Read Online The Clockwork Fairy Kingdom by Leah Cutter - Free Book Online
Authors: Leah Cutter
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cicadas.
Nora wasn’t behind him.
Dale stood rooted to the spot. He didn’t want to go back.
Those things—those fairies—frightened him. Their swords and knives
weren’t for play. Even unarmed, their teeth would serve them well.
However, his sister was in trouble now.
Dale turned and raced back the way he came.
“Keep braiding!” came the hoarse cry as Dale peered out of
the grass. Nora stood on the far side, her fingers flying as she plied grass
together. The short man stood with his back against the house and fought
desperately, holding off the fairies with a long staff.
“Now! Make it rope!”
“What?” Nora asked, looking up, puzzled. One of the fairies
left the first battle and flew toward her. “How?”
Dale pushed out of the grass and grabbed the leg of the
fairy, swinging her hard toward the ground. Before Dale could reach Nora’s
side, something heavy landed on his back. An iron forearm pushed against his
throat, choking him.
“Dale!” Nora cried.
Dale tried to reply but he couldn’t squeeze out any words.
His fingers slipped off the arm across his windpipe as if the fairy’s skin had
been greased. He tried to shake the fairy from his back, punching at it, but he
kept missing. The edges of his vision dimmed.
“Rope, girl, rope!”
The other fairy, the one Dale had thrown to the ground,
started to rise. She glared at Dale and bared her teeth, her legs tensed, about
to pounce.
“No, you don’t!” Nora yelled. A length of rope flew through
the air and curled around the fairy’s neck. She screamed so loudly that Dale’s
ears hurt.
The other fairies froze. The one choking Dale loosened his
grip.
Nora held a second glowing rope in her hands. This didn’t
have the pale blue glow of the fairies; no, this shone blood-red and deadly.
“You will let us go. All of us. Now,” Nora insisted. She
advanced on Bascom, rope ready.
The fairy on Dale’s back let go, rising up into the air.
Slowly, one by one, the others sheathed their weapons, also taking to the air.
“Good,” Nora said, dropping the rope she still held. The
rope around the neck of the remaining fairy transformed into grass. The fairy
grabbed it from her throat and threw it to the ground. Growling, she spread her
wings and joined the others.
“We will come for you. All of you,” Bascom said in warning.
The stout man waved nonchalantly at them, though he still
breathed heavily and bled from a dozen places. “Yes, yes. You will hunt me and
all my ancestors and all my descendants through all generations. I know, I
know.”
The fairies practically shimmered with anger at being
dismissed so lightly. They didn’t fly away. They just disappeared.
“Nora, are you all right?” Dale asked, immediately crossing
to his sister.
“Oh God, Dale, did you see those things? Did you see what I
did?” Nora’s hands shook. Dale wished their mom were there so she could give
Nora a hug.
“Are you okay?” Dale asked again.
Nora nodded. “I think so. How are you?” She peered at his
neck. “I don’t know how we’re going to explain those bruises on your neck.”
“You can hide them,” said the stout man, gazing at Nora.
For the first time Dale could remember, Nora looked fearful.
“No. No. It’s too much.”
“Perhaps for now,” the stout man said grudgingly.
Even Dale could tell he’d push Nora about it later.
“What did you do?” Dale asked Nora. “What was the thing with
the grass and the rope?”
Nora turned to face Dale, but her gaze had a faraway look. “Magic.”
***
Chris sang along with the radio as he drove north. His Caddy
cruised along, eating up the miles. He scoffed at the smaller foreign cars he
passed. American-made was still the way to go.
After checking the clock, Chris calculated the hours again.
He’d already crossed over into Oregon. Maybe another four or five hours before
he’d hit the town Denise had run away to.
That witch. He wouldn’t have actually hurt her. A gentleman
never
Nora wasn’t behind him.
Dale stood rooted to the spot. He didn’t want to go back.
Those things—those fairies—frightened him. Their swords and knives
weren’t for play. Even unarmed, their teeth would serve them well.
However, his sister was in trouble now.
Dale turned and raced back the way he came.
“Keep braiding!” came the hoarse cry as Dale peered out of
the grass. Nora stood on the far side, her fingers flying as she plied grass
together. The short man stood with his back against the house and fought
desperately, holding off the fairies with a long staff.
“Now! Make it rope!”
“What?” Nora asked, looking up, puzzled. One of the fairies
left the first battle and flew toward her. “How?”
Dale pushed out of the grass and grabbed the leg of the
fairy, swinging her hard toward the ground. Before Dale could reach Nora’s
side, something heavy landed on his back. An iron forearm pushed against his
throat, choking him.
“Dale!” Nora cried.
Dale tried to reply but he couldn’t squeeze out any words.
His fingers slipped off the arm across his windpipe as if the fairy’s skin had
been greased. He tried to shake the fairy from his back, punching at it, but he
kept missing. The edges of his vision dimmed.
“Rope, girl, rope!”
The other fairy, the one Dale had thrown to the ground,
started to rise. She glared at Dale and bared her teeth, her legs tensed, about
to pounce.
“No, you don’t!” Nora yelled. A length of rope flew through
the air and curled around the fairy’s neck. She screamed so loudly that Dale’s
ears hurt.
The other fairies froze. The one choking Dale loosened his
grip.
Nora held a second glowing rope in her hands. This didn’t
have the pale blue glow of the fairies; no, this shone blood-red and deadly.
“You will let us go. All of us. Now,” Nora insisted. She
advanced on Bascom, rope ready.
The fairy on Dale’s back let go, rising up into the air.
Slowly, one by one, the others sheathed their weapons, also taking to the air.
“Good,” Nora said, dropping the rope she still held. The
rope around the neck of the remaining fairy transformed into grass. The fairy
grabbed it from her throat and threw it to the ground. Growling, she spread her
wings and joined the others.
“We will come for you. All of you,” Bascom said in warning.
The stout man waved nonchalantly at them, though he still
breathed heavily and bled from a dozen places. “Yes, yes. You will hunt me and
all my ancestors and all my descendants through all generations. I know, I
know.”
The fairies practically shimmered with anger at being
dismissed so lightly. They didn’t fly away. They just disappeared.
“Nora, are you all right?” Dale asked, immediately crossing
to his sister.
“Oh God, Dale, did you see those things? Did you see what I
did?” Nora’s hands shook. Dale wished their mom were there so she could give
Nora a hug.
“Are you okay?” Dale asked again.
Nora nodded. “I think so. How are you?” She peered at his
neck. “I don’t know how we’re going to explain those bruises on your neck.”
“You can hide them,” said the stout man, gazing at Nora.
For the first time Dale could remember, Nora looked fearful.
“No. No. It’s too much.”
“Perhaps for now,” the stout man said grudgingly.
Even Dale could tell he’d push Nora about it later.
“What did you do?” Dale asked Nora. “What was the thing with
the grass and the rope?”
Nora turned to face Dale, but her gaze had a faraway look. “Magic.”
***
Chris sang along with the radio as he drove north. His Caddy
cruised along, eating up the miles. He scoffed at the smaller foreign cars he
passed. American-made was still the way to go.
After checking the clock, Chris calculated the hours again.
He’d already crossed over into Oregon. Maybe another four or five hours before
he’d hit the town Denise had run away to.
That witch. He wouldn’t have actually hurt her. A gentleman
never
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