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“He said the child is here. It’s a long shot since it’s not the same strong energy he felt before, but he is sure of this address.”
“You both need to stop peeking and start helping,” the third man boomed out, after which the two scrambled after him. They tried the doorknob to no avail, shaking and pulling before deeming it locked. They attempted to pick it next.
“What is this mechanism?” the first Fae mumbled, frowning. “It’s not new. It’s—what the!”
He flew in the air, shaking violently before he landed in the middle of the grassy yard. The two stood frozen, ogling their comrade, then swiveling back to the door and proceeding to kick it repeatedly. Energy surged, visible through the swirls from their feet, and he thought he heard the door break.
“It’s going to give,” he hissed.
“It’s going to give,” Billy echoed in agreement, voice oddly ringing with anticipation. Edmund puzzled over it, then jumped when the door did break, fangs coming out and ready to lunge—until a hand grasped the back of his shirt and yanked him back. “Easy, there, hotshot.”
The marching sound restarted, roaring in his ears. Still, it wasn’t footsteps that blasted through the doorway but a gush of water, one so strong that it swept the two Fae off their feet and sent them flying towards where the first Fae was. The three scrambled to their feet, but the water kept swirling around their legs until they were comically sliding on their butts once more. When the water disappeared, the tall grass swayed and bent towards them, wrapping around their ankles before they could react.
“This is madness!” one of the Fae shouted, tugging the grass off. It tugged harder until the Fae howled in pain, then let go when the Fae tried to hack it off with sharp nails. The three helped each other stand up and were out of the property in the blink of an eye, leaving the yard empty and the grass swaying back to its normal position.
“Good job, House,” Billy murmured.
“It’s not a haunted house,” Edmund surmised, mind reeling as he reimagined the scenario in his head. “It’s a magical house.”
“Yes.” Isabella grinned. “The original owner was a witch. Isn’t that the most convenient thing?”
“I bet it is,” Edmund muttered, shaking his head as the puzzle pieces clicked in place. “Do they know?”
“They might have heard about it,” Billy said. “But you are among the first to see House’s prowess. Honor that.”
“I am very honored,” Edmund replied solemnly. “Now, how do we proceed?”
“We wait.” Billy crossed his arms and kept watching the yard while Isabella restarted her humming. “There’s nothing much to do.”
Alexa woke up hours later as Charlie stumbled out at the commotion of drums banging repeatedly. When the baffled pair found them, they joined in watching another group of Fae attempt to infiltrate the mansion—only to be blasted with the sound that seemed to increase in volume outside until they were covering their ears. Sweat poured down their foreheads, and excruciating pain coated their faces every time they removed their hands, but the lack of neighbors running to the commotion indicated that it was secluded to the yard.
“Brave fellow,” Billy commented, watching one of the Fae crawl his way towards the house with his ears covered. He kicked the window Isabella was standing in front of, but his foot sank in like jelly. Then it bounced, pushing him back until he was stumbling on his ass where wood planks rose and repeatedly slapped him.
“This is turning into a comedy show,” Charlie mused, shooting Billy a grin.
“No. It’s Fae getting hurt because their prince expects them to throw themselves into danger for him,” Alexa muttered, glaring through the window. As if on cue, the prince appeared, a vision in silver threads and silk shoes, looking very much like all he needed was a crown. The only smudge to the flawlessness was the burn mark on the man’s right cheek, and there was no doubt where that had come from.
“I would be jealous of the prince status,” Edmund began, trying to ease the tension on her shoulders. “But I would never want to be like that.”
“You are not like that,” Alexa confirmed. “You did a selfless act and faced getting disowned with your head held high because you chose to break the mold against prejudice. You will never be like that.”
“You got disowned?” Billy squawked in disbelief, eyes bulging. “Well, I guess that changes things…but hold that thought. The bastard is coming.”
Duncan peered at the window, unseeing. He didn’t bother to break the window open, stepping back and clearing his throat instead.
“Good day, kind sir. I would like to request an audience with Alexa Bennett, please.”
There was no response. When he repeated the request, the house shook, rendering an earthquake that didn’t reach the inside of the house. But the outsiders bounced and stumbled, then clung on to each other to keep themselves steady. The warm, pleasant smile that Duncan offered slowly transitioned into ugly sneering when the house didn’t listen to his words, and soon he was glaring daggers. He shook, too, with dark energy that had him glowing black before it faded back into his skin. The display had Edmund shuddering as he understood just what kind of world Archie would be exposed to, and he vowed never to let that happen.
“I don’t get why they are not giving up,” Charlie pondered. “They obviously can’t penetrate this place. They are making themselves look silly.”
“Some people just don’t give up that easily,” Billy said. “And some people just aren’t smart enough to know when to give up.”
“Duncan’s smart,” Alexa shot back, frowning. “He thinks things through. This is so unusual for him.”
A tick started in his brain, repeating until it became a buzzing. Duncan should be wary after what happened to them in the apartment, but the man stood with confidence, undeterred despite his displeasure. That clicked, too, and had trepidation rising for the first time.
“It’s a trap,” he growled. Then he was running back towards their bedroom areas.
