Page 57 of Tasteful Anarchy and Tangled Auras
My eyebrows furrow as I consider this.
“That’s not all. I couldn’t get the whole story, but jokes about it being an ‘explosive’ party, ritual, send off, blah blah kept being made.”
“Shit. C’mon.” And I turn towards the forest.
We’re just about to the clay package I found when Bryn catches up to me. “Adi says you’re terrified. What’s going on?”
I gently pull the thing out. We all look at it, then at each other.
“Rory found out there’s to be an explosion.”
“Well...I don’t know that for sure....”
“I think this is a planted explosive,” I continue over him,.
“Fuck,” Bryn breathes. He takes it from me carefully, brows furrowing. “I don’t know much about human explosives. I missed the War.” He looks up. “Shit, you two were too young, weren’t you.” He shakes his head. “Doesn't matter. We’ll treat it as such. We need to get these out of here.”
“How?” Rory asks. “How can we get it...them...out of here?”
“The river,” I say. “It’s free of Fae. The Priestesses warded it last night.”
Bryn nods. “We can’t be seen. Whoever planted them must still be close.”
“We need to get Adi the fuck out of here,” I say.
Rory laughs bitterly. “That hard-headed female will never leave.”
“He’s right,” Bryn says. “The time spent arguing with our mate isn’t time we have. These could go off any minute. Ossy, you and Rory search for more. I’ll get any that we find to the river unseen.”
“Excuse me, I’m not sure if you noticed, but I’m not woodsy,” Rory argues. “I’ll get them to the river. You search, Bryn.”
Bryn manages a chuckle. “Won’t a large, pierced, blue-haired Fae going back and forth be noticed?”
“Bitch, I’m invisible,” and he takes the explosive from Bryn and slips out of the woods.
I pull Bryn’s forehead to mine. “Be safe.” He swallows and nods. “I’ll take this side of the fire.” He nods again and stands, silently slipping away to the east.
FORTY-FIVE MINUTESlater, and I have deposited two more explosive devices to where we found the first. Bryn has found four.
Rory has gotten five to the river. Two sit waiting for disposal where the original was found. Bryn is doubling back over his trails to be sure he didn’t miss one. I’m absolutely soaked in sweat. I’m pretty sure it's the anxiety. I keep checking my bond with Adi, making sure she’s not too close.
Bryn appears silently. “Nothing, I’m sure.”
He’s a better woodsman than me.
“If there are four on that side, I’d say there are four on this side. I’ll keep searching for the missing one.” It’s taking me too long.
Bryn nods. “I’ll take one of these two to the river. Rory can take the last. I’ll slip in our exterior door and sweep the Temple.”
I nod, determined, and turn back to the path. I have to find it.
Adelaide
MY MATES ARE HIDING. Okay, not hiding, but somewhere running around in the woods. Doing Goddess knows what. Ossy is more stressed than Bryn, I can tell that.
Most Fae have drank enough hard cider by this point to have tied a good one on. By my estimate, we have about an hour before the brief closing ceremony to our Mabon festivities. I’m guessing any splinter cell will show their face at the close.
Alys is still circulating, chatting with other Priestesses. I’m keeping an eye on her, the snake. Suddenly, I catch her eyes searching the woods and a sick feeling hits me.
