Eighteen
Far past working streetlights from before the fae war, the onetime bustling hamlet was now quiet. There were people here trying to make a living, a few inns for the weary traveler, a few farms, but life was even harder out here. Protecting what livelihood you could scrape out was a challenge under the constant fear of bandits and thieves. It was why most moved closer to the city, letting nature encroach on the territory they once inhabited.
Working from a map where Andris scribbled out the coordinates, Ash ventured the motorcycle to a forested area not too far from Gödöllo Palace, the rumbling of Maddox’s bike behind us.
Andris wanted me to have more protection, but the more we had, the more we gained attention. My uncle wasn’t happy Warwick was not one of them. Even if he didn’t care for him, he knew Warwick was the best security and weapon to have. Most would run at the sight of him.
Following my instructions, we turned off on an unmarked dirt road. The forest quickly filled in around us, absorbing the motorcycles’ dim headlights. The eerie stillness of the night, the feeling of the things hiding in the dark, had me on edge. After a few more turns down even smaller lanes, which could no longer be counted as roads, we came to a dead end.
“Did we take a wrong turn?” Ash stopped the bike, peering around.
“We lost?” Maddox came beside us.
“No.” Tugging at the bag on my back I borrowed from Ash, I climbed off the bike. I yanked the gun from my belt, strolling to the edge of the lane. “It’s got to be here.” Glock in one hand, a light in the other, I found an almost undistinguishable footpath heading into the woods.
Following my gut, I stepped slowly down the trail, my bootscrunching over the foliage. It wasn’t long before I spotted a structure, almost hidden by overgrowth. I inhaled sharply seeing the tiny cottage, emotion fluttering my lungs.
This was where my parents lived together. Loved. Shared their hopes and dreams... little did they know their love would be tragic and short.
The cottage was like a time bubble of the life my mother and father had before me. It sat here waiting for the owners to return.
They never would. But their daughter had.
The boys stepped in beside me, flashlights in hand. Maddox checked around the house for any alarms or traps.
“All clear,” he pronounced, but I didn’t move.
“You all right, Brex?” Ash bumped my shoulder.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “It’s just... this is the closest I’ve ever been to anything of my mother’s. Things she touched...” What if it still smelled like her? What if something of hers was here? “The last place I have that is my father’s.” All small objects I had of my dad were left back in HDF, sacrificed to escape safely. “This is where they were happy. Together,” I croaked.
Ash took my fingers in his, leading me closer to the front door, where Maddox picked the lock. Ash and I had our weapons primed for any kind of an attack, inside and out.
“Bassza meg!”Fuck me!Maddox hissed under his breath. “This has, like, five deadbolts and a trick lock. Your father wanted to make sure it wasn’t easy to get in.” He stood up. “And we lost our fae lock pick when our last base was attacked.” His dark eyes darted to me with a frown.
My fault.
I was good at picking locks, but I doubted I could crack all five and a trick lock. Those were highly intricate and difficult. Nearly impossible.
“The windows are barred too.” Ash motioned to the one near the kitchen area. The cabin was small, but my dad had made sure it was bunker safe.
“This is when a brownie and an imp would be handy,” I mumbled.
“You called, Master Fishy?” A voice popped up by my ear.
“Holy shit!” I jumped, my hand going to my chest as Opie climbed out of my backpack up to my shoulder, Bitzy in her bag on his back. They still wore the same outfit I saw them in earlier, but Opie haddoubled up on the cotton balls speared through his Mohawk, and now he had a cape made from a sock. “Were you guys there the whole time?” I gaped at him and back to my sack.
“Of course, Fishy.” Opie patted my cheek. “You couldn’t last a day without me.”
Chirp!Bitzy’s middle fingers went up.
“And, of course, Bitzy too.”
Chirp!
“Don’t put this on me!” Opie peered back at Bitzy. “You were the one who wanted to nap in there because it still smelled like mushrooms!”
Chirp! Chirp!
