Chapter 20

20

T he following morning, Vanth woke to find that Flynt and the others had set up breakfast in the garden. The sun was shining, strange birds were singing, and if he didn't know better, Vanth would have thought it was a beautiful, calm day in Faerie.

"He finally wakes. I was about to come and dump a bucket of water on you," Flynt said cheerfully.

"I didn't sleep much," Vanth admitted. He had been awake, thinking about his father, the Veil, where Lazarus could be hiding, kissing Elektra... The list went on. He had a shit enough time trying to sleep when life was normal.

"Never mind. I have some strong coffee to help wake you up," Flynt said, passing him a steaming cup.

Vanth took a sip, and the caffeine hit his brain almost instantly. "That's so good. I'm kind of surprised you have coffee here at all."

"The Fae Lords might be tyrants, but they do let trade through."

Eiline kissed her father's cheek. "You are lucky they still let you trade at all."

Elektra offered Vanth a warm bread roll, and he gave her a grateful wink.

Vanth asked, "And why do the Fae Lords not like you, grandfather?"

Flynt scratched his cheek. "May have slept with a few of them. Then they went to war against each other and wanted me to pick a side. I said no."

Elektra laughed from the other side of the table. "You're lucky they haven't tried to kill you."

"They have. They just haven't succeeded," Flynt replied with a grin.

"You sound like your grandson," Eiline said, and they fell into conversation about the citadel of mages and their not-so-subtle way of encouraging students to try and take him down. Vanth was starting to think it was a part of their advanced curriculum.

A large raven swooped down and landed at the end of the table, interrupting them.

"Vanth, get your ass back to Inferno. They came back with more bodies," it cawed.

"What?" Flynt asked, and the raven repeated itself.

"It's come from Andres. He must have figured out that we are in Faerie. He likes to send a raven occasionally to be dramatic," Vanth said. He glanced across the table at Elektra. "I'm not letting you go back alone. This is my fight too."

Elektra didn't look happy about it, but she still nodded. "I don't want to put you in harm's way, but I don't think we have a choice. If Lazarus has any more reapers, I need to save them. I'll find them faster with you."

Vanth tried to ignore the looks that were passing between Eiline and Flynt. They didn't argue with Vanth about it, so he dug into breakfast, knowing it was going to be another long ass day.

After eating, Vanth grabbed his bag of gear and went to meet Elektra outside. He said goodbye to Eiline and promised to keep her updated.

"Try not to put yourself in too much harm's way," she whispered, and he gave her a reassuring squeeze. She passed him three books. "Take these with you. I'll keep searching, but I know these three hold magic I was doing while at the temple. Elektra will understand them and know if any of the magic can help."

Vanth put the books in his backpack and left her in her cluttered room. He did his best to ignore the pang of guilt for leaving her behind. She would be safer in Faerie, and Flynt would protect her. If the curse took her mind again, he would ensure that she was looked after.

Vanth had been responsible for her for so long that it made him feel unsure and uneasy about sharing that with anyone else.

"She's going to be fine," Elektra said as soon as he stepped outside. "She has to find that mending spell for us."

"I know. It just feels weird," Vanth replied. She had light purple smudges under her eyes like she'd had a night as bad as his.

"Focus on your part of the problem, and let her focus on hers," Elektra said, adjusting the sickles that were folded down and in her boots. "We still need to get back to Inferno, and this time round, we don't have a guide."

"I have a solution for that," Flynt said, coming out of the forge. "I need to make sure that my grandson can find his way back and visit me sometime. We have a lot of time that we need to make up for." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small leather bag. He opened it and tipped out a silver ring. It was thick and plain and clearly made for a male's finger. Vanth could feel the enchantments on it and cautiously slipped it on his finger.

"This isn't going to attract unnecessary attention, is it? I can feel the magic it is throwing off," he said.

His grandfather tied his head back and laughed. "You are safe wearing it. The magic that you feel is only so strong because you are at the location that it's meant to find. It's a simple tracking spell that will guide you back to a doorway to Inferno and allow you to come back again. Each time you step into Faerie, it's a different path to follow."

"Thank you, grandfather. Here is hoping I don't die before I can actually hang out with you properly," Vanth said.

Flynt smiled. "I have something that might help with that as well." Vanth followed him into the forge and presented him with a short sword that was like an elven gladius. Vanth gave it a few experimental swipes. It had perfect balance, was light, and looked sharp enough to cut through bone. Its blade and hilt were both matte black.

All the better to kill my enemies in the dark , Vanth thought approvingly. "This is awesome."

"The metal in it has been attuned to hold magic, like the sickles you were using yesterday. You will be able to channel your magic down it without breaking it or compromising its strength," his grandfather promised him. He handed Vanth a leather belt with a back sheath for the sword and a spare one that sat horizontally at Vanth's back.

"The extra sheath is for that dagger in your boot. You're going into a fight, my boy. You need weapons you can reach easily and not be digging about in your shoes for," Flynt explained.

Vanth hesitated before giving his grandfather a hug. Flynt froze for a second before hugging him back.

"Thank you. Please look after my mother," Vanth said.

Flynt patted him on the back. "You know that I will. Now, get moving. The sooner you two find a way to end this, the sooner we can get the curse lifted off Eiline. Elektra? Make sure he doesn't hurt himself."

Elektra bowed to the smith. "I'll do my very best."

"If you keep him alive there might be a new weapon in it for you," he said and kissed her hand goodbye. Vanth had the sudden urge to smack the older fae male's hand away.

Elektra blushed redder than her hair. "In that case, I will wrap him in cotton wool and lock him in a cupboard as soon as we get back to his house."

Flynt laughed, and they said their final goodbyes before heading into the forest. As soon as they were out from underneath his grandfather's wards, the ring on Vanth's finger started to hum with magic. He pointed to a barely-there path through two oak trees. "We go that way."