13

Dranian Evelry and the Park Incident

Dog-Shayne had run off. Dranian searched the whole park, sneezing and wheezing at the overwhelming scent of Shadow Fairies. They'd smeared their odour across the air with little concern for his sensitive fairy nostrils. Those fools likely had no idea Dranian was even in the vicinity, and even if they did, he would be of no concern to them due to Shayne's bargain. But Dog-Shayne… Dog-Shayne had no such bargain with the Shadows and therefore was just as vulnerable as any creature that may have accidentally found itself in the Shadow Army's path.

Dranian checked the bushes, under the benches, behind the childling slides. He whistled. Still, the animal did not return to its master. "Queensbane," he muttered, spinning around for the hundredth time.

He released a heavy sigh and rubbed his temples. Then he glanced back toward the cluster of bushes and trees, behind which he'd left Luc to face his own problems. He wondered what had become of the fox—if the Shadow Army had taken him and were presently forcing him back through the gate into the Ever Corners. It would be a relief. Dranian would win his apartment back. Luc would be the one to have broken the contract after all these days of feuding. Dranian absolutely, without a doubt, one hundred percent, did not care.

He rubbed a hand over his chest where his heart felt a little tingly. His mind raised uninvited inquiries such as: "Is it strange that I'm a little curious if Luc is still alive?" and, "What if they're trying to kill him over there?" and "Is the reason he dragged me out on this tiring walk today because some part of his pathological, murderous brain was a teensy tiny bit concerned for my well being?"

It didn't matter. Dranian didn't care.

Yet… His wretched eyes couldn't stop staring at those bushes. He tilted a pointed ear toward them just a fraction, trying to pick up any sounds or stories in the air of a nine tailed fox struggling or fighting or bleeding.

Dranian jumped in surprise when a red-haired being burst from the shrubs followed closely by a panting dog with its tongue hanging out. Luc was swaying his arms in all directions like a maniac.

"Run!" the fox yelled, and Dranian was sure he'd never seen the fool's silver-brown eyes so wide and desperate. "Run, you idiotic, ever-scowling, useless North Fairy!" He and Dog-Shayne raced right by Dranian standing there. Dranian blinked, and then he chased after them.

Two fairies and one dog sprinted over the grass, through an alley, and leapt into a busy street at full speed. Dranian knocked a childling's ice cream off its cone as he twisted to try and keep himself from pummelling humans. Luc almost tripped over a stroller being pushed by a young female. Dog-Shayne stopped running and started licking the glob of ice cream on the sidewalk as the childling began to wail. Luc whistled, and the dog started running again.

They wove around couples and crowds of youth in uniforms. Dranian realized Dog-Shayne had patches of red on his fur that looked suspiciously like blood.

"Take my hand!" Luc shouted at Dranian.

"Absolutely not! Are you mad?!" Dranian returned in disgust.

Luc gritted his teeth and tried to snatch Dranian's hand as they ran. Dranian did everything he could to avoid it. There was smacking and pulling of sleeves and shoving. But in the end, Luc got a grip on Dranian's pinky finger. He held on tight and reached for Dog-Shayne.

The triad was sucked into the wind, and Dranian's faeborn heart doubled over. He kept his eyes wide open as they sped through streets and buildings and even a few unsuspecting humans.

They landed on wobbly feet a few blocks from where they'd been.

Dog-Shayne barfed up his ice cream.

Dranian whirled on Luc. "What happened?!" he asked, spotting a bead of sweat upon Luc's temple.

Luc leaned forward with his palms on his knees, catching his breath. He looked up to meet Dranian's gaze this time, revealing bloodshot eyes, dirt, and more sweat. "Oh dear. It's a long, uninteresting story," he admitted.

"Well, you're going to tell it to me," Dranian demanded. "And why is my dog covered in blood?!"

Luc made a face and stood. "It's not his blood—"

"I don't care whose blood it is !" he snapped. "That is my assistance dog! And you don't like him! How dare you use him to fight your battles!"

Luc released a diabolical laugh. "I didn't force him to do it. The mutt raced over at the first sign of trouble." He took the leash and patted Dog-Shayne on the head. "We make a good team, actually."

Dranian snatched Dog-Shayne's leash and tugged the dog back. "You absolutely do not! Dog-Shayne and me make a great team!"

"Dranian?"

