The Dark Witch and the Elemental

by Tabitha Scott

  Chapter 46: Preggers

  Once struck, a Faerie bargain is unbreakable. Well, you could break it, but the magikal implications are not to be taken lightly. Death can quickly follow. We were alright with letting Arawan go to retrieve the covenant on his own as he was constrained by the terms of the agreement to provide us with his copy. We had to be very careful about the wording of the agreement, as Faerie people are very good at finding loopholes. We had a loophole too, I was going to kill him if he tried to squirm out of anything, I made that very clear to him.

  We could have gone with him, but walking into the heart of the Unseelie court didn’t seem like a good idea, in fact it seemed like a very bad idea. As it is, we have a timetable for the Unseelies setting up house on the island, not least on the ‘to do’ list is Susan having her baby, since if that doesn’t happen, the island won’t be worth inhabiting, or anywhere else on Earth, for that matter.

  The realisation that much of the Unseelie food supply would disappear if Susan is killed, and the Earth is purged, seems to have been enough for Arawan to switch sides, he’s pledged that the Unseelies will stand in protection of Susan with the Seelies.

  I’ve sent Gil to let Jimmy and the Seelie Queen know what’s transpired. Familiars are really good at that sort of thing. Afterwards she’ll go to visit the Royals, to retrieve their copy of the covenant. The rest of us are waiting in the pub for Arawan’s return. Eppy is getting ready for her wedding. Another item on the ‘to do’ list, after returning the covenant, is the marriage of Eppy and Arawan.

  “You sure you want to do this? You don’t really know him, you know.” Pulania fidgets over Eppy’s dress.

  “I’m sure, I could see his aura, he isn’t evil, and he’s attracted to me. He’s intelligent too, given how little time we have, that will have to be enough.”

  “It’s part of the agreement, it’s too late for her to back out, anyway,” I comment. “There would be magikal repercussions if she decided not to go through with it. The better option here is to get married, and if doesn’t work out, I’ll knife the guy and we can carry on as normal, problem solved.”

  Pulania and Eppy are looking at me. “What? It’s a good plan, it’d work.”

  “Nice to know I have a backup,” Eppy smiles. Pulania just rolls her eyes at me.

  “What?” But she ignores me.

  “I think we’ve done all we can with this dress here.” Pulania steps back to look at Eppy. “If we’re going to modernise this and make it Arawan friendly, we’re going to need Amura to go get some of her couture supplies from home.”

  We’re updating an older dress of Eppy’s, I think it had been a wedding dress at one stage. It looks like it could be from the late 1700s though, so there’s a bit of work to do. It has a nice shape with an older bodice that keeps to the curve of the bust. I think the style was Rococo, it’s fabrics are very rich, though parts have grown threadbare with age, and need replacing.

  “I can bring some fabric patches that we can use, they don’t match the original colours exactly but they go with the overall scheme. Do you want to keep this thing frilly, too? I mean we can trim it down a bit to cut down some of the weight, and finesse some of the lines.”

  Eppy’s forehead is creased as she thinks about that. “I’m not really sure. I think I want it to be acceptable to the Unseelie and Seelie courts.”

  “Oh, well, I’ll collect Ruby and bring her back with me. She’ll be able to help with that.”

  With a smile, Eppy nods her assent, and I leave to go back home via the Faerie path. It’s literally only a few hundred metres walk when using the path, so it takes me next to no time to get there.

  “I’m home,” I yell up the stairs.

  A heavily pregnant Susan rushes to the top of the steps and animatedly yells back down to me. “Quick, come and see!”

  Oh, the infection of excitement! I rush up the stairs to whatever girly event is transpiring. Susan leads me to Tadpole the Loyal’s nursery room, and shows me… another Susan?

  “What the…” I look back at the first Susan. Yes, this is definitely Susan, then, I look back at the second one, trying to see through whatever is happening to befuddle my vision, very slowly my true seeing is able to make out the image of Ruby’s face. Soon it’s shining through the magikal mask that she had applied. And then, I notice something else. Ruby isn’t applying any compulsion in relation to her own pregnancy, she’s at exactly the same stage as Susan.

