Box of Frogs

  I started the car again. Excellent. If ever there was a time to really be an evil bitch, then this was it.

  ***

  The last place I wanted to end up was back on the busy motorway. These quiet country roads were just what any self-respecting villainous mastermind would wish for. Therefore, instead of continuing straight, I turned right into an even narrower road. When the hedgerows on either side started to close in and the road tapered into a single-lane track, I pumped the air with my fist. This was perfect. I flicked the headlights onto full beam until I found what I wanted then I stopped the car and reversed a hundred feet or so.

  Julie placed a manicured hand on my arm. ‘Is this really the best spot?’

  I grinned at her. ‘Hell, yes.’ I killed the headlights and turned off the engine. ‘Take the GPS tracker. Just up there, there’s a gate leading into a field. You go up and wait there. I’ll deal with everything else from here.’

  ‘It doesn’t seem entirely sane,’ she said, doubt colouring her voice.

  ‘I’m the Madhatter, Julie. I don’t do sane.’ I reached across and opened her passenger door. ‘Now go.’

  She skittered off, heading for the gate I’d pointed to. She’d be off the road and safe while I dealt with whatever was to come. I watched her slim figure until it was swallowed up by the darkness, then I got out of the car and selected my own perfect spot to wait.

  Strategically speaking, I wasn’t sure I could have done better. Julie’s car was waiting at the apex of a curve in the road. Without its lights on, anyone coming up behind wouldn’t know it was there until it was too late. As they’d already be following the GPS tracker, which was a short distance ahead with Julie, they would be driving cautiously but still moving. They’d crash into the car and I could take full advantage of their resulting surprise and distress. Honestly, it was a wonder that I’d not yet been snapped up by the human security services or the Fey equivalent of SWAT. Even with crippling amnesia, I was clearly a natural at this sort of thing.

  Choosing to wait behind the car rather than in front of it, where I might get hurt by flying metal and glass, I pressed myself into the hedge. Then, with the same focused energy that I’d utilised back at the house, I listened. A smirk of triumph flashed across my face when I heard the distant engine.

  I didn’t have long to wait. Whoever was after Julie was hot on our tail and gaining speed. The engine noise grew louder and louder. I held my breath and hunkered down. A motorbike passed me. Collision in four. Three. Two— The bike came to a screeching halt.

  What in gasbudlikins had just happened? How had they known the car was there? My mouth twisted. I didn’t have time to fret over it now, though; for Julie’s sake, I had to act.

  I sprang away from the hedge and sprinted forward, just as the biker disembarked. I tightened my muscles, praying that I’d recovered enough to alter time again. When the very molecules in the air seemed to hum, I knew I’d achieved what I needed. All the same, I didn’t slow down. While the biker remained frozen, trapped by the time change that didn’t affect me, I ran up the road, arms outstretched. I would do whatever was needed.

  The gap closed. He was a safety-conscious vampire hunter and wore a helmet so unfortunately his head was off limits. I aimed for his chest instead, more than prepared to wind him before ripping out his lungs entirely. My hand thrust out – and then the biker lashed out, caught me on the shoulder and flipped me hard onto my back. My spine bounced off the road and agony shot through my limbs.

  The biker loomed over me. Perhaps if I truly were a superhero, I’d have been able to get up but the pain was too much. No matter how hard I willed it, I couldn’t make myself move quickly enough. There was only time for one thing.

  ‘Run, Julie!’ I screamed. Then I braced myself for the end. Make it fast.

  The biker flipped up his visor. Familiar green eyes blinked down at me. ‘Who’s Julie?’ Morgan enquired. ‘And what on earth are you doing?’

  My mouth dropped open. All I could do was stare. Morgan tutted loudly and presented his hand. I reached up, allowing him to help me up. As soon as I back on my feet, however, I shook off the pain and grabbed the lapels of his leather jacket. It was almost impossible to believe that he was involved in all this but I wasn’t about to deny the evidence in front of my eyes.

  ‘You,’ I hissed. ‘All along it’s been you? Impressive. That’s one way to avoid detection. Blame me for being the bad guy when all along you’re the one who’s really the face of evil.’ I tightened my grip. ‘Just tell me why, Morgan. Why do you want her so badly?’

