Midnight Magic, page 127
Pa, how are things?
Good, I’ve just got into the bathroom and locked it.
Okay. Sit tight. Do not come out until we tell you to. I have called in more support, so if it all goes wrong, still stay in there.
Thank you, Jaz. It is good of you to help us after what we have hidden from you.
It is my job. She spoke the words brusquely. This was not the time for any other discussion.
Twila, Cael, Pa is safe so let’s go. Once you have taken out the fairy, come into the house and we will capture Eidyia. As the clear leader she is too valuable to kill, so be careful.
Check that. Twila spoke through the link and if Jazlynn didn’t know better she would have sworn she heard the white clad fairy’s knuckles crack.
Be safe. Cael’s mind voice was barely above a whisper.
You too. Jazlynn tried to make it sound like they were colleagues.
Keeping a light touch on all three minds, Jazlynn took a peek around the corner to find the Vila still standing in the same spot. She needed a distraction. The front door had several large flower pots with an array of small, colorful flowers planted in them. There were two on the side she could see and Jazlynn assumed there was a matching two on the other side of the male nymph. There was a small awning over the door and several hanging pots filled with more colorful flowers hung from it. With practiced mind dexterity, Jazlynn lifted the closest hanging pot from its hook and brought it to hover over the Vila. She let go of the pot and it came down on the man’s head. The crack echoed out across the valley and he collapsed instantly. Jazlynn watched him fall as she ran toward the door he was guarding. He slumped down, blocking the doorway as the front door was opened by Eidyia, who couldn’t get it open more than a foot as it was blocked by her lover’s body. Her lavender eyes grew flinty as she took in the scene before her.
Without breaking her stride, Jazlynn focused on the Nymph, gathered up the inert body with her telekinetic ability and tossed him aside. Before Eidyia could step out, Jazlynn barged her way in. The nymph was fractionally taller but far more slender. As she moved through the door, Jazlynn ducked as a water sphere whizzed by her head. “You got to do better than that, bitch.”
“Tut, tut. Language, Princess,” the Nymph taunted.
Jazlynn rolled across the pale blue rug as another sphere came from the opposite direction. As she came up to her feet, she spotted several old white china vases lined up neatly across the fire mantel. She slowly stalked toward the Nymph and tried to keep her focused on her movements, not what was happening behind her. “Oh, Eidyia, is that all you got?” If she was surprised to know that Jazlynn knew her name she didn’t show it. They circled each other twice. “Did you really think you could take the crown without us eventually finding you?”
“Us? I don’t see no us.”
The five vases came flying toward Eidyia from several different directions and even though she was skilled, the Nymph couldn’t avoid all of them. Two hit her in the back and one hit her upper arm. At that same moment, Jazlynn threw several quick jabs at the nymph and landed two in her gut, making her double over, But she didn’t go down. Instead with lightning speed that reminded Jazlynn of Calliope, Eidyia responded with a roundhouse that connected with Jazlynn’s chin. She rocked back on her feet for a moment, her eyes watered but she remained focused. She sent out her thought. What’s taking so long?
Eidyia came at her with a flurry of punches and Jazlynn blocked them before sweeping her knee up and into the Nymph’s thigh who let out a satisfying oomph.
Ran into a small problem. Cael’s voice filled her mind and it was at that moment she realized she could not feel Twila in the same way. Her mind was there but nonresponsive. Is she knocked out?
Yes. Because of the tether, I got in Twila’s way and it gave the male fairy time to attack. He threw some very impressive lightning balls. If she just had trusted me enough to let me out of this damn cuff.
Jazlynn was only half listening. She ducked as the third water sphere went by, but was too slow when the Nymph reversed its direction and it landed with a smack on her left shoulder blade and shattered, covering her with water.
Did you take care of the fairy? Jazlynn asked as she landed a punch to the nose of the Nymph. Blood splattered and covered both of them.
