Weald Fae 02 - The Changeling

by Christopher Shields

  Gratitude, happiness, and relief—I experienced all of them in waves when I laid eyes on him. Lying motionless on an old mattress, Mitch was there. He was gaunt and rail thin, but he looked much healthier than his changeling did. His eyes were open but dazed. He blinked slowly every few seconds. I couldn’t remember what she’d called it, but Ozara was right, he was still under the influence of the thing they did, the fairy blast.

  “You’re all right, you’re really all right.”

  I was suddenly overcome with emotion, and I felt the pull once again. It took serious concentration, but I was able to regain control.

  I couldn’t touch him, as much as I wanted to, but I could sense each heartbeat. For several minutes I was satisfied to watch his chest swell and drop as he breathed. His clothes were clean and his hair was combed, but it was several inches longer than it had been when I last saw him. Candace had been right about that, and something else. He had actually grown since he was kidnapped, I was sure of it. He was noticeably longer than Drevek. It occurred to me that Drevek had not grown in any way over that time.

  A presence neared the room and then dissipated. I couldn’t be sure, but it felt like Aunt May. The man’s stories about moaning and being attacked suddenly made more sense, and so did Aunt May’s long absence. The thought of her looking over Mitch made me happy.

  After a few minutes of waiting for her to return, I felt the remaining Fae exit the house, and I tracked them until they stopped in the woods. Two others joined them. I didn’t want to leave Mitch, but I knew I needed to listen in.

  Whispering, I said, “Aunt May, if you’re here, look after him. I will be back. Mitch, I promise I’m coming to get you.”

  Reluctantly, I left him and willed myself into the middle of the Fae. Chalen, and the blonde woman, who they called Dresha, stood talking with the third Fae from the room, a tall, thin, sinister looking male they called Alain. Alain had exceptionally large cheekbones, black, lifeless eyes and a square, bony jaw under a long mane of brown hair that hung straight down to the middle of his back. Like the woman, he wore black clothing. The fourth Fae, a powerfully built man named Markus, was also with them. He was pockmarked and scarred like Chalen, but he was even harder to look at with his cloudy white eyes and greasy red hair. Another Pyksie.

  It only took a few moments to determine they were aware that my plans were in flux—that I might step down. Markus informed them of the Council’s message that my resolve was weakening. The Council, he said, expected me to agree to the Rogue’s terms in the morning.

  “I knew it would work—she cares for that boy,” Chalen said smugly. The familiar pull began each time he spoke. His presence there, in physical form, meant only one thing: there was a Second Aetherfae, and he or she called the shots. I listened for clues, any piece of evidence I could present to Ozara, but they gave me none.

  But I did learn something. They would turn Mitch over after it was clear that I was no longer an immediate threat. Once I was powerless, and my family was away from the Weald, away from the protection of the Council, we were all to be eliminated. They didn’t say why, but they seemed bent on it. Somehow I’d always known that would be the case. How Ozara missed it was beyond me.

  My tether grew stronger when I thought about it. I would be killed and I wouldn’t even see it coming.

  From everything else I gathered, the family holding Mitch would all die as soon as the exchange was made. It was Chalen’s job, and sickeningly, he relished the opportunity.

  Dresha smiled for the first time as Markus explained the sequence. After they received word that I had agreed to the terms, they would provide proof that Mitch was alive and well. Markus had suggested a finger, and I hated him for it, but the Council said a lock of hair would be sufficient. “Ozara will erase the girl’s mind and I will be granted a reprieve to witness the procedure myself. When Chalen eliminates these people, I will let the Council know where to find the boy,” he said. “We will meet here in twenty-four hours.”

  Twenty-four hours wasn’t much time. I needed a plan and I needed it fast, but before I could stage a rescue, I needed to know where I was. I willed myself down the winding driveway from the farmhouse, and found a mailbox at the dirt road. There was no street or name on it, only a number that I committed to memory. A mile further down the dirt road, I saw a paved road with a blue and yellow county road sign that said “848.” Seconds later I was in my room searching for the location.

