Author: Heather Marie Adkins
Category: Literature
Go to read content：https://onlinereadfreenovel.com/heather-marie-adkins/page,20,478501-relics_and_s_anthology.html
Dozens of scabs were swarming around the mounds like vultures, digging out body parts and feeding on them, discarding other smaller scraps of flesh. They threw the scraps to more feeble looking scabs who seemed to be cowering to the dominant ones. The hierarchy was almost like that of a wolf pack. Chloe looked away in disgust and tried to erase the images from her mind. She couldn’t stay focused in on the details, or they would drive her mad. Instead, she tried taking in the scorched earth in its entirety, looking for an end to the destruction; there wasn’t one.
Some buildings were still burning while others had already burned to the ground. Desperate to find something other than destruction, she looked even farther out into the distance. But the further Chloe looked, the more she saw the same devastation over and over. Laid out in front of her, the city had become a patchwork quilt of glowing orange fires and grey mounds of death. Seattle had become a giant graveyard.
Then, there in the darkness, was a glimmer of hope. A reflection or flash of light caught her eye. She took a chance and looked closer into the shadows of a neighboring street. Chloe’s heart skipped a beat. Human figures carrying pipes, and anything else that could pass for a weapon, were swinging wildly at scabs. A group of humans, banding together, was fighting back, and winning! It was a small victory, but it was a start. She whispered to herself, “Maybe the world can survive this scorch of the fae after all.”
The hope Chloe felt was soon squashed as her eyes were drawn back to the scab on the sidewalk below Bram’s apartment. It had pulled the woman wearing the teal scarf from the building and had started draining her blood, right there in the middle of the street. It raised its head to a moon hidden by black clouds, arched its back, and howled with pleasure. It chilled Chloe to her core to think Bram was a part of the fae causing the horror below. “Your world, these scabs. They...” Her words dropped off as Bram grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest.
“They have no heartbeat, no conscious, no remorse, but I do! They are no better than hungry feral animals. The upper castes use them to clean up their carnage!” Bram was angry. She could feel his heart pounding under her palm. When she focused on its rhythm, she swore she could feel two hearts beating underneath the echo of what she could only describe as the sound of a roaring furnace. “So, please don’t insult me by calling me one of them.” He spit out the last words. “Any of them!” He let go of her hand.
“You’ll have to excuse me for being so...human,” Chloe hissed. She gestured to the window. “My world which I just discovered you don’t even belong to has just been destroyed by the fae. You’re fae! Sooo sorry that I need some time to process this.”
Chloe grabbed the lever on the wall to close that particular window into their new world. Her mind was racing, but she slowed it down and focused on one thought. Professor, did you know about Bram? Why didn’t you tell me? The lever wouldn’t yield. She took a deep breath and turned to look at Bram. “I need to know who you align with, Light or Dark? Right now!”
“It’s not that simple, Chloe,” he said coolly.
“Then, at least tell me you’re not part of this?” she snapped. “There are people out there fighting the Dark. I have to do something! You may not be willing to fight, but I am! And, you can’t keep me here!”
“You’re right about that more than you know.” Bram grabbed the lever and sighed in frustration at her innocence. “But you need to forget your obvious romanticized and sickeningly-sweet notions about the Light. The only difference between them and that…” He pointed out the window at the Unseelie Scab still wrapped in a deadly embrace with the human woman. “…is that the Light Fae are just wrapped in prettier bows!” He slammed the window wall closed. Bram walked away then, apparently not wanting to be around any humans or fae.
Chloe wasn’t done with their conversation. Questions swirled in her head, and she had only one source of answers at that moment. Bram. “How can I trust anything you say? A couple hours ago, I thought you were human. Now, I don’t even know what you are. Is Bram even your real name?” Chloe persisted.
