Rise of the Sons

by JD MITCHELL

  Pinpricks filled her vision as Red’s voice penetrated the dark haze of the car. “Move your hand up and down.”

  Leary, Ali obliged. She rotated her hand in a circle. Her wrist was mobile. The overwhelming urge to ask what he did balanced on the tip of her tongue, but Red might not approve of questions. One thing was certain. This was magic.

  Ali stared at her uninjured wrist. “Thank you.”

  Red nodded, then looked from Ali to Jessica.

  In the back seat, Jessica’s eyes intensified from shock to anger. Ali wanted to ask what was wrong, but Jessica faced the dark window. Silence filled the car as Red made his way into the front passenger seat. Ali’s mind raced, wondering what irritated Jessica now. Did I piss her off? Monsters are chasing us; does she blame me?

  Leigh broke the quiet spell when they crossed the city limit, asking the only question that mattered. “What do we do now?”

  Nine

  Red agreed to find alternate help after Leigh couldn’t reach his parents. Concerned, Leigh called them every quarter hour; his frown deepening with each failed attempt. Ali wanted to offer support, but she couldn’t find the right words. Instead, she drifted to sleep watching Leigh chew his fingernails to the nub.

  Her nerves didn’t fare much better. Shadows assaulted her dreams, the murky darkness materializing into the silhouette of a teen boy, blue eyes vibrant as ever. This time he came alone. No pooka, kelpie, or gancanagh to interrupt; just him. He studied Ali, his curious eyes narrowing in contemplation as though she was a difficult puzzle. His presence intimidated her, but before she could speak, he faded into dust.

  The humming sound of rubber on road woke her, reminding her they were on a highway. She opened her eyes. Dawn spilled across the bland gray ceiling of the SUV. Memories of the dark stranger faded, overrun by mustard snake eyes and manic smiles. Her throat tightened.

  We’re on the run from monsters.

  “The old hag hates me,” Red grumbled.

  “Another ex-girlfriend?” Jessica asked.

  Red glared into the rear-view mirror.

  Jessica’s irritation toward him had doubled during the night. When Ali discovered Jessica’s frustration centered on Red, she kept quiet. Ali harbored enough guilt about dragging Jessica into this mess.

  “Do you have a better idea?” Leigh interjected.

  “No,” Red admitted irritably.

  Leigh leaned against the passenger window. Ali couldn’t see his face, but his shoulders sagged.

  In the driver’s seat, Red flipped the visor down. His hands probed various compartments, likely in search of sunglasses. Scruff formed at his jawline, accenting the haggard look in his eyes. Ali considered him, trying to decide how she felt. Without a doubt, Red hurt Jessica. He was gruff and irritable, but his mood was understandable considering the circumstance. Ali supposed she didn’t mind Red. Her self-admittance felt like a betrayal to Jessica, but Red had done nothing except help them.

  She rubbed sleep from her eyes and sat upright, her attention on the new task. “Who are we going to see?”

  Leigh twisted in his seat. The morning sun careened off his skull making his skin look shiny. In the morning light, Ali realized his eyebrows were fake. They appeared to be glued above his eyes, the seam visible at this angle. Struck by the revelation, she forgot she asked a question.

  “A daughter of Cailleach,” Leigh said.

  When Ali didn’t reply, he cocked his head to the side. She abandoned his eyebrows and schooled her expression. “Sorry, she’s a kale-witch?”

  “Kay-ledge,” Leigh corrected.

  “Not a witch?” Ali asked.

  “She’s a weather deity,” Leigh said.

  “What’d Red do to piss her off?” Ali asked.

  Jessica snorted.

  “Nothing,” Red said. His tone was forceful, ending the inquiry.

  Leigh shrugged and settled back into his seat. Ali would ask him later.

  Behind her, Jessica laid across the back row. Since no one seemed to be in a talking mood, Ali stared out the window and sorted through her crazy memories.

  At least they didn’t have far to travel. Less than an hour later the SUV crunched along a gravel driveway. Unkempt foliage hung low and spilled into the path, the overgrowth obscuring their view. Branches scraped the vehicle in a spine shivering, nails down a chalkboard screech before they emerged into a tropical paradise. Vibrant pinks, oranges, and yellows dotted the landscape in an oasis of color.