  Mitch was in a wooded area adjacent to a National Forest several miles west of Fayetteville near a place called Lake Wedington. The farmhouse was isolated, but there was a neighboring farm through the woods to the north, and a clear shot from there to Highway 16 that led back into town.

  There were several obstacles I needed to overcome, but in thirty minutes a plan began to take shape.

  I called an old friend.

  “Hello, Maggie.”

  “Danny, I need your help with something.”

  “At 2 o’clock in the morning?”

  “It’s not like you sleep.”

  He laughed into the receiver. “True enough. What do you need?”

  “I need to see you. Things are about to change here, and I would like to meet with you tonight if possible.”

  The line went dead, and fifteen minutes later I sensed him draw close. An instant later he popped into my room.

  “Thank you for coming. I know I should have called you sooner, but I’ve been in such a slump…”

  “I read about your friend in the paper, and I’m very sorry,” he interjected. “But congratulations on your national championship.”

  “Thanks, well, I’m going to be making some big changes…I may be leaving…well, all of us will be leaving.”

  He frowned.

  “I wanted to make sure that you’d see to everything for us, legally, when it happens.”

  I shot my eyes toward the window, signaling him. I hoped he knew I was afraid of being overheard. He winked and nodded.

  “I will do everything I can to make the transition as smooth as possible.”

  Good, we’re on the same page. I felt Sara move downstairs, and I assumed she was listening in just like the Seelie in the garden. “There is one more thing,”

  “Of course,” he said.

  “I just realized that Dad’s birthday is next week, and I need your help with a gift for him.”

  “Do you need me to buy his car back again?” He joked, giving me a knowing smile.

  “There’s a place in Boca he liked a lot when he was looking at houses last year—this one on my computer.”

  As it printed, none of the Fae in the garden moved. I scrawled a note on the top of the sheet.

  “It’s a beautiful place…and still for sale. I was hoping you could arrange this for us.”

  “Certainly,” he said as I continued to write. Need a fast car, tomorrow, leave it at the Holiday Inn on highway 16. Pass on a message, please. Call Ronnie and Doug, tell them “It’s on. Find my car downtown, drive it to Sara’s place after 6. Wait for my signal. Let Candace know I need her help, too. Will see her tomorrow afternoon. No questions.”

  “Exactly when will you need the house?” He nodded at my note.

  “I’m not entirely sure, but I guess it will be fairly soon.”

  He nodded again as I scrawled, I need the car tomorrow by 1 p.m.

  “That will not be a problem.” He took the sheet of paper and I watch my writing disappear, moments before Sara appeared in my room. She looked wounded as she stared at the two of us.

  Danny nodded at her and handed the paper back to me before he disappeared.

  “Maggie, do you actually intend to do this?” A furrow appeared on her forehead. She bought it, and I hoped that meant the guards did, too.

  “I have no choice, Sara, I have to…I have to do it for Mitch.”

  “We still have time.” The look on her face hurt me. I hated deceiving her, but there was no other way with Ozara peering into her mind whenever she
wanted. “Have you told Billy?”

  I couldn’t look her in the face when I answered, “No, not yet.”

  “You owe him that much,” she said, disappointment filling her face.

  “I will. Tomorrow morning, before I let Ozara know.”

  She slowly sat on my bed and embraced a pillow. “I’ll get him here. I do not like this decision, not at all, but it is yours to make.”

  “I can’t risk it anymore, Sara. He’s my brother.”

  She nodded, sat my pillow down and blinked out.

  ***

  Though I tried, I got no sleep, and I was wide-awake staring at my alarm clock as it counted down the last twenty minutes before 5 a.m. After telling Billy my cover story and winking, he left acting dejected, but winked back, letting me know he caught my hidden message. After that, my routine was completely normal, or at least I tried to keep it that way for the Fae watching me from the garden. A bubble bath, a bowl of cereal with Mom and Dad, and then finally I got dressed. I stuffed a few things in a large purse as quickly as I could, but left it in the top of my closet for later.

