Bloody Fairies (Shadow) Read Online Free PDF

“Who is this?”
    Suddenly, the whole night was worth it. “Ishtar Ishtar, meet Pierus, King of the Muses,” Hippy said.
    Ishtar dropped her spear. She cursed and dived for it.
    “Give me a moment, my dear.” Pierus patted Hippy on the shoulder and then strode over to Ishtar.
    She glared up at him. “You’re not my king.”
    Pierus put an arm around Ishtar’s shoulder and drew her away from the light. He bent down to speak to her. Hippy couldn’t hear what he said, but he came back alone. “Come along,” he said, and they all started walking again. “I don’t think your sister will be giving you any more trouble,” he added in an undertone.
    Hippy grinned at her feet. She felt foolishly, dizzyingly, absurdly happy.
    The gates swung open to admit them. Hippy took a deep breath. Time to face the music. Oh, hell. The elders were already waiting, arms folded, scowls on. Behind them lurked Ishtar and all eight of her brothers, spears planted at their sides. Flaming torches tied to the walls overhead cast leaping, chaotic lights over everyone’s faces.
    Leaf Ishtar strode forward. His grey-streaked black dreadlocks, each decorated with the claw of something that had left him with a few choice scars when he killed it, hung over his shoulders like snakes. He curled his hand around Hippy’s sleeve, jerked her away from Pierus and hustled her back to stand with the elders. Only then did he deign to speak to Pierus. “Thanks,” he said. “You can go now.”
    Pierus raised an overhanging eyebrow and looked at Leaf down the length of his hooked nose. Then he turned to leave.
    Hippy almost squeaked in dismay. He wasn’t going to ask!
    Pierus turned back. “Oh,” he said. “I’ll need her back the day after tomorrow.”
    Leaf was so shocked he let go of Hippy’s sleeve. His voice was deadly stern. “What do you mean, you’ll need her back? What do you want with my daughter?”
    “She’s to assist me on a secret mission.” Pierus’s voice echoed through the deathly silent camp.
    “What secret mission?”
    “If I told you that it wouldn’t be a secret.”
    “Look, Muse.” Leaf took a step forward, fists balled. “I don’t care if you’re the king or a vamp’s bootlace, my daughter’s not going anywhere with the likes of you!”
    This was going about as well as she’d expected. Hippy sidled away from her father, but she didn’t get far. Her eldest brother’s hand landed on her shoulder and kept her in place.
    “Naturally that’s entirely up to you,” Pierus said. “But I should warn you, if she does not accompany me on this very dangerous mission, you’re all quite sure to lose the war.”
    There was another silence. Score. Hippy’s eyes widened. Pierus really did know how to deal with the elders.
    “Well why her?” Leaf gestured at Hippy. “She was dropped on her head as a kid, she’s no good for anything except throwing fairy dust.”
    Hippy clenched her teeth and balled her fists. One of these days-
    Pierus’s lazy words rolled around the camp. “I should think that reflects more on your parenting skills than her current capabilities. Hippy, I will expect you at sunrise, day after tomorrow. Don’t be late.”  His coat flared out when he spun on his heel and strode away, trailed by Flower and Nikifor.
    The gates closed after them. All the fairies stared. Hippy couldn’t get the big stupid grin off her face.

    Hippy sat alone on a bench, her back to the bonfire that always burned in the fairy camp through the night. She folded her hands in her lap and refused to look up from them. Her brothers and Ishtar jostled around them for the best seats. Her mother stood to one side, glaring. Everyone else, from the pint-sized children to the warrior mothers, the giggling teens to the old women, watched from the shadows. There was even a whole family of Feathertips from the next village here tonight, who would no doubt go home and blab all about her.
    It was the singular most excruciating