by JD MITCHELL
“She is seeing,” Nika stated harshly.
Nika’s house reappeared. The warm breeze washed over Ali’s face. It smelled of the sweet flowers from the garden. The room took shape, but her vision spun. She closed her eyes attempting to suppress the nausea.
“Please stop doing that,” Ali asked.
“Showed her what?” Jessica demanded.
“Dub,” Nika replied coldly.
Bile rose in Ali’s throat. She bent over resting her head above her knees and whispered. “I’ve seen a shadow person in my dreams.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Leigh asked. His voice suggesting Ali was intentional in her silence.
“Because it was a dream!” Ali snapped; then paused considering her own comment. She sat upright and opened her eyes. The fringe of her vision was a little spotty, but the room stopped spinning as she focused on Nika. “Why haven’t I seen Dub in person?”
“Dub watches from the shadows,” Nika said. “However, you’ve continued to evade your pursuers. Soon the Sons will tire of failure and hunt you themselves.”
A lump formed in her throat.
“With everything going on, you didn’t think a reoccurring dream was important?” Red grumbled.
“Give her a break, all of this is new,” Jessica retorted. When Red didn’t respond, she turned on Nika. “Why isn’t Dub in Red’s or Leigh’s dreams?”
Nika shrugged ever so slightly. It was the most human expression Ali had witnessed so far. “Dub found Ali, and she led them to Leigh and Red.”
Ali’s heart sunk. Three birds with one stone. Everything was her fault. No wonder creatures only appeared when Leigh was present.
“Wait, has he found other descendants?” Leigh asked, his voice thick. “Has… anyone died?”
“Yes,” Nika said.
Leigh swallowed; his wide eyes focused on the floor.
“Your parents are in the otherworld,” Red said, placing his hand on Leigh’s shoulder.
Nika stood abruptly. “Our time has concluded. You may briefly rest, then leave.”
This time, Nika disappeared so quickly only thin air remained.
Jessica jumped. “Where’d Nika go?”
Leigh leaned back into the cushions; his eyes vacant. “She’s still here.” He pointed toward the ceiling and made a swirling motion.
The thought of Nika lurking above them did not comfort Ali. However, she faced larger concerns. Primarily a trio of brothers who wished her dead for a list of reasons she knew nothing about.
Jessica teetered on the edge of the couch, her steely gaze on Red. “I want the full story.”
Red glared at the ceiling as though Nika would smite him for breach of confidentiality. After a moment he shrugged. “Yeah, okay. About four thousand years ago a witch named Carman and her three sons terrorized Ireland by destroying crops and spreading disease. Our people-,” Red pointed to himself and Leigh, “the Tuatha De Danann, sent four members to deal with them. One was our ancestor, Cridhinbheal. The others were Bé Chuille, Laebach, and Ollamain, Ali’s ancestor.”
Ali’s jaw tightened. She wondered what Jessica made of this.
Red finished the story. “Our families imprisoned Carman and banished her sons.”
“I had worked most of that out already,” Jessica said dryly. “Where were they banished?”
Red shrugged. “We need to find out.” He looked at Leigh. “I bet we can get on a mid-morning flight to Dublin if we hurry.”
Ali paused. “We’re going to Ireland?”
Ten
Red paid for the flights to Ireland despite Jessica’s insistence to pay her own way. Ali assumed it was a peace offering since Jessica still acted salty toward Red. The cost of last-minute international flights wouldn’t be cheap, which made Ali wonder about Red’s family money.
When they arrived at the airport, not one person questioned them about their lack of passports. Ali was ushered though security check points like a celebrity, though the TSA agents acted dazed. Confused, she asked Leigh how they managed it, but he only muttered that Red had it handled.
Ali stopped questioning Red’s ‘voodoo’ when she found herself in the first-class cabin on a Boeing 757. Immediately, she called dibs on an aisle seat and sunk into its smooth leather upholstery. To her delight, first-class was equipped with personal televisions showing complementary movies. The cabin also featured a free snack cart of which Ali took full advantage. Despite Jessica’s disapproving stare, she consumed six cans of sprite and multiple cookies. If the steward hadn’t removed the trash every thirty minutes, Ali would have accumulated a mound of cans and wrappers.
