Those Wonderful Toys: Preternatural Chronicles Book 7 (The Preternatural Chronicles) Page 21

  The siblings looked at me with blank expressions.

  “Anywho...”

  Depweg blessedly returned at that moment.

  “Okay,” he began, “this is all becoming much more than a coincidence.”

  “That is the usual flavor of our situation.”

  Ignoring my delightful addition to his statement, he continued.

  “Ulric tricked Thor into picking up his hammer, and Satan killed him for it. Then these two weres show up and say Gabriel sent them to find Hayley.”

  “Gabriel?!” I barked, jutting my head forward while my arms went out to my sides. “That freaking guy, man! Come on!” Letting my hands slap my thighs, I started pacing back and forth before bringing up my thumbnail to chew on.

  Something hit me, and I froze in place before slowly turning to Depweg.

  “Don’t freaking forget about Taylor. You said he knew about Ludvig being Thor and dying? Then he sent you here? Man...”

  “He suggested that Lily told him,” Depweg said softly.

  I remained frozen in place, letting his words process, before pacing back and forth again in silence.

  Meli cleared her throat, getting our attention, and asked, “What now?”

  Depweg and I looked at each other, and my brother gave me a stern nod.

  Looking at the newcomers, I bared my teeth and said, “Now we murder every last warlock in Germany. Ya in?”

  25

  Ghleann - Faerie

  “Where are you taking me, Russell? I have to get back to Magni,” Ghle protested as her troll friend eagerly led her by the wrist deeper into the woods.

  “Magni wanted me to show you this,” Russell lied.

  Ghle stopped dead in her tracks and pulled her tender wrist from the troll’s tight grip.

  “Where is he? He needs me right now.” To accentuate her position, the niece of the powerful king of Faerie crossed her arms in a huff.

  “He’s waiting for us,” Russell lied again, desperately trying to buy enough time until he could figure out what he would tell her once they arrived at the freshly built portal to Midworld.

  Ghle’s hardened expression softened, and she let Russell grab her wrist again, guiding her deeper into the forest.

  A wave of unease slid up her spine, making the flesh on her arms and the back of her neck prickle.

  “We’re almost there,” Russell all but panted in dripping eagerness.

  Ghle looked around, realizing she had never ventured this far from the castle walls before. The air was growing colder with each step they took, and the lush green of the forest was diminishing to yellows and browns.

  “Wait,” Ghle weakly protested, once again trying to tug free from the much stronger troll’s grip. But Russell didn’t let go as he whirled on her.

  “Ghle, we are almost there.” A coldness came over him as he said what she wanted to hear, though it made his heart ache to say it, “Magni is waiting for us. Don’t you want to see him?”

  “But isn’t this close to the lands belonging to Winter?” Ghle said just above a whisper, anxiety creeping through her veins. “We aren’t supposed to be here. Uncle Taylor said so!”

  “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Russell countered, making the anxiety within Ghle contort into bubbling fear.

  As she looked all around, it seemed as if faces were staring at her from the shadows. And no matter how hard she tried to focus, she could tell her brain was making an effort not to let any of what it was taking in be converted to long-term memory.

  It felt surreal to the young elf, seeing the living forest die before her eyes. Skeleton branches reached through crumbling leaves the same color as the bark. The air was frigid, making her breath plume in a white mist.

  “Russell,” Ghle whined in a high pitch, tears of terror beginning to well.

  As her nervous eyes flicked all around, Ghle didn’t see the root sticking from the ground, ready to catch any unsuspecting trespasser in the Unseelie Court.

  She went down with a squeak of surprise, the air rocketing from her lungs.

  Ghle tried for several seconds to get oxygen past her quivering throat, and looked up with a shaky head to see Russell staring at something ahead of them.

  Her diaphragm relaxed, and Ghle sucked in a sharp breath before letting out a series of body-racking sobs of both pain and fright.

  A part of her mind found it odd that the usually attentive Russell was not crouching by her side to comfort her. He didn’t even turn to extend a simple hand and help her up.

