Pickup Styx (Easy Bake Coven) Read online

  I looked up, and it was really him. “Corbin.” A tear slipped down my cheek, stinging all the way down.

  Sadness filled his eyes. His hand hovered over me, as if he weren’t sure where he could touch.

  “Pretty bad, huh?” Corbin looked no worse for wear. What did he have to do? “Cheney—” My voice broke and I couldn’t go on.

  He smiled. “Would be a fool if he let any of this keep him away from you for a moment.”

  “Help me up.” I held out my hand to him. “Where’s Simon?” I asked through clenched teeth.

  “Haven’t seen him since we stepped into the forest.”

  My muscles were stiff and blood coated me. Corbin put his arm around me. We moved away from the mirror field and back into the dark forest.

  “What happened to you in here?” I asked him.

  “Arrogance isn’t really one of my demons.” He didn’t explain any further than that.

  “So what is yours?”

  He looked over at me. “Betrayal.”

  I stopped. “Who have you betrayed?”

  He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Anyone who gave me the opportunity.”

  Shaking my head slowly, I met his eyes. “You didn’t betray me on the bridge.”

  “Give it time, Selene. I will. I always do.”

  “Minos said you’d tried to free one of his souls before. Did you betray her?” I asked, assuming it had been a girl.

  “Yes. Her and Minos, in the process.” He gave me a devilish smile. “I am probably the last person you should have brought with you.”

  “Corbin, if a jinn and a guardi—” His hand shot out and covered my mouth.

  “Do not utter their names or anything about them here. They have their own trouble and you, my pet, have more trouble than we can handle right now. I have sworn to help you and I intend to try very hard to do so. Now come along.”

  When the end of the forest was in sight, my aching body struggled to move faster, needing to escape.

  “Psst, get down,” Simon hissed from my left.

  Corbin lifted me and ran. A moment later we were next to Simon, who looked a little dirty and beat up, but nowhere near as bad as me. How was that fair?

  “What is it?” Corbin asked.

  “That.” Simon pointed toward the perimeter.

  Patrolling the edge was a huge beast with a face made of a round, corded material that looked an awful lot like intestines. It roared, fire spurting from his mouth, and each step it took shook the ground. Its head tilted upward. Slowly it turned toward us and a roar tore from it like thunder.

  “It’s the blood. It smells the blood,” Simon said, looking at me like I was a dinner bell.

  “With what nose?” Corbin asked.

  It didn’t matter that the demon didn’t have a nose. It knew we were there. Heavy steps pounded toward us. There was no way I could run. Corbin grabbed me.

  “Let’s hope he’s slow,” he said. “Simon, go that way. We’ll go the other.”

  Corbin tossed me over his shoulder and ran so fast everything blurred.

  He stopped and set me down. “We’re still in the woods,” I said.

  “He’ll follow us out. We have to do something now that he has the scent of your blood.”

  “How do we kill it?”

  “We don’t.”

  I peeked my head up and glanced around. I didn’t see the demon, but I could hear it in the distance. “Would a hexagram work?”

  “I’m willing to try anything at this point.” He glanced back. “Better make it fast, pet.”

  I moved out to the biggest clearing, ignoring Simon waving at me to hide, and unwound the ruined dress from my arm. I stuck my fingers deep into the wound on my arm. I groaned with pain, but my fingers came back drenched in blood. I knelt to the ground and drew a six-pointed star surrounded by a circle. Between each point I drew a rune for trapping and binding a demon. I stood back, inspecting my work. None of my magic had worked as I’d planned, but this would. It had to.

  “Toss your dress into the center,” Corbin said. “Something to entice it in.”

  I threw the soiled garment in before closing the circle. “Nothing like going through Hell in my underwear,” I said as I sat next to Corbin.

  He chuckled. “What happened to your shoes?” The thudding footsteps got closer.

  “So impractical. I threw them out.” I readied myself to pour energy into the circle as soon as the demon stepped a foot inside.

