Part 32 (1/2)
CHAPTER 63.
”Eleven o'clock,” I whispered to Bran, not sure what the hearing range of a simin fae was.
He looked at me as if I'd flipped. ”It's not yet ten.”
Men!
”Behind the fae. Eleven o'clock. Could be Vaverek.”
He followed my directions and I could hear him suck in his breath as I also heard Willie move up behind us.
”Can you smell Were?” I mumbled, not turning around but acting like my attention was one hundred percent on the first threat approaching, the fae.
”Yes,” Willie responded after a few good sniffs. Then he added, ”At least six or seven. A couple of fae, other than the simins, and . . .” he sniffed again. ”One s.h.i.+fter, who's very agitated.”
Van. It had to be Van but the man I was thinking could be Vaverek was alone. He looked like a common thug, about as tall as Bran with wide shoulders and a figure that leaned toward thickening in the middle, disguised well by the very pricey suit he wore. Who wore a suit when visiting a tourist attraction? Plus his body language was all wrong. He was rocking back and forth on the b.a.l.l.s of his feet, his shoulders thrust forward, his focus on where Bran, Willie and I stood. Sort of a pudgy attack Doberman on alert.
Could I be wrong about who he was?
With a quick glance around I caught what Willie had just indicated. There were a number of individuals, male and female, that didn't seem to be focused on the gardens or the three-story building directly in front of us.
”Freeze the fae,” I mumbled to Bran.
”Why?”
”Something's going down. Now. The fae take you and you're a sitting target.”
”I don't go with them now and an execute order will be applied.”
I glanced at him. ”Not if they're frozen and can't do anything. Blame it on me.”
”No, I ”
”Do it.” We had no choice. His was stronger magic with the containment spell. I could do one but needed a circle and blood.
In a few seconds we might get blood if he didn't do anything.
They were ten feet away.
He straightened and lifted the fingers of his right hand.
”Continere.”
Not good enough. ”More.”
Six feet away.
”Continere.”
Three feet away. So close I could see the neon green of their slitted eyes.
”By the power of three,” I mumbled. Did he want to be trapped by them?
He uttered the final and last words needed, ”Continere lam.”
A pulse of magic wafted forward, catching the three with their feet planted flat on the ground.
Thank the Spirits they stopped. Close enough they looked like they were just pausing, maybe chatting us up, doing anything except being frozen in place. From the location of the Were that I thought was Vaverek stood all he'd see was the trio in front of us, doing nothing.
”Now?” Bran asked, a bite to his voice.
”Now we stop the bad guys.”
”And they are?”
Okay, he was getting downright snarky, even if he was right. There were non-humans and humans spread across the broad rectangle of gra.s.s about the size of a football field. White gravel walkways outlined the gra.s.s area with the three-story Pet.i.t Trianon hunkered down on the end closest to where we stood. Rows and rows of sculpted shrubs acted as a visual break between this residence and the rest of the gardens and buildings.
”More Weres arriving,” Willie whispered into my ear, looking to the left of us. Four individuals, two male, two female stepped from the shrubs bracketing that side of the gra.s.sy field.
”How many is that?” I asked, keeping my attention on Vaverek.
”Twelve by my count,” Bran said, his focus on holding the fae still. That was the problem with the stronger containment spells. They weren't static but needed the intention of the caster to remain strong. If they were three humans a simpler spell could have been cast, even one I could manage without a problem. But fae could counter magic and he couldn't risk the spell failing.
”You know where Francois is?” I asked.
”Circling the back of the Pet.i.t Trianon,” came Bran's reply.
Great. Our only a.s.set was out of sight and out of striking distance.
I could practically feel Willie vibrate behind me. ”I can't-I really can't . . .”
”I know.” No sight of the IR members. Maybe Stone and Ling Mai stopped them already. Down to Bran and I and if Bran released his focus on the spell we'd have three simin fae ready to attack.
One problem at a time.
”Keep the fae in place,” I whispered to Bran.
”What are you-”
”Look for reactions,” I mumbled.