facade by heather flemming

7/30/2019 Facade by Heather Flemming

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CHAPTER ONE

It started with a train wreck.

Stray should have known that was a bad sign. He was more than used tothings ending with train wrecks. Metaphorical ones at least. To have

something start with an actual literal train wreck? If hed been thinking

clearly, he would have realized that nothing good could begin that way.

In his defense, Stray really wasnt thinking clearly. He was a thirteen-year-

old, malnourished runaway, and hed been on the train when it wrecked.

Being slammed into a boxcar wall, then having a stack of wooden crates

slam into him, pinning him there as the car flipped onto its side and skidded

through the dirt did nothing to help his thought processes run smoothly. Nor

did the way the boxcar door slammed shut, leaving him in complete

darkness.

Disorientation and panic swamped Strays mind, but kicked his survival

instincts into overdrive. He wrenched himself to the side as much as he

could. The crates were heavy, and the corner of one was digging into his

stomach, making it hard to breathe. Or maybe that was just his

claustrophobia, but whichever it was, Stray couldnt afford to let it win. Hethrashed again, this time managing to make enough space between himself

and the wooden boxes to draw one knee up to his chest. Then, with a growl,

he pressed his back against the wall and kicked out as hard as he could.

Crates shifted away from him. He could hear them even if he couldnt see

them, and he could tell by the way they were groaning that they were all

about to come toppling down on him again. Two seconds was all the time he

had to get out of the way. It was more than enough. He even had time tosnatch his beat up old fashioned suitcase that hed been using as pillow

before the train he was hitching a ride on decided to run off its tracks.

His gut told him that the way out was up, and had him scrambling on top of

the crates even as they were falling, despite the fact that he couldnt see

them. Within seconds his fingers were scraping the ceiling, which had once


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been the door, back when the boxcar was still right side up. Balancing

precariously on broken boxes made it difficult, but Stray wasnt exactly used

to having things easy. He managed to get enough purchase with his fingers

to slide the freight cars door an inch. Two inches. Three.

Silver moonlight sliced through the darkness. It wasnt much, but it helped

Stray get a general idea of where the piles of crates were in the car, and

which ones he could step on top of.

One last heave opened the door another two inches, then the boxes he was

perched on started to topple. Stray had anticipated as much. He leapt

toward another stack of crates, closer to the opening, then a heap of boxes

right next to the wall that he could tell at a glance would only hold his

weight for a few seconds. They started to fall the second he landed on them,but that second was all he needed. He hefted his suitcase through the

opening, then grabbed onto the door with both hands and hung as the boxes

all fell beneath him. Once they were gone and he had a little more room to

maneuver, he swung his feet back, pressing them against the wall, and

pushed. The door opened a few more inches and Stray scrambled up and

out, agile as a cat.

Freedom! Stray exhaled triumphantly and took a moment to survey thesituation now that hed escaped the confines of the boxcar.

He wasnt sure what he was expecting to see. Flames, maybe, because hed

seen a fair number of action movies. Something blocking the railroad tracks

further up ahead a rockslide perhaps, or a collapsed bridge. A couple of

mask wearing, sword wielding teens trying to hack another kid to pieces?

Not so much.

Stray took a second to gawk at the sight, because really, what the hell?There was a part of him that wanted to slink away in the opposite direction.

It would have been so easy just to disappear into the night, and hide until

some railroad officials or whoever was responsible for cleaning up train

wrecks came along, so that he could stow away again and be on his merry

way.


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But even as the thought crossed his mind, Stray knew that wasnt what he

was going to do. He clenched the fist that wasnt holding his bag, and let his

fingertips slide across the four pronged scar on his palm. It had never been

his nature to walk away when someone needed help.

But then again, hed never gotten in a fight against anyone who was using a

sword before. He was admittedly reckless, violent, according to his many

caseworkers, and schizophrenic, or so said one particularly stupid doctor, but

suicidal he was not.

He dropped off the side of the boxcar and landed in the shadows that

concealed him as he stalked forward, studying the situation as he went.

Somehow the kid that the masks were attacking wasnt dead yet, even

though all he had to defend himself with was a weird looking stick. Heseemed to know how to use it, while the kids with the swords didnt really

look like they knew what they were doing, but there were three of them, and

the guy who was defending was clearly struggling to hold them all off. It was

only a matter of time before one of them got a good cut in and killed him.

In fact, right as Stray lunged forward, one of the masks managed to break

through Stick Boys guard and slash his sword across the guys chest. Stray

couldnt tell how bad a blow it was it was too dark, and Stray hadabsolutely zero experience with sword fighting freaks but Stick Boy cried

out in pain and back peddled quickly.

Stray struck before the masks could press their advantage. The first one

suddenly found himself nursing a concussion when Stray swung his suitcase

and connected squarely with the back of the freaks head. He felt a flash of

pride for his suitcase it was so old it was practically an antique, but that

was part of its charm. That, and the brass fixings on the corners. The sword

freaks yelp alerted the other two to Strays arrival, but too late for the

second mask to react in time. Stray was already behind him, and kicked the

back of his knee, hard.


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Timber! Stray taunted as he jabbed his elbow into the guys back, aiming

for his kidneys, and helping him to the ground, because after that first kick,

the guy was already going down.

Which left one of the masked sword freaks as an immediate threat. A girl,

Stray realized, right before she tried to take his head off with her oversized

steak knife. She nearly succeeded. He jumped back just in time. As it was,

her blade grazed the front of his throat and left a nice long cut above his

Adams apple. Long, but not deep, Stray determined, as his hand

automatically went to the wound. He was in no danger. A smirk curled across

his lips as his fingers brushed over another scar above the knick hed just

been given. No one knew better than him how deep you needed to cut the

front of someones throat to kill them.Instead of charging him again, the girl hung back uncertainly, glowering at

Stray. That confused him. He might not know much about sword fighting,

but he did know street fighting and letting someone back away to recover

wasnt a smart way to go about it.

Stray took a second to size the girl up. Now that he was closer, he noticed

details about his opponent he hadnt picked up from further back. She was

dressed . . . expensively, was the best way Stray could think to describe it.Lots of leather and slinky, shimmering material that looked like it might be

silk. Her clothes looked like they fit perfectly, like theyd been tailored just

for her. Her mask looked like it should have belonged in a museum or an art

gallery.

From a distance, hed mistaken it for a regular domino the kind of mask

that only covered the eyes and the area around them. Hed assumed it

would be just a flimsy piece of plastic, like the kind anyone could get at a

dollar store, and wear while holding up a gas station, if they were too lazy to

dig out a ski mask. Up close he could see that it was sculpted with

painstaking care, into the shape of a moth, with feathery white antennae

and translucent green wings that ended in swallow tails.


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Wary blue eyes stared at him from behind the mask or more precisely at

his throat. Probably wondering if shed cut deep enough to take him down,

and Stray had about a second and a half left before she realized that she

hadnt, and that she needed to finish what shed started.

Stray decided not to give it to her. Keeping a cautious eye on her sword, the

same as he would a knife, he lunged low, scooping up a handful of dirt,

which he promptly flung into Moth Mask Girls face. She closed her eyes and

stepped backward as quickly as she could, but not nearly quick enough. By

that time Stray was right in front of her, still low, and in the perfect position

to slam his suitcase into her knees. Her sword slipped from her grasp as she

hit the ground. Stray grabbed it and threw it as far as he could, back toward

the train tracks, then he grabbed her mask and pulled it halfway down overher face, so that shed have to fix it before she could attack him again. Only

then did he risk a look back toward Stick Boy.

Uh, thanks, Stick Boy said, looking at him oddly.

We should run. This is screwed up, Stray said, urgency creeping into his

tone as the second mask staggered back to his feet.

He was definitely out of his element and he knew it. Stray had dealt with

plenty of crap in his life so far, but hed never dealt with anything like this.Nor did he want to. Thus, the best course of action seemed like leaving the

homicidal rich kids with swords behind, and quickly.

Hang on, Stick Boy told him. Wait for it . . .

Wait for what? Them to sharpen those pig stickers?

Movement in his peripheral vision had Stray jumping back to stand beside

Stick Boy as a dark shape dropped down on top of the only standing masked

guy with a vicious scream.

Die Eldritch scum! screamed the newcomer, a girl with ink black hair pulled

into a messy bun with a pair of scissors stuck through it. She was dressed in

jeans, and for some odd reason, a corset. Stray had to give her one thing


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she was fast. He didnt even have time to blink before she started laying into

the masked guy with a crowbar.

