Satyr Play 03 Pt. 02

"So, she was after me? For what I did in Germany? Why didn't she attack when she was standing right next to me?" Lorelei said a little more sharply than intended. She was trembling.

"What did you do in Germany? We're not judging!" Sigrid quickly added as she saw Lorelei begin to tense up. The tall blonde looked at the assassin's picture and froze—one blue and one yellow eye.

"I was trying to find out about my birth parents in Germany, and this small man tried to attack me. When he discovered what I could do, he said he would kill me, and even if I stopped him, others in the Council would be sent. He left me no choice," Lorelei said with trembling lips.

Roy, Camila, and Sigrid nodded to her, and she took strength from that.

Sigrid looked at Camila. "There's something about her eyes. Camila, do you remember when Henry told us about the new neighborhood cat he was feeding?"

"Yes, he said it had beautiful eyes, one blue and one yellow," the CEO replied.

Roy looked closely at the image again. "She's a shapeshifter? With a cat and Human form?"

"Most likely a Bastet," Mahati offered. "Supremely proficient hunters and assassins."

Roy looked to Raymond. "I think we found the one who took out the team trying to kidnap Henry."

Lorelei was looking from face to face, trying to follow what was happening. "Is she after me or not?"

Roy gave her a grim look. "If she was the one investigating the death of the Council agent in Germany, and it sounds like she was, then she'll be the one hunting you. The fact that she was pulled from her mission in Germany and was stalking Henry means he was her target here, not you. She didn't recognize you in the museum, so her investigation in Germany didn't identify you. You covered your tracks well. That said, she won't stop until she has completed the mission or it's called off. We'll work on making sure the council rescinds the contract." He went quiet.

They could see Roy's mind was working out the possibilities, and he glanced at them when he'd found his most likely scenario. Lorelei watched the others observing Roy patiently, so she remained silent, too.

He looked to Camila. "As for Henry, he wasn't one of the dead on the street, so she wasn't here to kill him. Due to the complexities surrounding him, the Council needed to bring in their best to capture and tuck him away in a dark pit somewhere." Voices cried out in dismay hearing this, but he raised his palm. "They'll take good care of him though he's an unknown to them. They might try to keep him sedated."

"SHIT!" Sigrid swore, and heads turned in her direction. She glanced at those looking at her. "His mind leaves his body when he's intoxicated or drugged. That's highly dangerous for him and others, but mostly for him. The longer his mind is outside his body, the harder it is to get him back to it."

Eleanor's eyes widened. "Does he remember what happens while he's wandering?"

Sigrid nodded.

"What do you mean, dangerous to others? He's mentally projecting. How could that affect others?" Raymond asked.

"That, I can't really explain without taking you down a rabbit hole," Sigrid said reluctantly, and Raymond's eyebrows rose.

"How far can he project?" Eleanor asked.

"What's with the twenty questions?" Lorelei finally snapped in frustration. "Henry's been grabbed by this tyrannical council. We have to get him back!"

Eleanor and Raymond both looked embarrassed by their behavior, so he addressed it. "Our apologies. We meant no harm or insult. We've lived for a long time and became excited by the unprecedented nature of these events. By all means, the emphasis should be on finding a means to extract your friend from his imprisonment."

"I'll speak to their Minister of Security tomorrow and let her know we're aware of his captivity and how this is jeopardizing our relations with several US Government Intelligence Agencies. That should add an uncomfortable amount of pressure," Mahati asserted.

She continued with a proud tone at the curious looks directed her way. "Henry wrote security software for them. They consider him an asset to be protected. They won't accept that he just disappeared."

"Who were the six who tried to kidnap Henry?" Camila asked.

"Raymond managed to convince one of the ambulance drivers to let me take a look at one of the bodies. I didn't recognize the man, but I could smell Carl de Bellisle on him. They were from his pack. Carl must have ordered them to bring Henry to him. Either Carl knows about his nature or was trying to get to me through the boy. But he didn't get Henry, and he lost a crew. He's not going to be rational the next time he contacts us. I'm going to have to deal with him. That means I must contact the other pack leaders to prepare them."

"Is there anything we can do?" Raymond asked.

