The Korriganes exploded in a ball of fire. I watched for an extra beat to see whether they reformed or the gasoline and fire combo had done its job.
The air remained still.
Two down. Seven to go. Not the best odds but much improved.
I handed the nozzle back to the man. He stared at me in awe before setting the nozzle back on the pump and ducking into his car and speeding away. Not that desperate to fill up, apparently.
None of the other Korriganes had tried to follow. That meant I needed another way to get rid of them.
I returned to the original site. The problem with Kami’s magic specialty was that it was mind control and I had no idea whether that would work on the Korriganes.
“I’ve got two on the hook,” she said, answering my question without breaking her focus. “All I can do is hold them in place though.”
Which left Neera fighting three on her own. I glanced around for any sign of her.
“Where’s Neera?”
“I don’t know and I can’t look,” Kami ground out. Beads of sweat bubbled along her forehead. “They’re strong. If I try to make them do anything, I’ll lose them.”
“Then keep them still. I’m going to find Neera.”
Neera’s specialty was earth magic. There was a chance she had them under control.
I rounded the corner and immediately saw I was wrong. The remaining trio of Korriganes had Neera surrounded and were holding her in the air, about three feet off the ground. They must have realized she was stronger when in contact with the earth. Neera’s eyes locked on mine and I saw the fear reflected there. Her arms were pinned to her side, which made it even harder for her to perform magic.
Luckily for her, I had a touch of earth magic in my arsenal. I turned myself invisible and focused on the ground beneath their feet, causing it to rumble. I couldn’t split it open the way I’d divided the Serpentine, but I could make them nervous.
Sure enough, three heads jerked down to inspect the ground. I pushed harder and the seismic action increased. They looked back at Neera in wonder.
That’s right. It was all Neera. Focus on her.
I couldn’t seal them in anything while they had Neera caught between them. I’d have to be able to keep the trio in a tight group while also getting Neera to safety.
I crept closer and unleashed a blast of air. My magic begged for more release and, this time, I happily complied. I pushed the air so hard that I lost my balance and toppled forward.
All at once the remaining spirits dissipated. From my position on the ground, I watched for any sign of movement. The air calmed.
I made myself visible again.
Neera relaxed. “I think they’re gone.”
“But where?” Kami asked. “We can’t let those things roam freely around the city. They’re too dangerous.”
Neera looked longingly in the direction of the club. “We need to regroup. There’s no point in chasing them down without a plan.”
Kami eyed me. “You don’t always have a plan. What do you want to do?”
“I agree with Neera.”
Neera flashed a triumphant smile. It wasn’t every day I chose a side that wasn’t Kami’s, but in this case, I couldn’t throw caution to the wind or the wind would kill me.
Kami’s mouth turned down at the corners. “I guess this means no club.”
“Afraid so. I’ll tell you what, though, we can go to a pub where it’s quiet enough to talk and have a drink.”
Her blue eyes glowed with hope. “Really?”
“You’re still paying,” I said.
“Done.”
“Beefeaters is the next block over,” Neera said. “I know the bartender.”
“Sold.” I started forward, eager to put Holborn behind us. I’d had my fill of surprises this week.
Once we were settled in a booth with a pitcher of ale, I told them what I knew.
“Korriganes?” Neera asked. “How?”
Kami glanced between us. “What are they? Never heard of them.”
“They’re fairies,” I told her.
Kami snorted. “There’s no such thing.”
I shrugged. “I thought they were only stories, too, yet here they are.”
“Why wouldn’t they have come out after the Great Eruption?” Neera asked. “There’s been no record of them in recent history. Why now and not a hundred years ago?”
I tapped my fingers on the edge of the glass. What else did we know about them? Nine Celtic fairies. Shape changers. Deadly breath.
“Are they inherently evil?” Kami asked.
“Is anything inherently evil?” The question rolled straight off my tongue.
“Vampires,” Kami shot back.
A month ago I would’ve agreed with her. Now I wasn’t so sure.
I tried to remember what else my mother taught me about these particular fairies. “They’re also healers. They can cure disease or repair wounds.”
Kami dumped half my glass into her empty one. “They weren’t going to be healing any of us, I can tell you that much.”
“They seemed ravenous,” Neera added.
She was right. They reminded me of the animals when I extracted them from the holiday home.
An idea spawned. “What if they were ravenous?” The pieces fit. If the Korriganes were stuck elsewhere and unable to get here until recently, unlike other creatures that manifested during the Great Eruption, it made sense that they’d arrive out of control. If you’re starving and intent on survival, you’re not going to function on a higher level, the kind that involves healing and nurturing. You’re going to give in to your baser instincts.
Neera seemed to follow my train of thought. “Where have they been all this time?”
I was still stuck on why now after all this time? If a portal opened, where was it and how did it open?
Neera beat me to the idea. “Could be a summoner. Some ambitious witch bit off more than she could chew.”
“You think those were hitchhikers?” Kami asked. She didn’t seem convinced. Not that I blamed her. I’d heard of a single creature piggybacking through a portal, but nine seemed a bit much.
“Maybe someone summoned them specifically,” Neera offered.
“Why? What purpose do they serve?” Kami drained her glass and proceeded to pour the remaining ale from my glass into hers.