Through Time-Frankie (11 page)

* * *

Frankie smiled proudly as she watched Jazz doing a great job of calmly hurrying people away and out of danger.

So many students and professors were still streaming out of the various buildings in their efforts to get far away from the campus.

No one stopped to even ask Jazz who she was or how she knew there was a bomb. They just ran.

Dynamite
, suddenly the word came to Frankie and she knew. The next bomb was made of dynamite, but how would they set off the fuse? Was it on a timer? Where would it be stashed? She studied the entire area around herself but could not get a location.

Too late
, she realized why she had not been able to find it! The damn thing was encased in a thin layer of iron, her Daoine Fae would not see through the iron. However, her Fios was unaffected by it. It was an odd combination that dwelt within her brain that often needed the shutting off of one in order to allow the other to dominate.

Her Fios, unlike Daoine and Seelie Fae, was immune to the effects of iron. At least she had always supposed it to be the Fios in her, as Jazz too, was immune to iron.

Even as she locked on the explosive and found it reposing in its iron casing, a casing that would turn into shrapnel wicked and deadly, she knew she was not in time. Her vision showed her the fuse was already doing its work. She tried anyway as she flicked her wrist and chanted the words to get it up and away into space.

Too late
. Hard words.

It exploded
, and the blast from below, opened the earth right in the heart of the campus square where people were rushing across. It shot dirt and debris high and wide, and it sent people hurtling in the air, and as they came down, Frankie saw they were maimed and bleeding, dying and…her heart cracked wide open as she cried out a curse on Pestale’s head and balled her fists upward giving him the warning, “Pestale, ye be next! Do ye hear me, Pestale?”

But the time now was to forget the pain of watching people suffer and to help. She turned to Graely and knew the horror written on his face mirrored her own. A moment later, he was on his knees, already trying to heal the injured by giving of his own life source.

The blast was enormous, and the debris had blasted in every direction. The explosion shattered the façade of the administration building, sending pieces of stone, concrete, and metal into the air. It knocked people to the ground, slicing into their flesh as they ran. It had been an attack on the innocents and the resulting injuries were horrific.

Pandemonium ruled
. Screaming, crying, shouting and cursing, but heroes were created. Those who weren’t hurt were rushing from one injured person to another, tearing their clothes to use as bandages, calling on the cell phones for help.

Frankie’s gaze took it all in and made another  silent oath to take Pestale down and make him pay.

Car alarms had gone off as mortar flying in every direction landed heavily on parked vehicles in the vicinity.

The sirens of the quickly approaching Garda and ambulances blasted through the sound of chaos, indicating they were on their way, even as off duty nurses and doctors rushed to the scene.

Jazz was already jumping from one injured person to the next, using her healing powers as a Fae to mend torn limbs, treating the most horribly injured first.

Frankie joined her, each taking on more than even their Fae ability could handle at once.

Fae dictum did not allow this interference. They were not supposed to heal, and repair, but it was a Dark Fae that had brought this about, and there was no question about rules at the moment.  Jazz and Frankie didn’t care about rules as they moved through blood soaked and terrified people.

The word terrorists was spoken by the humans, and carried by the media who appeared on the scene.

Better
, Frankie thought,
to leave it at that.

Frankie bent to an older man, no doubt, a professor and he groaned as he tried to get up, passed out and fell. One of his legs was nearly detached. She wanted to cry and scream at once, but instead, ran her hands over him, healing tissue, nerve endings, and bone. His other injuries were minor, and she touched his shoulder as she started to get up and move to the next person.

As she left the elderly man he awoke, grabbed her hand and said, “Are you an angel? Your wings…so beautiful. You look like an angel with an angel’s touch.”

She was momentarily startled.

Had she let her Glamour fade? She realized that she had in fact lost some of her Glamour while she gave all her strength into healing.
Oh-oh.
Nothing she could do about it. She had to help these people.

Her Glamour continued to fade with each person she healed. She was already severely depleted. Others would see and a new panic would rise up.

She turned to Jazz and called her name.

Jazz turned, looking white and drained. “Frankie. Your Glamour…it has nearly faded completely.  I can see your wings.”

“I know, but I can’t leave them here like this,” Frankie cried.

Graely appeared at her side and cast a spell of invisibility around her, shielding her wings and her Faeness from detection. “Go and rest, you’ll do more good—both of you, if you take a moment to recoup.”

“But that girl over there, she’ll die—she’ll bleed out if I don’t heal her wounds…” Frankie objected.

“Sit,” he commanded.