Moth Mask Girl was up again, stupidly struggling to get her mask on straight

while rubbing the dirt out of her eyes, instead of using common sense and

taking the mask off. Stray kept a wary eye on her, but without her sword,

she was significantly less of a threat. More worrying was the girl with the

crowbar. The way she was going at the one guy was like she wanted to kill

him. The sound the metal made every time it connected with the poor saps

flesh was enough to make Stray cringe.

I think thats enough, he spoke up, finally.

No, no, its okay, Stick Boy said, grabbing his arm when Stray took a step

toward the fight.

Stray immediately wrenched his arm away. Shes going to kill him!

No shes not. Shes just giving you a demonstration on how you dont use

crowbars. Isnt that right, Blaire? he called to the girl, who was apparently

his friend.

Shut up, Declan! Blaire spat.

Or not. And thats her way of saying yes, Stick Boy, or Declan, if that was really

his name, said. See? Are you paying attention? This is how you dont use

crowbars!

Stray shifted his gaze from Declan, to Blaire and her victim, to Moth Mask

Girl, incredulously, before turning his attention back to the toppled train, not

twenty yards from where he was standing now. What the hell is going on

here? he demanded. This I dont You people are all psychopaths! Actually, Declan said brightly, the doctor my parents made me see said I

was a sociopath. But technically, you cant be diagnosed as a sociopath until

the age of eighteen, so that was really very irresponsible of him.


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Stray gritted his teeth and tried to keep his cool. Who are you? Who are

they? And what happened to the train? And why are you idiots all trying to

kill each oth augh!

He hit the ground hard, Moth Mask Girl on top of him, her hands going for

his throat. Stray mentally berated himself for turning his attention away

from her and letting her get the jump on him like that. He didnt bother

trying to break her grip on his throat, not because she wasnt doing a good

job strangling him, but because it was easier and more effective to go for

her eyes. He wrapped his fingers around the edges of her mask to get a

better grip then jammed his thumbs into her eye sockets. She let go of him

really fast and cringed away. Then she fell sideways as Declans stick

connected with the side of her head. Her mask came free in Strays grip.Stray pushed himself off the ground and glared at the unconscious girl,

shoving her the rest of the way off him. Movement out of the corner of his

eye made him turn his head, just in time to realize that Blaires crowbar was

on a collision course with his face, before Declans walking stick thing

intercepted it with a deafening crack.

Blaire snarled and struck again, even as Stray scrambled backwards, trying

to get out of her range. Again, Declans stick countered the blow. And again,and again.

Get out of my way, Blaire snarled.

Hes not one of them, Declan told her.

Im not one of what? Stray demanded, on his feet again now, ready to

dodge or run at a moments notice.

Im supposed to believe its a coincidence that hes out here, in the middle

of nowhere, right where there are fae that need killing? Blaire shouted.

Look at him, Blaire, Declan said in a bored tone. Does he look like a fae to

you? Ragged clothes, stringy hair, hallowed face, like someones been

starving him. Hes clearly a hobo

I am not, Stray growled.


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who was on the train that the fae just wrecked.

You said it was a freight train, not a passenger train, Blaire protested.

Again, hes a hobo.

Im not a hobo!

He was hitching a free ride. Thats what hobos do, Declan said with

exaggerated patience.

You know what? Stray asked, walking backwards, away from the other two

teens. Screw this. And screw you. Im leaving. I dont care what any of you

freaks do to each other anymore.

Wait, Declan said, making a grab for his arm again.

Stray jumped back before the other boy could touch him, then started to

run.

Wait! Declan shouted again, and Stray could hear footsteps chasing after

him. Im serious, you shouldnt run off!

Stray only paused long enough to snatch his suitcase off the ground, then

full out sprinted away from Declan, Blaire, and the masked psychos as fast

as he could.

Then everything suddenly got really freaky, really fast because a bunch of

teens trying to kill each other with swords, sticks, and crowbars clearly

hadnt been bizarre enough. The world warped around Stray as he was

running, blurring from a rugged country landscape into a trippy looking

Gothic mansion before he could even skid to a stop. And skid he did,

because the tiles beneath his feet were so slick and polished that he could

see his reflection in them quite clearly when he fell flat on his face.

What the . . . Stray blinked at the scene before him and felt the beginningsof a headache. His eyes throbbed. There were no colors. Everything in the

mansion, from the checkerboard floor tiles, to the patterns on the walls, to

the detail work on the ceilings, was either a blindingly bright shade of white,


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or the darkest black imaginable. The contrasts made Stray dizzy just looking

at it all.

It took him a whole two seconds to realize that he didnt feel like dealing

with whatever crap had just popped up in front of him, but when he spun

around to go back the way he came, it was only to find that the world had

changed behind him as well. There was no sagebrush or train tracks. Just

another black and white hallway identical to the one hed just tried to turn

away from.

. . . hell? Stray finished, rubbing his eyes. This . . . isnt possible . . .


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CHAPTER TWO

Declan breathed a sigh of relief when he entered the mound, Blaire right

behind him, and he saw that theyd entered in time to end up at the same

place as the other teen. He almost gave a laugh when he saw the expression

on the boys face as he tried to come up with a reasonable explanation for

what had just happened.

Ive been drugged . . . the boy muttered.

That statement or rather its inconsistency from the norm caught

Declans attention. Most observers would have found it a reasonable, even

rational comment for someone to make, given the circumstances, but in

Declans mind it set off warning bells and sent his thoughts down darker

paths than he preferred them to take.

Or you just wandered into a fae mound. Which is what you did. Nice going,

by the way, Declan said, because he knew he needed to announce their

presence before Blaire did so, and scared their new friend off again.

The wayward waif boy jumped like hed been touched with a live wire, then

spun to face him and Blaire who stood beside him, a hammer in one hand

and her crowbar in the other.

And no, youre not crazy, since that was probably the next thing you were

going to suggest. Were not crazy either, Declan said, amused by the boys

expression despite the gravity of the situation.

The kid took a step backwards for each step the other teens took forward.

I . . . dont understand, he said, eyeing them warily.

And we dont have time to explain it to you, Blaire growled with her usual

finesse. Though Im still not convinced youre not one of them.

One of who?

Them! The Eldritch. The fae. The bastards that ruined my life! And if I find

out you are one of them


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Let me guess, the boy interrupted, shooting Declan a brief but very

sardonic look before returning his gaze to Blaire and letting it turn hostile. I

get a personal demonstration on how you dont use crowbars, which is great,

except you wont be in any shape to try after I get through with you!

I eat little punks like you for breakfast! Blaire shouted.

Declan hated to be the voice of reason, but this really wasnt the best time

for Blaire and the hobo kid to get into a pissing match. As fun as it would be

to watch, especially if they actually came to blows, they really didnt have

time for it, and they werent in a secure enough location that Declan could

let them get that far.

I know this is going to come as a shock to both of you, but this isnt

actually helping anything, he cut in. Then, because he thought it was only

fair to warn Blaire, and because hed need something to segue into what he

knew about this kid in a few minutes, he added, And Blaire, if I were you, I

really wouldnt pick a fight with him. You wont win.

Blaire looked livid. How the hell do you figure that?

Youre a beauty queen

Ex-beauty queen!

Declan smirked. Hes a street kid. You grew up tap dancing and wearing

tiaras. He grew up fighting for every scrap of food. Ill let you calculate the

odds. As for you, street kid

Stray.

What? Declan asked.

My name, he explained. My names Stray.

Declans mind automatically began analyzing this new piece of information.Stray. One who deviates from the way perceived as the right or expected

way, or else a person or animal that has wandered away from or has no

home. It clearly wasnt his real name, unless it was his last name, or part of

his last name, though Declan doubted it. More likely a nickname. Or a street


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name, even though he looked a bit young to have one of those, and seemed

too independent, decisive, and scrawny to be part of a gang. Possible

affiliation with cats, since they were the animal most likely connected with

that word, though that fact might just annoy this Stray and not be relevant

at all.

All these thoughts ran through Declans mind in the time it took Blaire to

voice her own thoughts.

You expect us to believe thats your real name? she asked, wrinkling her

nose in distaste.

Stray gave her a feral smile that showed off his incisors. I really dont care

what you believe.

All right, back to the matter at hand. Stray, you now get a crash course in

Eldritch studies. Come, Ill talk while we walk, Declan said, beckoning him

forward. Im Declan, by the way. This ray of sunshine is Blaire.