“It doesn’t matter, not anymore. I couldn’t stop it. The professor is dead, his journal is lost, and I used so much power protecting you that I’m about to fall where I stand.” Bram walked to another wall, slid a door of metal aside, and stepped into an adjoining room. He looked exhausted. “Scabs are drawn to the chaos, and it’s a feeding frenzy all-you-can-eat buffet out there right now. The power I used came at a cost, and I’m about to pass out for about forty-eight hours, dead to the world, whether I want to or not. The professor’s office is nothing more than rubble now. Hells, the entire building fell around us! But hey, if you want to go, you’re right. I can’t stop you. Consider the weapon a parting gift. Oh, and be a good human and close the door on your way out, hmm?” He scoffed in a somewhat defeated tone before collapsing onto his bed, “Good luck to you, Chloe Etain.”
Before she was aware of what she was doing, her feet were moving her closer to his room. “But the Dark Fae scorched the sky. Bram, they did this! I can’t just sit here. I need to do something. Maybe the Light…”
Bram let out a quiet grumble but spoke clearly. “Chloe, this was the Light.”
3
Rise of the Fae
Chloe missed her parents and friends the most, along with some of the little pleasures in life like a hot shower, the internet, and a sweet cup of coffee.
Oh, and chocolate! I'd kill for a soft warm chocolate croissant and a decent cup of coffee right about now. She guessed she could see if Bram was the type of Fae who could conjure them if he’d ever wake up! Maybe then, she’d have some clue as to what the hell he was.
But then, the scabs would come, and they'd try to drain her dry or turn her. Ha! As if scabs are powerful enough to turn anyone! She’d been watching their failed attempts to turn straggling humans on the streets from Bram’s window for the past few days. She scoffed to herself. Days? The only thing that gave away that it was daytime was the haunting amber glow reflected across the ashen sky. That was also when the scabs were restricted to the darkest shadows outside. She hadn’t slept well in the last few days either, not since Bram had collapsed to regenerate or whatever the hell he was doing. She felt as though it was her responsibility to take the first watch in the apocalypse since Bram was incapacitated. Regardless of his Court alignment, he had saved her life back at the professor’s office. So no, she didn’t feel like dealing with blood sucking vampire scabs and had gone without coffee for that long. A little longer wouldn’t hurt. Bastards!
Chloe checked in on the still-sleeping Bram, pulled a protein bar from her backpack, and grabbed the earlier-discovered and presently-thawed milk from his freezer. She hadn’t believed it when she had found her backpack, all of its contents still inside, in a hidden cubby full of more of Bram’s weapons and supplies. The lock on the inside of the cubby had her wondering even more about who Bram really was. She wondered if he had carried her and the backpack together or whether he’d gone back for it, curious as to if he could walk among the scabs unharmed or even undetected. Probably not, considering his entire apartment had been retrofitted with iron from top to bottom. He was right about the human buffet outside, though. She wouldn’t have lasted five seconds out there. Days had passed, and the scabs were still behaving like frenzied sharks, and she was a blood bag waiting to be circled and eaten.
Chloe sat at Bram’s weapon table and made herself a protein bar/-granola cereal, hoping he wouldn’t mind that she’d made herself at home while he slept. She’d already finished off the few perishables she had found in his fridge. Might as well finish off the milk before it spoils. Power’s never coming back on, she thought. She rolled a glass vial of silver shavings underneath her palm and eyed an opulent gold-and-ruby necklace that looked ancient. The ruby was so dark; it was almost black, and the more she stared at the oval-cut gem, the more it seemed to come alive. She swore she could even hear the thumping of a heartbeat deep within its core. As she concentrated even
harder, she was sure she could hear two distinguishable heartbeats, just like Bram’s. Chloe shook her head, trying to release herself from the pendant’s strange pull.
As she finished her cereal, the noises from the scabs outside diminished. Their constant howling, heavy breathing, and clawing had echoed off the iron walls in a horrifying cadence between the human screams. But their sudden silence was even more terrifying. Chloe rushed to the wall with the window and quietly moved the metal aside. There were no scabs anywhere to be seen. A sleek black muscle car came into view, but in the darkness, she couldn’t be sure if it had pulled up to the curb or flown in. Chloe shook her head in disbelief. She figured some type of electromagnetic pulse must have been laced into the lightning storm, so it had only been a matter of time before there would be a few vehicles back on the road. There should be some cars running by now. Right? she thought to herself, almost hopeful.
