Alshaya got bright and happy once she saw Everett. They reacted to each other and in a lot of ways they were almost like twins. They had been born around the same time and had been raised side by side. Out of all the Terrowin children they were the closest. “Okay,” Alshaya ran back home as fast as she could with all the information she had.

It was almost instant that the alcohol was burned off Simone as she catapulted herself off the couch out of Lucas’s embrace and over to Alshaya. “Did you just say Xeik found Everett?” In that moment she was sober and had accidentally found a new skillset she didn’t even know she had before.

“Yes! I helped! He was at a table with people with fancy wings,” she flapped her arms a bit.

Simone looked concerned, “Was he eating anything?”

“NO! He was telling them no,” Alshaya beamed with pride. “Just like you told us to Mama.”

“Good. I’m very proud of you Alshaya,” Simone hugged herself to Lucas with Alshaya in the middle. “Now… Now we just have to wait.” She put her head into Lewis’s shoulder. This was the hardest part but at least Everett was alright.

–

Not too far from the table was a beautiful looking fey. She was taller than Xeik and almost as beautiful as Angela herself. She looked like autumn. Her hair was made up of auburn locks with gold leaves growing from it. Her eyes were gold and piercing. “A child coming to demand a child back? This child showed up in my realm… Should we not be accepting of this gift? All that comes belongs to us. Your goddess holds no power here on this continent but I will hear you out Champion of Life and Love. If anything I am fair.”

Xeik’s face never changed, but on the inside he was cursing. There was no way to prove that they had lured Everett into the realm, and he knew it. He was hoping the Goddess card would work better than this, but he had no choice but to work this out without invoking Angela’s name. If anything, I’m resourceful. Think…

“It would seem, then…that perhaps we make a deal?” Xeik was mostly talking out of his ass and trying to grasp at straws. The fae were always ready for deals, but it was always in the fine print where things went wrong. He would have to navigate this harder than any deal he could have made with Raile. What would they want in exchange for Everett? I could trade myself, but then…no, I doubt they’d take a simple one for one. They’d need more.

….oh. An idea popped up in his head. A stupid one. But as long as he worded things right, it could possibly work.

“Here is my offer,” he said as cleared his throat. “I will take this child…and in exchange, I will bring you two beings of immense magical potential.” There was something. But he needed proof. Angela might kill me… He produced from his pouch, a pristine black feather, and waved it. “A being that can produce these…and the one bound to her. Together…their magical power is unimaginable.”

This was true. “Once they are here, you are free to do whatever you wish to them. And…I guarantee on my life that they will show within the day. Should they not, I will allow myself to be taken in their stead…” There it was. The gamble. Lewis and Simone would take this, though. They would do anything for Everett. It was up to them, though, to escape, if the deal would be taken.

“A deal? I am a fan of deals Young One,” She relaxed in her chair. “Can I offer you a drink?” A tiny fairy came over with a tray with a fizzy drink in a fancy glass. “It’s very good.”

Xeik knew the rules though and turned her down. “How very sad,” she frowned a bit but continued with the deal. “Ohh? Those creatures haven’t been seen in some time… And she’s one? Very rare. To have a creature like that in my collection with her partner…” She thought about it. “I will accept it. If they do not come we will come for you. I want you to understand that I will make you dance to death if you are lying to me.” She held out a bracelet.

“Take this as a sign of our deal. Wear it. It will dissolve once they enter our realm. If they do not come it will pull you back. By my name, Meadhbh, I accept this deal. You may have the child.” The fey moved and Everett immediately ran over to Xeik and hung onto him.

“I wanna go home Xeik.”

When the fae moved away from Everett, Xeik sighed with relief, and picked the boy up. “There we go, Everett…” He was careful when the fae came over to hand him the bracelet. He could feel their magic sizzling off of it, but he knew that they would hold true to their word. Fae magic was nothing without their deals.

Xeik turned around, and sprayed the Divine Sands out, creating a gateway to the Terrowin Estate, and stepped through into the main foyer. The moment the portal closed behind him, Xeik fell to his knees, shaking. He let Everett go, who ran straight to Simone, crying tears of relief at the sight of his mother.

Lewis was over to Xeik in a flash, with Alshaya in arms. “Xeik!? Are you okay? What the hell happened?” For once, he was showing emotion, and for the healer, it was weird to see.

