Return of the High Fae Read online

  "So what happened?" I wasn't sure if she was going to answer.

  "Very well. I was deceived...he did not understand what I was, nor did he understand the power and curse of the Eye. I did love him, as best I was able, but it wasn't enough. He betrayed me," she said after a moment, and then she turned and walked back to the table, sitting down. "Now I am only what you see, an old woman."

  I walked over and sat down across from her.

  "I have not heard from Apollo in over two thousand years. But still, I did not think him truly dead, only in hiding. I thought that he would be angry when he returned and saw that I had lost the Eye, so I hid." She hesitated, and then continued. "The Gods, do you know what happened to them?"

  "I was told they fought amongst themselves and then faded from this world as they battled one another and their followers turned from them. Why it happened I don't know. I can tell you that the rest of the Fae still exist, as do other creatures." I leaned back in my chair. "You called them High Fae, what did you mean?"

  She gave me a look of disbelief. "You do not know the story of the High Fae? What are you?"

  Damn I hate that question. I thought that if she was a danger to me I'd feel it, so I was ready to give up a little to learn more. It's such a bitch when you don't know who you can trust.

  "There's no easy answer to that question," I said. "Look, I'll keep it simple. My parents died when I was young. I know little of my heritage other than that my mother was of the Dryad. I've never heard of the High Fae, though, what are they?"

  "It is said that Gaea chose among the children of her children a handful of Fae to be above the others. These were the High Fae who became the Gods. They could be terrible to behold. I myself saw Apollo slay the dragon when I was but three and twenty years. From its blood he granted me long life and later gave me the Eye which restored youth and beauty," she explained.

  "Why did he give it to you? Was he in love with you?"

  "Ha, in lust perhaps, but love, never," she answered. "Gods they may have been, but capable of love? I do not think so. But he did care for me. When things went bad he ordered me to flee the temple. But true love, no, he desired my gifts, as well as to bed me." She must not have liked the look I gave her.

  "Pah...," she said, throwing her arms up. "You see me now only as an old crone, but then, oh if you could have seen me then. Before the Eye was lost to me men groveled at my feet just to be near me, they threw themselves off of cliffs if I spurned them..."

  "Ok, I get the picture," I interrupted, "and the rest of your gifts?"

  "They are still with me. The Eye may have strengthened them but do not think I am powerless," she replied defensively.

  "I did not mean to offend you," I responded quickly, then changed the subject. "Look, here's the deal. With a few conditions I can take you to a place with much better accommodations and make sure you are paid well for your services. Interested?"

  "Perhaps, name the terms."

  "The one that took the Eye from you is dying. Swear to do no harm to his family and let him die a natural death. For this I will see that you are paid handsomely for your troubles. I may also have a job offer for you."

  She balled her fists and shook them at me in anger. "Whoreson, you would take away the one thing that I have yearned for, retribution for his betrayal!"

  Whoreson? I didn’t remember ever hearing that term before.

  "Vengeance belongs to the Gods," I countered, since I thought she would understand that. "Besides, he's already dying, what more do you want?"

  "I would see his head on a pike at my door. You ask much of me." She was silent again before continuing. "What else do you offer?"

  "You will be paid $50,000 cash for your troubles.

  "Have you heard of the Neptune's Landing in Las Vegas?"

  "I know of it," she answered.

  "Eddie Milagre runs the place. He is a Fae of water, a Nereid, I believe. He could use someone like you, as could I. I will see that you are paid handsomely and treated well for the use of your powers."

  "Gaea curse you should you deceive me, Fae, but I have no choice." She stood up and pointed her hand at me. "I may have lost my youth and beauty but there is still life and power in me. I would be foolish to waste any more of it here. I will agree to your terms in principle. Do as you have promised and I swear not to harm he who betrayed me or his family. But know this, my oath is to you and no other. You must see that the agreement is fulfilled."

  "Agreed," I replied. I got up and reached out and took her hand to shake it, she just snorted.

