Slade’s heart broke with the next tear. “Really. It looks all right.”

A courtroom restroom was the last place to break down but Trixie hardly cared. One turn toward the wall had her wings covering her as she sobbed. “It’s just the way it is. One can’t reduce runes easily with us. It goes all or nothing.”

At first wanting to reach for her, Slade took her hand back and thought better of it. She wanted to scream at her friend and tell her to get it together.

“I’m the one about to get locked up, Trix. Shouldn’t I be the one crying?”

It was meant to garner a chuckle but nothing came of it.

“He liked it. Without foresight I don’t know what’ll happen. But he liked it. He considered it gorgeous.”

Slade wanted to hit her. She wanted to go out of that room, find the closest bastard unfortunate enough to have a court date today, bleed him dry, come back here, yank a stall door off its hinges and beat her with it.

In time, she simply sighed instead. “Trix.... It’s no reason to leave.”

With the wings wrapped so tightly around her, Slade had nowhere to touch. Trixie hated having her wings caressed. The only one to ever get away with it was Manny and Slade had figured it was because he was incapacitated and didn’t know any better. Now she wondered how long she’d been incapacitated because she hadn’t seen Trixie’s infatuation get this bad before.

No, the harpy’s interest in Manos Dresden wasn’t new. But his behavior toward her over the years should have more than cured all infatuation. It hadn’t. Somewhere in Trixie’s head, she’d found contentment with caring for him. But those days were long gone and they weren’t ever coming back. Not with the new laws protecting humans from repercussion-free slaughter.

And it wasn’t just that. Something about being around the baby harpy was having an effect on Manny’s rune. He’d neither gained in strength nor lost it. It was like he was stuck in limbo, the same sort that the angels controlled with life and death.

When the ugly crying grew heavy, Slade settled on risking disturbing the wings.

“Trix. Please. You have to calm down.”

“I shoulda been content. I shoulda been content with it. But I thought I’d at least get my foresight back like this. And A hadn’t meant to drain so much. It was supposed to be just enough to stop being such a bitch. I could barely stand myself.”

Slade smoothed down her wings. “Trix.”

“Touching,” Trixie snapped, proving not all the angel rune had yet faded.

Hands drawn back, Slade muttered, “Sorry.” There was no sense in yelling but she couldn’t help it. “But why even bother risking it if you’re gonna cry about it?”

“I couldn’t,” Trixie wept, going further into the corner. “I couldn’t look at them. Each time he’d chase her around laughing, I wanted to grab her by a foot and fling her off a cliff. I even had dreams about putting down seeds leading her into an oven or some nonsense. It was either turn into some fairy book psycho or drop all this maddening power. That’s just the way it is with Legion. He’s a jealous deity. So things fully powered by him are equally vain. I just hated it. One time....” She sniffed and turned her face to confess. “I plucked her. I plucked two of her feathers. He didn’t even notice. I lied and said they fell out and I was getting real good at lying.”

She wasn’t. Not even slightly. Whether it was a harpy trait was up for debate but Trixie was a terrible liar. Even now. More than likely, Manny noticed. He noticed and it probably pissed him off. And Trixie sensed it and tried to drop power. Now what was she to do?

“But...your wings are still white,” Slade said, trying to find a silver lining.”

“And my horns are back! And they’re still too soft to saw off.” Her voice grew rougher as she wailed, “Just leave me here. Leave me here in this latrine where I belong.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Slade shouted. “I’d understand if it was for somebody half decent but it’s for Manos! Come on!”

Trixie glanced at her and shed another tear.

Slade’s spirits sank. “Fine. Should I bring the rune stone to him to give the baby?”

Upon turning to face the wall yet again, Trixie grumbled, “I’ve lost my jacket. I should stay here.”

“I suppose you should.” Slade let out a sigh and made her way to the door. It opened before she arrived, a benefit of now having some rune magic—doors and magical gateways now responded to her. “You know,” she said, glancing back at Trixie, “you might just regret not seeing him one last time before you leave. Going away with any good memories is fine, but that’s painful. It’d be better if you just see him for the scum he is, so that way you won’t miss him.”

Without another word, she stepped out and the gate slid to the ground behind her.

