Discovering Fae

I wasn’t getting out of this cage.

I discovered that my magic didn’t exactly work that well in it either. I was trying for a wave of air and barely managed a puff smaller than my breath. With it being so small in here, I couldn’t even get leverage to bend the bars or whatever. Not that I had that kind of strength, but it was worth a try. If my wings weren’t taking up so much space, things might have been different but right about now, I was very glad I had them.

“You’re being childish, Fae,” Grim said.

I pinched my eyes shut with my wings wrapped around me, shutting me into the dark, but keeping me safe in a tiny world of feathers.

“I need a plan to get out of here,” I whispered to myself. Magic is out, feats of strength are gone. I suck at mind games. Jumping jujubees, am I really that girl?”

After everything I’ve been through was I really the girl that couldn’t save herself when she needed to? How freaking embarrassing.

“You have to eat eventually,” Grim said and I heard a metal tray slide on the stone.

He had learned not to get with arms reach of me, at least. I had grabbed his arm and yanked him into the bars hard enough to bust open his face when gave me water earlier. It was entirely his fault, too. He had told me he great plan and I was sad to say that it just might work.

He knew as well as I did that Ben, Blaine, and Mal were coming to save me. So, he had people outside of the caves but not many. Enough to make it a challenge, but not put them off of rescuing me. Once they were inside, the entrance would be sealed, and the literal army would move in.

I knew most of it was to overwhelm Blaine, since he was the greater threat of the three being a hellhound, but Ben and Mal weren’t slouches, either. Grim was insane, but he was also smart. Having been a part of my Bonds, one of my friends, he knew all of our weaknesses. Being in close quarters was the one thing we all sucked at and once they were separated in the melee, they would start to go down, one by one.

“Eat, Fae!” Grim shouted and I moved my wings just enough to grab the tray and throw it at the bars, hopefully splattering him with the food.

He roared as I pulled my wings back around myself and I smirked. He hit the bars and I jumped up and stood right in front of him, my feather rustling and sounding like leaves of metal and I stared at his warped features. He stood just out of my reach as we stared at each other.

“You will do as I say eventually,” he growled.

“Seeing as I’ll be dead in a few hours, I’ll have to disagree with you,” I said coldly.

“He’s nothing to you!” Grim yelled.

“No. No, he’s my everything,” I said calmly. “You’re the one that is nothing to me. Zane was a friend, once. He was part of my family, a brother and a protector. But he’s gone. He’s dead, just like Nando.”

“Nando is... dead?” he said, and I thought I saw a flash of the real Zane in those malicious, cold eyes. Then, it was gone. “Well, that’s one less person in our way.”

“You’re going to kill me, Grim,” I stated. “I don’t want to die, but I’ll be free of all of this obligation and relieved of the burdens I have and never wanted. I’ll be with Mal, in whatever comes next, just like I wanted to live my life. It sucks it’ll end with us apart, but... I guess it’s true, what they say. I should have been careful about what I wished for.”

“You won’t die,” he growled, lifting his lips.

“I will. That’s how Soul Bonds work, remember? My life is tied to his, just like his is tied to mine. One cannot survive without the other for more than a second,” I said, then made a face. “That second after he dies before I join him will be what kills me, I think. I’m sure I’ll feel his pain, but when he’s gone, what will I feel in that one second? Being away from him hurts, so I’d bet on agony unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.”

“You won’t die!” he yelled.

“Are you willing to bet my life on it?” I asked him, rubbing my chest where I felt the absence of my Bonded that was slowly fading. “You should probably make up your mind. He’s getting closer.”

“You won’t die!” he bellowed.

I just smiled softly and sat down, my legs crossed, and closed myself into my wings again.

Mal

“No. No, no, no. Fae, what are you doing?” I whispered as I landed next to Blaine and put Ben down. I felt a tear run down my face as I felt her resignation and acceptance through our Bond. “She’s giving up.”

Ben and Blaine growled, and I put my hand on my chest where I could feel her presence.

“Something’s happened. Fae doesn’t give up. This isn’t like her,” I shook my head.

Blaine snarled and hunched down, ready to strike as his eyes glowed with fire.

“Easy, hound,” Naz said as he and Rollie approached.

“What are you two doing here?” I asked them.

