Why Are All the Good Guys Total Monsters? (7 page)

Noises sounded from the trees. And
all I could think of was —
monsters
.

My instincts warned me I was in danger. Hunted.

My thoughts shot back to the fortune teller’s warning. Edinburgh was fraught with dangers for me. I should go home to London before it was too
late. Though I wouldn’t go, and I hadn’t. Had it anything to do with two young
men? No, but Daire and Sabastien were fae.

Daire grabbed hold of my hand. ‘Run, Vesper, run!’

I didn’t hesitate. I ran, keeping pace with the swift–footed
Daire, faster and faster until…how could I run so fast…?

No time for questions never mind answers. Someone or something
was chasing us, gaining on us by the sounds of it.

Daire glanced at me a few times, gauging my reaction to my
quickened pace. He no doubt saw the look in my eyes, and the one thought in my
mind that answered everything —
I was a mortal with faerie blood in my veins
.

We changed direction, running deeper into the forest,
dodging branches and darting through the foliage, not hitting anything. It
wasn’t possible, not in the real world, but this was the world of fae — and
monsters.

We came to a gap in the trees. Purple mist obscured the view
ahead. Daire didn’t pause, he ran on and I kept up, somehow knowing, sensing
that once through the mist we’d be safe.

And we were.

I heard the monsters roar, raging at losing their prey. I
heard them leave.

‘What type of monsters are they?’ I said, hardly out of
breath from running. ‘And what have you done to me? Am I now fae, like you?’

‘No, but you have enough fae blood to enhance your
abilities, physical and mental. You were already intuitive, Vesper.’

‘Will the effects wear off?’ I dared to ask.

‘Yes, they’ll fade in time, especially when you get back
home.’

‘Can I go home now?’

‘You need to stay until…’

‘Sabastien, or you, have your land back.’

He was shaking his head. ‘Until whoever is hunting you is
found. But we also need our land back.’

‘Why would someone of your kind be hunting me?’

‘I don’t think it’s one of us.’

‘What monster then?’

‘There are as many types of monsters as there are fae.’

‘Take me back to Edinburgh, Daire. I’ll find a way to get
your land to you.’

An icy breeze whipped past us, and Sabastien stepped out
from the mist. ‘You can’t go home yet, Vesper.’

I thrust my hand out to him, the purple scar visible. ‘You
did this. Now take me back. I won’t do anything you tell me.’

Sabastien smiled. ‘You are indeed remarkable. Fighting even
when you’re outnumbered in a world that’s not your own. I’m impressed. We were
right. You are the one to right the wrong that was done to us.’

‘You selfish prats! Picking on a girl because you can’t get
back what’s yours. Cowards, both of you.’

Sabastien was still smiling. Daire looked ashamed.

‘How did you like outrunning the monsters?’ Sabastien said,
as if this achievement would somehow make me feel pleased with myself.

‘You’ve poisoned me with your purple thorns,’ I said, trying
not to weep as I saw the taint of it on my hand.

‘Better that than being caught by those monsters. That
wouldn’t have been pretty,’ said Sabastien. ‘The fae in you helped you outrun
them.’

Could I outrun Sabastien and Daire I thought? Could I? Could
I at least try?

‘You’re not as fast as us of course,’ said Sabastian, eyeing
me suspiciously. ‘And you can’t get back to Edinburgh without us.’

‘Why not?’

‘Can you fly?’ There was a hint of amusement in Sabastien’s
voice that made me angry. I wished I had the power to prove him wrong.

Daire was quiet. He wasn’t listening to what we said. His
attention was focussed on the forest around us. The blue mist had faded to
reveal trees of the deepest green, amber and bronze I’d ever seen. The only
time I’d seen such depth of colour was in Orlaith’s paintings of faeries in
enchanted woods. How right she was.

‘Did you use your magic on me?’ I demanded of Sabastien. ‘I
heard you. You whispered in the air. I heard you say
spellbound
.’

‘Hmm. I did, didn’t I. Though Daire tried to spellbind you
first when he offered you the white gold charm.’