Blaire sent a glare Declans way. Stray stayed exactly where he was.

Okay, you dont trust us. I get it. Declan sighed and studied him for a

moment, choosing his words carefully. And theres nothing I can say that

will actually make you trust me, but you saved my life back there. I think

you know that has to count for something with me.

Stray shook his head. You said you were diagnosed as a sociopath. You

think just because Im a street kid I dont know what that means?

Great.

Declan knew he shouldnt have revealed that. There was a reason why he

usually kept that a secret, and that reason was that it made people who

knew harder to manipulate. Then again, who knew that a kid barely into histeens would know what a sociopath was?

I should have known. And now I do know. But I can still talk my way through

this. I just have to be very careful.


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But remember, he said, smiling in what he hoped was a reassuring manner

(though if he was honest with himself, he knew it was probably a little

disturbing), I also said that people cant be diagnosed as sociopaths until

theyre eighteen, so technically, the diagnosis was null. That doctor was an

idiot anyway.

Declan knew hed gotten on the right track when he saw Strays expression

twitch ever so slightly. If he hadnt been watching, he probably wouldnt

have noticed, the reaction was so minute not that saying or implying that

would do him any good. Declan could tell that Stray was uncomfortable

about how much hed managed to deduce about him already. Right now he

needed to mess with Strays head, just a little, and make him think hed

given more of a tell than he had, or Stray wouldnt trust him even the littlebit that Declan needed him to, in order to get him to follow him. Yep. Lying

to gain his trust. All in a days work.

And by that wonderful expression you just made, I think you have a reason

to sympathize with me, Declan said, not bothering to hide his smirk as

Stray fought to make his expression go completely blank. Im going to

make a few guesses now. You dont have to answer or confirm anything if

you dont want to. Just listen.

We dont have time for this, Declan, Blaire growled. Her impatience was

helpful right now, though she didnt know it. The concept of good cop, bad

cop, escaped her completely.

Im making time. Deal with it, Declan said, then took a careful step toward

Stray and very deliberately met his eyes. Youve had at least one bad

experience with a shrink, havent you? More than one, probably.

Maybe. So what? Stray asked, backing up again. They decided something was wrong with you and made you take drugs that

they said would fix you. But there was really nothing wrong with you. Your

foster parents, or whoever ran the group home you were in just thought it

would be easier to deal with you if you were doped up. Wait! Please, dont

run, Declan said urgently as Stray tensed to do just that. I dont care that


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Great. Now that thats settled can we move on? Blaire asked. I want to

beat some more of those freaks bloody.

Stray drew up short at that. Im not killing anybody. And if you guys are

planning on killing people

Theyre not people! Blaire shouted.

Enough, Declan snapped. Stray, this is going to sound farfetched, but

beings as were standing in a mansion that you saw magically appear around

you, I dont think its a stretch to ask you to accept this for now. Youve read

fairy tales, right?

No.

Declan resisted the urge roll his eyes. Heard them in school? Seen themmade into movies? Heard people talk about them? Im sure you have, so you

know that throughout history people have believed in different races of

magical creatures like elves, gnomes, dwarves, fairies, trolls, goblins, and so

on, and so forth, which is all well and good, except everything else you, and

the majority of the population knows about them now? All their magic

makes everything better, supernatural creatures are friendly, and lets all

have a happily ever after? Its all BS. In reality, the Eldritch, the fae, the fair

folk, whatever you want to call them, are nasty-ass mofos who treat humans

about the same way that junior serial killers treat small furry animals.

Following all this so far?

Yeah. Youre telling me that Tinkerbells a serial killer, Stray said in a tone

that said he wasnt sure if this was Declans actual explanation for what was

happening, or if this was some kind of joke.

Pretty much, Declan said, studying Stray carefully to gauge his reactions.

Elementary school, Disney, and hippies have all caused people to forgetthat once upon a time, people used to hang sharpened scissors over their

babies cradles because they were so afraid the Eldritch would kidnap their

children. People used to be scared of them, and rightfully so. They should


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still be afraid of them, because theyre mean, theyre real, and they can do

stuff like this.

He waved a hand at the mansion around them.

So youre telling me that these El-whatevers are responsible for this? Strayasked.

Eldritch thats the collective term we use to refer to all elves, trolls,

goblins, and the rest of them, Declan said.

Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?

Look, street rat, Blaire growled, striding toward him. Hes telling you the

truth. They exist and theyre responsible for this, and right now, youre the

reason were in this mess! We followed your sorry butt in here because youran into this mound like an idiot

Because you wanted to kill me with hand tools!

Blaire! Declan grabbed Blaires arm before she got too close to Stray. For

once in your life, will you stop being such a bleeding drama queen?

Blaire jerked back and raised her hammer. Declan stood his ground and

stared her down, and after a moment, Blaire let her hand drop. Fine. But

can we just go already? These places make my skin crawl.

Declan turned to Stray. How about it? You want to get out of here?

Stray nodded. Im not saying I believe in fairies . . . but I want out of here.

Come on, then, Declan said. He forcibly turned Blaire and got her moving

in the direction that he judged was the best way to go.

Stray followed them at a cautious distance. You know where the exit is?

Not per say. Were in a mound, which is . . . I dont suppose youre familiarwith string theory . . . ? Declan glanced over his shoulder in time to catch

Stray shaking his head. Didnt think so. I guess the best way to describe

this is as a pocket dimension. Pretend for a moment that you accept that the

Eldritch do exist, and that you also believe me when I tell you that they have

their own parallel world that exists alongside ours.


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They have what? Stray asked dubiously.

They have their own world. Trust me. Ive been there, Blaire said bitterly.

If you say so. Declan would swear that those were the words that ran

through Strays mind, just from his expression. But the street kid held histongue, knowing that voicing that thought would just lead to another fight.

When he caught Declan watching him, he just gave a slight shrug of one

shoulder, as if to say, Not worth it now.

Declan nodded, then returned to his explanation. Mounds are liminal space

halfway between the Eldritch world and earth. Places where the two

realms kind of spill over into each other.

And places where fairyland and earth spill into each other turn into trippyblack and white mansions? Stray asked.

The mounds are characterized by their creators whatever Eldritch have

set up shop in them and molded them. Their appearances vary quite a bit,

depending on what was originally in the earth space that they took over, and

what kind of Eldritch their creators were. They can actually be quite

problematic, because suggestions go a long way here . . . but that would

lead to an even more long winded and complicated attempt at an

explanation that I doubt you even really care about, Declan said. So Ill

just put it this way. When youre in a mound, youre pretty much stuck in

someone elses acid trip. Except everything you see here is real and can kill

you.

Wonderful. Stray rubbed his temples, either getting a headache from the

mind numbing contrast of black and white, or from the realization that he

was starting to believe what Declan was saying. Declan was willing to bet it

was the latter. He could see the self doubt on Strays face, clear as day. Youre not, by the way. Crazy, Declan said, and saw from Strays

expression that hed guessed the boys thoughts right. Those doctors had

no right to shove those pills down your throat. Speaking of which, you okay?

That cut . . . He motioned toward the gash on Strays throat that hed


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gotten while intervening in Declans fight. It looked . . . messy. Lots of

clotted blood had dribbled down his throat like raindrops on a window, but

thankfully it didnt seem to be bleeding anymore.

Isnt that bad, Stray said, his fingers going to the cut almost unconsciously,

then moving to the ugly scar right above it. As you can see, Ive had

worse.

Yeah, Declan said so softly that he doubted Stray heard him. That scar had

been one of the first things hed noticed about Stray after the other teen

jumped into his fight and saved his life. It had been bothering him ever since

because it looked really, really bad, and Declan didnt even know what kind

of accident could leave a mark like that. It looked like someone deliberately

tried to slit his throat, but somehow botched it.

Blaire glanced over her shoulder to see what they were talking about then

stopped and turned halfway around to stare.

What the . . . ? It looks like someone tried to take your head off or

something . . .

Or something, Stray agreed, pausing several feet from her.

Blaire stared at him like she was reevaluating him. Sizing him up properly

this time. Finally, she held out her crowbar to him.

Stray raised an eyebrow but made no move to take it.

Here, she said, moving closer to him and thrusting it forward, making her

intention perfectly clear. I want it back when were out of here, but youre

safer in here if youve got a weapon.

Reluctantly, Stray took it.

Good boy, Blaire said approvingly. Wow, Blaire. Declan couldnt resist. You made a friend.