  Her crying ceased as confusion took over, and Ghle followed Russell’s gaze to see a portal standing just inside a dark cave. A young boy was standing near it, amber eyes glaring at Ghleann.

  Sensing danger and scrambling to her feet, Ghle grabbed onto Russell’s shoulders and pushed her chest against his back in an effort to shield herself from the odd boy.

  “You were supposed to come alone,” the boy said coldly.

  “I know, Benji. But you can trust Ghle!”

  “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” the boy named Benji said somberly.

  “It’s fine! She...she’s going to go with me to Midworld!” Russell proclaimed, stealing Ghle’s breath.

  The young elf backed slowly away from the troll she had called friend, wide eyes flicking between the two.

  “I will do no such thing!” Ghle rasped, her pounding heart making the words tremble as they left her frowning mouth.

  Russell turned and rushed to Ghle, sensing she was slipping away and desperate to keep her close.

  Grabbing her wrists, though she tried to pull away, Russell pleaded, “We can be together in Midworld, Ghle. You and me, just like it’s supposed to be.”

  “I love Magni!” Ghle barked out from between gritted teeth, anger giving power to her words.

  “Magni doesn’t deserve you! He kills our kind, Ghle. Why can’t you see that?”

  “None of this matters anymore,” said a man’s voice, startling the two young friends.

  They turned to see a beautiful man dressed all in white standing where the boy had just been.

  “What trickery is this?” Russell demanded, pulling Ghleann behind him and squaring his chest to the stranger.

  “Boy, now you will receive the fruits of your betrayal,” the man said with a cold voice as he lifted a hand toward the pair.

  Russell shrieked as he was yanked through the air, limbs flailing in panic.

  The portal shimmered to life, and Ghle had to cover her ears from the din of screams and agony that spilled from the doorway to another plane. Heat made the air waver as sulfur invaded her nostrils.

  “NOOOOO!” Russell screamed as he disappeared through the shimmering air of the portal.

  Then the cries of countless souls were cut off as the man in white touched the doorway, letting the power run from it.

  “Come here, child,” the man in white said softly.

  Ghle was slowly pulled through the air in a much gentler way than what had yanked Russell. The young elf let out a tiny yelp as she brought her fists up to her quivering mouth, feeling the unnerving sense of weightlessness that perfectly blended with the overwhelming helplessness that coursed through her veins.

  “Please...” Ghle pleaded as she was placed on the ground in front of the stranger. Tear-filled eyes looked up to see pain in the man’s somber expression.

  He smoothly raised his hands to rest on either side of her cheeks, not bothering to try and move her fists out of the way.

  Running his thumbs over her skin, the man said just above a whisper, “I do not know what happens to your kind when you die, child. You were made by Lilith who, understandably, lacks the limitless knowledge that Father used to craft the souls of man. Even I cannot fully comprehend the complexity of such a thing as a human soul.”

  Ghle wanted to correct the man and confidently state that her soul would go beyond the Veil, but the notion was cut short as she realized the magnitude of her thought. What he was saying
filled every inch of her mind like an unyielding flood.

  “I am truly, truly sorry for what I must do,” the man in white spoke with a voice that almost seemed to tremble. “It is not fair. It is not just. It is not right. It just...is...”

  The young elf felt ice water surge throughout her body, stilling her nerves. Or maybe they were paralyzed. Either way, Ghle dropped her hands to her sides and let her head hang low as she filled her thoughts with memories that she and Magni had made together.

  To perfectly exemplify the give-and-take of life itself, a single tear fell off the tip of her nose while at the same time, her lips curled into a smile at the memory of the man she had gotten to fall in love with. At that moment, Magni was the cause for both her sorrow and her joy. The young man beamed a warm smile at her with eyes that seemed to overflow with pure love and adoration, making Ghleann feel safe. He promised everything would be okay, and for the briefest of moments, Ghle felt like her imagination was telling the truth.

  The young elf didn’t even notice when the beautiful man’s hand morphed into that of a troll as it moved down her cheek and under her chin.