“Damn him,” she muttered. It was still early. In her hand she carried information for the two summons she was served. This was one leftover from the human era she as thankful for. Children of Runes of old usually took on a quest for revenge against all who wrong them. Humans? Litigation. She grumbled to herself as she made her way out the door. “And centaurs were litigious as fuck.”

They were worse than the fairies who the second summons came from. All mankind was gone, but their legacy remained—lawsuits. The pettier the better.

She made it out the door only to bump into someone dressed nicely. The man recoiled as did she.

Eli’s pleasant smile had her smiling in return. “Hey,” he said.

“Hey, yourself.” Slade took him in then scanned the empty space behind him. “You didn’t get him?”

With a groan, Eli looked back down the steps to the bottom where Manny played with the baby harpy, hellbent on not coming up.

“What now?” Slade asked.

“He....” Eli shrugged at a loss. “Let’s give up. I just had the most bizarre conversation with your lowlife brother. And it wasn’t easy getting him here. The son-of-a-bitch jumped out of the cab and tried to run off. Luckily, I grabbed his baby.”

When he looked at Slade expectant, she was reluctant to share her failings, too.

“I say we give up,” Eli said. “Even when I mentioned that some werewolves were taking interest in the ‘angel’ his response was, and I quote, Good. Saves me having to cringe through sex while thinking of Christmas.”

Slade groaned. “Why Ch—you know what, best not to ask.”

“Agreed.”

Eli hesitated then cleared his throat. “Davenport’s probably gonna get off. He buttered up some fairies and even got married to ensure he’d have a grounding in this realm.”

Slade sighed. “I don’t care anymore. Let me go break the news to my brother.”

“Oh.” Eli asked, “She still insists on taking the baby with her?”

“It’s her baby, Eli.” Slade made her way down the steps. “It’s her right to take her back to her island. He won’t care.”

Eli followed. “Three chewed up worms says he will.”

Slade meant to ask for clarification, but she’d learned years ago, clarification wasn’t always a good thing when it came to her brother. As Slade neared the bottom of the steps, something struck her—despite the weather, her brother wore Trixie’s jacket.

That mocking was the last strew. “Hey, asshole,” she called.

Manny took something out of his mouth and crouched down to feed the baby harpy. He barely cast her a glance.

“Oh, look,” he said, “it’s the resident saint nobody gives a shit about. Come on, holier than thou. I’ve got time today.”

He stood, a scowl on his face. It vanished as soon as he turned. Instead of his usual look of disdain and vexation, he let out a gasp, pleased.

Eyes focused on the top of the courthouse steps, he put the baby harpy in Eli’s hands and took the baby bag and slung it over Slade without looking.

“Anything happens to my kid, I’ll skin you both alive. Keep her for a second.”

“What?” Slade turned, confused and annoyed. “Brother.”

Eli held the baby close and followed Manny’s ascension. “Oh, wow. What luck,” he whispered.

Slade focused on the haggard looking harpy at the top of the steps, face twisted in a frown.

Manny took the steps two by two, Trixie one at a time until she took flight and landed from row to row.

When she reached Manny, she jumped up, wings spread, and he caught her.

The genuine embrace he gave her struck Slade as uncharacteristic. “I’m seeing things.”

Eli sighed. “The man condemned an entire race of vampires to eternal servitude to save a woman, and you still don’t think he likes her?”

Slade hadn’t. She figured Manny needed Trixie for something and that he was biding his time or regrouping.

The way he held onto her, despite nearly falling from her wingspan making him unsteady, she almost believed it.

When he kissed her throat then her mouth, Slade flinched.

“Wait.... wait, so...so he does...?”

“Like her. Yes.” Eli gave her a smile. “That’s kinda sweet, isn’t it?”

“No.” Slade squinted. “No. That’s not.”

The languished kiss turned hungry. It ended when Manny yanked the strap of Trixie’s dress and buried his face in her chest.

“See?” Slade complained. “He’s just being disrespectful.”

Manny swooped the harpy off her feet and ran up the steps.

“They wouldn’t,” Eli pleaded. “We’ve already got two complaints to fight. These idiots wouldn’t.”

