He placed the large box upon my lap and returned to push the table top back down, sealing his now-empty hiding place and then taking his seat. Jax turned excitedly towards me. The box was carved from one piece of wood, its grain wrapping perfectly around all sides.
I could feel the warmth of the wood in my hands. I could see its shimmery silver energy; it vibrated with life in my hands. I attempted to lift the lid, but it would not budge.
Funny. I was about to say my name, the same as with the book, when I remembered a trick box my mother had once owned. She said it would keep her money safe because no one would be able to open it. Then she showed me how, on my sixteenth birthday, when she gave me one hundred dollars from the box to buy whatever I liked.
I held the box by its ends and turned it over, hearing the items within roll around.
I hope nothing inside is fragile.
On the bottom of this box, mixed-up letters of the alphabet appeared slightly raised and embossed with gold, exactly as her trick box had. I began to wonder if she had only showed me how to open that box so I would know how now, when I came to Landown.
I pushed the letters of my name one by one, flipped the box over, and on top, a small knot in the wood now sat raised above the smooth surface of the rest of the lid, a once perfectly concealed button. I looked at Jax’s green eyes, smiled, and pressed the knot. The box clicked and the lid cracked open.
“That is so cool. What’s in it?” Jax pestered excitedly.
I raised the lid and couldn’t help but smile at a photo of my mother and Max. I flicked through photos and letters, cards he had given her, keepsakes from outings, a bunch of three-pressed dandielillies, and a skeletal leaf. All that remained was a chain.
I plucked the long snake chain from the bottom of the box, holding it up in the light. Nothing hung from the delicate necklace, but it alone shone as if coated with liquid diamonds.
I placed everything outside of the box onto the lounge between Jax and me, swatting Jax’s hand as he attempted to peek at a letter. But there was nothing else—no charm or locket, nothing that had fallen from the chain.
“I thought…”
“What’s wrong?” Max asked
“Nothing. I just thought something had fallen off this,” I said, raising the chain high enough so that Max could see.
“She was wearing that the day she told me about you. She said she found it under a tree. She found something else that day, something she asked me to keep safe, and before my memory blur I had hidden it in plain sight. She said its name is Parabellum, and until the day she left, she used to wear it strung on that very chain.”
Parabellum, like in my song.
Max left the room and I looked up at Jax, the oddest smile strewn across his face. Then the familiar tug tried to pull me into darkness.
I’m getting exceedingly sick of this.
Not as strong as before, it did not take over my mind quite so quickly. It crept in, slowly filling my head, suffocating my mind. Jax, noticing something was wrong, grabbed me just as I fell forward, pulling me back into him. The last thing I remembered before the darkness took over was the sound of Jax’s voice calling out for my father, “Max!”
I awoke greeted by Jax’s brilliant green whirlpools.
Almost makes fainting worthwhile.
A flush rose in my cheeks and Max cleared his throat beside us. I looked past Jax’s eyes to my father.
Suddenly, without warning, Max threw something hard and fast towards the wall of stone across the room. Glass flew in every direction as the object shattered.
“What the bloody hell did you do that for?” I leapt off the lounge to see what he had thrown. Remnants of the glass doorknob lay on the floor in thousands of shards, and just by my feet sat the eye from within it.
I bent down to pick it up, and the room became unusually quiet. I turned to my father and Jax. “Why did everything just…?”
They were frozen in half-stumbled positions. I walked over to them and waved my hand in front of their faces to tempt a reaction. Nothing.
“Des,” the sweet voice called from behind me.
“What the fuck!” I gasped, spinning around to find my mother, not translucent or ghost-like in any way, but solid and smiling—just the way I remembered her.
“Des,” she said, “you will have to be strong for what is coming.”
Not exactly what I had dreamed my mother would say if I ever laid eyes on her again. It was weird; she’d completely disregarded my shocked outburst-uncharacteristic, let me tell you-and her voice didn’t sound quite right. It rang in my ears like wind chimes swaying in a breeze.
