by JD MITCHELL
He rested the harp on its feet, so it balanced upright. “I believe disclosing that information was the intention of your beautiful tour guide.” Aengus studied Leanan again, who gave him a wry smile. “I wondered when your true motivation would reveal itself.”
Red about spilled his wine standing up. “Leanan, you knew Aengus had a treasure?” He didn’t wait for an answer, spinning to face Aengus. “Which one?”
Leigh perched on the edge of his seat. “You have the spear, don’t you?” The words tumbled out of his mouth with excitement. “I read you we’re close to Lugh!”
Aengus’s smile broadened as he stood and clutched his wine goblet. “I love, young man, that you’ve taken an interest in my history.”
Standing, Aengus extended his hand to Ali from beneath a billowy shirt. “Allow me, Daughter of Ollamain, to escort you to my collection.”
Ali suppressed a snicker. No man in her dreams or otherwise, had ever spoken to her this way. It tickled her to no end. She held out her hand, the bandage on her forearm slipping out from under the fluffy bathrobe. Aengus offered his other arm to Leanan.
“My nymph, seductress of the hearts of men and Fae, allow me to escort you.”
Leanan laughed and playfully slapped his arm before she grasped it. “Oh, you old flatterer.”
Aengus leaned close to Leanan and whispered. “Shall I add trickster to your designation?”
She spoke under her breath, just audible enough for Ali to hear. “You knew what I wanted the moment Red mentioned the Sons.”
“I am never too proud to admit my ego bested me. I assumed you sought my advice and intellect,” Aengus mumbled.
Leanan’s serious eyes locked with his. “The Tuatha de Danann need more than you might be willing to give.”
Aengus face constricted, then immediately relaxed as he glanced away.
“A tour of the halls is in order!” Aengus announced. His voice jovial, with no trace of the stress moments before. “We shall take the scenic route.”
Ali didn’t know what to make of Aengus’s reaction, so she zipped her lips. Her wheels spun with questions, but she feigned interest as they sauntered into the hallway leaving the boys to follow. Ali heard Leigh snort a few times at Aengus’s behavior.
Aengus pointed to various sculptures and paintings as they traversed the long corridors. Ali didn’t pay much attention until they neared a large painting in an intricate gold frame.
“This is my mother.”
The woman before them was stunning in a gown of blue and white. The dress disappeared into the serene river behind her. Her blonde hair fell in waves to her waist, and her eyes were a deep blue, similar to Aengus. In the painting, her eyes searched the skyline for something off canvas.
“She’s beautiful,” Ali said.
“Hmm, yes.” Aengus agreed. “Although, she hated this painting.”
Whatever the reason behind his mother’s dislike, Ali would’ve killed to look like that in real life.
“I wonder why she left the painting hanging,” Leanan asked.
Apparently, it was meant to be an unanswered question. Aengus looked pensive, and Leanan shook her head as they continued the tour. The other paintings of old men, women, and scenery dulled in comparison.
As they progressed down a side passage, music similar to techno echoed down the halls.
“Is someone playing house music?” Ali asked.
“I was hosting a party when you arrived,” Aengus said.
Guilt washed over Ali. “You should return to the party.”
“Nonsense, I host frequent parties. They will not notice my absence,” Aengus said. He then considered her. “Unless you’d like to attend? It’s a lover’s festival.”
Behind her, someone choked. When she turned, Red cleared his throat. She was certain he spit up his wine by the way Leigh laughed.
“Too young,” Red said coughing.
Leigh grinned. “Ali might find it fun.”
Red glared at Leigh and raised an eyebrow. “You are both too young.”
For once, Ali agreed. Call her a prude, but a lover’s festival made her nervous. Less than a year ago she ran out on a game of spin the bottle. She attended the party to “be a normal teenager” as her friends put it, then panicked. Ali imagined a party involving Fae and their see-through clothes wasn’t PG.
“Perhaps another time,” Leanan suggested, her green eyes twinkling.
“Ah my dear. I couldn’t let you loose on my guests,” Aengus said, his devilish smile returning. “You’ll deprive me of friends, and I have so few these days.”