Slade cringed. “Oh...they would.” Several signs around the area caught her attention. The entire street was awash with positive reminders of the contributions humans made. A small parade even passed through. After thirty minutes once it faded, the signs were visible once more. “Human Remembrance Day. Tomorrow. A renaissance fair,” they read. “This is all so strange.”

“Well. My father didn’t have much of a choice when he realized he’d only get human babies.”

Teeth gritted, Slade muttered, “Sorry about Sarah.”

Eli snorted. “I’m not. I don’t even wanna know what coyote disciple gave her that shifter baby. At least it’s similar enough to a were to pass as one.” He let out a sigh. “Talk about dodging a bullet.” With a pause, he gestured his chin at the steps. “There he is.”

And there he was. Davenport.

Dress down, his wings perpetually wrapped by a long cape, made his way down the court steps...with someone unexpected at his side.

Slade wasn’t sure where the podium came from but a familiar reporter asked, “Could you give us a statement? Did the vampire, Sophia ‘Slade’ Dresden do that to your throat?”

Davenport’s disheartened expression deepened when he brought a black box to his deeply scarred neck and a modulated sound emitted from it.

“Indeed,” he attested. “I merely showed her no unearned respect to which she viciously cut my throat.”

Slade tensed. Eli grabbed her arm, squeezing.

“Even my wife can attest to the injustice.” Davenport lowered the box and took a step back.

“Yes, that’s right.” Barbra reached up and pulled the mic lower. “We plan to file a formal complaint. In fact....” She paused for effect and sniffed, teary-eyed. “She touched my beard.”

The collective gasp from the crowd had Slade groaning internally. “What I want to do is cut her throat,” she grumbled.

“Ma’am, what about those who argue that the jury was eighty percent dwarf and therefore biased? In fact, after werewolves, dwarfs are the second highest population of Rune Kind. They even rival the vampires in numbers.”

“So?” The voice box screeched. Davenport grabbed the mic and brought it up. “Does that make it excusable? An injustice is an injustice, even against a majority!”

“Fuck this guy.” Slade turned to Eli and said, “Let’s just find my brother and go. If he reacts to this, it’ll be one hell of a shitshow. Bring the baby.”

Eli took a step back. “What? You have her.”

The world expanded and shrunk in the blink of an eye. “No,” Slade explained, “you have her. He gave me the bag.”

“Yes, and I gave you the....” Eli went pale. “He’s gonna kill us.”

“Don’t panic.”

“Sophia Dresden!” the reporter announced. She closed in. “Would you like to make a statement. Defend yourself against these accusations?”

Slade had bigger problems. She ignored the woman, more than a bad idea, and looked through every bush.

“What do you have to say for yourself? Vampire sentiments were just starting to shift after your day in the sun drew in grand debates. Don’t you feel that your callous actions here could condemn your kind?”

Not as condemned as she was once her brother found out she’d lost his child.

With all attempts to catch Slade’s attention fruitless, the woman rushed to Eli, several camera people in tow. “Mr. Monroe, Mr. Monroe. How about a statement from you? Your father’s repealed the human extinction order. Why would he do that?

“He won’t have much need of it at this point, lady. Outta my way. If I don’t find that thing....” He paused, huffing. “If we don’t find her,” he told Slade, who looked equally grim.

“He will kill us,” Slade confirmed. “Beyond kill us.”

“Right.”

“Who? Of whom do you speak—?”

Cursing the woman would be a bad idea but Slade’s nerves were frayed enough that she almost did.

“He’s here. The centaur. It’s the centaur,” the reporter announced. “Bring the cameras. Get him from all angles.”

“Let’s go,” Slade said. “We’ve just gotta find her before—”

“There’s your brother.” Eli pointed to the top of the steps where Manny chased Trixie, wings spread, and caught hold of her. Once he picked her up and carried her down the steps, Eli whispered, “Make sure he kills me first. I don’t want to witness you suffering.”

Manny reached them and put a bashful Trixie to stand. “What?” he asked them.

Slade looked from the harpy to her brother and back again.

“Whatever it is, boss,” Trixie said over Manny’s shoulder, “best to get it outta the way. Mean people don’t much like surprises.”

Manny scoffed and tugged at her long brown hair. “You shouldn’t put this in front of your face so much,” he pointed out.