Eidyia responded with another roundhouse but this time Jazlynn was prepared—she never got caught twice with the same move. So as her foot came up to Jazlynn’s face, she reached up and grabbed it, twisting with all her might and dropping her weight to her knees. The room filled with a crack as something broke in the Nymph’s leg.
Yes, I think I might have killed him.
Cael, get in here now.
Instead of being incapacitated, the broken leg bone seemed to have just made her angry. Eidyia threw herself at Jazlynn and they grappled on the ground, throwing tight jabs into each other’s faces and rib cages when they could.
I’m still tethered. I can’t wake up Twila.
Figure it the fuck out! You want your name cleared, we got to take this bitch alive.
Jazlynn caught sight of the water sphere just in time to turn her head and have it slam into the side rather than her face. She felt dizzy for a moment, but it quickly cleared. The Fae retaliated by grabbing several photo frames with her mind and hurling them at Eidyia, forcing her to duck and allowing Jazlynn to land a few decent punches. She was getting tired. Grappling and sparring with the other Weapons was very different than fighting someone with similar abilities that wanted to kill you while you were trying to capture them but also keep them alive. Jazlynn knew she could have killed Eidyia several times by now if she didn’t have to be careful. It was easier to kill someone by accident when you were fighting in close quarters than people understood.
They managed to roll apart for a moment and Jazlynn took the chance to look around. There was still one more sphere and she wanted to know where it was. Jazlynn went to stand knowing if she got to her feet she would have a greater advantage as she didn’t have a break somewhere in her leg, but Eidyia lunged at her,
Somehow, the Nymph ended up on Jazlynn’s back while she was brought down to her hands and knees. Eidyia gave her a hard kidney punch, making Jazlynn grunt in pain. She looped her forearm arm around Jazlynn’s neck and started to squeeze. Jazlynn reared up on her knees but Eidyia clung onto her back. Suddenly the third ball came hurtling out of nowhere and smashed into her temple. Her mind roared with pain and the ball shattered. And with a force she had never used before, Jazlynn entered the mind of the Nymph and screamed, You will pay for all the pain you have caused. The grip around her neck loosened enough for Jazlynn to pull free. Blood ran into her eye from the gash to her temple and the angle of her head. She reached up to hastily wipe it away knowing that the Nymph would attack as soon as she got her equilibrium back.
Jazlynn hated to admit it to herself but that final scream into the mind of Eidyia had been the last of her telekinetic energy; she had been juggling too many things for too long and she felt the contact fade from Pa and Cael.
As Jazlynn struggled to stand, every part of her hurt with the feeling of every punch that had connected. The only saving grace was that she knew Eidyia would feel the same way. They both staggered to their feet, Eidyia with the help of the rocking chair she had been sitting on earlier. The Nymph brought up her hand and in it was a fireplace poker. She let go of the chair and ran as best she could at Jazlynn, not giving her a moment to search for a weapon. Jazlynn didn’t hesitate, she stepped back and brought up her hands in a defensive position. She would stop this mad Nymph or die trying. Enough was enough.
The heavy poker was coming down in a heavy arc and Jazlynn’s entire attention was focused on when she would step aside and grab the wrist that held it, and much like when she had grasped Eidyia’s foot, she would follow through and break it. Suddenly, Eidyia was no longer coming at her but instead she was flying up until she crashed into the ceiling and then fell heavily, landing at Jazlynn’s feet. She landed with her neck at an odd angle and Jazlynn knew she was dead.
Standing in the front doorway stood Cael. He carried the still unconscious Twila in his arms. “Sorry it took me so long. The back door was locked so I had to come around the house.”
“You killed her.” Jazlynn motioned to the broken body on the floor. “How are you going to clear your name now? I wanted more information from her.”
“As long as you believe me, I don’t care about everyone else.”
Deciding that now was not the time to argue, she shrugged off his words. “Pa,” was all Jazlynn said and she moved to the kitchen sink.
