by Vance Huxley
“You have another tattoo!” Even as Abel braced for the onslaught, his mum’s voice quietened. “That looks like the flower in the middle of the shield, your Tavern sign and my plaque, the same sign Jess has drawn on her arm. It was drawn, but she’s had it tattooed now. A bit of a wild one in her day, Jess, she’s got a few more from then.” Abel opened his mouth, then shut it. Quiet, polite Mrs. Ventner a wild child? “That shield carved on top of the doors keeps the nice creatures in and the bad ones away from the house, and my plaque keeps them all away outside. Why did you have a tattoo?”
Abel opened his mouth, closed it, and thought. What had Mrs. Ventner actually said? He went for truth, or some of it. “We aren’t allowed jewellery at school so we drew them on our skin but it kept wearing off. Kelis drew the one on her mum in hospital because the creatures were crawling on the beds.”
“And it helps her pain. Why doesn’t that one help my hip?” Mum pointed at the plaque she’d been wearing. “Would it work if I drew it on me? I can’t remember when my hip didn’t hurt.”
“Maybe? It isn’t the drawing, it just focuses the meditation.” Abel looked at his mum with mounting apprehension. “How bad is your hip, mum? I didn’t think the arthritis bothered you most of the time.”
“I don’t say much because it’s my own fault.” She looked at the few creatures still around the saucer of milk. “It isn’t arthritis, and now I know it’s not my fault. I fell out of a tree when I was seven. A big creature, all teeth and warts, came round the trunk and along my branch. I backed away until the branch broke, and I fractured my hip.” She sighed, rubbing her hip for a moment as Abel realised she did it much too often. “It’s worse in wet or cold weather, but niggles most of the time. I don’t take pain killers because the drugs I had back then made me see the creatures better. I talked about them, and the therapy started.” Mum looked lost in memory for a while, not good memories. “Then I find out the hallucinations are real and my son can chase them away. Can you fix my hip as well, Abel?” The last bit came out very quiet and tentative, not at all like his mum.
“The meditation might make it feel a bit better mum, but there’s a possible problem. It’ll sort of lower your resistance when you relax and you might see the creatures better, much clearer. I don’t know why Mrs. Ventner doesn’t see them, but it’s a blessing.” Abel knew all right. Kelis made sure her mum never had a hint about trying to do anything with the nice peaceful feeling, so she didn’t activate her magic and go crackers. “It might mess with your head.”
“Is this some sort of voodoo, some weird Ouija board type thing!” Mum looked at the creatures, then the plaque hung on the door, then Abel’s tattoo, alarm on her face and in her eyes. “What have you got into?”
“No! No, I swear. It’s more like hippy stuff, peace and meditation and all that.” Abel didn’t need to fake the horror in his voice, because he’d just realised that voodoo stuff might be real! “I only started seeing stuff after the fight with Henry when I bust my finger, so maybe the painkillers did it. I saw the creatures keeping clear of some graffiti in town, and drew it on me with biro, but it didn’t work.” Abel sighed. “The tattoo is a copy of the whole drawing or rather most of it. I’d missed the flower.” Crap, now he had to find a wall someplace and get someone to draw a Ferryl Shayde cat on it, with a flower. Abel shut up before he ended up deeper in it.
“Kelis has a flower? And Rob?” Mum’s eyes narrowed. “They didn’t, or maybe Kelis did but Rob had to more or less strip for his dad after that cat woman tattoo appeared.” Abel stared, Rob kept that quiet! Mum sat for a bit, watching the creatures as they fed on the sugar and milk or collected bits of dust and a few of Mrs. Tabitha’s cat hairs. She sighed. “Kelis has a tattoo now, her mum told me but not what it was. How much of your game is real, Abel?”
“Not much, mum. We started it long before seeing anything. Then we added a few of the creatures because they looked realistic, and the Tavern sign is just the flower in a shield. We made up the big things like ogres, dragons, animated dinosaur skeletons and slime monsters.” Abel smiled slightly, for the first time since getting home. “We made my tattoo into a cat-sorceress, and Kelis makes a great model for a human sorceress.”
