It took all of Brock’s willpower not to punch, or throttle, or mangle the little shit. He wanted to stand up for his mother, but he also understood that this was their best chance for getting out of here. Once they were free, there would be a reconning. His heart was broken, and he wanted to join his sister in their shared misery, but he understood that there were more pressing matters to take care of first.
Brock picked up his mother, soaking her clothing as his water bubble extended to keep him submerged. With a nod to the man that was no longer his, he followed the faery out. These new water legs responded quicker and smoother than his metal ones. He knew that they wouldn’t offer as much protection, and considering that they were in the middle of escaping from a heavily fortified base, that was a worry.
“I can walk, son. Set me down,” Brooke told him, but he shook his head.
“No. I won’t tire carrying you, and I can shield your body with my own,” Brock told her while keeping his eyes locked on where Oberon led them. It was better than looking at the carnage staining the walls. He was sure that was a donkey’s head impaled on the end of a rifle. And he made the mistake of turning his head when he saw movement and witnessed a honey badger digging through the bowels of another man. He didn’t want his mother—who he knew had killed in her past—to see this. At least Bridgette stayed buried. He heard her sobbing in the corner of his mind.
Bridgette wasn’t weak by any means, but she tended to let her emotions control her from time to time. Not that his heart wasn’t broken also, but his logical mind demanded that they seek freedom first, recompense after. He’d let them believe that Oberon could actually care about him and that it wasn’t some spell from Gloria. Hadn’t Mandy claimed that the spell didn’t affect her because she already cared about their brother? But then again, Shlee was part of that spell also, and she’d turned down Eldon’s marriage proposal.
His mind was a confused jumble as they wound through hallways. Red lights flashed a warning to Knights that were spread across walls and dismembered in unique ways that he refused to focus on. He’d seen his own share of death, but this was a level of cruelty and carnage that defied words. Body parts poked out of walls, furniture, and even other Knights as though melded there.
“Brock?” A voice broke through the haze clouding his mind. “Brooke! What’s going on? Why are the sirens going off?”
He looked up to see his father, or at least the younger version of the man, staring at him through metal bars. Eldon and Shlee stood next to them, and Megan sat on the floor, cradling her head.
Before Brock could speak, Oberon piped in. “Okay, asshole, I’m here to save your tuckus, so stand back.”
For a moment, it looked like Lyden was going to argue, but whether it was the look on Brock’s face and the shake of his head, or the blood splatters on the Faerie King’s small frame, Lyden nodded and pulled the other two away from the cell bars.
The silver bars shimmered as they had for his cell previously, then fluttered away as flower petals.
“Good thing those fucking bars weren’t iron,” Oberon chuckled, a dark note in his tones.
* * * *
“Why does your magic work?” Eldon asked Oberon as he bent to pick up a few petals. “I couldn’t change forms or anything.” He’d felt useless as they waited to find out the cause of the alarms. And now to find out that his brother managed to escape before he could set his nerves on edge. And what was with his watery encasing? What happened to his metal legs?
“Wow, I like the new suit,” Shlee added in, pushing past Eldon and stepping up to Brock. “I can’t imagine that it’s as tough as your old legs, but it looks slimmer. I assume it links to your mind through magic instead of technology?”
Brock looked flustered as Brooke tried to reassure their dad that she was okay. “Would you tell our son to put me down so I can walk?” she demanded. Growing even more embarrassed, Brock let his mother go, and the two older adults hugged.
Realizing that his question was going to be ignored, Eldon turned back into the cell to get Megan. Her head lifted as he approached, and he noted how her eyes were crossed. Her red locks tumbled around her unsteady head as she tried to focus on him.
“Mmf… My head feels funny,” she mumbled as Eldon lifted her up. “Feels like I should be… um… Something?”
Eldon hadn’t spared much thought for this woman, knowing how tough she was. But now as she spoke, he realized that she was in worse shape than he’d realized.
“Oberon, can you heal her?” He asked, before realizing that the little man was already halfway down the hallway, not waiting for them. Instead, he turned to his brother. “Brock, can you carry her? She’s hurt, and I don’t think she can walk on her own.”
Brock nodded and reached for her. Eldon took quick note of Brock’s new mobility suite and wished it had the offensive capabilities of his old one. At least he can move and doesn’t have to worry about drying up, he thought.
“You’re cute, Mister Fishy Man,” Megan trilled as Brock lifted her in his arms. Her body slipped into the water surrounding Brock, soaking her, but she didn’t seem to notice. “But not as cute as the fucker who took my virginity.”
Eldon felt his cheeks burn, but moved to flank his father. Shlee stood on the other side, and together they took off after the Faerie King.
It wasn’t until after they rounded the first corner that Eldon wanted to vomit. Gore and entrails littered the room. He couldn’t tell where one person ended, and another bloody body part began. Noting the viscera that covered Oberon, he had no problems guessing who caused this carnage.
He tried again to shift forms and gritted his teeth at his continued failure. It wasn’t fair that Oberon flung magic about like nothing, while Eldon remained stuck in one form.
They rounded another corner, and Oberon paused.
“There’s a magical barrier here,” he informed them, his tone not condescending for once. “If any of you fuck-nuts have any enchantments on you that you want to be preserved, I’ll destroy it now. If they cast any spells on you that you want to be removed, step through that doorway.”
Eldon barely took a moment to think before stepping through the opening. Electricity buzzed across his skin. His heart hammered in his chest, then felt like it stopped. He couldn’t breathe. His lungs burned for air, but nothing came. Tears of frustration seeped from his eyes as he hit the floor and twitched onto his back. The electricity turned to lightning bolts playing across his nervous system as his body went into involuntary convulsions.
Then he saw Shlee doing the same next to him.
Panic sent a jolt through his system, reigniting his heart and making him gasp for air.
“Shlee?” he called to her through coughing fits as his lungs refilled again and again. Drawing in as much air as he could, he leaned over her, pressed his lips to hers, and forced air into her lungs.
Without warning, Eldon found himself flung off her until his back slammed against a solid rock wall. He just managed to keep his head from cracking against it as he picked himself up and looked to his girlfriend.