Today’s deaths and maiming Sventer told himself, was what warriors called collateral damage, but he did not try and convince them of this just yet. Success would show them the truth in the end.
Only one bomb had exploded.
No doubt, a Fae had interfered. Most Fae would not have broken their ‘golden rule’ and become involved, but he had already been told about the Fios Fae, Frankie and Jazmine Decker.
It didn’t matter.
His men worked fervently. He knew they wanted the deaths and maiming of the humans to mean something. They wanted their mission to be a complete success. They worked silently as iron cannot easily be wielded by magic.
It took some effort to work it, bend it, put it in place, and when they were done, they knew they had accomplished what they set out to do.
Now only one thing remained. They had to get back to the portal before it closed. They had to get home.
* * *
Frankie watched her father stomp toward her and knew what was coming. She waited, and was ready with her answer. She was no longer willing to hide what she felt for her Dark Prince.
“What was that Dark abomination—that Unseelie, doing here?” asked her da.
“Don’t call him that, Da. He was helping! Something you should go and do now, instead of standing here, calling Graely names he does not deserve!” Frankie snapped at her father.
Restraining Frankie with a touch, giving her a look to quiet her. Jazz said as she came up to face Deimne and stood beside Frankie, “We don’t have time now to discuss the pros and cons of Prince Graely.” She eyed Deimne challengingly, “What we need to do now is track whoever is responsible for this horror.”
Frankie touched Jazz’s hand thankfully as she was fully aware that Jazz had purposely used a tone of respect, when she referred to Graely as ‘Prince Graely’.
Trevor arrived, sniffing the air, “I have sent a message to Aaibhe. Breslyn is on his way to help heal some of the badly injured,” he looked at Deimne, “You and I have their scent and must track them.” He turned to Jazz, “There is no need, my heart, my Jazmine Decker, for you and Frankie to come with us. I would much prefer you return home and recoup your lost energy.”
“Not on your life, big boy!” his mate responded with great feeling as she glared at him.
“You are depleted, you need time,” he said softly.
“You don’t need to track them,” Frankie said feeling weary. “I already know where the portal is.”
“We don’t know they will go directly back. We will track,” Trevor returned firmly.
“Going with you. You shift us and for a little while, we will lay low and recoup our strength,” Jazz said.
Deimne frowned, but one look at Frankie told him she would either allow him to shift her, or she would use her depleted energy and follow on her own power, which he knew would cause her further harm.
He took his daughter’s hand as Trevor took Jazz’s hand, and they were off.
Trevor led them first to the Customs House where he and Deimne said the scent was strong.
“They were here…and although they are in numbers, they are not the mass they would need to attack this world. Why the bomb, then? What was all that about? What was their point in hurting, killing so many humans? To what end?” Deimne asked.
Trevor didn’t answer him and Jazz and Frankie looked at one another but kept their thoughts to themselves. Frankie was certain they hadn’t come to actually attack—not with the purpose of battle. They had come for something else. They had, in a manner of speaking come as terrorists.
Why was this obvious to her? They had come at Pestale’s bidding and as mercenaries.
Deimne’s tracking then took them to the River Liffey near the bridge.
“We are running out of time,” Trevor said in frustration.
“Don’t ye see them?” Frankie exclaimed excitedly, “All of them, right there, headed for the portal?”
Deimne and Trevor looked at one another and then to where she was pointing just beneath the undulating waves of the river where the open mouth of the portal hovered and shot off white lights of electric energy.
“The portal, yes, I see they used magic to hide it.” Trevor exclaimed and then added, “By Danu, I can see the mouth of the portal.”