  He watched me with a blandly curious expression. ‘I really don’t have the faintest idea what you’re on about, Maddy. What fascinates me is that you think you can best me in a fight.’ He glanced down my hands, which were still gripping his jacket to the point where my knuckles had turned white.

  ‘I’m very motivated,’ I snarled.

  He pursed his lips. ‘Go on then. Give it a shot.’

  A deep growl rose in my chest. I swung at him, throwing as much force behind the shot as I could. Unfortunately he ducked, and my momentum almost made me fall over.

  ‘Don’t bother trying to mess with time again,’ Morgan added, looking amused. ‘It won’t affect me. And as I’m certain I’ve already mentioned, it’s forbidden.’

  I launched myself at him. I’d show him forbidden. Yet again, however, he sidestepped. When I whirled back round to face him, he was examining his fingernails as if he were bored. ‘Have you had enough yet?’

  I shook my head vehemently. ‘I’m not going to let you take Julie. I don’t care who you are or what it takes to stop you. It’s not going to happen, Morgan.’

  Morgan dropped his hands and his expression changed. ‘I don’t know who Julie is, although I assume from the number plate that it’s her half-destroyed car you’re driving. Is she your new employer?’ He frowned. ‘If she’s not Fey, I don’t care who she is. I’m not interested in her, Maddy. I’m tracking you.’

  ‘You stuck that thing underneath her car in order to follow me? Bullshit.’

  Morgan’s head tilted. ‘What thing? I tracked you from this.’ He reached forward and his fingers brushed my shoulder. I flinched, staring as he picked out a little white thread between his forefinger and thumb. ‘Dandelion fluff,’ he said. ‘It travels by its own nature. All it takes for a Fey to find it is the original plant, the mother, so to speak. She told me where you were. I placed the fluff on you when you were unconscious in my pub. If that annoys you,’ he shrugged, ‘I don’t care.’

  I stared at him. ‘You talk to weeds?’

  He smiled faintly. ‘It’s less of a conversation and more a – sensation. It wouldn’t occur to most Fey to use the dandelion in this manner.’

  ‘You’re trying to tell me that you’re not “most” Fey.’ I snorted.

  ‘That’s right.’ He kept his eyes on me. ‘I’m not.’

  ‘Why?’ I bit out, still disbelieving his motives. ‘Why follow me?’

  ‘Rubus.’ A muscle clenched in Morgan’s jaw. ‘He’s going to be missing his favourite minion. Sooner or later he’ll come looking for you to bring you back into the fold. I have decided I don’t want that to happen.’

  ‘Why not?’

  Morgan’s gaze shifted slightly. ‘There is enough pixie dust on the streets as it is. We don’t need you working for him again and spreading even more about.’

  Interesting. I was sure that Morgan was lying about that last part; everything else seemed to be true. He wasn’t interested in Julie at all. Gasbudlikins. That meant… I cursed and started to run.

  ‘Julie!’ I yelled. ‘It’s alright! Come back!’ I sped past her empty car towards the gate where I’d instructed her to wait. Damn it – she wasn’t there. When I’d first shouted, she must have taken me at my word and gone. Then another chilling thought struck me. I spun round, ready to call Morgan, but he was already there, watching me with a concerned expression. ‘Were you there?’ I demanded. ‘Were
you in the trees watching the house?’

  ‘I haven’t been to any house. I’ve been a good three-quarters of an hour behind you because I had some other business to take care of before I came after you. Otherwise I wouldn’t have used the dandelion, I’d have just followed the car. It’s hardly inconspicuous.’

  Someone else had been watching. Julie’s hunters were out there and she was all alone. I’d totally and completely fucked up.

  ‘Julie!’ I bellowed. ‘Julie!’

  Morgan caught my arm. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘I don’t have the time or the crayons to explain it to you.’

  He rolled his eyes in exasperation. ‘Maddy…’

  I opened my mouth to answer but before I could there was the flash of lights from around the corner, followed by a high-pitched screech of rubber and the horrific sound of a collision. Someone had just crashed into Julie’s car. It was either an unfortunate farmer working late or a vampire hunter. I’d lay money on the latter.