She watched him as he turned and strode over to the young girl bleeding out on the grass. He was so strong, so capable…

He bent and placed healing hands over her wound, which was a long wide gash made by a piece of metal stuck in her abdomen.

The metal fell away, as the wound healed and closed. He turned to Frankie and said, “She is in shock…but, she will be fine. Ah, the ambulances are here.” He turned to Jazz, “You two must rest. You are both depleted.”

Frankie could see that Graely’s own powers were taking a beating. He couldn’t keep this up much longer.

Jazz had bent to stroke the girl’s forehead, sure now that she would do, turned and saw a young man, trying to hold his arm in place.

Graely followed her line of vision and strode up to the young man, and a moment later, his arm was reattached, although he was still lying unconscious on the blood soaked grass.

Jazz and Graely silently regarded one another.

When Graely moved off, Frankie could see it was because Trevor had arrived.

Both Jazz and Frankie were running on empty.

Fae can heal most living beings, but not in such numbers all at once.  It is a process that drains their own life essence.

Frankie watched as Graely lowered his eyes and slipped into the background, away from Trevor and Jazz.

She got up and ran to him, because she could see he wanted to leave. Jazz also turned and called out loudly and fervently, “Thank you, Graely.”

Frankie wanted to hug and hug her dear Jazz fiercely and never let her go. Jazz had been there for her from the start, when everything in her life had all gone wrong—Jazz had been the one who had jumped in and taken hold. Jazz was the one now who did the right thing, and recognized Graely’s help and thanked him for it. She could see that Trevor still held back, even though he knew Graely had been helping, and Frankie’s eyes narrowed as she planned to give him a good talking to.

Trevor didn’t know, but she did, how much Graely wanted to be accepted by the people she cared most about. Thank goodness for Jazz.

Frankie’s heart nearly burst as she witnessed one of Graely’s very rare smiles flit across his face. As quickly as it had been there, it vanished. He took a step back as though suddenly he found he was no longer welcome, and all vestige of his momentary happiness had been stripped away and replaced with a grim hard-eyed look. It was as though hope had tickled him and then suddenly slapped him down.

Before Frankie knew what had happened to change his mood, he had shifted away.

At first, Frankie thought perhaps he had left to recoup, but then, she saw her father marching toward her and knew the truth.

Frankie’s own face, one which would have ordinarily welcomed her da, took on a hard look of her own. She cocked a brow and folded her arms across her chest.

Chapter Twelve

SVENTER EYED HIS men as they lined the walls and ceiling of the squared chamber with the iron they had procured during the distraction of the bombing. He knew the bombs had been more than a distraction. It was a prelude, Pestale wished to give of what was coming. He wanted the entire world to know, he didn’t need an army. He could do so much with human weapons, and a bit of magic.

However, the distraction had enabled them to procure the iron and load it into the truck without anyone the wiser.

Worley and his Daoine were on hand causing mass confusion in the factory, knocking over tables, throwing food, making chairs slide across the room. The metal workers were frozen in place believing they were being haunted.

No one thought a thing of iron walking itself out the door. No one even wanted to look.

Most of his soldiers had witnessed young females and some children both damaged and killed. They had even seen a mother with a babe in her arms thrown a long distance by the blast which left both dead.

They were trained warriors, yes, but they had lived in peace for many centuries and had forgotten the trials of war. They had fought their enemies in hand to hand battles.

Conglam was their home. This earth was a foreign place where the air was difficult to breathe and the humans they had killed this day were innocents—all innocents.

It was not their usual way.

This was Pestale’s way—
his plan
and Sventer could see that this sort of thing would take its toll on them. He had to admit, that he too, in spite of the goals he had set for himself and his men, found this more than repugnant. He would have preferred hitting a military base.

The people who had died and been maimed had been unarmed. It had been a cowardly act and not one he wanted to repeat.

None of his warriors had much to say after they saw what they had wrought. Instead, they hung their heads and shifted off with him to obtain the iron they needed and drive it to the opening of the underground. There, they had enough power to shift in the sheets of iron, though in truth, it had been a difficult procedure.

Sventer knew what they had done was necessary. Terror was something they needed to interject into the human world. This was the first step toward that total terror. Humans finding themselves overwhelmed and ready to bend and bow.

Today’s deaths and maiming Sventer told himself, was what warriors called collateral damage, but he did not try and convince them of this just yet. Success would show them the truth in the end.

Only one bomb had exploded.

No doubt, a Fae had interfered. Most Fae would not have broken their ‘golden rule’ and become involved, but he had already been told about the Fios Fae, Frankie and Jazmine Decker.