Great, I’m still dreaming.
“You are not dreaming, Desmoree.”
“Mum?” I began, but was cut short with the raise of her hand.
“Des, Parabellum is the only thing that can stop anyone from harvesting your power.”
“What do you mean harvesting?” I asked slowly taking a step towards her.
“Locked away within you is a power unlike any other. There are those who would try to take it from you. You must protect it.”
She took a step towards me and I quickly took three steps back, knocking into an old vase that sat upon an ostentatious pedestal. I fumbled to catch it and almost dropped it twice before laying it on the floor beside the pedestal.
“Mum, you died. We cremated you, scattered your ashes!”
“And?”
“I can understand seeing you in dreams. But this? You can’t be here. I can’t be seeing you. And what’s up with them?” I said flailing my arms wildly towards Jax and My father.
“Des…”
“You smell the same, but how? What are you doing here? Why now and not—”
“Des, take a breath.”
“What the fuck is that?” I screamed, standing behind my frozen father. Next to my mother, a mist swirled slowly, getting bigger and bigger until it formed a humanoid shape. In a split second, it became solid. She became solid.
Frey.
She smiled and my fear melted. “Sit, my dear child, and I shall answer all you need to know.”
I stepped around Max to sit on the lounge and Ma followed me, walking gently past Max, her gaze regarding him slowly before she tilted her head away, a tear escaping the corner of her eye and travelling softly down her cheek before it dissolved into a silvery mist.
“Mum, are you…?”
“Fine, fine, Desmoree. It’s only… he looks so much the same. Sit, let Frey tell you everything.”
Frey’s smile hadn’t left her face as she quietly observed my mother. She was exquisite. Her pale skin held no lines of age, nor did her hands. Her brunette hair hung over her shoulder in a loose braid held by no band or barrette I could see. Her dress clung to her like a second skin, its jeweled bodice glistening in the light. I followed her dress down towards her feet, her painted pink toes peeking out from beneath the hem of the skirt.
“Parabellum is a stone of two,” she began. “I created the original stone to hold all the knowledge of the Oley, knowledge you will need. I knew that with my passing into essence, I would be the last of the Oley, and as such, needed to preserve our knowledge to help with the battles of the kinds to follow.”
“What do you mean the kinds? Did you know there would be a separation between the Tanzieth and the Stalisies? Couldn’t you stop it?”
“The Oley never looked upon the interspecies couplings as anything but a joyous expression of love. But when several Stalisies sought to love humans, they were asked to leave Sayeesies and thereafter be known as Tanzieth. This act of hate was the telling; it was time for me to leave, and I ascended into essence. Even if I had seen the division of the Fey species, I could not have stopped it. I do not have that kind of power.”
“But aren’t you’re the most powerful? Couldn’t the prophecy be about you, not me?”
“Des!” my mother scolded. “Frey is passed, as too am I. Prophecies relate to the living, not the essence.”
“Fine, it was worth a shot. You try being the told you have to fight a terrible evil, see how well you take it?”
“Don’t sulk, Des. You are stronger than you think. Now listen to Frey—we don’t have a lot of time.”
Frey hovered about a meter from the ground, her head tilted to the side as she took in our interaction. Smiling, she came to settle her bare feet on the rug, curling her toes into the thick pile.
“Parabellum is the first stone I created, and I hid it in the trunk of a young sapling, allowing it to grow within it. Parabellum can protect your strength on its own, but it needs to join with the other stone—a shard, really—to be at full effect. I embedded it in a rock face, high in Narcita Falls. When the shard is joined with Parabellum, it will offer you complete protection.”
“So I’m like Superman; the Dazerarthro won’t be able to hurt me. Do I get a cape?”
“No,” my mother replied. “The protection is of your power, not your life.”
