The Glass Man (20 page)

Both of us yelped when Nix flew upward, bringing me with him.

“Let her go.” Liam’s fingers locked onto Nix’s shirt.

“Enough!” I shoved a hand into each of their chests, taking a few breaths to calm myself. Their energies tasted different. Nix’s seemed muted somehow, but they both crawled up my arms like a heat wave and threatened to overwhelm me.

I stepped away, shook out my tingling fingers. “I promise I won’t rip her head off—for today. So what do we do now?”

“The queen needs to call her people home,” Gallagher said.

I found him standing behind me, his hands in his pockets.

“Why did they leave in the first place?” I held fists against my legs, still wrestling with the desire to pound something.

“When your mother left, they became fearful that the Unseelie would destroy the city. They fled and hid amongst the humans.”

My blood burned through my body, a rage I could hardly contain. “Well that’s just perfect. One person leaves and everyone runs away? Fucking cowards. They abandoned their city to die. What would I want with a bunch of self-absorbed pansies?”

“You need to lead them. Build us into a nation. Make us proud to call ourselves Seelie again.”

I blinked at him for a long time. “I don’t know how to do that. I’m not even sure if I want to.”

“Call them home, and I’ll help you.” Gallagher gestured to the rest of the fae in the room. “We all will.”

“What about Donovan?”

“Put out the call, and we’ll talk about it.”

I rubbed my forehead to ease the weight of the impossible task resting there. “So in other words, we won’t do a damn thing?”

Gallagher stepped closer, offered me his hand. After a brief hesitation, I sighed and took it.

“We won’t risk your safety, Lila, but I give you my oath that if there is a way to save this fae, it will be done.”

I studied his face and found no deception there. His touch comforted me, sapped the rage from me as well as valium.

“Thank you.” The rip in my soul didn’t stop bleeding, but it didn’t hurt quite as much.

Gallagher’s brow creased as he placed fingers against my temples and closed his eyes.

“What are you doing?” I squirmed for a moment.
What can he find in my head? Does he know I’m a half breed?
With a growl, I jerked my hand away. “Get out of my head.”

“Incredible,” he whispered. “Forgive me, but I couldn’t help myself. The Goddess has granted you her Sight. If I didn’t see it for myself, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

Gasps and whispers rose in a chorus around the room.

“I’d appreciate you not announcing my personal shit to a bunch of strangers.”

He nodded, his hands dropped to his sides, and his mouth turned down at the corners. “I must tell you—that’s not all that has changed with you.”

I followed his gaze as it moved to Liam, who fidgeted beside me.

“He has blocked more than your Light,” Gallagher said.

My mouth fell open as his words registered with me. I whirled around to face Liam head on. “What’s he talking about?”

Liam wouldn’t meet my stare. “I did it to protect you.”

“Did what?” I threw my hands up, stepped closer.

Nix came up behind Liam, stood ready with a wide stance, his eyes on me.

Liam growled. “After we—the thought of you with Parthalan, how he said you reacted to him …”

“Would someone tell me what the fuck is going on here? Because I don’t speak stutter and half sentences.”

“He inhibited your attraction to other fae,” Gallagher said. “Like a radio, he tuned you to his frequency and blocked the rest.”

My eyes flew open as wide as they’d go. “You—what? Is that why you’ve been so unwilling to fix me? So I’d crawl all over you like a lovesick nympho and you wouldn’t have to worry about any competition?” I clutched my chest, an unbearable weight upon it that threatened to crush me to a pulp.

I pointed a finger at him, wheezing. “You know how hard it is for me to trust, and you pull this shit on me? What else is there Liam? What else haven’t you told me, because now is the fucking time!”

“Nothing,” he muttered as he kicked at the tile floor. “There’s nothing else.”

“Perfect. Then release my Light and undo whatever the fuck else you did to me.”

Hesitantly, he closed the distance, looking everywhere but at me. “Lila, I—”

“Save it. I knew there was a reason I didn’t trust you. I guess my instincts are always right.”

He nodded, his shoulders drooping. “I need to touch your bare chest. I mean, not—above your …” He gestured to my breasts.

“Just do it.”

After wrestling with my shirt from the front, he went behind me and reached his hands down through the collar until his hands rested against the skin below my throat. The pressure beneath his hands made me groan and lock my knees to remain standing. His breath quickened, and he moaned.