  Ali’s jaw slackened as she rolled the window down. Muggy air seeped into the car and clung to her face like they stumbled into a florally fragrant steam room.

  In the back-seat Jessica sat up and groggily surveyed the scene before pressing her face to the window like a small child. She whispered a few foreign words which Ali realized were the names of flowers.

  Eventually, the SUV crept to a stop in front of a one-story white house with blue shutters and vast windows. Sheer curtains fluttered on a gentle breeze, and the outline of a woman appeared in the doorway.

  “Is that the weather deity?” Ali asked.

  Leigh nodded as the woman stepped into the morning light.

  To Ali’s astonishment, the deity looked young, thirties at the most, with a ghostly pallor. Her skin shimmered like gold lace, the threads of a tattoo forming majestic creatures which peeked from beneath a sleeveless green dress. Her strawberry blond hair was bound into a tight bun, but loose strands hung around a slender face. Ali would have found her beautiful if it wasn’t for her chilling eyes. Shiny black orbs against pale skin. It was disorienting, like looking into a void.

  Leigh unbuckled his seatbelt and peered over his shoulder at Ali. “Stay in the car, she dislikes humans.”

  Ali didn’t bother to ask why, she looked like a predator in pretty packaging.

  Two car doors opened and slammed shut. Leigh and Red approached the house.

  “Teranika,” Red said as he performed an awkward bow.

  The deity inclined her head, but her gaze remained on the car. “Sons of Cridhinbheal.”

  “We need help,” Red said.

  Her vacant eyes seemed to shift toward Red.

  “The Tuatha de Danann, is your duty and path,” the deity said. “Abandon the human frivolities which consume your time.”

  Red sighed. “I’m not here for a lecture. We have a situation.”

  Regardless of Red’s easiness, the hairs on Ali’s arms rose. The interaction between this deity and Red felt akin to having a conversation with a computer. A machine who disapproves of ‘human frivolities.’

  The deity frowned. “Find descendants of Bé Chuille and Lugh Laebach.”

  “Why?” Red asked.

  “To imprison Carman’s sons.”

  Red’s brow furrowed. “Do you mean Carman’s sons as in Dub, Dother, and Dain?”

  “Has Carman others?” The deity asked.

  From the car, Ali studied her face, convinced she hadn’t blinked once.

  “That’s impossible,” Red stated.

  Leigh’s complexion paled, and he whispered to Red.

  “What are they saying?” Jessica asked. She grasped Ali’s arm and leaned forward as though the extra three inches would make a difference.

  Ali was done with secrets. It was time for action. Opening the passenger door, she stepped outside. “Let’s find out.”

  “Wait for me,” Jessica said as she slipped from the back row.

  The two of them strode toward the house, the deity’s lifeless eyes following their every move, sending chills up Ali’s arms.

  “Daughter of Ollamain,” the deity said inclining her head.

  Dumbfounded, Ali stopped in her tracks like a starstruck tourist. “Daughter of who?”

  “Oh-la-main,” the deity repeated slowly. “A member of Tuatha de Danann and a great poet.”

  Red’s jaw tightened, pointing at Ali. “She’s a descendant of Ollamain?”

  Nika gave a firm nod. “As you are heirs of Cridhinbheal.”r />
  Ali’s mouth opened then shut. Her brain raced a hundred miles a minute. I’m TDD? That explains the creatures. Wait, does it?

  The woman’s dark eyes shone, reminding Ali of wet rocks. “You may call me Nika.” She inclined her head toward the house. “Come inside. Your human sister is permitted on this single occasion.”

  Before Ali processed the implications of that comment, Nika disappeared into the house like a fading mist.

  Jessica griped Ali’s wrist. “I don’t think we should go inside.”

  Ali hesitated, assessing the level of danger.

  Red and Leigh didn’t skip a beat, crossing the threshold and disappearing around the corner.

  Ali swallowed her reluctance and entered. Jessica remained glued to her side, eyeing every corner. To Ali’s surprise, the interior was welcoming. The floor and ceiling were constructed of a light ash which gave way to white walls and enormous open windows. A cross breeze passed effortlessly through the solitary cavernous room that made up the house, the only adornment were the thin curtains which floated on warm air.