Shut up! I just want to make sure no one else tries to take off his head on

my watch. Got a problem?


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CHAPTER THREE

Before long, the dizzying hallway gave way to a huge room that looked like it belonged

in a palace. The walls stretched up and up, nally reaching a stained glass ceiling madeof alternating pieces of opaque black glass, and clear glass through which white light

shone through, several hundred feet from the oor. Huge windows reached from the

oor to the ceiling, covered by black velvet drapes. A grand staircase, with alternating

black and white steps, led to an open doorway, high up above, against the far wall.

Up the stairs, Declan said, leading the way.

How do you know? Stray asked, unnerved more by the gigantic room than

he had been by the hallway. Because the way out of a mound is always up, Declan said. Going down

will take you to their realm.

And you dont want to go there, Blaire said tightly.

A shiver ran down Strays spine, and he found himself agreeing without quite

knowing why. Something stirred in the back of his mind a memory that he

couldnt quite recall. Maybe something hed heard once . . . or maybe

something hed seen on television, but his brain started throbbing when hetried to focus on it.

The color scheme or lack thereof didnt help anything. In fact, staring for

so long at the contrasts just made Strays headache worse. He stepped

closer to the wall instead of following Declan to the stairs, and tried to pull

the curtain aside.

It wasnt that he didnt believe Declan about the way out being up. Being

able to get out of the mound through the windows hadnt actually occurredto him. All he wanted was to see outside. He just wanted to see something

that wasnt either Satans-soul-black, or bleach-your-eyes-out-white. But

when he moved the curtain aside to look out, he quickly realized two things.

One, the window didnt give a view to any outside landscape. All that was

there was a pit of writhing shadows.


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And two, the curtain was alive.

Stray dropped his suitcase as the curtain-shadow-monster-freak-thing

wrapped around his wrist, and tried to wrench away. Numbness enveloped

his arm as the thing twined around him, abandoning its disguise as a curtain

and sprouting out more tendrils to wrap around his waist, his ankles, his

other arm, his throat. Cold swept through his body, like the blood in his

veins had been replaced with ice water. Trying to fight anymore was

suddenly impossible, and the crowbar that Blaire had given him slipped

through fingers that couldnt even feel it anymore.

The clang that it made when it hit the floor alerted the other two teens to his

predicament.

Crap! Stray!

Hang on!

Stray managed to make a strangled sound, but that was all he could do.

Tears filled his eyes, blurring his vision for just a moment before another

tendril of shadows wrapped around his head, covering his eyes like a

blindfold.

Get off him!

A horrible scream, like an animal being tortured, filled the air.

OFF!

Suddenly all the tendrils recoiled at the same time and then Stray was

falling. Briefly, he panicked, worrying that he would shatter like an ice

sculpture when he hit the floor, but a hand that he couldnt see grabbed onto

his shirt, halting his descent.

Die you filthy Eldritch scum! Die, die, die! Pull back, Blaire, Declan ordered, even as he drug Stray away from the

window.

Not until I kill it!


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Declan pulled Stray back a few more steps, let him slump to the ground,

then lunged back toward the fight. Stray watched as he swung his walking

stick at the shadow creature through the shadow creature. Another

horrible animal scream filled the air, and if Stray could have moved, he

would have covered his ears.

Blaire continued beating at the shadow with the hammer in her right hand,

and stabbing at it with a pair of scissors in her left. Her attacks were furious,

like this fight was personal, and like she didnt care if she went down as long

as she tore her enemy apart before she went.

Declan, on the other hand, attacked with control and precision, striking at

the base of each tendril, driving the creature back into the pit of darkness

behind it. The stick was a blur in his hands, never pausing, never slowingdown. In his eyes was an odd gleam . . . like he was enjoying himself, doing

something leisurely and relaxing. Not like he was beating the crap out of

some sort of wraith with a stick.

Im about to light this thing up, Blaire, Declan announced, with unnerving

calm. Get back and close your eyes, or dont cry to me when youre seeing

spots all night.

Blaire got in one more good whack with each of her weapons before jumpingback and turning away. Declan slammed his stick through the shadow

creatures main body once more, making it scream again, before tossing

something that was throwing off sparks into the pit behind it. Stray had the

good sense to shut his eyes before whatever it was erupted in a flood of

white light that he could still see, even with his eyelids closed. A hand

grabbed his wrist and started dragging him across the floor, away from the

light and shadows.

Hes not dead, is he? Blaire asked from very close by.

Nope. Hes okay. Arent you, Stray?

Stray turned his face away from the light and opened his eyes. Blaire was

looking at him with something like concern. Declan was still pulling him


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toward the stairs, but stopped and let go of his arm when Stray lifted his

head.

S-Sorry, Stray managed to get out through his chattering teeth.

Blaires expression quickly changed. Stupid! What were you thinking?! Leave it, Blaire. He doesnt need your whining, Declan said. He dropped

something into Strays lap Strays suitcase. In his hand, he held the

crowbar Blaire had given him.

Dont even pretend like that wasnt an incredibly idiotic thing to do!

Yeah, except this is his first time in a mound and he has no idea about,

well, anything, Declan snapped. He didnt know, so just leave it.

Blaire snatched her crowbar away from Declan. Its like this guy wants toget killed! Running off into Eldritch mounds, stirring up echoes

And jumping in to save strangers whore outnumbered by sword wielding

fae? Declan asked.

Exactly.

Actually, thats the only dumb thing hes done tonight, and he did it to save

my life. The other stuff he did out of ignorance. Dont forget all the dumb

stuff youve done, even after all youve learned at the sanctuary.

Blaire glared at both boys then spun away, turning her nose up in the air.

Declan knelt beside Stray and rested a hand on his shoulder, only to quickly

withdraw it when Stray tensed away from him. Youre going to be all right.

Just stick closer to me, if you dont mind, okay?

Stray nodded. What was that thing? A ghost?

Its what we call an echo. You remember how I told you that a suggestionhere goes a long way?

Not really, Stray admitted. It must have slipped my mind while I was

being strangled.


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Fair enough, but I promise you I did say that. Because . . . mounds are

liminal places. Normal rules dont always apply.

I dont know what liminal means, Stray said. He wasnt sure why he

suddenly felt so chatty. Maybe because Declan and Blaire had just stuck

their necks out to save his, so despite his usual reservations, he was starting

to think they might be okay.

Declan paused, considering this. Simply put . . . theyre in between places.

Somewhere thats neither here nor there. Right now, were neither on earth,

nor in the Eldritch realm, so normal rules dont apply. Whatever force you

believe created the worlds, be it God, the big bang, or Chuck Norris, skipped

this place over, but left enough traces of creation power for this place to be

in a state of flux. Sort of like echoes of the original creation. Thats why asuggestion goes a long way here, and thats why we call those things

echoes. Make sense?

Stray stared at him, feeling his headache growing. He guessed it did sort of

make sense, in a way . . . provided that he was willing to accept that these

Eldritch things and magic existed.

Its a lot to take in, I know, but

Who makes the suggestions? Stray asked suddenly.

What?

You said suggestions go a long way here . . . meaning that someone came

up with the idea for those things to exist, right? So who was it?

Usually the Eldritch who inhabit the mound. This is their playground, so

theyve got the home field advantage, and its best not to spend more time

here than we have to. Can you stand? Declan asked.

Stray climbed shakily to his feet. Im sorry . . . I didnt know

Dont worry about it. I know you wont do it again, Declan said.

I wouldnt put any bets on his intelligence, Blaire muttered.


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Only because your own is so lacking. Again, Blaire, Declan jerked his

thumb toward Stray. Street kid.

Exactly. He doesnt understand half of what were saying, hes probably had

like no education

He comes from a place where screwing up can get you killed, Little Miss Sky

City. He cant afford to make the same mistake twice.

Stray drew back slightly, still not comfortable with how Declan had been able

to figure out so much about him just by looking at him.

Blaire glared at them both then turned up her nose again. Fine. Lets just

go already. And you, dumb boy, dont touch anything else.

None of them were in a good mood as they began their ascent up thestaircase with the possible exception of Declan who was humming what

sounded like the theme song of Looney Tunes.

The mansion, or mound, or whatever it was, seemed to stretch on forever.

After reaching the top of the stairs they found themselves in another

hallway, which led to a gigantic circular room, which led to a series of other

huge rooms. All in black and white.

Are all mounds like this? Stray asked, partly out of boredom, and partlybecause the silence, on top of the lack of colors, was getting to be too much

for him.

