231 - Afterburn

Lexie held the Fae Ambassador’s gaze for as long as she could, without breaking eye contact.

The Fae Ambassador also continued to stare down at her, and the mixture of his natural arrogance with the placid expression was irritating. Especially because Lexie could sense the smugness, the smirk that teased the corner of his lips, and the assurance that he would get whatever he wanted to get out of her.

“Ambassador,” Aiden’s voice was nearly as frosty as Lexie felt as he came to stand in front of his daughter. “You don't have a human escort.”

Aiden's protective stance would have blocked the Ambassador from view had the latter not been so tall.

Lexie felt another body stride up beside her. Max. At some point, he’d come down from the forcefield she’d suspended him on, but she couldn't say exactly when.

Another person blocked her right side. She thought it would be Stella. To her surprise, it was Torin.

Theo and Stella moved behind her, though.

She was surrounded.

“No,” Ambassador Raz-Ro-Nan sounded unfazed. “I was nearby and received the alert, and as you know, during emergencies, any nearby Fae can choose to attend to the matter, ignoring Ambassadorial protocol.”

“What alert?” Aiden asked.

“And why were you nearby?” Max followed up with.

The Ambassador answered Max's question. “You could say we were monitoring a situation of interest."

“Me? You were monitoring me?” Lexie looked up at her father. “That’s not allowed, is it? How is he doing it?”

“As I said, little Lexie Sparrowfoot, you still know almost nothing about magic."

"Don't call me little."

"And if I remember correctly, you’re not supposed to be able to do any magic.” He turned to Aiden. “You have standard tilling bands, yet your magic seemed perfectly intact earlier."

Aiden pressed his lips together. “You’ll have to ask Vacek about that.”

“Dominic Vacek alone cannot reverse your sentence. Your crime was of the interplanetary variety. It affected multiple species, including the Fae. One man cannot unilaterally decide to give you your powers back. And if I wanted, we are well within our jurisdiction to take ownership of a criminal such as yourself.”

The threat was enough to make Lexie's blood boil.

“You’ll have to go through me,” Lexie practically growled.

Raz-Ro-Nan gave her a look and a delighted ear twitch that suggested she had fallen in his trap.

They had another stare-off. Lexie knew what was coming. He was either going to ask for the oathbreaker or for her to accompany him to Planet Fae, in return for her father’s continued freedom.

Lexie waited for it. She felt Uncle Max tense up beside her, ready to put up a fight.

The Ambassador didn't say anything.

Instead, he turned around and drifted back to his spaceship without another word.

Lexie still held her breath, waiting for a surprise attack, wishing she could end this once and for all.

As the spaceship lifted into the air, she finally let out a breath, and the rest of the heroes finally started approaching them. The team was made up of Stella and her sons, a familiar-looking man in a costume who appeared to be an Arcadian Hero, and a weaponist holding a giant foldable hand fan with heavy iron outer spokes that glowed blue.

The name DARA was emblazoned on the front of her blue costume.

“Well,” Stella said. “That was eventful.” She watched the ship jet off, then glanced at Lexie. “What happened here?”

“The Fae Ambassador was being a jackass,” Lexie said. 

Stella choked on a surprised laugh, and Theo’s eyes glinted with mischief. Dara also smiled. 

“I meant about the fire,” Stella clarified. 

“Oh. Right. I dunno. A dungeon spawned, and the fire came out of there.” She pointed to the narrow hole in the ground. 

"No other monsters escaped?"

"Not that I could tell."

At Stella's gesture, Dara and the Arcadian Hero nodded and headed toward the hole. Max went with them.

"Wait,” Lexie said, and they paused. She probed to make sure the dungeon was truly gone.

Only when she was certain did she nod. 

Stella exhaled. “So. You can use magic now.” She was referring to Aiden, who was now squatting and inspecting Lexie’s body and her hand, making sure it wasn’t burned.

It wasn't. It didn't even glow gold.

“Yes,” Aiden said in a calm, quiet tone. 

“Vacek let you?”

“Yes. He needed my help for his investigation.”

"That makes sense. Although I didn’t think he would give you access to that much mana. When I saw you, I almost couldn't believe my eyes. So you're back to your full mana capacity? You're the Archmage again?"

"Yes," Aiden said and shot Lexie a look as though reminding her to hold her tongue and not blurt out the truth, that technically he wasn't the Archmage. He was the Arch-alchemist.

