Satyr Play 02 Pt. 02

"STOP THAT!" Kallish's voice boomed.

Tish felt the anger and fear from the mages as they prepared to complete their work.

"DO NOT CALL UPON THE MAGIC!" Kallish snapped.

Tish hadn't been aware she was doing that but felt a thrill course through her to think she had.

"Prepare the image. We will bind the glamor now," Kallish growled, but Tish could feel his fear. She could sense all of their fear.

Then the white-hot pain of the binding was the only thing filling her awareness. Marisa shunted some of the pain away, and Tish's mind came back to her. She wasn't sure how long she'd been out.

"Now! The image, quickly! We cannot hold this much longer!" The mage's voice showed the strain they faced. Tish pushed the image of herself onto the blank glamor, and the Fae sighed in relief as they fled her mind immediately.

Then it was just Tish and Marisa, who remained to pull her attention to the trigger for the glamor. Tish felt two, but Marisa indicated for her to leave the second one alone, for now.

They surfaced, and Tish opened her eyes to see Nate carrying Marisa away in his arms.

Camila smiled at her. "She's sleeping."

Tish saw the mages were also lying down in the grass in various states of consciousness. Some were looking at her with anger; others displayed revulsion and fear. None seemed happy. She looked back to Camila who was now holding up the mirror.

"Time for your glamor."

Tish reached for the trigger in her mind, and when she opened her eyes again, she was looking at her face with her original human eyes. Her face had returned to her human appearance with thinner eyebrows and furless ears. Speaking of fur, she reached down to her thighs and felt skin. Lifting her head, Tish looked down as she wiggled her human toes. She touched her temples, but the horns were gone as well. She was back.

A sudden fear shot through her that it had been a dream, so she quickly reached for the trigger once more and flashed back into her Satyr form again. She sighed with relief to feel the fur under her fingertips.

Camila chuckled. "You seriously don't mind that Henry changed you!"

Tish could only grin and shake her head as she switched back to her human disguise. Then she felt a wave of exhaustion sweep over her.

"Sleep. You did very well," Camila said softly.

Smiling as the words warmed her heart, Tish drifted off. She really liked Marisa's mom.

-=-

Queen Mab was broadly smiling as she approached Henry. Ikehorn was at her side, but his eyes locked on the large man the mages had used as a sink for the pain and strain they'd encountered in the dive. They'd shunted the stress and duress through to him. Henry also looked to the guard, at the blood on his trembling lips. The man's entire body was vibrating slightly as his muscles remained locked in a rictus. Henry shared a glance with the smaller Fae.

Mab caught the look and gave Ikehorn a cruel smile. "Does it not please you to see your tormentor in this state?"

Ikehorn glanced at her then back to the brute. "It should... but it doesn't. I would put him out of his misery," he said softly, a troubled expression crossing his face.

Mab frowned. This wasn't what she'd expected of him. Where was the razor sharp whip she used to keep her court in order? She gazed at him with an evaluating eye. "Maybe you'd like to heal him?" she asked, equally quiet.

Ikehorn looked at her in shock as his revulsion at the idea surged. "No!"

Mab's cruel streak flared. It was such a delicious idea she needed to see it happen. "But I think you should!"

Ikehorn's mouth was moving, but there was no sound. Plenty of emotions were crossing his face now as he visibly struggled with his need to deny this request. Desperation won out. "I don't have the strength to repair such severe damage!" he gasped.

Mab smiled sweetly at him. "You healed worse on your own body after they played with you." She delighted at the twitch that went through the Fae's body as he recalled the torture. Henry gaped at her.

"Th-that left me depleted. I haven't recovered my strength yet! I don't have access to enough magic to do this!" he asserted, his inner conflict causing him to tremble.

Now Mab wanted it even more. She needed to see how Ikehorn healed others, but truthfully, she wanted the cruel pleasure it would bring her. She looked to Henry and an idea formed. "You healed Henry's little Satyr friend with his assistance." She looked to Henry. "You could do it again, couldn't you Henry. Give us all a demonstration of how you help heal. Did you know Ikehorn had only a rudimentary level of magic ability before you interfered with him? He had to work so hard to compensate for this; I think that's what made him such an effective enforcer. Now?" She tilted her head to gaze at Henry as she waited for his answer. She knew what it would be, of course.

