“She was faster than before. It caught me off guard. I think she may be Awakened,” he said, trying to keep his own voice even. He’d learned the hard way not to let his temper flare in Dieter’s direction, even a little bit. For all that he looked like a mild-mannered office drone, the man was scary. And the things he could do… Cole repressed a shudder.
“Awakened? I did not sense any power in her. I think it is more likely she out-thought you. A monkey could do as much.” The lack of emotion in the insult made it all the more grating to Cole. Dieter paced five steps across the warehouse lot, turned sharply, and paced back to his starting point. “Whisper, go and see if there is any of her blood on the floor of the cell. That will make tracking her easier.”
Whisper, the man in the gray shirt, nodded and jogged back into the factory without a word. Dieter turned and paced again—exactly five steps away, and five steps back. Cole watched him. Dieter’s pacing always reminded him of a caged panther he’d seen once—pure restless murder, and woe to anyone nearby if it ever broke out.
Cole was strong. His father had shown him how to catch the dying spark of a snuffed life, and how to press it into his flesh to make himself stronger. It was the only magic he knew, and he was just fine with being a one-trick pony. Dieter, though… Dieter knew how to summon things. He knew how to get into people’s heads and make them see things that weren’t there or do things they would never do. And he knew how to find people.
Dieter continued to pace until Whisper returned. Without a word, Whisper held out a white square of cloth smudged with a bright smear of crimson blood.
Dieter’s smile was a chilling thing.
##
“Any chance I can get another drop of that?” Lanie asked, examining the partially healed gashes on her left arm. Whatever that stuff was, it was amazing.
“No, it’s dangerous for mortals to have too much of that at a go. I don’t have much left, in any case. Better to save it for an emergency.” The flask had already disappeared, most likely back into Nips’ magic pocket.
Disappointed, but resigned, Lanie changed the subject. “I…,” she paused and bit her lip, trying to decide which was her most pressing question. “When I killed those gremlins, there was a little wisp of something that went into me. Was that… have I been infected with something? Do I need to worry?”
Nips shook his head, “That is what my folk call the Dying Spark, the Last Wisp, or the Killer’s Tithe. There are a lot of names for it, but it boils down to this: when a magical creature dies, or a human who has collected a lot of magic, some of that magic goes to the killer. There are a lot of different ways to gain power, but, unfortunately, killing is the simplest. That means that in the world of the Awakened, killing is an easy way to power, and magical creatures are as likely to kill you for your Spark as they are to talk to you. You’ll need to learn to defend yourself.”
“So, I’ve become a tasty treat for the magic set, then?” Lanie felt her heart drop into her stomach.
“Some of them. Not everyone follows that path. For my folk—the Brownies, that is, not all fae—we gain power through service. And speaking of that, I have a proposal for you,” Nips said. He took off his hat, held it to his chest, and bowed to Lanie in a very formal fashion. “As I owe you a life debt, I would formally pledge myself to your service, to keep your household and aid you by smoothing the lumps of your life to the best of my power for ten years. If we find ourselves suited to one another’s company beyond that, I may even be willing to swear permanent fealty.” He paused for a moment as though debating whether or not to continue, then added, “I would very much like to accompany you on your adventures. There is still a lot of the world I’d like to see, but I’m… I’m not strong enough to survive on my own.”
Lanie eyed the little brown man. She wasn’t sure how she felt about his suggestion. She’d decided to trust him on the spur of the moment, but she didn’t know anything about him except what he’d told her. The idea of an indentured servant didn’t feel right to her, either. Her modern sensibilities and her own life experiences made her feel unclean at the very thought.
She needed information, and he could help with that, but tying him to her for ten years seemed like a big risk. She considered her words, not wanting to offend the Brownie and possibly lose an opportunity, then said, “We don’t know each other. That’s a big commitment. I’ll tell you what: stick with me for twenty-four hours. Answer all my questions truthfully, and we’ll see how things go. I’ll give you an answer tomorrow, and if it’s ‘no,’ we’ll part ways with no hard feelings. Suitable?”
Nips nodded and replaced his hat on his head. “My lady is wise.”
“Don’t be a kiss-ass. I need truth, not flattery. But first, I need to make myself presentable. Turn around and give me a little privacy while I change,” Lanie said, grabbing the shopping bags she’d dropped at the mouth of the alcove.
“Of course. If you will allow me, I can assist.” Eager to prove himself useful, he acted before Lanie could answer. Nips pulled his cloth out of his pocket again. He waved it in three little circles in Lanie’s direction, as though he was wiping an invisible surface, and she felt a cool wave of energy pass over her. “There we are. Nearly as good as a shower.”
To Lanie’s surprise and delight, the cool wave of energy took all of the grime, dried blood, and cobwebs with it as it passed over her, leaving her clean. Her sweater was still torn, and her hair was standing on end, but the filth had been whisked away.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“You know, if you ignore the deadly and absolutely terrifying parts, this magic stuff is pretty neat,” Lanie said, looking down at herself with a huge grin.
Nips snorted in amusement. “It does have its uses,” he replied, indulging in a moment of dry British understatement. “I’ll keep a watch down the alley.”
Nips hopped down from the stack of pallets and scurried to the corner where the alcove joined the alley. True to his word, he kept watch while Lanie donned her new purchases. The skirt was a flimsy thing, the fabric so thin it was nearly sheer, so she kept the leggings on underneath it. With the blouse, green and gold headscarf covering her hair, and oversized sunglasses, she looked more like a local than a tourist. She called out to Nips that it was safe for him to look and dumped out the contents of her backpack onto the top of a barrel.
