Page 77 of Bargain with Fate
Cowboy started forward, but Vale shook his head, mute.
The other three fae flanked their friend. Despite the dimly lit square, I could see that the trio’s hair was a sliding scale of color: golden blond, reddish gold, flame red.
“The stone,” the first faerie demanded, his palm outstretched and open.
Gage dragged his head off the ground to look at his assailant. “You’ll have to dig around in my pockets for it. Start on the left side, if you don’t mind. That ball is itchy.”
“You’ll have no balls left to scratch if you don’t cooperate,” the golden-blond faerie said.
“He doesn’t have the stone,” Vale said, choosing this moment to make our presence known. “Let him go.”
The four fae gave us their full attention, giving Gage time to get back on his feet. Their bodies brimmed with ancient power. A shudder ran through me.
“Thenyouwill give us the stone,” Reddish Gold said. He was slightly shorter and stockier than his friends, which made the trench coat and boots slightly less flattering on his frame.
“You already have one of the stones,” Vale told him. “Why do you need more?”
The first faerie brushed past his companions to address Vale. “We’ve paid your friend. Why do you care?”
“You paid us magic money, and you know it,” Gage said.
Vale held the fae’s attention. “I’m the Protector of the Region, and you’ve committed crimes in my territory. It’s my job to care.”
The first faerie appeared unconcerned. “The stone, now, and we will not make you pay the price for your impertinence.”
“That’s a big word,” I told Vale. “Maybe your dad gave him vocabulary lessons too.”
Cowboy chuckled. “I told you I like her.”
Vale maintained eye contact with the fae leader. “Leave now or face the consequences.”
The first faerie cracked his knobby knuckles. “I think we can all agree that it is you who will have to face the consequences.”
Cowboy bared his fangs. “I haven’t tasted fae blood in a long time. Looking forward to the high I know I’ll feel afterward.”
Our opponents fanned out in a semicircle. Beside me, Vale cracked his neck once, like a man about to bench-press a building. I wondered whether he could.
“Now, Urien?” the short one asked, uncurling his fingers.
“Not yet, Mordren,” the leader answered, presumably Urien.
A crackle of lightning tore through the air as Urien spoke, his voice dark and smooth. “You are weak, godling. Soon this city will belong to us.”
“I don’t think you fully grasp the mistake you’re about to make,” Vale said. “Savannah is under my protection. There is no place for you here. Leave, while you still have both legs to carry you.”
“You want stone,” I said. “I’ll give you stone.” My serpentine hair lashed forward as I focused my gaze on Urien.
Nothing happened.
Urien smiled wickedly, stretching his gaunt face into a distorted mask. “I do believe we’re immune to your particular charms.”
Good thing I wasn’t a one-trick stone pony. I released four of my snakes. They streaked toward the fae. Uriel managed to create a barrier of shimmering green light between us, but one snake struck with such force that it shattered the spell. Another serpent coiled around the redhead’s wrist. The faerie screamed, but the snake’s grip only tightened, cutting off his blood supply.
The reddish-gold faerie twisted away from the other snake, flinging a bolt of crackling energy at my chest. The bolt hit with the force of a thunderclap, sending me stumbling backward. My snakes hissed angrily, but I recovered, flicking my wrist to send another snake toward the faerie’s throat. My opponent staggeredback, dodging just enough that it only grazed the side of his neck, leaving a gash.
Cowboy joined the fray. One second, he leaned against the spotlit statue of John Wesley that dominated the square, hat low over dead eyes. The next, he was a blur of dust and hunger. He reappeared behind the leftmost fae, fangs flashing white.
A growl rumbled in Vale’s chest as he pressed our advantage. With a single, graceful leap, the demigod closed the gap between him and Urien. He punched straight through Urien’s second attempt at a shield, making contact with Urien’s throat.
