipe. Here."


    The baby harpy touched down on the stone floor and scampered away. Eli couldn''t let her go off on her own for long¡ªthat always led to trouble.


    "Tell you one thing," Manny said, gathering up the fallen feathers, "harpies are misunderstood. I mean, harpy babies are easy. Not only do they get independent much faster, they eat like birds so the cleanup isn''t as ghastly. I swear, Louis III was a horror to be around. Baby harpies? A joy. Look. Even when they cry, it sounds like birds calling. It''s adorable."


    Piper scampered out and Manny watched her retreat.


    Finally, he whispered, "And their...unusual appearance makes certain A. nobody fucks with them, and B. no fairies are dragging them off. I tell you, it''s a gift that keeps on giving."


    Trixie''s next groan had Manny fanning her with a grouping of most of the feathers she''d lost. Watching the vampire put each molted feather together had been strange and creepy. The moment he produced that feathered fan, Eli''d cringed, convince Manny was a cruel moron. But the way it calmed Trixie pissed Eli off¡ªand he didn''t know why.


    Hunched forward, as she had been most days for three weeks, Trixie closed her eyes and begged, "Can you come closer?"


    As expected, Manny was cruel enough to hesitate. "My rune amount is still higher than I want. Give me a moment and I''ll find Piper and have her reduce it"


    "No," Trixie bowed her back, begging, "now. Don'' leave. Please."


    Though he set his mouth to refuse, he paused and rethought his decision. Finally, he tugged the large pillows she held. Her naked frame collapsed onto him.


    Wings still extended up, Trixie held on. This was hard for her¡ªharder still because these three weeks had made the harpy''s culture quite clear¡ªand quite excusable.


    Three weeks. Three weeks in crippling pain, unable to move to find food or shelter. Three weeks, unable to even sleep comfortably. Day in, day out. It was no wonder they chose to break one egg and use its runes to hatch the other. With the help of that strong rune, the female harpy born would grow to adulthood in a short span of time. Otherwise, the mother would suffer. And if she didn''t die in those three weeks of vulnerability, she''d certainly wish she did.


    "How do you like that, harpy? Did you hear me talking about how lovely harpy babies are?"


    Trixie''s muffled chuckle bordered a sob. "They''re pretty hard to get."


    "But they''re so easy to care for. Aren''t they?"


    Exhaustion won out before she could answer.


    Eli couldn''t stand it. The way Manny gazed down at her, guilt etched into his face. The way Manny stroked her brow, cooing to soothe her at the next groan. And especially the way Manny always knew what to do.


    "I''ve got a whole plate here. And I refuse to let you fall asleep on me until you have eaten it."


    Trixie turned her face away.


    He looked about ready to weep. "Harpy..." he began but paused.


    Piper scurried past and Eli remembered his task¡ªto keep everything and everyone clear of Trixie.


    He raced to try and scoop Piper up but she took flight, despite her back being to him¡ªshe knew he''d come.


    "Leave her," Manny said, defeated. "The harpy''s about to fall asleep."


    Piper touched down and dropped something. She then looked up at her father. Eli closed in and cringed.


    Four fat earthworms squirmed on the ground.


    Manny regarded them with a sigh. "At least choose something with some meat on it; something your papa can cook."


    Piper snatched up one worm, tilted her head back, and mashed it between her beak. Once she was finished, Manny celebrated.


    "Well, look at that." He tried to see Trixie''s face. "Look. She can eat on her own."The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Piper flew toward him, an action that had even Slade rising to intercept her with an audible, "Whoa."


    Before she could land on Trixie''s back, Manny held out his right forearm.


    "No. No. Come here. You can find purchase here."


    And she did. She gagged and coughed.


    Manny shifted under Trixie and held out his left hand up to the baby harpy''s mouth. The remnants of the worm came back. Even Manny gave out a vocal protest.


    Piper stared up at him, however, a pleasant smile plastered on her face.


    Eli puzzled over that for some time until Manny laughed and nudged Trixie.


    "Look. She''s trying to give you a present. She''s even chewed it up."


    Trixie, face still turned away, groaned in response.


    "I don''t think harpies eat that stuff," Eli said, "do they?"