Nope. Theyre all different, Declan answered cheerfully. Each and every

one of them is its own unique little niche of hell. This is actually one of the

tamer ones.

Tame. Right. Stray would have almost preferred to be back at the foster

home hed just split from . . . or actually, maybe not that one, but he couldname half a dozen homes hed been in that hed have preferred to the

mound.

Are they always just black and white?


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No. Theyre usually in color. Cave themes are pretty common. Creepy

mansions arent uncommon, but more often than not, theyre some sort of

nature thing. Sometimes they look almost exactly like the place you were

before, and you dont even realize youve wandered into a mound at first

especially if its a garden . . . or a forest.

Pain spiked through Strays head so sharply it almost had him clutching at

his temples. Instead he clenched his fists and his jaw, and kept his face as

blank as he could. Hed already shown too much weakness in front of these

strangers as it was even if they seemed like okay people, and had saved

him from that echo thing. When this adventure in fairyland hell was over

theyd still mean nothing to him, and hed still mean less than nothing to

them. Just another throwaway kid on the streets.Stray curled his fingers to touch the scar on his palm as something occurred

to him. It was clear that Blaire had never wanted for anything in her life, but

Declan had a lot of insight for someone whod never been in the system.

Maybe, just maybe . . .

Hey, he said, to draw their attention, and their gazes to him. He lifted his

scarred hand to brush his hair out of his eyes, making sure the mark was

visible to them. Are you Family? Hell no, was Blaires immediate response.

Nope. We both live at . . . Declan paused and considered. A place thats

pretty much the American headquarters for keeping track of Eldritch activity,

but no, were not related.

Neither of them reacted to the question the way they would have if Strays

scar actually meant something to them, which let Stray know what he

needed to. I see, he said, considering the other information theyd given him. So . . .

theres a headquarters for this Eldritch stuff?

Lots of them in Europe. Just one in the US. Because theres clearly not

enough Eldritch activity here, Declan said, a sarcastic smirk on his face.


27/123

Clearly.

Declan stopped suddenly at the threshold of the next room. Blaire nearly ran

into him and growled a curse. Stray, several feet behind them both,

hesitated, then curiosity won out. He closed the distance between them and

stood on the tips of his toes so that he could see over their shoulders. What

the . . .

Arrayed before them was what appeared to be a small army of medieval

knights, each one covered from head to toe in black or white armor.

More echoes, Declan supplied.

But . . . why are they knights? Stray asked, feeling stupid. Feeling like the

whole situation was ridiculous, and bizarre, and he wasnt quite sure how todeal with it.

I think theyre actually supposed to be chessmen. Probably to go along with

the whole black and white theme and the checkerboard floors.

We can take them. Itll be just like fighting that stupid valley raven, Blaire

said, an unsettling smile curling her lips.

Are you crazy? Stray and Declan asked in unison.

Dont be a wuss.

Declan rounded on Blaire. First, comparing a fight against Audun shouldnt

be used for anything youre trying to claim is easy. Second, there are thirty-

two of these bastards!

Theyre just standing there, Stray observed, looking past the two other

teens again. Are they like that curtain and wont attack us unless we touch

them, because if thats the case

More likely than not, theyll attack us when we step into a square thattheyd be able to take us on if we were actually playing chess. And its highly

doubtful theyll be able to chase us out of that room, since its eight tiles by

eight tiles, like a real chess board, and since they havent charged us where

were standing yet.


28/123

So what if we tried

Yep, good plan, Declan told him.

What plan? Blaire demanded.

Stray was about to suggest we try to dodge through them, a strategy Impartial to myself.

Stray bristled. You dont know what I was going to say.

Trust me, I do, Declan said with an air of annoying superiority.

Maybe I was going to suggest that we should ba

Backtrack and look for another route? No you werent, but we cant do that

anyway, mainly because every room weve passed through has probably

changed since we left it. Now, if you dont mind, we need to get home

sometime before dawn, so Blaire, you go to the right, Stray, stick to the left,

and Ill go first through the middle, and try to get most of their attention,

Declan said.

Wait, Stray said desperately. He really wasnt looking forward to charging

through a blockade of what might as well have been armored linebackers.

How can you be sure they wont follow us once were on the other side?

Theyre echoes, so theres usually a rhyme and reason to how they work.

Usually, Blaire muttered.

Shut up. Anyway, Ill see you on the other side. Before they could stop him

not that Blaire seemed to want to stop him, Declan sprinted off through

the room.

Hey! Stray yelped, but immediately fell silent when half of the white

chessmen converged on the other teen, unable to do anything but gape at

him.

If you want to stay here, you can, Blaire said snidely, then charged forward

as well.

Stray growled and darted after her, then veered toward the left, like Declan

had asked of him. A series of loud clangs caught his attention as he ducked


29/123

under an armored chessmans lance. His gaze flitted to the center of the

room, where Declan seemed to have paused.

Hes drawing the black ones to him . . . giving Blaire and me a better chance

to get away, he realized, which seemed both noble and insane at once. Or

maybe not so insane. Declan had several things going for him. For one,

these chessmen echoes were slow. For another, Declan really did know how

to fight. His walking stick was a blur as he blocked, spun, and attacked.

When he struck the echoes it was with enough force to leave dents in their

armor.

Declan made it easy for Blaire and Stray to get to the other side. Stray didnt

pay much attention to Blaire, but he only had to dodge a few of the freaks in

white armor and somersault out of the way of the one of the black armoredechoes whose helm was ridiculously styled to look like a horses head from

the sides right after which he almost crashed into Blaire, whod decided to

stand right in front of the door. She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him

out of the room, off the figurative board, even though he hardly needed her

help.

All right, were through! Come on, Declan! Blaire shouted.

Stray pulled his arm away from her and stepped back, but kept his eyes onDeclan, in case he needed to rush back in and help . . . not that he thought

there was a lot he could do against echoes in plate armor. Luckily, it seemed

the other teen needed no help.

Well, that was fun, Declan said once hed crossed the threshold. He rolled

his shoulders as though to loosen them up, then tilted his head from side to

side, cracking his neck.

Blaire rolled her eyes. Stray stared at him uncertainly then shrugged andturned to take a better look at the room they were now in.

The black and white contrast was still giving him a headache and messing

with his vision, which was why he nearly missed the freaky looking man who

stood watching them from the landing of the rooms staircase. The man at


30/123

least Stray thought he was a man looked like hed just stepped out of an

old timey movie that had been made before cameras could film in color. He

was pretty much a living example of grayscale, like hed dusted his skin with

silver powder to cover up whatever color his skin was supposed to be. Even

his clothes were various shades of gray. Stray might have been relieved to

see something or someone that wasnt black and white after so long if the

guy hadnt just looked so damn creepy.

Is he another echo? Stray asked softly, following Declan and Blaire to the

staircase.

Declan glanced over his shoulder. Huh?

Him, Stray nodded in the guys direction.

Declan followed Strays gaze then looked back at him, confused.

The gray guy, Stray said, lowering his voice even more so the gray man

wouldnt overhear them. He drew up short as the man lifted his cane and

twisted the ornamental handle, causing a six inch blade to pop out of the

canes base.

What gray guy? Blaire asked impatiently. Theres no one there, Stray.

The guy on the landing. Open up your freaking eyes, Stray snapped.Declan frowned and looked back and forth between Stray and the landing.

Finally, his eyes settled on Stray, his expression unreadable. You see

someone? he asked slowly.

You dont? Stray returned.

No, we dont, because theres no one there, Blaire growled.

Im telling you Stray started, then broke off, because the gray guy had

apparently gotten tired of waiting for them to come to him and was movingtoward them at an alarming speed.

The gray man sprinted down the stairs as though they were a ramp, rather

than a series of steps that could easily trip him up. His movements were so

smooth that he might as well have been flying, and with his coattails trailing


31/123

behind him, he looked like some kind of giant demented bird. His footfalls

made no sound.

Look out! Stray shouted as the gray man moved to cut Declan, who was in

the lead, down first. He dropped his suitcase and lunged forward to tackle

the other teen around the waist, knocking him out of the way just in time.

The gray mans blade passed harmlessly over their heads and sunk into the

ugly black and white striped wall, leaving a gash in its wake.

What the hell? Blaire yelped.

That, I see, Declan said, eyes wide as he stared at the gash on the wall.

Stray clambered off of him as quickly as he could and dropped into a fighting

crouch.The gray man, rather than attacking them again, turned to regard Stray with

disbelief.