“It’s a long story…can…can I get something to drink? Tea would be great. I’ll…I’ll tell you then.”

It didn’t take long for them to get Xeik tea, and they all gathered in the Great Room. As Xeik downed the tea, he spoke of the fae realm and what he had to do in order to get Everett out. It was a short story, but all was silent as he told it. That was, up until he uttered the name of the one he had made the deal with.

“She called herself…what was it…Meadhbh,” he said. “Ring a bell?”

Once they stepped through Simone’s eyes got large as she bolted to Everett and picked him up. She was crying tears of relief. “Everett!” She hugged him almost a bit too tightly but the boy was crying with his mom.

“Mama I missed you so much,” he cried.

“I missed you too. I’m so proud of how brave you were,” Simone took a cloth and tried to clear his tears.

“Mama, you can’t clear my tears if you crying too.” He took the cloth from her and tried to help her which only made Simone laugh.

Once they were all settled down they listened to the story Simone’s eyes got big. “What the fuck did you just say?” The word that left her lips made Everett look up at her. Simone was visibly shaken. “Everett… Take Alshaya and go upstairs.”

Simone got up and immediately went downstairs throwing open Lewis’s storage. She was rummaging around pulling daggers out. There was rage boiling deep but she was oddly focused. She didn’t even offer an explanation leaving it to Lewis.

Leilah came in as Simone was coming up, “Simone where are you going.”

“To kill a fairy queen,” Simone turned and looked at Leilah. “You can come if you want to Lewis. Hell or high water that bitch is dying today. Not again. This is the second time she has impacted my life. The first time I was willing to forgive it but this time… No.” She had weapons strapped all over her on an outfit that she only wore for jobs that Lewis let her go on.

At the mention of the fae queen’s name, Simone flew into a fit of rage. At once, she stormed off, leaving Lewis to explain to the others. The assassin looked grim, which was saying something due to his normal demeanor. As he spoke, the room’s confusion turned into something crossed between horror and rage, and soon it was understood that this had all happened because of her.

Every dark turn that Simone’s life had taken was because of Meadhbh. From the moment she made the ‘contract’ with her husband, down to the kidnapping of Everett. Sure, the fae lord had his own part to play, but he would have acted if not for Meadhbh’s pressure. And now, Simone was going to end it.

But not without me. Lewis stood up. While it took some time for Simone to ready herself, Lewis was always ready. He had just come home from a job, and that meant that he was doubly prepared. Still, there was one other thing to grab; a bow. He rarely had use for it, but in this instance, it was better to expect a more head on fight than normal.

As Simone stated her intentions, Lewis scoffed. “I’m coming with you.” He looked at Leilah, “Try to bring Rhenakos if you can. But…” There was a sadistic grin across his face. “If he’s not fast enough…he’ll miss out completely.”

Xeik stood up as well, though shakily. “I’m coming too! There’s no way I’m gonna-” He swayed. The heavy use of the sands and creating a portal with them was taking its toll. “Damn it…magic really isn’t my strong suit…” He fell back down into his seat. “Guess I can’t help….”

“This isn’t something you can do,” Lewis replied. “You’re not a killer…and that’s all we plan to do.” He looked to Simone, and readied himself. “You know where to go, right? The magical signature is on Xeik’s bracelet. Ready when you are…”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. You have been with me through all of this and I trust you to have my back more than any other person in this world.” Simone’s eyes met his and already her eyes were azure. She was ready to fight and was going to go in with fire blazing.

“It won’t stop until every last fey part of that Unseelie Court is dead. They will carry on her will just like she carried on the will of the last one before her. This is how the fey are.” The way Simone spoke made Leilah shiver but she nodded. There was a reason why her sister never got involved in the courts.

Simone looked at the bracelet and shook her head. “I don’t need his bracelet. I know where she is. Underneath the second-largest Burberry tree in Feeorin’s forest. Near the part of the forest that never sees day. There is a fey court there that makes deals with the living. Their queen with hair of auburn and leaves of gold. They say the flowers sing her name and that the bluebells ring a song. Three leagues in and two skips past the lake. There is a glowing stone that lets you in. They call this The Court of Avalon.” It was still fresh in her mind. How she had found the fey queen was still ringing in her mind. “Bring adequate offerings and she will give you what you want but at the cost of your humanity. Should you have nothing to lose you have nothing to fear… Page three hundred and eighty-four of a book I’ve long forgotten the name of.”

