Library

3

Walter

I took my glasses off, brushing the glitter off the lenses only to smudge them since, of course, the glitter had faded on its own. It'd been months since I'd teleported through Fae magic, but I recalled the sensation quite well. So much so my breathing hitched when memories of time spent tucked inside the Dimensional Atrium exploring before returning to long hours hidden inside the repository of the Magus Estate.

I shook away the memories. No time. I'd been taken somewhere by the pink Fae who appeared from a swarm of butterflies. An actual kaleidoscope of butterflies, which would be fascinating to study. Did she tame the insects through something similar to a familiar bond like mages? Were they mere puppets conjured through Fae resurrection and repurpose of nature? Or were the butterflies simply an illusion meant to hide or distract from her actual teleportation movements?

"Stop," I said. "You need to figure out where you are."

I took a deep, quieting breath. Where had I ended up?

"Ah!" I shouted. I was floating above the empty auditorium and nearly plummeted to the ground when I fell back.

Ow.

No. Not nearly. Not at all. My butt thudded against something hard, and my hands remained flat on a surface level holding me upright. I tapped my knuckles, knocking on the invisible flooring.

At least the Fae hadn't taken me far. I could hear Bez roaring beyond the auditorium, yet he felt so distant.

Scrambling to my feet, I swallowed my anxiety and rushed across the unseen floor. "I'm not going to fall. I'm not going to fall. I'm not going to fall."

The chant did little to assuage the growing fear I would suddenly come across an invisible hole in the invisible floor and fall from a very visible height. Knowing my luck, I would flail about, worried I'd break a bone, and land squarely on my head.

Ow.

I backstepped, rubbing a hand on my bruised face. Dammit. I hit a wall halfway toward the theater exits. Invisible like the floor. It seemed I'd been teleported into a box of some type. Or a cube. Gods. Was this some type of ironic justice because I'd stolen the Fae seed, encasing it in an enchanted cube of protective incantations? Well, not stolen stolen. They'd freely given me the seed and never once explained its purpose. It was mere happenstance that I knew the actual intent. They couldn't really expect to hold me accountable for something they had no idea whether or not I knew was actually wrong.

It wasn't wrong. It wasn't stealing. That was just Bez teasing me.

I fidgeted. Bez. He continued roaring outside, followed by explosive sounds and loud clanks as the building shook.

I reached into my pocket, retrieving the Fae seed. The green hue held such an inviting allure meant for study. So many secrets. So many unknown answers. Unknown questions, too. There were things I likely hadn't even pondered to ask myself about the mystery of the Fae until this very moment. I wanted to know it all. But more than that, I wanted to reach Bez.

"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding," I said. "I didn't realize I wasn't allowed a souvenir. I'm just a simple guy who doesn't know things. Any things. Anything really."

"You are far from simple, Walter Alden," a deep voice said, carrying a light echo.

Appearing at the opposite end of the theater sat a ghostly complected Fae wearing a bright red suit, which added to his stark white skin. Golden rings clinked against the railing of the balcony where he sat, strumming his elongated fingers. His bright white teeth held a shine in the dim theater as his smile widened, filling his entire face. Quite literally. His mouth stretched ear to ear. I tensed when he tilted his large head, one more than twice the size of his thin shoulders, studying me.

"I have to go," I said, fighting back a squeak but unable to keep from shivering.

Huge black eyes, bigger than my clenched fists, stared at me. Through me. Into me. White swirled hypnotically, then zigged and zagged like a game of Snake.

I held out my trembling hands, extending the encased seed to return. Shit. I should've removed the enchantment before offering it back. Not that the Fae didn't already realize what I'd done.

"The Fae Divinity is an exquisite event held only once a century in this realm," he said, hopping off the balcony and onto the invisible floor. Each step he took cast a ripple, revealing the fine hardwood floors holding us in the air. "It is a rare honor to host this event, one I treated with cavalier disregard as I've held the honor of hosting a half-dozen times."

Everything quieted.

I turned, searching for the raging roars of Bez, but found the auditorium faded beneath us, replaced by the wooden floor. The theater walls vanished behind stone-crafted walls. This place resembled the foyer of the Magus Estate more and more with each breath. It wasn't, though. The rocks used held more glimmer, seeped with magics perhaps, but much of the estate had been fashioned to be considered inviting to the Fae since so much of Collective resources and power stemmed from cultivating a strong relationship with the Fae.

A panoply, a full suit of silver plate armor, stood perched on its own next to the door without a stand to keep it upright. The chest piece had a noticeable dent. It looked out of place with no second suit on the opposite side. I shook my head. This was no time to note the poor placement in décor when I should be finding a way out of here.