You can see me? he demanded, looking outraged. How can you see me?!

And that, I hear. Declan got to his feet quickly and reached into his jacket

pocket. His hand came out with a mirror, which he angled in front of him, in

the gray mans general direction.

How can you guys not see him? Stray asked. Hes standing right there!

Tell me, boy, which eye is it that you can see me through? the gray man

asked.

Both, Stray said.

Dont answer that! Declan shouted, a second too late.

The gray mans blade lashed out, right at Strays face, and if Stray hadnt

jumped back, his eyeballs would have been sliced through horizontally.

Then Blaire charged, swinging her crowbar wildly. The metal tool cracked

down on the gray mans collarbone, hard, and Blaire might not have been

able to see the man, but it seemed she was able to feel that she had hit him.

She followed up that attack with another, to the exact same place, and Stray


32/123

would have sworn he heard bone breaking as the crowbar slammed home

again.

The gray man growled and shifted his bladed cane to his other hand and

moved to slash at Blaire.

Look out! Stray shouted, realizing belatedly that was a stupid thing to say.

How could Blaire look out for what this guy was doing if he was somehow

invisible to her? But thankfully his reflexes were faster than his mouth. He

darted into the thick of things and latched onto the cane with both hands.

Normally, that would have been a stupid move, getting in too close to an

enemy so much bigger and obviously stronger than him, but since the gray

man was fighting one handed . . .

You insolent little . . . How dare you?! the gray man screamed as Stray

managed to wrench the weapon away from him.

The next thing he knew, the mans hand was on his throat, crushing his

windpipe and cutting off the blood flow to his brain. Strays vision

immediately started going dark, but he was dimly aware that the man was

trying to throw him off the stairs. He could feel the railing digging into his

spine as the man pushed him over it.

Blaire, dont! Declan shouted from somewhere far, far away. Next there

was a squelching sound, and suddenly the gray mans hold on Stray

disappeared. Then Stray was falling.


33/123

CHAPTER FOUR

Stray felt a hand grab at his sleeve, trying to hold onto him, but the fabric

ripped like the old, worn out rag it was. His mind was still hazy, but instinctkicked in and he twisted in midair, letting his legs flip over his head so that

when he landed, it was on his feet. His balance failed him, or else his knees

buckled beneath him, and he ended up dropping to the floor anyway, but at

least hed avoided a crushed skull or broken neck . . . because his neck had

definitely put up with enough abuse for one night.

He clutched at his throat and struggled to breath. When a hand fell on his

shoulder he automatically went on the defensive and batted it off him,

flinching away in the same motion.

Whoa, easy Stray, its me, Declan said. You okay?

Stray blinked and tried to gather his wits. The gray man

Ran away, I think. I heard his footsteps retreating, but Blaires still up there

swinging wildly just in case. You okay?

Stray coughed and nodded.

Come on, then. Declan tried to help him up, but Stray shoved him away,preferring to rise on his own. Declan didnt seem offended, though, and led

the way back to the stairs. You see him anywhere?

No. He blinked and watched as Blaire swung her crowbar like a blind,

strung out baseball player, belting out throaty screams with each motion.

Hes gone, Blaire, Declan called out. At least for now. You can stop your

baton twirling routine.

Blaire scowled and descended a few steps so she was closer to them. Howwere you able to see it? she demanded.

How should I know? Stray demanded. What was that guy, anyway?

Another echo?


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I dont think so, Declan said, looking at Stray with an unreadable

expression. Echoes mimic. Or they possess inanimate objects. They dont

turn invisible. Thats an Eldritch trick

Glamour, Blaire snarled, which I have the ability to see through.

Oh, Stray said, nonplussed. Good job.

Blaire smashed her crowbar into the wall in anger. But I couldnt see

through it, thats the point! So how the hell could you?

Calm down, Declan told her.

Ill calm down when I know whats going on with this kid! Blaire shouted.

Somethings been bothering me about him since the moment I laid eyes on

him! Yeah, well your face bothers me, Stray shot back.

Ill turn your face into a pancake, you little

Knock it off! Declan shouted. I mean it, Blaire! Shut up for a second!

If hes an Eldritch

Hes not an Eldritch. You know he cant be. He was carrying your iron

crowbar, for Gods sake! Declan said.

Some Eldritch are immune to iron!

And some normal humans have the sight, Declan countered. Look, just

shut up for a second, okay? I have a theory.

Blaire scowled but shut her mouth. Stray moved so that his back was to the

wall and rubbed his throat again. I really dont understand any of this, he

muttered.

I know, so you get another crash course in Eldritch slaying. Declan sighed. Okay. Many Eldritch have the ability to create glamour, or illusions. They

can make you see something differently for instance, some Eldritch are

actually quite ugly, but use their powers to trick your eyes into seeing a

really hot girl when you look at them. Apparently that trick is one of the


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easier ones for them. They can also make you see something thats not

there, or not see something that is there, with a stronger glamour.

Like the gray mans invisibility thing? Stray asked.

Yes no, Declan said. See, usually, when Eldritch use glamour to hide,they dont make themselves invisible. They make themselves look like

something else. Like . . . like if one was hiding in a forest he or she could put

up an illusion of a tree

Though some can actually turn into trees, Blaire muttered.

Which is beside the point right now, but thanks for trying to confuse the

issue, Declan told her with a sunny smile before turning back to Stray. So

Ill put it like this. If one was trying to hide outside this mound, back wherewe were before we stumbled in here, it could curl up in a ball and put up an

illusion that it was a large clump of sagebrush. Or a rock. Or even a

tumbleweed. If its glamour skills sucked, a normal person might be able to

see something was wrong with the illusion there could be fuzzy edges, or

flickering, stuff like that.

Okay, I think I get that, Stray said. But are there some that can go

invisible like the gray man apparently was for you?

Declan nodded. Thats an advanced glamour. The Eldritch that uses it isnt

necessarily a strong one, but it does have to have a gift for creating

illusions. Weve run into them before, but heres the thing just about every

type of glamour can be beaten somehow. Water is the easiest way to ruin

them. It dissolves them like spun sugar. Sometimes bright lights can give

them away too, by casting shadows that dont match what the illusions

would look like. And mirrors the reflection is almost always a dead

giveaway. I saw you had a mirror out . . . that didnt work? Stray asked.

Not this time. Nor did Blaires sight. See, Eldritch can see through illusions

Dont you lump me in with them!


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as can people whove been to the Eldritch realm, Declan continued, as

though Blaire hadnt spoken. So can some normal humans. Its rare, but it

tends to run in families.

And thats great, but none of that explains why he could see through that

bastards glamour but I couldnt! Blaire snapped. Hurry up and get to the

freaking point!

Declan smiled amiably. Theres one other type of illusion, thats considered

more of a myth than anything else even to the Eldritch hunting society.

There have only been a few recorded instances of people having it.

You mean of Eldritch having it, Blaire corrected him.

No, I mean humans who had been to the Eldritch realm . . . and in somecases their descendants, Declan added. The legends seem to indicate they

had been blessed with the ability to create perfect glamours that were

impervious to water, reflections, even the Eldritchs innate ability to see

through illusions. They called this power faade.

So you think that invisible bastard has this faade thing? Blaire demanded.

And you think hes human?

Yes for him having faade, no for him being human.

Explain, Blaire ordered.

Explain? Huh, well I wasnt planning on explaining anything, because I

thought it would be better to keep everyone in the dark

Now!

Declan smirked at her reaction. Him having faade is the only possible

explanation for why neither my mirror nor your sight could pierce his

glamour, but just because he has a gift thats only been recorded as beinggiven to humans whove visited the Eldritch realms doesnt mean hes

completely human. In the legends, their descendants could inherit the gift of

faade, but no one said their descendants had to be human. Its a fact that

humans and Eldritch can interbreed, and we know their offspring arent


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sterile. That guy that gray man is most likely an Eldritch with a few

human genes.

Still doesnt explain how I could see him, Stray pointed out.

Declan shrugged. You may have the sight, or some truer form of it thanwhat we generally think of as the sight. Or maybe theres a human who had

faade somewhere in your family tree, which could make you immune to it.

And Im supposed to believe we ran into an Eldritch with the mystical,

legendary gift of faade the exact same day we ran into a normal human

with the ability to see through the magical faade power? Blaire asked,

looking skeptical. Do you know how big a coincidence that is?