Both fairies stiffened at the sound of a new voice. They turned in unison to find a blue-eyed human female standing on the curb beside a parked police vessel with a swirling iced coffee in her fingers. Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing layers of artwork on her flesh.

"Queensbane," Dranian muttered as he took in Lily staring at him in question. Her hair had grown so much this past year, she wore it in a long, blonde ponytail that reached almost to her hips, making her look even more comely and a smidgen more menacing with her she-strength and no-nonsense ways. If one squinted their eyes, they might even mistake her for a fae.

Dranian was all too aware of the fox at his side. The one he had failed to tell Mor about. The one he had failed to mention to a single one of his allies at Fae Café, including Lily Baker.

Lily dropped her coffee to the sidewalk and drew her gun. Dranian hardly knew what he was doing as he swept into the crossfire, coming so close to her weapon that it nearly pressed against his heart. Lily's mouth parted as she looked up at him in disbelief.

She quickly dropped her gun back to her side. "Are you crazy, Dranian?" she accused.

He wasn't sure if she was mad he'd moved into the crosshairs of her weapon or because she'd caught him red-handed with Luc. Realistically, either crime was worthy of a buttocks beating.

Dranian raised his hands in hopes of calming her, but the gesture only seemed to offend her more. "It's not what it looks like, Human," he swore.

An arm came around his shoulders. "Actually, it's exactly what it looks like, Human ," Luc's sweet voice declared. "This North Fairy and I are roommates now. We even have a dog together."

Dranian blanched. He shook Luc's arm off.

The sound of disbelief that came from Lily was one Dranian had never heard before. She put her hands on her hips. "Really, Dranian? Him?" She blinked with all the indignation and raging fire of the sky deities. "Seriously?"

"He's lying—"

"Would you like to see our apartment as evidence? It's not far from here," Luc invited.

Dranian glared at him. "Take Dog-Shayne home. Later… we'll have words." He articulated the promise and shoved Dog-Shayne's leash into Luc's hands.

Lily blinked at the leash in disbelief.

"Oh dear." Luc tapped a finger along his chin. "I would, but I think I'd rather get the High Court of the Coffee Bean involved in all this now," he said, and Dranian's face changed. Luc looked down and nudged a pebble on the sidewalk with his toe. "Wouldn't hurt," he added with a murmur.

"What?!" Dranian and Lily both asked at once.

"It's that or the division will kill me." Luc held up Dog-Shayne's leash. " And the dog," he added. "We've both offended them greatly."

Dranian stared with his mouth hanging open.

It was Lily who finally moved first. She reached for Dog-Shayne's leash. "I'll take him, and I'll keep him safe at the—"

Luc yanked the leash back and held it up high where she couldn't reach. He was quite tall, and when Lily looked up the length of his arm, a broad smile spread across his face. "Oh dear. Too short," he said.

Lily spoke through her teeth. "I really don't like you," she told him.

"I don't like you, either," Luc promised. Then he winked , and Lily looked like she might claw out his faeborn eyes.

But Dranian stared off at nothing, his feet stuck in place. "We can't bring in the High Court of the Coffee Bean," he stated quietly, making both Lily and the fox turn their heads toward him.

"Why not?" Lily and Luc spoke in unison this time. Luc smiled at Lily again, revelling in it.

"I've deceived Mor. He will feel betrayed," Dranian mumbled.

"Serves him right," Luc said.

Lily gave up on the leash and turned to Dranian with folded arms. "If you're really living with this guy, you have to tell the others now . Dranian, he tried to kill Mor! He attacked Violet! This guy isn't our friend!" She pointed at Luc with her thumb.

"You don't have to say it right in front of me," Luc muttered. "And both of them were fine in the end." He said the last part more to himself as he looked himself over and began wiping off purple fairy blood.

"I cannot tell them until I've taken my apartment back by myself," Dranian stated. "I must do this. Or I'll never be able to face anyone again! "

Lily released a heavy huff. "Why, Dranian?"

"Because if I fail now, I'll always be considered useless !" He shouted it—on accident, but fire moved through his veins. He wasn't one to raise his voice; it felt strange on his own tongue. And it startled Lily.

She looked at him with wide, human eyes, suddenly seeming very delicate.

"I apologize," Dranian choked out. "I'm just trying to restore my honour." He expected Luc to laugh or snort or mock, but no sound came from the nine tailed fox.

