“All right,” I told the human calmly, “I’m going to teach you as best as I can how to deal with the construct.”

Riven had realized that Ren, now that he had dark fae powers, was the best person to possibly kill the construct – because the construct would let a fairy get close to it and would never guess the fairy had dark magic.  To protect his regular fairy magic, though, it had been determined that it would be most helpful to have someone else present with Ren during the fight, someone who could help him.  While I’d have been happy to do so, reality was that the witch might recognize me from the attempt on Sorrel and keep the construct away.

Which is why I was now teaching Knox, an ex-Hunter friend of Riven and Ren’s, how to fight an invisible fairy construct.

Knox followed my instructions as he attacked the ice blocks I made in Sorrel’s condo’s backyard – which had hearth magic to prevent anyone seeing.  Watching him, I could tell he’d had some pretty extensive training, but at the same time, he seemed somewhat hesitant about actually throwing himself into this.

When we paused for a break and went back inside, he hesitated as he threw me a sideways glance.  “Look, if you don’t like me, just say as much.  I can handle it.”

I removed a bottle of sparkling water from the fridge as I turned to face him.  “I have no problems with you,” I informed him in a tone that clearly read apathetic.  Well, for most people.  “In fact, as I understand it, you willingly agreed to assist the fairies, which is not something most people would want to do.  You also left the Hunters of your own accord.  Unless you are deceiving all of us about that, I would consider you a valuable ally.”

He frowned, studying me closely as he sipped on some soda.  “Yeah, you sure, uh, seem excited about it.”

Maybe I should start handing out pamphlets explaining myself to people when I met them.  “I do not express emotions,” I explained simply.  “Do not count on what you see on my face to accurately reflect what I am feeling.”

“Oh.”  He thought about this for a bit.  “Like an expressive language disorder?”

“Something like that, only I do actually experience emotions, I simply cannot express them.”

“So…you actually don’t have a problem with me being an ex-Hunter?”  He looked like he was still trying to process this, but was kind of hopeful at the same time.

“I do not,” I agreed.  “The only concern most supernaturals will have with you is whether you might be trying to trick us.  I have met Hunters who were attempting to pretend to leave in order to gain our trust, and you are not like them.”  I considered how to word this.  “Your behavior is genuine and your words sound of truth.”  It was complicated to explain how I could hear things in people’s words that indicated whether or not they were lying.  It wasn’t quite magic, but then, maybe something in between magic and just simply being well-trained.  It didn’t work for everyone, but Knox wasn’t trying to hide, which helped.  “Besides, you are risking your life to help the fairies.  To a Hunter who was attempting to deceive us, that would not be a wise choice.”

Knox shrugged a bit.  “Unless they figured they could get their hands on the construct, probably.  Not that I plan to,” he added swiftly, “I’m just aware that supernaturals have a reason not to trust me, okay?”

“Yet you’re still willing to risk your life to protect people you don’t have to,” I pointed out.

Knox sighed.  “I didn’t exactly sign up for the life of a Hunter – it was kind of chosen for me by my foster father.  I couldn’t ever fully get behind the whole idea of killing kids, though.  I didn’t know as much about the adults, but I did have questions.  I never killed anyone, but…well, I didn’t stop them, either.  I’m at least an accomplice with some of what the Hunters did.  The whole reason I was even willing to go along with being a Hunter in the first place was because I wanted to help protect humans – ‘course, now I know it’s not really about that for a lot of the Hunters, it’s more just about killing supernaturals.  Point is, I see this as a chance to do what I actually wanted by being a Hunter – protect people and stop something that’s murdering innocents – and a way to try to make up for what I did.  Or didn’t do, however you look at it.  Besides, Riven and Ren have been really nice about helping me and I’d feel bad not helping them if I can.  I know I’m not the most elite Hunter ever, just sort of your basic grunt, but if I can help, I want to.”

I found myself agreeing with Riven’s assessment that Knox could be trusted.  He was not someone who would take what he learned from use and abuse that knowledge.

“Then I will do my best to get you as ready to fight the construct as we can, given our short timeframe.”  Based on the time between previous attacks, we estimated we had about a week and a half or so until it was recharged again enough to use its attack which stole fairy magic, and until that attack was recharged it probably wouldn’t try to attack again.  “I fought it briefly and have a feel for how it will attack and what you will need to do.”

I considered for a moment, but headed downstairs to the basement this time instead of outside.

Knox trailed after me.  “Briefly?”

“It attacked Sorrel and I kept it from killing him.”  I turned around to face him.  “I used to work in espionage, knowing how to deal with even unknown opponents was sometimes the difference between life and death.”  Given that he was sharing his past, it only seemed fair that I explain to him why I had the knowledge he needed.

“So,” I asked him, “are you ready to learn how to fight blind?”

Knox grimaced, but nodded.  “Anything you can teach me that’ll be helpful, I’ll take it.”

So we got to work.