Beyond the Gateway (Cranksepticeye)

Twelve

Light blazed like fireworks exploding in the alleyway.
"How dare you?" He shouted again, and his thunderous voice knocked him back against the wall a second time. Ethan threw an arm over his face to shield his eyes. The ground beneath him spun dizzyingly, and for a moment he thought he was going to be sick. Squinting against the glare, he glanced up at where, only a moment before, a boy had stood drenched and defiant. His jaw dropped open.
A nimbus of light flared all around him like dimomd-bright wings.
He wanted to beg forgiveness. Offer up his life for his grievous offense. Grovel. The creature that stood before him, glorious as the stars, was to be worshiped and feared. His chest ached as though he'd been kicked in the chest with stone boots, and tears of remorse welled in his eyes. It was as though he was a small boy again, running through the halls of Auberon's palace, knowing that he would never be one of the Fair Folk - a toy, a pet, but never truly loved by them. By creatures like the god who stood before him. His light poured down on him, and he knew that he was massively unworthy . . .
And then, just as suddenly as the starburst had shone, everything went dim again.
"Jackass."
Ethan shook his head, confused and disoriented, his field of vision still light dazzled and spotted with afterimages. He blinked at the boy, who glared angrily at him as he did the clasp back up on his necklace.
"You almost broke it!"
For an instant, Ethan thought he still saw a sparkling aura surrounding him. But it was faint, ghostly. Then nothing. He could not possibly have been hiding behind a glamour. Ethan's Jade sensibilities could rip through a Faerie disguise as though it were gauze, even this far from the Gate.
"Are you deficient?" The boy stuffed the silver pendant back down the front of his shirt. "What the hell are you staring at?"
Ethan climbed unsteadily to his feet. They boy had his mace out and was aiming the sprayer squarely at the bridge of his nose.
"What is it - drugs or something? What's wrong with you?"
"Who are you?" He asked, rubbing his arm where it still tingled.
"Shouldn't you already know that?" he scoffed. "I mean, seeing as how you're stalking me."
"I'm not stalking you." He shook his head. It did, he had to admit, probably seem that way. "Not exactly. I just thought you might be able to help me."
"Gosh, you know?" He tilted his head , eyes still bright with anger. "I'm not feeling particularly helpful at the moment. Mayne some other time. Oh, wait. Maybe not."
Ethan moved off, frustrated and utterly out of his depth. "All right. I understand. I'm sorry if I frightened you."
"Yeah, well. Try not lurking. And not attacking. I'm outta here," he said, backing away. The mace never wavered. "And don't you dare follow me."
"I won't. I won't bother you again." Ethan held up his hands, palms out in a placating gesture. "I promise."
"You'd better not," Jack said.
He turned and ran.

He ran away from him. He was afraid of him.
Ethan didn't like the feeling at all.
"I see that went well," Maddox said dryly as he dispersed the veil that had kept him hidden from sight and stepped out from behind a Dumpster. Ethan turned around to glare at him. "No, really. I think he likes you."
"Maddox . . . "
"I'm already shutting up."
"You were supposed to be keeping watch," Ethan muttered.
"I was. He's quick." He shrugged. " and anyway, you should have stayed veiled."
Ethan stared in the direction the boy had gone. "I'm not sure it would have made any difference."
"Why not?"
"He saw me. Standing onstage - he saw me. Through the veil. Did you . . . see him?" Ethan turned and grabbed his friend's shoulder, hard. "I mean - just now - did you see what happened to him?"
Maddox's expression was closed, inscrutable. The rain was lessening, but water still ran down both their faces. Neither of them noticed.
"I saw . . . something," Maddox said. His voice was flat, carefully stripped of audible emotion. But his next words made his feelings pretty clear. "I'm pretty sure it scared the hell out of me."
"We should follow him."
Maddox was vigorously shaking his head. "Oh no. No no no. You just promised you wouldn't follow him. I'd think twice before braking a promise to a nice, handsome, incredibly scary kid like that. Especially when he can effortlessly toss you around in an alley."
"Look, I got nothing but vague, somewhat dire warnings about the kelpie from the boucca. But that 'nice, handsome kid' knows more about what happened at the Lake then he's telling, and I think we should find out what it is." Ethan didn't bother to mention that Bob had also told him to 'take care of him.'
"Let it go, Eth," Maddox said, and turned to walk in the opposite direction from where the girl had run. "I know trouble when I see it, and so do you. Put him out of your mind."
Ethan did know trouble. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Maddox was right. He followed reluctantly in the other Jade's wake, looking back over his shoulder as he went. In that moment, putting him out of his mind seemed like the hardest thing he'd ever have to do.