  "I will need the stool and a few other things." She looked around the small room for a moment before continuing. "Let me change clothes and then you can get me out of this 'dump' as you called it."

  She was awful cheery for someone that I thought would be angry over the deal. I wondered what I'd missed.

  When she came back out of the small bedroom she was a different woman. Her hair was combed and she had changed into a white blouse and jeans. She was even wearing sandals. She had a small bag and after taking one more look around the trailer she asked me to bring the stool and then headed directly for the front doorway.

  I put down the stool and opened the door for her. I had barely followed her out and was just going back to retrieve the stool when the attack came—this time I had no warning.

  Chapter 18

  Someone grabbed her right in front of me and then I was thrown against the door, my stomach and chest burning. It was only a second later that I threw the Werewolf that had attacked me across the trailer's small front porch. I barely had time to register the bloody gashes as I looked down at myself before the second beast attacked. I reached for my gun and then remembered I had left it in the car. Not one of my better decisions. Luckily my magic decided to kick in at the same moment and I saw red. Better late than never I thought to myself.

  Before I even realized it I was up and catching the Were as he leapt towards me. At the same time I found myself grabbing the dagger I had taken from Diantha and plunging it into the beast's chest. Blood spurted as he yelped and went limp. I pulled out the dagger as I tossed him aside, his blood coating my arms. Once his blood hit me I knew it was one of the Weres from my first encounter.

  I went over to the first attacker who by now was unsteadily trying to rise. I picked him up by the neck and slammed him into what was left of the railing and then threw him over the raised deck. He yelped as he hit the rocky desert floor. I knew he was badly injured and watched as he shifted back into human form. I should have known. It was Mr. Beat It. He didn't look like he was going to be getting up for a while so I turned to check on Diantha.

  The beast holding Diantha was like none I'd seen before. He reminded me of a creature out of a bad horror movie. Even so, thanks to the magic, I knew what he was, or more accurately, what he wasn't. He wasn't what I would call a Werewolf; instead he was like some half-breed mutant that hadn't grown correctly in the womb. He stood upright on two legs like a man. He was a half human; half wolf-type creature that looked like someone had mixed up the pieces during assembly. Securing the dagger, I pulled the seax Siegfried had given me from its holster at my shoulder. It felt comfortable and was a more versatile weapon.

  He held Diantha with one claw-like hand by the throat. She couldn't talk, hell, I doubted if she could even breathe. It pushed her neck to the side and I could see the drool dripping from his fangs onto her. He just stared at me and growled, appearing ready to bite. Beneath the stench I could smell his scent, similar to Mr. Beat It's line, yet not quite. I could also smell his anger; there was no fear. I didn't know anything about Were culture but I was surprised that this beast had been allowed to live. He reeked of corruption.

  Before I could move the creature thrust forward and bit down on her neck. Blood gushed from the wound as he raised his head and roared. I had tried to get to her in time but I was too late. Lunging forward I grabbed his head by the mottled fur and hacked through his neck with the seax, wrenching it
from his body. The blade glowed as blood continued to pump and his headless form fell over.

  I bent down and cradled her blood-soaked body, not even registering what else the beast's blood could tell me. Taking her hand I looked at the gaping wound and torn flesh sure that nothing, not even magic, could save her.

  In that instant the red faded and the rage left me. I felt drained, yet still I held onto her, lifeless in my arms. I started to lay her down when I felt her body twitch. Shocked, I watched as the wound began to gurgle and slowly close, healing right in front of me. Her eyes opened and she gasped, coughing and screaming in agony.

  "By the Gods," she finally cried out, "I have not felt such pain in many a lifetime." Then she started laughing hysterically and I watched, dumbfounded, as she pushed away from me and stood up, her white blouse covered in gore.

  "My Fae Lord, you are as good at deception as Loki ever was." She continued laughing as she stomped her feet and held up her blood soaked arms. She rubbed her face and neck with them.