It didn’t matter.

His men worked fervently. He knew they wanted the deaths and maiming of the humans to mean something. They wanted their mission to be a complete success. They worked silently as iron cannot easily be wielded by magic.

It took some effort to work it, bend it, put it in place, and when they were done, they knew they had accomplished what they set out to do.

Now only one thing remained. They had to get back to the portal before it closed.
They had to get home.

* * *

Frankie watched her father stomp toward her and knew what was coming. She waited, and was ready with her answer. She was no longer willing to hide what she felt for her Dark Prince.

“What was that Dark abomination—that Unseelie, doing here?” asked her da.

“Don’t call him that, Da. He was helping! Something you should go and do now, instead of standing here, calling Graely names he does not deserve!” Frankie snapped at her father.

Restraining Frankie with a touch, giving her a look to quiet her. Jazz said as she came up to face Deimne and stood beside Frankie, “We don’t have time now to discuss the pros and cons of Prince Graely.” She eyed Deimne challengingly, “What we need to do now is track whoever is responsible for this horror.”

Frankie touched Jazz’s hand thankfully as she was fully aware that Jazz had purposely used a tone of respect, when she referred to Graely as ‘Prince Graely’.

Trevor arrived, sniffing the air, “I have sent a message to Aaibhe.  Breslyn is on his way to help heal some of the badly injured,” he looked at Deimne, “You and I have their scent and must track them.” He turned to Jazz, “There is no need, my heart, my Jazmine Decker, for you and Frankie to come with us. I would much prefer you return home and recoup your lost energy.”

“Not on your life, big boy!” his mate responded with great feeling as she glared at him.

“You are depleted, you need time,” he said softly.

“You don’t need to track them,” Frankie said feeling weary. “I already know where the portal is.”

“We don’t know they will go directly back. We will track,” Trevor returned firmly.

“
Going with you
. You shift us and for a little while, we will lay low and recoup our strength,” Jazz said.

Deimne frowned, but one look at Frankie told him she would either allow him to shift her, or she would use her depleted energy and follow on her own power, which he knew would cause her further harm.

He took his daughter’s hand as Trevor took Jazz’s hand, and they were off.

Trevor led them first to the Customs House where he and Deimne said the scent was strong.

“They
were
here…and although they are in numbers, they are not the mass they would need to attack this world. Why the bomb, then? What was all that about? What was their point in hurting, killing so many humans? To what end?” Deimne asked.

Trevor didn’t answer him and Jazz and Frankie looked at one another but kept their thoughts to themselves. Frankie was certain they hadn’t come to actually attack—not with the purpose of battle. They had come for something else. They had, in a manner of speaking come as terrorists.

Why was this obvious to her? They had come at Pestale’s bidding and as mercenaries.

Deimne’s tracking then took them to the River Liffey near the bridge.

“We are running out of time,” Trevor said in frustration.

“Don’t ye see them?” Frankie exclaimed excitedly, “All of them, right there, headed for the portal?”

Deimne and Trevor looked at one another and then to where she was pointing just beneath the undulating waves of the river where the open mouth of the portal hovered and shot off white lights of electric energy.

“The portal, yes, I see they used magic to hide it.” Trevor exclaimed and then added, “By Danu, I can see the mouth of the portal.”

“Jazz concentrate with yer Fios,” Frankie urged.

Jazz put a hand to shade her eyes, “Frankie, I see a smear of blue a big smear of blue—oh my gosh, yes, Blue Demons. I see them!”

“Da, shift us to the portal—do hurry. We have to get
between them
and the portal!”

In easy unison they shifted, but even as they moved to get directly in front of the yawning and pulsating mouth of the portal, the Blue Demons moved into position.

“Now is our one chance,” Frankie said. “Da and Trevor can’t see them at all, but you and I, we can. We can’t let them shift into the portal, and Jazz, I can feel the mouth closing,” Frankie cried hopefully and used the last bit of strength she had to shift. She made it directly in front of the portal’s dark wide mouth.

Behind her, it sizzled, gulped and spit. It made sucking and kissing noises, inviting any who dared to enter.

She opened her black lovely wings and stood, barring the entrance.

* * *

Suddenly Jazz felt an intrusion and turned to find Prince Worley standing beside her. He said, “I’m here to help.”

Jazz looked at him doubtfully, decided to ignore him as she turned to Trevor and said, “Shift me to Frankie…now, Trev.”

Worley looked insulted but did not stay long enough to bandy a retort. He shifted before them and stood beside Frankie, appearing to be on guard beside her.