  The demon’s horrific face came into view. It threw its head back and rumbled again. Its eyes focused on the dress. Slowly, it walked toward the circle but it didn’t seem fooled by the garment. “Wish me luck.” I came out of hiding and stood just on the other side of the circling, praying this spell would work.

  The beast bounded at me. Corbin started toward me too. I waved him off and braced myself for impact. When the demon was over the circle, I released all the energy I could muster. The demon paused midair. The blood I’d used to draw the circle sizzled and popped, turning a glistening shade of ruby.

  I made a face at Corbin. I couldn’t believe it had actually worked. The circle began to spark, and I backed away, grabbing Corbin as I went.

  “What’s happening?”

  I didn’t answer because I didn’t know. Something was definitely not quite right. The demon fought against the spell but was still suspended.

  “Is that going to hold him?” he asked.

  I looked at him. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

  “Can you run?”

  I nodded, though I wasn’t certain I could. Focusing on getting one foot in front of the other, I did something much closer to a hobble and jog mixed together. We headed for the perimeter. An explosion shook the ground beneath my feet and the circle vanished from my mind. The demon was either dead or free. I pushed my legs faster. Corbin stayed with me though he could have been much farther ahead by now.

  We broke through the forest into blinding sunlight. I shielded my eyes as they adjusted.

  “Damn,” Simon said then whistled between his teeth.

  Adan’s home was simple. High elves lived as one with the land. They didn’t seek to change or disturb it. The space was no more than two rooms, but it brought ease and comfort, much like Adan.

  “Erlking, this is a pleasant surprise. Is Selene with you? I missed her at the last meeting.”

  “No. She couldn’t make it.” I cleared my throat. I didn’t want to lie to Adan, but I also had no intention of telling him everything. Adan, like everyone else, was on a need-to-know basis.

  “Ah, well, she will be missed. How is she doing? Adjusting to being the Erlking’s wife?” He sat and gestured for me to do the same.

  What adjustment? Nothing had changed. Selene and I were the same as we had always been. “She’s fine.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Have you asked her? It’s an adjustment to go from relative obscurity to being in the public eye. I know the protest must be bothering her as well. I hope she isn’t keeping to her room.”

  No, I hadn’t asked her. Since I’d taken the throne, it had been one disaster after another. Who had time to worry about how anyone was feeling? As for the protest, what she didn’t know couldn’t hurt her. “She doesn’t keep to her room.”

  “Does she know about the protests?”

  I scowled. “No.”

  “I see.” He didn’t look disapproving, but I knew the emotion was there.

  “And she isn’t going to know until the time is right.”

  “You’re protecting her?”

  “I am doing what I can.” There was too much I couldn’t protect her from to not step up when I had the chance.

  “Is that the best decision?”

  “As much as I value your advice, this isn’t why I am here.”

  “Ah, well, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit then?”

  “My father has disappeared.” I leaned forward, resting my arms on my knees. “So have the Smaragdine elves.” />
  Adan leaned back. “Any idea what happened?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to find out. It’s like everyone vanished, but there are no magical remnants.”

  “Hmmm, what does Selene think? She may have good insight.”

  Why was he obsessed with Selene? “Also, Gemini twins and a water nymph were found dead in Southbend.”

  Adan’s eyebrows rose. “That is unusual indeed.”

  “There’s more.” I met his wise eyes. “You have known my father for a long time.”

  He nodded.

  “Do you know …if he had …”—I searched for a word that wasn’t crass—“indiscretions?”

  Understanding lit his eyes. “It isn’t unusual. Your mother has been dead for a very long time. Your father …”

  I nodded. The meaning was clear enough. He had needs. “I don’t care if he took a lover, but the fae who have died … Well, it appears I’m related to them.”

  His eyes widened. “I see.”

  “I’m at a loss as to who or what is behind all of this. I don’t think my father could singlehandedly kill an entire village and track down my siblings without someone seeing him. But who else would know where to find these people?”