She raised her hand up and the portal formed with ease. It was a reception hall of the fey palace and she beckoned Lewis to follow her. “Don’t let them even bite you. If you try to lick your wounds it counts as hospitality.” She whispered to him. She flung open the doors and the queen almost dropped her glass of wine.

Gold eyes met angry gray and blue. “My… My… My little Simone.”

The fey knew Simone. They remembered the ballsy young girl who showed up so many moons ago. Who wanted to kill their own kind for revenge. Who got hellfire and an iron poker. “Queen Meadhbh.”

“Who would have thought that little boy belonged to you,” the queen held out her arms as if wanting a hug from Simone. “You won. You were victor over Alvaro were you not?”

“Doesn’t matter does it?”

“You’ve died so many times before… Do you want to repeat that?”

“Is that a threat?” Simone sneered. “I forgave you once out of hospitality because that is a fey rule.”

“Blame not the gift giver but the receiver… That was the rule we played on,” Meadhbh stared at Lewis. “Alvaro let you marry?”

“Alvaro is dead.” Simone was vicious with her words. “He does not and has never been in control of me. It was his downfall to think he could control me even if I was only a weak human. I think you will find that much has changed.”

"Maybe I should have kept the boy as payment," the fey queen smiled.

"I OWE YOU NOTHING," Simone screamed at her as the fire in the room burst to life. Her resonance to Lewis started to glow and her eyes connected with Lewis. "Let's end this now." The smile the fey queen had dropped as she felt the heat from the blue flames.

"So wild and out of control."

There it was. The rage boiling inside of Simone that poured over into Lewis’ heart. The reality was, though, that even the usually level-headed assassin was feeling a certain bloodlust. The fae queen raised her hand, and at once her guard flooded the room. The flames seemed not to bother them, at least for the time being. There were at least ten guards in total, though between Lewis and Simone both, they could sense many, many more ready to take the place of their fallen.

“Ready then?” Lewis asked, more the guards than anyone else. He drew the blood dagger, and threw it straight up. Simone leapt into the air, her wings spreading black flames as they erupted, her hand easily wrapping itself around the dagger’s hilt. Every guard’s eyes went up, and Lewis smirked, drawing his bow and taking several shots.

One. Two. Three. Three arrows hit their marks, piercing the armor of the far guards and felling them instantly. Two more guards came from behind, and Lewis spun on his heels, using his free hand to loose two daggers. One hit it’s mark, dead center in a guard’s head. The other was deflected by a glaive. Lewis clicked his tongue, and charged forward, tossing his bow aside and drawing another set of daggers.

Simone’s flames licked at the walls, catching fire to the elegant banners that were spread across the court. As the room started to shroud itself in smoke, the queen was asked to move by one of the higher, royal guards in the back. Smiling, she merely waved them off. Simone noted the smile, which only field her fury as she sent down a cascade of daggers. Several hit their mark, but less than she would have hoped.

Like a hawk, she dove down, striking at the guards, using her flight to her advantage. From behind the queen, though, came more guards to replace those that had fallen, and these guards were more appropriately equipped. Spears were launched into the air, mixed with a flurry of arrows. It mattered not that they may kill their own. Simone was the target.

But they underestimated her. Simone’s unbridled anger was more than a match for them, and as they came anywhere near her, the arrows burned up. The spears were easy enough to weave between, and another several guards were put to rest as the night phoenix descended like the dark omen she was.

Just how many of them are there? Lewis questioned as he felled another two guards. More and more showed themselves, all in the defense of their queen. Lewis slammed his foot down as the azure glow from his eyes started to spread across his body. Burn it all… Simone’s signature black flames erupted around him, and shot forward at his command, incinerating the new guards.

There were so many, but Lewis and Simone were not backing down. The queen watched with interest. “They cannot keep this up. Their power will eat them alive at this rate. What a shame it would be to lose them, but the entertainment here is to die for…” But to her surprise, their power did not wane. Instead, the resonance grew. The azure blue power enveloped their entire form as they linked.

