by Laura Mae
As she pulled around to roll down her driveway, she noticed a familiar truck sitting next to Willow’s vehicle. But no… it couldn’t be. He hadn’t been seen since Eagle Lake, according to Willow anyway.
The three exited the vehicle, and Giovonna was the first to run up to the door. She knocked loudly and called out her name in a sing-songy tone. Her mood had certainly perked up since their last encounter. Then again, Willow didn’t betray her. Silas and Sydona walked up behind her, and the door opened slowly.
Bright crimson, curly hair creeped through the opening followed by Willow’s face of shock.
“The hell y’all doin’ here?” she whispered loudly as if she would wake something inside.
“Can’t we stop by to say hi?” Giovonna asked less cheerfully.
“You couldn’t call first? Damn…”
“What are you doing in there?” Sydona peered over Giovonna.
“None of your damn... business…” she paused to laugh and closed the door slightly. “Stop it!” She giggled more.
The three of them stared at one another, perplexed by her flirtatious chortles. Sydona had a horrible feeling she knew who was in the house with her, but she needed proof. She leaned in to Giovonna’s ear.
“It’s Harold.”
Giovonna whipped her head around in disbelief. “No it’s not!” she tried to whisper. “How do you know?”
“You don’t recognize the truck?”
Her neck bent to look in the driveway. “How do you know it’s his truck? Why can’t it be someone else’s truck?”
“It’s his,” she confirmed and forced [SD203]the door open, tired of the games.
The door swung open, and both Willow and the man stood like statues. It was Harold alright. [SD204][LM205][SD206]But something was different about him. His boney, tanned skin was all too much exposed because his white and blue boxers were the only thing he hid behind. Scars and dark hair covered his legs and chest, a vision Sydona hoped to never see. The permanent anger lines that littered his face seemed to have dissipated. The only smile she knew of his was evil and selfish, but now it was much more carefree and innocent. It was a description she never would have picked for him.
“Wha--” Giovonna uttered and glanced quickly back at Sydona who had a smug smile on her face[SD207]. “You were right.”
Sydona relished in the satisfaction of being correct, but then she remembered who she was dealing with. “What’s going on here, Willow?”
Willow and Harold made a point to stand apart from each other. Her face transformed from a blushing high school girl to a feisty woman remembering the events of the previous day. “I thank I’ll aks the questions, princess.”
Aks? She had been around Harold too long. Sydona rolled her eyes and shut the door after letting everyone else in. Silas made his way over to the kitchen while Giovonna stayed by Sydona’s side. She didn’t trust Harold either. Sydona taught her well.
“How could ya do this to us?” Willow crossed her arms.
Sydona’s mouth gaped open wide as she stared at Harold. It was hard for her not to burst out laughing.
“Me? You’re sleeping with Harold! Talk about betrayal, Willow.”
Harold looked up with an innocent face and blubbered. “I-I thought he was gone…”
The sudden change in behavior from Harold shocked her. Why would dirty, scruffy, gap-toothed, rude Harold be messing around with Willow? They had been neighbors for a long time but also mortal enemies. What happened in Malik’s office three months ago? It was like he was neutered.
“Welcome to the club,” Silas said from the kitchen.
Giovonna seemed just as upset as Sydona with him being there, and her face hardened. “Why is he here?”
Willow’s expression changed as she turned her attention to Giovonna. “Well uh… Things just kinda happened, ya know?”
“But you’re Willow the Widowed, not Willow--newly single,” Giovonna joked but sounded strangely serious.[SD208]
Silas stayed on topic. “He’s with the Vultures, though. This is as bad as that guy who you all brought back to Knox. How do you know he’s not a spy?”
“‘Cause! I’m done with that shit,” Harold spoke up, finding his backbone.
Sydona huffed and rolled her eyes.
“I’m serious. John only wanted numbers. Didn’t care about us or me. ‘Specially once that bitch Natalia joined and brown-nosed her way to the top.” He sounded relieved rather than vengeful.
“What are you talking about? He loved you, his ‘right-hand man’,” Sydona said with air quotes.