  “Elverpige,” he whispered more to himself than to me.

  The word sounded vaguely familiar from stories my mother used to tell me, but it was too long ago to perfectly recollect. As far as I remembered an elverpige was the spirit of an elf who was wronged and exacted revenge from those who harmed him or her. “I’m not sure I know what that is.”

  “An elverpige is an angry spirit used to curse bloodlines. They have been known to wipe out entire families, but they cannot be raised without a price. It would take a great sacrifice to call one forth.”

  “A sacrifice like my mother’s people?” He nodded. “If the bloodline was cursed, then perhaps my father didn’t do it. He wouldn’t want to kill himself.”

  “Do you truly suspect him?”

  I didn’t reply. I didn’t know what to think anymore. Obviously I didn’t want my father to be behind any of this, but what did it say about him that I wouldn’t be shocked if he was? This was the same man who’d carried me on his shoulders through the woods, taught me to hunt, and had given me advice on nearly every problem I faced in my life … before Selene, that was. She was without a doubt the reason I questioned what he’d taught. I spent the majority of my life idolizing my father, only to discover he had terrible flaws. But did those flaws run so deep that he would murder his own children? My sister came to mind. He didn’t kill her, her lover did, but he was so angry when he found out she’d had a human lover that he was definitely capable, the hypocrite.

  “I see.” Adan took my silence as a confirmation. “Well, if he did set the curse, he would be immune to it. But why would he set out to destroy his legacy? I understand he must be upset over you taking the crown, but he had to see it coming. He took the crown from his father, as his father did before him. Times change and people must move with them or get left behind.”

  “If we all die, no one can challenge him for the throne. He may believe he can remain the Erlking indefinitely. He hates that I’m with Selene, and he isn’t coming around to her. Also, the protests you mentioned, as long as they continue, he still has hope of taking the throne back from me.”

  “Why not challenge you directly? With honor.”

  “He might lose.”

  “Has your father fallen so far? Would he really let greed sway him?”

  “I hope not …” I looked at my hands, so very like my father’s. “But it seems probable.”

  Adan sighed. “I am grieved to hear it.”

  “But why wouldn’t he just come after me and Selene if that’s what he wants? Why kill the others too?”

  “The elverpige is not a precision instrument. If set loose, it would go after everyone with that bloodline, and they are easier to get to than you and Selene. Or perhaps he is innocent and unaware this is happening.”

  “Who else could do something like this?”

  Adan lifted a hand. “Who else has a strong grudge against you?”

  I didn’t even know where to begin to compile that list. I stood and paced the room.

  “How do you intend to stop this?”

  “There are no clues at Smaragdine. The bodies have my family’s symbol burned into them, but there is no trail to follow. I am at a loss.”

  “This is troubling. Have you not told your wife? I understand you do not wish to trouble her, but do not undervalue her abilities. Selene is powerful, and she could be a great partner if you allow her to be.”

  “Ah, yes. I would never undervalue Selene, but she cannot help me with this particular case. I’m afraid I have to solve it on my own.”

  “Is that so?” This time he did look disapproving. “Until you trust Selene, how do you ever think she will trust you? You have given up much to get to where you are, but so has she. Do not forget that, young Erlking.”

  The last thing I needed was a lecture from Adan, but I gave him a gentle smile. “How can I find this elverpige? Better yet, how do I stop it once I find it?”

  “The elverpige cannot be stopped. The curse must be broken by either killing the one who started the chain or by completing the genocide. And if the elverpige didn’t kill you, and the two of you were to conceive, it would come back for the child. The curse never ends. It never stops until all its intended victims are dead and then it lies dormant.”

  My chest clenched. We had been so caught up in figuring out how we would fit together that I never considered children. But hearing that their lives would also be at stake was too much. I would find a way to destroy the elverpige and whoever set this scourge upon us. “And how do I find it?”

