Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
I arrive at a dark place that I didn’t even know existed. It looks like a dead corner carved out in the world. The surrounding air is heavy and stagnant.
The elf who tried to kidnap me is standing in front of me. “You,” I say in shock. When he sees me, his overlarge bright blue eyes widen with surprise.
Yeah, I can Step just like you. I might not be able to in the real world or use my magic without a bag on my foot, but in this world, I’m golden.
“Hello,” he says politely. “What a lovely surprise. It’s nice to be greeted.”
“You,” I sneer. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice you ripping a hole in my realm? What the heck do you think you’re doing? What are you doing sneaking about? You are so not welcome.”
“I seek sanctuary,” he says in a low, smug tone.
My lip twitches into a snarl. “Sanctuary denied. Go away.”
“Okay, you got me.” He holds his wrists out together mockingly as if I’m going to whip out some handcuffs. “No, I don’t want your stupid sanctuary. But thank you for making everything so much easier. You’ve Stepped right into my hands.”
I huff and roll my eyes. “Do you know what the definition of insanity is, elf?” My hands go to my hips as I channel my mum.
“According to Einstein, it is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Have we not done this song and dance before? It was only a few days ago.” The massive elf looms menacingly over me and I instantly regret my snarky words, and I quickly scramble back.
“Don’t you dare come any closer.” I wave my hands in the air to frantically warn him away. His deep chuckle makes me want to bop him in the face.
Oh my goodness, could I be any more pathetic?
I have magic. I have an entire dimension at my fingertips.
Why do I always forget? I pause my retreat.
I gather my magic and feel more confident.
“I have friends coming who are going to lock you up.” I continue with a little bit more bravo.
“You made a huge mistake coming here. By doing so, you’ve handed yourself over to the fae warriors.
” Smugly I freeze him in place like I did the vampires.
“Do you mean the useless group of fae warriors and shifters that I iron and silver bombed? Those friends?”
Oh no. That was him?
The elf smirks and itches his nose. Wait… what? That isn’t right. How is he talking, moving? My heart misses a beat when I realise the magic has done nothing. Nothing. The elf isn’t frozen.
I try to grab the magic of the realm as this guy is strong and I need the big guns.
But it’s kind of unwilling. Sluggish. I huff, and nervous energy skitters down my spine, as goosebumps erupt on my forearms. Perhaps I can’t use the magic so soon after I’ve Stepped?
Or maybe there is an issue after he ripped his way into the realm?
I swallow my panic and continue talking to keep him busy.
“What do you want with me? Why did you attack my coven?” I ask as I wrangle the unwilling magic, I need to restrain him.
The fine strands of magic finally slide ever so slowly around his body like I’m a spider and he’s a fly in my web.
“Is it because you knew what I was? A host?” There, sorted, he shouldn’t get away from that.
Phew, I was worried there for a second. Then it clicks in my head. “Are you a member of the sealgairí? Are you a sealgair?”
He chuckles annoyingly, and with dancing blue eyes, drops his head to observe the magic as it wraps around him. “Is that what they are calling me a sealgair? A hunter? How fitting.”
“If you know what I am, that I am a host, why are you attacking me here, where I’m the most powerful? What is wrong with you?”
“Are you? Are you really?” He lifts his chin and smiles manically. “Are you really the powerful one here, little lost host?” He drops the smile, and my tummy drops along with it.
“The magic isn’t playing ball with you, is it?” He waves his hand and the magic web crumples away.
’Ecky-thump, that’s not good.
“You think I dumped you here for you to ruin everything I created?” His eyes narrow, and he slinks closer. I want to move away, but the ground underneath my feet will not let me. Oh my goodness, my feet are glued to the floor.
“This is my dimension, you stupid girl!” he screams. His face is so close to mine droplets of spit spatter against my cheek, and his voice echoes around us.
I tremble. His nostrils flare as he takes a deep breath, and once he is back in control, his voice drops.
“You are here because I brought you here to drain your magic.” I stare at him with absolute horror, and he wrinkles his nose.
“Not for you to play hotelier and set yourself up as a benevolent fucking hero. You shouldn’t have made it through the first night. Isn’t that right, Larry?”
Larry manifests next to the elf. He stands, head down, hands in his pockets, and kicks at the ground.
“Larry?” I rasp.
I catch the horror and worried expression as it crosses Larry’s freckled face. His green eyes meet mine and the light in his eyes goes dead.
Oh Larry.
The elf reaches out. I finch away but he grabs the back of my head. His hand tangles in my hair and he violently yanks my head back. I wince as my scalp burns and my neck aches. At a painful angle, the elf holds my head still and brushes away an escaped tear that was rolling down my face.
With an unnecessary slurp, he licks the tear off his finger.
“He was supposed to get you here so the realm could drain you dry,” he whispers into my ear, pressing his face against my cheek. “Not make friends with you.” The elf’s other hand whips out and Larry stumbles sideways as the elf cracks him across the back of the head.
“Larry, you lured me here to drain me?” I rasp around a growing lump of terror in my throat. I have never in my life been so frightened. I strain my eyes to the side. The way I am being held means I can only move my eyes to look at him. “You’re a bad guy?”
No shit, he’s a bad guy, Tuesday. Didn’t the incident with the dryads not teach you anything? Why did you think he acted as if it was same old, same old? Because it bloody was.
I didn’t see it.
I didn’t want to see it.
I attributed it to him being non-human and his construct nature. Why did I assume? I’m such a fool. How could I be so trusting? Unless he doesn’t have a choice and he’s being coerced? Gah, there I go again, making excuses. I am so bloody stupid.
Oh gosh, I hope my coven has left. I can’t feel them anymore.
My connection to the realm has been ripped away.
I cannot believe I brought them here. I presumed the place was safe.
Even when my instincts knew something fishy was going on, with everything thrown at me, I didn’t have the time to work it out.
If something happens to them, it’s my fault.
It's then I notice that I can thankfully still feel Owen. He is in his wolf form and rapidly heading this way.
“I thought we were friends?” I whisper.
“He’s a magical construct, you stupid girl.
” The elf gives me a shake and yanks my head sharply to the side and I can’t help whimpering.
“He is my magical construct. He isn’t real.
The red-haired guy you see before you is what works to lull my victims.” He lets go of my hair and grabs hold of Larry’s face and drags him towards me.
The elf squeezes Larry’s cheeks till his mouth bulges.
“Everyone loves this handsome, freckled face.” The elf speaks in a cutesy baby tone and pouts his lips, mirroring Larry’s squeezed face.
“His bright smile is the perfect lure.” With a dark chuckle, the elf slaps his hand against Larry’s face and roughly palms him away.
It’s all been an elaborate trap.
“If you are a host, and if this is your dimension, why was it dying?” I need to keep him talking. I need to give Owen time to get here and help me. My hellhound will rip him to shreds.
“The power is mine, silly girl. I control the dimension; it doesn’t control me. I used way too much magic making this world. I will not spend energy making it pretty. It’s a tool.”
“But… but Nyssa told me about the man who created this sanctuary, that he made it to help people.”
“That old spiel?” he scoffs. “Smoke and mirrors, girl, smoke and mirrors. I wanted to help myself, not other creatures. Now, this little chat is nice and all, but I’d prefer to drain you now. You will make such a pretty husk.”
Husk.
Oh God.