  White shorts, a bright red cotton top, and sneakers. I wanted to stand out today. Justice followed me down to the boat dock. I didn’t mind the company, even though Smokey and Gusty weren’t too far behind. I pulled the cover off the Capri and climbed into the seat, unfastening the ropes with my mind. Justice bounded across me and sat down.

  “Oh no, you’re not going with me.”

  He cocked his head to the side and his fuzzy tail began dusting the seat behind him.

  “Justice, out!” I pointed to the dock.

  He looked at my hand before focusing on my face. His reply came as one “Woof” and a yawning growl. I didn’t speak poodle, but I was pretty sure he said, Oh, hell no.

  “Okay, okay, but you’re staying in the boat.”

  Motoring past the entrance to the cove, I was reminded of last summer when Mitch was with me nearly every day, along with Doug. I had saved one of them already, and was about to get the other back. Well, if my first hand in the poker game actually worked, I’d get Mitch back. If any part of the plan didn’t work, the result could be a disaster. If Sherman and Victoria didn’t go along with it, if they weren’t as supportive as I had hoped, my great plan could come to a dramatic end before lunch. Pushing the throttle open, I cruised to the Byrne’s cottage.

  TWENTY-SIX

  CAT AND MOUSE

  The sky was a brilliant blue early in the morning—only a few thin, white clouds stretched high across the sky. Just over the hills to the east, the sun had begun its daily journey to the other side of the lake. Instead of thinking about what I had to do before nightfall, I focused on the task at hand—getting Sherman and Victoria on my side.

  Just as I thought, they both took physical form as soon as they sensed me coming. Their range was extraordinary—much greater than Billy or Sarah’s—and they sensed me within moments of when I detected them. With Justice at my side, I met them at the small patio near the back of their cottage.

  When I asked to speak in private, they exchanged worried looks, much like humans would when they expect bad news. But they agreed, sending Smokey and Gusty out of earshot. Alone, I asked them whether it was true that Ozara had agreed never to compel them. Had it not been such a serious situation, I would have found their reactions amusing. With bewildered expressions, both confirmed I was correct.

  When I asked if they would keep everything I was about to say in confidence, Sherman asked me to cast my shield around us. When I did, he nodded. “Maggie, I have to admit, I am confused. I was under the impression that the purpose of your visit is to inform us that you are giving up your place as Steward. That is what we have been told to expect—that is not why you are here, is it?”

  “No.”

  “Then child, please explain.”

  “I know where Mitch is being held.”

  Once, when Drevek faced Ozara, I’d seen a Fae tremble in fear. That same night I’d seen him plead for his life. On two or three occasions I’d seen a Fae slightly bewildered, like the afternoon I’d shown Billy and Sara the blue stone and told them I’d faked the Water Trial. I’d even seen the Fae act disappointed. Sara had shown that emotion a few hours earlier. But I’d never seen a Fae, let alone two of them, completely shocked before that moment.

  Sherman and Victoria went quiet, like two statues frozen in place. They weren’t trying to communicate silently. That much I knew—I was listening in. Finally, Victoria asked, “How do you know this?”

  “Well, can I just say that I discovered his location last night? I’m going to rescue him today.”

  They exchanged looks without saying a word, much like my parents often did.

  “You asked us to trust you. I’m going to ask you to do the same,” she said.

  I wrestled with telling them for a moment, and thought about keeping my secret like Billy warned me to, but I needed their help. “I’ve learned to travel to places without my body…like astral travel. If I focus on a place or a person, my mind…well…it goes there.”

  Sherman looked at Victoria. “Gan comhlacht. Yes, go on,” he said. Victoria nodded.

  “I know that Mitch is being held by a human couple west of Fayetteville. They work for the Unseelie. He’s in an isolated farmhouse. When I was there last night, I saw the ones responsible. I know the Unseelie don’t spend much time at the house—they rely on the humans. I also overheard their plans…the timetable.”

  Victoria’s solemn face became severe. “What are their plans?”

