Indebted to Faerie (Stolen Magic Book 6) Read online

  Owen stepped out of my embrace and got to work pacing a track across the living room. "How bad is it? I should pack a bag. Is it in Faerie? Of course it's in Faerie." He stopped midstep and took a deep breath with his eyes closed. "Sorry about that." He focused on me. "What does she want?"

  I wanted to smile at the progress he was making already with just a couple sessions of therapy, but that felt condescending. I couldn't help being proud, though. He had managed to calm himself down without much trouble. He'd made the choice to go to therapy after he'd been freed from the Orani, and he was sticking with it. I was already worried that this stress would be bad for his recovery. I swallowed hard, knowing that there was only so much I could do about that. I had to trust him to take care of himself. All I could do was support him, and telling him the truth of things was part of that. "She wants me to mess with some fae guy named Aengus. Sounds like he's her nemesis." I'd thought about showing him On Seelie Fae, but thought better of it and left it tucked in my messenger bag. He'd just want to go through it and solve this problem for me. While that might have been a good thing in different circumstances, the current time restriction didn't allow for that. "I don't have much time to stay here and talk about it. She's penalizing me twenty hours of training time with her for every hour I spend on Earth, not working on her repayment."

  Owen swallowed and took two deep breaths before replying. "So you're going to be in Faerie for quite a while then?"

  "Yes."

  "And you're not telling me to pack a bag because you don't want me to go with you."

  If I was honest with myself, part of me did want him to come with. The selfish part that always wanted Owen by my side. It would only make things worse with The Morrigan though, I knew that. So, I avoided replying directly to what he said like a true fae asshole. "I don't think it would be a good idea for you to come. I'm pretty sure The Morrigan would find a way to manipulate every person I bring along into owing her, or adding more to my debt. She's focused on me for some reason. She wants me to do this alone."

  "You're never alone."

  I beamed. "Not anymore."

  Owen was right in front of me then, hands in my hair. He kissed me quick, and rested his forehead on mine. "Off the top of my head, I don't know much about Aengus, or this dispute he has with The Morrigan. He was never concretely mentioned in any of the books about The Morrigan, but you know that with her it's mostly rumors."

  "Which means she rarely leaves anyone who has dealings with her alive to tell the tale."

  "You can stay here," he offered. "We can find a way out of this."

  "Find a way out of a rightly owed favor to The Morrigan?" I asked. "Don't be silly. I wasn't trying to freak you out with that statement. I was just going over the facts. I thought you liked that. And fact is, I have a history of being the exception to these things. It's all good."

  "I might feel better if you didn't say things like 'it's all good' in the face of probable death."

  "Pfft."

  "Again with the comfort."

  I laughed. "You should date someone else if you're looking for comfort, sir."

  He bent down and nuzzled my neck. "I find you very comforting." He nibbled my earlobe.

  "Uh huh." My voice squeaked.

  He whispered in my ear. "What I know about Aengus isn't likely to be helpful." His mouth moved down my neck. "He's interested in love. Some people might say that he's more interested in it as a concept than that he truly understands it." Owen pushed my jacket sleeves down my arms. "He's Seelie. He's very Seelie."

  "Uh huh." My panting was distracting, for me, anyway. Owen had no problem staying on topic. It wasn't fair.

  "That means he's into control. He also likes poetry."

  "So word games?"

  "That's a fair guess. He's passionate and devoted when he gets fixated on something. He likes weaponry."

  "Are we done with the work talk now?"

  Owen pulled back, crouched low as he looked me in the eyes again. As steady as his voice had been, I wouldn't have thought he'd been affected at all, but his eyes—oh, his eyes told a different story. My hands went under the hem of his shirt. He gulped hard. "Do you want me to consult my books real quick?"

  "I promise to do research in Faerie," I said. "I'll have more time for that there. I'll be careful."

  His green eyes tempered with emotion. "You know what you're doing," he said. "If you change your mind, I'll be here, and so will Ava."

