“Hang on. I’ll get help.” I half-pulled, half-stumbled into the other barn, shutting the door behind us as I took her past the still-fallen help and into the storage area.
Feet pounded outside. Why did I think I could do this like some kind of hero from a TV show? Sure, I was a goddess, but there was a limit to my powers, and Kel was mortal, even with her fae side. Bullets took out fae as well as humans.
A moment of panic, like a trapped horse, stopped me. I glanced around, furiously searching for an exit. I found none. The doors opened and a dozen men aimed weapons at us.
They parted and Cameron strode forward. “Breaking and entering is a little beneath you, isn’t it?”
A thousand words, all clichéd, passed through my mind. “She needs medical attention. Let us go.”
“No.” Cameron motioned for two of the men to step forward. “They’ll release their weapons.” At his words they set their guns on the ground. “And they’ll get her help. This is between you and us. She doesn’t have to suffer.”
“Do you give your word that she will receive medical attention and not be subject to any of your Unseelie magic?” I glanced at Kel who was growing more pale.
“She is human. She’s not a part of this. You are.”
“Do you give your word?” I demanded. Without it, both of us were lost. With it, Kel could carry word of this back.
“Yes,” Cameron grumbled. “I freely give my word.”
“Then help her.” I pushed Kel into the arms of the two men, telling her with my eyes everything would be all right. They each took Kel by an arm and helped her from the building. I waited until she was safely out of sight before turning back to Cameron. “You can’t keep doing this.” I winced at how stereotypical the words sounded, and yet, I didn’t know what else to say. “Word’s going to get out.”
“Yeah we saw your little helper’s live stream and have already put in notices to have it taken down since it infringes on our intellectual property. You can rest assured that she won’t have her cell phone when she’s patched up. I said I’d not harm her. I said nothing about her cell phone.” He smiled, as if he’d discovered some kind of inside joke.
Of course he’d destroy her cell phone. I had no choice. I refused to let her bleed out in some strange barn. Not after what I’d seen. For all I knew they had necromancers on staff to bring her back from the dead and under their will. The Unseelie magic worked best that way. I didn’t doubt that’s what’d happened to Aimee.
So what’s the big? Trainers send their horses to you for a bit of prep work before the big races?” I struggled to keep him talking while I tried to come up with a plan.
“Something like that. You know how this industry works. We make sure all the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed.” He shrugged like a little boy caught in the candy jar, as if he wanted to ask what I expected from him. Bad things certainly, but not this level of bad.
“Sure. Funny how some trainers have to do that while others don’t.”
“And those trainers win more. I can’t believe you’re so naive. After all you’ve seen…” He waved his hand to dismiss my experience. “Take her into custody.”
I had two choices. Try a magical blast and see if that gave me enough time to get out of her unscathed or allow myself to be taken and see what happened. Either option held poor odds. If Forti hadn’t gone to Rota, I’d call out to her. Our bond, both as deities and as lovers, would bring her to me as fast as possible. But Rota held its own rules and if she were there, I’d have no way of reaching her.
Still, I drew a deep breath and concentrated on sending my location and the fact that I was in danger. No words were needed.
The guards marched forward.
She didn’t answer. She must have made it to Rota. Not even the Morrigan whispered in my ear. Had she decided this wasn’t her battle or she had other ones to fight? The war crone moved in mysterious ways. She didn’t answer to me or anyone.
“I’m not going to fight you. But I’m also not giving up.” I strode forward of my own accord, stopping in front of Cameron. “If we do this it’s as befits our stations.” This time I waved my hand dismissively. “We do not need these trappings you and I. Instead, I propose a wager.” And as someone who was the consort of the Goddess of Luck, I smiled.
“A wager?” Cameron leaned forward, his interest piqued. “What sort of wager?”
“A horse race. We each choose our horses and our jockeys. A seven-eighths mile race. If you win, I will stand aside in this war and let you continue to do what you are doing. If I win, you will close this company and cease your plans to interfere with horse racing.” A fair wager, I believed.
“You would not stop us from waging war, even if you win?” Cameron asked. “That seems sporting of you.”
I turned and gave him the full power of a goddess’ glower. “You have been waging war against the Seelie since time began. You really think I’d ask you to stop something that not even your Queen would admit was happening, let alone commit to?” I shrugged. “Seriously.” I longed to demand that he accept my wager, that he act like someone in his position ought to. He may be a member of the court, but his word only held for this company, this group of fae. He held no more sway over