He blinked in surprise at her and opened his mouth to speak.

"Are you asking for a favor from Henry?" Mahati asked from his side.

Mab's eyes locked on the lawyer and rage flared behind them. "A simple thing-"

Showing no awareness of the Queen's danger signs, Mahati continued. "Not for a non-wielder. It is a significant effort for Henry who doesn't have your powerful wielder abilities."

Queen Mab was trapped by her need to see Ikehorn heal the Ogre who nearly crippled him and her desire to preserve her three favors from Henry. Spending one of them on this seemed frivolous but... she couldn't back down in front of these witnesses. The Queen finally nodded to Mahati to grant the point the other woman had won. She'd find some way to get back at the interfering bitch.

Mab was aware the young lawyer was a member of the Chandra family and knew how powerful the matriarch was. This one, however, wasn't showing the proper degree of fear and respect. Mab could see these emotions reflected on the faces of Henry's co-workers which made her feel a little better, but she wasn't going to forget the impertinence of this one. She would pay for what Mab had just lost.

Mahati turned to Henry. "If you do this for the Queen, you will fulfill one of the three favors you owe her."

Henry nodded gratefully to her and looked to Ikehorn who was watching him with wide eyes.

"Shall we make this man... better?"

-=-

Ikehorn was reliving his nightmare at the hands of Mab's Ogres. He was being punished by Mab once more, but he'd lost track of what he'd done to deserve it this time. He'd disappointed her?

She wanted him to heal the monster that took such glee in beating him almost to death. The very idea made his skin crawl.

He tried to explain how it wasn't possible but he could tell she wanted it. It was yet another sign of her diminished capacity that she allowed her desires to dominate.

When she brought the Satyr into the mix, Ikehorn thought he had an out, but once more Mab's desire won out.

He looked at the determined expression on the Satyr's face.

"Shall we make this man... better?"

Ikehorn barely suppressed sputtering incredulously in response. Make an Ogre better? Was the Satyr as simple-minded as their patient? They were brutes without the intelligence to know any better. Without a moral compass or compassion- Ikehorn froze as a thought occurred to him.

It was bold. It was daring.

It could very well be suicidal. The Queen would execute him if she discovered what he'd done... unless he took precautions.

Could he do this? He looked into Henry's eyes and saw his awareness. Then he realized the man had phrased his question to guide Ikehorn's thoughts to this.

He recalled being in the hospital room with Henry preparing to heal the female. The power being presented to him then, and the strength of the willpower backing it made him feel like a god at that moment. He'd felt like he had enough power to do anything!

Finally, he nodded to Henry and turned to Queen Mab.

"For safety sake, everyone should move back. To give us room to work and to avoid... spillover." Ikehorn said with a slight quaver in his voice.

A smile slipped back onto the lips of the Queen. It didn't fill him with warmth like it used to. The cruel glee was just a little too evident.

He moved stiffly to stand before the injured guard. He could feel his need to heal pulling at him, and he shuddered as he knew he was going to give in.

"Having some trouble?" Mab asked sweetly.

Ikehorn looked back at her and shook his head briefly. "No, my Queen."

He looked to Henry and realized he'd stopped thinking of him as the Satyr. That shook him as well. "Are you ready?" he asked brusquely.

Henry nodded and closed his eyes.

Ikehorn looked into the fearful, almost mad eyes of the Ogre. "I'm going to heal you. I'll take the pain away. I'm... going to make you better," he explained, and some of the fear left the eyes. Confusion took its place. Ikehorn understood that it couldn't conceive of receiving mercy from someone it had tortured. He held his hands out just above the surface of the Ogre's body and passed them up and down. The damage was extensive. The shunted stress from the mages ripped through the muscles, nerves, and other soft tissues of their 'sink' leaving him to bleed to death internally, in absolute agony.

He glanced to Henry and was surprised to see the man surrounded by a thick, deep green aura. The room began to take on a green tinge as the illusion spell soaked in the healing spell's magic as well.

"I can't hold this for long. It's harder to do inside this building," Henry gasped, eyes tightly shut.

Eyes wide, Ikehorn nodded then closed them to concentrate. The amount of power Henry was holding was more than a little frightening. Ikehorn was grateful to know he wasn't a wielder.