Leanan grinned, flashing her pearly white teeth. It reminded Ali that Leanan was some sort of vampire succubus. In the day's chaos, she forgot to tell Jessica. This new friendship reminded her of a lion tamer and lioness. Leanan didn’t seem dangerous anymore. Was that how lion tamers felt until the lion's jaw snapped around their throat?
“I haven’t forgotten you’ve attended my parties Redmond,” Aengus said, surprising Ali. “You were about Leigh’s age trying to get over some human girl.”
“A human?” Leanan asked. She peered over her shoulder, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Do tell.”
Ali feigned disinterest in Red. She couldn’t bring herself to look and see if Red’s face held embarrassment, agitation, or both. This was about Jessica, and depending on his next words, she wasn’t certain of her own reaction.
“Nothing to tell,” Red said. His tone attempted at laziness, but Ali heard the underlying tension. “I was young and curious about Fae parties.”
“Hmm,” Aengus nodded.
Leanan rested her head on Aengus’s shoulder. “There’s a story behind this.”
Aengus glanced at Red. His lips twitched, but he kept his own counsel. “I’m uncertain about young Redmond’s prior intentions, but to be clear to dear Ali, I host parties in honor of my wife.”
The idea of Aengus having a wife delighted Ali. If she was half as eccentric as Aengus, this would be a fun evening. “Is your wife at the party?”
Aengus smiled. “Not yet, but soon.”
Leigh appeared next to Ali, leaving Red to trail behind them. “Aengus’s wife can only take human form every other Samhain.”
Ali knew this word, she read about Samhain when she looked up the Tuatha de Danann. Samhain occurred at the end of the harvest season and was celebrated on October thirty-first. Basically, it was Irish Halloween, except the celebration surrounded the lowering of the boundary between the human and otherworld, allowing the spirits to cross over. Ali now understood spirits referred to the creatures she’d seen the last few weeks.
“Studying my history again?” Aengus asked.
Leigh shrugged. “I like history.”
Ali was dying to ask what manner of creature Aengus’s wife turned into but didn’t know if Aengus would find the question rude.
“A swan,” Leigh whispered. “I could tell by the way your face puckered you wanted to ask.”
“It’s a romantic gesture,” Leanan swooned. “I love your parties.”
Aengus winked. “You enjoy the flirtations and conquest of the hunt.”
“Don’t we all?” Leanan asked, her eyes large as she mocked innocence.
“My wife is my love to this day.” He stroked what looked like a silver feather on a chain around his neck, then tucked it back away under his blouse. He smiled at Ali. “She is my world.”
Ali didn’t contribute to the conversation. She knew nothing of romance. Anything she had to say was liable to come across as awkward.
“Here we are,” Aengus said as they entered a cavernous room and the torches flicked to life. Oil paintings lined the walls while marble statues of warriors, beasts, and naked women occupied the room. The far back wall held a case filled with swords, shields, axes, and other objects Ali couldn’t name. However, the center of the room held what they came for. Three spears lay in their own case on a black velvet cushion behind a glass pane.
“Gáe Buide, Gáe
Derg, and Spear of Lugh.” Aengus swelled with pride.
The first spear was canary yellow spanning from the polished metal tip down the wooden shaft to the base. The second was scarlet and looked similar to the first in design, but about six inches longer. Ali fixated on the third spear. It was simple, but large. The shaft was longer than Ali was tall, made of light polished wood and bound with dark leather. The spearhead was the length of Ali’s forearm but wider. Its flat surface depicted the face of a horned demon with wide eyes and a blood thirsty grin. While the spear looked old, the edges were visibly sharp.
“I thought they kept it in Dagda’s caldron because of the heat?” Leigh asked, looking at it unimpressed.
Aengus laughed. “You’ve been listening to wives' tales spun by humans. We also don’t feed it blood or soak it in poppy seeds to keep it asleep. The spear is a tool which can only be wielded by Lugh’s ancestors.”
“It only works in the hands of his descendants?” Leigh asked like a deflated balloon.
Ali smiled. She supposed Leigh harbored an intention of testing it out.