  “Sees, sees, sees. Amura, sees right through. Disguise broken, broken, broken.” Ruby is rocking in her chair, and scowling at the floor.

  “You sly little Faerie, you. You know, I can see where you’re going with this Ruby, and I really had to concentrate hard for my true seeing to break your magiks.” I have my arms crossed, and I’m sure there’s a crooked smile on my face. “I think it could work.”

  Ruby had once said she controlled time, I assume she had taken her pregnancy to the same level as Susan. My thoughts are that Ruby is offering herself as a decoy ‘Susan’.

  “For anybody else it’s going to take quite a bit of magik to pierce that compulsion of yours, plus hardly anyone has seen Susan anyway, I think it will work.”

  “Work, work, work,” Ruby smiles. “Amura thinks it can work.”

  I vaguely note Susan’s homework on the floor in front of another chair in the nursery. Susan is still trying to graduate from high school. Life goes on, until it doesn’t.

  “Let me see the two of you side by side.” The girls shuffle together. It’s so strange, Ruby is millennia old, but even her real face looks barely more than a couple of years older than Susan.

  “Both pregnant together.” There’s something endearing about that. “You’re a little taller Ruby, but I don’t think anyone would notice. This will work. We need to tell the other girls about it.”

  “Babies coming soon.”

  My head stiffens back. Yes, it will be soon, it’s only weeks away now. The time of calamity is almost upon us.

  Chapter 47: Eppy’s dress

  I’ve brought a box full of fabrics, scissors, needles and thread back to the pub.

  “Where’s Ruby?” Pulania asks.

  “Indisposed, her pregnancy has gotten to an awkward stage. She decided to stay with Susan and keep her company.”

  “Really? I have no memory of an awkward stage so late in my pregnancy. Well…” Pulania straightens and doesn’t continue, I suspect she was probably going to say…

  “Until I broke a hole through your womb letting Eppy escape to wherever?” I finish for her.

  “Yeeesss, though I decided it might not be the best form to mention that.”

  I shrug and wink at Eppy, who looks a little concerned at the turn of conversation. “No need to feel constrained, we’re all bitches here.”

  Eppy flushes, hmmm, maybe she’s not. “Lucky man that Arawan,” I mutter.

  “What’s that?” Eppy asks.

  “Nothing, nothing,” I reply. “Oh, but I should tell you both the real reason that Ruby isn’t here.”

  Two heads swing toward mine, and both Eppy and Pulania freeze their fussing over the dress so they can listen.

  “She’s magikly advanced her pregnancy to the same stage as Susan, and…” I pause for effect, “… and, she has developed a powerful charm that disguises herself as Susan. Even I had trouble seeing through it.”

  There, let that sink in for a moment. I can see the wheels turning in Pulania and Eppy’s heads.

  “A subterfuge?” Eppy asks.

  “Susan isn’t far from giving birth,” Pulania answers. “Ruby does things her own way, part of her mind is scrambled, but I think that some of it is overly sane, incredibly practical.”

  “You see it sometimes,” I agree. “Sometimes a second Ruby comes out to play, the sensible one.”

  “When the time comes for Susan to give birth, there will be two Susans. One will be visible, and a battle will rage around her. The other, will not, and she will, hopefully, giv
e birth undisturbed.”

  “Where will that be?” I ask Pulania.

  “I know a place.”

  At the far side of the pub, a door opens, interrupting our discussion. It’s actually too early for the pub to be open for business, but we’d left the front door unlocked awaiting the return of Arawan. Not that any of the Seelies or Unseelies need an open door, the stronger Faerie people have magiks that allow them to appear at will in the pub, but this is not a Faerie person, it’s a little person.

  As he approaches, we can hear his footsteps, but not see him, only the top of a rakish hat, that’s bobbing along above the table tops.

  “Whose there?” Pulania has her wand out, so do I.

  At the end of a table the little person comes into view. He’s a dwarf, and he answers by bowing deeply to all of us.

  “I bring the regards of the Unseelie court, and of King Arawan himself. The Faerie kind foresee a rapid progression of events, hence his Lordship has sealed a pact of peace with his sister, Queen Áine, and a pact of support for the dark Fae Queen of Hibernia. Defences are being made ready.”