  I took a deep breath, getting my body under control. It would have worked better if his hands weren't on my hips, and mine weren't roaming his body. "Speaking of Ava, I should give her a call. She'll be irritated if she has to hear about this from one of her friends." By which I meant ghosts. Owen's sister spied on everyone with ghosts. My attempts to convince her this was irritating or creepy or unnecessary were all for naught. "I need to call Phoebe, too. I don't need her trying to mount a rescue mission to Faerie."

  Ava, Phoebe, and I had bonded on our trip through Faerie to rescue Owen. We were all so different that from the outside, it made no sense. It just was, and I was very happy with that. It was still weird having friends, but a good weird. It came with all these responsibilities, like letting people know when you were about to disappear for an undefined period of time. Because people would notice if I disappeared. I still marveled at this simple truth.

  "Do you have to make those calls right this minute?"

  I looped my fingers in his belt loops and yanked him closer. I didn't get a chance to say something flirty before his mouth was on mine. We both knew time was of the essence, but if there was one thing Owen's time in captivity had taught us as a couple, it was that there was always time to be made for this. Owen's hand on my hip, my lips at his ear—the whispers, the giggles, the touching—the intimacy was better fuel than food or sleep for the fight ahead. Even so, with the clock running, we made quick work of it.

  "Where's my… " I didn't know where to start.

  "Everything's in the living room," he said.

  I looked out the bedroom door, torn. "I have to go, but I don't want you to think I just ran in, seduced you, and then fled."

  "I seduced you," he said.

  "Oh come on, I was all 'probable death'. That's definitely code for 'let's get it on.'"

  "I'll remember that."

  I smiled at him, he winked, and then I disappeared to the living room to gather my clothes and check the timer on my phone. "Thirty seconds," I told myself, and then ran into the shower for a quick rinse off. That was about all the time I could afford for hygiene. When I got out, Owen already had my bag packed with a couple changes of clothes, some snack bars, and two big pouches of instant coffee. It was the good kind that almost tasted like brewed coffee. "You really know the way to a girl's heart," I said, wrapping him in a big hug.

  He shrugged. "I just feel sorry for Faerie if you're forced to deal with them uncaffeinated."

  I pulled back from our embrace so I could playfully punch him in the arm. "Hey. I'm the sassy one in this relationship. You're the sweetheart."

  That earned me a kiss. Several, actually. "I really should get going. If I hurry, I can still make it back to Faerie and only owe The Morrigan twenty hours of one on one time."

  Owen scowled at the clock on the wall. "But you've been here for a little over an hour already."

  I grinned. "Loopholes. Most fae love them. I'm learning to embrace them." I looked at the clock. "All of my talk with The Morrigan spoke in hours. If I get back before the two hour mark, I will only owe her for one."

  Owen smiled and gave me a kiss. "Be as sneaky as you can when it comes to dealing with The Morrigan. Be careful. You have to know that whatever she's doing, it's probably not to anyone's benefit but her own."

  "I'll be careful," I said. "And trust me. I know she doesn't really care what happens to me."

  Another round of kisses and I scooped up my bag and walked out the door. It was hard not to be selfish and ask Owen to come with me. I wasn't used
to being alone anymore.

  I ordered another Uber on my way down to the street, and then called Ava.

  She answered before the phone even rang. She didn't bother to say hello. "What is The Morrigan up to?"

  "I've asked you so many times to stop your friends from spying on me."

  Ava blew out an exasperated sigh. "Even if I asked, Patricia would stick around. She's grown attached to you, and she knows that being apprised of my friends' status keeps me calm and happy."

  "Friends, as in multiple?" I asked.

  "They're watching Phoebe and Art too. And Owen, of course."

  The elevator opened and I let out an annoyed huff. "So, basically, me and everyone I interact with on a regular basis."

  "Yes," she said, simply. "I have politely answered your side questions. Will you now return to my original question? Let me repeat it for you. What is The Morrigan up to?"

  "Yes, yes, Ava, I'm the frustrating one. It's funny how it's never you who is deemed frustrating."