Lily put her hands on her hips. She paced around in a small circle. She ran a hand through her hair, dislodging a few strands and ruining its neatness. She turned back to face him.

"Do you realize what you're asking of me?" she said. "You're asking me to keep a secret from everyone. Including Kate." Her gaze flicked over to Luc. "And I don't trust him. You're injured, Dranian. He can hurt you any time he wants."

Her words felt cold as they moved through Dranian's mind and body.

"You're injured, Dranian. He can hurt you any time he wants." It raced through thrice over before he managed to move a muscle, and he swallowed.

Injured.

"You're injured."

She might as well have agreed that he was useless.

But she was right. Luc could have hurt him any time he'd wanted. And that sank in, bringing other questions. Truly, it was in a fox's nature to kill a problem, and Luc was powerful enough to have murdered everyone in the apartment building by now. He could have ruled over all the spaces, living alone in lovely, quiet bliss.

Yet, last night Luc had crossed the threshold into Dranian's room. The nine tailed fox had been there during Dranian's panic spell. Then this morning, Luc had insisted Dranian come outside for some air.

"I don't think he plans to harm me," Dranian told Lily, surprising himself with the news.

Lily closed her eyes in disbelief. She scuffed her hair with her fingers again.

"Please keep my secret," Dranian added, taking Lily by the shoulders so she would stop anxiously pacing. "I shall deal with this," he swore. "Mor doesn't need to know."

Lily stared for several seconds. "Come with me," she finally said. She turned and headed toward her police vessel. She opened the passenger side door and waited. "I'm not taking you to Fae Café," she promised.

Dranian slid his jaw back and forth as he contemplated. He glanced over at Luc, and Luc shrugged like he didn't want to get involved—which was a drastically different implication than a second ago.

"I'm only going to keep your secret if you come with me. I'm taking you somewhere that'll give me some peace of mind if you're going to be like this," Lily clarified. She cut Luc a look. "You stay."

Luc snorted a laugh and wrapped Dog-Shayne's leash twice around his fingers. "See you at home then, North Fairy," he said to Dranian. Then a little more seriously, he added, "Don't stay out too long. Dog-Shayne and I only have a few days left to live." He reached for the dog, and a second later they both vanished, leaving Dranian there gaping like a fool.

He spun to Lily. "Did you hear that?!" he asked, pointing at where Luc just was. "Insolent fool," he growled. "He'd better take care of my dog!" He marched across the sidewalk and slid into the passenger seat of Lily's vessel.

The drive wasn't long, but Dranian almost dozed off. He jerked his head up when he realized, slapping a hand over his faeborn heart, and making Lily jump in the driver's seat. His chest pounded—he'd almost slipped away into the nightmare world. The world he had created for himself when he'd done the unthinkable and responded to a dreamslipper's call.

"What's wrong with you?" Lily asked, arching a brow. "You're freaking me out."

Dranian closed his eyes and didn't reply until his heart settled. Then he said, "I'm being haunted by a ghost."

Lily made a weird face. "Seriously?"

Dranian rubbed his eyes, his forehead, his temples. "Yes. A being entered my dreams last night, impersonating someone who's dead. It's an obvious trap, and now I can never fall asleep again as long as I live."

Lily was quiet for a few seconds. Then she asked, "Is that a fairy thing? Can you actually live without sleep?"

Dranian almost spoke several times. He finally settled on a simple, "No."

Lily pulled the vessel to a stop, and Dranian leaned to see out the window, taking in the height of the monstrous building. It was so tall, it seemed to brush the clouds. A large sign wrapped the front that read: DESMOUNT TECH INDUSTRIES.

"I've never heard of this mysterious place," Dranian mumbled. He climbed from the vessel and followed Lily to a wheel with tall panels of glass at the front of the building. He watched in amazement as she pushed against one of the panels, and all the attached panes revolved. Lily glanced back, seeming to realize Dranian hadn't followed as the glass sucked her into the building. A panel of glass followed her, sealing her away in a cozy coffin of space.

"Get in!" she called, her voice muted through the glass.

Dranian gazed at the moving panels as they went by. He took a small step toward a moving gap but hesitated, and the glass swooshed past, sealing him out again. He huffed and reached to stop the doors from moving so he might stand a chance. He caught a panel of glass just as Lily hopped out on the other side, safe and sound. The whole contraption screeched to a loud halt .