“That’s a relief. I already carry that plaque and see things most other people don’t. How much crazier would I get if you drew it on me?” Abel marshalled all sorts of reasons not to, then saw a tear in his mum’s eye! “I’ll take a chance to sleep properly at nights.”
That did it. Ferryl had offered Abel a glyph for his mum’s hip after peeking into her head, but never told Abel how bad it was. He thought about those little sighs when his mum sat down in a comfy seat, and how she favoured her hip getting out of the car. “We can draw it with an ordinary felt tip? Then if it doesn’t work you can scrub it off. I’ll get one.” Abel tried for a bright smile. “Any particular colour, to match your hair or something?”
The look meant he hadn’t succeeded. “I know you’re worried, but now I’ve got to know.” She sighed, heavier this time. “I told Jess about the creatures. When I saw her tattoo I thought she knew so I pointed at one and asked where she fed them. I’ll bet Kelis is having a conversation like this. Sort of.” Abel stared as his mum giggled, just a bit. “I bet one of those texts was Rob, because his mum saw Jess’s tattoo when she explained about the meditation. He’ll be stripping off in the bathroom with his dad checking for tattoos, both of them blushing bright red. Sorry.”
Abel got out, sharpish, before mum came up with any other things he didn’t want to even think about. Halfway up the stairs she called, “A light colour, it will be easier to wash off.”
Abel concentrated. “Zephyr?”
“Yes?”
“Can you watch, warn me if any magic is leaking from my fingers when I draw it?” Abel really, really didn’t want a link to his mum.
“She will not burn it in herself? You told the others it would be better.”
“Just a drawing, with no magic from me. The no-magic is very, very important. I’ll explain later.”
“Good, I have many questions from the party. Life is much more interesting than Ferryl Shayde told me or I expected. But then I never expected life until you gave it to me.” The last statement needed a lot of explanation all on its own, but not just now. Abel found his felt tips, and chose a pink one. He argued with himself, without involving Zephyr, all the way back down but that tear did it. He had to risk it now. Though he thought of one problem. “Zephyr, be careful flying about where mum might see you. She might see spooky-phone as well, I’m not sure.” He hoped not, because she hadn’t mentioned seeing it at the party.
“You will let me fly about? Thank you.” At least Zephyr saw that as a plus. Ferryl would have been annoyed by the restriction.
Abel had wondered where the mark would go, but mum had already stood up with her sleeve rolled up. “My left arm. A sort of family tradition.” The humour in her glance at his arm came as a relief. “Remember, the flower not the cat. Does it have to be in the shield?”
“It seems to work better, but I don’t want to mess about with mine.”
“Come on then. It’s a good job you finally learned to draw.” Abel realised his mum felt as nervous as he did, which helped to keep his hand steady.
Though ‘magic leaking’ from Zephyr stopped him thinking about mum’s nerves so he could concentrate on the actual job. Abel had drawn the Tavern sign as a hex on dozens of windowsills and door frames at school, so it didn’t take long. Firm strokes, with intent, worked best according to Ferryl and Abel really did want mum’s hip feeling better. He stood back and inspected the result. One of his better efforts. “Leave it a minute, so it doesn’t smudge.”
“Will that matter?” Mum twisted her arm to look, then used the mirror in the hall. “What now? I didn’t feel anything.” Abel managed to stifle his sigh of relief at that, because it meant he hadn’t connected to her.
“You have to relax. Sit with your hand on it and let your
mind go. Think peaceful thoughts. Though you have to believe it will work.” Abel wanted to keep away from the mark doing anything other than aid meditation.
He didn’t expect the laugh. “Believe in it? Remember, I can see all those disgusting things at work scuttle away from that plaque. A fat ugly thing with boils and lots of arms wandered into Kurbishley’s cubicle at work, so I put a plaque by the door to keep it there. Only for a couple of days, but I smiled every time it knocked some of the miserable, nasty sod’s papers on the floor.” Mum smiled brightly. “I’d like to trap one of those that live in computers in there, the ones that look like little old men. I’m sure they won’t do his spreadsheets any good.”