  "You're starting a side conversation again."

  "She's calling in her favor. I'm going to be stuck in Faerie trying to undermine some guy named Aengus for a while. Probably for several days at least."

  "Do you want help?" she asked, without hesitation.

  "As much as I would like it, I don't want anyone else getting tangled up in The Morrigan's web of favors. I just wanted to let you know that I would be out of touch for a while." I wanted to end the thought there, but it didn't ring as completely honest, so I was forced to continue. "I didn't want you to worry about me."

  There was silence on the other end of the phone, and I knew that her nose was twitching. "I love you too, Sophie."

  "All right, I have to call Phoebe now. I'll talk to you as soon as I can." I hung up the phone.

  It's not that I didn't love Ava, because I did. The whole expressing feelings thing was new to me. Every time I went about it, I made everyone involved uncomfortable with my awkwardness. I was trying, though. Which I was pretty sure was what Ava found so amusing.

  My Uber arrived and I hopped in. My phone wouldn't work once I got into Faerie. Whatever magic they used to get cell phones and Uber to work in a city that technically existed in dozens of places all over the globe had its limits.

  I dialed Phoebe. "Hey, Sophie," she said. "What's the trouble this time?"

  "Who says it has to be trouble?" I asked, feeling offended.

  "You only call when there's a problem," she explained. "Otherwise, you just wait until you get home and talk to me."

  I thought about that for a second and realized it was true. "The Morrigan is calling in her favor. I'm going to be spending a while in Faerie. I didn't want you to worry when you didn't hear from me."

  "Do you need help?"

  Again with the immediate offer of assistance. I really did have the best friends. I had no idea how I'd gone so long without them. "I don't want you getting mixed up in The Morrigan's shenanigans. I appreciate the offer though, and reserve the right to take you up on it if things get too crazy."

  "You better," she said, and I could imagine her pouty expression.

  "I will. I told you that I would invite you to risk your life for me if I needed help on our last trip. I meant it."

  The smile was obvious in her voice. "Good. You be careful with The Morrigan. She's tricksy."

  "I will," I promised. "Bye."

  "Bye."

  I finished the call just as the Uber driver parked at Last Stop. I'd managed to tell the people who needed to know, gather supplies, and get back to the portal before my stopwatch hit two hours. I'd considered telling Belinda, my real mother figure, but she would just worry. "What is it I'm forgetting?" I asked the empty parking lot. "Hammond!"

  I probably should have called work to let them know I'd be out of commission for a while, but Hammond was a pain in my ass. I shot him a two line email and walked into the convenience store.

  "Heya, Sophie," said Ivan, looking up from a book. "That coffee has you hooked, doesn't it?"

  "I definitely want some more," I said, walking to the coffee pot and pouring myself a cup. I still had a few minutes to spare. "Unfortunately, I'm also here for the portal."

  "I thought as much," replied Ivan, punching buttons on his register. "Dollar-fifty."

  I took a sip and let out a sigh. "Man that's good." I fished out the money and set it on the counter. "See you around, Ivan."

  "I'm having a barbecue in a couple weeks," said Ivan. "You and Owen should stop by."

  "I'd like that. I'll check in when I'm done with my business in Faerie. If it hasn't already passed by then, I'll be there."

  Ivan let out a low whistle. "Long trip, eh?"

  I nodded. "It could be."

  "Refill that before you go. On the house."

  I took him up on the refill and opened the malt liquor cooler in the back. It was my preferred portal to Faerie. They tended to be in strange places so people didn't wander into them accidentally. At least that was the commonly held theory. It's not like you couldn't just walk back out again if you didn't want to be in Faerie. Then again, a whole lot of crap could go down in Faerie in just a couple of seconds.

  Something to keep in mind for the thousands of seconds I had ahead.

  CHAPTER THREE

  I stepped through the portal into Faerie, and as usual, was assaulted by the overwhelming smell of magic in the air. I'd started to get used to it, but it still made my eyes water, and my breath short for the first few seconds.