I shot a look at Daire who wouldn’t meet my gaze. No denial.
So that’s what he’d tried to do.

‘You didn’t touch the charm,’ said Sabastien, ‘but Daire was
near enough to enchant you slightly, influencing your thoughts for the rest of
that day. You thought about him, didn’t you?’

I nodded.

‘I simply added to the enchantment,’ said Sabastien. ‘I
thought it would be easier for you to deal with the fact that we’re fae.’

‘And the corsage — was there something in the scent of those
flowers?’ I still wore the flowers on my wrist though they had faded and looked
like they’d died a long time ago.

Sabastien’s smile confirmed my suspicions. Then he touched
the flowers, making them sparkle.

A sound, swift and fierce, resonated through the trees.

Sabastien became wary. His eyes scanned the perimeter.

‘What is it?’ I whispered. ‘Are the monsters back?’

Daire moved closer to me, guarding me with his body, wings
extended like a shield.

I heard a sound, then something shot past me and daggered
into a tree, missing me by a breath. A blue arrow, clear as aqua crystal. Daire
grabbed hold of me, turning away from the direction of the attack, shielding me
from harm. Though I doubted his wings would stop an arrow like this. It cut
deep into the bark of the tree, glistening, sharp.

A figure darted through the trees. All shades of blue in
clothing, hair and wings. His skin was pale, his hair blond with a turquoise
tint. His trousers and top were unkempt, not ragged, but merged with the wood.
He was as tall and strong as Daire and Sabastien, and held a huge weaponry bow.
It glistened like sea water on a summer’s day, catching the light. Blue arrows
were sheathed and strapped across his back.

‘Archer,’ Daire whispered to Sabastien.

I sensed their trepidation.

‘Get Vesper out of here,’ said Daire.

Sabastien nodded, and flew off with me, flying through the
forest heading for the city and the snow.

The air was so cold my dress froze.

When we landed it glittered, encrusted with white snow
crystals. My silver shoes matched the snow.

Sabastien whispered something, again not to me, but to the
air itself, and wrapped a white wool cape around my shoulders.

But I didn’t feel cold.

I just felt hunted.

Snow lay all around. We stood at the
edge of the city whose spires towered into the stormy sky. The skyline seemed
familiar.

‘Is this Edinburgh?’ I said, hearing my voice sound clear in
the freezing air. All was quiet. No people, no fae, a city of silence and
beauty and danger. I sensed the danger wrap itself around my chest and tighten.

Sabastien stood beside me, his long coat touching the deep
snow. ‘It used to be, of sorts, a long time ago.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘Fae don’t feel the urge to change things continually as
humans do. Sometimes a city, its buildings, is ideal, so we keep it like that.’
He looked around. ‘This is Edinburgh, our version of it, over two hundred years
ago. Change isn’t always progress.’

I recognised the ancient spires, and rooftops, iced white
instead of dark slate. Lights shone in some of the windows. But the silence was
overwhelming.

‘Where is everyone?’

‘Unseen by mortals, even one like you with faerie blood.’

That’s when I noticed the purple thorns around the edges of
his coat. Against the snow, they looked purple tinged with blue. Perhaps I
hadn’t noticed. Then I looked at the wound on my hand, purple and now tinted
blue.

Sabastien saw what I was looking at, and anger swept across
his face.

‘What’s happened? The colour’s changed.’ Even Sabastien’s
eyes were lilac–blue.

‘It doesn’t concern you.’

‘Yes, it does.’ I showed him the purple–blue wound on my
hand.

He looked away, drew a long breath, and then said, ‘Blame
the Cupid’s darts. My coat cut through the flowers when I was fighting Daire.’

‘I remember. The flowers scattered across the grass. But why
would that affect you? And me?’

‘The Cupid’s darts tainted me, and I later tainted you.’

‘Orlaith warned me not to touch the flowers because of the
lore. She said they could make me vulnerable to someone’s romantic wishes.’