  “The Unseelie, Dersha, Markus, Alain, and Chalen…”

  “Chalen?” Sherman interrupted me.

  “Yes,” I said, barely containing my own anger. “They plan to allow the exchange if I have my memory erased, but then they plan to kill us all once we’re back in Florida. They’re going to kill the human family watching Mitch as well.”

  I quickly told them everything I’d seen and heard. Neither Victoria nor Sherman doubted anything I said, and neither seemed too surprised that I could astral travel, or whatever they called it. Instead, the news that Chalen had been released from Aether appeared to have won them over. We briefly discussed how I was going to attempt Mitch’s rescue, and they offered me advice. Stunning advice. They hoped I could get Mitch and not be discovered, but if a Fae did catch me there, Sherman warned, “Do not use your powers against them unless you are willing to kill.”

  “Leave no witnesses,” Victoria added. “When Fae are destroyed, they cease to exist and the energy residue dissipates in a few hours. There will be a bright flash. Focus on the energy left behind and channel it into something else. If you must destroy an Unseelie, so be it, but you must not leave witnesses or a trace. Can you do that?”

  My mouth hung open for several seconds before I could manage to say, “I think so.”

  “Maggie, either you are willing to destroy them all or you are better off not going—either commit to it for everyone you care about, or it is better that you do not go. If you are caught using your powers offensively, we will not be able to help you with the Council …Or Ozara,” Sherman said.

  “I don’t understand…why are you telling me this?”

  He smiled, much the way parents do when they’re about to tell you something bad. It gave me trepidation, and I had a flashback to my Mom and Dad killing Santa over a plate of waffles when I was 8. “The Second has finally emerged. It destroyed three Seelie last night.”

  “Where?” I managed, panic and terror seizing my lungs. The Second appearing was the last thing I needed. If it was guarding Mitch tonight, I would fail.

  Victoria’s voice was calm. “Far from here. You’re safe—for the time being. We’re watching the Seoladán—all Seoladáns.”

  “Who is it?” Trepidation over the possible answer sent a chill through my body despite the warm morning air.

  “We do not know. It left a fourth Seelie clinging to life in physical form, his mind destroyed, Aether in his chest,” s
he said.

  “A calling card?”

  Victoria nodded. “It seems our worst fear is realized.”

  Sherman asked me about my attempt at creating Aether. “Do you recall the substances you created?”

  “Yes.” Until that moment I hadn’t realized that anyone on the Council had detected it, but their ranges were exceptional.

  “Have you practiced creating them again?” Sherman asked, as if he was my Treorai.

  “No.”

  “You need to do so before you return to the farmhouse,” he said.

  “But I don’t have the stones…”

  “When I was younger, I sought to create Aether myself,” he said matter-of-factly.

  My eyes locked on him. It was impossible to keep the disbelief off my face.

  A smile formed on his smooth face. “I failed, but I was able to combine the Earth and Fire elements, like you did, and form Quint. Learn to channel it—only a handful of Fae will recognize it, even fewer can defeat it.”

  I nodded. “But Ozara destroyed the stones. They were…”

  He shook his head, never breaking eye contact. “They are not important,” he interrupted. “Maggie, you can learn to recreate the substance. The stones are merely a shortcut to the pure essence of each element. The other substance is called Clóca, the combined essence of Water and Air. I’ve never been able to create it, but we have long suspected that Tse-xo-be, the Ohanzee Elder, has mastered it. Candidly, none of us knows what it does,” he said.

  My mind wandered back to Tse-xo-be’s disappearing trick. Then I remembered him telling me to practice combining elements. “Does Ozara know how to create them?”

  Sherman smiled, “No. Ozara believes learning to create Quint and Clóca is the vocation of less powerful beings. Regardless of their properties, she believes them inferior to Aether.”

  Victoria’s voice was full of concern. “Maggie, we cannot directly help you free your brother, but we need you to succeed and return to the Weald, and stand strong for your place here. I believe the Council will support you.”