He held an image of a healed Ogre in prime health in his mind. Then he looked deeper. He bumped up his intelligence to match his own and more importantly he gave him a conscience, compassion, and caution. The last was his protection against Mab discovering the change. He held this ideal in his mind as he reached for Henry's power and will. The flood almost overwhelmed him until Henry pulled back.

Wasting no more time he opened his eyes and placed his hands on the Ogre. The green flash was intense and violent.

The collapse of the environment illusion spell caught everyone by surprise. The magic dissolved in a rapidly expanding wave, spreading outwards from Ikehorn's position. The Ogre and Henry fell to their knees, but Ikehorn remained standing and stared at the shocked expressions of the gathered people. He looked to Mab who sent a runner from the room, likely to confirm the illusion breaking wave remained within the chamber. There were a lot of illusions that needed maintaining in the rooftop castle. The room now showed its rich wood paneling. The walls were lined with bookshelves filled with the riches of the Queen's priceless library of books and ancient scrolls. These were just copies as the originals never left her castle in Ireland.

Henry pushed himself up to his hooves and reached a hand down to the Guard. That one was blinking in confusion but pushed the offered hand away and managed to stand on his own. He gave Henry and Ikehorn a troubled look then walked away.

Queen Mab approached with an odd smile on her face. She looked excited and angry at the same time. "That was an extraordinary display. You used far too much magic for one spell, but I cannot deny you achieved the desired result."

Ikehorn bowed deeply, and Henry glanced at him then nodded to the Queen to acknowledge her weak praise.

Her smile widened. "Now we get to the fun part of the evening. It's time to join the party!" She offered her arm, keeping her eyes on Henry's. Ikehorn sagged with relief as they walked away. Mab paused and looked over her shoulder.

"Ikehorn, keep an eye on our three guests until they wake. See to their needs. If they are up to it, you may bring them to the party in the Great Hall."

"Yes, my Queen," he said with a bow.

He was to be a nursemaid. It was clear to him now that the Queen was going to relieve him of his duties as her enforcer. When he thought of that, he was surprised to realize he didn't mind anymore. The idea would have left him feeling suicidal once, but now...

He just wanted to go home.

-=-

Lise-Anne walked with Clive and Isaac as they followed the Queen and her Satyr escort. Missing from their group was Michelle, who remained with the sleepers as an excuse to avoid a party she was too shy to attend.

Looking forward, she examined Henry Gable. While everyone else wore their glamors, he remained in his true form, and she had to admit he was an imposing figure. They were going to join a party already underway. Considering the ease with which the Fae expanded rooms with illusions she was looking forward to seeing what they'd done with this Great Hall. She was also curious to see who the other guests were, if there were any.

The Queen stopped before the staircase and turned to address the group following her. Three of her guards were waiting there.

"The Great Hall is on the fourth floor midway down the corridor. My men will guide you. Henry and I will make our appearance after you've joined my other guests. Enjoy!" With that, she stepped into the elevator with Henry, and they were gone.

"This way," one of the guards indicated and gestured for them to follow him. He began to climb the stairs, and Lise-Anne moved forward with the others following.

Soon they were all walking down the corridor on the fourth floor. Lise-Anne glanced back and saw Henry's coworkers were showing expressions indicating various degrees of nervousness. Aside from the resting Succubus and her dark-skinned male protector, the dark-skinned female in the leather jacket had also remained behind to watch over the three sleeping women. Michelle had company.

The rest of the group stopped before a large set of double doors.

Two of the guards opened the doors, and the sound of music poured through them. Sweet, decadent, and sensual, the sounds drew them further into the room as their eyes tried to take it all in. The music was designed to make you want to stay, to listen to the next song, to be a part of it, but it was only one component in the trap.

The most profound element for most was the ceiling. Once more it was covered with an illusion, but this time it was a star-filled night sky, amplified significantly to be brighter and more densely clustered than ever seen before. The stars were fantastically brilliant amongst colorful nebulae which painted the room with shades of blues, greens, reds, and gold. When the hallway doors closed behind them, the full impact of the vibrant colors took their breath away.