I think the better question is, Do I care how big a coincidence that is? towhich the answer is Not really, Declan said. And I know youre not used to

me not knowing something, because I know just about everything, but as I

already said, this is just a working theory, and one that involves unconfirmed

legends at that. When we get home, Ill try to do some research . . . not that

its likely to help, beings Ive read every book in the sanctuary. Every book in

Irelands five sanctuaries too, actually, but Ill at least make an attempt.

Shall we continue now? Were kind of short on time if we want to get home

before Queen B realizes were not there.

Come on, Blaire growled, leading the way.

If we had school tomorrow, or rather today, since its past midnight, Id

suggest we just stay here until it was too late for us make it to classes, and

she had to call us in sick, but since its the weekend

I said lets go!

Declan smirked and glanced at Stray as they started walking again. You

feeling okay?

Stray nodded.

Let us know if you see the gray man again though somehow I dont think

hell show his face.


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Why not? Blaire asked, not bothering to turn around and look at them.

Because he ran, Stray answered, even though her question had been

directed toward Declan but Declan wasnt the only one who could read

other people. Even though he had the upper hand when he knocked me off

the stairs, and the two of you couldnt see him, he ran. Hes not a real

fighter.

Hell only fight when he thinks theres no chance of him losing, Declan

agreed.

Wuss, Stray muttered then swallowed heavily. Saying too much made his

throat ache, after all the abuse hed put his neck through that night. And the

day that had preceded this little adventure hadnt exactly been an easy one.

He didnt even want to think about the events that had caused him to flee

from his last foster home, and the train wreck had just been the icing on the

cake.

Stray? Seriously, are you okay? Declan was looking at him with an

expression that appeared to be genuinely concerned . . . which didnt really

seem in line with him being a sociopath, now that Stray thought about it.

Im fine, Stray said shortly, but he couldnt help wondering whether Declan

was putting on an act, or if the doctor that diagnosed him really had screwed

up in pronouncing him a sociopath. Not that it mattered. He didnt plan on

spending enough time around the guy to find out. He just wanted to get out

of the mound and be on his way, so that he could forget any of this had ever

happened.

Were probably not too far from the exit now, Declan told him. This is

definitely one of the easier mounds to get out of. Some of them are full of

really malicious echoes. Some of them are full of Eldritch those are theones that really suck. If it was just the three of us in one of those mounds,

we would have definitely all died.

Then why did you come after me? Stray wanted to know.

Declan gave an infuriating smirk and shrugged. Had nothing better to do.


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Stray rolled his eyes and continued to follow the two other teens.


40/123

CHAPTER FIVE

Thankfully, as Declan predicted, they were close to the entrance. They didnt

even run into any more echoes or fae on their way out. It made Stray

wonder if Declan had some kind of weird psychic thing going on, because

apparently every other supernatural thing ever recorded existed too not

that Stray was completely convinced of everything that had just happened. A

large part of him still suspected he might be hopped up on something that

was making him hallucinate. A smaller part of him was worried that maybe

the doctors whod prescribed medicines for him in the past had been right,

and there was something wrong with his head.

At least when they left the mound it wasnt as surreal as when hed enteredit. Maybe it was because he knew more what to expect, so when he walked

through a doorway and suddenly found himself standing in the middle of a

sagebrush filled plain instead of inside the creepy mansion, it wasnt such a

shock. It was still a little unsettling to turn around and see no trace of the

mansion behind him, but he couldnt even pretend he wasnt glad about

that. Hed never been so happy to see colors before in his life and there

were plenty of them since theyd apparently been in the mound longer than

hed thought, and day was starting to break.

Thank God, Blaire said. That mound was nothing but one big eyesore.

Word, Declan agreed. Now where did we leave that train wreck . . .

Dont you mean the Jeep?

That too.

So . . . it let us out somewhere far away from where we went in? Stray

asked, just to make sure he had it right.

Blaire sniffed. Obviously. Do you see any train tracks around here, dumb

boy?

Stray glowered at her for a moment, then decided she wasnt worth it.

Whatever. Just point me toward the tracks and Ill be out of your hair.


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Declan looked at him sideways. Youre not serious.

About what?

You want to be left out here in the middle of nowhere? With no food, water,

or transportation? Stray shrugged one shoulder. That was our agreement.

Um . . . I guess you probably dont know this, but were about a two hour

drive from the closest town, Declan said. Theres no way you could walk

that far on your own. Not before you died of dehydration.

Another trainll come by sometime. If I get a running start I can catch out

on it, Stray said practically.

Declan and Blaire exchanged a look. Then Blaire got this nice disgustedexpression on her face.

Oh for Gods sake, just come with us, she finally snapped. Well drop you

off somewhere along the way home.

In a town near railroad tracks, right? Declan asked. Thats what you

prefer?

Stray nodded.

Good enough. And according to my GPS, the train wreck, and our Jeep

should be this way. Declan began to lead them and sure enough, the

railroad tracks and the train that had run off them came into view after

about twenty minutes of walking. The Eldritch who theyd fought, however,

were gone, much to Blaires annoyance.

We just had to go save the hobo kid. No, we couldnt take the thirty

seconds it wouldve taken just to finish the Eldritch off. We had to go keep

the street rat from getting his fool self killed.

Stray took several steps toward the tracks, but his foot hit something before

he made it too far. He glanced down to find the creepy green mask that the

girl had been wearing. In the light of dawn it looked even more impressive

and expensive than it had in the dark. Stray bit his lip, then looked at the


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others. Neither of them were paying much attention to him, so neither

noticed when he dropped down to one knee, opened his suitcase, and

slipped the mask inside. If he could fence it then hed eat well for a month.

Hey, he said, once he was finished and standing again. What happened to

the conductor and the crew?

Theyre all dead, Declan said. We already checked.

The Eldritch killed them?

Yes. Because thats what Eldritch do, Blaire snarled.

Stray didnt think that elves and fairies derailing trains and killing everyone

on board could possibly be a regular occurrence, because he was pretty sure

the rest of the world would have caught on by now if it was. But he didntfeel like getting into it with Blaire. Somehow he got the feeling that she was

more unhinged than Declan.

They dont normally take out train tracks or do big attention grabbing crap

like this, Declan said, seeming to read Strays mind again. But Eldritch

activitys been on the rise for awhile in the States and I noticed a pattern

that led us here tonight . . . not that I think you care about the logistics of it

all. You were just looking kind of doubtful. Anyway, shall we get going?

Thankfully, their Jeep was parked close by, so they didnt have to walk much

further. The nights excitement was starting to catch up with Stray, and all he

really wanted to do was crash . . . not that he could really do that while they

were driving off road.

He sat in the back, while Blaire drove and Declan took shotgun. Blaire really

didnt look old enough to have a license, but Stray had already gathered

theyd left the place where they lived without their guardians permission.

Theyd most likely borrowed the car without permission too and it was

fairly obvious that it was someone from their organizations car. There were

a couple of books full of strange symbols on the floor, an amulet of some

sort hanging from the rear view mirror, and a first aid kit in the glove


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compartment, which Declan got out as soon as they were underway and

passed back to Stray.

You should clean that cut on your throat. It doesnt look so good.

Stray made no motion to take the kit. Its fine. Dude, if that gets infected how long do you really think youll last? Declan

asked.

He had a point. Stray took the kit this time and opened it, frowning at the

contents. He didnt know much about first aid.

Those white packets have alcohol wipes in them, Declan said, probably

reading his confusion. Clean the cut with those and itll disinfect it. Using

the butterfly stitches will help it heal faster and give you less of a scar. The what?

Butterfly stitches? Theyre the really tiny band-aids . . . but you probably

dont know how to put them on, do you?

Im not an idiot, I know how to put on a band-aid, Stray growled.

Theres a certain way you have to put the butterfly stitches on though, or

else theyre not going to work at all.

Stray shrugged and sifted through the kits contents. Ill find some normal

band-aids to use then.

Which wont help it heal faster, or scar less, Declan pointed out.

Stray shrugged again.

Declan sighed and unbuckled his seatbelt, then climbed through the break

between the front seats. Let me do it.

Stray stiffened and scooted away from him. No. I got it. Declan gave him an overly patient look. I know, you could scrap something

together that would probably hold up for a day or two, but after that? If it

gets infected, youll probably die. That is, unless some good Samaritan

scrapes you up off the street and drags you to an emergency room, where


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theyll find out youre a ward of the state and ship you off to another foster

home, if not the one you just skipped out on, and something tells me youd

rather not go back there.

Stray clenched his teeth together and glared at Declan. You dont know

anything.

