Smokeless Fire (39 page)

“Naturally.  What did you think?”

“I don't know...a leprechaun?”

“Leprechauns!  I spit on leprechauns!  I tie their shoelaces together to make them trip and fall!  Leprechauns, indeed!”

“Just give me her necklace.”

“As I said, I cannot search my pockets in my present position.  You must put me down.”

“Don't even think about running again.”

“I had truthfully not considered it, young sir.”

Jason carefully set the goblin on his feet, but held tight to the collar of his coat.  The goblin reached into various pockets, pulling out rings, jeweled broaches, golden watches.  “Necklace...necklace...ah!  There you are!”

The goblin held out a silver, heart-shaped locket.

“That's not it,” Jason said. “It's gold, with emeralds, like I said.”

“So picky!” The goblin pulled more shiny objects out of more pockets. “I don't seem to have such a thing.  I do apologize, young sir.”

“Where is it?”

“I must have added it to my stash-hole at home.  Are you sure you wouldn't prefer a nice diamond bracelet instead?”

“I want that necklace,” Jason said.

“Understood, understood,” the goblin said. “Allow me to make an offer.  You return home the way you came, and never speak of what you saw here.  Tomorrow night, I will return this necklace to your home.”

“No.  I want it now.”

“That's not possible!” the goblin said. “I cannot take you with me into Sidhe City.  The Queen would have me killed for leading a human here.  And you too, for entering her realm uninvited.”

“I'm not letting you go,” Jason said. “I'm not stupid.  I know you'll never come back.”

“I am insulted, young sir.”

“Just take me to where her necklace is.  I'll leave as soon as I have Erin's necklace in my hand, okay?”

“It would be better if you waited here,” the goblin said. “Hide behind those trees.  I'll be right back.”

“You're not getting away from me,” Jason said.

The goblin sighed and slumped his shoulders.  He looked ahead on the road, in the direction where he'd been walking.

“Slouch,” the goblin said.

“What did you call me?”

“I'm telling you to slouch.  Make yourself shorter.  Snarl up your lips and try not to look so...human.  You don't want everyone in the city staring at you.”

“I shouldn't look
human
?  Where are we, really?”

“Your kind call this the Otherworld.”

Jason gave him a blank stare.  “What are you talking about?”

“Annwn.  Tïr na nǑg.  Faerie.  Am I jingling anything loose yet?” the goblin asked.

“Fairies?  Like little people with wings?  That’s crazy...” Jason thought of the small woman with the translucent wings who'd just driven past. “Are you serious?”

“Obviously, you know nothing of fairies,” the goblin snorted. “Or you would show more fear.”

“We're talking about little people with little wings, right?  Like in Peter Pan?”  He pointed ahead. “You're saying that girl was a
fairy
?”

“The most fearsome creatures in the realm,” the goblin said. “It's why they get to name the realm, you see?”

“Whatever.” Jason shook his head.  He couldn't imagine little pixies with colorful wings as dangerous.  The goblin was obviously just trying to scare him. “Let's get going.  I need to get back home.”

“More than you know,” the goblin said. He began walking, and Jason stayed close beside him in case he tried to run.

“What's your name?” Jason asked. “Do goblins have names?”

“We have names!” the goblin snapped. “I am called Grizlemor the Cranky.  And you?”

“Jason.”

“Just Jason?”

“Jason the Guy Who Wants That Necklace Back.”

The goblin sighed again. “When we reach the city, look no one in the eye.  Say nothing.  Just keep behind me and try not to draw attention to yourself.”

The road led them to a great mound of a city, where the buildings were made of stone and  live trees with sprawling roots and limbs.  The city was arranged in terraces rising up the hillside.  High above them, the top of the hill was encircled by a towering wall built of golden hexagonal bricks. 

“What's that?” Jason asked, pointing to the huge wall.

“Don't point!” Grizlemor slapped Jason's hand down. “It's rude.  That is the Queen's palace.  We want to stay far from there.  Don't even look in that direction.”

“Okay, calm down,” Jason said. “You really are cranky.”

They walked under a high stone archway carved with the images of flowers and animals.  As they stepped into the city, the cobblestone road beneath their feet turned into a street of brightly colored crushed pebbles.

Big swarms of fireflies lit up the city in red, golds, oranges, blues and purples.  The stone and living-tree buildings all had round, curving shapes—he didn't see a square corner or a straight line anywhere.

Though it was nighttime, the fairy creatures crowded the city streets, and Jason saw long pastel hair and colorful transparent wings everywhere he looked.  The fairies were selling flowers, jewels, rugs, shoes, pottery...all of it strangely small, designed for these people who stood no more than three to four feet high.  Cheerful music played everywhere, strings and flutes and bells.

(
end of excerpt
)

1. ***
   

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Fairy Metal Thunder
on
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.       

J.L. Bryan
studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on the English Renaissance and the Romantic period. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He enjoys remixing elements of paranormal, supernatural, fantasy, horror and science fiction into new kinds of stories. He is the author of The Paranormals trilogy (
Jenny Pox
,
Tommy Nightmare
, and
Alexander Death
) and other works.
Fairy Metal Thunder
is the first book in his new Songs of Magic series. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, one baby, two dogs, and two cats. His website is
http://jlbryanbooks.com
. 

Please enjoy an excerpt from Shelly Crane's series, Collide.