I raced to the door, reaching for the handle. Locked. Duh. Maybe an incantation could force it open. Not sure what would be appropriate since everything here had a strange hum to the deeper layers of magic; everything felt off, warped slightly. Even my connection with Bez strained.

"Consider me shocked when I discovered Walter Alden was in attendance." The Fae stood inches from my face, his mouth ready to devour my head in a single bite.

I fell back onto the floor, dropping the seed and clambering to distance myself from him.

He knelt and retrieved the encased seed. His nails punctured my incantations, disrupting and destroying the protective wards instantaneously.

"It's no wonder you made such a delightfully intricate incantation to hold our gift to the mortals." He blinked, but only a thin translucent eyelid coated his giant black orbs. A nictitating membrane like some animals have.

"Like dogs and penguins and camels and…" I bit my lip, stifling the mutterings.

"You seem frightened. Nothing like the Walter Alden discussed at Court."

"You know me?" I gulped.

"Who hasn't heard of the warrior Walter Alden, the mage who tamed the devil Beelzebub himself? Tempered the Diabolic's murderous spirit and spared the Collective."

"Excuse me?"

"Had I known such an esteemed guest would greet our modest affair, I'd have put true effort into this evening's performance. Instead, I offered baubles unworthy of someone such as your station." He shattered the seed between his fingers, waving the wafting magical energy away.

"Wait… You're not mad at me?"

"What?" He gripped his blazer, feigning offense. Or perhaps actually offended I made the suggestion. His expressions were difficult to gauge. "I am honored to meet your acquaintance."

"Sorry. What?" I tried to wrap my head around what he'd said.

He extended a hand, offering to assist. I forced a smile and accepted, nervous I'd offend otherwise.

The Fae stepped back, straightening his blazer. "Apologies. I was so lost in awe, I didn't properly introduce myself. I am Baron Novus—" His tongue clicked, and a sharp ringing hit my ears, making me cringe before he cleared his throat. "Hmm, I'm unable to find the mortal sound which translates. Simply Novus will do."

"Nice to meet you, Baron Novus." I lowered my tense shoulders. "I'm simply Wally."

"To think a devil and one so feared came to my Fae Divinity. It'll be the talk at Court."

"Bez isn't as frightening as people think," I said, wondering how many Fae he'd slaughtered searching for me and if he'd kill Baron Novus for this misunderstanding. "They just don't know him. Speaking of not knowing Bez, it'd probably be a good idea if we—"

"Not him," Baron Novus interjected, flicking one of his long fingers back and forth. "You, Walter Alden, the misfit mage who brought a city to the precipice of defeat and then abandoned them to their own devices, leaving them frightened of recourse. Of your might. Your control. Your Diabolic pet."

"I'm sorry, what?" I raised my eyebrows.

"The entire Court has watched with curiosity. Mages scrambling with uncertainties on how to handle you. Calculating unknown quantities of the carnage or kindness you will unleash based solely upon your whims. Will disturbing you lead to their downfall? Will leaving you untended allow you to amass an army to lay siege upon the Collective? Will the Mythics hear the rallying cry after you emptied Collective coffers? All questions many chancellors and magi have behind closed doors."

So much of what happened—from Ian's intentions and my mother's plot to Bez's assault on the Collective, all the way to my attempt at undoing it all—had spiraled into a messy web of half-truths, rumors, misconceptions, and apparently flat-out fallacies.

I figured the Collective was wary of us. Not us. Bez. Worried what his ire would bring down on them if they searched too fervently. But I never suspected they avoided us outright. Here I spent the last six months frightened, terrified one misstep would expose us, lecturing Bez on reeling in his antics and dodging anything and everything that might lead the Collective our way.

"Your incantations are truly marvelous, by the way," Baron Novus said. "Elegant and layered with such sophistication."

"Uh, thank you." I shrugged. "I studied a lot."

"The craftsmanship, prodigy level."

"No, not even." My ears burned.

"I must ask, how did you know the precise incantation to encase Fae magic without crumpling the raw Mythic residue in the process?" He stepped in close again, his huge eyes staring down at me.

"I-I-I, well, you see, I'm flustered." I bit my lip. I didn't mean to say that.

"Why? Have I done something?"

"No. Not at all. Absolutely not. It's a lot to take in. You grabbing me, Bez is probably worried—in fact, I'm worried about the other Fae alone with Bez—and then there's all these nice compliments…but I just need a minute to collect my thoughts. And check on Bez. And again, your Fae." I swallowed the lump in my throat. I hoped they weren't all dead.