Roy shook his head, then paused. "Do you have a contact within the Council who might know the location of their containment center?"

Raymond frowned. "I'll contact the guy I know, but I may have closed off that avenue getting the information on the assassin."

Roy nodded, then looked to Eleanor. "If you can, stay close. It could get messy, and having a surgeon available would be an asset," he said, then frowned. "I wish Dayshia was here as well. She's proven her surgical skills under emergency conditions. Having x-ray vision doesn't hurt either."

Eleanor's eyes widened in surprise, and she traded an excited glance with her husband, then noticed Lorelei watching her with a troubled look.

Roy drew the Naiad's attention. "Until we get the Council to rescind the contract on you, I'd like to set you up in a safe house."

"She can stay with me," Camila suggested.

Lorelei looked like she might argue, but she saw the woman's compassionate smile, which eased her concerns. "If it wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience."

Camila shook her head with a grin. "I'd be honored. Bring your art supplies in case inspiration strikes. There's lovely light in my condo."

Lorelei felt a little thrill at the idea of not being alone. She nodded with a grateful smile.

"I'll assign a team to help you collect your items, and they'll take you to Camila's," Roy said with a grateful nod to the CEO.

He continued. "The plan is to make a two-pronged attack. First, Mahati will spearhead the effort to convince the Council that it's in their best interest to release Henry. While that's happening, we'll work on finding the containment center." He paused and looked at Sigrid. "If he's on a mental walkabout and has developed... new skills, he might try to contact us." He glanced around at the gathered people. "Don't dismiss the possibility that Henry might be able to contact you. If you see any evidence of this, note it and let us know."

A thrill ran through the group, and hopeful smiles appeared.

"Second, I'll deal with Carl. He's a threat to everyone. It's time to take him out, but I have preparations to make first." He nodded to the group and saw they were ready. "Make sure everyone shares their contact details."

The meeting was over, and everyone moved to trade numbers and gathered into smaller groups to discuss their next steps.

"You're an excellent leader, Roy. They needed a calm, decisive mind in a time of crisis," Mary said with a smile.

He snorted and leaned closer to her to speak quietly. "Aye, it's a good thing they can't see how much I want to rip my way through that Minister of Security and feel her blood on my claws for hurting Henry."

"Yeah, you'll have to settle with Carl's," Mary agreed with a grin.

Roy's answering grin was no less bloodthirsty.

-=-

The world's largest wolfpack leader stared at the shivering survivor of the team he sent after one young man.

"What do you mean they're all dead?" he growled in frustration.

"They were ambushed by an assassin. Marley was s-s-s-shot through the throat from a b-b-block away!" the Were stammered.

"But did he get it?" Carl snapped, not giving a shit about excuses.

The terrified driver stared at Carl, then handed him the thick syringe he'd taken from the hand of his dead partner.

"Good! Leave," Carl grunted, already completely focused on the prize in his hand.

He heard the door close and looked up to ensure he was alone. He felt incredibly foolish to put so much hope into something that seemed like a childhood story, but he desperately wanted to defeat Roy and see him broken at his feet.

Carl walked over to open his door and looked out at his secretary. "I'm not to be disturbed." She nodded to him with wide eyes. Giving her one more stern look, he closed and locked his door, returning to sit behind his desk. He pulled a whisky tumbler from his drawer and emptied the antique syringe into the glass. He was surprised by how much the needle had contained.

Setting the glass on the desk surface before him, he took a breath and dipped a finger in the blood. He then sucked it from his finger.

"UHHHH!" Carl gasped as sparks rushed through his body. He leaned back in his plush chair and enjoyed the residual tingles for a minute or so. When he was done, he focused his eyes on the tumbler and knew the realization of his dreams was sitting before him. If he got such a charge from a small mouthful of this blood, the power contained within the rest would make him... invincible!

Without a second thought, he lifted the glass to his lips and tossed the rest back in one swallow. His tongue licked the rest from the glass.

The sensation wasn't sparks this time but a small nuke exploding in the core of his chest. Blind from the energy scouring him out from the inside, his arms and legs flung wide as he screamed silently, sliding to the floor behind his desk.

Terrified, his cheeks wet with tears, Carl struggled to hang on to his sanity while the flood of energy surged within. His extremities drummed against the floorboards, and his body shook violently.