“You got a hearin’ problem? I said once Natalia joined, he forgot ‘bout me,” Harold retorted with a snip.
Sydona’s fists began to curl at his familiar temper. “Oh, how sad for you, Harold. You want me to bake a you a cake?”
“Shut it, princess,” Willow snapped. “He’s tellin’ the truth. He’s done. No need to waste more of your precious breath convincin’ us he ain’t. He’s been, uh, hidin’ out here, actually.”
“Why here?” Silas asked.
“Willow an’ I go way back,” Harold confessed.
Willow didn’t interrupt as Sydona thought she would. He took a seat on the edge of the mustard-colored, flowery bed top.
“I knew Noah, Willow’s late husband. We was buddies. He was a good guy, always doin’ the right thing. Well, we was out drinkin’ at a bar we went to a lot, and that’s when we met John, lookin’ all spiffy in his tight pants and jacket and tie like he was from Wall Street or somethin’. He stuck out like a gold thumb. Yeah, we was intrigued by him, and he bought us a roun’. Well, we got to drinkin’ and talkin’, and John told us he was lookin’ for new people for his comp’ney. Said he was in sales but didn’t exactly say what. Anyways, he ends up offerin us both a job, but Noah turned ‘im down. But the money was too good to pass up.
“Later on, Noah and I fought about it, sayin’ he was scum and that I shouldn’t trust him… I didn’t care. He was offerin’ a ton of money, like, a lot. So, I end up takin’ the job, and Noah joined the military ‘round the same time, thinkin’ he would make more of a difference that way. ‘Course that’s where he met Willow. He came back after a couple years, and he moves in with her. Coincidentally, she happened to live pretty darn close to me, and I run into Noah again. He, Willow and me used to hang out all the time, and we all got even closer.
“One day, it slipped what my job actually was, and it was all downhill from there. Willow and Noah joined the Sparrows, and we grew apart again. Eventually, Noah’s heart went out, and she blamed it on me, a best friend who stood for everythin’ he was against. Naturally we became enemies, and she never forgave me, until recently…”[SD209][SD210]
He grabbed her hand, and she massaged his fingers with her thumb.
Sydona slipped a smile but then quickly hid it behind her hands. “So, why did you do it all if it killed your best friend? Why didn’t you just leave?”
Harold’s face melted. “I ‘unno. John made me feel like I was really contributin’ to somethin’ extraordinary. Like, yeah, maybe a few people might get hurt, but imagine what the final product would be.”
Silas interjected. “Killed, man. Not hurt, killed people.”
Harold’s eyes darted over to him, and he no longer held Willow’s hand. He needed his for protection.
“It wasn’t supposed to go down that way… Things got way out of hand.”
Sydona burst out laughing.
“Alright, alright, stop this. I already forgave the man; leave him alone. He ain’t the problem anymore. It’s Malik we need to worry about,” Willow said, calming her tone.
The room filled with silent agreement. Sydona still hated Harold, but maybe she would have to forgive him, too. He did work closely with Malik for several years. He might be her only chance of finding him. Sharp pains entered her stomach at the thought, but she had to give it a shot. The letter crinkled in her pocket, and she shoved her hands inside. She suddenly remembered why she
was there.
“Oh, right,” she said and handed Willow the letter for Ian. “Almost forgot to give this to you.”
“For yer daddy?”
“Yeah…” she replied with a pencil line smile.
“Fairy should be by tomorrow for the mail. I’ll let ‘em know.” Willow patted her shoulder.
“Speaking of fairies, is Raoul here? Or did he go straight to the pantry?” Sydona asked.
Willow shook her head. “I ain’t seen him. He didn’t come here.”[SD211][LM212][SD213]
“Well, maybe he’s gone back home by now,” said Silas.
“No, I don’t...” Sydona took a deep breath. “I don’t think he’s coming back this time…” Her chest felt tight and heavy. She didn’t want to say it, but she’d been thinking it. He never left her for very long willingly. She worried something happened to him but…
“As you know, fairies aren’t--equipped--to feel extreme anger. It can be so harmful to them it can sometimes be fatal. Luckily, he knows where a shaman lives, and that’s the best way to overcome it.”
