Vegas had a lot of Erics. More than Aidan had realized and Serena had attracted a horde of them. They staggered after his car, their eyes bright with obsession and fixated on Serena, who hung out the window, her voice coaxing them along. They'd driven up and down the Vegas Strip for hours now, but so far, the one Eric they wanted to find hadn't shown up.
People were starting to notice. They'd pulled enough Erics away from friends and family that Aidan was pretty sure the police would show up any second now. Where the hell was that mage? He clenched the steering wheel in his hands and growled with frustration.
A loud Fairy song rang from Aidan's crotch, a sappy love ballad no less. He shifted as his cell phone danced in the front pocket of his jeans. Driving with one hand, he pulled out the phone, keeping one eye on the siren-crazed Erics trying to swarm the car.
“Hello.”
“Aidan, it’s me, Raven.”
“Are you okay? Where are you? Where’s Marion?”
“We’re okay, but we could use some help dealing with Eric,” Raven said.
“Just tell me where you are, I’ll be there as fast as I can,” He said, nodding as she gave him an address. Hanging up, he tossed his phone to Dougal. “Go online and look up 2323 Lucky Seven Drive. That’s where they are.”
Dougal took the phone with a nod and started hitting buttons as Aidan said, “Serena, pipe down. You can stop singing now.”
She went silent mid-note and flopped back in her seat. “You found him?”
“My friends escaped and called in their location.”
“You don’t need me anymore?”
“Why? You don’t want to stick around and watch us throw an evil mage into the Wastelands?”
“Is the mage cute?” Serena asked.
“Only if you consider broken bones foreplay.”
“I like a little slap and tickle as much as the next girl, but broken bones are a different matter,” she said with a sniff. “Pass.”
Aidan swerved and slammed on the brakes as one of the many Erics that had heeded the siren’s call made a dive for his car. “Can’t you disperse these guys?”
“My magic lures and attracts. It does not repel.” She examined her nails with a bored expression.
“You and the Pied Piper aren’t related, are you?” Dougal asked, slapping away a hand that thrust through his open window.
“First cousins, actually. Why? “
Dougal rolled up his window. “Just a guess. Listen, Aidan, can you step on it? We need to shake our little stalker parade here before they roll us.” As if to illustrate his point, a fist smashed into the window followed by a howl of pain. Someone else climbed onto the back of the car and started banging on the rear window. Not exactly what Aidan had in mind when he'd called Serena. He’d been under the impression her magic was more specific than this. Now he knew better.
Aidan nodded. “Working on it.” Pounding the horn, he swerved the car from side to side, moving slow enough that the gaggle of Erics could see him coming and jump out of the way. Once he had a clear path, he gunned it, slamming the accelerator to the floor. The car bucked and the engine revved as the car gained speed. Aidan watched in the rearview mirror as the Eric clinging to the trunk rolled off, hitting the pavement hard. He winced and wished the man well.
A few minutes later, they roared up to a high rise apartment building, its metal and glass facade reflecting all the lights of Vegas. Parking as close to the exit as he could get in the garage, Aidan cut the motor. “We’re here.”
“Which apartment is it?” Dougal asked.
“Basement floor, unit oh one,” Aidan said.
Dougal flexed his hands into a fist, bones cracking. “Let’s pay the mage the dues he’s earned.”
“You’ve got the charms?”
“Aye, I do,” the big man said, opening the door and stepping out of the car. “He’ll not be troubling your Marion or any other maid after tonight.” He gave a grim smile, one Aidan returned. He was looking forward to this.
Stepping out of the car himself, he offered a hand to Serena, who was wedged in the backseat.
She smoothed her skirt with her hands and a wiggle of her hips.“Thank you, Aidan. You always were a gentleman.”
“Too much of a gentleman for you if I recall,” he said with a laugh.
“No one is perfect,” she said with a coy smile. “Well, boys, thanks for the ride, but this is where I get off,” She stretched, releasing the kinks from being confined to the small backseat of the car, being sure to thrust her bountiful bosom out for them to admire. Then she sauntered over to Aidan and laid a soft kiss on his cheek. “It was nice to see you, but don’t call me next time. I don’t like these kind of gigs.”
Aidan smiled at her. “All singing and no sex makes for a sad siren?”
She nodded. “Exactly.” Turning to Dougal, she planted a juicy come-hither kiss on the giant’s lips. “You aren’t really my type, but I can see how it might be fun between us.”
Dougal just stared, mouth gaping like a fish. Serena laughed, a quick sweet scale. “Look me up sometime, big guy.” With that, she turned on her heel and gave a sharp whistle that threatened to shatter glass. Nothing happened at first, but then the gray shadow of a gargoyle from Casino Avalon's turrets swooped down from the sky. He snatched Serena up in one hand and dove straight up into the air.
The two men stood frozen for a second, watching the siren disappear, and then Dougal gave himself a shake, breaking the tension. “Let’s do this,” he said.
Aidan nodded his agreement and they made their way to the mage's apartment.
Raven was standing in the door to Eric's place, keeping an eye out for them. “This way,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Hurry.”
They found Marion sitting on a bed, a strange wire stick of some kind held tightly in her hand as she watched over an unconscious Eric. When they entered the room, she didn’t take her eyes off the blond mage at her feet as she said, “Thank the Goddess you are here.”
Aidan went to her, reaching for her with shaking hands. She was safe. Safe. Oh thank the blessed Lady.
She shrugged off his touch.“Not now, Aidan. Eric keeps trying to wake up.” In fact, he groaned as she spoke, his eyes flickering open for a brief second. A fierce expression on her face, Marion stood and whacked him twice in the head with her stick-thing. “There. That should keep him for another few minutes. Is that enough time to dump him in the Wastelands?”
“Aye, lass” Dougal said. He pulled three silver charms from his pocket. Casting one on Eric’s chest he said, “One to bind him to the Fairy realm.” Throwing another he said, “One to bind his magic.” Throwing the third, he added, “One to draw all the goblin and their kin like bees to pollen."
A white light flared as the charms melted into Eric's bare chest. Marion watched with wide eyes as the magic filtered into her ex's body.
"Wow," Raven said. "That's some pretty awesome magic."
"Time to say goodbye. I've been saving this portal charm for a special occasion and this seems to be it.” Dougal pulled out another charm, this one a silver circle, and tossed it up into the air. He waved his hand and the charm disappeared as a blue light overtook it. Once the light had grown large enough to fit a man, Dougal picked Eric up and heaved him into the portal. He then dispersed the portal with another wave of his hand. “There. Done and gone. He’ll be bitten by an Eros Fey before the day’s out.”
Marion sagged and let her stick-thing fall to the floor as she wrapped her arms around herself. “It’s done then. He’s really gone this time. For good.”
“Yes, for good,” Aidan said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead.