Chapter 28 Sweet Silver Bells
Sweet Silver Bells
It wasn’t terribly large, the Eloko being members of the gnome family, but no less terrifying for that.
Covered in grass instead of hair, creatures of its ilk loved meadows like this.
It held the little bell, still tinkling attractively in one clawed paw, and embraced the happily wriggling child in the other.
The kid, fully under the spell of the bell, giggled merrily as the Eloko licked their face, pointed teeth ringing a circular jaw widening to swallow the kid’s head as its eyes burned like coals latching onto dry kindling.
Just fantastic.
Cha didn’t waste time telling the monster to drop the kid—it didn’t understand words and wouldn’t relinquish its meal even if it did—and that cursed bell was sounding better to her every second.
In a few more moments, Cha would be snuggling up to be the next meal.
Going for the most efficient shortcut, Cha used the momentum of her run, swung the sword at the Eloko, and chopped off the hand holding the bell.
It gave a last jangle and fell to the ground.
The spell broken, Cha’s head cleared. The kid, who might be na?ve but wasn’t an idiot, began screaming, and the Eloko shrieked in pain, spurting blood the color and consistency of mud.
The latter didn’t last long, as Cha carried through the counter swing to sever the Eloko’s other arm while it was distracted by losing the first, separating it from the kid, who fell to the ground like the bell.
Instead of jangling, however, the kid burst into tears and began crying for their parents.
The Eloko fastened glowing red eyes on Cha and waved the stumps of its arms, clearly not quite comprehending that it had lost its primary weapon, the bell useless in the grass.
Torches and shouts heralded the approach of humans combing the meadow, calling the kid’s name.
The kid, bedraggled, covered in muck, screamed back.
Cha slashed the sword at the Eloko, who cringed, then turned and ran.
Just as well. It would be harmless without its bell.
Possibly it would grow a new one? Cha didn’t know and didn’t much care.
This was the Eloko’s territory, after all, and it wasn’t the creature’s fault that stupid humans had dropped a tasty treat in its lap.
“Bartholomew!” A person—possibly the dad—arrived with torch in hand, decked out as an Obsidian fae, complete with bat wings and horns so tall and twisted that, if they were authentic instead of hollow fakes, they’d topple a real fae.
“What did you do?” he demanded, thrusting the torch at Cha like she was the monster.
This was why she had a non-interference policy. The kid—Bartholomew, apparently—wailed louder and launched themselves at the man, crying “Daddy!”
Cha pointed her sword at the bell. “Eloko,” she said by way of explanation.
“I don’t even know what that means and I see only you here,” the man spat, hampered by Bartholomew, who seemed intent on climbing the man’s body.
“It’s a fae monster,” she said, wondering why she bothered. “You’re in a fae realm, not an amusement park. You shouldn’t let your kids wander.”
“How dare you tell—”
“Don’t touch that bell,” she advised. “I’ve got an urgent appointment.” Before the stupid human could aggravate her further, Cha took off running.
She was going to be so late.
*
“You are so late!” Dy hissed as Cha and Katu pulled up beside Big Betty on the little used side ley that was their longtime rendezvous point. “I don’t even want to hear your excuses.”
“Good thing, cuz I don’t have any,” Cha replied. “Only a sincere apology.”
Dy, who’d been pacing the adjacent walkway, arms folded and golden curls flying in a magical wind, whirled and paused, narrowing her eyes as she surveyed the empty passenger seat. “What happened to Prince Charming?”
“Easy come, easy go,” Cha answered nonchalantly.
“And no,” she hastened to add when Dy’s glare turned even more suspicious, “there was no coming. No hanky or panky. We were attacked by Cinnabar imps and he drew them off. Besides, the deal was that I’d get him across the Obsidian border and now he’s on his own.
” Doing whatever he did when he wasn’t running from vengeful fiancées.
Dy sniffed. “You don’t smell like imp. That’s Eloko blood.”
“Really? Dammit.” She surveyed herself, realized she still had the jacket unbuttoned so as to show off her cleavage, and corrected that. No one to entice now. Alas for that. “I thought I avoided the spew.”
“Why were you fighting an Eloko?” Dy asked on a sigh.
“Long story and we’re running late. We need to go.”
Dy shook her head. “Running too late. We can’t make the turnaround now.”
“Sure we can. Moonstone is right there and our rendezvous not that far past the border.” Cha checked the clock. “Only 45 minutes behind. We can make that up.”
“And if we don’t?” Dy demanded. “If we fail to make Otto’s deadline, then we forfeit everything. Big Betty is loaded with crates of pure black dust. Why not run it back now—perfectly legal—and take what bank we can?”
This again? Cha wasn’t sure why Dy kept wavering in her resolve, but clearly the last pep talk hadn’t stuck.
She raked a hand through her short hair and climbed out of Katu.
“Let’s say we do,” she offered agreeably.
“You really think Otto will give us any payment out of this decoy shipment? We could end up with no pay, out the gems I already spent on bribes, plus the other coin we’ve already spent, and you’re minus a day-job to boot. ”
Dy blew a golden curl out of her eyes, glaring in mutiny. “Which is all your fault.”
“You know what, Dymphna?” Cha countered, surprising herself with her sudden anger.
“I’ve had enough of this. You could have said no.
At any point when we discussed this, you could have turned me away—as I might point out you’ve done plenty of lately—and kept me cut out of your nice, cozy, happy life.
I offered you something more. Doing something you used to love that would have the delicious side benefit of getting your family out of a financial jam.