Crap. “So, I just need to go get the shard. I’ll climb Narcita Falls and get it and then it can join with Parabellum and I’ll be protected?”
“Not quite.” She said frowning.
Double crap. “Why not?”
“It’s not there anymore.” Frey interjected.
“Then where is it?”
Frey moved over to where I sat, wafting between my father and Jax with ease.
“It’s in your room, within the Noxuer.” She said flatly. Still observing Jax with a kind of curiosity.
“What?”
Frey slowly descended to sit beside me. “The Stalisies who found the shard in the mountains, he had it added to his dagger and then killed the swordsmith who had performed the work. The stone absorbed this act of violence, which is why the Noxuer kills everything it touches.” She said resting her hand on mine sending a tingle through my fingers.
“Why can’t it kill me?”
“You are part Oley. As I’m the one who created the shard, you cannot be affected by its current curse,” Frey explained.
“By current, do you mean it won’t always bring death?”
“When you remove the shard, the curse will be lifted from it.”
“Okay, so I need to go back to my room and get the Noxuer, then remove the shard, join it with Parabellum, and then what?”
My mother came to kneel in front of me. “Then you will have even more control over your own mind. Just holding Parabellum has allowed you to see us. It is but in an instant we are having this conversation. Maxvillious and Jax are not frozen as they appear to you;” She said raising her hand towards them but not taking her eyes off mine. “you are moving your thoughts so fast that everything around you appears to have stopped.”
“So this is real, it’s not like one of those dreams?”
“No,” my mother said standing abruptly. “This is not a dream.”
“Can anyone else do this?”
Frey squeezed my hand and sent the same tingles through my fingers but this time they radiated up my arm too. “No, most definitely not. Not even your mother could converse with us like this.”
“But you did talk to them, didn’t you Mum?”
“Yes I did. I had dreams and visions, and I used the cards to help bring out their messages, too. But I was never as strong as you will be. You can learn more about this later. Right now, you need to get the Noxuer and remove the shard, as only you can. Use Parabellum; it will pull the piece from the blade. After the shard and Parabellum join, keep it close to your heart. It will stop anyone who seeks to take your power. Haven’t you noticed that someone has been draining you?”
My fainting! “Who’s doing it?”
My mother squeezed my hand in hers. “They have managed to shield themselves from our view. Frey, will my daughter be Oley?” she asked, her voice wavering.
Frey’s smile widened and the apples of her cheeks glistened pale pink. “She will be something new. She will have all the gifts of the Oley and more.”
This is where I kind of freaked out. I stood and paced the room, mumbling to myself. This is totally nuts. Okay, maybe I am a fairy, but I’m still me, I haven’t changed, not really. I can’t go around looking like her! If I have a jewel-encrusted dress that looks like it’s glued to my skin, I’m not going to fit in anywhere, not even in a place as strange as Sayeesies.
Frey either sensed my unease or heard my mumblings, and she put her hand on my shoulder, turning me to face her as she ran the back of her fingers down my cheek. Her touch was soft as the purest silk. It instantly calmed my mind.
“Desmoree, you do not have to appear as I. You will be able to if you so choose, however you may take many forms. I thought you may have figured it out by now.”
Peering into her bright blue eyes, I suddenly knew. “The bluebird!” I bounced on my toes as excitement filled me. “That’s really fricken awesome.”
My mother grabbed me and hugged me in close, whispering into my ear. “Be careful whom you tell about Parabellum. You will know more when you join the shard. Please be careful, my dear. I love you.” And with that, both my mother and Frey vanished from my sight and Jax and my father suddenly leapt into action.
“There it is; oh, you have it. That was quick!” Jax grabbed at my arm, spinning me towards him.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, leaning down and putting it into the box. I turned, facing my father, trying to think of what I should say. Everything was different now. My anger was gone, and I could see the sacrifice he had made for my mother, and for me.