“You know where he is?” Silas stood up, seemingly confused.
Sydona returned his look. “Yeah.”
“Well, then why haven’t we gone there?”
“He doesn’t want to see me, Silas. He’s trying to get over his anger, and I will put him into relapse.”
“Of course he wants to see you, Syd,” Giovonna argued. “You’re his best friend. He’ll forgive you. Look at Willow the Widowed and Harold here. If they can get over their qualms, you and Raoul certainly can! Come on…” She flashed Sydona her adorable, full-toothed grin, making her cheeks so big her eyes closed.
She couldn’t help but smile back. Giovonna was right. If two people as polar opposite as Willow and Harold could get over their problems, she would be alright.
Chapter Eleven
Everyone agreed [SD214]to go back to her old home but not before Willow fed everyone a huge lunch. Sydona made a point not to rush; it was good to let Raoul have his alone time with his family. But she was part of his family, too. On the road there, she thought of everything she wanted to say to him. How she never meant to hurt him. How she just wanted to protect him and spare him the stress of knowing the man who tortured him was alive. How she didn’t know who she would be without him. [SD215]He was her subconscious, her parrot, her life companion.
Since three of them didn’t want to speak much with Harold there, they arrived at the house after a long and silent ride. The blue Victorian still looked as she remembered, and she never got tired of coming back to it. Technically it was still her house, but the fairies made it obvious it was theirs now. The interior appeared even more like the outdoors than during their last visit. A path on the stairs was still large enough for people to walk through. Twisted branches, leaves, lights and cubbies of new homes covered the walls, ceiling and everything in between. As Harold walked through the door, his mouth was wide open and speechless, and Sydona smiled. It was nice to see him fascinated by something he tried to destroy. Sydona didn’t exactly want Harold inside, but Willow promised to keep an eye on him. She felt she should’ve checked for a wire though.
All the fairies welcomed them into the home with open arms. If Sydona was with them, they were a friend of the fairies. The happy faces faded once they knew the reason for her visit.
“He’s upstairs,” said a fairy with turquoise wings.
“How’s he doing?” Sydona asked.
He shook his head with saddened eyes, and all the fairies around him did the same.
Her feet and lifted chin led her upstairs through the forest with everyone following her lead. Her ears heard the rumble of feet behind her, climbing the creaky wooden steps. It was so loud that she was afraid it would bother Raoul and set him off. She shushed them, and they slowed their steps. Her first instinct was to go into her bedroom. Not only was Raoul not in there, but everything looked destroyed. And from what she recalled, it wasn’t from the first time they stopped by. No. This was from Raoul. From what he was able to do. He put holes in her pillows, blankets and mattress; and tore up letters, pictures and papers with nothing written on them. It was like a baby tornado had ripped through her bedroom. It wasn’t massively destroyed, but Raoul made it clear he was livid. But where was he?
A psst came from behind her. She turned around to see Harold pointing to inside the bathroom. His brown eyes were so wide she could see yellowish whites around them. What the hell was in the bathroom? As she peered around the door frame, the light from the window illuminated Raoul floating around in a sink full of water. His tiny body was completely submerged aside from his face and tip toes.
Sydona’s eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out what he was doing. Raoul’s face looked relaxed and didn’t move, making her think he didn’t know she was in the room. She had to a take moment to realize how peaceful it was in there. The tiles on the walls were also taken over by branches and vines, and some yellow flowers bloomed near the open window. She made a seat on the toilet next to the sink; Giovonna and Silas sat on the bathtub on the opposite side of him. Willow and Harold stood outside the door looking in and just as speechless as she was.
With all her knowledge of fairy history and tradition, she couldn’t think of what this was a part of. Raoul looked peaceful enough, so whatever it was he was doing seemed to be working. Soon a swift breeze squeezed through the window, strong enough to open Raoul’s eyes.
“Ahh!!” he shouted, and his head ducked under water, causing him to splash everyone and cough loudly. “What! What are you doing here? And… him! Why is he here?” He pointed angrily at Harold.