But nothing else was moving outside, not one car, motorcycle, truck, or plane –nothing. According to her research, most higher-caste-fae liked the finer things in life, especially her world’s modern conveniences. So, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility to think that the black muscle car had indeed been flying. Chloe had been devouring every bit of fae lore from ancient books and scrolls Bram had in his apartment while he’d been sleeping. She had learned some fae from the higher castes of both Courts had visited many times before, doing as they pleased for thousands of years.
Chloe thought she recognized most, if not all, of the Fae as Light as soon as they stepped out of the car. There was an air of sophistication and arrogance to them, almost as if visiting Chloe’s world was beneath them somehow. They were all too beautiful not to have been higher castes at the very least, if not members of the ruling body of the Light Court itself. The sharp-featured, ethereal beauties looked like they had just stepped off the runway of a New York fashion show. And then, Chloe saw one who could only be described as royalty. She was perfection, too elegant not to be of royal blood. In comparison, the fae accompanying her looked to be her muscle, massive and deadly. Despite her waifish frame, the royal fae was a force to be reckoned with. Every eye fell upon her as she strode by, as though the power she wielded could snap them in half if they dared insult her by failing to acknowledge her presence.
The female royal kept her hand lightly upon the guard who had escorted her from the vehicle. She caressed him under the chin as a way of thanks as she exited. The long-haired beauty was dressed all in white, which matched her skin. Shimmering under the ashen sky, hers was the palest lavender-blonde hair Chloe had ever seen. She tossed her wavy locks behind her as she passed the bodyguards, exposing her long neck and pointed ears, adorned by ethereal scrolling jewelry at their tips. Wearing higher heels than were safe for mortals and lean white-leather pants, she demanded attention from her subjects and subordinates. And she got that attention. She moved like a bird of prey, stalking around the men who seemed mesmerized by the saunter of her hips. The golden pendant she wore had a diamond the size of a golf ball hanging between her pale breasts, and her blouse was made up of tiny white-down feathers.
Out of the car from the opposite side emerged a blond male just as pale, and beautiful, wearing a light ashen-green color that could easily have been mistaken for white if he hadn’t gone to stand beside his lavender-blonde twin. Chloe thought his skin and blond hair had an almost putrid green tint to them, but somehow, he was still beautiful. A glamour, she thought. He had no jewelry adorning the tips of his ears, and the only real color came from his gold necklace. His bore a giant emerald which matched the size and shape of his counterpart’s diamond.
Bram was right, Chloe thought. The fact the royal fae had arrived was proof. The Light had done this. They scorched the sky and were now taking a tour to survey their handiwork.
Just then, came a golden skinned goddess, stepping out of the car. A tall, raven-haired female dressed in sleek black and heels, slithered out of the car like a black mamba. Her blue-black hair flowed down her back, and the ornate jewelry on her pointed ears resembled a knight’s armor. The raven-hair was also a royal; Chloe was sure of it. But was she Light? As she walked, the men looked at her with a deep longing until the glare from the lavender-blonde had them looking down and checking out the sidewalk, intently, instead. The black-haired beauty turned, and Chloe could see her gold pendant held the blackest oval gem imaginable, like a dark hole leading into the depths of hell. But somehow, this royal fae was different from the other two. She seemed alone, incomplete somehow, even standing beside the others. She’s Dark Fae, Chloe thought. She was certain of it. So why is she with the Light?
Chloe noticed that the scabs were still on the streets, cowering in the heaviest shadows, afraid of the new arrivals. The three royals stood on the street for a minute, talking with some of the muscle before each of their faces turned and looked straight at Bram’s building. Shit!