He looked at the thorny edges of his coat. ‘I will never be
susceptible to love or romance.’

‘Everyone falls in love.’

‘I don’t love anyone any more. I will never choose to do so
again.’

‘Love doesn’t always let you choose.’

He nodded and his thoughts seemed far away, dwelling on
something that clearly disturbed him. ‘I chose once a long, long time ago. I
will never do that again.’

‘Who was she? What happened?’

He breathed in the snow cold air. ‘My heart was broken by a
girl like you a long time ago.’

‘Broken hearts can mend.’

‘Yes they can, but I decided not to fix mine. A broken heart
can be useful in my world. Mine doesn’t work any more. I’m immune to love and
all its trials and fickleness. It’s easier not to love. Life is less
complicated and infinitely more fun. I’m happier not being in love as it
invariably causes pain and distress and longing and strife. A broken heart, an
empty one that cannot be filled with love until it’s mended is a lightness that
I enjoy far more. So you see, I prefer to keep my heart broken. It’s a huge
advantage.’

I understood. I did, but it seemed so sad. I’d gone from
being angry with him to feeling sorry for him. ‘So you fell in love with a
human?’

‘I did. She was nothing but trouble. But that was almost a
hundred years ago. She went back to her own world, and to the man she really
loved. I was…what was it she called me? Oh yes, a beautiful distraction.’

He focussed his fascinating eyes on me, and I sensed the
partial blame for his torment being aimed at me.

‘Don’t blame me for something she did.’

He blinked, and a moment later, he smiled. ‘How perceptive
of you, Vesper.’

A surge of air swept past me and I heard the sound of wings
beating, strong and powerful. I gulped when I saw a large moth flying overhead,
followed by other moths of various colours, mainly white and grey. Fearsome
creatures.

Sabastien put a dark, glittering wing around me, hiding me.
‘Stand still. The grey dagger moths won’t harm you. They’ll be on their way to
help Daire fight Archer. Though I cannot ensure your safety from the
Alchymist.’

I stood still, peering through the gossamer wing at the
moths. ‘Which one is the Alchymist?’ I said in the smallest whisper.

Sabastien pointed to a dark moth with mottled light
markings. ‘The Winter moths are white, and there’s the Vapourer, barely
visible.’

‘I hope Daire is okay.’

‘He’s quite the warrior. Didn’t you see the scar on his
face, and his torn wings? His wings are battle worn. Though few can fight
better than Daire.’

‘And Archer…?’

‘He’s a fae, though not one of us. He’s of the woodland.’

‘Why did he try to kill me? His arrow just missed me.’

‘I’m sure Archer has a plan — and that plan involves you.’

‘Is he the one who is hunting me?’

Sabastien stepped back from me and his wings vanished as if
they’d never been there. He gazed up at the sky. The moths had gone.

‘Well, is he?’ I said.

‘Yes, I think he is. But Daire will protect you.’

And Sabastien wouldn’t?

‘So,’ he said, stretching out his arms, ‘you’ve got two
choices. You can come with me to watch Daire and Archer battle it out, which
won’t be pretty, and you’d be in danger of the Alchymist seeing you. He doesn’t
like humans. Things could become nasty.’

‘Or…?’

‘Have dinner with me.’

‘Dinner?’ Was he joking?

‘I promised to take you to dinner tonight, and I do like to
keep my promises.’

‘I couldn’t possibly enjoy dinner knowing that Daire could
be…’

‘Oh, don’t worry about Daire. My money’s on him.’

Before I could decide, Sabastien whispered something, and we
were standing at the door of a fabulous restaurant. Although the building was
designed two hundred years ago, the restaurant reminded me of those I’d seen in
movies from the early 1900s.

‘We can dine on the top floor. The view is spellbinding,’ he
said in that wicked way that hinted he was up to something. He probably was,
because I could feel my resistance waning and the prospect of dinner tempted
me.

He whispered again, and we were standing on the top floor.
The decor was ornate. The tables had white linen covers and white and gold
dinnerware.