Lexie obliged.

"That's great," Theo said. "I'm glad you got your powers back."

Aiden looked at the other boy, and Lexie was reminded of the painful history behind Aiden's loss of power and how it was related to Theo losing his grandparents.

Aiden's features softened, and he looked apologetic. Thankfully, he didn't apologize. Lexie didn't think Theo or Torin would appreciate it.

Torin was once again staring at Lexie, but when she raised an eyebrow at him, he said nothing.

“Vacek is on his way," Stella said. "He got caught up in another emergency.”

“Maybe he can explain to me why the fae are surveilling my daughter.”

“You know why,” Stella said.

“They’re not allowed to surveil humans illegally. Not even so-called ‘persons of interest.’”

"He must be getting around the law somehow.”

Lexie wondered if Stella knew everything Vacek knew about Lexie being partially Eldritch.

It didn't seem like it, but she apparently knew enough to figure out that the Fae were interested in her.

“Everyone wants a piece of big, bad Lexie,” Theo whistled, breaking the tension with some levity. “You know if I’d known staying in a dungeon for almost nine months would turn someone into an absolute powerhouse, I might have opted to stay a little longer.”

His mother shot him an alarmed look, and he held up his hands. “Kidding. Just kidding."

"How long were you in the dungeon?"

"I don't know. I was passed out most of the time I was in there."

"How?"

"I couldn't tell you. Anyway, I gotta head out." He rubbed his hands on the front of his pants and seemed eager to change the subject. "I left in the middle of patrols to come here, and I need to go back and get my ear chewed off. Again.”

"You do that," Stella said. "And Tor, you need to get back to your interview practice, right?"

Torin pressed his lips together and nodded.

Stella tossed the two teleportation orbs at them, and within seconds, they were gone.

Stella hung around a little longer to study the extent of the damage in Hovelton. Aiden teleported briefly to check on Tate, whom he'd transported via pocket dimension back to his room. He'd maintained a link that recorded Tate's vitals, so he knew he was alive and knew he was starting to come back awake. The fire had spread into the forest, also engulfing Green Fox, Aiden's cottage, and the two empty cottages beside it.

Most of the physical damage had been caused by Lexie’s VOID FLAME and not the metaphorical fire itself. Though Green Fox and Aiden’s cottage had burned, most of the building was undamaged, and the things it held were also undamaged, although a few items and the walls held that strange golden sheen.

“What is that?” Stella pondered aloud as they peered at it. 

“The after effects of the fire,” Lexie said. “I’m not entirely sure what that does yet, but I’ll use DECODE to figure it out later.”

“DECODE?” 

“It’s a card I have that shows me how things work, but I have to interact with the item or the item user first. It’s easier when I interact with the item if it’s sentient, but if not, it’s easier to interact with the item user. Interact means either coming in contact with it, talking to it, listening to it, or sometimes seeing it. I guess, but touching and talking to it is better."

"Wow," Stella said, shaking her head. "I don't even know what to say to that. Only that if we had something like that at the association, I bet it would make our work a thousand times faster."

Lexie nodded. She would think about mass-producing a similar card in the future. Yet another thing to add to her ever-growing to-do list.

Lexie waited for her mana to settle before she used DECODE. In the meantime, they continued to check out inside the affected buildings while Max headed to the forest.

Some of the rest of the townspeople walked over to check out what was going on. Glinda, Terry, Rose, Evan, and the rest of the Green Fox home were among the first people there. But also folks from the retirement home and the nosy bridge crew also made their way over.

Stella, Aiden, and the heroes made them stop a few feet away from the affected grass, and they couldn’t go into the buildings. 

“Why not?” Frank said. “Someone told me that one of the Knife Ears was here, and y’all let him contaminate the crime scene all he wanted.”

“Yes, but this is for your own safety,” Stella said gently. "We’re not really sure what the after effects are yet, and we don't want you affected.”

“Looks like it turned everything gold,” Glinda commented. “Might as well sell the building. The landlord can get at least five times what he bought it for, just for golden walls alone.”

"Oh no,” Franks said. “If he sells, all the city folk will move in, and we'll have to build a mall. Then this place will really go downhill.”

“Wait, is that why the Fae came?" someone asked. "To buy real estate?”

"No," Aiden said. "They came for the dungeon."