“We followed them when they took her,” Rollie said.

“You didn’t stop them?” I snapped and grabbed the front of his shirt. “Whose side are you on here?”

“I’m on Fae’s side, ultimately, but this isn’t my fight,” he said, pulling my hands off of him.

“The hell it isn’t,” I snapped and yanked my hands out of his. “What about you, Naz? What excuse do you have?”

“It’s not an excuse. It’s truth. This isn’t about us,” Naz shrugged. “If she calls for us, we will come to her, but it’s not our place to fight this battle.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be family?” I hissed.

“Which is why we are here and not in my cottage sipping tea,” Rollie crossed his arms. “We are ready for her call, should she require us, but we aren’t beholden to her protection. Not until she accepts her role and claims the Infernal Throne.”

“That’s what this is? Some sick power play to get her to do what you want her to do?” I shook my head.

“We will not follow a weak queen, blood bound to the throne or not,” Naz growled.

“You’d so easily abandon someone you pledged loyalty to? Ben was right about you,” I scoffed. “You have no loyalty to give and even less honor.”

“I have loyalty, which is why I’m here, but as of right now, I have very little respect for someone who has repeatedly ran from her responsibilities,” Naz shot back.

“Ones she never wanted in the first place but have still been shoved in her face at every turn,” I pointed out. “She’s eighteen, Naz. She just found out about this world. What did you think was going to happen? She hasn’t had a single moment to discover who she even is right now and all of this pressure to become something she doesn’t understand has forced her into the only choice she thinks she has left. I knew demons were class A jerks, but I never thought they were heartless like this.”

“Don’t presume to lecture me, boy,” Naz growled, and Blaine stepped forward, teeth bared and eyes blazing with Ben between his front legs, snarling and looking like an orange and white cotton ball that I’m sure Fae would think was adorable.

“Neither of you have any room to judge her for running away,” I shook my head. “Garloth or Naz? Royalty or a farmer? Freaking hypocrites, both of you. You know what? Don’t even bother showing up anymore. We’ll probably die, but at least we won’t share our last moments with cowards.”

I walked away from them, Ben and Blaine behind me.

“You know it’s a trap, right?” Rollie called.

“Of course, it’s a trap, but I’m not letting her fend for herself and I’m not waiting for some stupid call she probably can’t make because no one showed her shit,” I snapped over my shoulder.

Ben chirped near my feet, and I scoffed.

“If we survive this, we’re taking her back to Earth and we’re not going to let a soul near her until she’s ready,” I said.

Blaine did a strange squeaking growl-yelp thing and I turned to look at him, confused as to how a ferocious hellhound could make such a sound. His eyes were merely faint embers but were wide as saucers and every part of his nightmare inducing form was rigid in revelation before he quickly shifted forms and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me.

“If it wasn’t disgusting as hell, I’d freaking kiss you! You’re a freaking genius!” he exclaimed.

“I could have told you that, but how?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Souls! We don’t need to fight whatever ambush that’s in those caves at all,” he grinned, then thumped his bare chest. “I’m a hound. There are so many souls in there that are dark and tainted and twisted just begging to be devoured.”

“That works for you, but what about the rest of us?” Ben snorted as he shifted.

“No, it doesn’t work for me,” he grinned. “I’m bound now. All of the energy I devour, I only keep a fraction now. The rest goes to my master.”

“Fae,” my eyes widened as I caught on.

“Exactly,” Blaine shook my shoulders again then pointed to the cave. “You two watch my back while I devour as many of those delicious souls as I can. Whatever is going on inside of that cave, it can’t stop the bond of a hound feeding its master. Fae is wickedly scary with her power already, but when she gets supercharged on the energy I give her, we won’t need to rescue her at all. She’ll burn the world to ash to get out.”

“Isn’t that kind of a problem? Rollie said that she could rip the veil if she isn’t in sync with her ability to use spirit,” Ben frowned.

“What other choice is there? Suicide? Call me nuts, but I would like to live if we have that option,” Blaine looked at him.

The two of them bickered back and forth over the risks while I stared in the direction where I could feel Fae right now. I focused on our Bond and felt it draw tight as she reached for it as well.

“Bonded,” I heard her say.

“I’m here.”