       The Black Ones. The Dark Ones. The Immortals. Lighters. They’d been called many things over the centuries, all of which were true.

       The Keepers, ever watchful and ever evasively present, stood by and waited for the moment where they could no longer sit idle, for when they’d have to intervene once more. This wasn’t the first time they’d fought for the humans, they always had, and it wasn’t the first time they’d fought for earth. The Keepers just hoped that this wouldn’t be the last time, that there would still be something left to protect and fight for.

       The Keepers got ready to go, to make another appearance on earth, but this time, one Keeper in particular was overly anxious about this trip.  Keepers weren’t supposed to be anxious. He couldn’t wait to see the person he’d guarded all these years in the flesh. He couldn’t wait to finally meet the one he’d watched…even though he wasn’t supposed to watch her…

Meet the Pattersons

Chapter 1

       It was a busy Monday evening in foggy and wet Chicago. None of those things made for a good combination. The streets were packed, as were the sidewalks, with joggers and bikers, commuters making their way in all directions. The blinding sun over the ridge was irritating…

       As was the smug little jerk in the seat next to me.

       It irked me. I mean we’re family and it shouldn’t, but it did.

       I fumbled with my sunglasses and dropped them from the visor onto the gear shift knob only to realize that they were now broken. Great! I squeezed my eyes shut for just a second in frustration. That just added to the fire already fueling my aggravation, but it still was not what irked me most.

       My parents still wanted to dictate my actions, though I no longer resided under their roof. Carting my brother, at my parents demand, to and from work everyday was really starting to grate on my nerves, my time, my patience, my never failing unconditional love for this idiot. It had been a long six months.

       Danny needed to learn some responsibility. He needed a car! What kind of man-boy didn’t have a car these days? Why mom and dad thought that just because I lived near his job meant that I should be
obligated
to drive him around was beyond me, but I was never one to say no.

       He was almost eighteen for goodness sake! When I was eighteen I had a job, a car, was living on my own and already in college, which I paid for all by myself. I was so done with all of it!

       I put on my responsible big sister voice.

       “Danny, look. Believe it or not, I have a life. I’m not going to drive you around anymore and you have got to start taking some responsibility and buy yourself a car, among other things. You graduated high school! Make a plan for college or something. You can’t just live with mom and dad forever, just because you think they’ll let you,” I said in a rush suddenly fearing I’d lose my nerve.

       Danny and I didn’t fight like traditional siblings. We bickered like old married people, but never actually fought, not dirty anyway. It was strange but it was our way.

       “Sure I can. That’s the beauty of being the family baby. And no...you don’t have a life,” Danny looked at me so smugly, I could have punched that sickly sweet smile.

       He knew he was telling the truth and it made me sick. I certainly wasn’t allowed to behave this way when I lived at home. It wasn’t fair and no, I didn’t have a life, per say, not one worth mentioning, but I was doing better than him even if my ‘better’ was the bottom of the food chain.

       “Danny,” I sighed, “don’t you want a girlfriend someday? Don’t you want to go to parties and have your own place away from the ‘rents? And yes I do have a life, that’s what this,” I spread my arms out wide for emphasis, “is called you know...a life.”

       Danny worked at ‘The Coffee Place’, which sold coffee in a drive through, and not good coffee I might add, with cheap Columbian blends and watered downed flavored creamers. The only reason it was still even in business was because coffee was cool, coffee was hip. High school kids worked there and high school kids went there and hung out for hours on end, sitting at the outside booths under the little umbrellas, texting on their cell phones, reminding me of the carefree life I had not long ago.

       Danny was not in high school anymore, but wanted to pretend that he still was. 

       “I’m not interested. I’m happy right where I am. Ambition isn’t for all people,” Danny said as he threw his wadded gum out the open car window.

       “Daniel Lucas Patterson, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” I shot back running my hand through my curls in frustration. “Even if your ambition is to live with our parents forever, that’s still an ambition, just not a good one. Don’t be such a dork! You could do so much with your life. College doesn’t have to take forever, like me, I've only gone for a few semesters but it's better than nothing. Besides, fine, don’t go to college, but do something. Don’t be one of those thirty year old guys who still lives with his parents and his mom folds his underwear.” I paused and thought of another tactic. “College is really fun, you know. Just like high school, but cuter girls.” I winked at him, hoping to appeal to his good humor.

       He did not seem amused.

       “You hated college and your life’s not so great, Sherry, quit being so high and mighty. You live in a crappy apartment, you don’t have any money, you drive a piece of junk and you don’t have a boyfriend anymore.” He turned to look at me. “Matt wasn’t so bad was he but you dumped him like everything else good. You are a glutton for punishment. You brought this all on yourself you know with your need for your
independence
,” he said waving his hands in the air.

       “Fine. Whatever. Just shut up, ok. But tell Mom and Dad I’m not your chauffer anymore. Got it?”

       “You tell them,” Danny said as he got out and kicked closed my fragile and beaten door with his green Converses as he leapt for the curb by our parent’s house, then stopped and turned around.

       He still looked so young to me. Still my little Danny, though that physical description no longer applied since he had about a foot of height on me. His light brown curly, unruly, but styled that way hair and brown eyes were a family trait. He was slim and it always puzzled me how because the kid could put away insane amounts of food and was incredibly lazy on top of that.