  I abruptly switched direction, running back towards the cars. Whoever was inside had not been driving all that fast. There were no flames but there was a considerable amount of twisted metal. As the driver started to haul himself out with a dazed expression on his face, my insides hardened. I recognised him.

  None of this was about Julie; I’d dragged her into my own mess, whatever it was.

  ‘Redcap,’ Morgan said in an undertone as the hapless arsebadger stumbled into the road.

  My fists tightened as I watched the large, bald freak raise his eyes and finally spot us. ‘Redcap who tried to shoot me just a few nights ago,’ I muttered. ‘On the golf course, right after I woke up with this blasted amnesia.’

  ‘You,’ the bastard in question growled, his attention wholly on me.

  I stretched out my arms and grinned unpleasantly. ‘Me.’

  We smiled at each other nastily. And then all hell broke loose.

  The Redcap barrelled towards us, head and shoulders down. I braced myself for the impact but Morgan shoved me out the way and raised his fists. With considerable dexterity, he held one up in front of him as a defensive manoeuvre and used the other to smack the side of the Redcap’s head. Both of them crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.

  I sucked in a breath, leapt on top of them and started pummelling the Redcap’s back. Despite the pathetic lack of strength in my arms, I must have hurt him because he hissed and momentarily abandoned his efforts to smoosh Morgan into the tarmac.

  The Redcap rose up and flung me off his back. ‘I’ve been hoping we’d meet again,’ he said.

  Breathing hard, I faced him. ‘Aren’t you the lucky one?’

  ‘Lucky indeed. You won’t walk away from me this time. This fight is mine.’

  ‘Over my dead body,’ I snarled.

  He bared his teeth at me in a smile. ‘That can be arranged. Your blood will stain this road tonight.’

  Fortunately, Morgan took that opportunity to kick out. His foot connected with the Redcap’s leg and brought him down to the ground again. In one lithe movement, Morgan sprang upwards and towered over his victim. ‘I don’t want to hurt you,’ he said, ‘but I will if that’s what it takes.’

  The Redcap grinned evilly and reached inside his coat pocket, drawing out a gun. I heaved in a panicked breath and jumped towards Morgan, knocking him out of the way in the nick of time. The Redcap fired a shot, missing my ear by centimetres. Morgan cursed and lashed out, trying to kick the gun out of his hands.

  I reached down inside myself, drawing on the same time-altering magic that had served me so well up until now. The long day had obviously affected me adversely, however; although I could feel the magic pulsating through me, I couldn’t pull on enough tendrils to have an effect. I tried harder.

  ‘So you’ve thrown your lot in with this bitch, Morganus?’ the Redcap said, clutching tightly onto the gun. ‘Bad move. We’ll stop at nothing to get her and her boss. We’re willing to sacrifice everything. Are you?’

  Morgan gave a snarl in response. He reached down for the wily arsebadger, hauling him upwards. ‘What do you mean?’ he demanded, just as the Redcap loosed another shot and I managed to bring together enough time-magic to spark up.

  The world slowed. The bullet glistened in the night air; I could see that the Redcap had found time to coat it with rowan poison to end both Morgan and myself. It was heading directly for Morgan’s heart.

  Without thinking, I ran the few steps back to Morgan and grabbed him to move him out of the way. Morgan flashed me a quick, green-eyed look; as he’d said, he was unaffected by the sluggish time bubble I’d created. I collided with him, which altered his grip on the Redcap. I pushed Morgan out of the bullet’s way just as he heaved the Redcap upwards. The Redcap’s body sailed overhead and the gun fell out of his hands.

  I could already see that it was wrong. My interference had made Morgan’s body twist so that when he threw the Redcap, the angle was off. In terrifying slow motion, the Redcap spun through the air and I knew that he would land badly. So did Morgan. Both us whirled, grabbing at the flying body in a bid to turn it.

  We were too late. The Redcap slid out of our grasp and landed on the hard road. Head first. There was a sickening crack and then everything went still.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I edged over to the Redcap’s body, wary in case he would try to get back up again. I shouldn’t have been concerned; his pupils were fixed and dilated and he was no longer breathing. I muttered a curse under my breath.

  ‘He’s dead,’ I said to Morgan, accusingly. ‘I wanted to question him.’

