Polk recoiled, looking Escalla indignantly up and down. “Butyou’re not nasty! You’ve got honor and guts and good intentions!”
“Polk, I’m the girl who didn’t fit in and ran away.”
She hunched over, cradling her head in her hands. The Justicar dragged Cinders over beside Escalla. Heaving a tired sigh, the little faerie reached out to scratch the hell hound’s ear.
Cinders look after faerie.
“Thanks, man. You’re my favorite pooch.”
Sensing that some of the plants were clearly spies, Jus looked at Escalla as he spoke. “What happens now? Why are we here?”
“I have a few suspicions.” Escalla’s hand tightened onCinders’ fur. “I’m eldest daughter to the clan head. Whatever they want, it’sno good news for me.”
“Are you in danger?”
“Not immediately. It’s not like I broke any laws. Plus I’vealready taken down some of the clan’s best spell slingers twice today. They knowI’m not quite the same little girl who ran away from home.”
A fanfare of trumpets pealed out across the lake. An instant later, a row of brilliantly clad little creatures popped into view. They seemed to be a type of pixie-shorter than Escalla and far, far sillier, with longcricket’s legs and eyes like an insects. The creatures blew on heraldic hornsthen tittered with mirth as they rolled their eyes at Polk and Jus.
“Summon come! Summon come! Come to biggie lord! Leave mortalsto play game with happy grigs!”
Sharing a look of seething annoyance with Jus, Escalla rose to her feet and said, “Grigs. I hate these guys.” The faerie planted her fistson her hips. “Now hear this! These are my blood companions. A spell cast on themis a spell cast on me.” The girl turned dire eyes on the shocked little grigs.“I mean it! Tricksie-tricksie, pay back doubles!”
The grigs scuffled their feet and pouted.
“Mean!”
“Yeah, well I’m that one! Remember me? The mean ladyis back again!” Escalla swatted at the little sprites, who scattered sullenlyaway. “Half-wit relatives! You can bet your butt they don’t have to put up withthese little buggers in the real Seelie Court!”
Peeking out of cover all around the island were a host of tiny little shapes-all pixie-like, all small, all less formidable that the purefaeries Jus had seen. Jus settled Cinders securely into place upon his helmet and looked at the forest sprites.
“These are all related to faeries? Why so manyoffshoots-pixies, sprites, grigs, atomies…?”
“Chaos wars.” Escalla led her way through the ranks of hidingsprites. “Lotta pure bloodlines were split up. Goblinoids, giants, dragons.Faeries took the brunt of it. That’s why we turned reclusive.” The girl hadreached the shore, and here a party of lean, elegant faeries awaited them. “We’re summoned. Come on. Let’s go meet the family. Keep your eyes open and yourmind straight.”
Jus and Escalla both flexed their hands, each feeling for the rings that kept them safe from charm spells.
At the water’s edge, Escalla’s twin awaited them.
The newcomer was pure faerie. The lean lines, the aristocratic face and air of cool intelligence instantly marked her. In shape and face, she could almost have been Escalla. A little rounder in the eyes, far,far plusher in the bosom, but as alike as two sisters had a right to be. She had dressed herself in tight white lace with a glint of silver on her hand. Escalla’s leathers looked stark and almost primitive in contrast to the othergirl.
The lace-clad figure sketched a mocking little bow and said, “Sweet sister.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Escalla turned and jerked her thumb towardthe other faerie. “Guys, this is Tielle, my little sister. A total bitch.”
Polk doffed his cap. Jus merely gave a brief nod of his head. Turning back to her sister, Escalla stared the other girl up and down. The two females exchanged looks that dripped with pure disdain.
“So Tielle. You porked-out.”
“Yes. They’re called breasts.” Tielle looked at hersister with a sour laugh. “Love the outfit. Is it uncured leather, or isthat smell all your own?”
“Ha! You kiss so much butt, I’m surprised you still have anysense of smell.”
Looming like a vast black giant above the faeries, Jus cleared his throat in a bass rumble. It brought the exchange of insults to an end as both sisters flicked a glance up at the human.
Tielle gave a wrinkle of her nose and said, “You’re summonedto the clan council.”
Escalla gave a sniff and replied, “Why do I give a damn?”
“Daddy’s asking nicely. And we have visitors.” Tielle clickedher fingers to summon more faeries. Male and female spellcasters closed in to surround Escalla and her friends. Tielle’s fingers gleamed as the light fell ona tiny silver ring shaped like a spider. “Oh, you’ll like it. Mummy and Daddyhave you foremost on their minds… as always.”
Escalla sniffed at her sister and looked scathingly at the faerie warriors.
“I’m soooo intrigued.” Escalla shrugged. “Nice ring, by theway.”
Tielle raised a mocking smile and used her other hand to indicate a line of stepping stones that stretched into the distance. “Getmoving. They’re waiting.”
At least a dozen faeries served as escorts. Escalla scowled. On a good day, she could cream almost anyone in the clan, but with her spells depleted from three combats in a single day, she no longer stood a chance. Whatever happened, Jus and Polk would catch most of the damage. Seething with hate, Escalla tried to crush the helpless feeling of being dragged back into Daddy’s house as she flew out over the lake.
“Come on, guys. Let’s get this done.”
The Justicar shrugged his armor into place then strode forward on his strangely quiet boots. Behind him, Polk refused to move. Instead, the teamster turned to Escalla with a vacuous smile.
“My dear, I really don’t think this is any business formortals.”
Escalla planted her fists on her hips. “What?”
“Why, I think I’ll wait here. Thank you, Escalla. Gosh, butthe weather is nice!”
Turning her dire gaze upon the faeries, Escalla snarled. “Ohha ha ha. You blitzed an idiot with a charm spell.”
Something flickered in the air. A charm spell shot from a faerie toward the Justicar and shattered on the shield thrown up by the man’smagic ring. Cinders hissed, Jus jerked his head around, and the hell hound’s redeyes focused on an invisible shape lurking behind a tree.
There!
Escalla threw up a hand and shoved a single spell toward the hidden faerie. A reeking cloud enveloped the culprit, sending him reeling and retching off into the bushes. Escalla watched the faerie go, unshipped her ice wand, and noisily pumped the activation slide. “What did I tell you about myfriends? Try it again, and I’ll get nasty!”
Grinning happily, Cinders wagged his tail. Burn!
“Not yet!” Escalla looked at the stepping stones. “Cinders,some of the stepping stones are illusions. Just keep your eyes open.”
Looking bored with it all, Tielle hovered over the surface of the lake and said, “None of them are illusions. We have better things to do withour time.”
“Good. Then let the Justicar carry you and hold you tight.”
Tielle looked annoyed. She made a pass with her hand, and half of the stepping stones disappeared, leaving only blank water in their place. Escalla flew out to lead the way, hovering protectively close to the Justicar.
“Polk, come on. Follow me.”