“I can lift a few tons.” Haley gave a small shrug.

Amy tilted her head to the side–which seemed more noticeable in a helmet somehow. I think it must have been the way the short spikes on the top made her head appear longer. “I’ve never seen you lift anything.”

Haley stepped up to the wall. “I’m good at sneaking around, and I don’t wear much armor, so they don’t put me at the front of a fight.”

Amy stepped closer to Haley. “I wouldn’t either, but I didn’t know you were that strong. Mind if I help anyway?”

Haley shook her head. “Nick, are you ready?” Continue reading Faerieland: Part 20 →

We walked back to the lab without saying anything more. In books I’ve seen people described as “walking together in companionable silence.” I don’t think that this was it.  This was more, “I’ve accepted your apology, but I still don’t know what to say to you,” silence.

When we got back, I walked straight to the Rocket suit, and did what I probably should have done before I walked to the storage room. I stepped on top of the ceramic block, and activated it from the stealth suit. Continue reading Faerieland: Part 19 →

With a gait that was graceful and strong, but not quite human, Haley crossed the distance to the doorway, stopping next to the doorframe.

Amy’s wards made it appear that no one was in the room, but Haley had let the wall block their vision of her. She, in turn, didn’t try to look out the doorway. She closed her eyes, turned her nose slightly upward and sniffed.

At moments like that, I wished that Daniel were around. He’d be able to tell me what she’d smelled without risking asking her aloud.

I stood up. It was a risk, but if someone did walk through the doorway I wanted to be in the Rocket suit. Continue reading Faerieland: Part 18 →

Samita pursed her lips. “In myths, mortals typically tricked the fae into leaving them alone. They also lost a lot.”

“Great.” I considered logging in to my computer for a moment before remembering that the compound was locked down. That meant no internet access. We’d have to rely on anything in Samita or Amy’s personal libraries, and whatever we remembered about the fae.

In my case that wasn’t much. Continue reading Faerieland: Part 17 →

My eyes lingered on the wound. “Anyone feel up to treating this? If it’s me it’s just going to be basic first aid, but Amy? Samita?”

Samita fumbled for her pouch. “I made a few rolls of bandages. They don’t heal wounds, but you don’t bleed while you’re wrapped up.”

Vaughn raised an eyebrow. “How’s that better than normal bandages?”

Samita looked up from sticking her arm inside the pouch up to the elbow and feeling around. “I didn’t explain it very well. It’s much better. While you’re wrapped up it’s as if you weren’t even hurt, and you can wear it long enough without changing the wrap that you heal.”

Nodding, Vaughn said, “You’re right. That’s lots better.” Continue reading Faerieland: Part 16 →

“If we’re going to fight people,” I said, “and especially if we’re going fight people we know, I want to go back to my lab and get my regular armor before we do anything else.”

Samita nodded. “That seems wise. With Amy’s wards up, it might even be a safe haven from the fae.”

“Let’s run with that,” Amy said. “But let’s not stick around too much longer. I don’t want to fight these guys twice if I don’t have to.”

I glanced around the room. Neither the goblins nor the troll appeared to be particularly active. The troll still snored. The goblins mostly lay on the floor. One of them whimpered. Continue reading Faerieland: Part 15 →