Humans in the building seemed to pause their chatter to see what the commotion was as Dranian stepped inside carefully. He looked at Lily through the barriers. "How do I make this enchanted glass obey?" he murmured to her, not loudly enough. Lily raised both hands, seeming to wonder what he was doing and why he was still standing there.

So, Dranian eyed the glass panel before him. He pushed against it as Lily had done. The whole thing began to rotate, and he leapt ahead in alarm, pressing himself flat against it so the panel chasing him didn't catch up. His faeborn nose was squished, his mouth pressed flat. He tried to communicate with Lily through the clear pane, but all it did was smoosh his lips around.

When he saw an opportunity, Dranian broke from the glass cage in a great leap, landing before Lily in relief. He rose to stand, casting a little glare back at the revolving glass panels that had nearly taken him hostage. "I shall never try that again," he swore. When he glanced back at Lily, he didn't find her looking proud that he'd beaten the obstacle course. Rather, she was pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Unreal," she breathed. "Even after a year of living here, you guys still find ways to embarrass me."

Without another word, she turned and headed toward a brightly lit lobby, ignoring the stares and questioning looks of the humans scattered around the space. She pulled a card out of her pocket and tapped it against a pad. A small, waist-height magic gate opened, allowing them to enter.

Dranian followed Lily to a set of metal doors. A shiny button was beside it, and Lily reached to press it but hesitated. She glanced back at Dranian in thought. Then she said, "We should probably take the stairs." She headed to a tall white staircase, muttering, "If you can't handle revolving doors, I don't want to see what'll happen to you in an elevator."

Everything got a little darker upstairs. They entered a long hallway and Lily pushed through a door into a room with no windows. Dranian blinked to adjust his fairy vision as his gaze fell upon various things hung up, evenly spaced apart along the walls. He studied them curiously, trying to imagine what they might be. Diagrams also filled bright screens depicting… depicting…

"What in the faeborn-cursed human realm is this?" Dranian felt his blood warm. His eyes narrowed on those diagrams of figures with pointed ears. His eyes darted to a table in the middle of the room covered in loose parchment. He read a few titles, gathering quickly what they were about.

This was a research lair. These diagrams were of fairies. Those things hanging on the walls… Weapons. Terrible weapons. Weapons meant to kill fairies.

"Queensbane, Lily Baker, where have you brought me to?" Dranian felt the blood drain from his cheeks as he growled. He stopped walking, considering leaving the way he'd come. Considering destroying everything in this room first.

Lily turned to face him, her hand finding his shoulder. Her grip was strong .

"This is for your safety," she stated. She reached over and pulled a small weapon off the wall. A gun—like hers.

"You need to take a sample of Luc Zelsor's blood and put it in here." She let go of Dranian's shoulder and pointed to a small chamber on the weapon. "Just a pin prick will do. Then you'll be able to shoot him, even if he airslips. In fact, with one Shadow Fairy sample, you'll be able to shoot any Shadow Fairy. The stun bullet will follow them, even at superspeed."

Dranian gaped at her. He could not fathom it, nor could he come up with the words appropriate to scorn her for this thing she was doing.

"I've been working on this since what happened last Christmas," Lily clarified at the look on his face. As if her specifying would change her betrayal. "I had to do something, Dranian," she added, quieter this time. She turned and began disassembling the weapon on the table, checking its parts, "after what happened to Kate." She swallowed, her slender throat bobbing slightly as she began putting the weapon back together. "It's my job to protect her. This is the only way I know how."

Dranian's body was still tense and icy, but his shoulders deflated an inch. So this was why Lily had been hoarding all those myth and legend books all these months. It was why she'd been absent from Fae Café so many evenings. "Does Mor know you've created a deadly bullet that can chase him through the wind?" he asked through his teeth. "Does my brother have any idea you've created a weapon that can destroy him?"

Lily looked down, hiding the guilt on her face. But she didn't look like she regretted what she'd done. "I would never use this on him."

"It doesn't matter, Human. Someone else might," Dranian growled.

"The bullets don't kill, they stun . And I would never let someone use this on Mor, or any of you." Lily sighed and handed him the gun. "Use this to defend yourself. I'll feel better about keeping your secret if I know you have this."

Dranian didn't take it.

"I'll tell Mor what you've been up to if you don't keep this with you," Lily threatened instead.

Dranian's jaw tightened. He reluctantly reached out and took the vile, horrid thing Lily had created. "I won't use it," he vowed. "I shall destroy it."

