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Vitae
I entered the lab area of my hotel basement. Long lines of my smaller minions busied themselves, bent over the bizarre yet extremely effective seed crafting designed by my thrall. I stopped, closing my eyes to the buzz of work to feel my ever-expanding network of sensors. The vast sea of stars made up of my essence spread outward from the new Shield sanctum. Some of the seeds moved, disorienting at first, but brilliant in that moving seeds weren’t so easily removed.
Enthralling the queer little man has served me well.
My thrall wasn’t among the workers. I found him in the restricted area, staring off into space over my nest toward the rearmost doors with a hard look on his face.
“Thrall.”
A flurry of blinks cleared the haze from his bloodshot eyes. “Forgive me, Master, what can I do for you?”
“What were you about?”
“I was trying to calculate which tasks your reserve essence would enable and prioritize the tasks for when more essence became available.”
“I have a task for you which is of the utmost priority. As this will require additional essence, I shall create you more. Summon four of my enforcers.”
My thrall nodded, exiting the chamber. I strolled to a small cooler, drawing out prepared glasses of healing slurry and setting them on nearby metal tables. Underneath the table, a shelf supplied an industrial kitchen pot.
My thrall entered with the requested enforcers.
I removed my armored robes. “Excellent. While these creations have been very useful, certain aspects of their appearance make them troublesome in certain situations.”
A shift of will transmogrified my arm. I halted the change before it transformed into the pure life plasma that, while powerful, deteriorated far faster than the simple blood essence.
The blood essence mixes better in any case.
Sharpened fingers tore the arm from my shoulder socket, dropping bloody essence held in shape until I dropped the limb into the stainless-steel pot. “You also mentioned some of the adults are more stubborn about following your orders, perhaps children will be more pliable. As such, I have ordered the collection of child corpses from Oakland Cemetery and Atlanta’s other cemeteries.”
I glanced over, finding my thrall’s horrified expression locked where my arm had once been. Another nudge of will shifted me fully into life plasma. “Did you hear me, thrall?”
He stared as I rebalanced my essence to replace the lost limb. I’d restored myself to flesh before his eyes flashed up to meet mine.
All color had drained from the already sickly pale mortal. “Master, did you say children?”
Perhaps I should infuse some essence into him to ensure I do not lose his services until I can find a replacement.
I picked up the cup of slurry, opened my throat and pitched back my head to down the gloopy concoction.
“Yes, I have in mind a slightly different design for these new, smaller soldiers.”
“Children?”
“Dead children which we will restore to life so that they may defend humanity from the vile Sidhe.”
“Like the Sidhe you have in your service?” he asked.
My hand planted a red print across his pale face. “You will not question me, thrall. I know what is best for your people.”
His eyes glassed over. “You know what is best for my people.”
“Better,” I slid back into my robes. “I would like to limit the troll marrow to that necessary to giving the new guard regenerative abilities. You will need to experiment with winged Sidhe to give the resurrected mortals flight capabilities. Follow me.”
I led him to the rear door, entering my own access phrases before configuring the doors for his entry. Once I’d confirmed he could navigate into my holding area without me, we entered my prison.
A stench of blood, unwashed bodies and hopelessness clogged my nostrils. “Use the enforcers to select the specimens you need. Take what you need from them, but try not to kill any unnecessarily. Do you understand, thrall?”
“How many Sidhe do you have in here?”
I shrugged. “Several score, perhaps upward of a hundred. You will want to ensure you use your meter to mix equal parts Seelie and Unseelie elements at relatively even power levels with the pure essence I provided. An imbalance should be avoided wherever possible.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Be about it. My new aerial force will not create itself.”
I left him to it, only small misgivings lingering in my mind. It was possible he might inadvertently release one of my captives. I stopped by a group of idle enforcers in the outer lab. Grabbing three that had stood along the wall for uncounted days, I ordered them to prevent any Sidhe not sworn to my service from departing.
Shifting my attention to the remaining trollman enforcers, I gathered their attention with a snap of my fingers. “The rest of you will assemble in the foyer and await orders.”
Dunham
Dunham trudged up the spiral stairs from his office, hands tight around the Pyri’s egg and heart. His skin stank from the healing concoction smeared across his face and arms. Every limb moved slowly, almost audibly creaking under the flaking goop applied to heal burns from a very near miss.
The Pyri fought him over every step. The phoenix’s conniving expression grew more smug with each groan that escaped Dunham’s chapped lips. The Pyri’s footfalls scorched wood and burned carpet in a long trail starting in the lobby.
He wasn’t aflame, but leaked enough heat to maliciously vandalize Circlestone headquarters.