On the count of three, he went under.

Chapter 29

Henry felt the rush of his movement around the planet suddenly stop. He found himself on the edge of a cliff overlooking the angry waves of the Atlantic crashing against the rocky crags of the north-western shore of Ireland. He paused as knowing exactly where he was in the world while traveling this way was a new and distinct sensation. He wondered if this was a wielder thing.

He put that aside as he was here to deal with Mab. She was fucking around with Wild Magic, trying to forcibly bend it to her will. That wasn't working out so well for her. He knew the new magic could not be made to comply. However, it responded to invitations to participate quite well. That's the best analogy he could come up with to describe the sensation of working with the Wild Magic.

He could see the microtears between the Earth and Eden opening and closing as pulses in the sky above. This was the damage Mab was inflicting in her tests. He reached out and soothed the rips until they settled and closed. He sensed larger tears as hot spots all around the planet. What the fuck was she doing? She'd made a mess of things!

Before him was the North Atlantic and a small island. Carrickhesk, his new geolocation sense, told him. He grinned at having this level of information available to him. It was so much better than relying on his memories of Geography Class in school.

The island was just an upthrust of rock in the cold waters, but Henry's eyes saw what no Human eyes could.

Atop this rock balanced a five-story castle, the original of the one he'd visited atop the office tower in Manhattan. Surrounding this building was an energy shield to keep out... everyone. Mab had locked her castle down and wasn't accepting visitors. Not from her people, who'd cast her out for breaking one of their society's most intrinsic laws while at the same time putting the lives of the Fae at risk. Two unforgivable sins from their queen, so she was queen no longer.

She certainly wasn't accepting visitors from the other Hidden Races, and that included him.

Too bad.

He floated across the space between the shore and the outer edge of the energy field. She'd managed to do one thing with the Wild Magic. The dome around the castle was powered by it.

If he'd been more than just the energy of his mind, this would be as far as he went. Looking at the rooftop patio a short distance away, he pictured himself there, and he was. He moved to the glass doors and peered inside at the familiar bedroom where she'd tricked him into making a baby. He was inside the room before he knew what he was doing. Crossing that threshold, he felt a distinct ping from the old magic. He'd triggered an alarm, so he probably didn't have much time.

Mab was aware she had a visitor.

He looked around and saw nothing useful. His eyes landed on the closet where she'd kept the feral Succubi twins. He smiled as he recalled how they'd bonded with him and turned on the mad queen. The closet door opened as he concentrated on it, but they weren't there. He wondered where they were and if they were okay.

He spotted himself in one of Mab's many full-length mirrors. In her castle, he was visible in his true form, but light passed through him as well. So he couldn't slip around unseen. So be it.

Henry paused to think. Where would he find information that might be useful? Maybe a map of the house to locate the dungeon where he suspected Nate would be chained up.

The Library.

That was two floors down. He remembered what it looked like, and he was there.

Nate dropped the book he was glancing through as he stared at the translucent presence of Henry. "Henry? You're dead?"

"Nate!" he exclaimed joyfully and moved closer but stopped when Nate stepped back. "I'm not dead. I'm just... visiting mentally." He watched Nate's expression close up. "What's wrong?"

His expression broke. "VISITING!?!" he screamed. "You're not here to rescue me? She's fucking crazy, and she tortures me for fun!"

Henry could see his friend was coming apart. It was almost guaranteed that he'd been exposed to some horrific shit. "I'm so sorry, Nate. We've been trying, but she locked her castle away from the world. I would have come earlier, but I didn't have this ability before."

"What ability would that be, Henry?" a cold voice asked behind him.

Nate dropped to his knees, pressing his face to the floor. Shudders were going through his muscles, memories of the pain inflicted upon him.

Henry watched this as his rage built. He wanted to strike out at her so badly, but Nate needed him more.

"I'm sorry it took so long, Nate," he whispered.

The floor beneath Nate opened, and with a squeak of genuine fear, Nate fell three feet face-first into soft red grasses.

Henry snapped the tear closed. It was so much easier now.

"NO! HE'S MINE!" Mab shrieked as she lunged forward from the doorway.