"Nah. They probably came for her," Frank countered, jabbing his chin at Lexie. "When they found out what Lightlarks could do, they shepherded all of them to live on that damn planets of theirs. Now that they know Lexie can escape dungeons, they're trying to do that to her, too. Don't fall for it, kid, no matter what they offer you."

Lexie nodded. She didn’t trust the Fae, and it wasn’t just her experience as an Edritch that was telling her that. It was an instinct as old as time. She would need to talk to Vacek immediately about her being surveilled. And if he couldn't do anything about it, she would figure out for herself how they were doing it and stop them.

Once she felt sufficiently rested, Lexie went to work with DECODE. She touched the building, closed her eyes, absorbed the energy and desire.

It gave the same effect as the fire but milder.

It wasn't as strong a burn, but it did make her think about all the things she wanted to do, the things she wanted to achieve, the things she wanted to have.

It spread into her imagination, made her feel hungry.

How to get rid of it?

By creating the metaphorical VOID, because if she used VOID on the building right now, she would probably just decimate it. 

The problem was that 'metaphorical void' was too broad a concept. What did it even mean? Lexie didn’t even know how to conceptualize a card pathway for that, and nothing was coming to her.

However, she did know the step before VOID was shadow, and a shadow was basically a lack of something or the inverse of something. Therefore, if she could create the inverse of desire, then she could cancel it out.

Huh. If only she could have figured that out faster.

The other problem was that just like the flames avoided the void, they might avoid the shadow, too. Lexie would need something to force them to attach.

Like something that felt desire, but simultaneously something she could control.

A creature card.

Luckily, the V'Sala was already built into the VOID mechanism.

Lexie would use the V'Sala to attract the flame, then reflect the shadow to kill it. She would need at least two cards for that, probably more. She decided to attempt to make it as close to the human pathway as possible. Maybe that would help her not feel so sick when she used it, although she doubted it would help.

Lexie got on the ground and began to work. Aiden left to check on Tate again, and Stella was left to watch Lexie and soothe the townspeople. While everyone was focused on talking to the Hero and asking questions, Lexie stepped aside and called the V'Sala forth, making it invisible so as not to cause a fuss.

When it appeared, she told it, "I'm going to make you burn for a while. It will be temporary."

It sighed and looked away in disappointment.

"I'll feed you something good soon," Lexie said, because she felt bad about using it in that way without giving in return.

"You say that all the time," the V'Sala pointed out.

"Yes. And I mean it. I have a lot of enemies now, so believe me. You'll see some action."

"Do you swear?"

Lexie thought about it. "No. But trust me anyway."

After the V'Sala agreed, Lexie began to weave the bond, trying her best to get the finger choreography right.

She heard Stella taking the townspeople at some point, and they were laughing. She also heard the heroes whispering about what they’d seen Aiden do.

She heard her father come back and tell her that Tate was fine, and it was getting late. 

That was another thing she couldn’t get used to on Earth. How little available time there was. Lexie had gotten used to not counting hours while in the dungeon. With Ryn and Little Fae, she would often just keep going until she was too tired to go anymore, and only then would she stop. 

But here, there was always day and night. It was nearly night.

Aiden watched her work. The townspeople eventually began to disperse again, heading back to their respective homes. Well, except Green Fox residents who were staying in a hotel one town over for the night, courtesy of Stella, who was soon called away, too.

Then, when Lexie was done, she activated the card.

The V'Sala materialized, and its greedy nature attracted the grow as it touched the walls.

Lexie instantly felt the tug of the desire dulling as the vacuum spread over the house like mist. She watched it cover the golden sheen, coloring it dark and depressing, but it didn’t stop there. 

The effect kept going, the cards pulling from her. Lexie frowned.

The desire was lessening, but it wasn't dying.

Probably because it was continuously fed by the creature card. But if she killed the creature card, then she wouldn't be able to sustain the magic either. It was a catch-22. 

Which was unfortunate, but Lexie couldn't keep the card on forever.

She cut off the effect when she felt it was significantly lessened and told Stella, who was standing close by at the time, "It will also need to be purified. Just in case."

“I’ll get St. John on it.”

“No need,” the voice came right as a familiar figure apparated. “Saintess Dee is on the job."

Dee had arrived with Monty, who gave Lexie a smile and said, "Welcome back."

“Thanks,” Lexie responded.

She wasn't too thrilled about Dee's presence, not because she didn't like her, but because her magic made Lexie feel physically ill.  