Lily rolled her eyes and turned back to the table to straighten up the papers there. She grabbed a pen and scribbled on one. Dranian took the opportunity to steal a look at all the abominations on the walls. "What does that one do?" he asked, pointing to a particular mechanism that looked like a satchel. He bit his mouth shut as soon as he said it, wishing he'd never spoken. He was not interested in weapons that targeted fairies.

Lily glanced up though. "That's a flame gun," she said, looking right back down at her notes. "It shoots fire."

Dranian blinked. "Like a dragon?"

A smile cracked over Lily's face. "Yes. Like a dragon. "

Dranian studied the thing. It had two straps that seemed to hug one's shoulders, a satchel that rested upon one's back, and a large tube that ran from the satchel to a wide-mouthed gun. "How absurd," he muttered in an uninterested tone. "How far does it shoot the fire?"

Lily finished her writing and stood tall. "It could probably shoot halfway across this building," she said.

Dranian's jaw dropped. He slammed it closed immediately.

"That's not interesting at all," he stated. He took one last look at the fire breather. Then he turned and headed for the door with his new fairy-targeting gun. "And I won't be using this." He held the gun up between his thumb and forefinger like it contained an infectious disease.

"Do I need to call Shayne and get him to talk some sense into you?" Lily threatened again. "I might have agreed to keep your secret from Mor, but I won't keep it from Shayne."

"Ha!" Dranian turned back and waved a finger at all the weapons on the walls. "You'd have to admit your treachery if you were to call Shayne about this."

Lily opened her mouth to reply like she had something to say about that. But she closed it again and bit her lips. A second later, she turned back to her papers. "Shayne's been giving me the cold shoulder since he left," she admitted. "But I'll get him to talk to me in order to rat you out."

Dranian snarled and nearly smiled. "Alright, Human. Go ahead. Try calling him." He thought of Shayne' s phone tucked safely away in his apartment.

Lily made a disbelieving sound as she pulled out her phone to call his bluff. She hit the necessary buttons and held the device to her ear. Dranian heard the faint sound of ringing, and he huffed a dry almost-laugh.

"Hello?" someone answered, and Dranian's almost-smile fell.

"Hey Greyson. Can I talk to Shayne?" Lily asked.

Dranian took a fast step forward. "Wait," he said, reaching for her phone as Greyson's muted response came. Lily's face changed as she stepped back, avoiding Dranian's grabby hands.

"What do you mean, he's not there?" Lily said into the phone. "You mean he's not in the room with you, or…" Something changed on Lily's face, bringing Dranian's attempt to wrestle the phone from her human fingers to a stop.

"If he's not in Florida, then where is he?" she asked. The faint sound of Lily's elevated rhythms found Dranian's ears, and Dranian dropped his hand back to his side.

Lily mumbled a goodbye of sorts and hung up her phone. She had a strange look on her face when her velvety blue gaze slid back up to Dranian's.

"Shayne's not in Florida," she said like she didn't believe her own words. "Greyson said he cancelled at the last minute and didn't go. He hasn't been there the whole time."

Dranian stared.

Shayne…

Wasn't in Florida .

Didn't take his phone.

Hadn't told a soul where he was… for weeks ?

The fairy-targeting weapon grew heavy in Dranian's hand. His faeborn chest tightened like he was forgetting how to breathe… and that never ended well. He forced a large breath deep into his lungs, and he blew it out slowly.

The fool. The always smiling, shoe hating fool. Dranian's voice was a low growl when he spoke again. "Where in the name of the sky deities is he?"

Dranian banged open the apartment door of 3E and marched in.

Luc stood there, seemingly waiting. The fox didn't speak. Whatever humour had been on Luc's face before was gone now. Swelling bruises and fresh cuts marked his neck and face—things Dranian hadn't noticed back in the street while they'd been running from the park.

Dranian wanted to ask, "What do you mean you and Dog-Shayne only have a few days left to live?" but Luc seemed to read his mind.

The fox marched to meet him in the middle of the room. He put a hand on Dranian's temple, and Dranian's surroundings changed—his mind filling with a mostly black and white memory, only certain colours coming through; red, pink, and a few notes of blue. Dranian became aware he was seeing a memory through Luc's eyes.

A menacing, scarlet-haired fairy cloaked in dark armour stood before him.