  Morgan wiped the blood off his face and walked over stiffly, trying not to show that he was in pain. He stopped next to me and stared down at the Redcap’s body. ‘Fuck,’ he swore, before turning away. ‘His neck is broken. There’s not much that will kill a Redcap but breaking their neck will do it.’

  ‘Does this mean that you’ve now broken the truce too?’ I enquired. ‘Will the same terrible fate meet you as well as me?’

  ‘Redcaps aren’t Fey,’ Morgan said. ‘They’re not included under the terms.’

  ‘How convenient. They’re obviously not human, though. If he’s not a faery, what is he?’

  Morgan was silent for a second. ‘They’re probably akin to what humans would define as ogres. They have their own demesnes. By all accounts, it’s a grim, grey place. A group of them were here when the borders closed and they were trapped just like us.’ He looked at me. ‘What have you done, Maddy?’

  I stared back at him. ‘What the hell do you mean? It was you who dealt the killer blow.’ I didn’t mention that it was my interference that meant the blow went wrong. I didn’t need to.

  Feeling sick because of the Redcap’s abrupt death, my mouth spat out words before I could stop them. ‘Don’t start castigating me again. This isn’t all my damned fault.’

  His green eyes flashed. ‘That’s not what I was referring to.’

  ‘Then what?’ I demanded.

  Morgan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. ‘I know this guy,’ he said. ‘And I know who he works for.’

  When he didn’t immediately elaborate, I demanded, ‘Well? Who?’

  ‘Rubus, of course,’ Morgan answered. ‘But if he works for Rubus, why is he trying to hurt you? Why is your own employer after your blood?’

  I wondered how many times I was going to have to remind him that I had amnesia. Honestly, the man had a worse memory than I did. ‘I don’t know, do I? Besides, if this truce that you keep harping on about is in place and is so damned important, Rubus can’t be trying to kill me.’

  Morgan didn’t take his eyes off me. ‘Not with his own hands. But he could hire someone else to do the deed for him.’

  ‘Oh for goodness’ sake. Did no one think about this loophole when they set up the truce?’

  ‘Normally Fey possess more honour than to abuse the system like this.’

  ‘Not enough honour to manage without the damned truce in the fi
rst place,’ I snapped back. ‘Besides, you’ve spent every conversation we’ve had telling me that I’m not honourable and neither is Rubus. Couldn’t someone have foreseen this happening? And why would my boss want to kill me? I’m supposed to be one of his best employees!’

  ‘That’s exactly what I want to know,’ Morgan said. Oddly, he didn’t appear all that perturbed.

  Rolling my eyes in vexation, while acknowledging to myself that I was beyond glad it was Morgan I’d found first rather than the enigmatic Rubus, I stomped over to the Redcap’s wrecked car and peered inside. His phone was on the dashboard, displaying a small map. I scooped it up and examined it. A red flashing light at the top of the screen was moving slowly away. So it was the Redcap arsebadger who placed the tracker on Julie’s car. She was clearly still on the run – and still had the tracker with her. At least I’d be able to find her.

  Taking the phone with me, I tramped off to Julie’s vehicle. Morgan watched me as I twisted the keys and tried to start the engine. It spluttered and coughed.

  ‘That car’s a write off,’ he called out over the noise.

  ‘No, it’s not,’ I muttered. I tried the key again. It was going to work because I willed it to do so. I thumped the dashboard. ‘Start, damn you!’

  ‘Madrona,’ Morgan sighed. ‘It’s done for. We can take my bike and find your friend. You’ll have to leave the car here for now.’ He waggled his phone at me. ‘I’ll get my people to come and clear the road so there are no more accidents.’

  I ignored him, still intent on getting the stupid car to do what I needed it to do, but no matter how much I wanted it the arsebadgering piece of metal wasn’t going to spring back to life.

  ‘Fine,’ I said through gritted teeth. I got out and glared at him.

  As if he were out for a Sunday stroll, Morgan ambled to the hedgerow and straightened his motorbike before hooking his leg over it. Then he grabbed the helmet and held it out to me. ‘Here,’ he said. ‘I think you need this more than I do.’

  ‘My brain is already damaged,’ I informed him sniffily. ‘Keep it.’