The harpy hid behind him yet again. “I can cut the horns down later.”

Reaching behind him, Manny tugged on her dress. “that’s not what I meant.” He slowed in his speech and looked from Slade to Eli. “Where’s Piper?”

Eli swallowed hard. “Yeah.... Funny thing....”

“And then she just jumps on my back and whacks me like some common mule! I tried to protest. Whack. A backhand right across my face.”

Slade shrunk away from the high-pitched accusations.

Manny looked from her to the centaur dressed nicely. “Man, you were a busy bee. Don’t worry about it. Big animals tend to garner little sympathy.”

And he was right. “I’m sorry, sir,” the reporter said, “are we to believe that a large child of Rune such as yourself was overpowered by a hundred and twenty pound starved vampire?”

The centaur’s eyes widened. “She was on my back.”

“Yes,” the reporter took the mic back and said, “but...unlike a horse, sir, you’ve...you’ve got arms. You couldn’t throw her off?”

“No, I couldn’t throw her off, you insensitive fuck.”

At the collective gasp, Slade shook her head. The centaur was the one victim she had felt sorry for.

Manny shook his head. “Don’t tell me, part-time wanna-be saint Sophia. You were planning to go to jail for that prick?”

Slade muttered under her breath, “I felt bad.”

“You are simply the sorriest excuse for a vampire! I’d like to see them try to put me in an enclosed space with other prisoners. After I play dead then systematically bleed each and every one of them dry, I’d give them a day to recover so I could fuck them up all over again. Then I’d walk right out of there without a second glance back.”

“Well—well—well no, it’s true, horses don’t like fire. We centaurs don’t either, but we can sorta withstand it.” The centaur started to sweat.

That made Slade curious until she saw Marrow in the crowd, egging the reporters on.

“But you’ve just said she rode you like a horse and you couldn’t stop,” the fairy went on. He floated from right to left. “I’ll have you know that fampire saved us from dirty wolves. We owe her some...some thanks.”

“Oh,” Eli admitted finally, “I’d never imagined getting help from a fairy would make me feel so dirty.”

“He’s trying to pay back the rescue,” Manny observed. He gave Trixie a smile then nuzzled her cheek and she understood the signal.

“The idea of balance is big for Rune kind with regards to payment, boss. He’s doing this to make sure he owes you nothing when he brings his own charges. ‘Sides, looks kinda compassionate, right?”

Slade felt sick. “Fuck that guy.” She was forgetting about something—something important. “Oh shit. Listen. We lost—”

Manny gave off a whistle and waited. “Lost what? Ah. Here she comes.”

Eli looked around. “What? How do you know?”

“She’s whistling back.” A bird flopped toward them, tearing a gasp from Manny who laughed. “She’s flying! Look! She’s flying.”

The baby harpy dropped something and slammed into her proud father who hugged her close, cheek to cheek.

“Look at you, flying like a champ.”

Trixie was the first to regard the discarded object, then Eli and finally Slade who took a step back.

“Is that...?”

“Yup. Reckon it is,” Trixie cautioned. “Human, adult male...shallow grave.”

Eli waited for more. “And where’d she get this?” Manny still continued to throw his daughter up while catching her. “Manos! Did you see what she was carrying?”

Manny looked over the baby to the skull and said, “Yeah? So?”

“It’s a human skull!” Eli exclaimed. “And you know it’s human cuz it’s not discolored.”

Kissing his teeth, Manny punted it.

“And I was forced toward an angel. An honest to all creation evil angel who...wait. Right there. Isn’t that her—that’s her right there!” The centaur dodged the human skull sailed his way. “What in the world is going on? Forget this sham interview and point your attention to this very real Angel of Death left to walk around. Has everybody lost their collective minds?” The more panicked he became, the higher the pitch of his voice. “I feel like I’m the one crazy! They’re here throwing skulls now? Isn’t someone going to say something? Anything!” he wailed like a banshee.

Eli sucked in a deep breath. “Let’s go address this.”

Manny grabbed him by the back of his jacket and shoved him forward. “Fuck that.”

Though they began to walk, Trixie didn’t follow.

She nearly collapsed but Eli caught her. “What’s wrong?”

Eyes wide, she stared at the ground then looked directly at Manny. The accusation in the glare had him scanning them for help. “What?”

