Read Online Gods and Swindlers (City of Eldrich Book 3) by Laura Kirwan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Laura Kirwan
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was only the surprise. I want to talk to it again.”
“Not a chance in hell,” Meaghan said. “That thing got in your head somehow and until we figure it out, you need to keep your distance.”
Meaghan led John to the bed, but he refused to lie down. “I am not sick. Stop. I don’t need this. I am going downstairs again.”
“Not until we know what went wrong with the buffering magic.”
“Nothing went wrong with it,” Lynette said as she walked into the room. “The magic was working. Did you call Terry?”
“On his way. What did you see when you came down the stairs?” Meaghan asked. “What did the elf look like?”
“Small, ugly, and dressed all in gray,” Lynette said. “It looked the same as it did last night.”
“No,” John shook his head. “Something else was there. Tall. Beautiful.” He glared at Meaghan. “You did not see it?”
Meaghan shook her head. “There was no one else there. You were looking above its head when you were talking to it. That’s when I realized what it was doing.”
“No, that’s . . . I saw it like you did when I came downstairs and then someone else was there. The one who . . .” John’s face twisted in revulsion. “They were the same? How could I not see that?”
“Because it was affecting your perception,” Lynette said. “Somehow. Even with the buffering magic. It’s what they do. When you’re under their influence you can’t tell truth from lies. You only see what they want you to see.”
“You’ve dealt with them before,” Meaghan said.
Lynette nodded. “Before the truce. Before we let the evidence of what they really are be erased.” She shook her head, her lips in a tight white line. “I never agreed with Matthew on that decision. I know he was trying to keep things from dragging on any longer, but it was a mistake to let them hide from their crimes.”
“The information wasn’t erased.” Owen strolled into the room. Instead of his typical impeccably tailored dark suit, he wore a black turtleneck and jeans. “It was removed and put in storage. And I know how to get it.”
At their first meeting, Owen had made Meaghan a proposal. He would provide resources to help care for the misplaced Fahrayans in exchange for Meaghan’s assistance in negotiating the release of Matthew’s redacted files from the people keeping them. But then all hell broke loose, and together they’d fought love-crazed witches and power-mad wizards, and barely stopped the invasion of mysterious hellish monsters who appeared even worse than the fair folk.
When the dust settled, Owen offered his help with the Fahrayans, no strings attached, and told Meaghan not to worry about it for now. The fair folk seemed like a lesser problem in light of the threat posed by the “extra-dimensional stinky space squid,” as Natalie had dubbed them.
Not anymore.
“The elf got into John’s head even with all the buffering magic in place,” Meaghan said.
“Yeah, I heard.” Owen looked at Lynette. “You couldn’t see any tampering?”
“No. Unless . . .” She groaned. “Damn it. I know better and I still fell for it. Unless he hexed me to think that’s what I saw.”
Owen nodded. “That’s what the fair folk do. It’s like mirrors in a funhouse. They can bewitch you so badly you have no idea anymore what’s real.”
“Yeah,” a deep voice said. “That’s what they did to me for a while.” Terry walked into the room and peered at John. “You okay, Johnny?” He looked around. “What happened?”
Owen sighed. “Uh, there’s something I haven’t told you all.”
Terry shook his head. “They know we know each other. Steph and I are still going back and forth on what else we want to tell them.”
“That’s a relief,” Owen said.
Terry nodded. “What happened?”
“The elf,” John said. “It got in my head. It made me feel my wings again.”
Terry grimaced. “You okay?”
John nodded. “I think.” He gave Terry a small smile.
“Not a chance in hell,” Meaghan said. “That thing got in your head somehow and until we figure it out, you need to keep your distance.”
Meaghan led John to the bed, but he refused to lie down. “I am not sick. Stop. I don’t need this. I am going downstairs again.”
“Not until we know what went wrong with the buffering magic.”
“Nothing went wrong with it,” Lynette said as she walked into the room. “The magic was working. Did you call Terry?”
“On his way. What did you see when you came down the stairs?” Meaghan asked. “What did the elf look like?”
“Small, ugly, and dressed all in gray,” Lynette said. “It looked the same as it did last night.”
“No,” John shook his head. “Something else was there. Tall. Beautiful.” He glared at Meaghan. “You did not see it?”
Meaghan shook her head. “There was no one else there. You were looking above its head when you were talking to it. That’s when I realized what it was doing.”
“No, that’s . . . I saw it like you did when I came downstairs and then someone else was there. The one who . . .” John’s face twisted in revulsion. “They were the same? How could I not see that?”
“Because it was affecting your perception,” Lynette said. “Somehow. Even with the buffering magic. It’s what they do. When you’re under their influence you can’t tell truth from lies. You only see what they want you to see.”
“You’ve dealt with them before,” Meaghan said.
Lynette nodded. “Before the truce. Before we let the evidence of what they really are be erased.” She shook her head, her lips in a tight white line. “I never agreed with Matthew on that decision. I know he was trying to keep things from dragging on any longer, but it was a mistake to let them hide from their crimes.”
“The information wasn’t erased.” Owen strolled into the room. Instead of his typical impeccably tailored dark suit, he wore a black turtleneck and jeans. “It was removed and put in storage. And I know how to get it.”
At their first meeting, Owen had made Meaghan a proposal. He would provide resources to help care for the misplaced Fahrayans in exchange for Meaghan’s assistance in negotiating the release of Matthew’s redacted files from the people keeping them. But then all hell broke loose, and together they’d fought love-crazed witches and power-mad wizards, and barely stopped the invasion of mysterious hellish monsters who appeared even worse than the fair folk.
When the dust settled, Owen offered his help with the Fahrayans, no strings attached, and told Meaghan not to worry about it for now. The fair folk seemed like a lesser problem in light of the threat posed by the “extra-dimensional stinky space squid,” as Natalie had dubbed them.
Not anymore.
“The elf got into John’s head even with all the buffering magic in place,” Meaghan said.
“Yeah, I heard.” Owen looked at Lynette. “You couldn’t see any tampering?”
“No. Unless . . .” She groaned. “Damn it. I know better and I still fell for it. Unless he hexed me to think that’s what I saw.”
Owen nodded. “That’s what the fair folk do. It’s like mirrors in a funhouse. They can bewitch you so badly you have no idea anymore what’s real.”
“Yeah,” a deep voice said. “That’s what they did to me for a while.” Terry walked into the room and peered at John. “You okay, Johnny?” He looked around. “What happened?”
Owen sighed. “Uh, there’s something I haven’t told you all.”
Terry shook his head. “They know we know each other. Steph and I are still going back and forth on what else we want to tell them.”
“That’s a relief,” Owen said.
Terry nodded. “What happened?”
“The elf,” John said. “It got in my head. It made me feel my wings again.”
Terry grimaced. “You okay?”
John nodded. “I think.” He gave Terry a small smile.
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