“Lugh was a magician. He wouldn’t create a weapon that others could manipulate against him,” Aengus said with a wry smirk. “However, magic isn’t perfect, and the craft of it extended to his kin.”
“Yes, but the stories,” Leigh began.
Aengus shrugged. “Bards are creative when they weave stories. Some romantic details are exaggerated.” He considered the spear for a moment, lost in a memory. “It was deadly in Lugh’s hands. That I can attest to.”
Ali looked at its polished shaft again. They needed this weapon.
“The spear still works when a descendant uses it?” Ali probed.
“It does,” Aengus said matter-of-factly. “But I won’t part with it unless requested by an heir.”
Ali gulped. “So, if we find a descendant, you’ll let us borrow it?”
“I will always honor my friend’s lineage.” Aengus turned and smiled.
A small amount of satisfaction filled her. All that remained was finding someone who could wield that spear, and they were a step closer to solving this mess.
“Who would like to tour the gardens?” Aengus asked looking hopeful.
Leanan was the only taker on Aengus offer. Exhausted, Ali, Red, and Leigh returned to the room with the couches. When they arrived, Ali relayed what she overheard Leanan say to Aengus.
“Leanan is cunning.” Red smirked. “Aengus is right to be suspicious of her.”
“She is?” Ali asked.
Red shoved his hands in the pockets of his robe. “With the Tuatha de Danann isolated to the otherworld, Aengus is our best chance. Leanan knows it.”
“Despite his weird personality, he’s old and powerful,” Leigh said as he draped an arm over Ali’s shoulders.
Ali glanced up at him, surprised at the contact. Leigh dropped his arm looking sheepish. “Sorry.”
He took her reaction the wrong way, but she didn’t get the chance to explain herself.
“Leanan is probably asking for his help right now,” Red said. “Lord knows I tried earlier, but I think Leanan will talk him around.”
Uncertain about their situation, Ali bit her lip. Information bounced around in her head and she tried to grab all the pieces to force them into a scenario that made sense. “So, Aengus will know what to do next?”
“I hope so,” Red said. “I’m out of ideas.”
Stifling a yawn, Ali glanced at the couches, then ambled toward the interior room where Jessica slept. The credenza in the corner had a plethora of quilts, and Ali grabbed a few to cover whichever couch she chose. Having learned about the lover’s parties, she didn’t want to risk sleeping on a dirty couch. She was almost through the doorway when Red stopped her.
“Can we talk?”
Ali’s throat caught. Her first concern was that another nasty surprise waited on the horizon.
Red looked over his shoulder at Leigh who gave them both a quizzical look. When Red shook his head, Leigh settled onto one of the longer couches.
“Would you mind not telling Jessica about earlier?” Red whispered. He shifted his weight and pressed his lips together.
Ali rummaged through her thoughts, then remembered the lover party he attended a decade ago. Considering Jessica’s chief complaint back then was Red’s cheating, there was no reason Ali would rehash that now.
“I won’t. It’d only aggravate her,” Ali said more defensively than intended. The reminder that Red cheated on Jessica bothered her.
“Why would it anger her?” Red asked looking confused.
She folded her arms. “The lover’s party and cheating?”
Red’s face flushed. “Oh that. No, I meant about getting over her.”
Ali replayed the entire conversation with Aengus in her mind. Jessica was the human girl, she worked that much out for herself. Why would Red care if Jessica knew he needed to get over her? Then it clicked.
“Do you still care about her?” Ali asked lowering her voice.
Red balled his fists, knocked them together a few times, and then grimaced. “Please don’t mention it.”
“Then, why’d you cheat on her?” Ali asked.
Red looked as though he’d rather be anywhere else. He peeked at Leigh once more. Leigh scrutinized them but was too far away to hear their conversation.
“I can’t be with Jessica.” He exhaled. “In my teenage brain, cheating on her was the easy solution.” Red scratched the back if his neck. “I needed her to be stronger than me.”
“You mean mad at you,” Ali said.
He nodded.