When the harpy couldn’t take a step forward, he hurried to pick her up. “Mean people don’t like surprises, remember?”

“It should have been enough,” Trixie said. “But without my power, I can’t gauge it well.”

Eli looked to Slade for help but Manny was the only one who seemed to understand.

“Like now? Like right now?” At her nod, he gave off a sigh. “Fine. Let’s find an open field or something.”

Slade looked between them. “Mind sharing what’s going on?”

Manny hefted her and made his way to the open fair ground of vendors. “You’re about to be an aunt yet again.”

Stunned, Slade slowed in her stride. Eli tugged her arm and she was in motion. “What? Each and every time you two...? Each time.”

Trixie dragged her jacket up, covering her face. “I don’t know.”

“I really don’t care,” Manny said, smiling down at her with affection. “Just...one request. I know if anyone deserves their son smashed to bits and fed to his twin, it’d be me but...can we keep them both? And not hurt the boy?”

Trixie resisted. “A boy harpy? Those...those are rare for a reason.”

“Twenty percent off for all referrals,” a vocaloid voice called out. Davenport, fresh from court but manning his own booth at the festival, shied away when he saw them.

“Why?” Manny asked, walking on. “Because they’re losers?”

“Man that’s sad,” Eli observed. “Tell you one thing. Just goes to show you that whenever you work for a big cooperation, chances are, you’re up to some evil.”

The earth shook, forcing them to a stop.

Earthquakes weren’t a common occurrence, but it was still strange to see Trixie look up.

“What?” Manny asked.

Trixie’s eyes turned white. “This is Legion. We need your help. You are to return to the courthouse immediately and remedy the problem that has arisen.”

Manny scoffed. “Fuck that. Our covenant with you is fulfilled so long as we stay out of your way. Find some other flying monkeys—”

“Speaking of monkeys,” Eli said, pointing. “Look.”

The sky turned red and a bright blue light parted it vertically. Two huge hands tore open the dimensional portal and a giant ape peered out.

Trixie was back to normal as she said, “That would be the monkey god.”

Slade gasped. “We have to go back and help everyone.”

Once the giant deity stepped out of the portal and arched back to wail while thumping his chest, Slade backed down.

“Whoa. Wait. Let’s think this through.”

“Manos...Dresden,” the ape howled. “Bring me...Manos...Dresden.”

Manny pursed his lips. ‘Interesting....”

Eli shoved him. “What the fuck you mean interesting? What have you done exactly?”

Manny met his gaze. “Hmm. It could be a number of things. But chances are, this is about the Louises.” At their blank stare, he shrugged. “The ape from your bunker was Louis II. Buttttt.... I might have been a tad responsible for the death of Louis I.”

“Manos...Dresden!” the voice boomed.

“He knows you by name,” Trixie observed. “Ain’t never good when a god knows you by name. Under no circumstances should we head back there.”

Slade looked from her brother to the raging ape. Heading back was the right thing to do. People’d need help. And in fact, this appeared to be their fault.

“About the boy,” Manny asked Trixie, uncaring of the all out hell unfolding. “Would you consider it?”

She resisted. “I—it’s illegal amongst us to leave the boys. And I keep telling you, Davenport isn’t a male harpy. He’s a Legion banished to our world. They just chose that body for him. Male harpies are.... Different.” His hopeful gaze never left her and she sighed. “Other harpies would hunt us to our graves. Under our law, it’s illegal. Don’t you care about that factor—?”

Manny turned and waved a hand at the raging ape.

Trixie paused and groaned. “Dat was a stupid question.”

“Quite.” Holding her up with both hands yet again, Manny begged, “Just consider it.”

Screams punctuated the air as they gazed at one another. Slade gazed at the chaos about to unfold. This was the moment. A make or break moment. They had to do the right thing. And the right thing was to go back.

Trixie gave Manny a nod and his face lit up. He took a kiss, genuine when he whispered, “Thank you.”

With that taken care of, that only left the obvious decision of going back.

“Whatever you decide,” Eli told Slade, “I’ll fight to the death with you.”

“Hold that thought.” Slade turned to her brother and said, “We’re vampires, not heroes. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

––––––––

(END)