“Get in your cage,” Dunham spat through gritted teeth.
“Problems?” Viviane asked.
Turning his head raked Dunham’s neck in fiery agony. “He did the job, more or less.”
Behind her, Caelum hunched in her cage eating a rabbit. The Terra’s cage was back in the sealed position and the divine slumped unconscious in the center, haggard and wasted nearly to bone.
“Terra is back?”
“In his cage,” Viviane said
“What happened to the divine?”
Viviane shrugged. “Divines use their essence to empower everything, including escape attempts. Are both war squads dead?”
“Burned beyond recognition.”
Viviane sauntered over to him, holding up his progress to the control console with a hand on seeping third-degree burns.
Dunham winced.
The Pyri chuckled.
“Dunham, dear, do you recall why we went to all the trouble of capturing their divine?”
The realization of his own stupidity washed over Dunham like the flames that had almost ‘inadvertently’ incinerated him. He took a moment to cool anger that intensified the pain of his burns and tapped into the divine essence.
“On your knees, Pyri!”
The phoenix’s face bent stubbornly for a moment before he dropped to his knees.
“You will stop causing damage to my building. Acknowledge command and compliance.”
The Pyri struggled another moment. “Command acknowledged, wafer. I will comply through no choice of my own.”
Tightening his grip on the egg and heart split the burned skin on Dunham’s knuckles, but seemed to hurt less than the agony inflicted on the willful shield. “You will call me ‘master’ and you will give me your name and the name of your shield mates.”
The light in the Pyri’s eyes blazed with hatred. “Ignis, Master. Terrance, Caelum, Vitae and Aquaylae.”
“What about the divine?” Dunham demanded.
Ignis fought him. “Summus—Summuseraphi.”
Dunham shuffled over to the control console, setting aside the egg and heart. “Get in your cage, Slave Ignis.”
The effect of releasing the artifacts was immediate. Ignis’s will flared to life in opposition to Dunham’s own, but the divine power he’d absorbed overpowered the phoenix if not with ease, without a prolonged battle of wills.
Good. Putting the divine essence out of mind until the coming confrontation with Vitae and Aquaylae was a mistake.
“Were they any witnesses?” Viviane asked.
“Yes, and both Courts had Fae Kissed present.”
“What did you do with them—the witnesses?”
“Your mass hypnosis spell held them until your dream weavers arrived.” Dunham raised Terrance’s cage and fought through the pain toward the circled stones. “Why are we still wiping memories? I thought you wanted more forces to help destroy the others.”
“The only thing humans reproduce faster than garbage or themselves is gossip. The more mortals aware of the Sidhe, the greater the chance the Plague of Knowledge will begin, strengthening the other queens.” Vivian slipped under his arm, helping him across the distance. “Besides, the phoenixes aren’t the only ones keeping an eye out for Faery touched.”
“Corrupting humanity to give you and your sisters reign over Creation was supposed to be the idea.”
“True, but only after I’ve secured my position once more.”
Shifting his fingers through the motions to lower the magical barrier containing Terrance hurt, but was worth the short-lived torment. “Rise, Terrance, and step from your cage. You will refrain from any action that might cause harm to me and mine.”
The beautiful black woman rose, offering a seductive smile. The temptress act might’ve put Dunham off his guard if not for his time with Viviane. He fought stiff limbs to remove his clothes.
“You will remove my clothes and treat my burns with your essence.”
“For someone whose commands whisper divine power, your healing salves should have cured any burns.”
“Ignis’s fire proved more potent.”
And I didn’t think to add divine essence to the cure.
“Ease my pains and explain why you took so long on your mission.”
Terrance reached for Dunham. He fought the instinct to flinch away. The earth phoenix’s soft hands settled gently onto Dunham’s burns. Soothing coolness drew the fiery pain from his skin.
“The Sidhe fled in separate directions. It took some time to hunt them down, kill them and destroy their remains.”
“Did you encounter Vitae or Quayla?”
“I saw neither,” Terrance moved from Dunham’s arm onto his shoulder and then slid his hands around Dunham’s throat.
“Are you considering strangling me?”
“I considered it,” Terrance said. “But I can feel your grip around my egg and would rather avoid punishment from a fruitless attack.”
Dunham turned his repaired hand over, one finger inserted in the ring of metal that chained the set emerald connected to the Terra’s egg within in his palm.
Terrance nodded absently. “Yes, that and your Sidhe master stands ready to wield my actual egg against me if I damage her pet.”
I squeezed my fist and dug nails into the stone. “I’m not her pet.”
Terrance grimaced. “Forgive my misinterpretation of the situation, Master.”