After the first hour, Jessica propped a pillow against the window and dozed. Ali should have napped, but her mind raced with new information. Monsters chased her, the so-called Sons wanted her dead, and she could perform magic. When she figured out how. With Jessica asleep, and the boys across the aisle, these thoughts festered. Since she had no one to talk to, she watched a sci-fi movie and guzzled caffeine to stay awake.
It was toward the end of the flight when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She removed her headphones and turned to see Leigh staring at her, his fake eyebrows furrowed.
“What’s up?” Ali asked.
Leigh glanced at Red, who was engrossed in a movie. He scrutinized nearby passengers, then leaned forward until he was practically in Ali’s ear. She could smell his earthy cologne which reminded her of sandalwood. Instinctively, she leaned back before Leigh realized she was sniffing him.
“When the gancanagh attacked you in the diner, you shocked it?”
Like the flick of a switch, the memory surfaced. The gancanagh’s murderous smile, his hot breath–smelling of cinnamon–assaulting her nostrils. It reminded her she hadn’t showered, and she wanted to wash the gancanagh’s stink off her face.
Ali cringed.
“I felt a shock, and the gancanagh fell backwards.” She scratched her arm where it had broken. Thankfully Leigh had been there to stop it. A new realization struck her–she’d been selfish.
“Thank you,” Ali said sheepishly.
Leigh cocked his head to the side.
“For the gancanagh, and I guess...,” she thought about the last two weeks. “The kelpie and the questing beast too.”
Leigh waved her off. “We’re in this together.”
Straightening in her chair, she considered him. “You’ve done a lot for me and I’ve been so wrapped up in myself I forgot this situation sucks for you too.”
“It’s fine. I get it.”
Ali fumbled with her headphones, rolling them back and forth in her hands. “I’ll try not to be such a jerk. You didn’t have to help us.”
“You’re helping.” He pointed toward her fingers and smiled. “Sounds like your abilities reared their head at the café.”
She stared at her fingertips, wondering again how she might encourage the sparks to return. Would Leigh teach her? Imagine the fun she could have shocking people. On accident of course.
A knot formed in her stomach. Another memory from the diner surfaced. One she was ashamed of. Ali couldn’t ask for Leigh’s help without owning up to her part of the argument with Melissa. She groaned, but decided it was best to come clean.
“Leigh,” Ali cleared her throat. “I need to apologize for something I said to Melissa.”
His brow tightened.
Ali stumbled, searching for the right words. “So… I thought Melissa dumped you. But Brian said that wasn’t the case.”
Leigh’s face fell.
Worried this would go downhill fast, she plunged forward with her confession before she chickened out. “Brian told me you-”
Leigh cut her off mid-sentence. “Melissa shouldn’t have hit you. Period.” There was a finality in his tone, but Ali wasn’t blameless. She owed him the truth.
“Yes, but I said something that caused her reaction.”
A dark cloud passed behind Leigh’s eyes, and he leaned back into his seat. “Don’t listen
to Brian either, he’s a prick.”
She remembered the way Brian looked at Melissa. Brian obviously vied for the position of boyfriend. Leigh must know Brian’s intentions. But to be honest, it surprised her Melissa wasn’t dating someone new already.
“I didn’t mean to cause trouble,” Ali said.
“You didn’t,” Leigh said, but his gaze was a thousand miles away.
Guilt festered in the pit of her stomach. Leigh had a tough start to the school year. He got sick, then broke up with his girlfriend. Now he was saving Ali’s rear-end every other day. To top it off, she brought up sensitive subjects he seemed resistant to discuss. She’d explain herself, then drop the subject of Melissa.
“With you having cancer and all, Melissa was acting bitchy and…” Ali let her voice trial as Leigh’s melancholy melted into perplexion.
“Who told you I had cancer?” Leigh asked.
Sugar.
Heat raced up Ali’s neck into her cheeks. She heard from the rumor mill at school. Judging by his reaction, she had bad information. Ali knew better. She preached against listening to gossip. Always confirm the facts. Why couldn’t she apologize to Leigh and drop it like a normal person?