"Oh, everyone's fine. Mitah informs me Beelzebub's tantrum has been contained within the empty halls of The Chicago Theatre. I suppose we'll have to reimburse them, but he has slain no Fae, all safely tucked behind a veil, and it seems all our mortal guests left frightened but unharmed. I'm certain the Collective will clean up any traces that leak out into the world."

"Okay. That doesn't change my concern for Bez. We're…" I didn't want to say connected, which he probably knew already—who didn't? Still, our bond had a wonky faded sensation here in this weird Fae-adjacent plane, and I couldn't fathom how Bez felt.

"I completely understand. You worry for your paramour." Baron Novus snapped his fingers, and the room swirled round and round until black fire filled my vision.

He'd definitely understated Bez's reaction. The entire auditorium was engulfed in flames. Seats were either burning or torn to shreds. The floorboards of the stage had been ripped apart.

Dread struck me. My concern for Bez mixed with his anxiety about my absence. Even so, I pressed a hand to my heart, comforted by the fully bloomed connection of our bond no longer disrupted by Fae temporal magics.

"Now, if you please, I do so wish to continue our conversation," Baron Novus said, unfazed by the destruction surrounding us.

"I need to find—"

Bez. He appeared in front of me in an instant, his blurry form taking shape as his speed came to a halt.

"Wally! You're safe." He grabbed my arms, his sharp claws gently squeezing me.

"Yeah, this is one huge misunderstanding. A colossal level of social confusion… I'm fumbling for words, but I'm safe."

"At a loss for words?" Bez furrowed his brow. "Hardly sounds safe to me."

"Just in shock." I eyed the devastation. "Big reaction."

"No reaction is big enough for your absence." Bez craned his neck, glaring at Baron Novus. "And you must be the one who sought to steal from me."

"I'm not a possession, Bez."

"I didn't say that."

"You kind of did."

Bez snarled, dragging his claws along the backs of burning seats. Those same claws which held me so tenderly shredded the metal backs. He lunged forward, swiping at Baron Novus.

"Wait," I shouted, no command in my voice but a plea for his patience.

After six months of living with Bez's essence circulating inside me, I'd learned enough not to accidentally invoke commands upon him. It was something I'd never do, but I didn't want him to slaughter the Fae over some confusion on appropriate customs.

Baron Novus vanished into thin air.

"I have exhibited the utmost patience, Walter," Baron Novus said from above us. "I didn't disturb you during the performance, allowing you to enjoy our modest show, and I've given leniency for your untampered Diabolic, but I now wish to continue our conversation."

"I'm going to fucking gut you," Bez shouted, flying into the air.

His swipe missed a second time, and Baron Novus appeared on the stage now.

Bez cursed, zipping toward him in a blur.

I channeled essence, stirring it through my body and mixing it with my mana. Not nearly enough to keep up with Bez or hold my own against him, but hopefully enough to make a point. I raced after him, putting everything I had into each blurred step. My body moved so quickly, my eyes couldn't keep up with it.

"Stop." I reached out, snatching Bez by the wrist and averting his claws from stabbing…well, the air because Baron Novus had vanished yet again. "Please, Bez. Relax."

"I can't. You were gone. In danger. These fucking fairies abducted you. Took you from me, and there wasn't anything I could do." His eyes watered until the crimson of his irises burned bright, and rage replaced the sadness in his gaze.

I pressed my forehead against his. "I'm fine. Honestly."

"You are now." One of Bez's tails coiled around my waist and pulled me closer. "I still have to kill them. The audacity—"

"Audacity?" Baron Novus snorted. "I am a Royale of the Fae Court. Your audacious threats would be met with a swift end should your bluster be anything more than a tantrum."

"We've talked about this." I pressed a hand to Bez's fast-beating heart, attempting and failing to soothe him. If he didn't stop, he risked the Fae Court descending upon us. "Killing can't be the first option every single time."

"You were abducted. It is the only option."

"Again, a mis—"

"I'd hardly call it an abduction," Baron Novus chimed in with the absolute worst timing. "If I sought to abduct Walter, I'd have taken him to a Fae realm, not a simple pocket portal for quiet discussion."

"And what is it you wished to discuss with Walter?" Bez bared his teeth.

"My intent was to understand how he created such a precise incantation for the gifted seed," Baron Novus said. "Though I must admit, I became a bit enamored being in the presence of one so grand."

"Enamored?" The word held disgust falling off Bez's tongue.

"Walter, please explain your process."

"Process?" I asked. "For the incantations. I-I don't know. It's sort of second nature, I guess. I'm used to identifying the specific hums of magical frequencies in a variety of different Mythic artifacts from when I worked in the repository."

