Necrofairies by Shane Griffin

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  Neen watched in silence as Clix triple checked that his granite golem had firm hold of Agnor, who was now in his own version of an enviro-coat. Finally Clix reluctantly took off the ring and handed it to Sliver. As soon as he did Agnor thrashed so violently against the grip of the golem that Neen found herself lifting a few inches into the air and resting both hands on her guns, fearful that even the golem could not hold him.

  “You have 24 hours to bring me my Dex back or I will put out a contract on you both so high that every bounty hunter in the country will be after you.”

  “If we’re not back in 24 hours it’s because we’re both dead already,” replied Sliver.

  “Curse the Battle of Tarva,” said Clix and left them alone in the alleyway to return to his club.

  “Not after tonight,” mumbled Sliver under his breath.

  Neen creased her brow wondering exactly what he had meant by that. Her thoughts were interrupted by Sliver who ordered Agnor to be still. Agnor obeyed, but not before glaring at Sliver with the same intense hatred in his eyes that he had shown for Clix.

  “Release him and be gone,” ordered Sliver to the golem and it too obeyed.

  Neen grabbed a human gas mask that Clix had kindly supplied and dragged it with both hands over to Agnor.

  “Here, put this on,” said Neen as she heaved the mask at him. “It’s going to be dangerous enough having to travel in the city on foot, let alone with a commodity as valuable as you. I’d rather you look less like a Dex.”

  Agnor stood still and allowed the mask to fall to the ground, completely ignoring Neen.

  “It will also protect your nose from the pollution,” insisted Neen as she bent down and grabbed it back off the ground and thrust it towards him.

  “Put on the mask,” ordered Sliver sternly.

  The Dex looked at Sliver then down at Neen and in a flash he grabbed her. He moved so fast that even her fairy-fast reflexes were caught off guard and before she knew it she was in Agnor’s suffocating grasp.

  She tried to reach for her guns, but was stopped by a razor sharp set of claws, that now sprang forth and pressed against her bare neck.

  “If you even open your mouth to speak I will rip out her throat,” growled Agnor.

  Reflexively Sliver had gone for his guns and at the same time had them aimed at Agnor’s head. For a second Neen thought he was going to shoot the Dex, but instead he smiled and casually popped his weapons back into their holsters.

  “Give me the ring,” demanded Agnor.

  Sliver shook his head slowly and Agnor started to dig one of his claws into Neen’s skin, just far enough to draw blood.

  “Agnor, you don’t know Sliver very well. He will let me die then he will order you to do this job with him anyway and at the end order you to torture yourself to death just for pissing him off,” said Neen, trying unsuccessfully to sound nonchalant.

  “Do you think any torture could be worse than being chained to a pole and kept like a pet?” demanded Agnor.

  “Perhaps we can make a deal instead of both of us dying? Sliver needs us both alive at least until this job is done so how about you agree to help us steal this key? When we get our key you get your ring. How about it Sliver, or can you pull this job off alone?”

  Sliver looked at her angrily, but then reluctantly nodded his head.

  “How do I know I can trust you to keep your word fairy?”

  “You don’t, but I will give you my word anyway. I promise you that if Sliver does not give you back the ring when the job is over I will personally shoot him in the head the way he should have shot you through yours the moment you grabbed me.”

  Agnor sniffed at the top of Neen’s head for several seconds then slowly retracted his claws and released her.

  “At least that smells like the truth.”

  “Great, now if we have finished trading death threats can we get moving?” said Sliver impatiently.