  I guess she really was immortal after all. She was also as mad as a hatter. "I thought you were dead," was all I could say.

  "My time is not yet up my glorious Fae. Besides, it would take much more than these mangy beasts to kill me." She kicked at the headless form as she spoke and then knelt down in front of me. "But why the charade my noble Fae? Am I not worthy? Surely you can forgive me the loss of the Eye and return it to me. I will serve you as I served Apollo. Remember, it was he that abandoned me, not I that abandoned him. Please, allow me to serve you."

  Well, shit, what the hell was this about? "Why are you kneeling? Stand up," I said as I lifted her back to her feet, not really processing the words she had spoken.

  I looked around at the mess. The two Weres had reverted to their human form. The whatever it was still looked the same. I walked over to Mr. Beat It and rolled him over. He was still breathing but out cold. I had probably given him a concussion. The other one was dead; it was his partner from our previous encounter.

  How could I have not known they were here? Why hadn't the magic kicked in sooner? Shit, I didn't have any answers and I needed a clean-up crew. What the hell else could happen? Oh yeah, Diantha. I turned to look at her. An old crone drenched in blood. I had a vivid image of a scene from Army of Darkness; thank God I wasn't looking for an old book.

  "Please my Lord, I beg of you, complete the ritual and I will serve only you," she cried.

  "What are you talking about?" I asked as I tried to decide what my next move should be.

  "There is no need to hide it from me. Gift me the necklace and I will serve you as I did Apollo."

  Did that mean what I think it did? "What exactly do you think you saw?" I asked, trying to retain some semblance of control.

  She came over and knelt before me once again. There was a momentary pause as she eyed me. "Ah, a test then," she cackled, and continued. "Very well, I saw you, one of the High Fae, strike down his enemies. I saw your wounds heal and felt the wrath of a God as you struck down your opponents. I have spent more time with Gods than most mortals and Gaea herself granted me the sight. I felt you wield the same power as Apollo once did. There can be no mistake."

  Could it really be true? I placed my hands on my chest and stomach; the wounds were still there but they had stopped bleeding and there was no pain. From bastard King to High Fae, whatever that was. What the hell was next? "Tell me of the ritual should I decide to return the necklace to you?" I asked as I holstered the seax and pulled the chain with its oval stone from my pocket. Then I yanked her back up to her feet, hell, isn't that why I came here?

  "Surely you...of course, the test continues. Blood has been spilt, it remains only to gift me the Eye in water that flows forth from the Earth and take me as yours and the spell will be complete."

  Take me as yours? "You're kidding right?"

  She didn't say anything for a moment and then looked down at her gnarled bloody hands. "Ahh, you jest. Come, come, there is a pool just around the corner."

  Before I could protest she grabbed my hand and led me around the trailer. There was a small pool that must have been fed by the underground hot springs that this area had once been famous for. She pulled me towards her into the water, now turning red as the spilled blood mixed with it.

  "The necklace, place it around my neck," she said as she bent down to submerge herself in the warm water.

  Staring at the old woman before me I tried to decide what to do. I wasn't averse to giving her the necklace, hey, maybe it'd even work. But what if it didn't? Between that and the battle I'd just been through I had too much going on in my mind to think clearly.

  Oh, what the hell. I started to place the necklace around her neck and then stopped, something was happening. The magic began to kick in again and the stone, the Eye, was glowing. I reached into my pockets and beltline and threw the dagger along with my cell phone and wallet onto the desert sand a few feet from the water. The seax I left holstered.

  "...and your oath?" I said, the necklace frozen just inches from her head, the stone glowing brighter.

  "I will serve you as I served Apollo," she answered.

  I placed the necklace around her head and watched as it dropped to her neckline. "Holy shit," was all I could mutter as the transformation began.