Henry gasped in agony as Mab drove a blade between his translucent shoulders. He tried to escape, but it felt like the knife was pinning him in place. He immediately began to sense a lethargy growing in his mind.

"If I can't have Nate, you'll have to do," she purred, her unhinged mind flipping from rage to playfully homicidal seduction in an instant.

He felt her fingers changing their position on the knife handle as she moved around to his side. Turning his eyes, he finally saw her and sucked in a virtual breath as she didn't look good.

Mab's eyes were sunken and ringed with bruises. She obviously wasn't sleeping. Her skin was pale, and her cheeks sunken. Maybe she wasn't eating either. Gone was the glamor that made her look inhumanly beautiful.

"Fuck! You look like shit!" he growled.

She twisted the knife, and he gasped once more as another lance of agony shot through him.

"It's this cursed magic! It's so hard to make it do what I command!" she snarled.

Henry wasn't about to tell her how to make it work. "Considering what you used it for the first time, I'm not surprised. You'd blow the whole world into pieces if you had your way."

She grinned maniacally at him. "That does sound delicious, but my subjects will first taste the fear and agony they deserve for abandoning me. Then, they will die of a painful rot that no magic or science can defeat. The spell is almost ready."

"Why can't you just accept you were a bad queen—Ahhh, fuck, that hurts... and you deserved to lose your crown." Madness flashed in her eyes, but he was in too much pain to care.

"Once I've punished my people, I will turn my attention to your friends. I'm going to take them apart. One. By. One."

"ENOUGH!"

Henry's rage exploded, and everything around him flew outwards. Mab was thrown over a table and crashed into the chairs on its other side. She'd lost her grip on the knife when she was tossed away, and it fell at his feet. Fighting to get control over his emotions once more, he lifted the knife with his ghostly hand and felt the lifeforce the blade had stolen from him surge back.

He scowled at Mab, who was just now struggling to pick herself up from the ground. It was almost painful to see her like this. She'd once commanded awe and respect for being dangerously intelligent, wickedly clever, and highly skilled in all aspects of politics and magic. The long stretch of time or the failing of her magic must have eaten away that brilliance, and all that was left behind was the danger.

To Henry's science-based mind, she was much like an aging nuclear warhead in an obsolete intercontinental ballistic missile. Its usefulness, if it truly ever had any, was gone, and now it had to be carefully disposed of to protect everyone around it. He needed to drive this blade into her skull to end her reign of terror once and for all. This was likely his best opportunity.

His muscles suddenly spasmed as a shock went through his entire body. Everything went white.

Then he was looking up into the cold eyes of the doctor dressed in white.

"You're back with us again. Good."

Henry's eyes rolled back as his exhaustion took him down into a restful sleep this time.

Something clattered to the floor, and the doctor frowned as she looked down at her feet. Her eyes widened in shock as ancient words of protection quickly slipped from her lips, their sounds twisting and evading comprehension. She bent then stood holding the handle of the dagger reverently as her eyes took in the etching on the blade.

"Mèirleach Anam," she sighed, trembling with an almost carnal glee as she felt the heft of the weapon in her hand. Her eyes moved to Henry's face to watch him sleep.

Then she looked at the splash of blood on his chest where no injury existed. Where had it come from?

The doctor struggled to understand how this legendary blade came to be in the hand of a prisoner strapped down to a bed in her containment center. She was beyond frustrated that she wasn't allowed to ask any questions about the prisoner. She'd just been told to keep him sedated.

After the explosion in the cafeteria, she'd checked on her patients. The two in the first two rooms were quiet, but she'd had to sedate the young man in room three as he'd become very agitated. Coming into room six, she discovered none of Henry's sensor pads were attached as their adhesive had failed. Also, the monitoring machinery was dead. Then she noticed the patient's breathing was very shallow, and his pupils were non-responsive once more. She'd had the orderlies bring in monitoring gear from the room across the hall, and she watched very carefully as they reattached all of the sensors. She ensured they did it correctly this time.

Then she began rebalancing her patient's body chemistry to bring him to just under the consciousness threshold. When he started to spasm as if in great pain, she could see nothing to explain it on the machine, and blood appeared on his gown, but when she checked, there was no wound.