The Dark Witch and the Elemental

by Tabitha Scott

  “You do, and you don’t. When you rose up into the air at Dunnottar, and started screeching at the wind, what do you think you were doing?”

  “I was going to ask you about that, because I have no idea.” I mean, I don’t.

  Pulania purses her lips for a second, then, looking me directly in the eye, she continues, “I think you were protecting the child. It was totally instinctual on your part, very much like an Elemental, and more to the point, your sister reacted to you. She left.”

  She looks down to the ground. “I wonder if you don’t have magiks that your sister is at least a little wary of, because usually, nothing a dark witch could do would intimidate an Elemental.”

  “Oh, that’s a sobering thought,” Susan throws in her five cents worth, again, she’s not wrong.

  “The Earth magiks, maybe?” Gil asks.

  “Maybe,” Pulania agrees. “Though Amura has always had a strange streak of dark magiks that are all her own. Some of those may be important too.”

  There’s a sigh from Pulania. “Something else you should know, Amura.”

  “Hmm, and what’s that?”

  “You knew your sister.”

  “What? How do you mean, I knew her? We were babies in the womb together. We haven’t met since, have we?” I mean, I might not know if we had, my memories are largely lost from before the first world war.

  “You were semi-mortal babies who spent years, decades together. When you were born, only a few months after your sister tore my womb open, you could speak three languages. You could hear people speaking from inside my womb, and you learned from that.” Her eyes are narrowing. “You used to speak to each other, you used to fight. I could feel you. You didn’t always get along.”

  Oh great, my twin sister is a super bitch, and she hates my guts.

  Chapter 17: Baby coming

  Crap, crap, crap. Life is just crap.

  “I think you should take me for that ultrasound now,” I tell Master after he returns. I need something to pick me up after all the continuing downers about this new sister of mine. I need something to take my mind off her.

  I’ve been chilling with Ruby, and Gil, trying to forget. We’ve been sewing, well, I have, Ruby’s been rocking and Gil is cat napping (in her cat form) on a pillow near the door. Master has just come into the sewing room.

  “That’s what I’m here for.”

  “Baby coming,” Ruby starts up again.

  I put my hand on hers. “Do you want to come, Ruby?” Maybe if I ask her to join us it might distract her from her new mantra. I’m a long way from having any baby, and Susan has still has a few weeks left. No need to disturb Gil, she’s still asleep.

  “Not your baby, Amura, though I’d be pleased to accompany you to your appointment.”

  It always startles me when the sane, ancient Ruby speaks out from the little girl she mostly seems to be. Not my baby, huh. Okay, what baby does she mean? Susan’s? I don’t think so.

  The two of us stand up.

  “Oh, is it okay if Ruby comes?” I ask Master.

  “It can’t hurt.”

  He takes each of us in one of his hands. There is that moment of vertigo when we’re instantly transported to some clinic somewhere or other. Maybe angels get cheap rates here, it’s the same place as before, with the same technician, or is she a doctor?

  “Welcome back, Miss Amura. Can you hop up on the examination table again, please?”

  I do as I’m told. Ruby decides she’ll hold my hand, and I’m good with that. “This is my friend Ruby, she’s here for support,” I explain to the girl.

  “Glad to have you, Ruby.”

  At the technician’s direction, I bare my belly and she rubs jelly on it, it’s a bit warmer than last time. Ruby seems amazed by the whole process. Oh, but of course, she would never have seen anything like this before, she had been in an institution for over seventy years. I don’t think she even got television.

  “There it is on the screen.”

  Ruby gasps when she sees it.

  “She,” I correct the girl.

  The girl smiles at me. “Too early for me to confirm that, I’m afraid, but this is strange.” She leans forward and creates a little ruler on the screen. “The baby doesn’t seem to have grown much since you were last here.”

  “Can you measure any change?”

  “Well yes, it’s grown a little, but really you should have progressed quite a bit further than you have.” The girl looks quite concerned, but from behind her Master passes his hand over her head and the concern evaporates from her face.

  “If you had to work it out, how slow is the growth compared to normal?” I ask her.