  He shook his head. “I am not sure, but if your family has indeed been cursed, then rest assured, it will find you.”

  I bowed and shook his hand. “Thank you for your help. I trust that I can count on your discretion.”

  “Always.” He bowed slightly.

  I sat next to Selene, holding her cold hand, thinking about the visions and what kind of mother she would make. Everyone had left the room except for Frost, who adamantly refused, saying she had to stay. She was easy enough to ignore, tucked in a corner with her nose buried in her book.

  I had to find the visualized locations before the elverpige or there would be more death. “You could’ve picked a better time to go to the Underworld,” I told her. “I could really use your help. Adan thinks I undervalue you and your opinion, but I honestly don’t. I listen to everything you say to me, even when I don’t want to hear it.”

  I knew she probably couldn’t hear me, but it made me feel better to talk to her. What would Selene demand we do if she were with me? Stop sitting around and find the next location! I imagined her facial expression as the command came to me, and I smiled and refocused my thoughts on picturing the next location in my mind. A filthy alley with a broken sign. It could be anywhere… . Wait, no. Actually, it couldn’t be anywhere. The sign was in English, so it was probably in the human world. Wow, that really narrowed it down. I sighed and leaned my head back against the chair.

  Sebastian came in and cleared his throat. He didn’t have to say anything. I could tell by the air surrounding him that there had been another murder. I kissed Selene’s forehead and stood. “Don’t give up, my love. Fight until you are back with me. I need you.”

  I followed Sebastian to my office, where the entire coven sat in rapture around Sy, who was telling some joke. He was more like Selene than I had ever given him credit for. Neither of them had ever met a stranger, nor did they let self-doubt hold them back. Katrina seemed particularly amused with Sy, which made Sebastian study the floor with a stony expression.

  Edith stood when she saw me. “Is the necromancer still with my granddaughter?” I nodded and she responded with her own curt nod. “Let me know if you need anything else.” She headed back to Selene’s room, looking older than norm
al. The stress was wearing her down. It was wearing all of us down.

  “Where is it?” I asked.

  “New York,” Sebastian said.

  That made sense, given what I’d seen. “Let’s go.”

  Jessica and Katrina hopped up.

  “Wait, don’t you want to know what we found out?” Leslie asked.

  I did want to know, but another body, especially one in the human world, had to be dealt with first. “When we get back.”

  The four of us transported to the alley. Everything was exactly as I’d envisioned, including the broken sign, except that two elf guards stood sentry at the entrance. The man on the ground had feathery wings and a long feather tail. The feathers blended with their surroundings, camouflaging him. A harpy. They were notorious thieves, but this one apparently had been caught.

  “Is this connected? Harpies aren’t really fae.”

  Sebastian flipped him over and revealed the symbol on the back of his neck. Katrina held the already purple crystal over the harpy and it turned black. “We have to find the other ones,” I said, almost panicked.

  “What was next on the list?” Sebastian asked. I described the gambling room to him, and he shook his head. “That could be anywhere.”

  “I know. That’s the problem. Just like this alley could have been anywhere and the stone room can be anywhere. All of this is useless.” I crumpled the paper in my hand. “Utterly useless.”

  “You know that paper is the only lead you have, right?” Jessica said. “Whether or not you think it’s helpful, at least we gave you something.”

  Katrina put a hand on her arm. “Give him a break, Jess.”

  I took a deep breath. It wasn’t their fault. It wasn’t Sebastian’s fault. It was my fault. I was the one failing everyone and everything I cared about.

  “Don’t you have, like, a whole army of people? Surely you can find these places,” Jessica said.

  “The situation is tenuous. I have to maintain the confidence of my realm. And while the guards may work for me, they are also people. They have friends and family and they talk. Weakness spreads very fast. This is my first real challenge as a leader.” I had something to prove, not only to them, but to myself. “Also, I don’t want to draw attention to any of this while people are protesting Selene. It would feed the fire.”