Abel managed to shut his mouth when he realised mum was babbling, on edge, waiting for the mark to send her crackers. “Sit down mum. Shut your eyes, put your hand on the flower and stroke it very gently while thinking peaceful thoughts. I’ll make you a cuppa.” While he put the kettle on Abel listened, but so far so good. He wanted to check, but if his mum saw him peeking it wouldn’t help her peace of mind. When he took her the cuppa Abel felt better. Mum had her eyes shut, her hand on the drawing and a little smile on her face. “Cuppa, mum.”
“Mmm? Ta. I don’t know if it’s helped my hip, but this really does feel nice. So far there’s no flying unicorns, so here’s hoping.” She opened her eyes. “Go on, get to your room and text Kelis and Rob. There’s probably a dozen waiting from them, or your girlfriend.” She closed her eyes so a relieved Abel did as he’d been told.
There were a lot of texts from Rob, but most were relief. After turning down the waistband of his jeans to show his tattoo his mum and dad were satisfied. Both Samantha and Melanie had a million questions, but Melanie had been most excited by the idea of playing the Tavern game with Rachel. Samantha had seen several different tattoos because some of the lads and a couple of girls wanted to show theirs off, and had questions. At least neither of his sisters had broken their rule about sibling indiscretions; they hadn’t talked to their parents.
The text from Ferryl/Jenny must be phrased in case her dad saw it. “Dad very interested in what Diane said about the Tavern. He wants to know more. I am telling him what I know but I think he’ll want to see the whole file.” That would mean the rules and original drawings of characters, and all the notes on how to deal with other game characters and monsters. Abel assumed Mr. Forester wanted to know what Diane might end up seeing, like how much gore was involved.
There were no texts from Kelis, which really worried Abel. He diverted himself by talking to Zephyr, and found it a bit like when Ferryl first moved into his arm. He ended up more or less explaining the whole party to her, minute by minute. His new resident had an insatiable curiosity, and a sheer joy in being alive. Abel came back to her promise to serve him several times, but Zephyr really didn’t mind. His magic really had given her life, so Zephyr had absolutely no qualms about serving him for ninety years. She tried a few short flights outside, slipping through an invisible gap around the allegedly draught-proof window trailing the spooky-phone behind her. Abel hoped the torrent of excited commentary would calm down in time.
Just before midnight a short text from Kelis explained her mum understood. Abel’s mum had always seen something and now thought she knew what. Abel texted back “Ghosts?”
“Probably, we decided. Talk tomorrow.”
∼∼
A faint stirring sensation, rather than actual movement, roused Abel and made him smile. He lifted his arm and looked at the tattoo. Both eyes blinked and the whiskers twitched, then the tip of her tail moved just a little. “Good morning. Your mum is awake.”
“Good morning. I usually sleep until my alarm goes off. You are moving more.” Abel smiled again, remembering conversations with Ferryl about the next bit. “You must keep the tattoo still when others can see you unless I say it’s safe.” He remembered one difference to talking with Ferryl, no speech necessary. “Once you have control, you can dance in front of Rob or Kelis, or Jenny of course.”
“But with clothes.” Zephyr’s sense of humour sounded familiar.
“Yes. Except with just me. I’ve got used to Ferryl wandering around my arm in her fur.” Abel glanced at the clock but then decided to get up anyway. He wanted to know if Mum’s ward had worked, if her hip hurt less.
The big smile when he came into the kitchen told at least some of the story. “You’re up early. I slept late because that meditation works. I fell asleep on the chair last night, for about an hour, but I wasn’t sore when I woke up.” Mum rubbed her hip. “I can still feel it, so I’m not sure if I just had a good night or your magic pen worked. If I don’t see purple dinosaurs or flying frogs today I want it drawn in permanent marker please.”
The magic part in that made Abel twitch. “Just do it yourself, go over that drawing.”
“I wondered if it worked better if you did it.”
Alarm bells went off in Abel’s head. “No. I told you, it’s just an aid to meditation.” Mum’s look still had a bit of suspicion in it. Abel would have to be careful to do nothing at all that might give her any more hints. “Kelis’ mum thinks you see ghosts.”
“At one time or another I thought I saw ghosts, devils, and aliens. If it’s dangerous, maybe I should let her think that’s all it is, ghosts.” The hug caught Abel by surprise. “But if Jess starts to see things, tell me. I’ll explain. I’ve had a lifetime of it.”