I screamed when my energy flooded through my body, shinning through my skin as if I’d just crawled out of something radioactive. A moment later, all the fae in the room lit up in my head—the lights of home—some brighter than others.

Liam whispered through my mind as he released me,
“I love you.”

I swallowed past the giant lump in my throat. My face hardened into the stone mask I’d worn for years. Even the voice in my head turned cold. I thought slow, pointed words at him.
“How dare you say that to me! I don’t even know what those words mean, but I know you wouldn’t treat me like your personal whore if you loved me.”

How could I have imagined a life with him? I’d lived alone all of my adult life and had survived just fine. Maybe that was the way it was supposed to be.

“What do we do with this one?” Nix’s heated stare fixed on Liam.

My eyes closed, stealing away the site of the Unseelie. “Get him out of my sight.”

24

Gallagher appeared beside me as a few of the guards escorted Liam to the transport.

“How do I call the fae?” My voice drained of emotion. I turned away, unable to watch Liam leave as if it would drive the hurt deeper inside me if I did.

I squeezed something warm in my fingers. Intense energy climbed my arm. I looked down to find Nix’s hand turning white in my grasp. I let him go and stepped away with a scowl.

“Your Sight of the Goddess will make it easier,” Gallagher said. “We’ll go to the top of the tower. Concentrate on all Seelie, then use your Light to make your voice carry stronger upon the wind. When they feel your power, they’ll return.”

“And then what?”

“And then you’ll greet your people as their queen. Tell them what you expect of them. We must deal with Parthalan as a nation or fall beneath his boot.”

I wiped a hand down my face, gripped my hips. “I’ll heal the city first.”

Nix offered me his arm. “I’ll help you.”

“The return of the fae will heal the city.” Neasa’s four inch heels tapped across the room toward us. Her tinsel hair swished out behind her. “Don’t waste your Light on lesser beings. You’ll need it to call our people home.”

“The only lesser being here is you.” My energy welled up in a flash. The air in my vicinity vibrated and glowed. My golden hair danced around me, weaving itself into a chaotic tangle above my head. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed my Light, like an entity living within me with its own pulse, its own mind.

My old friend.

Neasa’s mouth flew open as if I’d shoved a taser up her rigid backside. Pity I didn’t have one.

Nix grabbed my arm. He inhaled sharply at the touch, and I echoed him a moment later. Intoxicating fire spiraled along my bones, invading my chest and other places. I jerked away, rubbed the goose bumps on my arms.

“How can you think of anything else while your city suffers?” I sneered at the smug bitch. “The shifters are beings with souls. They feel pain and loneliness just like you, and I’ll heal them whether you like it or not.”

Gallagher edged between us. “I can draw Light from others and lend it to you when you’re finished.”

“Perfect.” I headed toward the transport. “Nice to know someone gives a shit about this place.”

Nix followed me, chuckling. “It’s about time someone put that broad in her place. She’s been strutting around here like she owns the place since Qu—” He cleared his throat and fidgeted beside me as we waited for the transport.

“My mother’s name won’t turn me into a raging beast, Nix.” My fists balled tighter.

His lips twitched. “Yeah, I think it’s a little late for that.”

“I’m not in the mood for you to poke fun at me. If I crack you one or blow something up in your face, it’s your own damn fault.” I forced myself to breathe through my nose until the anger subsided. Neasa and I were going to have to come to an understanding, or I’d end up popping her one.

When the doors opened, I stomped inside, stood in the corner and concentrated on my energy to distract me.

I gathered up everything Liam-related and tucked it away deep in the cellar of my mind. No time to fret over lying dirtbags. I had a city to save and a whole shitload of asses to kick. I held little hope that I could save my father, but I’d still try.

• • •

Nix and I stood in a small garden in the middle of the city. A lush green carpet of moss cushioned my feet and smelled of fresh growing plants. Little blue bell-shaped flowers added a sprinkling of color to the emerald canvas. Small mounds of wildflowers grew around trees I’d never seen before, the foliage dark pink and wispy like feathers. The fragrance smelled somewhat like roses but sweeter.

“This is the heart of Dun Bray,” Nix said, passion clear in his voice. “Most call the Court the heart, but this is where I feel the greatest connection to the city and her creatures—and to the ones who have left their earthly bodies and fill our skies with their Light.” He looked up, a heartbreaking smile on his face.