  “Let’s see, you should have progressed four weeks. This looks more like one, maybe less.”

  Actually, I’m thinking that’s not so bad. It sounds like it’s going a lot quicker than Pulania’s pregnancy. The girl cleans the jelly from me, and I pop down from the table. She gives me another flash drive, which I presume has the latest photographs. I’ll need a new name for tadpole. Maybe I’ll call her speed, or rabbit, since she’s growing so quickly. Tadpole, the Rabbit. That sounds good to me.

  “Can I try, please.” It’s Ruby, she’s getting up on the examination table. The girl looks to Master, but he just shrugs his shoulders. Again, he waves his hand over the technician, and she prepares Ruby.

  It only takes a few seconds for an image to form. Holy crap!

  “She’s a couple of months more advanced than you are,” the girl tells us.

  Ruby is pregnant!

  “Baby coming.”

  My neck snaps toward Master. “You knew about this!” I accuse him.

  “Not me,” he waves his hands in front of himself, as though he’s trying to ward me away. “She’s otherworldly, I had no idea she was pregnant.”

  I consider that for a second. He does seem gob smacked, and angels can’t lie.

  “Just how pregnant is she?” I ask the girl.

  “About three months.”

  That was from before we rescued Ruby from the mental sanitarium. My hands curl into fists. Whoever did this to Ruby isn’t going to survive.

  Chapter 18: To kill, or not…

  It had to be someone at the Metropolitan State Hospital back in Norwalk. Maybe I should raze the place to the ground. Oh, but I might just miss whoever it was. No, some level of subtlety is needed here. There’s prey to hunt. Whoever it was will have to die, and horribly.

  “You know, she is Seelie.”

  “And just what does that mean?” I ask Master.

  “Well, think about it, she’s one of the most powerful creatures in the world, even before she got the slippers back she was pretty strong. Why was she at a mental sanatorium? She could have left any time she wanted.”

  Ruby is rocking back and forth, humming Rock a Bye Baby. Odd thing for an expecting mother to hum. I stare at her for a bit, contemplating what Master is saying.

  “She had a lover. That’s what you’re telling me. She wasn’t raped?”

  “I don’t think so,” Master replies. “I think anyone who hurt Ruby in that place wouldn’t have survived. And the Seelies don’t have the same loyalty to their lovers that others might. They don’t form life long bonds with humans, because humans die too quickly for them. They really only have liaisons.”

  An image of Bríghe, the young looking dark witch in the Dublin pub is coming to mind. Not all Seelies abandon their lovers. Or was I wrong about that?

  “You can’t be sure of any of that,” I reply. “She’s otherworldly, you don’t know, you’re just guessing.”

  Master is shaking his head. “Yeah, I am guessing, but the one thing I do know for sure is that she’s powerful enough to have looked after herself.”

  Hmm, maybe so. I go over to Ruby and lean close enough toward her face that she has to stop her rocking. I’m in her personal space, but I need to get her attention.

  “Too close, Amura,” she whispers to me. There’s a hint of warn
ing in her voice, so I back off a bit. I definitely have her attention though.

  “Who is the father, Ruby? Did he hurt you?”

  She’s shaking her head. “Time and time. Spin the wheel , spin. My friend died a long time ago. Now is the time for a child.”

  I straighten up. I think she’s answered. I think? I turn to Master, “Did you get that?”

  Master shrugs a bit, “The Seelies can control time, I think she just said that the father died long ago, maybe years ago. The child is only now growing in her womb.”

  A hand comes out and touches mine. “Amura, we can control time,” Ruby says to me. It’s the rational Ruby looking in my eyes. Then in the next moment she’s back to rocking and singing another child like lullaby.

  “Is that really how they roll?” I ask Master.

  “I’ve never known a Seelie to form any more than a temporary or casual attachment to any human.”

  I’m still thinking about Bríghe. How has she stayed so young for so many decades? It doesn’t sound like she does have a Seelie lover, at least, not one who has kept her as young as she is for so very long. It would be too long an attachment. Yet, she spies for the Seelies. I’m missing something.