  From somewhere nearby, two multicolored birds were nestling together in a tree as a sudden, sharp sound rang out, startling the pair and sending them fleeing from their branch.

  26

  John - Germany

  We made our way back to the hut, noticing the silence flowing from the shelter, which drew nervous glances from Depweg and myself. Only the sound of the popping fire could be heard from inside.

  I went through the doorway first and let out a relieved breath as I saw Hayley eating some of the meat with vigor. She had unzipped the sleeping bag and was using it to cover her bare torso. The obsidian chains had shredded more than just her skin; her clothing was in tatters, taking Hayley’s modesty along with her blood. It was the humiliating icing on her decadent cake of defeat.

  “Easy, ea-sy, Hayley,” Depweg started, holding his palms up to her.

  “Yeah, dude. You lost, like, a lot of blood,” I added.

  “I’m going to kill them. All of them,” Hayley declared around a mouthful of food. She was staring at the fire with an unfocused gaze as she aggressively chewed. Her voice was cold, devoid of all joy. They were a killer’s words.

  The air felt cold despite the healthy fire only feet away. Words failed to form in my brain as the desire to back up slowly became uncontrollable. Only Depweg stood his ground.

  “We are going to make them pay for what they have done...to all of us. You have my word.”

  Hayley stopped chewing, letting Depweg’s words sink in. The unspoken message made my hairs stand on end. Ulric and Samael had taken so much from my friends. The realization turned a surreal feeling of harsh reality into one of building rage that made my flesh begin to crawl.

  That bastard Ulric and his lying boss, Satan, had taken too much from the people I called family. And we hadn’t returned the favor.

  “Killing the last of the warlocks will cripple those fuckers’ stranglehold on Earth. Then the ley lines will be ripe for the taking by our side,” I added flatly. The heft of our losses was weighing heavily on my heart, making it difficult to see things clearly. All I wanted was blood, and by the gallons.

  Lily flashed in my mind, giving me a moment’s pause as I considered how we could finally be together, fully, after I defeated Satan.

  “We should coordinate with Locke,” I said to the group while shifting my focus to Depweg.

  “On it,” he responded, lifting his hand and opening his phone. I saw that the device had a custom wrist bracelet made to stretch out and back again with ease. Those faeries were awesome at making all kinds of fun gadgets.

  As I stared at my friend, I was aware of a palpable tension between the two of us. I knew Taylor had given him my letter from back when I’d asked the king of Faerie to take care of Depweg and Magni. So if it wasn’t that...

  My brow furrowed as Depweg ended the call not even two seconds after pressing Locke’s name on the hologram screen.

  “Went straight to voice mail.”

  “That’s not like him,” I muttered, dropping my face to Depweg’s feet as I played through the times Locke had been unavailable.

  “He’s fine,” a voice proclaimed from behind me, prompting yet another super manly shriek.

  “Lilith damn it, Gabe! You can’t do that to me!” I whined, grabbing my heart with one hand before lifting my face to the ceiling and letting out a long sigh.

  Stomping the ground dramatically as I turned around, my antics were quickly erased as I saw my angel friend.

  Bruises of varying degrees of age covered his skin in overlapping layers while what was left of his nose sat askew on his face. It had been smashed in, resembling someone pressing their face up against a pane of glass. Several scabbed cuts decorated his flesh, ranging from paper-thin to deep gashes I knew once had revealed bone. One of his ears had been transformed into a purple bubble that looked ready to pop.

  “Gabriel?” I gasped, covering my mouth as my eyes bulged.

  “Please tell me you gave better than you got?” Depweg asked, seemingly unfazed by the battered archangel standing before us.

  “My brother can be...emotional...at times.”

  “Michael? Michael did this to you?!” I asked, horror seamlessly being replaced by rage.

  “It would seem he doesn’t understand my position on things.”

  “Things? What things?” I asked, fearing the answer.