    Piper waited, Manny waited, too. Rather than ask Trixie again, he brought the worm to his mouth and fought back his gag as he swallowed.


    Annoyed at first, Piper whistled a protest.


    The overexaggerate way Manny licked his hand, complimenting the gift made her preen.


    "This is brilliant." Manny patted her head and then her cheek to which she closed her eyes and ruffled her feathers.


    Eli stifled a laugh. How absurd.


    "You''re really good at this," Slade marveled. She asked what Eli was thinking. "How?"


    Trixie took up Manny''s attention again. "It is actually rather easy. I just think what would father do...." He met her gaze. "And then I do the opposite."


    Slade beamed. "Wow."


    Eli looked between them, awed. Oh, how he hated Manny.


    "Well, there''s three more," Eli teased, "you''re right in saying you father''d never eat them all."


    Manny stared him down then smirked. He leaned close to Piper and whispered, "Hey, guess what? This is so good. How about giving some to Aunty Sophie?"


    Slade recoiled. Eli watched, helpless when Piper picked up the three remaining worms and hurried to present her gift. Her enthusiasm was hard to disappoint.


    At first set to refuse, Slade plucked one worm and forced a smile. "Oh wow. This is...amazing. It looks so yum, Pipe."


    Eli''s eyes settled on Manny to find the asshole vampire staring back at him, smug.


    Piper''s blue eyes on Slade forced her to swallow hard before she tilted her head back.


    Eli slipped around her to position his cheek against hers. she regarded him in doubt.


    "You don''t¡ª"


    In one suck, Eli stole the worm from her fingers. He also couldn''t stop himself from swallowing it. It wiggled all the way down. His breakfast nearly came back up.


    Once he calmed, he closed his eyes and let out a held breath.


    "Just two more to go," Manny announced.


    Trixie''s sharp pain drew their focus.


    "Harpy!"


    "Three...two...."


    One of the eggs cracked. Manny stopped himself from rushing to investigate.


    Slade was already in motion. "It''s the girl," she said. Purple colored egg in hand, Slade hurried over.


    Each crack had Trixie screaming into Manny''s throat.


    "Take Piper out," Manny begged Eli. "I don''t want to scare her."


    In one scoop, Eli plucked Piper from the floor, careful to leave the worms in the rush.


    Manny''s voice carried. "Bring it closer. Proximity matters to a rune. Harpy, you must hold it."


    "I can''t. I don''t want to."


    Her cries were met with little sympathy. "Distance requires more power. You cannot afford to give anymore," Manny scolded. "You hold it."


    Another sharp wail had Eli picking up speed. Once he was out in the large hall, he held Piper up.


    "How bout you and me go for a run¡ª?"


    Trixie''s scream came with the sound of squawking.


    "Werewolf," Manny shouted, "get your ass back in here! We need someone to hold the egg."


    Piper looked at him, hopeful, but Eli had to put her down. "You stay close. And don''t go flying up." His eyes cast to the ceiling to focus on the four succubi there. It was best not to think about them. "Stay close."


    Twenty minutes later, Trixie breathed a bit easier, Slade held the other uncracked egg, and Manny had a new, smaller, baby harpy tied to his bare chest.


    "She needs runes," Manny complained. "I don''t think I can lose any more and I don''t want her by the harpy."


    Sweat poured from Trixie''s brow as she muttered, "Twenty-four. Twenty-three and fifty-nine."


    A trance had started. That was never a good sign.


    Manny held Trixie''s face and pushed her eyelids back to see the all-white pupils.


    "I''ll have to calm her." He eased out of the wrapping and hurried to Slade who understood. She took it and dragged it on over her clothes, securing the new baby harpy to her instead. "Are you sure this is wise?"


    "What choice do we have? She said herself not to leave her in it. I''ll calm her down. Keep Piper at a distance. All the child-raring books I''ve read say the older sibling gets jealous. I''ll spend some time with her later on but...."


    The pain in his eyes when he gestured back at Trixie broke Slade''s resolve.


    Her smile held admiration; she was impressed. "At least we''ve got twenty-four hours. That''ll give us time to readjust¡ª"


    "Twenty," Trixie muttered. "Nineteen and fifty-nine."


    Eli gasped. "Don''t be so sure about that."