Cael paused to lay Twila on the couch and pulled the cuff of his wrist, placing his half in her limp hand. Jazlynn frowned but didn’t have the energy to ask. Her head pounded and her body hurt everywhere. Her face felt sticky, and she was covered in her own blood, Eidyia’s blood, and water from the spheres.
“Pa?” Cael called as he walked out of the room.
Jazlynn ran the cold water and opened a few drawers until she found what looked to be a clean towel. She wet it and placed it on the cut on her temple, hissing at the sting.
“Pa, I would like you to meet Jaz.”
A voice came from behind her. She turned wearily and looked at the man she had watched grieving through the window. “Hello.” She didn’t know what to say. She had just totally ruined his living area and probably many important mementos of his wife. “Again, I am sorry for your loss.” She looked to Cael and then to the sheet-covered body that still sat pristinely clean amid the chaos. “I am sorry to both of you.”
She watched as Cael turned toward his Nana and then back toward his Pa. “This is all my fault,” Cael whispered, the self-loathing clear.
His Pa took his face in both hands. “No, it’s not your fault. If you must blame someone, blame me. I am the one who you were protecting.”
In the middle of their moment, two things happened. Jazlynn’s energy finally ran out and she slid down the kitchen cupboard while Twila groaned and attempted to sit up. Both men stopped and looked at the fairies. “Pa, can you see if Twila is okay?”
“Yes, of course. We can take the blame and share it around later. People need us now, and we have much to make right.”
Jazlynn had remained silent throughout the exchange, her mind a little foggy. Cael sat down beside her and took the wet towel from her hand, refolded it, and held it against her head. “Thank you,” she murmured. She looked up at him and he looked so sad. “I can’t say how sorry I am that we didn’t get here sooner.”
Cael began to cry quietly. Jazlynn reached up and took the cloth from him. She put it down onto the floor beside her, forgetting about her head and all her aches. All she wanted to do was comfort the man she loved. And with that, she gathered him into her arms and let him cry himself out.
CHAPTER 7
Keep your head down until she tells you to rise, cautioned Jazlynn.
Cael did what he was told without any smart talk through their mind link. It had only been this afternoon when she had woken in her palace bedroom well-rested and having eaten and consumed some fortified nectar did she feel that her mind was ready to come in contact with anyone again.
They were sitting in the private chamber of the Fae Queen when she had come in unannounced and had sat in a fine, high-backed chair. Jazlynn, Twila, and Cael had all stood and lowered their heads in respect. Stellamaris did not like people in her presence bowing or curtsying, she felt it demeaning to the person. “Please sit.” The beautiful queen with her strawberry blonde hair and fine pale features clapped her hands twice and her servant came forward. “Serve everyone what they wish and then take the guards and go,” she ordered.
“I am uncertain if that is my duty, Your Majesty,” the young guard at the door spoke up.
“It is good of you to voice your concern, but I think we have this,” a voice familiar to Jazlynn spoke from the other side of the door.
She leaped to her feet, her aches and pains forgotten. “Dad.” She ran into his open arms as he stepped through the doors, closely followed by Kirkpatrick.
The two most powerful men in the Fae kingdom were now in attendance. The General, Kirkpatrick, and the Commander in Chief of the Fae Queen’s military, Owen, Jazlynn’s father, and the queen’s brother-in-law.
Owen hugged his daughter tightly for a moment and kissed the top of her head. “I am glad you are safe.” He squeezed her for a few more seconds before he let her go.
“Well done, Jaz,” Kirkpatrick added as he also broke protocol and hugged her. He then went on to hug Twila.
The Commander nodded at Twila and gave Cael a penetrating gaze, but said nothing.
“Sit,” Stellamaris commanded. They all settled into chairs and couches around a large central low table.
Everyone remained quiet as the servant bustled around the room, serving drinks, and placing platters of food on the low table. He efficiently bowed and withdrew, the personal guards of the queen following him out. Once they were alone, Stellamaris turned to her niece. “You have one chance to explain to me exactly why this man is sitting in my presence without nulling cuffs on instead of in my dungeon.”