Declan smirked. Dont I?

No, you dont. Just get the hell away from me.

Im not trying to send you back there, you realize that, right? Declan said.

All I want is for you to let me fix that stupid cut, so that it will heal right,

and you wont drop dead right after we part ways.

Stray eyed him suspiciously. It sounded reasonable enough, but . . . Butyoure a sociopath. Why would you care what happened to me?

I dont. But once I put effort into something, I dont really enjoy seeing it

get undone. In this case, that something is keeping you alive, Declan said.

I put a lot of effort into dragging your sorry butt out of that mound.

Why did you do that anyway? Stray wanted to know.

Because thats what were expected to do at the Ironhorse Sanctuary. We

kill Eldritch and help the people they screw over. Were kind of likesuperheroes, but without the tights.

Are you really a sociopath? Stray asked.

I was really diagnosed as one. But you and I both know, doctors dont

always get things right.

Stray frowned, then made his decision. He really didnt want to trust Declan.

He was conditioned not to trust anyone, and he really didnt like people in

his personal space, but if he went with his gut on this one . . . well, hisinstincts had always served him well thus far, and right now they were telling

him Declan wasnt going to hurt him.

Okay, Stray said finally, and handed over the first aid kit.


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He kept a sharp eye on Declan, watching closely as the other teen put on a

pair of gloves then tore open several paper packets. In the first few were

alcohol wipes that stung when Declan used them to clean out the cut on his

neck, but that pain was nothing compared to a lot of the others Stray had

dealt with. Declan, at least, seemed to be trying to be careful and keep it

from hurting.

So what exactly happened to give you that ugly scar on your neck? Blaire

asked, watching them from the rear view mirror.

Whatever happened is none of our business, Declan answered before Stray

could.

I was just asking.

Drop it, Blaire.

Stray gave Declan a grateful look, and watched as he tore open a few more

packages, one filled with tiny white strip-like band-aids, and a few others

containing single flesh colored patches.

Stop moving your head around for a minute. Face forward, Declan ordered,

seeing that Stray was watching him. He gripped Strays chin and moved his

head so that it was in the position he wanted him in. Stay like that.

Then he went back to work, carefully placing the bandages over Strays cut,

one at a time.

There, all done, Declan said at last, peeling off his gloves so that they

ended up inside out.

Thanks, Stray said, and tried to help Declan gather up the paper wrappers

that had fallen on the floor.

No big, Declan said, hastily snatching up the wrappers and shoving theminto his pocket, almost like he didnt want Stray to see them, which made

Stray slightly suspicious . . . but they were just band-aid wrappers.

He yawned, deciding that he was probably over thinking it, but kept a wary

eye on Declan until he climbed back into the front. Or as much of a wary eye


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as he could when he was so exhausted. Not that it took very long for Declan

to get back up front, but somehow time seemed to drag for Stray. Like

everything was fuzzy and in slow motion.

Despite the fact that driving off road made for an incredibly bumpy ride,

Stray found himself starting to nod off. He caught himself several times as

his chin tilted toward his chest, and tried to force himself to remain awake,

but he could tell by the fifth time that it was a lost cause.

Hey, he murmured, to get the other teens attention.

Yeah? Declan asked turning to look at him, and Stray saw Blaires eyes

meet his in the rearview mirror.

Wake me up and let me off at the first town we come to, kay? They responded. They must have. But Stray didnt really hear it. Or maybe

he did, but trying to make sense of it was suddenly too difficult. Even though

he normally would have tried harder not to fall asleep in such close proximity

to people he neither knew nor trusted, staying awake any longer was too

much effort.

* * *

Geez, Declan, what did you do to him? What makes you think I did something to him?

Because youre you. And because Im shaking him and hes not waking up.

Wha . . . ? Stray opened his eyes groggily, only to find a man kneeling in

front of him, trying to take his pulse. Ah!

He immediately yanked his wrist away and tried to bolt, but his movements

were sluggish, and he was still wearing his seatbelt. Needless to say, he

didnt get far.

Hey, hey, easy, kid, you

No! Stray lashed out at the mans face, forcing him to move back, then

fumbled with his seatbelt buckle. His fingers felt thick and clumsy, and he


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had to struggle with it. His mouth was dry and his head was spinning as he

lurched to his feet . . .

. . . only to fall flat on the floor of the Jeep.

Hey, take it easy, kiddo, Im not going to hurt you Stray gave a wordless growl as he was lifted against his will, and tried to

struggle, but it was hard. So much harder than it should have been, even

upon just waking up.

Drugged, he realized dimly. They slipped me something . . .

Declan, Im not going to ask you again! What did you do to him? The man

got Stray out of the Jeep and set him down on the ground. He put a hand on

Strays shoulder to try to keep him in place, but Stray wrenched to the sidein another attempt to get away and fell face down on the ground.

Dont have a heart attack, Thomas, hes just a little doped up on

scopolamine, Declan said cheerfully.

You . . . Stray tried to lift his head and find Declan to glare daggers at him.

You . . .

When exactly did you get the chance to drug him? Blaire asked from

nearby.

When I was cleaning that cut on his neck. I used those sea sickness

patches as band-aids. They contain a sedative that helped knock him out.

Stray growled again and immediately began ripping the band-aids off his

neck.

Hey, hey, stop that! Here, let me. Thomas knelt down so he was on Strays

level, and Stray automatically sized him up. He was in his late twenties, and

looked athletic not someone Stray wanted to have to fight against. Eventhough his expression was concerned and his eyes seemed kind, Stray didnt

trust him for a second.

Get away from me! he screamed and grabbed a handful of dirt which he

threw in Thomass face.


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Thomas had good reflexes. He got his hand up in time to shield his eyes and

squeezed them closed before any dirt could get into them. Whoa!

Stray finished tearing off the rest of the butterfly stitches and sea sickness

patches, then hastily scooted backwards, away from Thomas, as well as

Blaire and Declan who were watching the situation, amused. He scrambled

to his feet, using the car for support, then started taking quick, shallow

breaths, trying to speed up his heart rate and burn off the drugs faster.

All right there, Stray? Declan asked.

You said youd drop me off in some town! You said wed part ways after we

got out of the mound! Stray shouted.

I lied. Get used to it, Declan said with a smirk. Who is he? Thomas asked, giving Declan and Blaire an annoyed look.

What did you bring him here for, and why did you drug him?

Hes a person of interest, Declan said.

This is all on Declan. I really dont want anything to do with the little waif.

I want a straight answer for once! Why have you abducted this kid?

Would you mind if I waited until Queen B is around to hear it? I dont feel

like having to go over this story more than once. Declan turned and started

walking around to the other side of the Jeep.

Dont call her that, Declan. And you better have one hell of an explanation

for this. You cant just drug random people and bring them back to the

sanctuary!

Of course I can. What do you think I just did?

Thomas looked skyward in exasperation then turned to Stray. Im really

sorry about this, kiddo. Do . . . you want to come inside while we get this

taken care of?

No. I want to leave, Stray ground out. Im going to leave. Just . . . give

me a minute.


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Dont bother, you cant walk away from here, Declan called to him. Were

nearly an hour outside of town, by car.

Ill give you a ride wherever you want to go once we get this figured out,

okay? Thomas asked, reaching to put a hand on Strays shoulder.

Stray slapped it away and pressed his back against the Jeep. Dont touch

me.

Okay, I wont touch you. Whats your name?

Stray.

Stray? Thomas raised an eyebrow.

Thats all youre going to get out of him. He wouldnt tell us more either,

Blaire said.

Okay, Stray. Lets just go inside.

Stray didnt want to . . . but his options were limited. Refusing to budge

from where he was standing wasnt going to do him any good. Likewise, it

seemed that running away was out. He followed Thomas around to the other

side of the Jeep, and then got his first good look at the sanctuary.

It was a big house. Really big by Strays standards. Three stories tall. The

walls were made of weathered grayish-brown wood that made the house

look ancient, and somewhat unwelcoming. A porch with rusted metal railings

wrapped around the base of the house, and on the roof was a weathervane

crowned with a rearing horse. There was a small windmill off to one side,

several outbuildings, and surrounding everything was a very tall, old

fashioned iron fence, with sharpened philials at the top. That, more than

anything, unsettled Stray and made him feel like he was closed in. Trying to

climb it would be a pain even if he was in top condition. Tired and drugged,he was likely to impale himself and he knew it.

Come on, its okay, Thomas said with an encouraging smile when Stray

hesita

facade by heather flemming

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