Think, Chloe; think! You’ve probably got less than three minutes! The royals were there for Bram. Chloe was sure of it. She put the gold-and-ruby necklace around her neck and picked up the vial of silver shavings along with the silver dagger. Grabbing her backpack, she tossed some of her less important papers onto the floor along with one of the candles, letting wax spill everywhere as its flame went out. She threw her backpack, the vial of silver, and all the weapons she could carry into the cubby and left it open. Then, she went to a wall of iron, slid it away, and exposed the apartment’s entry. She knew those fae could open a human lock in seconds. The plan was to make it look like Bram had just fled in a hurry.
Chloe cracked the front door open and gasped. She had to cover her mouth before she let out an uncontrollable scream. A body drenched in dried, crusted blood was lying across the hallway not two feet from her. There was scarcely any light coming from inside Bram’s apartment, but Chloe could tell the remains were human; dead for a while by the smell, too. The odor hit her like a freight train, and she couldn’t get the sickening taste of decay out of her mouth. The rot coated the fine hairs inside her nose and wouldn’t let go. There was no time to dwell on when and how he had died or how she hadn’t even known the death had happened. She had to hurry. Chloe left the apartment door open and went for Bram.
“Bram, wake up!” Her frantic hushed voice pleaded. She tried slapping his cheek. “Bram!” No response. She grabbed his arms and pulled with all her might. He was so heavy; he landed on the floor with a thud. She didn’t know if they were going to make it or not. Chloe had never been forced to drag two hundred pounds of beastly deadweight before, but Bram had saved her life, so, by God, she was saving his! She didn’t know what would happen if they were caught, but she wasn’t leaving him. “Please!” she whispered.
Finally, Chloe was able to pull Bram completely inside the cubby, shutting and latching the iron door as she heard high heels click up the steps.
“Such vile creatures,” a woman’s muffled voice said from the hallway. Chloe could picture the lavender-blonde’s annoyance at having to step over the body in the hallway.
Chloe focused on her breathing. Now was not the time to hyperventilate. A cold chill trickled down her spine as the door to Bram’s apartment was slung open.
“He couldn’t have gone far. Check the street, and this time, summon a tracker. Go!” Another female voice ordered the guards to do a sweep.
Chloe felt around in the dark, found the glass vial, and poured the silver shavings across the door’s threshold as three sets of footsteps entered the apartment.
“Dammit!” one of the females said, walking further into the now-empty apartment. Chloe could almost picture the lavender-blonde dressed in all white strutting like a peacock in front of the other royals in her high heels. It wasn’t a far stretch to presume she was in charge either. “Where would he have gone?” Chloe heard a dining room chair hit the floor. Her quick thinking and making it look like Bram had just fled was, apparently, working.
It sounded like someone picked one of her loose research papers up off
the floor. “He’s not alone. He has that human female with him, the professor’s student, Chloe Etain.” Her name dripped from the male royal’s tongue as if it were the sweetest honey. “I can still smell her.”
Chloe froze as his heavy footsteps thudded around the apartment.
“Dear brother, how do you smell anything beyond that wretched heap out there?”
“The bouquet of death is but the sweetest smelling rose to me, dear sister.”
“Etain, you say? Ha! ‘An object of jealousy as her beauty and gentleness surpass all others’ how quaintly Irish of her... But is she pet, prey, or his partner?” the lavender-blonde asked as she paced the floor in front of the cubby.
Chloe swallowed hard and tried not to breathe. Instinctively, she clenched the pendant around her neck.
“Come. Night is near, and we don’t want the Dark Court to think we are laying claim to their shiny new realm so soon. Do we, Famke?”
“No, mistress,” the other female dressed all in black answered.
Their realm! Chloe was screaming inside her head.
“Famke, that half-eaten food in the hallway is so uncivilized. Be a dear and let the castes know that they must dispose of their toys when they’re finished playing with them,” the lavender-blonde said.
“My apologies, mistress. Mortimer’s clever-albeit inept-tactic of unleashing a feral horde on an entire species has proven to be quite...untidy, to say the least. It’s a pity the nuance of war does not come so easily to some as it does others,” Famke provoked.
Her response seemed to please the lavender-blonde, as she sighed heavily.