  “You’re sure?” I ask Master again.

  “I’m sure, they don’t like to watch their lovers grow old and die, while they stay young forever. They find it too hard.”

  Ruby sighs, and then gives a half sob. Something we just said hit a note with her, only there was sadness there, so I’m not sure… maybe Ruby did stay to the end, but if she did it cost her. Or maybe, it was just the sadness of losing an old love. Whatever, I’m pretty sure they still mourn their human loves, regardless of the cost. I guess a trip to Ruby’s old home isn’t going to be necessary after all.

  Bríghe, I’m still thinking about Bríghe, there’s more there than we know, and I need to find out what it is we don’t know about her before it comes out and bites us in the bum.

  Okay, so my course of action is set, I don’t need to kill anyone for Ruby, but I need to sort that Irish girl. Then something else comes to mind. “Do you have any names in mind Ruby?”

  “She reaches into the pocket of the skirt she’s wearing and hands me the flash drive. “Friend of Tadpole the Invincible,” she smiles.

  I smile back, I’ll need to put up another bulletin board with pictures of Ruby’s child.

  Chapter 19: Cat calls

  I have a clever plan. I wouldn’t have known how to get hold of Jimmy otherwise, but if I just go to Dublin, he’s going to appear. He has to, it’s part of the deal with the Seelie Queen. When he appears I can grab him by the neck and throttle him until he tells me what the story is with Bríghe. It’ll work. It’s a brilliant plan, but when I get downstairs, with Gil in tow, Pulania is just finishing up a call on her cell phone.

  “Jimmy is bringing the Seelie King.”

  Bummer, the best laid plans… there I was all excited to throttle Jimmy, and now I have to go and play all nice, nice with him. Hey, how come I don’t have Jimmy’s number? I’ll have to get it from Pulania.

  “We’re going to do the meet tomorrow for the transfer,” Pulania continues.

  Ah, oh! So I still have time for my clever plan.

  And now, I’m noticing that Pulania has a visitor. My eyes narrow. “What’s she doing here?”

  It’s the Irish Dark bitch, but she’s here in our house! She’s been let across the threshold by Pulania. Now that’s not cool, not very cool at all.

  Pulania looks toward the young witch. “Bríghe is here to help with the coven’s administration.” There’s a defensiveness in her voice.

  “Couldn’t you have done this somewhere else?” I mean, this girl’s a stranger. What do we really know about her!

  I know Pulania can read these thoughts, I’m practically screaming them in my mind. Susan is just upstairs, for grandmother’s sake! Let’s just risk the entire world by bringing some little dark witch into the house who we hardly know at all. “What were you thinking?”

  Pulania pulls me a little ways away from Bríghe so that we can speak in private.

  “I’ve got this,” she whispers.

  “Whatever you think you’re doing by bringing a stranger here, it isn’t worth the risk to Susan.” I’m a bit angry with her.

  “This will be worth it, believe me.”

  “Look, I know you hate all the admin that Hatchesput gets you to do, but do this somewhere else.”

  Pulania sighs at me, “Look, I’ve got this.”

  “Really?” I straighten up and shake my head at her. “You’re on your own, then.” I’m outta here, I need to get hold of Jimmy, and quickly. Now, more urgently than ever.

  Gil is by my side. “We’re going to Dublin,” I inform her when we’re out in the yard and well away from any eavesdropping witch magiks.

  “Cool.” Gil just takes my proclamation in time, like it’s no biggie. There’s a slight smile on her face, which makes me break out into one as well.

  “Hey, I keep meaning to ask, why don’t you go home much anymore?”

  “Cat thing. There’s another male at my mom’s place.” I straighten a little when I hear that. “I’m almost of age. I can’t be there anymore.”

  I take the cue. “So your mum’s got a new boyfriend?” I’m remembering some not so nice things that happened with the old one, before he met a very grisly end.

  Gil nods. “It’s different now though, I’m older, what happened before, wasn’t meant to happen, it wasn’t right, that was just abuse. Now is different, this is just normal for us, when a cat is of age, she needs to go her own way, it wouldn’t look right to normal humans.”