Twila and Jazlynn spent the next hour explaining their decisions and what they had learned. Once they were finished, everyone had different questions.
Her father wanted to know as much about how Cael had managed to avoid detection for so long. Cael quietly explained that he spent a lot of magical energy hiding in places they would never think to visit, and he lived amongst the humans and in the Third Plane for several years, only coming out to check on his grandparents occasionally. It was about a year ago when he had concluded that it was probably safe enough for him to move into a more non-human populated part of the second Plane and bought the bar as a way to pass the time.
Kirkpatrick was more interested in how Cael had got out of the nulling cuff. Cael looked sheepishly at Twila. “I had been working against them from the moment they went on. Whilst we were in the human Plane there was little I could do, as not much of any magic works there, including mine, but when they brought me home it was a different matter. Twila has many skills and her ability to sense different magic types is impressive, but her power is not like mine. I have only met two people who rival my raw strength. I had managed to weaken the bonds greatly by the time we were ready to make our move and then when Twila was knocked unconscious, it made it easier for me to fight against the bindings. Though I think it was me fiddling with the magical properties that made Twila more susceptible to the fairy’s attack.” The warlock turned to look at Jazlynn. “But I couldn’t break the final tether until I opened the door to see Eidyia coming toward Jaz with a fire poker, only then did my power build and it was like everything holding me back disappeared at that moment. I had done so much to hurt her and she was still helping me. I had to protect her at all costs.”
“I will want to know what you did to weaken it so others can’t do the same,” Kirkpatrick stated.
“Yes, sir. I will tell teach you all I can. And I will show you how to strengthen the wards so no one else can break-in.” Cael turned to Stellamaris. “Your Majesty, I wish to express my deepest shame and regret for my actions. I am uncertain on how I will ever make it right.”
“You, my young warlock, will spend the remainder of your life in my servitude. Answering to my every whim. Are we clear?” her answer had been friendly, but the final sentence had been as hard as granite.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“One final question before you three can go and get some rest. We are waiting on word from the Oracle’s Court but it shouldn’t be too much longer before the rest of your team join us and we can find out what they learned from the Jester.” The queen looked at Twila. “Why did you agree to follow Jaz’s command? You have been a Weapon longer than she has.”
“Only by a few months. We all joined Katya’s team at the same time. But honestly, we have all been waiting for her to realize the authority she could wield. She is a Princess of the realm and outranks all the team.” Twila looked to the General and Commander. “If we are being perfectly blunt, she outranks even these two with all their position and power.” The gorgeous dark-skinned fairy looked back at the queen. “Your Majesty is the only one who carries more power.”
“You ladies figured it out before everyone else.”
“It wasn’t that difficult. Unlike the monarchies in the human Plane who have lost their standing and power, you still rule completely. Which of course, in turn, means your bloodline, and particularly those in direct line to the throne would be the most powerful.”
Jazlynn felt her world tilt and come into sharp focus. She looked at her aunt.
“After that report, I am most impressed with all of you. But you, my dear, Jazlynn, did what was right. You understood the nuances and made difficult decisions one must make when one rules.”
“Rules? Rules what?” she asked, but understanding was dawning on her and the thought was beyond terrifying.
“You are my heir, Jazlynn. You will rule all that is mine when it is my time to part this Plane.”
* * *
*.*.*.*.*
* * *
Twila, Kirkpatrick, and Cael had already left the private chamber. It was only the three family members left.
Jazlynn’s father gave her another hug as she went to leave and spoke to her. “I am so proud of you.” He held her tight for a long time before letting her go.
The queen stood and held out her arms to her niece. It was like she transformed before Jazlynn’s eyes. The composed, guarded Fae exterior fell away and exposed the warm, soft fairy underneath. “My sweet girl, how did you never know you would be queen?”
