Page 73 of Filthy Fae

“Being the only fae born from two monarchs has caused me nothing but grief so far. But maybe this once, it can do some good.” He wrapped his hands around the spike. Around the point, the floor cracked and fissured. There was a whistling sound, like a gunshot, and with one powerful move, Mack thrust his hands upward, yanking the metal from her flesh.

Nancy shuddered, clutching her hand to her chest. She gagged, covering her mouth with her free hand. After her body convulsed as she attempted to hold back her retching for almost a minute, she reached over and snatched the bloody spike from Mack, shoving the weapon into her utility belt. “I earned that.”

“Come on. Let’s get you out of there before you’re electrocuted.” Mack sounded calm, but with all the blood and sweat Nancy was dripping onto the wires, it was only a matter of time. He offered her a hand, but she ignored it.

Nancy stumbled to a crouch, spraying blood as she maneuvered out from the cramped space. As soon as she was free, the necromancer stormed from the back of the stage, burst through the curtains, and headed to the front. Dancers and patrons gaped, but she only fumbled a cigar out of her pocket and shoved it in her mouth.

“We’ll drive you to the hospital,” Lance said as he hurried after the necromancer. “On the way, you need to tell us how to track that fucking demon.”

“Do I look like I have medical insurance?” Feet from the exit, Nancy lit her cigar and limped into the parking lot, heading for a beat-up red sedan with “Necro-Nancy” painted across its side.

She shoved up the trunk lid and nodded to me. “Help me out, will you? There’s a metal rod that will prop this up.”

I wrapped my hand around the metal pole, propped up the trunk and leaned in. “How do we track the demon?”

“Um... I don’t know.” She set her cigar on her bumper and fumbled through assorted boxes in her trunk. “Maybe we should anticipate where he’ll go next and set up a trap. Oh, wait...” She paused to flick a glare over. “We just did that. Maybe you jackasses know how to track a demon.”

“There has to be a way,” Lance growled.

“There’s not.” Nancy shook her head and pulled a roll of gauze from her trunk. In almost violent motions, she wrapped her bleeding hand tight. “Of course, you could summon a hell hound and have him track the demon’s infernal trail.”

“Do it,” Lance said.

“I don’t summon.” Picking up her cigar, she shoved it in her mouth.

She went to grab the edge of the trunk, but Lance seized it and held it firm. “I will give you five million dollars.”

“Make that seven,” I said. I had half that in cash, and I’d fucking sell my place in Sacramento. I had more disposable assets than that—a car, watercraft, and, damn it, my bike.

“If I had a dollar for every time a rich asshole said that to me, I’d be able to afford insurance,” Nancy said. “No, probably not health insurance. But I’d be able to afford a house and a decent car. The answer is no.” She smacked down the metal pole holding her trunk open.

Lance jerked his hand out of the way as the trunk came crashing down. “Ten. I’ll make it happen.”

“Don’t you fucking get it?” She screamed the question. “If I wouldn’t do it to save my brother’s life, do you really think I’d do it for any amount of money?” She squeezed her eyes shut. “You fuckers. There are no harmless demon summonings. You summon a demon, even the lowest level of demon like an incubus, someone usually dies. Often a whole group of innocent people end up dying. I’m heading home, sewing up this wound, drinking a bottle of whiskey, and praying until I fall asleep.”

“You’re religious?” I asked.

“You would be, too, if you were in my line of work.” She bit her cigar and swung open the door to her junky sedan. “You have my number, right? It was you ringing up my phone nonstop, wasn’t it? Call me if you find the demon, and I’ll come out and banish him for you. Otherwise, don’t fucking bother me again.”

“You didn’t answer your phone before.” Lance went to grab her door, but Nancy slammed it shut, almost getting his hand again. “What if we need to reach you?” he called.

“I’ll plug my phone back in. It’s a landline. No message machine,” she said.

Lance lifted his hands in surrender. “You shouldn’t be driving. I’ll take you to a hospital and pay the bill, no strings attached.”

“I’m a mage. The car drives itself, and I have plenty at home to speed the healing. Move, or I’ll hit you with my side mirror.” She might be hostile, but tears shone on her cheeks. We fucked up, and we’d lost Nancy the chance to save her brother’s life. I was surprised she hadn’t taken that bronze spike and driven it through one of our hearts.

“I’m sorry, Nancy,” I said as I moved out of her path.

“Yeah, me too,” she said, her voice breaking on the words. Then her sedan squealed away, leaving us staring after her.

Just as her car clunked down over the curb, a motorcycle engine rumbled nearby.

“This is my fault,” Mack muttered as he clutched two handfuls of his dark hair. “I thought I could fix everything. I wanted to pave the way for this to be over and told the fae princes what we were planning.”

Lance turned, and I tensed, thinking I was going to have to intercede. But my brother only said, “We were all careless. It doesn’t matter where the leak came from. All that matters is that we get her back.”

Darrel’s headlight blinded us for a second before he pulled into Nancy’s vacated spot. He yanked off his helmet. “What happened? Did we get him? Where’s Scarlet?”