Dunham caged Terrance once more after the earth phoenix had drawn out the pain and spurred regrowth of the damaged skin. He turned to Viviane. “I still think that we’re hurting the campaign by surrendering recruitment opportunities.”
“And I think the slow progress would be mitigated if you started sending the shields out in groups.”
“Do you have intelligence of another pending incursion?”
A wicked smile bowed her cerulean-painted lips. “We’re about to release more portal points for two rather large forces.”
“How is your animal supply?”
“Unfortunately, the bloodthirstiness of my kin worldwide is denting my supply, cursed spay and neutering campaigns.”
Dunham scrutinized the emaciated Summus. There seemed little life, let alone fight, left in the divine phoenix. He kneeled next to each basin, evaluating the essence levels. He arched an eyebrow at Viviane.
“I managed to find a little.” Viviane smiled. “I assumed you’d want it employed to help keep Summuseraphi.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank me by taking advantage of this boon.”
“Of course, anything for you.” Dunham crossed to the control console and went through the motions of commanding them to refrain from attacking himself, Viviane or Circlestone. Once done, he raised all of the cages, releasing all three phoenixes at once.
Ignis tried to take advantage of his split attention, but Summuseraphi’s essence made putting Ignis on his face simple.
“Terrance and Caelum, you will be stopping an incursion that lovely Viviane has uncovered. I’m sure performing your duty will be satisfying. While you are cleaning up, I will see security procures tactical gear so that you can communicate with one another and keep me updated on what you are doing. Once the Sidhe are exterminated—Terrance will explain—you will contact me immediately.” Dunham focused on Terrance. “If the Sidhe split up, you will radio in immediately. With night coming on, you should be able to utilize your phoenix shapes, but you are to minimize revealing yourself to mortals.”
“Why are you doing this?” Caelum asked.
Viviane stepped forward, traipsing her fingertips down Caelum’s body. “All part of the big picture, Caelum dear.”
Caelum slapped her hand away. “Don’t Caelum dear me, Sidhe demon.”
Viviane smirked at Dunham. “Do you think I’m a she-demon?”
Dunham nodded. “Yes. Caelum’s right, you are.”
Viviane pouted her way off to one side.
Dunham put her out of his mind and glowered down at Ignis. “Since you like burning things so much, you’re going to do me the great favor of torching several of Atlanta’s important houses of hypocrisy.”
Viviane scowled.
“I will enjoy sending you to answer for your crimes,” Ignis said.
“Our crimes, Pyri. Don’t forget, you’re part of the team.” Dunham shifted his attention to all of them. “Get to it.”
Bradley
Bradley stared into space, barely seeing the menagerie of imprisoned faerie creatures. Master Vitae wanted him to create an air force by desecrating children’s graves. A deep fury burned bright around a core of repulsion.
Children.
He couldn’t believe it. His benefactress, the giving, gentle—Bradley raised a hand to his cheek.
No. Not giving and gentle. Look at these poor things.
Cages of various designs held the faerie creatures he’d read about, dreamed about, drew in childish, immature sketches. Some cages were so crammed the creatures barely had enough room to avoid touching the iron bars. Some of the prisoners’ skins showed marks proclaiming they hadn’t avoided the antagonistic metal.
Eyes watched him, but not with hope or even revulsion.
Resignation. How long have they been captive?
The reality of Bradley’s situation was that the length of their incarceration didn’t matter. His will had been conquered by whatever Vitae was. There’d been flashes of clarity, like when he’d learned about Mercer, but Bradley couldn’t remember the last time his head had felt so clear.
Children.
He couldn’t look at the Sidhe anymore. He couldn’t face the shame of what he had to do next. He wished Vitae hadn’t revealed the existence of the room before him.
But I have to do what he orders until I can get out of here.
Bradley trudged back to the lab for his portable detector. He didn’t hurry. He didn’t want to become the ghoul so many people had called him over the years. When at long last he found the detector, he wasn’t sure how he should feel to find the gases used to identify the kinds and strength of magic inert.
He frowned.
He had to figure out what he was looking at in the cells. He had no idea what creatures were what and doubted the pages of monster manuals he’d memorized could be trusted to sort Seelie from Unseelie or measure inherent power.
Bradley trudged back through the security doors. He walked among the cages until he found a glass cage of Tinkerbelle-like creatures with wings on forearms and calves in addition to their backs.
“I don’t want to harm you, but I need to run some tests on you. Please don’t resist.” Bradley turned to the nearest enforcer. “Bring two of them into the lab.”
A trollman stomped forward.
“Gently,” Bradley amended.
If the trollman heard him, it made no sounds of compliance. He picked a goblin and a willowy elf, having the enforcers relocate them while causing a minimal amount of harm.