“Have you lost someone?” Part of me hoped his answer would be yes, that maybe he would understand my agony.
God, really? I’m wishing my pain on him so I’ll have someone to talk to? Now I can add cold-hearted bitch to my list of qualities.

He lowered his gaze to me again. We were the same height, so I could see through his facade into the hurt dwelling behind those brilliant eyes. When he offered me his hand, I took it without hesitation, eager to ease his suffering and hopefully mine at the same time.

“When the years stretched on with no word, some of us went out looking for you.” He squeezed my hand, used it to draw me closer. “Few of us returned.”

I snatched my hand back, moved away and stared down the cobblestone street. “Is there anyone who hasn’t lost someone because of me?”

“No—wait! I didn’t say that to place blame on you.”

“Who did you lose, Nix?” I folded my hands over my stomach to quiet the churning there.

He paused for a long time. “My mother and my youngest brother.”

I nodded, an ache growing in my bones. “I’ll fix the city now, and then I’ll call the damn Seelie back for what good it’ll do.”

With my eyes closed, I concentrated on my Light, letting it build and brighten until I thought it would tear me apart or burn me up. I knelt and placed my hands against the cool moss. The pulse of the city throbbed like a weak heartbeat below me. A sudden wind grabbed at my hair and stole my breath away. The trees creaked in protest.

When I could no longer contain the energy, I dug my fingers into the moss and pushed my will down into the soul of Dun Bray, ripped open its heart and poured in my own. My every cell burned with the intensity of the release. I cried out as I poured everything I had into the ground. My Light ignited the sky and everything around me as if lightning had flashed and frozen at its brightest.

As my energy spread through the city, more and more of the shape-shifters awakened. Their glee filled me as their dormant bodies returned to life again, followed by their ache from years of loneliness. I had an overwhelming urge to crawl inside one and sleep forever.

When my well of energy emptied and my Light extinguished, I collapsed onto the moss, panting.

Nix said nothing, only lay down beside me—close enough that I could share his warmth and the gentle pleasure from his energy but not close enough to overwhelm me. We stared at each other for a long time before I closed my eyes.

Fifteen minutes later, I’d recouped enough to stand. “Why did Gallagher want me to go to the top of the tower?” I brushed bits of moss from my black pants. “I don’t have the first clue how to call a bunch of people I’ve never seen.”

“He’s a powerful telepath. Maybe he can show you their faces.”

A little hope ignited in me. “Maybe you’re not just pretty muscle after all.” I winced. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

Nix laughed, a bright, infectious sound. “You just called me muscular, good looking and smart. What could I possibly find insulting in that?”

I turned away. My heart hurt too much to deal with flirting no matter how mild or innocent. I sipped in a breath when an idea struck me. “With Sight of the Goddess, I can think of Donovan, and I’ll know if he’s alive. Right?”

“Parthalan might have wards around the city to keep all
cumhachts
from penetrating. I know we do.”

“I’m about to find out.”
Donovan
, I thought, drawing up the memory of his arms around me, of the adoration I saw when he looked at me. My sight jetted across the land, carried high above the earth by the wind. Flashes came from different places—some forest, field, desert, some place where snow and ice stretched on for hundreds of miles.

“Did you find him?” Nix asked when I opened my eyes.

“No, but I didn’t see any flashes from inside either the Black City or Dun Bray. I seem to be limited to the human world.” I leaned forward, propped hands against my thighs.

I turned and started up the hill, shaking off the disappointment. “Let’s go.”

We ran back to the white building and sprinted up the steps. A transporter ride later, and we stepped into the briefing room where Gallagher and Neasa talked heatedly by the fireplace. Everyone else had gone.

“Let’s get this done, Gallagher,” I said.

The two fae paused and snapped their attention to me.

“Is there a problem here? I need to talk to—”
Shit.
I almost called him my brother. “Garret.”

When Gallagher turned toward me, Neasa grabbed him by the arm. He twisted his head back to her. Her eyes stretched open wide as she released him. I wished I could have seen his face. The look must have been a good one.

Wearing a wry grin, Gallagher continued toward us.

“What was that all about?” I asked him.

“Another time perhaps.” Gallagher motioned for us to get back on the transport. “For now, it should please you to know that Brígh is with Garret. I thought it best if he was not alone.”

“Thank you.” I followed Nix back into the white chamber.

After a dizzying ride, we stepped out onto the top of the tower. I gulped, noting a short wall separating me from a long drop. The wind nudged me sideways, and I stepped back into Nix.