  Nika’s form solidified as she strode before them with the refinement of an aristocrat. She paused at the center of the room where a circular lavender couch was inset to the floor. A small set of stairs separated the perfect circle, providing access to the plush seating. Nika walked down the steps situating herself like a queen on her throne. She gestured to a pitcher of lemonade and empty glasses which appeared on a circular white table. Not wanting to offend, Ali poured herself a glass and sat on the other half of the couch. Jessica followed Ali, perching on the edge.

  The boys flopped into the cushions like this was an aunt’s house during a family vacation. Red rested his arm around Leigh, whispered a harsh warning involving the word Ollamain, then leaned back and stretched out.

  Nika’s probing gaze fell onto Ali, sending a chill down her spine. She felt like a book and her memories were open for Nika to browse.

  “You have questions?” Nika asked her.

  Red chimed in, pointing at Ali. “Why are creatures chasing her?”

  “The Sons are hunting all Tuatha de Danann,” Nika said.

  To Ali’s annoyance, Leigh whispered something inaudible to Red.

  “Guy’s I’m right here,” Ali said frowning. “Whatever it is, I need to know.”

  Red pursed his lips and tossed a decorative pillow to the side. “How’d they find Ali?”

  From thin air, a glass of lemonade appeared in Nika’s hand. She slowly sipped on it, her abnormally long and slender fingers gripping the sides. Upon closer inspection, many of Nika’s features were slightly longer than normal. Her ears narrowed back into gentle points, her nose hooked, and her chin was drawn out.

  “Ali’s abilities are underdeveloped and uncontrolled,” Nika said. “Magic is seeping from her.”

  Magic. It bounced around in Ali’s thoughts as she twisted her pinky ring. What abilities? She’d noticed no changes.

  Nika’s dark eyes flashed gold. Suddenly Ali stood inside the Clock Tower Café, the floorboards squeaking beneath her feet. She danced about like she shook a spider off her clothes until she realized she was somehow inside the diner. Exhaling, she forced herself to look around. The same paintings from the night before hung on the walls, and scant traces of sunlight fought their way into the dim café.

  A manic grin floated before her.

  Her heart galloped as a familiar face materialized.

  Gancanagh!

  Two hands grasped her clothes.

  Ali shoved the gancanagh. A shock bit her palm and the gancanagh stumbled away from her. Surprised by the sensation, she stared at her fingers.

  The lavender couch reappeared, followed by Nika’s cavernous home. She blinked in the sudden light, looking for the gancanagh who’d disappeared.

  Jessica scrunched her nose at her. “Are you all right?”

  Ali shook her head. Hadn’t Jessica witnessed her disappearance just now?

  Remnants of static warmed her fingers, dissipating as Leigh raised a quizzical brow.

  No one noticed she disappeared.

  “What was that?” Ali demanded.

  “Your ability,” Nika said. “I showed you.”

  Ali almost asked what Nika meant, then stopped. She looked at her fingers. The sensation was real, that wasn’t a memory. “I shocked the gancanagh?”

  At the time, she’d been convinced his love juju infected her. However, she’d felt this once before. Her thoughts jumped to the incident at the lake.

  “I felt electricity when I pulled away from the kelpie,” Ali said.

  Red muscled into the conversation like a Greco-Roman looking to medal. “Yes, yes, great. Can we get back to the topic? Why are the Son’s pursuing the Tuatha de Danann?”

  Nika’s cold gaze fell to him. “The Sons of Carman are hunting the descendants of Cridhinbheal, Ollamain, Bé Chuille, and Laebach. Obviously, they’ve sent hunters from the otherworld.”

  Leigh exhaled. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

  “Well I still don’t understand,” Ali said, realizing this was more bad news.

  Leigh shook his head. “Four families banished the Sons of Carman. Red and I are descendants of Cridhinbheal. You are a descendant of Ollamain.” His rubbed his hands on his jeans looking nervous. “This must be revenge.”

  “How is this possible?” Red asked. His leg bounced against the floor. “The Tuatha de Danann banished them thousands of years ago.”