Ali glared at him. The statement was the most stupid and somewhat endearing answer he could have given. Except Ali focused on the stupid aspect. “She cried. A lot.”
The remorse was clear in the way his head hung. “I know.”
“What about now?” Ali asked, thinking about the protective way he carried her and the concern he’d expressed over her injuries.
“I can’t ever be with her,” Red said resolute.
Those words echoed what Leigh had said about Melissa, but it would be a betrayal to Leigh to share that information. Red’s eyes pleaded with her.
Both of these guys are idiots.
“Jessica is the last person I’d hurt,” Ali said.
Relief crossed Red’s face, then he turned and trudged back toward the couches. Leigh’s head picked up at Red’s approach, but Red ignored him and settled onto a different couch.
Ali headed into the room where Jessica slept. Despite his best attempts, Red would cause a problem. Jessica had accused him of being a backstabbing cheater who can’t be trusted. The truth was worse. He’d been a love-sick teenager unable to end it with Jessica. What happens when Jessica figures this out? It was obvious something changed between them, but the TDD had rules Red seemed bent on following.
And Leigh for that matter. He had the same stupid idea about Melissa. Talk about apples off the same tree.
Did Ali have to follow these rules now that she was part of this world? She already had a non-existent dating life. If these people diminished her dating prospects, she might as well invest in comfy sweats and lack of personal hygiene now.
Settling onto a plush couch, she pulled a blanket over her head. Ali no longer worried about the couches previous occupants, but about lineage.
Who the hell am I?
Fourteen
When Aengus came to collect Jessica and Ali for breakfast, they learned Red and Leanan left with several Fae warriors to find other descendants. Jessica asked for details, but Aengus refused to go into specifics.
The four of them – Aengus, Jessica, Leigh, and Ali – sat at a circular breakfast table built for twenty. The size of the table would have seemed absurd, except it wasn’t the focal point of the room. Three ivory walls fed into a massive balcony overlooking the arboretum. Sunlight streamed through the largest glass dome she’d ever seen. In structure, it reminded her of a dome atop a capital building,
but a hundred times the size. Trees and shrubs lined stone walking paths. A man-made pond stuck out from behind a bend in the distance. Colored plants sprung forth from its edges. Ali wanted to venture into the arboretum later. The plants took on unnatural shades of red, purple, and blue. A new category of tree entered her classification system. Oak, Christmas, and Fae.
“Do you know when Red will return?” Jessica asked.
“In a few days,” Aengus said as he popped a piece of an orange into his mouth.
Jessica tapped the side of her coffee mug. “There must be something the three of us can do while we wait.”
Leigh paused between bites of a pancake stack that appeared out of nowhere. “I was thinking Ali and I could practice conjuring solas.”
“Sol-luss?” Ali asked.
“Concentrated energy,” Leigh said.
She realized he meant the glowing orbs and perked. “Yes! I want to do that.”
“Unless you have a different skill like telekinesis,” Leigh said thoughtfully.
The concept of levitating an object excited her. She’d imagined having the ability of telekinesis during the early hours of the morning as she lay awake. In her fantasy, she levitated the eraser from the whiteboard into the side of Mr. Brown’s face when he called her out during class. It was an unrealistic scenario. Unless the entire class wasn’t looking…
Aengus’s smile twisted into amusement. “This might be entertaining. It’s been ages since I’ve trained.”
Leigh’s expression fell. He crammed another bite of pancake in his mouth. His cheeks protruded like a squirrel carrying nuts as he chewed. If Leigh thought they’d sneak off and practice alone, he was mistaken.
“That’s a good idea,” Jessica said, though her gaze was miles off as she sipped her coffee. After a moment her eyes brightened. “Aengus, do you have a library?”
“I pride myself it’s one of the finest,” Aengus beamed.
“Do you have material on the Sons of Carman?” Jessica asked. “I’d like to understand who we’re up against.”
“I’m certain you’ll find multiple references,” Aengus said.
Ali stabbed her omelet with her fork and took a large bite. The smoky white cheddar melted in her mouth, but excitement had her chewing quickly. Today was shaping up to be interesting, and she was ready to start.
