Free dark faerie 06 - ever dead by alexia purdy Page A

faery clan, not in the person who was pressed to do what they said.
    Sometimes it was much better to be human.
    “I hope she doesn’t lead us into any kind of weird mumbo jumbo journey or quest. I doubt it’ll help. Besides…we have better things to do here as it is. Portland is infested. It’ll take forever to get all the escaped Unseelie at this rate. Especially if Hank keeps getting in our way.”
    Soap tossed another log on the fire before settling down across from them.
    “No sense in worrying about Dulci and Hank. I’m sure when the time comes, we’ll find out what we’re all supposed to do.”
    “I know what I’m supposed to do and I’m not letting some crazy oracle woman tell me my role in all this.” Benton slid over to his sleeping bag, ready to get some rest. “I don’t really care what she has to say as long as it gets us to the end of this mission faster, that’s fine. If not, I’m not doing anything any old faery tells me to do.”
    He settled back and dropped his arm on top of his eyes. Letting the fire heat his skin instead of spending extra energy keeping his inner fire burning for heat, he dozed off in no time at all.
    “Benton has a lot to learn.” Soap said quietly, knowing Nautilus could hear him.
    “I agree. He is but a child in our years of experience. He’ll find out sooner or later what he’s dealing with. The forces of Faerie are strongly influencing his life. Especially since Shade is his sister.”
    “He wants nothing more than to finish this mission and return to a quiet human life.” Soap grinned, watching the young human fire elemental sleeping soundly. Unlike Benton, they did not need to sleep but would rest along with Benton nonetheless.
    “How little does he realize that he’ll never be free of Faerie now. Even that Hank guy is forever tied to the magic. No one is ever left the same after walking in the Land of Faerie.”
    Soap nodded as he settled down for the evening. Such somber words were never truer.
     
     
     

Chapter 19
     
     
     
     
    Four hours later, Hank and Luci were pulling into a long gravel drive, the stones clicking loudly under the tires of the rented car.
    Looking at the little house before him, he noticed that it was in need of a little TLC. Although the small yard around the cottage was still well maintained, the building itself was in desperate need of a coat of paint and a few repairs.
    Overall, however, it was still the cozy little farmstead of his childhood.
    It had been a couple of years since they had visited, and Hank felt plenty guilty about that. He could of course rationalize that his work kept him exceedingly busy, but he knew that it was mostly the long drive that kept him away.
    He didn’t own a car, and he hated driving.
    Luckily, she would visit him in the city a couple of times a year. But that was still no excuse, and he was determined to rectify that situation in the future,
    Exiting the car, Hank and Luci made their way to the front door. Knocking twice, they waited as they heard some movement from inside. He shook his head at how short the doorway was. Although he was only 5’10”, he would have to duck through the doorway to enter the house.
    The door suddenly opened before them, the wisp of a short, older woman staring up at him from behind thick glasses.
    “Oh my word…Hank! This is indeed a surprise! Come in, come in! I wish I had known you were coming,” she smiled as she moved aside to let him enter.
    “And you brought Luci!” she exclaimed as she bent down to pet the red dog. “How’s my favorite demon, Lucifer?”
    Luci pushed into the old woman’s legs, sitting on her feet as she looked up with what reminded him of a grin, her tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth.
    “You are the only one she is ever that happy to see Nana.” Hank grinned as he leaned over to give his grandmother a hug.
    “You are a sight for sore eyes,” his grandmother Ariel replied as she patted him happily on the back.