  “Why is that?” I turn to ask her.

  She’s going all sorts of red. “We’d share him. If left to ourselves, related females form a type of pride, and keep the one male. It would be strange in today’s society, so I had to move out. I’m at your place now.”

  “Oh, okay.” Awkward. My turn to go all sorts of red. Then another thought comes to mind: I’m not sharing Master, though I guess she knows that.

  “Master is mine.”

  “I know,” she replies. “You’re a friend, Amura, but you’re not family. It’s not the same. I have to stay away from family, for now.”

  Our faces are both ruby red. This is all a bit too deep and meaningful.

  “Dublin,” I repeat.

  “Dublin,” Gil mimics.

  In my purse I have a vial of olive oil, I stop for a moment and swig the whole thing down, it’s not magik, it’s herb lore, it will coat my stomach and protect it from what comes next.

  ***

  I follow the Faerie paths to the entrance in Dublin that Jimmie showed us, near the gas light in Temple Bar. We emerge into a so-so Dublin, with its usual gray cloud cover. But I don’t mind this part of the town, it’s got a bit of character. As we walk only a few steps from the Faerie path, I see Jimmie coming toward us. The Seelies must have this place wired for dark witcheries.

  “Ahh, lassies! Welcome to the land of forever green! What can I do you for?”

  “We’re here to do the Guinness brewery tour, Jimmy,” I tell him.

  He hesitates when I say that, he’d know that that can only mean I want to continue with the idea of spiking the Guinness vats with a lethal virus.

  “Oo, it be time for lunch lassies, how bout we find a pub and sit down for a wee dram, or beer.”

  Hence the reason I’d downed the oil. It will help me stay sober. Strangling Jimmy was a no go from the start. It wasn’t very clever at all, I need to outdrink him, and this will help loads. The oil will stop me from absorbing alcohol… for a bit.

  “A wee dram or two sounds good.” I hate whisky. But we need to go hard early if I’m to get the better of him, beer is too weak, and the oil will only last a while.

  “Well, just follow me, lassies. There be a bonny pub just around the wee corner here.” Jimmy leads the way. I’m thinking this lunch is going to be on him.

/>   Chapter 20: Shots

  The pub we stop at is a couple of hundred years old with rickety wooden floors and hardwood braced plaster walls. There are a few punters at the tables, taking in the local brews, most of them look like they’re from the town, rather than tourists.

  “Well, will you take some food for your lunch?” Jimmy asks.

  “Fish and chips for me,” I reply.

  “Same for me,” Gil chimes in. I roll my eyes, of course a cat would want fish.

  Jimmy nods toward the bar and a blonded girl comes over to serve us. “How you be doing today, Jimmy, will it be the same for you?” she asks as she leans forward to wipe our table. Huh, funny, there’s a good bit of cleavage there if Jimmy cared to look, but he doesn’t.

  I stare at Jimmy with a raised eyebrow. “Is this your regular, Jimmy?”

  “Aye, it might be, lass. This be Shania. Three fish and chips, me darlin’. And I’ll have me usual dram of whiskey. What will you girls have?”

  “I’ll have a…” I was going to say whiskey, but then a better alternative comes to mind “… Bailey’s, thanks.”

  “Oo, a Bailey’s in Ireland,” Gil squeaks. She seems excited. Another first, I guess.

  As the bar girl withdraws to look after our order, she blows Jimmy a kiss, which he returns.

  “I wouldn’t have thought she was your type, Jimmy,” I needle him, but I know otherwise, the girl’s aura has a wisp of magiks, she’s Fae.

  “Oh, well now, if she didn’t dye her hair from its usual red, and if she didn’t have her mother’s petite features you might notice a bit of the old Jimmy in Shania.”

  “She’s a faerie?” Gil asks.

  “No, she’s Fae,” I reply. “Jimmy’s daughter by a human woman.”

  “Now about this going to visit the brewery, what do you have in mind there, lassie?” Is Jimmy trying to distract us?

  The girl returns with our drinks, and that gives me an idea. I have a sip of my Baileys, and take a moment to regard Jimmy.