“Brilliant. I’ll let Kelis know.” Mrs. Tabitha came in the cat flap and rubbed around Abel’s ankles.
“The guardian! I am supposed to check with her, and the others when I see them.” Abel had more or less forgotten about Ferryl Shayde purring to all the local cats, and enhancing their eyes so they could watch out for magical intrusions. Now he realised that with her living six miles away, Ferryl hadn’t been getting reports from what she called her guardians.
“Not now, Mum might see.” Abel thought quickly. “At night, when you fly about.”
“More flying?” Abel hoped Zephyr kept seeing the good side of restrictions. He chatted to mum about the party, some of the costumes, and took a bit of gentle teasing about his new girl. Mum would be a while getting over that. Unfortunately Abel remembered something he hadn’t managed to sort out, how to check the wards on Castle House gardens. Maybe Zephyr could see them? After breakfast he went to find out.
∼∼
While walking around the outside of Brinsford, to come at the gardens from the back, Abel topped up a few of the stakes that created the weak magical boundary. He also used air glyphs to splat several of the larger flying fae because they had nasty stings. Zephyr promptly asked if she could try, but Abel wanted Ferryl/Jenny present for that. Instead he promised plenty of flying once they arrived.
Abel’s greeting in the wood reminded him of something else he had forgotten. “Did you bring the honey?”
“My apologies dryad.” Abel meant that. Dryads didn’t trust magic users so he always tried to keep his word. “Kelis will still be asleep. I will bring it this afternoon.”
“Sleeping? Such a waste of time. What lives in your arm? It is not the sorceress.” Abel had no idea how dryads knew. The magic-using archbishop Kelis had nicknamed Vicar Creepio Mysterio hadn’t been able to detect Ferryl, so there wasn’t a magical beacon on his tattoo.
“Fly around, Zephyr. Let the dryad see you. You may speak to it but take care what you say.” Abel felt the sprite leave. He preferred to think of her as a sprite rather than an upmarket Feral Spirit.
“This wood feels wonderful. The magic is everywhere, all these trees are full of it. So much magic.” Abel knew why. All living things absorbed magic, but everything except plants also leaked some of it. As a result adult trees were the best magic reservoirs in the world, but most had a resident dryad who jealously guarded every drop. This whole protected wood, and Castle House gardens, were the exact opposite. Only one dryad lived in here, in one tree, and had to be given a stone glyph to protect it from the protection spe
ll. All the rest of the magic was freely available for Abel, Kelis and Rob. “When I learn glyphs, this would be a good place to practice. I cannot store much magic of my own.” Zephyr soared and swooped, rustling leaves and bending the grass. “This must be what the sorceress called fun.”
“You have bound a Wind Spirit, sorcerer?” The dryad didn’t sound happy.
A smoky line connected to the dryad. “I am not bound. I am a servant, in return for protection and knowledge.” Zephyr swooped low, a shimmer in the air. “I was just a puff of wind until he gave me life.”
“How did you do that?” Now the dryad seemed much too interested.
“The sorceress did it, because she can’t be here all the time. I’m not sure what she did.” Abel racked his brains. “Don’t Free Spirits happen all the time?”
“Not like this one.” The dryad suddenly sounded much happier, or as happy as a dryad ever sounded. “This Spirit was created to help you strengthen the barriers?”
Abel skirted that part. “We’ll be here this afternoon to get started.” After explaining how, Abel went into the gardens themselves. Dryads weren’t into small talk, or talk at all most of the time. He spent an hour trotting around the overgrown paths, carrying two small logs or creating glyphs on the move. The exercises Ferryl insisted on really had made a difference fighting Henry, allowing Abel to throw heavy logs and branches. Pushing or lifting objects with magic took much less muscle than physically doing so, but Abel wanted to be able to throw or lift as much as possible. Enough to squash the next troll baby under a ton of timber seemed like a good idea.
Zephyr swooped around him the whole time, always connected. She could see the magic feeding the boundary barrier, but had no real idea what the flows did or meant. Abel spent another hour in the cave by the big circular stone slab, practicing glyphs until Zephyr finally calmed down. Before heading home he texted Kelis and Rob, arranging to meet later to deliver honey.