In the warehouse, she’d just hurriedly scooped her things into her bag, and she wanted a chance to see what tools she still had. First, though, while the bag was empty, she unzipped the side of the green backpack and turned the outer fabric inside out, revealing the messenger bag underneath. The green fabric got tucked into the lining of the messenger bag through a slit along the bottom of the bag, leaving it looking completely different. The only way anyone could tell that there was anything special about the bag would be if they noticed the lumps of extra fabric between the lining and the back of the bag. Lanie had designed it and sewn it herself, and she was very proud of it. She didn’t even need to empty it to transform it if she was going from messenger bag to backpack. The backpack part worked more like a cover for the other bag.
Nips had scampered up the side of the barrel and watched with interest as she transformed the bag. “That’s quite clever. Not the sort of thing most people think to carry, though.” Nips’ words were an observation, but Lanie could hear the question in his tone.
She took a moment to consider how much she wanted to say as she sorted and repacked her belongings. Eventually, she decided on the unvarnished truth. “I’m a thief.” She watched Nips’ face as she said it, not making any excuses or trying to justify it. She was surprised by how relieved she felt when no judgment crossed his features. The little man looked rather excited by the idea.
“Ah, daring burglaries and heists! Like Robin Hood, Aladdin, and Danny Ocean. How exciting!”
Lanie snorted. “Nothing so glamorous. I mostly just get hired by bad guys who want to liberate assets from other bad guys.”
“Have you ever robbed a bank? Or a museum? Oh, I can just see you dangling from wires above a laser grid carefully, lifting some precious work of art out of an alarmed display case.” Nips’ eyes gleamed. Lanie could nearly see the movie scenes playing out behind them.
“Usually, I break into mansions and warehouses. Last night was my first museum heist, and so far it hasn’t gone well.” She clamped her mouth shut as soon as she realized what she’d just said. A chill suspicion settled in her stomach. “Did you do something to me? Some sort of enchantment to make me tell you things?”
“No!” Nips’ face fell at the accusation. “I swear to you, I’ve done no such thing.”
“How can I know that? Blabbing to someone I just met isn’t something I’d normally do. It’s weird, and I have only your word to go by,” Lanie glared at Nips, her jaw tight with anger.
“I…” Nips pulled his hat from his head and turned it in his hands, his eyes turned downward as he searched for some way to prove his innocence. Lanie was about to march away when he had an idea and brightened. “Wait. I can prove it to you. Let me teach you a way to detect such things, then you’ll know.”
Lanie hesitated. She crossed her arms and bit her lip as she considered. She wanted to trust the Brownie. She needed the information he could provide, and it was nice having someone she could talk to about all the magic and weirdness, but how could she trust that what he was saying was true? She felt torn. Her heart was telling her she could trust him, but years of life experience told her that almost no one could be trusted. Eventually, her curiosity won out over her caution, and she nodded. “OK. But if I get any hint you’re pulling a fast one on me, I’m gone.”
“Fair enough. OK, when you first came around the corner, what did you see?” Nips asked.
“Two mangy alley cats about to eat a mouse,” Lanie said, “but then it changed, and I could see you and the gremlins.”
Nips nodded, “Creatures of Fairy have a natural field around us that alters perception. It’s called glamour. It’s always active at a low level, and it causes people without any magic to see us as part of the mundane world. Unless we are putting effort into it, though, anyone with even a touch of magical ability can see through it to the truth. With a little effort, I can suppress it fully, or I can make it quite a bit stronger. I’ll use that to show you how to feel it when something is trying to trick your mind.
“Start by paying attention to your mind and your thoughts as they are now, free of outside influence. You’ve lived that way all your life, and you know how your mind should feel, even if you’ve never paid much attention to it. That’s what trips most people up: they don’t pay attention.” He swept out an arm to indicate the city as a whole. “Billions of people in the world, and only a few of them take the time to just stop and look inside themselves.”
“Know thyself?” Lanie asked as she turned her attention inward. She was one of those billions. She’d never paid much attention to her thoughts or the way her mind and body felt. There was usually too much going on outside to worry about what was happening inside. She didn’t close her eyes; she still didn’t trust the situation enough for that, but she did see the value in evaluating what was going on in her head.
Nips nodded, “Exactly. Now, do you have your baseline?” He waited for Lanie’s nod before continuing, “OK, I’m going to power up my glamour. It will be subtle, easy to miss if you aren’t looking for it, but you should feel it trying to push a new truth into your awareness.”
Lanie watched Nips, trying to keep her awareness on her mental state. The change wasn’t gradual at all. One moment, Nips was there, and the next, a large brown rat was standing on the barrel where he’d just been. She jumped back in surprise. Something in her mind was trying to make her believe that the rat was a wild creature that had sneaked up on her, even though she knew better. Once she recognized the incongruous thoughts, she could feel it: a subtle pressure against her mind. It wasn’t a physical sensation; it was hard to put the exact feeling into words, but it was real.
She pushed back. As long as she kept her attention on the sensation, she could tell which thoughts were hers and which ones came from outside, and she rejected the invaders. A bead of sweat ran down her forehead, and her head began to ache, but she didn’t stop. Then, there was a popping sensation in her mind, like a membrane snapping back into place, and a message appeared in her vision:
Congratulations!
New skill gained:
Mental Resistance (Novice)
+1 Willpower, +1 Wisdom
Nips looked like Nips again.
Lanie put a hand to her head with a wince, a mild headache starting to pound behind her eyes. She said, “Wow, that was weird. But, hey, I got a new skill and a point of willpower for it.”
“A point of what, now?” Nips stared at her in confusion.