    "The boy''s coming," Manny gushed, rushing to the egg. He bought the sheet up to cover Trixie''s lower back Finally, he sat with them, the egg nestled under Trixie''s naked body. "Closing the space''ll mean he won''t take too much from her." He met Slade''s eyes and hesitated. "Let''s...let''s do it. Bring the honey."


    Slade wasn''t as forthcoming but after glancing at Trixie once, she hurried away.


    Eli wasn''t sure how he could help so he watched on. He looked at that strange family, loathing pulsing through him.


    Loathing with how Manny sat and dragged Trixie and the egg close. Loathing with how the ailing harpy pounced on him, clinging for dear life. And finally, loathing for how massive Manny, the very normal-sized vampire, looked like a god lying there holding his would-be woman and his would-be offspring.


    They were playing most of this by ear. Not that there was much of a choice with all the bounties on Manos Dresden. Everything had to be done here at the manor. At least it was still enchanted.


    Crack.


    Trixie sobbed.


    "Shhh. You''re doing well," Manny soothed. "You''re doing well, harpy. Just a bit more."


    "I can''t¡ªI can''t stand it," Trixie cried.


    Her wings still raised, the same as they had been for three weeks, she clutched Manny, begging, "Please, no more."


    "Hush. It''s coming. Look. It''s cracked."


    "Fifteen, fourteen and fifty-nine."


    "Okay. See that. It''s only the length it takes to draw a bath. And you''ll certainly get that. It''s not so bad."


    Eli stood frozen in fear. He nearly fell over when Slade came back and rushed past him.


    Manny reached for her. "Give me the baby. I want her to be here when her brother arrives."


    Three weeks of groans and quiet crying didn''t compare to Trixie''s bawling this time.


    Five minutes remained by the time she mustered enough strength to ease up and shove the egg away.


    Manny caught it one-handed. "Harpy," he warned, "it''s five more minutes. That''s nothing. Just hold on a bit longer."


    Despite his words, he watched her in fear. The next attempt she made at pushing the egg nearly had him losing his grip.


    "Here," Manny entreated Slade, "hold it close to you."


    She hesitated. "But don''t you¡ª"


    "The harpy''s not going to last five more minutes if I don''t calm her. Just take him¡ªtake them both."


    Eli had enough sense to take the new girl. No one suggested the honey again. Trixie was inconsolable by the time Slade snatched up the egg. She thrashed and clawed.


    Manny took each blow in stride. "There we go. Fight me then if it''ll help. This is my fault, isn''t it?"


    "Two," Trixie screamed, biting down into the cushion as she gripped Manny''s bicep for dear life.


    In Slade''s arms, the big egg split in two but remained together.


    With under a minute to go, Trixie''s cries sounded more like torture.


    Manny was the one who counted. "Fifty-nine seconds. Right?" He dodged the attempt to scratch his face but met her cheek to cheek as he pulled her in.


    "Look, thirty, twenty-nine. Look at that, just twenty-five more." His expression betrayed his worry but his tone remained steady.


    Eli looked from the new sleeping baby harpy in his arms to her wailing mother.


    Once Manny reached one, a part of the egg collapsed inward.


    A noise came with Trixie''s cries.


    Once Eli looked inside, his breath caught. Slade gasped as well.


    "Brother. Come look at this."


    "Not now." Manny struggled to catch hold of Trixie''s fists. The sheet fell away and he yanked her to him.


    "Brother..." Slade warned again.


    "Not now, I said. Give me a moment."


    Manny held Trixie close with all his might. The moment she ceased in her struggles was the moment he sighed with relief.


    The ruckus with the egg quieted as well.


    Manny''d wanted his boy. There''d been days he''d gazed at that egg, proud and eager. Now? Now he didn''t look up from Trixie as he stroked her brow.


    "You did good, harpy. Look at that. All set. It''s all said and done. Isn''t it? You''ve done something most harpies¡ªmost people never will. You''ve given life unselfishly. Rest now."


    Her body trembled and she refused to open her eyes.


    Slade swallowed hard as she risked approaching. "You should see this, Brother."


    "What?" Manny snapped. "What was so damn important that it couldn''t wait?"


    Once Slade was close enough, she allowed him to peer in.


    Manny examined the contents and gasped. "Oh shit. No!"

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