Ghost Light

Ceff was right, fae families should be warned, but how was he going to contact the water fae?  Ceff’s people, kelpies, could be reached through his sentinels at the harbor and the merrows could be called through a magic shell located along the beach, but I had hoped he’d stay here with me while I endured my visions.  It was selfish, but true.

Ceff rose from his crouch and looked out the picture window.  He waved a hand and began flicking his fingers in an intricate series of motions.  Kelpie sign language?  I guess hand signals would come in handy for a species that spent most of its time under water—though I had no idea how they communicated while in horse form.

I lifted my head to look outside and saw a kelpie bodyguard standing across the street.  The man stood in the shadows, his face partially hidden behind a magazine and a baseball cap pulled down low on his head.  The undercover guard was pretending to read, but he was holding the magazine upside down.  The guy must be wet behind the ears (water fae humor), it was a newbie mistake.

Ceff and the kelpie guard exchanged hand signals, which the guard then relayed to someone further down the street.  I suppose after Ceff’s abduction last summer, his guards weren’t straying far from his side.  When he was done signing, Ceff returned to kneel on the floor beside me.

“I have done what I can to warn my people and our allies,” he said.

“Good,” I said.  “Let’s get this show on the road.  Jinx?”

My friend stepped forward, plastic bag in hand.

“Ready?” she asked.

I lifted my chin and gave her a quick nod.

“I was born ready,” I said.  Which, of course, wasn’t true, but the white lie eased the tension in the room.

I pulled off my glove and reached inside the bag.  The second my fingers touched the small blanket, the room went dark.  I sank into the vision, drowning in the memory of a child with too many limbs and too many teeth following a cloud of dancing lights.

Chapter 10

The kidnapped fae children had been as different from one another as night and day, but every one of them had left their homes while chasing balls of light. In every vision the glowing orbs danced and twinkled enticingly, just out of reach.

I rubbed my face and stretched cramped muscles.  After subjecting myself to over two-dozen visions, I’d agreed to a shower and a nap.  The visions the children left behind may have been mild compared to some I’ve experienced, but the vast number of them left me exhausted.  The sleepless night hadn’t helped matters either.

I wasn’t sure if the hour of sleep had done me any good, but the shower had felt divine.  Wrinkled, sweat stained clothes had been replaced with a clean pair of jeans, black tee, my spare pair of leather gloves, and black Doc Martens.  My knives were already strapped into forearm sheaths, and my leather jacket, which would keep the weapons concealed in public, was tossed over the chair to my right.

Ceff sat to my left, not daring to enter the kitchen while Jinx prepared a makeshift breakfast.  My roommate was as territorial as a hearth brownie and hostile as a pixie.  It was best to avoid the kitchen when Jinx was cooking, especially when she was armed with a spatula.

I slouched against the kitchen counter, the smell of eggs, toast, and fresh brewed coffee bringing a smile to my face.  A smile that was gone the moment Jinx opened her mouth.

“So, you think wisps kidnapped all those kids?” she asked.

I let out a heavy sigh.  It was the one thought I’d tried to block out during my one hour respite.  But now all of my worries came rushing back.

“I think they’re involved, yeah,” I said.  I took a bite of toast, giving myself time to think things over.

“I agree, your description does match what we know of wisp physiology and behavior,” Ceff said.

He’d also showered—the heady mix of bath gel and his own scent of salt and sea strong on his skin.  Ceff smelled more delicious than breakfast.  I drew in the scent of him and sighed.

“If it’s wisps, then all the more reason to stop them,” I said.  “I’m not going to let my people go around kidnapping little kids, not if I can help it.  Once we find and rescue the children, I have some new rules to enforce.”

“Dude, are you serious?” Jinx asked.  “You’re going to come out of the faerie closet?”

“Yes,” I said.

And I knew exactly the place to do just that.

A trip to Club Nexus was definitely in my future.  I needed to gain control over the wisps that were currently running amok in my city.  I also wanted to warn the faeries of Harborsmouth about the threat to their children.  Ceff had a network for contacting water fae, but so far all the kidnappings had occurred on dry land.  The fastest way to spread the word was to speak with local fae leaders and Kaye had said that the club was their gathering place.  I guess what she’d said about the convergence of power was right—all roads did lead to Club Nexus.