Bradley returned to the lab, gesturing the waiting trollmen to bring their captors over to the massive detection chandelier from his morgue. He hadn’t used it much since discovering the three types of magic. It wasn’t as well calibrated as the rattler, but its gas globes still indicated magic types and concentrations.
The first test lit up all three kinds of magic.
The little winged woman had been caged for ages. There was no way she had residual magic from two kinds of Sidhe.
Bradley slapped his forehead. “Give her to me. Please be still, miss.”
He brought her beneath the chandelier magic-o-meter. This time only the Seelie gas illuminated. He nodded at the results.
The trollman was infused with troll magic and Vitae’s essence. The presence of both creatures confused the meter.
Bradley motioned over the trollmen. “Please put her gently back into her cage.”
The little woman wailed and started sobbing.
Cracks shot through Bradley’s heart, but he turned his attention to the goblin. “I just need you to stand under the detector.”
The goblin nodded like the effort took all of his energy. Bradley helped the weak faerie half-way over to the chandelier before the creature sprang at his throat. Dirty nails tore into Bradley’s skin. He covered his head with both arms, screaming at the trollmen to help.
The enforcer jerked the goblin off of Bradley, dangling him in the air by one hand like a naughty kitten.
The workers filling Vitae’s seeds looked up at the commotion, but none came to his aid. Bradley snapped at the nearest, a rotund pig-faced creature with bat ears. The bumbling Sidhe reminded Bradley of the villain’s minion from the Disney’s Gummi Bears cartoon, earning him and the rest of his species the nickname Toady. Bradley’d dismissed this Toady from lab work twice over accidents. “You, get me handcuffs or something.”
Bradley massaged his sore neck, wincing when fingertips brushed the cuts in his neck. He fetched the first aid kit, disinfected the wound and bandaged himself the best he could.
Toady offered him shackles.
Bradley wanted to snap at the creature, berate him for not taking the restraints to the enforcer still holding up the struggling goblin. He pointed. “Put these on the goblin and get him under the detector.”
Bradley checked his bandages in the mirror and followed the clumsy Toady. The goblin put up a fight until a trollman fist stole his consciousness. Bradley pinched the bridge of his nose and waited. Toady threw the manacled, unconscious goblin over one shoulder, crossed to the testing area and slapped the goblin down with a head cracking smack.
The noise prompted Bradley to look up from behind his fingers.
One of the globes in his detector burned bright green. The green globe had never reacted with anything Bradley had inspected with it.
Bradley rushed over to the detector, excitement countering his dissatisfied malaise. The light faded quickly, leaving the blue light to identify the goblin as a relatively weak Unseelie.
“Hey, come back here.”
Toady looked up at him like Bradley were a Mack truck and the faerie a stubborn doe daring the truck to hit it.
“Get back over here, now.”
The response of the enthralled Toady was immediate, but Bradley’s normal sense of guilt stayed quiet in the face of possible discovery. As soon as Toady stepped close enough to the detector, the globe burned green.
Great Gygax, there’s a fourth kind of magic.
Bradley’s brow furrowed, creasing his forehead in an acre’s worth of crooked farming rows.
Vitae said the essence had to be used in balanced quantities—equal parts Seelie and Unseelie to prevent bad consequences.
He stared at Toady. “What are you?”
“A noggle, wafer.”
“No, Seelie or Unseelie.”
“Wyldfae.”
Wyldfae?
“How does that work? I thought there was just Summer and Winter, Seelie and Unseelie. Are you guys a blended species?”
The noggle darkened, snarling out his answer. “No.”
“He’s an Anseelie,” the captive elf said.
Anseelie?
Bradley’s brow furrows deepened.
The elf continued. “Anseelie are a separate race, children of the once third leader of the Dark Trinity.”
“You’re all descended from a different...mother?”
The elf’s head inclined slightly.
“Three Queens of Faery, not two?”
The elf’s tone hardened. “Two, mortal. The Morning Star’s third queen is gone, never to return.”
Toady hissed something in a language Bradley had no chance of translating.
“Elf?” Bradley asked.
“He disagrees with my statement.”
Yeah, vehemently from the sound of it. Three queens under a king, this Morning—holy shit!
Bradley rushed up to the elf. “Morning Star? As in Lucifer?”
The elf smirked.
“Wait, but that would mean the Sidhe are the children of...”
“We are the Creation of the Fallen, wafer, just as you are the Creation of the Ultimate Creator.”
“Wait, then what is Vitae?”
“A bastard bird playing a game that will have his kind cast down just as we were,” the elf said.
Holy hells, I’m working for the next Satan.