Though, back then, I required a wand to place incantations, it was only thanks to Bez I finally learned how to stop overthinking every single step.

"Yes, but Fae frequencies tend to shift seamlessly, making our magic difficult to pinpoint and intangible for those brazen enough to try."

"Oh, well, you see, I used to study what I could in the Dimensional Atrium," I said, biting back the urge to explain how it was a gifted region for mage use from the Fae since, as a Fae and member of their Court, he probably already knew that much. "I even wrote reports on how the frequencies never quite matched the hum of relics gifted from Fae, which also rarely held Mythic residue. I suppose they did, but never anything stemming from Fae magics, so they were impossible to analyze. And technically speaking, we weren't supposed to analyze anything in the Atrium either, but it was mostly harmless musings."

Baron Novus clapped his hands, the smile filling his face returned. "Remarkable. To think a mage would hold such in-depth comprehension of our magics after seeing only a single layer of it. I am rarely astounded, but consider me charmed."

"If you want his fucking autograph, next time, just ask." Bez snarled. "Your curiosity has been sated, now begone before my little mage's pleas for mercy fade, and I rip off your oversized, empty head."

"I myself have only encountered Diabolics and their leash holders on select occasions," Baron Novus said. "But I was always under the impression that those with bound Diabolics kept a tighter hold on their behavior. You must be truly formidable, Walter, to allow your devil such slack."

I waved my hands back and forth, straining to grin and feeling my blood boil from the offense Bez took from the comment. As he should. Baron Novus might've meant well with his honesty, but the blunt tactlessness of it was going to get him murdered. "He's not on a leash."

"Yes. If one of us were to don a leash in this relationship, it'd certainly be my Walter."

My face scrunched as the smirk on Bez's face, and the snark in his voice left me frazzled.

"Hmm. Mortal mating practices, I presume." Baron Novus withdrew a card from his breast pocket and blew a breath carrying a cacophony of echoing whispers.

Releasing it from his fingertips, the card whirled, dancing delicately on a breeze as soft words continued murmuring, all the while golden letters became engraved upon the card. It landed at my feet, written in Sylvan symbols—the Fae language—that burned brightly on the vanilla card.

"I've heard you take on freelance work and wished to extend an offer to a potential career opportunity."

I picked up the card. Though the letters seemed aflame, the card was icy to the touch. "Really? What kind of work?"

"It would require extensive hours, remote opportunities," Baron Novus said. "But some of my possessions would not be suitable for travel, so you'd need to work here."

"In The Chicago Theatre?" I asked.

Baron Novus' wide mouth formed a thin smile, made exceptionally thin by his lack of lips. "No, no."

He flicked his wrist, wiggling his elongated fingers with whimsy. Golden rings clinked together, and glitter funneled from his palm, directed by the melody of seemingly random noises his jewelry made. Fascinating how the Fae used a tune of any kind to harness or control their vast magics.

"You would work in my villa." Baron Novus held his arms out, beckoning, flaunting the silhouette of a home's entryway behind him. "I have many precious gems that need proper examination. Your expertise in the field would be most fortunate, and I'd be honored if you handled my belongings with half the care you've shown to the many artifacts you've studied for the Collective. I would love to hear your assessment of them."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Bez said. "Walter has his hands and mouth full assessing my precious gems. They require all his attention at the moment."

My face burned. Bez looked half a second away from whipping his dick out and marking his territory.

"Hmm. Such crude euphemisms, devil," Baron Novus said, adding a high-pitched chime at the end.

"You should leave before my graceless nature matches your dancing fairies, and I butcher you like your leading Fae butchered this evening's performance."

"Consider the offer, Walter Alden," Baron Novus said as he vanished, his voice still carrying around the destroyed auditorium. "Perhaps after you've had a stern talking to with your Diabolic, you can make a sensible decision."

Bez's glare fell onto me. "Oh, yes, Walter. We should have a stern talking."

"Awkward introductions aside, this seems like a great opportunity." I clutched the card, giving Bez a weak smile. "Maybe even a funny anecdote for the future."

"Most certainly. And so long as that anecdote doesn't involve fairies, share the story with whomever you wish." Bez snatched the card away, ripping it to pieces and tossing the scraps into his black flames.

Comments

0 Comments
Best Newest

Contents
Settings
  • T
  • T
  • T
  • T
Font

Welcome to FullEpub

Create or log into your account to access terrific novels and protect your data

Don’t Have an account?
Click above to create an account.

lf you continue, you are agreeing to the
Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy.