Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
SERAFINA
I t only took me about an hour to talk my brother around.
Well, an hour, some talking, and a knife to the balls, but really, what else would happen in a debate between siblings?
“I still think this is a bad idea,” Caleb mutters. “Isn’t there a virus or something you can get there? Your health is bad enough—if this virus gets you, who knows what it will do? It’s hard enough watching you hurt, Sparkle, or carrying you to bed after a seizure like I had to do last night.”
His eyes are serious and a little sad as they meet mine, forcing back the tart reply I want to make.
It seems that Cal’s knowledge about Faerie is nearly as poor as my own, surprisingly. I knew my parents visited the world—they found me there, after all—and I assumed they took my brothers at some point. However, Caleb was quick to squash that theory.
“Which is why we’re making a detour,” I remind him in a slow drawl. “Here!”
I point out the window, and he pulls into the drive, parks the car, and lets it idle.
“You sure about this, Sparkle?” His voice is laced with concern, his fingers gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his joints are turning white.
“I need answers, Caleb, and I’m not getting them here. I’m just running in circles, and I can’t keep that up.” And survive.
Caleb’s freaked out enough, so I don’t feel like I need to truly finish that sentence.
I hop out before he can change his mind and drive away, darting across the lawn to the front door, which opens as I step up. Foster pushes his glasses up his nose as he joins me outside, shutting the door with a quiet click behind him. Just before it shuts completely, though, I see the face of a pale man eyeing me with reverent wonder.
Foster’s father, I realize. I haven’t seen him in…way too long.
“Hey, Lost.” My elemental mate scrubs a hand over his hair, glancing behind him, and I reach out to give his hand a squeeze.
“How’s your dad?” My chest tightens as I think of the broken look in Foster’s eyes when I met his dad and he led him away.
Foster shrugs. “It’s a good day, for the moment.”
“I appreciate your help.” I pat his hand and step back. “I wouldn’t have asked if it wasn’t necessary.”
I caught enough in my lectures at school to know that there is a type of suppressant that can be taken for trips to Faerie. It’s supposed to dull your powers and trick the world itself into believing you're human, at least for a short while. However, it’s hard to come by, and it’s considered not worth the gamble, so only a few have ever used it.
But what do I have to lose? I need answers, even more than I need air to breathe. And, more than that, lives are at stake. If I can fit the pieces of this puzzle together, I can stop the killer once and for all.
Foster winces, fiddling with his glasses again. “I’m still not sure it’s a great idea for you to sneak in. I mean, if we talk to the others…”
I shake my head adamantly. “No way. I’m not risking any of you. I was born there and didn’t have the virus when my parents took me from that world.”
Unless it’s what caused your stupid health problems .
The snarky thought rattles in my head, but I push it away. I need answers, not to let fear rule me. I won’t let it keep me in a wheelchair, and I certainly won’t let it keep me from seeing where I was born and potentially getting answers about who I am or even what is causing the killings that still seem to be ramping up around us.
Either way, I survived once, and I’ll do it again. It’s not just cocky swagger or unwarranted confidence guiding me down this path. Something innate within me knows that Faerie is where I’m meant to be. Perhaps it’s because I was born there. Or maybe it’s because of the rarity of my species. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t change the fact that I know with unwavering certainty that I’ll survive my trip to Faerie. Survive…and hopefully find much-needed answers.
“I’ll be fast.”
He taps a finger on the strap of the bag hanging over his shoulder before nodding. “Fine. But I’m blaming you if anyone finds out. You’re cute, but I still don’t want my ass kicked.”
I laugh and nudge my shoulder against his as I lead him to the car. “You forget, I saw you fight. I don’t think you would be the one getting your ass kicked.”
He chuckles and then nods a greeting at my brother before sliding into the back seat. I hesitate a moment, unsure between sitting in the front with Cal or the back with Foster. Which would be more awkward?
A blush mantles my cheeks as I slide in beside my fire mate, closing the door quickly.
“I thought you’d be trying to talk her out of this,” Caleb comments after a few quiet minutes of driving.
He’s trying to appear nonchalant, but I can tell he’s tensed by how tightly he’s gripping the steering wheel. His knuckles are bleached white.
Foster merely shakes his head. “I’d rather make sure she has the potion and takes it correctly than risk her sneaking in at some point without it because I refused.”
Smart and cute. Seriously, it’s a winning combination.
And he’s my mate.
Heat roars through me at the thought, and I squirm slightly, trying to swallow despite my suddenly stone-dry throat.
Caleb only grunts, but he doesn't disagree. Even brothers can be trained.
It only takes a few minutes to get to the hotel that serves as Fae headquarters, and Caleb pulls into a parking spot, letting the car idle. “I know the portal’s inside, but I’ve got no idea where it is or how to use it.”
Steam comes out of my ears, and I whack him over the head. “And you seriously didn’t think to mention this earlier?”
“It’s down near the room the lords and ladies meet in,” Foster tells me, opening the car door and stepping out to stretch his legs, his eyes darting around the mostly empty lot. “A part of Faerie wants its citizens to come home, so to speak. The portal reacts to the presence of fae. So, theoretically, you should be able to open it with your blood.”
I doubt that’s a euphemism. Luckily, I’m not squeamish.
“Normally, it’s guarded by at least a few fae guards to keep the riffraff like us away.” He tries for a smile, but it falls flat.
Caleb takes over the conversation. “However, I was able to utilize my contacts to clear the area, but only for a few minutes. You have, at most, five minutes to get to the portal and through it. When you get out, you’ll have to take out the guards on your own.”
Take out the guards on my own? Sounds fun. I’ve been itching for a good fight.
“Remember, you and I are shopping,” I remind Caleb through the opened driver’s window, moving to join Foster. “And you better find me at least one replacement blade to back that story up,” I warn him. “Give Foster a ride home, and then meet me here in about an hour.”
He flicks his gaze to Foster before turning his attention back my way. His eyes are soft when he looks at me. I can tell he doesn’t necessarily like my decision to travel into Faerie by myself, but he trusts me. And he knows I’m right when I say this is a trip I need to make on my own. Yes, he could come with me, but a tiny voice in the back of my head—the same one that’s promising me I’ll be okay—warns me against it.
Not safe for him.
“Be safe, okay? You’re not the worst little sister, and I don’t want to train a new one. Or have to deal with Mom.”
Yeah, that’s definitely the scarier option.
“I’m always safe,” I tell him with a bravado I don’t fully feel.
It seems as though energy is throbbing under my skin. I almost expect to see sparks shooting out of my fingertips. Is it possible my magic knows what I’m doing? That’s not possible, right? Does it have something to do with my inner voice? Why do I feel such an innate sense of comfort and security?
I push the questions away and smile at Foster. “If you can show me where it is, I’ll apologize again for interrupting your day.”
His fingers brush my cheek, trailing gently across the corner of my lips. “You don’t owe me an apology. I like spending time with you. Though if I get my ass kicked, I’ll probably ask you to help bandage me up.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to just ask Gage to heal you?” I challenge him as we head inside.
I keep my focus on him, my steps purposeful. Running or looking constantly over my shoulder would both advertise that I’m up to no good.
The lobby isn’t too busy this early in the morning, and fortunately, I see no one who looks to be fae. Thank god. I don’t want to have to explain myself if I were to run into anyone I know.
I skirt around a businessman talking on the phone and carrying a suitcase. Across the lobby, a young mom bounces her baby while talking to an older woman.
Just act natural, Sera.
Foster chuckles, pulling my attention back to him and the conversation. “You seriously think he’d heal me after I let you go off like this? Lost, I’ll be lucky if he’s not the one pummeling me.”
We wind our way through hallways and down staircases, doing our best to avoid running into anyone else. The few people we pass by don’t even seem to notice us, their focus on their own tasks.
The door he finally pauses in front of is plain wood, simple and unremarkable, looking like a common janitor’s closet, and a pout wants to form on my lips. This is the entrance to a magical world? I was expecting a swirling portal on a wall or even the transporter pads from Star Trek , not the linen closet from Sabrina .
Fortunately, there are no guards that I can see, and I have to mentally thank Caleb once again for pulling a few strings. I have no idea how he did it, but I’m grateful.
Even if he is going to kill me once this is all said and done.
Foster grabs the knob, pushes the door open, and ushers us inside before letting it click shut behind him. The room should be pitch black, but a soft golden glow seems to spark inside, making my heart throb in the same rhythm. When I squint, I can make out what appears to be a mirror but seems to pulsate like rippling water. The dull glow emanates from it, though it does very little to disperse all of the shadows
Foster clears his throat and swings his backpack around to unzip it. He hands me a little vial not much bigger than my thumbnail.
I glance between it and the bag, smirking slightly. “You really needed the bag for this?”
“I needed the bag because I’m not sure what we’ll find,” he informs me, pulling another tiny vial from his pack.
“No. No, no, no!” I move to snatch it from his hand, but he merely holds it over his head.
Curse my shortness! Foster isn’t tall by any means, but compared to me, he’s practically a giant.
“You are so not doing this,” I scold him, hands going to my hips, though I’m careful not to break the glass in my fist.
I know he swiped these from Xander, and I doubt it’d be easy to get more.
God, I’m an idiot. How did I not notice what he’s wearing? When have I ever seen Foster in sweatpants and an athletic shirt? Not that I’m complaining—he looks sexy as hell, and the fabric clings to his muscles like a second skin—but come on . That should’ve been the first indicator that something was up.
“Lost…” He traces my cheek with his free hand, the tips of his fingers feeling like satin against my skin, though he doesn’t move the potion closer to me. “You’re going, I’m going, end of story. You’re worried about your mates? Well, news flash, we worry about you too. You don’t know what we’ll find. Do you even remember the signs that the potion is wearing off? No? That’s what I thought.”
Damn him and his logic.
“I agreed not to tell the others, but I’m not letting you do this alone.”
I sigh, standing on my tiptoes to brush my lips against his. “If you get hurt, I’ll kill you and bring you back to do it again,” I warn him, the heat of him only adding to the throbbing energy inside of me.
“Noted.” His voice is solemn, but I can see the sparkle of mirth in his eyes that his glasses can’t hide. “This will mute our powers while we’re there, so we’ll basically be human. We might still be able to do magic, but it won’t be as potent, and I wouldn’t recommend it unless there’s no other option. Remember—we’re tricking the world into thinking we’re human. There’s no telling what will happen if we use our powers, even for a second.”
The snarky part of me wants to point out I can barely use my powers as it is, but I figure it isn’t necessary when he’s just being helpful.
“Got it,” I reply instead, before pulling off the cap and tossing back the teaspoonful of liquid the way one would a shot.
My nose wrinkles at the bitterness of it, the tacky sensation making me press my tongue repeatedly against the roof of my mouth.
“So, we’re protected?” I shake the bottle, proving it’s empty, before tossing it back into Foster’s waiting hands.
He drinks his own vial and then returns both to his backpack.
“Yes. But not for long,” he warns, his tone deepening. “We may have an hour, two if we’re lucky, but I wouldn’t push it that far.”
Fuck. I doubt we’ll get many answers in an hour, but at least it’s a start.
I shiver, a chill rolling over my skin as if I’m standing in front of an air conditioning unit, and look towards the source of the glow in the room.
If we only have an hour, I’m not about to waste any of it.
There’s no plaque, no instructions, no dedicated doorway, but something inside of me draws me towards the pulsing glow. I step inside of it, Foster following close behind, and let the magic wash over me, tickling against my skin.
“Guess we’ll see if this works,” I mutter, drawing a blade from my waist and pressing it against the tip of my finger.
I squeeze slightly, letting it bead at the tip, before turning my hand over. The drop falls, a deep burgundy against the gold, and a wave of heat clashes against the ice in my veins. A whoosh surrounds us, as though the light has turned to flames that are attempting to consume us whole. I close my eyes against the heat and light as strong arms wrap tightly around me and pull me against a hard chest.
“Open your eyes, Sera,” Foster whispers in my ear, his lips just brushing the lobe. “Welcome to Faerie, my mate. Welcome home.”