the Veil of the Fairies. The fairies weren't the only thing we have to worry about in the veil. The Veil of the Faeries was also known as the Fae graveyard. The pesky little creatures were supposed to keep the spirits of Fae in the graveyard for the Reaper, who would come by and collect them as he seemed fit.
I'd never met the Reaper myself but Kat had. He didn't seem too bad from the way she described him but then he was in his world and not in the UnSeelie Court. Here his form wasn't quite so visible, leaving him more of a shrouded shadow than anything.
A collection of giggles echoed through the sky, setting my nerves on end. Fucking Faeries. If there was one creature of the Underground I couldn't stand it was those little creeps.
"Yowch!" Mop squawked and swatted at the air. "Ye nasty bugger, come do that to me face if ye dare! I be havin' ye for lunch!"
Another giggle sounded before a sharp pain pulled at my scalp.
"Ah!" I reached for the spot. Glaring at the darkness, I searched for the tiny little creature. "You better watch it. I'll make sure you never get out of the Underground."
Some chittering came in response that I didn't understand.
"Ye wastin' yer breath on them." Mop frowned and swatted once more at the air but the buzzing creature was too fast. "These donna wanta be in the human realm."
Trip squeaked loudly and hopped around as a dozen gray skeletal creatures with veiny twig wings surrounded him, pulling at his tail and long ears.
"Hey! Leave him alone." I whacked at the creatures but they buzzed out of the way before I could hit them. Now they turned their attentions on me, chittering and giggling the whole time. Still tired from the last mishap, I had no patience for their nonsense. I gathered my power inside of me and then pushed it out, shoving the faeries several feet away.
"Serves you right," I huffed in satisfaction. "We don't have time for you. We're already far too late."
A chorus of chitters were my response.
Turning to Mop, I asked, "Do you know what they're saying?"
Mop picked at his clothes. "Nothin' nice."
"Have they seen Hatter?"
My question earned me a set of excited chitters followed by one of them pulling on my hair. I spun around to swat at them but the faerie hadn't been trying to hurt me, it wanted me to follow it. Its big black eyes blinked at me as its small mouth chittered as it pointed and gestured for me to come.
"Do you know where Hatter is?" I asked, eagerly following after the faerie.
The faerie led me over to a bush where I pushed back the branches and leaves to see a nest. In the nest laid several other faeries but these weren't in any kind of condition to attack me. The faerie who led me there chittered noisily and pointed at the faeries laying in the nest.
"What's it saying?" I asked over my shoulder to Mop.
Mop stepped up behind me and shook his head. "They havena seen Hatter, lass. They be too busy takin' care of their sick. Seems the sickness ain't bein' pick who it takes."
Frowning at the sight of the usually rambunctious and annoying creatures laying so pathetically at our mercy, I couldn't bring myself not to feel for them. They might be a pain in my arse but no one deserved to go out like this. I had to help them.
Turning to the faerie who had led me there, I told it, "We're working on it. Just keep them safe and comfortable."
The faerie chittered happily before pointing down the long pathway.
"The queen be that way, he be sayin'." Mop took a few steps in that direction.
"Oh." I swallowed and took a step back. "Uh, I don't think we need to bother her. We can figure this out on our own."
Mop arched a brow at me. "Ye canna be scared of facin' 'er forever. Her majesty willa be more worried about the sickness than takin' her ire outa on ye."
I squirmed in place and then nodded reluctantly. Mop was right. I couldn't let my fear of the UnSeelie Queen stop me from finding Hatter and saving everyone. Besides, she could have seen him or give us a short cut to get to him. I doubted making my life hard was on her agenda today...I hoped.
To my delight my pocket began to yell loudly.
The faeries squealed and grabbed their ears,