  We look at each other. The Fae have some Faerie-like powers, but only a shadow of the powers the Faeries themselves carry. Of course, as descendants of Gaea, we’re a little bit Fae, but certainly not enough to see what they must see.

  “Who are you, sir?” Eppy asks.

  “I am the royal messenger of the Unseelie Court, I am called Thomas.”

  “Well, Thomas, where are the defences being set up?” I ask him. I mean, I can’t really see Dublin Castle as a battleground, a high death toll among the human population would be unavoidable.

  Thomas bows deeply to me. “The defences are being constructed at the Royal site of Tara. It is believed that it will be an auspicious place for the birthing of a grandchild of the god.”

  I nod at his answer, it makes sense, Tara is relatively isolated, and is a centre of ancient magiks. The Seelies, in particular, will be very powerful there.

  Well, that’s the niceties over, I’m eyeing off the poster tube strapped to Thomas’ back. It’s as long as he is tall. I’ve raised my eyebrow looking at it, but it’s not my place to ask. I lean into Eppy and give her a not too subtle elbow.

  “Oh, umm, have you brought something for us?” Eppy asks.

  Thomas takes off the poster tube, and hands it out to Eppy while bowing to her. Eppy gingerly takes it from his grasp. The tube can only hold the missing copy of the covenant. Eppy passes it to Pulania, whose eyes go very wide as she opens the tube holder. She smiles as she lays the missing copy out beside the one we had received from the Hecatines.

  “One step closer,” she whispers.

  Thomas is still standing there, he’s actually dressed quite impressively. The style of his clothes look hundreds of years old, almost Middle Ages, yet it’s a very nifty modern cut, with not a ruffle or crease in sight. It reminds me of Arawan’s own dress sense. The hat looks like one of those beef eater type thingies and has a peacock feather fully half the length of Thomas that trails from behind him.

  I couldn’t bring Ruby to give us a Faerie view of Eppy’s dress, so….

  “Thomas, what do you think of Eppy’s dress? Is it Unseelie acceptable?”

  There seems to be a moment of bewilderment in those aged dark-brown eyes, but Thomas quickly recovers.

  “It is not unacceptable,” he replies, a small hand has risen to his beard and he is stroking it in contemplation.

  All our eyes go to Thomas, it is not unacceptable sounds like a D minus. This isn’t good.

  “Umm, can you make any suggestions?” Eppy asks.

  “Yes indeed, M’lady.”

  Chapter 48: The invocation.

  We’re doing updates on Eppy’s dress according to suggestions that Thomas made. Apparently there are quite a few dwarves in the Unseelie court, other peoples too, not just trolls and goblins, there are ogres, kelpie and others I’d not heard of before. At one time, many of them were actually from our world, but had become refugees from a growing human population. Thomas explained that only the Unseelie Faeries and his people could travel openly in the human world, hence his role as messenger.

  Eppy took it all in and asked lots of questions. Well, she’s going to be their queen, so she needs to know what she’s getting into. We eventually sent Thomas on his way with a message for Arawan. He was to prepare for his marriage, which was going to be held at the Hill of Tara in the Ráith na Ríogh, or the Fort of the Kings. The marriage would seal the pacts of alliance that were essentially already in place.

  “It’s ready. I think we’ve done everything we can with this,” Pulania says, as we get Eppy to twirl around a few times.

  At that moment, the front door opens again. It’s Gil, returned with the third copy of the covenant, the one that the Royal family kept in the Tower of London. We decided she would be in no danger retrieving it without us, as we were pretty certain no one on the other side would expect us to find the missing copy, the invocation was something the other side weren’t going to expect. Besides, Gil’s Raven boyfriend is here with her as an escort, and… is Gil blushing? Hello, hello.

  “You were gone for a while,” I comment. When is Gil’s birthday? Oh, that came up quickly. “Happy birthday, Gil.” The last few days had been so busy, I’d almost forgotten that Gil’s special day was upon us.

  “Thanks, Amura.”