“I think someone at school mentioned it?” Ali said. The words sounded lame and were an obvious lie.
Leigh’s eyes fogged and he slowly nodded. “That explains a few comments I’ve received.”
She peered at his bald head and summoned the courage for her next question. In her experience, this was the moment she wound up in trouble for being blunt.
“I’m guessing this is an appropriate time to ask why you don’t have hair.”
He didn’t skip a beat. “I have alopecia.”
The term was foreign to her. “Is it… fatal?”
Leigh snorted.
At least his humor returned.
“No. It’s an autoimmune disease where your hair falls out. When my abilities manifested, so did the alopecia.”
“Oh. So, you’re fine?” She still was unclear on the implications.
“Just bald,” Leigh stated.
It was a hard pill to swallow. She didn’t take the greatest pride in her hair, but she’d be devastated if she lost it. Instinctively she reached for the top of her head, then pulled her hand into her lap. She didn’t want to offend Leigh more than she already had.
“Can you get your hair back?” Ali asked.
Leigh took a moment. “It comes back, or it doesn’t.”
“Can’t you just,” Ali waved an invisible wand, then lowered her voice. “Use magic?”
He shook his head. “It’ll just fall out.”
Ali considered his situation. Leigh might be bald the rest of his life and he couldn’t do anything about it.
“You handle it well,” Ali decided. “I would have lost my shit.”
Leigh rubbed his fingers with his thumbs. “I didn’t take it well when it first happened.”
Ali reached for her hair again, running a stringy brown lock though her fingers. A selfish thought occurred to her. “Will I lose my hair because of these abilities?”
Leigh shook his head. “It has nothing to do with our... heritage.”
“Oh.” A wave of relief washed over her. Immediately, she felt guilty about her own insensitivity to his situation.
“Alopecia isn’t contagious either,” Leigh said. His words seemed like an afterthought.
It never crossed Ali’s mind he might have a communicable disease, but someone must have asked him. “I’m guessing Melissa had a hard a time with the hair loss?”
It took a moment for Leigh to answer. “She struggled, but I’m the one who didn’t cope well.”
Red laughed a little too loud at something on the screen, capturing their attention. He was still immersed in the movie. Ali watched as he popped a handful of peanuts into his mouth.
“It wasn’t only the alopecia. We fought a lot.” Leigh shrugged. “I’m supposed to wind up with another Tuatha de Danann, so I figured with our constant fighting the right thing was to break up with Melissa. Maybe it’s easier for me. I don’t know.”
A cog clicked into place. Suddenly, she understood what happened between Jessica and Red. They were about Ali’s age when they dated and subsequently split. Ali stole a look at Jessica who slept next to her. It was probable Red made the same decision as Leigh. If they expected Red to marry another TDD, then Jessica was unacceptable.
The realization struck her as odd. Jessica was intelligent, beautiful, and became a successful lawyer all while raising Ali. Red would be lucky to have her. Of course, Red cheated on Jessica, so Red might also be a self-centered a-hole.
However, Leigh wasn’t a jerk and shouldn’t be unhappy.
“Do you love Melissa?” Ali asked holding her breath. She hoped not.
He gave a non-committal shrug.
Her hopes were immediately dashed. The hurt expression reflecting in his eyes suggested he still loved Melissa. Admittedly Ali was starting to like Leigh, but she should’ve known he saw her as a friend. Taking a deep breath, she forced her jealousy aside. Leigh deserved her friendship after everything he’d done for her. She wouldn’t pine after him like a lovesick puppy if he wanted someone else.
“Be with whoever you want, including Melissa,” Ali said. “Don’t be an idiot like Red.”
Leigh’s face screwed into disappointment. “Red is a good guy. You both need to give him a chance.”
The conversation was done. Leigh was prepared to defend Red, and Melissa was a topic he seemed bent on avoiding.
Red laughed again. This time louder than before. Leigh nudged him. Red stifled his laughter as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. At least one of them relaxed. She placed her headphones back in her ears, knowing she needed to attempt sleep. Who knew what madness waited in Ireland?
