Black Knight 02 - Back in Black by John G Hartness Read Free Book Online Page B

taken the time to shower as well, because there wasn't a hint of slimy green blood anywhere on him. The waiter took our orders, and then went off to leave us to our conversation.  
     
    "Okay, Otto. Let's start by telling us what that thing was? It looked like a giant with bad hygiene." I started.  
     
    "No, that wasn't a giant. It wouldn't have come up to a giant's belt buckle. That was a troll." The bouncer turned troll-slayer said matter-of-factly.  
     
    "Troll? Like under the bridge troll?" Sabrina kicked me under the table as patrons in other booths started to look around, and I lowered my voice. "What do you mean a troll? Trolls don't exist."  
     
    "Neither do vampires. Yet here you are." The smug bouncer leaned back and sipped his sweet tea. I had to admit, he had a decent point.  
     
    "Just once, I'd like to meet a supernatural creature that couldn't spot us from fifty yards away. Just once." Greg muttered from across the booth.  
     
    "I pegged you two from a hundred yards away as vampires. It took the other fifty yards to peg you as straight boys." Otto shot back.  
     
    "Anyway," I interrupted before they could really get going. "That doesn't answer the question of what the troll was doing there. Got any ideas, or did you just slice first and ask questions later?"  
     
    "I didn't ask. Trolls are ancient enemies of my people. The mere sight of one in my city filled me with an uncontrollable rage, and I attacked. I lost control of myself, bringing shame to my father and my House." I could tell by the verbal capitalization that he wasn't talking about the TV doctor, but otherwise I had no idea what he was talking about.  
     
    "Who are your people?" I asked, figuring I'd start slow.  
     
    "The Fae. Your people call us fairies." He said.  
     
    "I know that, but Greg and I, we're a little more progressive than that. We believe in live and let live, don't ask don't tell, whatever two consenting adults do is between them, that whole thing." I trailed off weakly when I saw him looking at me like I was a moron. I get that look often enough to recognize it, unfortunately.  
     
    "Not homosexuals, vampire. Fairies. Like in the tales. Except we don't all have wings, and we're not tiny. As you can see." As if to prove a point, he stood up and struck a pose like a Greek statue.  
     
    "I get it, I get it. Now sit down." I hissed. He sat, and I leaned forward. "Now, you say you're a real fairy, like fairy godmother fairy?"  
     
    "Yes, although I have no intention of singing bibbity-bobbity-boo with you."  
     
    "And you guys hate trolls and trolls hate fairies?"
     
    "Yes."  
     
    "But how does something like that move around a city unnoticed? It was nine friggin' feet tall if it was an inch! And it was uglier than Greg going through Xbox withdrawal." I asked while Greg kicked the hell out of my shin. If this meal lasted much longer, I was going to have some serious healing to do.
     
    "Glamour." Otto said simply.  
     
    "Gonna need a little more, babe. I don't think you're hiding that much ugly just with Cover Girl concealer." Sabrina interjected.  
     
    "No, human." Otto managed to make "human" sound a lot like "cockroach," but I let it slide. Besides, the term didn't technically apply to me anymore. "Magic. Creatures of the higher realms can easily manipulate what is seen by those from more mundane planes."  
     
    "So it used magic to hide its true nature until it started fighting you?" I asked, starting to get the picture.  
     
    "Yes, then it needed all its resources just to survive. But all those resources weren't quite enough." He grinned a nasty smile and for a second I was very happy that he hadn't turned that magical sword in my direction.
     
    "So that explains the fight tonight, but not any of the other attacks." Sabrina interjected. "Because everyone up until tonight has been human."  
     
    "But the bloodstains on the wall where Stephen was attacked sure looked like he was attacked by a