With outstretched hands, Worley looked at Sventer and said, “You don’t want to end this in a fight with Seelie Fae. You had better allow me to handle this.”

Jazz heard this, and thought it sounded rather rash and wondered at him. Under her breath she said, “Fool,” and turned to her mate, “What the devil is he doing?”

Suddenly she felt uneasy about it all and in a voice that sounded desperate even to herself, she said, “Trevor, shift us to Frankie at once.”

“We can’t, they could take her hostage if we try and move in.” Trevor frowned, “I can just make them out?”

“How? I thought you can’t see through their magic?” Jazz asked.

“Apparently, their magic is wearing off,” Diemne said and added, “I don’t like Worley so close to her.  He has proven untrustworthy.”

“I can see them, and though they appear hazy, I can see enough.” Trevor said and put his hand up for his Death Weapon. He took it with both hands wrapped around its hilt and pointed it high and the threat was on the air.

Deimne didn’t speak. It was as though he didn’t trust himself to do so, but his weapon was also in his hands and pointed.

The two warriors moved in perfect harmony as they advanced on the Blue Demons.

Jazz watched them, breathing hard; trying to recoup so she could join them. Her beloved was a force to be reckoned with and she had never seen Deimne more determined. His silvery white wings were open ever so slightly, and his lips were drawn in grim lines. The Demons should worry, she thought. “Well boys, I guess they don’t stand a chance,” she called.

“Just so,” her mate answered roughly over his shoulder and then to the Demons, “Do you hear that lads?” he called out merrily as though entering a sports arena, “You don’t stand a chance at all.”

Deimne was already on the move, ahead of them, his sword cutting a clear path as the Blue Demons jumped out of the Daoine’s deadly path, obviously unwilling to engage a Fae whose power was so much greater than their own.

Trevor guarded his back, gliding his sword from left to right with ease, and Jazz shifted in, placing her back against her mate’s and grinning as she held up her own sword. Her strength may have been sapped, but her Death Weapon would be all that she needed.

The mouth of the portal was spitting up fluids with a violence that could only mean it was getting ready to close.

Jazz knew the Blue Demons had but one goal now—escape. They had to remove Frankie out of their path. She held a Death Weapon and the touch of such a weapon would mean an agonizing death, so they found themselves in a bind.

Jazz turned her head and saw Frankie had taken a step backward as the Blue Demons tried to advance on her as a whole.

Frankie was too close to the portal’s yawning opening and Jazz screamed out, “Get away from the portal, Frankie!”

She saw Frankie try to sidestep away, but Prince Worley blocked her, turned and winked at one of the Blue Demons before he turned back to Frankie.

What? Jazz felt a sudden over-riding fear.

Then something about the Prince’s body language made Jazz’s stomach turn.

* * *

Frankie glanced at Worley, standing firmly at her side. She hadn’t thought he would be so brave as to take a stand when the odds were against him.

She saw him wink at the Blue Demon in the fore, who was no doubt their leader and she knew something was wrong—all wrong.

What was that?
She eyed the Daoine Prince and demanded, “Ye and that Blue Demon know each other, or do ye just have a thing for him?”

“What are you talking about?” he answered gruffly.

“Oh puh-lease, don’t ye be trying to deny that ye winked at him. I saw ye, I did,” Frankie answered. So saying she held firm to her Death Sword which she had pointed at the collection of advancing Blue Demons.

She had her sword leveled toward the leader and told him, “Careful now, I know I can’t get all of ye at once, but as the saying goes,
I can get one
, and that one, oh now, we know who that will be,
don’t we?”

Sventer didn’t move. Frankie saw his eyes shift and knew he was concerned. He looked at Prince Worley and Frankie had an ugly notion enter her head.

No time to think it out because she could see her da, Jazz and Trevor making a straight path right toward her.

Jazz screamed at her, and she realized Jazz was right. She was too close to the portal.  She started to step out of its direct path when the prince’s hands came down on her shoulders.

She shrugged his hands off, “What are ye doing? I didn’t give ye leave to touch me.”

“In a few moments, the portal’s mouth will close. We can’t have Blue Demons running amok in the Human Realm, now can we?” Prince Worley said softly.

“We won’t have them running amok. Those that won’t be taken will be killed. Between us, we can manage. Those demons who don’t wish to die will be taken to  the Queens,” she answered frowning at him and saw something in his face that chilled her. Sudden sure dawning lit in her eyes.

“Why…why didn’t I see it before…?” she gasped.