Eleven
At some point Ali dozed. She woke to the calm voice of a stewardess announcing their arrival to Dublin. Next to her Jessica was already alert and looking picture perfect. Ali wasn’t sure how Jessica managed without a hairbrush, but every strand was in place.
Their group deplaned like a troupe of zombies. Besides Jessica, no one slept more than an hour. Ali found the nearest restroom and made a beeline for it. She tried splashing water on her face, but the grogginess remained. Dark circles formed under her eyes and her hair was a tangled mess. Too tired to put forth an effort, she abandoned her hair and joined the group outside the restrooms.
Trailing behind Jessica, they maneuvered through the airport. People were everywhere. At first Ali tuned them out, but a boisterous man caught her attention as he chased after a young child. “Stop acting the maggot!” the man scolded as he disappeared into a group of travelers.
After that, she listened into conversations. Most of what she overheard was English. However, their accent grabbed her attention. She watched as an old man hugged his grandchild. “Ha-ware-ya?”
The announcer’s voice crackled, “Welcome ta Oireland. Cead Mile Failte.”
Ali wasn’t clear on the translation, but it sounded cool.
The sweet aroma of chocolate and coffee sidetracked her. She slowed to check out a vendor called the chocolate lounge. If she hadn’t consumed a ton of sugar on the plane, she would have tried to grab a quick snack. However, Jessica was quick to usher her past the treats with a shake of the head.
Red directed them though the crowd until they reached the exit. Neither him, nor Leigh, seemed interested in stopping to take in their surroundings.
Waiting for them near baggage claim was a leggy woman with dark red hair that fell in waves to her curvy hips. Her mass of hair framed pouty lips and green eyes. Ali did a triple take. This woman could have been a bikini model for Sports Illustrated. When Leigh explained a family friend named Leanan was coming to pick them up, she imagined a man in overalls driving a pickup. He pronounced the name as lean-nan. Ali heard “Lee” and assumed a man.
Leanan smiled and hugged each of the boys before settlin
g on Leigh. She gripped either of his arms like an adoring aunt, then spoke. “Your parents are eager to see you. If we don’t stop, I’ll have you through the gates before dinner.”
“You found them,” Leigh sighed.
She winked. “I’m here for you.”
Her Irish accent was softer sounding than what Ali heard in the airport. It was pleasant rather than harsh.
Leanan’s gaze settled on Ali next. Ali gave her an awkward wave, but Leanan moved in for a hug. Surprised, Ali hugged her back out of politeness, stiffening at the contact. Jessica was quick to extend a hand. Leanan’s expression twisted into confusion, but she gripped and shook it.
“This way then,” Leanan said gesturing toward a set of doors.
As they walked through the parking lot, Leanan smiled at Jessica. “You’re welcome to stick with me. The Tuatha de Danann might not treat you with kindness.”
Jessica’s eyes flashed with a mixture of hurt and irritation.
To Ali’s surprise, Red shook his head. “She stays with me.”
Leanan looked between them, before giving Jessica an amused smile. “The offer stands if you change your mind. I may be Aos Sí, but I’m not Tuatha de Danann, which is a sin in their eyes.”
“A fact you delight in,” Leigh teased.
Leanan flashed a wicked grin.
Ali remembered Aos Sí meant fairy but didn’t understand the joke.
The rigid tension faded from Jessica’s posture as she pointed to Red and Leigh. “You’re not one of them?”
Leanan let out a musical laugh. “I’m closer to the Dearg Due than the Tuatha de Danann.” At Jessica’s confused stare, Leanan offered an olive branch. “I’m a rung or two above humans.”
Jessica raised an eyebrow but didn’t question Leanan. Ali was on the verge of asking what nature of creature Leanan was, but Leigh whispered in her ear. “In laymen’s terms, she’s a mix of vampire and fairy.”
The hairs on Ali’s arm’s raised. Vampires are folklore based on the fictional story of Bram Stoker. It was a fact. An immovable belief Ali held her entire life. She may have seen a questing beast, gancanagh, pooka, and met a house-elf calling himself Porter, but they were all concrete creatures. Vampires were absurd.