Sydona wiped off her arms and explained. “I was worried about you, buddy.”
He swam to the edge of the sink, shook off and grabbed a washcloth set aside like a towel at a public pool. “Syd, why is Harold here?!”
“Don’t worry about him right now. I’ll explain it later.”
Raoul dried off by running the towel all over his body and hair. His brunette locks were a mess and not at all the look the rest of them were used to seeing. He mumbled things under his breath. “Worried, pah! Then she goes and brings the doctor’s lead man into my house?”
“Raoul!” Sydona broke his rantings. “Are you better?”
Raoul threw the towel down with his tiny, angry grip. “Better? You come here asking if I’m better while that guy is standing in my bathroom? Are you delusional? Have you been smoking the stuff we planted way behind the corn fields?”
Silas perked up at his last comment.
“Raoul, please…” Shaman Faro flew in through the window, landed by his side and grabbed his shoulders. He stood in front of him, trying to catch his eyes. “Remember what we talked about?”
Raoul adjusted his head, closed his eyes and took a long deep breath. He did that three more times in unison with the Shaman.
“Now,” Shaman Faro released his shoulders. “Focus on the positive.”
Raoul opened his eyes again and stared at everyone staring at him. “I can’t with everyone looking at me, Shaman.”
The Shaman nodded and agreed. “Could everyone please leave us be?”
Sydona understood and reluctantly left the room along with Silas and Giovonna. Not wanting to stray far, the group hung out in the hallway. [SD216]When no fluttering wings were around, it was eerily tropical and quiet. Small animals had even found homes inside including squirrels, raccoons and a couple of songbirds. In a way, the fact that her home was now home to the many critters who lost their shelter in the oak made her heart warm. She missed it but wouldn’t be comfortable forcing the fairies to go someplace else. [SD217][LM218][SD219]
Her ear stayed close to the bathroom door to possibly overhear what he would say.
Silas whispered from across the hallway, only an arm length apart, “So nosey.”
“I’m curious,” Sydona whispered back, but she couldn’t hear anything.
Giovonna, who stood next to Sydona, changed the subjec
t to get her mind off Raoul. “Hey Silas, do you know where Jet and Lacey went?”
“Yeah, they went home,” Willow answered. “They hadn’t seen their fairies in a couple days.”
“Oh, they have fairies, too?” Sydona asked.
“You ain’t the only one, dear,” Willow said.[SD220]
“I know that… but, why didn’t they come[SD221] to any missions?”
“Not everyone is as brave as Raoul,” Silas added. “My fairy never would want to be a part of this. She was too dainty.”
Sydona wished she could’ve met his fairy. With the bond she had with Raoul, she thought it would be adorable to see him with a cute female fairy by his side. Maybe Raoul would have liked her. She felt her stomach twist as she thought of Raoul being alone all this time because of her problems. Raoul was never the type to settle down, but now he really couldn’t if he wanted to because he was too busy being by her side. She felt so selfish sometimes. Even now, she was eavesdropping on him, though she was sure she was the last person he wanted to see. He left to get away from her, but here she was, crowding a furious fairy who needed the powers of a Shaman to calm down. [SD222][LM223]
Sydona headed to her room while everyone else moseyed about the rest of the house. Sitting on her bed, she stared out the window that once showcased the large fairy tree. All that remained were the fields of corn and the forest behind that. It was still a great view, but it turned her insides. Raoul’s bed grew dust on the windowsill, and she smiled. She thought of the many mornings of waking up to his snoring and mumbling. The rooster would crow and jolt him awake every single morning. A lump formed in her throat.
“Okay, I’m done,” Raoul called from the bathroom.
Sydona treaded lightly on the wooden floorboards as she got closer to him. Her insides were jumbled up. She hated the feeling.
“Well?” she asked at barely a whisper.
He took a deep breath with closed eyes. “Shaman Faro said that I need to talk to you in a controlled environment. He said the best way to get this horrible feeling out of me is to talk it out.” He rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out.
