The Wildness Within

Calls in the Night 1

Calls in the Night 1

Two days later, Augus nursed a splitting headache and sat, curled on his couch, while the clanking of chains and the roars and shrieks continued.

Gwyn was obviously Court status, because someone with his injuries should have been well and truly asleep by now, or unconscious. He was common fae, Augus could tell that much, but his resistance to compulsions was unusual. And unfortunate.

'Keep it down!' Augus shouted again, but the roars didn't even pause. The creature – Gwyn – had to have shredded his throat raw more than once.

He sometimes quietened for an hour, two, but if he heard any sound – Augus moving to approach him, or even just shifting too loudly on his couch – the roars would start again. Sometimes the force with which he tore at the chains was strong enough that Augus could feel vibrations in the walls. But the chains were spelled.

The walls aren't.

He smirked to himself and then pressed his thumbs to his temples.

Hours later he looked up when the front door opened and closed. Ash walked in, shaking water out of his hair and rubbing himself dry with one of the towels Augus kept in the foyer just for him. He saw Augus and beamed, then froze when he heard the roaring.

'Sorry, bro. Didn't know you had a client.'

Augus gave him a look, then rubbed his hands over his face.

'Not a client. A very large mistake.'

Ash squinted, his smile vanished. He tilted his head towards the sound of the incessant, rage-filled noises, and his hazel eyes narrowed. He had always looked attractive enough in human-form, but overall – ridiculous for a waterhorse. They were all supposed to have long, straight or wavy black hair. Green eyes. Ash was something of a runt – though he'd certainly grown into himself now – his hair persisted in multi-shades of red, brown and blonde, and was so coarsely curled that even when completely waterlogged, they held their cropped shape.

'Okay, so, what the fuck?' Ash said, rubbing at his arms again.

'He was injured in the woods. And somewhat mute. And Court status. And shows signs of repeated, prolonged torture. Also Seelie.'

'There's so many things wrong with what you just said.' Ash threw the towel at Augus and then sat in the armchair opposite, while Augus moved the damp, offensive towel away from himself, folding it as he did so. 'So you have him because why?'

'Because...' Augus couldn't lie to Ash. It hadn't initially been about a ransom at all. He was at a loss how to explain himself. He would have set the creature free, if it wasn't for the fact that he was quite sure he'd be overpowered and killed in the process. 'Boredom.'

Ash made a face, and then winced at a particularly ear-splitting roar.

'Geez, he's got some lungs, doesn't he? Why don't you just compel him?'

'He's immune.'

'No shit,' Ash said, staring at him. 'I'd normally say ditch him, but it's not like you to pick up a stray. So let's check him out then.'

Ash headed blithely towards the corridor and several seconds later Augus got up and followed, trying to shake the pounding out of his head.

'He's just going to get worse,' Augus muttered.

'Yeah? I dunno what kind of company you keep, but I've been around this kind of racket before. Got a lot of unhappy people in the human world. Especially drunk ones.'