  Nika tilted her head. “The banishment held for as long as water surrounds Ireland.”

  Red threw his hands out. “Ireland is water locked. Did we miss something?”

  A realization struck Ali. Red was wrong. The face of a happy newscaster jetting underwater on a train flashed though her memory. What did that reporter say? The exact words didn’t come to her, but the train was the first of its kind, connecting the island to the mainland via underwater tubes.

  “What about the new tunnels between Ireland and Scotland?” Ali asked.

  “Tunnels?” Red asked.

  “Leigh and I saw it on the news yesterday,” Ali said looking to Leigh for support.

  “I’m not sure what…” Leigh’s eyes widened, and his mouth hung slack. “Oh, wow. She’s right.” Leigh groaned. “Ireland completed a fixed sea link, and it’s about to open to the public.”

  Red’s brow furrowed. “Explain.”

  Leigh pushed his pointer fingers together mimicking a connecting tunnel. “Technically, you could walk from Ireland to Scotland without stepping into a boat.”

  “The banishment has lifted,” Nika stated.

  Anger crept into Red’s voice. “You’ve got to be kidding me! A tunnel?” He glanced at Nika whose large eyes remained stern. “Seriously?” He groaned. “You’d think a historian buried in that god-awful palace of a library would have considered the impact of a fricking underwater channel.”

  If Ali wasn’t struggling to keep up, she would have inquired about this large library.

  Leigh’s brows tightened. “I read the Sons died four thousand years ago… the historians would have written those words.”

  Red shook his head. “They were wrong!” He sighed. “And, shit. I was wrong too. We can’t wait on your parents; we need help now.”

  Nika folded her hands in her lap. “The Tuatha de Danann alone cannot defeat the Sons of Carman. The scions of Cridhinbheal, Ollamain, Bé Chuille, and Laebach must send them back or kill them.”

  Leigh eyes lit with understanding. “So, it’s not revenge, but a stipulation of the original spell?”

  “The Sons are linked to the place of banishment,” Nika said. “It will take one member of each blood line to sever that connection by death or strengthen it through banishment.”

  “Ugh…” Leigh groaned as he threw his head back and sunk into the couch.

  Red ran his fingers through his hair and stared into space. After a moment he looked at Jessica, his complexion paling. “I’m sorry. You can’t go
home.”

  Jessica squeezed Ali’s hand. “For how long?”

  “I have no idea,” Red said.

  Out of the corner of her eye, one of the tattooed creatures stirred and disappeared under Nika’s arm. Ali blinked, but the shiny gold patterns didn’t shift again.

  “You haven’t told your friends about Dub,” Nika said catching her eye.

  Ali racked her brain. Didn’t Red say one Son was named Dub?

  She regretted the thought immediately. The room darkened and winked out of existence. A fog surrounded her, then slowly dissipated leaving the air cool and smelling of pine. Ali stood in the forest near the Clock Tower Café. She spun in the middle of an empty road, looking for Nika and the couch.

  “Not again,” she groaned as a slight headache formed behind her eyes.

  Nika’s voice bounced off the trees like an announcer at a football game. “The blue-eyed shadow.”

  Ali stopped spinning when she saw the shadow teen. Vivid eyes stared at her.

  He’s real?

  The shadow took a step toward her. She turned to run, tripping. Ali never touched the ground. Instead, the damp woods faded into the bright light of Nika’s home just as Ali threw her hands forward. She accidentally knocked over her glass of lemonade, sending it across the table to the floor.

  The room spun out of existence again. Ali reached blindly for the couch, looking for something stationary to hold, but everything vanished.

  “Ali?” Jessica asked. Her voice sounding like she was at the far end of a tunnel.

  The fog returned, then Red’s living room appeared before her. His house looked the way it did before the questing beast crashed through the window. Red’s bean bag chair sat on the floor beneath the intact glass windows. The shadow teen–Dub–appeared on the other side of the glass, his face visible this time. Dub looked slightly older than her with close-cropped curly dark hair and olive skin. However, she didn’t have long to stare, his visage vanished as soon as it appeared.

  “What is wrong with her?” Ali heard Jessica’s voice demand from somewhere in the distance.