“It’s a trap. Don’t come in. He’ll kill you,” she said calmly.

“We know it’s a trap. We have a plan, but... I need you to tell me how balanced your spirit is right now?” I asked her, feeling her resignation and wrapping myself around that kernel of her essence in the center of my being.

“We came to an agreement,” she answered. “Not sure how well that will work, but it looks like we’ll be dead before that becomes an issue.”

“I’m not letting you die, Fae,” I snapped at her. “And I’m not coming to get you. You’re coming to me.”

Quinn

“Quinn,” Mary whispered, sounding broken-hearted again. “Quinn, they were talking about our little girl.”

“Yes,” I confirmed, knowing I didn’t need to. “Fae’s in the cave somewhere and those two demons aren’t going to help.”

“We need to do something,” she looked at me, determination and desperation in her eyes.

“I think... I think we should wait,” I looked at the three boys. No, they weren’t boys anymore. They were young, yes, but they weren’t boys. They were becoming young men who deserved the chance to prove, to themselves, that they could be what Fae needed them to be.

“What?” Mary snapped at me.

“They need this, Mary,” I looked at her then back to the three of our daughters' protectors. “They have no confidence in their Bonds with her after losing Nando and going on the hunt to find Zane, who is as good as gone. They need this.”

“Yes, they need something, but I’m not leaving my daughter’s life in danger for them to prove anything,” she scowled.

“Look at her Bonded, Mary,” I pointed at Mal, who was staring to the left of the cave entrance, completely unaware of the other two. “He’s talking to her. If he thought she was in danger, he wouldn’t be talking. He’d be rushing the front line like a moron.”

“Oh, my gods,” she said quietly after a second. “You’re right. He’s talking to her. How can that be? We can barely do that.”

“Every Bond is different, my love,” I smirked at her.

“Stop that,” she swatted at me. “Buttering me up right now is not going to work in your favor, Quinton.”

“I suggest we watch. Keep an eye on things and step in only if it becomes apparent that we’re needed,” I said, watching Mal as he continued to talk to Fae through their Bond. “Let them try their plan first.”

“You think they have one?” she looked at them.

“I think they do now,” I nodded as Mal drew his sword and I saw his wings flare with light for a second before he turned to the others. “And I think Fae is completely aware of it this time.”

“Well, if she’s involved and approves, then it’s likely going to work,” Mary crossed her arms. “She gets that from me, you know.”

“And the Battle of Antral was what, exactly?” I grinned.

“A fluke,” she narrowed her eyes at me.

“Of course,” I chuckled.

“I don’t like this, Quinn. I don’t like it all,” she stared as the three young men moved towards the cave. “I have a really bad feeling, still.”

I stayed quiet as Ben and Blaine transformed and moved until Blaine was in the middle with Mal and Ben at his sides and slightly behind him.

“They’re charging the lines,” Mary spoke what I had noticed.

“Why wouldn’t they put Mal in the point?” I frowned. “He’s the more skilled fighter for that position.”

They moved forward in the night, and I heard Mary huff as she lost sight of them in the darkness.

“They’re staying close but allowing just enough room to maneuver. They should be farther apart if they want to get inside,” I shook my head.

“Unless Fae told them something we don’t know,” Mary commented, thoughtfully. “You said Blaine is in the front?”

“Yes.”

She was quiet until the first shout went up then I heard her chuckle, making me look away from the fighting to see what she found so funny.

“They aren’t going in,” she looked at me and smiled. “Blaine is bound as Fae’s hound, remember? They have no intention of going into that cave.”

“What in the world are they doing, then?” I looked at them, watching as the fighting continued. It sank in slowly as I noticed what was going on. “Mal and Ben... They aren’t fighting to kill. They’re disabling enemies and protecting Blaine’s flanks. They aren’t going in to save her. They’re feeding her.”

“This whole place is going to be a crater when she’s done with it,” Mary giggled and clapped her hands.

“But she’ll become one giant beacon to bring everyone hunting her straight here,” I pointed out.

“Then it looks like we have a job to do,” she looked at me. “Hold off the tide until Fae is free.”

“So it would seem,” I smiled. “Are you ready for another battle, my love?”

“Always,” she held up her hand and let lightning dance between her fingers.