  That was long enough for a boulder the size of a beach ball to swing at my head. It was only a weird gut instinct that had me duck in time not to become a smear on the landscape. "Fucking golems," I swore.

  The only golems I'd seen before had been immature, reminding me of the pet rocks with googly eyes that people put in their gardens. They were harmless. This golem was not cute, and not out to make friends. He was easily ten feet tall and if I had to guess, weighed about ninety billion tons. Yep, I should have one of those carnival booths where I guessed a person's weight.

  I skittered down the rocky path, away from the vaguely humanoid mound of rocks, and heard an explosive crack behind me as its boulder fist slammed into the ground. Shards of rock bit into the back of my legs. "Enough of this nonsense."

  Between one breath and the next, I shifted into my winged human form. Black feathers clung to my body in an artful pattern that protected my modesty, and huge black wings took shape on my back. I jumped into the air and climbed to about a hundred feet to survey the area. Flying in Faerie wasn't any safer than walking in most cases, but it got me away from rock for brains.

  As it turned out, there were three huge golems lurking near the portal. I wasn't sure what to do about it. It wasn't really my problem, but I felt bad for anybody coming through. I reached out with my fear magic, using my newfound ability to sense the level of fear that would cause the golems to flee. There was nothing there. The golems came up completely blank to my magical sense. It was like they were regular rocks. I tried focusing a burst of fear at one of them anyway, and nothing happened. It continued to trudge around sedately.

  "Not my circus, not my monkeys," I said, quoting one of my favorite proverbs. I angled my wings to turn down the path toward The Morrigan's castle. I had a bigger job to do. Anybody who came into Faerie should know the risks involved.

  Since I was much faster flying I kept to the air, but I stayed low to the ground. As much as I wanted to let the mess with the golems go, my mind kept coming back to it. Ava had said that mature golems avoided portals. What was going on?

  I was so far in my own head that I barely registered it when I came upon the castle. In autopilot mode, I landed in front of the huge wooden door. I shook my whole body, trying to get rid of the creeping feeling that had settled around my spine. There was no way to get around repaying The Morrigan, and she had set fair terms. I just had to do what needed to be done as fast as I could so I could get back to my life.

  Graulfv greete
d me at the door with a smile and ushered me into the castle. "I'm delighted to see you again, Sophie."

  We walked through the empty halls, making our way toward the huge dining room area. Graulfv walked briskly, not showing the years that The Morrigan had allowed to catch up with him as punishment. I pondered the development of our relationship. It was strange, to say the least. We'd first met when he'd locked me in a silver cage, thinking I was The Morrigan because we looked alike and had the same magic abilities. Then, about two weeks ago, I'd shown up on his doorstep, hoping to fight him and The Morrigan's other clansmen followers to try and summon her so I could ask for the favor I was currently repaying. Instead, I'd left with him and a group of his warriors to fight our way through Oscura and the Orani people. He'd lost a good number of those warriors and endeared himself to me greatly in the process. "You talk as if we haven't seen each other in years."

  Graulfv turned into the huge dining area and weaved through the tables that were occupied with dozens of grizzled men who fell into silence, their eyes locking onto me. "Time is strange in Faerie at times, especially around the oldest fae like The Morrigan. From our perspective, it's been several years since we helped you fight the Orani and the beasts in the green mist."

  I looked around warily, tense and ready for The Morrigan to pop out of nowhere. "I guess that could be handy." Maybe I wouldn't miss out on that much time on Earth when I was working on my magic with my mother.

  Graulfv gestured to a seat at the table closest to the kitchen and gave me a knowing smile. "The Morrigan isn't presently at the castle."

  I let out a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. I'd called Graulfv Smarty before I'd learned his name, and he had certainly earned the moniker. "Good," I said, slumping into the offered seat. The smells of the food hit me like I'd only just entered the room. My stomach rumbled. Judging by the smile that lifted the corner of Graulfv's mouth, he'd heard it. "I guess I should eat."