“Max,” I started but then thought better of it and began again. “Dad, I know how much you loved her. I am so grateful you were able to do what you did for her, and for me. But I have to go now. There are items in Sayeesies I need, but I would love if we could catch up soon, grab a coffee.” I winked at Jax.
An immense sadness overwhelmed my heart. It stung, beating hard against my chest. Something was dreadfully wrong but I couldn’t tell what. Then, as fast as the feeling had arrived, it left.
“Go,” my father said, “Return as soon as you can. We will prepare for this battle together. I’m not losing you again.”
I smiled at my father as Jax held out his hand. I wanted to take it, to let him lead me out but something was holding me back. He smiled wide and the corners of his eyes crinkled and-my God-there was that dimple again. I felt my face grow warmer and quickly looked away before making my way through the curtained halls and out the front door.
Climbing into the car, I looked back at the black moss wall. A glimmer of green sparkled in the low light; it was coming back to life, and there on the windowsill of the topmost window sat a bluebird, whistling her song into the sparkling sky.
The car ride home was made short by my complete absorption into the contents of the box. I felt like I was getting to know my mother all over again, or at least who she was before she had me, and it made me feel even closer to her.
Jax reached for the photo in my hand then stopped, and suddenly there she was in the car seated opposite me. Hands folded neatly in her lap, brow furrowed and still beautiful.
“Why have you brought me here now?” she asked. “You only just left us, you should not be wasting your energy on me. Focus on getting the shard.”
“I didn’t do anything!” I whined. “I was just thinking of you.”
“That is all it takes. Des, you only need to want to see me for me to hear your call and appear. You must be careful. Think of us, but do not wish to see us unless you actually need to. Now, what is up with this young chap, then?”
Scolding to gleeful in all of ten seconds, got to be a new record.
“Jax is a friend, I think. He brought dandielillies to wake me when I fainted. He’s sweet.”
Talking boys with my mother reminded me of how it used to be, when we were both human, living our normal lives.
“You have been to The Outer Reaches; you did the spell.”
“I did, but I still don’t have any powers or anything. I
just had a vision, a few images like Dad giving me the box.”
“The draining of your energy, your power, is halting their appearance.”
“Wait! How did you know about the Outer Reaches? Do you know about the book?”
“We see a lot, Des. I’ve been watching since I ascended.”
“Not all the time, I hope?”
“No Des, only when I felt I needed to. Now, when you connect the shard you will be protected and your power should recover quickly. Keep the book safe. It holds so much power, most Stalisies and Tanzieth could use it to take control of everything.”
“But it’s magic. You always said wishing was useless. We make our own destiny.”
“Yes, wishing without knowing is useless, but spells like the ones in the book, call to the old ones—the Oleys that hold the power to achieve the desired outcome. They still watch, but cannot influence without having been called to do so.”
“Do they have a choice? I mean, if someone asked for something bad would they still do it?”
“Unfortunately, when they are called, they must obey. That is why those words are so important to keep safe. You can imagine the horrific acts someone could perform with that sort of power. Oh, and by the way… I think he likes you.” She said the last sentence as childishly as she could manage before she disappeared.
Jax regained regular movement, startled by sudden change in my position. He smiled and my heart raced, warming my skin.
The rest of the way back to Sayeesies, sadness tried to creep into my heart again and again. I couldn’t place it, but it sent chills up my spine. By the time we got back to Sayeesies, Traflier was waiting for us outside my door. It was early in the morning, and the sky was slowly beginning to glisten, its twinkle getting brighter by the second. I held the box firmly in my hands as we stepped towards him.
“Desmoree, do you have any news to tell?” he questioned.
Remembering the advice given by my mother, I shook my head. “I didn’t bite his head off,” I said, hoping this would be enough insight to my journey.
He gave me a questioning look and glanced at the box in my hands. Jax took my arm and we made our way around Traflier and to my room. He followed close behind.
Enchanting the Fey- The Complete Series Page 12