“Fine if you want to bail on this gig and slink home with your tail between your legs. I’m glad you have someone to go home to.
Believe me, I am so happy for you. But don’t you dare blame this on me.
I’m here. I’m ready to go and do this thing.
You’ve asked me to make promises to you that I’ll come through on.
I did and I have. I’ve never once bailed on you.
But Dy, you bailed on me. You turned your back on me and cut me out of your life like something disgusting you needed to scrape off your shoe. ”
Dy had paled, gaping at her, and Cha was surprised to find herself shaking with emotion. She had no idea where all that emotional vomit had come from. “Never mind,” she bit out, waving it off as if to clear the bitter words from the air. “I’ve had enough of this shit. Let’s just go home.”
“Wait. Cha.” Dy put a hand on her arm, holding her back. “I didn’t know you felt that way.”
“Oh yeah? How did you think I felt? Is that something you actually thought about?”
Dy shrugged helplessly, her hair no longer dancing with magic, but flattened with unhappiness.
“I thought you were happy,” she answered in a small voice.
“You’re the one leading the glamorous life, with the racing and your adoring fans and hordes of pretty men falling at your feet.
You’re not the one with the stupid corporate job, diapers to change, and snotty kids bickering at each other day in and day out. ”
“I thought you were happy, too,” Cha said, more than a little chagrined.
“I am happy,” Dy insisted. “That’s just day to day shit. I have what I want and I thought you did, too.”
“I didn’t have you,” Cha said quietly. “I just never thought there would come a day that we stopped being friends.”
“I thought I was too boring for you,” Dy admitted, tears swimming in her big blue eyes. “I didn’t want to be the domestic stone around your neck.”
“Oh honey.” Cha pulled her into an embrace. “Never. You’re my favorite person. And I love my snotty, bickering nieces and nephews. After the chicken incident and Phin was so mad… I thought you didn’t want a bad influence around your kids.”
“Phin worries,” Dy agreed, “but even she didn’t mean for you to stay away for so long. You’re part of the family, Bandit.”
“You know that you’re the only family I’ve got.” She braced herself, as heartfelt confessions really weren’t her thing. “I guess I’ve been lonely.”
“Oh, honey, I feel terrible.” Dy sniffled against her. “I guess we should’ve talked. Why is that always the answer and also always what we don’t do?”
“Yeah, well, water under the bridge, Goldilocks.” Cha stepped back and tugged one of Dy’s spiraling curls as she said it.
“We have a decision to make right now. Go forward or go back? I believe we can still make the turnaround, but not if we keep burning our time. We’ll soon hit the point of no return. ”
“And we’re out of time to rescue Monat,” Dy said on a sigh.
“Not necessarily.” Cha considered, wondered if she’d kick herself for this later.
She should wake up and smell the Eloko blood, most likely.
Heroics were for suckers. But Dy was more important than the rest. “Our gig relies on you getting Big Betty back with the shipment,” she pointed out.
“Otto will pay you whether I’m there or not.
Once we meet the contact in Moonstone, you can hightail it back to Rockton.
I can see you clear over the border, then circle back to grab Monat. ”
Dy hesitated, clearly torn. “You would do that?”
“Just said so, didn’t I? But it means you would be on your own. If we go now, you should be able to travel back at legal speeds, but you’d have zero margin for mistakes or hang ups.”
“I can handle that part, but….” Dy put a hand on Cha’s arm. Squeezed lightly, her magic effervescent and calmingly familiar as the hug had been. “I don’t want you to risk yourself.”
“You know I’m too selfish to do that,” Cha cracked.
“Right.” Dy dropped her hand and planted fists on her hips, all annoyed mama now. “What I do know is you’d only have fought an Eloko if some kid needed rescuing.”
Cha snorted. “Seriously? Better to clear the gene pool of the idiots, I say.”
Dy gave her a knowing look. “You call me a softy, but I know you, Arantxa Evermore.”
Cha clapped a hand to her heart. “Not the full name! Please, I cry uncle.” It made Dy laugh, but that heart Cha wished wasn’t quite so soft panged at the sound of her name, Azul’s voice speaking it in that caressing way echoing through her mind, her lips burning with the memory of that kiss.
Any minute now, he’d leave her thoughts and quit haunting her.
He was like that Eloko, a fae creature with an alluring magic trick.
Son of a Bitch. Had Azul used enchantment on her?
Seduced by the fae was such a tired old tale, but she clearly wouldn’t be the first of her family line to fall for that silver bell of adventure sex.
“We go,” Dy said, breaking into her thoughts that jangled like the silver bell hitting the ground, and—fortunately—bringing her back to the moment. “If you can get to Monat, great,” Dy continued, “but only at no risk to yourself.”
“Yippee!” Her cheer sounded hollow even to herself. Spinning on her heel, Cha headed for the purring Katu. “Let’s ride.” She pumped a fist in the air, trying to be her old self again, not quite sure where she’d left it.
“Cha,” Dy called after her, not yet moving. “I’m sorry about Prince Charming, whatever happened there.” The sorceress always did read her too well.
“Not a thing,” Cha replied with forced cheer. “In every sense.” She hopped into Katu and pulled out, waiting for Dy to lay them a line through the dark to the ley to Moonstone.
And told herself she didn’t miss the broody prince. Not one bit. No way could you miss someone you’d known for all of five hours.
“Easy come, easy go,” she chanted under her breath, willing herself to believe it. Maybe repetition would work to break the spell. Soon she’d have forgotten all about him, except as a colorful footnote on the greatest haul of their lives.