Rene stepped towards the smoke, his eyes watching it swirl into the sky. “I fear we will never again find comfort in The Wand.”
Sprig smacked him on the backside of the head.
“Ouch!” Rene groaned. “What was that for?”
He motioned towards Layla, a meaningful look in his eyes.
“Oh, right,” Rene mumbled under his breath. Louder, he said, “I’m sorry, Layla. I know how much the bar meant to you.”
Layla stared down at her hands, fighting back the tears threatening to flood from her eyes. Enough was enough.
“I’ll go with you,” she said.
“Good,” Bear replied with a smile. He rummaged through his saddlebags, finally pulling out a small backpack. He handed it to her and said, “Put these on. It’ll make it easier to disguise you as we ride.”
She opened the pack to find a leather jacket, a black dress, motorcycle gloves, and combat boots. “You seriously expect me to wear a dress on that thing,” she pointed towards his bike.
“It’s not so bad,” Sprig said. “Once you chafe the first time, anyway.”
Layla rolled her eyes but went into the gas station across the street to change. She pulled out the leather jacket and traced her fingers over the tree embroidered on the back. It mirrored her tattoo. Roots disappeared past the hem at the bottom of the jacket. Its trunk stretched up the small of her back and exploded into an array of branches, leaves, flowers, and butterflies. A small opal was embedded into the top of the tree, like a crown. To the fae, this tree symbolized the cycle of life and the passage of time. Magic lived and died within them to be passed onto the next generation.
She removed her blood-stained t-shirt, slipped into the dress and pulled on the jacket. They both fit like a second skin. She glanced at herself in the cracked and speckled mirror hanging above the sink.
Dark circles hung around her eyes and her cheeks were puffy from her tears. Her normally wavy hair fell in sweaty, stringy strands. Dousing her hands in water, she ran her fingers through her hair and then pulled it back into a tight ponytail. She slipped out of her jeans and tugged on the combat boots. They were heavier than she’d been expecting and made her feel a little bit like a warrior princess.
The thought made her smile as she put her clothes in the waste bin and used a bit of her flamecaster magic to burn them.
“What are you doing?” Penny asked.
“Less baggage this way,” Layla responded. She looped the pack onto her back and left the bathroom without looking back.
The FGs clapped and whistled as she joined them outside.
“See, I told you she’d be one of us one day,” Sprig said. He smiled broadly at her. “I think I could get used to seeing you wear an FG jacket.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Was this all some long con to convince me to finally ride with you?” she asked.
“Drak, Layla. That’s kinda dark, considering Ollie died back there,” Potts said.
“Oh.” Layla stared down at her hands. She’d almost allowed herself to forget about that.
The memory of the man pulling the trigger flashed before her eyes. Her breathing became faster, coming in quick, shallow bursts. Her dress clung to her uncomfortably as her body turned clammy. She picked at a hangnail, a small bubble of silver blood appearing as she ripped it off.
“It’s alright,” Rene said, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. “We’ve all been where you are.”
“Yeah,” Sprig chimed in. “Sometimes it’s easier to play off our pain through humor.”
All she felt was numb.
“Listen to me, Layla. What happened at The Wand wasn’t your fault,” Bear said. He placed a meaty finger under her chin and lifted her face so he could peer into her eyes. “None of this is your fault.”
She wet her lips and turned away from his gaze.
“We have to go,” Sprig said. “We’ve delayed long enough.”
The others murmured their agreement. Layla nodded, still not meeting their gazes.
Potts gripped her arm and whispered, “I’m sorry,” before climbing onto his bike.
Layla just shrugged. She didn’t know how to respond. She’d been callous and she didn’t deserve the kindness they were showing her. Not anymore. Perhaps not ever.
Bear lifted and placed her in the sidecar attached to his bike. The entire bike lowered as he climbed onto the seat. Layla clenched the edge of the sidecar as he revved the engine. Glittering smoke sputtered from the tailpipe.
“Uh, Bear, is it supposed to do that?” she asked.
“Of course, darling. This beauty is powered by pixie dust.”
“You’re kidding, right? You must be. There haven’t been—” she trailed off as the bike shot forward and lifted into the air. Clenching her eyes shut, she felt her stomach float as they weaved up and down for several seconds.
“We’re going to die up here, aren’t we?” Penny squeaked.
“Aren’t you the one who told me to go with them?” Layla retorted. She stuffed her fist in her mouth, trying not to scream.
Penny didn’t respond as they climbed higher into the night sky. Glittering dust trailed behind them. Bear drove the motorcycle through a long, gray cloud. Tiny water droplets clung to Layla as they leveled out.
She gasped. Everywhere she looked were stars. They twinkled with yellow, white, blue, and pink light. The air was colder up here than it had been on the ground and she was thankful for the jacket.
“Have you ever seen something so glorious?” Bear asked.
“Never.”
The rest of the gang joined them moments later. Tufts of cloud curled around the front of the bikes as they sped through them. Layla trailed her fingers through the clouds as she stared up at the starry sky.
The motor began to sputter and the bike wobbled.
“Drak!” Bear grumbled as he pushed a button on the instrument panel.
“What’s going on?” Layla asked. Her knuckles turned white as she clutched the sides of the car.
“We’re running low on PD. Looks like we’re going to have to make an early landing.” He checked a dial protruding from the side of the bike. “At least we made it past the city’s boundaries.”
Layla’s face paled as the bike rocked and dipped.
“You might want to hold on,” Bear warned.
The engine popped as they began to descend. She felt as if she were going to pee, but knew she wasn’t. They dove through the clouds and the sky. The ground came up on them more quickly than she had anticipated. A small scream escaped her lips as the wheels touched down with a jolt.
Bear sped down the road at breakneck speed. The rest of the FGs landed behind them, forming a triangle of bikes as they raced through the countryside. Layla hadn’t left the city in years and didn’t recognize the landscape around them. They continued driving in silence for several minutes. She glanced at Bear, wondering what his true story was. She was about to ask when Sprig came up beside them.
He tapped on his horn and motioned behind them with a frantic jerk of his arm. Twisting her body, Layla stared beyond the row of FGs to see three black SUVs gaining on them. Her mouth went dry. Somehow, she knew who was in one of those vehicles. Potts and Rene flanked Bear’s motorcycle, joining Sprig.