  Sparing me the pain of having the reason be verbally announced, Gabriel only looked at me and smiled, though it must have pained him greatly.

  “Can you, like, heal yourself or something?” I asked.

  “I will heal, yes. But it will take time. His fist was shrouded in the gauntlet made by Father.”

  My mind filed that little tidbit of important information away for later. Just to confirm my suspicions, I asked, “So, being bludgeoned with the armor is like being cut by the blades? It prevents healing, I mean.”

  “I suppose my brother wanted me to ponder on his message for some time. But that’s not what’s important.”

  “What is important?” Depweg asked, stealing the words from my mouth. I don’t know about Gabe here, but getting my ass turned into ground beef is kind of near the top of the list of things that are important to me. Or, um, not getting turned...you know what I mean.

  “All that matters is that Depweg, Locke, and you all stay on the path you are treading.”

  “I feel kinda stupid for asking, but, um, why?” I asked.

  “All will be made clear when it is time to do so. In the meantime, I wanted to give you a gift.”

  “Ooo! Ooo! I so hope it’s vague advice on how to win the upcoming battle!” I mocked, hopping up and down and clapping my hands together excitedly.

  A strong hand rested on my shoulder, halting my bouncing, and I turned my head to see Depweg staring at me with a stone-cold expression.

  “Go ahead, Gabriel,” Depweg said on behalf of the group.

  “In Varhmiel’s armory lies a chest he hasn’t ever noticed before. In that chest are the tools to help you defeat my brother.” Gabriel’s eyes flicked back and forth between Depweg and myself, as if he were speaking to both of us at the same time and with completely different meanings. It made the icy fingernail of death run up my spine, starting at my shoulder blades and disappearing into my hair. I noticeably shook my entire body once.

  I saw a similar, if not restrained reaction from Depweg, and we turned to face one another, our expressions asking if the other had felt the same thing.

  Turning back to Gabriel, we saw he was gone.

  The five of us stood in silence, with only the crackling of the dying fire providing ambiance.

  “What do you make of that?” I asked shallowly, still lost in thought.

  “I don’t know, but I sure as shit don’t like it,” Depweg responded, crossing his arms over his chest.

  Hayley spoke up.
<
br />   “Aren’t weapons good? How can you not like that?”

  “With Gabriel, I’ve learned that everything comes with a cost,” I said just above a whisper.

  “Well...if it means killing Satan...isn’t any cost worth it?” Hayley asked, almost pleading.

  “Hayley,” I started, turning to face her while grabbing my hips and letting my gaze fall to her feet. “Gabriel didn’t mention you or our new friends here. He only left weapons for Depweg, Locke...and me.”

  “So?! What does that even mean?” Hayley argued while on the verge of angry tears. Her hands rushed to her stomach in a defensive gesture, and it took only a mere second for me to register the motion.

  I turned to Depweg, and we both nodded once, having an entire conversation with the simple gesture.

  “Nothing,” Depweg said. “Get some rest, and tomorrow we storm the last warlock base on Earth.”

  Nervous glances were traded between the werecats while Depweg and I dropped both of our gazes to the ground.

  27

  Magni - Faerie

  Small twigs crunched underfoot as the sun peeked through the thick canopy of green leaves as if playing a children’s game of peekaboo.

  The young man felt marginally better after being alone with his rampaging thoughts, allowing them to tire themselves out as they ran amok inside his mind.

  Magni’s thoughts flatlined as the promise of a migraine crept forward, his brain being reminiscent of the dirt arena after a long rodeo.

  The stampede of anguish and chaotic thoughts of “why” had taken a toll on the son of Thor, and now he was content to let nothing but the feeling of cold stone sit at the center of his skull.

  Piercing through the edge of the tree line and into the lush field beyond, the sun fully bathed Magni in its light in an effort to make up for the time he had spent in the shadows of the forest. He squinted while bringing a hand up to shield his eyes from the unwelcomed light of day as he made his way toward the castle, ready to see his beloved again. Magni needed to feel the warmth of her embrace and be washed in her unyielding love.