I jumped aside as the bigger spirit made another attempt to swallow me.
“Do you want to eat me or make out?” I asked. “I can’t tell.”
The Korrigane hovered in front of me, as though debating the answer. I seized the moment and ran, trying to identify a safe place to buy me time to come up with a plan. If they set their minds to it, they could topple buildings on this block like dominoes. There was nowhere to climb that they couldn’t reach me. Weapons did no damage. I couldn’t think of any particular brand of magic that would stop them. I was running out of options.
“What if we trap them in something?” Neera asked.
“Like what? A giant bell jar?” Kami swept a hand outward. “By all means, if you see a life-sized, hermetically-sealed container, feel free to grab it.”
I scanned the area. There had to be something we could use to contain them.
My gaze landed on something better than a bell jar.
I whistled to the other knights and motioned toward the corner. If we could lure them close enough, it might work even better than containment.
I sprinted toward the corner and spared a glance over my shoulder to make sure my departure got their attention. Two Korriganes tore after me. Two was better than zero.
I could’ve run faster, but I held back not wanting them to give up and go for easier prey.
That’s right, ladies. Free samples. Just follow me.
I reached my destination but didn’t break stride. There was a man unhooking a nozzle from the pump to fill his car. My hand shot out and swiped the nozzle from his loose grip.
“Hey! I already paid for that.”
I ignored his objection and fired at the oncoming spirits. Gasoline sprayed from the nozzle and drenched the air. It came in handy to have a built-in accelerant. I opened my palm and whispered, “Ignis.”
It was a risk to use Latin in the middle of the city when not acting in an official capacity, but under the circumstances, it was one I was willing to take. It would be easy enough to persuade the authorities that we were acting for the greater good. My problem was not wanting to draw attention to myself, especially not from vampires.
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.