Simone’s magic flooded into Lewis, and likewise, his skill and precision spread to Simone. Her dagger strikes were pinpoint, and with her magic, flooded the guards with black fire. As Lewis slashed with his dagger, he left trails of black flames that spread through their blood, igniting them on fire. The two had never been so much in sync before, and the level of power they were showing was terrifying.

Simone had learned a good bit of control from Thomas in her time with the night phoenixes. She took it from there to read the books and to study hard. She couldn’t let herself die from her magic and she was ready to break herself and rebuild herself if necessary.

Her anger was her weapon and it grew by the second as she harnessed what made her unpredictable. The thought of losing Everett was enough to make her more precise than normal but her life as a housewife had taken some of her skill away. Only some though.

You two are one. Together. No more are you two people who don’t share everything. You will be one. You will die together. You will live together. This is your punishment. Although I do suppose it isn’t much of one. Angela’s words rang true as the blue and black flames engulfed the two.

Standing in the middle of the warriors was now one being. Lewis’s form has taken on Simone’s wings and his eyes were glowing bright with their azure magic. “You shouldn’t underestimate what you don’t know,” their words rang out together with their voices entwined.

When the fey queen saw their souls her eyes grew large. Simone was engulfing Lewis in a protective embrace together as one. Numbers didn’t matter if they could bring the entire tree down on them as hellfire shot up and started to eat at the roots. “It won’t stop until the will of the user is done,” their voice rang to the fey queen. “Is that not what you said? Do you know what our will is?”

The hellfire spread all around the room. There were screams from fey not involved in the fight and slowly the fey queen stood up. “Is this what Alvaro saw right before he died?”

“No, he just saw a girl and a boy trying to survive. This is so much more than that,” Simone’s voice was more dominant this time but soon they were back in sync as they approached the queen who was slowly losing everything. “You owe me for what you have done. It isn’t the other way around. You took my life from me without ever considering there were consequences to your actions. You took from me when I wanted to punish Alvaro.”

“And what do you want as a price?”

“Everything.” The queen was almost stunned in place by the rules of hospitality. Simone was right after all. She was owed what Simone thought was taken from her. Lewis’s hand went right through the fey queen’s body as he yanked her heart out. The hellfire caught the heart on fire as the queen wobbled. “Only then will your greedy wish be repaid.”

Something odd happened at that moment as Simone and Lewis cut the flames. The Burberry tree was still flaming but… They felt something else. Something new. Something unexpected.

Rhenakos and Xeik made their way to the tree, which was already burning with black and blue flames. The hunter tried to get close, but the heat was unbearable even for him. Xeik did his best to try and create a path with his wind relics, but even they held little power against the raging flames.

“Damn it,” Rhenkos said as he shielded his face from the heatwaves. “LEWIS! SIMONE! ARE YOU IN THERE!?” he called out. The flames answered back with crackling. Snaps of the tree’s expansion in the heat echoed in the forest, but there was no sign of the two.

Xeik cursed himself and once again produced the sands, trying to use them to quell the flames, but to no avail. Returning them to his pouch, he tried, like Rhenakos, to call out their names. Nothing.

“Wait…I see something!” Rhenakos said. The flames were starting to die down. The heat was more tolerable, and with the two of them working together, they broke into the tree. Shielding their faces, they made their way through the court, to the throne room. And to their surprise, they found Simone and Lewis.

The two were sitting on the throne, both asleep. Simone was leaning into Lewis, breathing softly as the azure glow around them waned. But that was not all.

“What the hell…” Rhenakos said.

“Where…” Xeik replied. “Where did they…”

In each of their laps, was a newborn baby. The one in Lewis’ lap was a dark haired boy, who was curled up, but threatening to cry. The other, a silver haired girl, fast asleep. At the sound of Rhenakos and Xeik, though, she awoke, and like her brother, was not happy. The two started to cry together, and at once the azure glow from Lewis and Simone flared to life. Neither one of them woke, but the azure glow moved to the babies, circling them in its embrace. The two calmed down almost immediately, and fell back into a peaceful slumber.

The healer watched this all with wonder. “I’m…I’m going to need Angela for this.” He turned to Rhenakos. “Go get the boys and Leilah. I don’t…” He looked back. “I don’t want to move them without help. And Leilah needs to see this.”