kept asking for his mother.
“Beau!” Michael scolded.
“It’s okay, honey,” Sophie said to the crying child. “He’s a nice doggie. He won’t hurt you. He’s looking out for you.”
“Maybe he hears the police car coming,” Michael added. “He’s letting them know you’re here.”
Sophie thought she heard something rustling nearby. She’d have liked to think it was the police, here already, but she suspected that would have been a different kind of rustle, not nearly so subtle.
It occurred to her that while a fairy wouldn’t have made it deep into the city and into a modern high-rise to take a child, three golden-haired children alone in the middle of the park would be nearly irresistible to the fae. She didn’t dare fend them off by pulling rank. She had to handle this like an enchantress would. Unfortunately, she was much better at pulling rank than she was at enchantress magic.
“Have you got iron?” she whispered to Michael.
“I thought we were trying to attract them this time,” he whispered back. “You think something’s out there?”
“I’m afraid so.” She might have been planning to talk to whatever fae she found, and she might have come around from her previous “all fae are evil and not to be trusted” mindset, but she still carried iron at all times. She eased the miniature horseshoe keychain out of her pocket and stood slowly, scanning the area with all her senses.
There was definitely something out there, and it wasn’t mortal, she was fairly certain. She mentally ran through the lessons in Athena’s binders. It would be best to limit herself to magic she’d learned there rather than going on any instinct at all. Her instincts were more likely to turn to her fae side.
Then she had a sickening thought: If she did anything that made it obvious she was having to defend the children from the fae, it would still look like they were responsible for the kidnapping and she was saving the children from fairies. It wouldn’t play quite into Josephine’s hands, but it would still give her something to work with.
But how could Sophie save them without using fae magic and without doing anything to even indicate that the fae were nearby? She suspected in her gut that someone associated with the enchantresses was nearby to witness the event and report on it. At least, that’s what she would have done.
She detached the horseshoe from her keychain and hurled it in the general direction of the rustling noise. There was a satisfying muffled yelp in response. “Go get it, Beau,” she ordered.
The bulldog wasn’t normally one for fetch, but he seemed to know that there was something out there, and he’d developed a taste for fairies. She thought the rustling sounded like it was moving away, and soon she heard sirens. The sirens were quickly followed by flashlight beams shining toward them. One of the children started crying louder. Another said, “Is that a fire truck?”
Michael stood and called out, “Over here!”
Several police officers came crashing through the bushes. They carried thermal blankets and soon had the children bundled up, and Sophie gratefully put her own coat back on. The officers carried the children off to the car, and Michael filled their leader in on what had happened. While they talked, Sophie searched the ground for her keychain, retrieved it, and caught Beau’s leash. “Good boy,” she told him.
More officers arrived and fanned out through the park, and she figured that whoever was out there—fae or otherwise—was likely making him or herself scarce. The threat appeared to be over. For now.
Sophie rejoined Michael, who introduced her to the officer. She ignored the raised eyebrow and smirk. It must have been an unusual occurrence for Michael to be out on a Saturday night with a woman, and she hoped he didn’t get too much grief about it. She gave her own version of the story: They were out walking her sister’s dog, the dog had sensed
“Beau!” Michael scolded.
“It’s okay, honey,” Sophie said to the crying child. “He’s a nice doggie. He won’t hurt you. He’s looking out for you.”
“Maybe he hears the police car coming,” Michael added. “He’s letting them know you’re here.”
Sophie thought she heard something rustling nearby. She’d have liked to think it was the police, here already, but she suspected that would have been a different kind of rustle, not nearly so subtle.
It occurred to her that while a fairy wouldn’t have made it deep into the city and into a modern high-rise to take a child, three golden-haired children alone in the middle of the park would be nearly irresistible to the fae. She didn’t dare fend them off by pulling rank. She had to handle this like an enchantress would. Unfortunately, she was much better at pulling rank than she was at enchantress magic.
“Have you got iron?” she whispered to Michael.
“I thought we were trying to attract them this time,” he whispered back. “You think something’s out there?”
“I’m afraid so.” She might have been planning to talk to whatever fae she found, and she might have come around from her previous “all fae are evil and not to be trusted” mindset, but she still carried iron at all times. She eased the miniature horseshoe keychain out of her pocket and stood slowly, scanning the area with all her senses.
There was definitely something out there, and it wasn’t mortal, she was fairly certain. She mentally ran through the lessons in Athena’s binders. It would be best to limit herself to magic she’d learned there rather than going on any instinct at all. Her instincts were more likely to turn to her fae side.
Then she had a sickening thought: If she did anything that made it obvious she was having to defend the children from the fae, it would still look like they were responsible for the kidnapping and she was saving the children from fairies. It wouldn’t play quite into Josephine’s hands, but it would still give her something to work with.
But how could Sophie save them without using fae magic and without doing anything to even indicate that the fae were nearby? She suspected in her gut that someone associated with the enchantresses was nearby to witness the event and report on it. At least, that’s what she would have done.
She detached the horseshoe from her keychain and hurled it in the general direction of the rustling noise. There was a satisfying muffled yelp in response. “Go get it, Beau,” she ordered.
The bulldog wasn’t normally one for fetch, but he seemed to know that there was something out there, and he’d developed a taste for fairies. She thought the rustling sounded like it was moving away, and soon she heard sirens. The sirens were quickly followed by flashlight beams shining toward them. One of the children started crying louder. Another said, “Is that a fire truck?”
Michael stood and called out, “Over here!”
Several police officers came crashing through the bushes. They carried thermal blankets and soon had the children bundled up, and Sophie gratefully put her own coat back on. The officers carried the children off to the car, and Michael filled their leader in on what had happened. While they talked, Sophie searched the ground for her keychain, retrieved it, and caught Beau’s leash. “Good boy,” she told him.
More officers arrived and fanned out through the park, and she figured that whoever was out there—fae or otherwise—was likely making him or herself scarce. The threat appeared to be over. For now.
Sophie rejoined Michael, who introduced her to the officer. She ignored the raised eyebrow and smirk. It must have been an unusual occurrence for Michael to be out on a Saturday night with a woman, and she hoped he didn’t get too much grief about it. She gave her own version of the story: They were out walking her sister’s dog, the dog had sensed
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