  I’d embarrass her about having lost her virginity, as I’m sure that has now happened, but as a special birthday present I’ll wait until another day. She’s embarrassed enough as it is, that’s pretty obvious. After all, everyone in the room - except maybe Eppy - knows that this was on the cards once Gil turned eighteen.

  “I got another present too.” Gil holds out her hand, and there’s a diamond encrusted gold ring on her ring finger.

  “Oh my, congratulations Gil!” I burst out.

  Pulania has a sudden intake of breath and then just rushes Gil with a big hug. “Oh congratulations Gil!” She finally manages when she eventually breaks away.

  Eppy, not really knowing Gil that well yet, is understandably more reserved, and while we’re cooing over Gil, she congratulates Jonathon.

  “So you’re fully compatible?” I ask Gil while Raven boy is occupied.

  “Umm, yes, I think so.”

  “Well, just remember, if that changes, we can bury Raven boy, and move right along.”

  “Ahh, thanks Amura, but I’m sure it will be okay.”

  “Just sayin’. By the way, do you have a wedding date yet?” I ask.

  “No, my mother is suggesting a short engagement, but she wants me to finish High School first, I have enough credits to finish in the Autumn term, so I’m going to do that. It’s only a few months away.”

  “Oh, you could be a Christmas bride,” Pulania cries. There are actual tears running down Pulania’s face. She gets so emotional about these things.

  High School, I’d forgotten about High School. I’m not magikly tied to Pershing High School any more, like I had been for almost a hundred years, I guess I could actually graduate myself if I wanted to, I only need a hundred credits, and I probably have some three thousand or so. Something to think about.

  Finally, Eppy comes over to give Gil an awkward hug.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, Eppy. This is your special time, you’re about to be married,” Gil realises. “I didn’t mean to interfere with your plans, or anything.”

  “Nonsense, I’ve been married dozens of times. I enjoy a good wedding, but this is not my first, I take no offense at your happiness.”

  “Well that’s good.” I’m looking at the velvet coated parchment holder that Raven boy is holding. “Umm, we have other business to attend to now.”

  “Oh yes.” Pulania wipes the tears from her eyes, and takes the parchment folder proffered her by Jonathon. She moves over to the set of tables we’d moved in place so that the three copies could be laid together. Then, she unravels the final copy, laying it beside the other tw
o.

  We all move in to see the ancient vellum scrolls.

  Pulania mutters to herself in some ancient language long lost to all but herself, while I get on the phone to Hatchesput. As previously arranged, Hatchesput has eyes on one of the groups of enemy Fae who are swarming just outside of Dublin.

  “Your Majesty, we’re ready with the ceremony.” I inform Hatchesput when I get through to her.

  “Our observers are watching the group of traitors now, they have lots of Fae flying around at the moment, so we’ll be able to see how effective this is from how many of them fall out of the air,” Hatchesput’s voice crackles.

  In the days since the Battle of Hermitage, the Fae joining the other side had grown in number, there were at least four large groups swarming over Britain and Ireland. The final battle was not going to be a small one, unless the covenant could be invoked to lessen the numbers of the other side.

  Pulania is continuing to mutter over the vellum scrolls, all of which initially showed the gibberish writing I had once seen on the Hecatine copy, just blobs of unrelated text in different languages. The words Pulania is speaking might be an ancient Gaelic tongue, the odd word is almost familiar to my ear. As she works, the day grows darker outside. Through some of the windows, I can see heavy black and green thunderheads gathering and blocking out the sun. I magikly light a set of candles that we’d had on the table at the ready for this.

  Watching the vellum of the covenants, the words carelessly thrown there slowly rearrange themselves, and scenes of Fae histories appear to my eye. I wonder if the others see what I see? I can see the Age of isolation, the Fae wars, the Age of Herb Lore, the later burnings, all one after another. All the great events transpire. Finally, the signing of the covenants emerges, with quill lines showing the scene with Pulania and Samael clearly present. As I watch the image, drops of blood splatter across the vellum copies. Pulania has cut open her palm with her bronze dagger, calling on the magiks sealed within to be released against the covenant transgressors.