Once their eyes freed themselves from the splendor of the skies above they saw the outer edges of the vast chamber furnished with large circular sofas the occupants had to climb into. Plush cushions filled each, making them resemble beds. There was a dance floor in the center of the vast room, surrounding a circular DJ's booth. A good number of the partygoers were enjoying themselves there. Servants were circulating with trays of drinks, food, and drugs.

Mab had set them up for a surprise, and it wasn't entirely pleasant. The servants were naked males and females barely out of their teens. Their youth was part of the illusion. The males all appeared to be blue-skinned Djinn with gold ankle and wrist slave bands and piercings in sensitive places. The females all had wet skin and long wet hair to look like Naiads, fresh water nymphs. And all of the servants were exquisitely lovely. So far so good.

The cruelty of this illusion was the fact that neither race existed any longer. Back at the dawn of the Hidden Races, representatives of the Naiads and the Djinn swore their people would not hide amongst the Humans.

So they were executed. Down to the last one.

They'd never been numerous to begin with, but it was a savage massacre none-the-less and remained a black mark on the souls of the descendants of those original members of the Council.

Lise-Anne found their inclusion at the party to be particularly disturbing. It was as if Mab was sending a message to the Council. She turned to share a troubled look with Isaac. His attention was drawn away by a group approaching from behind her. She glanced back, and her eyes went wide in surprise.

"Chancellor Mugawee! I wasn't aware you were in town!" she said in greeting to the leader of the Hidden Races Congress. She nodded to the two congress officials accompanying him, Ilsa Klöckner, Minister of Finance and Elena Velázquez, Minister of Environment. Lise-Anne hadn't expected to see these three until the congressional meeting next month.

The Chancellor was wearing the glamor of a slim, 5' 6" African man in his mid-sixties with greying hair. Lise-Anne knew he was one of the Ninki Nanka, though she'd never seen his real shape. The threat of him shifting to it was often enough to calm contentious members of the Congress in heated arguments. Seeing him in this venue was more than a little alarming as he rarely traveled and never to the States.

The man gave Lise-Anne a frustrated look. "The surprise trip was courtesy of our host and was more like a summons than an invitation as we passed through a door in the congressional offices into an audience chamber next to this hall. I suspect most of these guests arrived the same way."

Queen Mab kidnapped the Chancellor and two ministers? Lise-Anne and Nils gasped in shock.

"The Regent has been most gracious, so far. Are you aware of her agenda for this event?" Mugawee asked and received a shake of their heads. He looked around with a sigh. "I don't think I've ever found myself in stranger company."

Lise-Anne followed his eyes and gasped once more.

She had to agree with him.

-=-

With the grand illusions to catch their attention, the new arrivals couldn't be faulted for not noticing the other guests whose normally exceptional appearance was rendered mundane by the backdrop.

It was Meixiu's surprised squeak that drew her friend's attention. Sigrid looked to her. "What's wrong?"

"That's Kate Kardellian! And that's Beyond with Jay-D!" she gasped excitedly, seeing the celebrities she recognized from TV. Her eyes darted from group to group, and she sucked in an excited breath. "Oh! Oh! Cara Delevine and Miranda Carr!" At Sigrid's questioning look, she explained. "They're famous supermodels!"

Meixiu's head was spinning. There were so many famous people in attendance. She could see others she didn't recognize but may have been celebrities from other countries. She gasped when she spotted the members of a K-Pop band on the dance floor with two gorgeous ladies from India who could easily have been Bollywood celebrities. It was a multicultural celebrity blitz!

Sigrid and Camila shared a glance, and Roy's expression became grim.

"Fae Queen, super-secret hidden castle, magic driven décor, and Human celebrities. Henry's still in his natural form." He looked at the others in his group.

"This is going to be bad," he rumbled.

-=-

As the Chancellor and his ministers made their way towards the doors, Lise-Anne's head was turning quickly in all directions identifying the rich and famous Human celebrities in attendance. She spotted current NYC Mayor William de Blastio reclining in a nearby couch with a drink in his hand. He seemed to be dazzled by the stellar display above.

She slipped her cell into her palm. She had some precautionary measures to make. With a frown, she realized there was no signal which meant there was a shield on the vast room. Considering the nature of the guests attending, that containment would actually work in her favor. She queued up some texts to have certain assets activate the moment signal was available again. The cell went back into her pocket.