Lexie kept her distance while Dee worked and stood by her father. Monty came over to talk to Aiden about the Alchemist, who apparently was missing.

"Did you find anything new?" he asked.

Aiden shook his head. He didn't seem too bothered by it for some reason, although Monty seemed disturbed.

"Why haven't you found anything?" Lexie asked.

"He wasn’t my priority." Aiden frowned. "My priority was finding you.”

Lexie shrugged. "Still. He's dangerous."

"Yes, but I feel truly that the disappearance is a distraction."

“From what?"

"From the bigger plan. And Vulcan."

Lexie nodded. "He still wants me dead."

"Yes, he will keep trying. But he will never succeed. I'll kill him first." Aiden's voice hardened.

Before Lexie could ask Aiden if he knew more about the Vulcan than when she left, they heard a loud announcement from Dee.

"Done!"

Lexie stared at the building. The golden glow was gone.

Somehow, Lexie didn’t think the purification would be enough.

"Do you need healing, Lexie?" Dee asked, and Lexie shook her head, taking a step back before she could approach.

"No, but Tate might."

"Tate?"

"He's fine," Aiden immediately said, sharply. "He's being seen by another healer."

"Oh, alright."

Dee and Monty hung around to chat, but not for long. Firstly, because Dee got called away, but also and most importantly, because Aiden decided it was Lexie's bedtime.

***

Lexie’s bedtime ended up being postponed because Vacek arrived sometime after dinner. 

Aiden was on him the second he opened the door. “What do you plan on doing about the Ambassador? How can you allow him to just do whatever he wants on Earth, including surveilling my daughter?"

Vacek looked weary as he stepped in, running his hand over his face. “Do you have any of that tea you used to make for Lara? What was it called again? Muan tea?”

"No,” Aiden said. 

“Yes, you do,” Lexie countered. “You just made me some this evening for dinner.”

Aiden shot Lexie a look, and she realized her mistake.

"Oh. Sorry. You didn't want to give it to him, did you?" Lexie turned to Vacek. "I think we're out of tea."

Not only was it not convincing, but the lie was very bitter.

“Not to sound too beggarly, but I would really appreciate a cup,” Vacek said, with a soft smile.

Aiden begrudgingly poured it for him, but Lexie noted he didn’t add lemon zest, which he’d begun adding for her. She liked the lemon zest. 

“What are you doing about the Fae Ambassador?” Aiden asked after he handed Vacek the cup

"As I already told you, there’s not much I can do, except solve the current instability we’re facing .”

"What does our instability have to do with them?" Lexie asked. "Just tell them we don't need their help."

"I can’t do that, even if I wanted to, which I do, I do not have the jurisdiction. The fae are the harbingers of balance. The Oath acknowledges that. They wouldn’t just leave.”

Aiden was silent.

Lexie frowned. "I don't get it."

Vacek's gaze shifted to her. "There are a few cosmic principles that operate in the Universe,” he said. "Balance is one of them. So is Chaos, which is where magic comes from, and fate, which rules our life paths. The Fae are the protectors of balance, which can also be thought of as justice or peace, and they have the cosmic right to bring it wherever they see fit, no matter the jurisdiction. That’s what they created the concept of heroes for."

"What does that have to do with them wanting an Earth colony?"

"The hero program and the concept of humans using magic were an experiment. To see if we could handle it without destroying ourselves. If they sense that we are no longer capable of bringing balance by ourselves, they will do it for us."

"That's bullshit," Lexie said.

"Language, Lexie," Aiden said.

"But it is. They're just taking advantage, and they might even have had something to do with it. Just like with the gnomes."

"What happened with the gnomes?" Vacek asked.

Lexie simply shook her head. She really didn't like the idea of Earth being under the Fae. It was a trap. They could do to them the same as they did to the Eldritch and the gnomes and plenty of other species.

Even just the thought of it made her boil.

"Earth’s oath,” Lexie inquired. "Can we get out of it with the Oathbreaker?

Vacek shook his head. "I looked into it, and I doubt it. The oathbreaker can only break one single oath between one individual and another. The Earth’s oath isn’t singular, and it isn't between just one individual. It’s an intricate set of promises between a lot of people, most of whom are dead now, with a lot of witnesses. The oathbreaker would have a hard time breaking it."

"Hmm. But we know the source of the problem, right? It's Vulcan and possibly the Alchemist."

"We think so."

"Then it's easy. I'll find him and put a stop to it. But first, I need Dewie."