“I won’t let you fall,” he whispered.

Gallagher took my hand and led me away from the transport doors. I did my best to walk, despite my rigid muscles, and kept my eyes averted from the wall.

“Why are we up here?” My mouth dried to a chalky paste.

“I can amplify your power with my own and Nix’s, and it works better in the open. It may not make a difference, but we need all the advantages we can get.”

“Okay, but please hurry so we can get out of here.”

Gallagher stood facing me, his hands grasping my upper arms. Nix came from behind and placed his hands over top of Gallagher’s. “I’ll plant the images of the fae in your mind,” Gallagher said. “Use them to send out the call.”

I nodded and closed my eyes. The rush of images overwhelmed me. I struggled to get away, but Nix whispered reassurances to me. So many faces, skin colors and hair of every imaginable shade. When I adjusted enough to think past the constant slideshow, I opened the well in my head and set free what little Light remained. A moment later, Gallagher forced his energy, along with Nix’s, into me. Fire ignited my flesh, flooding me with the urge to giggle like a drunken fool. I concentrated on the faces and used our combined Light to push my will out farther across the wind and into the trees.

It took a few minutes before answering gasps rang in my ears. Startled faces turned up to me, some sitting at desks in an office, some in their bathtubs, walking down busy streets or boarding up their windows. They all dropped whatever happened to be in their hands and covered their ears as I commanded them home. Hours passed, along with hundreds of faces, maybe thousands—I’d long since lost count.

“Lila!” A voice shrieked in my ear.

My concentration shattered, and I crashed back to reality. Gallagher stumbled away and sat down on the stone, rubbing his head.

I turned to find Brígh standing beside me. Some of her pink hair had escaped her ponytail. Dried blood caked the rim of one nostril.

The look in her eye made me grab her by the arms and shake her. “What happened?”

She handed me a folded piece of paper. A tear trickled down her freckled cheek. “It’s Garret. He knocked me out. When I woke up, I found this.”

With shaking hands, I grabbed the note and unfolded it.

Lila.

I’m going back for father. I covered myself in illusion and came back to the briefing room, so I know everything. Maybe you can live with yourself sitting around while he suffers, but I can’t. I’d rather die.

Garret.

“No!” I sprinted to the transport with Nix on my heels.

“What does it say?” He grabbed the note from my hand. He closed his eyes and pressed his palms against his forehead. “Fuck. She was supposed to watch him!”

“This isn’t her fault. It’s mine. I should have kept him with me. He’s my responsibility. If I’d let him stay in the first place—I have to bring him back.”

He clenched his fists. “Please, just give me some time to figure this out. I won’t let you commit suicide.”

“He can’t have gone far, even if he hitched a ride in a car.”

“It’s night in the human world. You slept for a long time when you passed out in Liam’s arms. The Sluagh will pick Garret up if they haven’t already.”

I thrust my hands against the walls of the tiny space as we descended. “I forgot about those things, but it still doesn’t make a difference. I promised to keep him safe.” With my Light returned to me, the Sluagh didn’t concern me, though Parthalan did.

“Parthalan must have found a way to get what he wants. He always does.”

“Gallagher said your
cumhacht
doesn’t work against Parthalan. If you give yourself to him—” Nix paced with me.

“I don’t even understand why he still wants me. I’m mated to Liam.” A twinge of pain in my stomach caught me off guard. I groaned.

“There are ways to break the bond.” Nix spoke carefully as if afraid of my reaction.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m going anyway.” The ache for Liam grew worse, spread through me, a disease where the cure could hurt me worse than the affliction.

When we arrived at the ground level, I bolted across the main hall and out the doors. Down the stairs I went, taking a few at a time. Urged along by pure adrenaline, I ran along the cobblestone, the window eyes of the houses watching me as I passed. I thought about stopping to use my Sight to find him, but I kept running, driven to move.

“Lila, wait!” Liam emerged from one of the houses, his face and hands bloodied.

“Where are your guards?” Nix growled.

Liam stood in front of me as if he hadn’t heard Nix. “I can feel everything you do, remember? What happened?”

I stopped and averted my eyes, debating whether or not to tell him. The crinkling of paper made me turn. Nix had handed him the note.

Liam pressed the note against his lips. His chest heaved. He leapt at me before I could react and kissed me violently, lingered so close I could see the determination in his eyes. The ache in my body eased with his nearness.