  Green tendrils of magic flowed from the stone into her. Then, it was as if time started turning backwards. It was incredible to watch. Her hair lost its gray and turned jet black and became curly. Her wrinkled skin became taut, the age spots fading and her skin changing to a healthy color. She rolled around, ripping off her torn blouse. I watched her breasts and stomach becoming firm. Seconds later, the transformation was done. She was now a young woman in her mid-twenties and I'll be damned if she wasn't as beautiful as she claimed to have been.

  "Complete the ritual," she begged as she unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them off.

  I watched as the tendrils of magic reached out to me from the stone on her breast, I hesitated.

  "You must complete the ritual for the spell to work, I must be bound to you," she cried as she reached for me.

  She wasn't kidding. As the first tendril of smoky magic touched me I felt it speak to me and there was recognition. Then there was knowledge. There was much more to being Fae then I could have imagined, and it wasn't all nice. Blood, sex, power...they were all there. But so was the beauty of the forest and all living things. It seemed like I was taking it all in for an eternity but it was actually only a few seconds. I could now understand why Diantha needed me. She had been granted some type of foresight, born with it by chance or granted it by Gaea I really couldn't tell. Apollo had somehow given her long life, but it was the stone that was the eye of the dragon that would give her the youth and beauty she craved for and make her extended life bearable. But she could only have that back at the behest of one of the Gods, or at least these days, someone like me.

  The stone had opened something inside me and it was waiting for me to decide. I looked down at the now beautiful woman.

  "So be it," I answered, and removed the rest of my clothes.

  The human side of me winced briefly at the carnage that was still nearby, but the Fae side of me reveled in it. The magic surrounded us as I entered her. I had thought for a moment that this might be a purely physical act, performed only to bond the magic for its purpose, but I was wrong. If anything Diantha was more sensual and aggressive than I could have imagined. We finished with her on top, holding me tightly as we climaxed together.

  When she stopped shaking she leaned over and kissed me, there were tears in her eyes. "You will not regret this, my noble Fae," she whispered.

  Then the magic dwindled and my head cleared. I didn't know what to say.

  She rolled off of me, laughing again, and then walked back into the deeper water, rinsing herself off. By now the pool was clear.

  I watched as she poured water over herself. It was hard to believe that just a little while ago she'd looked so old. Damn, that was
a visual I didn't need at the moment. But she was beautiful now, and deadly as well. I would have to be careful with her.

  "Do you like what you see?" she asked with a mischievous grin on her face.

  Oh yeah, she was dangerous. I stood up and then rinsed off as well. "I'm not complaining," I jested. "But now we've got some work to do."

  I strode over to where I'd thrown my cellphone, picked it up and dialed the only number I could think of.

  "Siegfried," the voice answered.

  Without too much detail, I told Siegfried where I was and explained about the two dead Weres. I walked around the trailer to check on Mr. Beat It; he was still out cold. I told Siegfried about him as well.

  "Are you secure for now?"

  "I think so," I answered. "We're far enough away from anywhere to have any witnesses."

  There was a short pause and I heard him talking in the background. "Do you have the scepter with you?" he asked when he was finished.

  "Yeah it's in the car, why?"

  "I can have a team out there in an hour or so; I should be there soon afterwards. I will explain it then, perhaps we can kill two birds with one stone."

  "See you then," I said as I disconnected, wondering what he had in mind.

  I went to my car and popped the trunk. I grabbed a bottle of antiseptic but the gashes were closed. They were still red but already healing. I shook my head at the sight. My suit was wet and torn so I grabbed some jeans, a t-shirt and tennis shoes from my emergency bag and threw them on. Then I grabbed some cuffs and hooked up Mr. Beat It. He was still out but why take chances. I went into the passenger compartment and grabbed my gun from under the seat. I did a quick inventory, seax...dagger...gun...Ok, now I was actually prepared.

  "What are you doing?" a still naked Diantha asked as she walked up behind me.

  "I've got to sort this out." I looked over at her. "Do you have any clothes?"

  "Of course, but why worry about them?" she asked, meaning the bodies on the ground. She bent down and looked at Mr. Beat it. "This one still lives; shall I kill him for you?"