by J. M. Briggs
Turning back to the forge, Dobiemir picked up the odd metal piece he’d been working on. There was a faint glow still visible in the iron. Running a finger over it, Dobiemir thought he felt a jolt in his chest. Like a pull. Exhaling, he gave Slavko one more look and headed back into the forge. If this was the key to his magic and ending this threat, then it was time to finish it. Now he knew exactly what he was making.
Adding some fuel to the furnace, Dobiemir inhaled the warming air. The taste of charcoal filled his mouth, but he embraced it. Looking at the round iron piece he’d already made, Dobiemir began to plan the next steps. Something fluttered in his chest, a tiny spark that he thought might just be his magic. Closing his eyes, he tried to pull on it like Morgana had described during lessons. Nothing happened, but he felt a little bit stronger, and a little more certain of the future.
28
Returning Home to Questions
Pulling out her key, Alex quickly unlocked the front door and pushed it open. They hadn’t lived at the house that long, and yet the smell of it enveloped her at once. There was a soft smell of books carried in by Aiden and the various collections they all had. An earthy undertone of clay and leather mixed oddly with the small hints of makeup products, electronics and cooked food.
A few pairs of shoes were stacked up by the door underneath a bench. Someone had hung up a row of hooks, and jackets for the cooling autumn weather had already been hung up. Alex was pretty sure that the hooks hadn’t been there when she left, but everything was a blur. She blinked, trying to gather her thoughts. Setting down her duffle bag, Alex maneuvered her shoulder bag around Cathanáil and hung it on a hook.
Someone was moving up the stairs from the basement. Alex wasn’t worried but stopped to see who it was anyway. The footfalls were fast and excited, so she guessed it was probably Aiden. He came upstairs a moment later, his brown hair a bit of a tangled mess.
“Alex.” Relief filled Aiden’s face, and he grinned at her. Stepping forward, he opened his arms, and Alex obeyed the silent demand for a hug. His arms wrapped around her and squeezed. It felt nice, and she relaxed into the embrace. “Welcome home. I’m glad you’re safe.”
“I’m fine,” Alex promised. Aiden released her, and she stepped back. “We’ll do your parents’ house tomorrow. Right now, I need food.” She headed for the kitchen with Aiden on her heels.
She made it into the kitchen only to find Bran drying off his hands next to a rack full of clean dishes. He offered her a soft smile which widened when Alex stepped forward to get another hug. It was nice to come home to people that were glad to see her.
“You’re welcome.”
“How did things go?” Bran asked. “Any problems?”
“Things went fine,” Alex answered. Opening the fridge, she bent over and looked at the various leftover options. Someone, probably Bran, had made some kind of fried rice. She could see peas through the plastic and smiled. That sounded good. “Jenny’s house went smoothly. I’m afraid that Morgana had to use a bit of magic on her dad so he didn’t notice that we were messing with his security. But at least he knows to take the chiming seriously.” She took the container out and pushed the fridge door shut. “Bran, your Mom was weird about it. Morgana told her that some nasty faeries had moved into the area and might sense your magic.”
“You didn’t tell her about Arthur?”
“I know you don’t want her to know. I think that’s the wrong choice.” Alex walked to the microwave and put the leftovers inside. “But it’s your choice. I’m not going to cause family drama.”
“I know,” Bran said. “I know, I should tell her. I’m working on a plan.”
“A plan,” Aiden repeated. He smirked a little. “I wonder how long that will take.”
“Don’t start, Aiden,” Bran sighed. Aiden offered him a soft smile and a shrug.
“My house has been prepped,” Aiden said. “Whenever you’re ready.”
“Let me rest tonight,” Alex said. “I need some sleep.”
“Yeah… you look tired,” Bran said. “Nightmares?”
Alex blinked, a bit surprised at the bluntness before chuckling. She shouldn’t be. Bran was more than willing to be blunt when he thought it was important.
“Yeah, I had some nightmares. Nothing that I think was real,” Alex said. “Just repeats of that vision of the dying world.”
“Did you talk to Morgana about it?”
“I tried, but she’s in that stubborn mode of hers.” Shaking her head, Alex opened the microwave and pulled out her food. There were some forks in the drying rack, and she plucked one out before heading to the dining room. Aiden and Bran followed her, like little ducklings. “Sometimes she and Merlin are so unwilling to change their minds. She didn’t want to talk about the Queen or anything she remembered from the Sídhe tunnels. I get that it was a long time ago and she was a child, but I got the sense that she was avoiding it.”
“So, she doesn’t think that there is anything wrong with the Tree of Reality?” Bran asked. He and Aiden sat down as she did around the oval wooden table.
“Nope,” Alex said. “I mean, she’s open to the idea that worlds could die and maybe the Sídhe world did, but she doesn’t believe that it could affect Earth.”
“Damn,” Aiden huffed. “Those two can be so stubborn.”
“They’re used to things; they’ve had a long time to become set in their ways,” Alex said. “Honestly… given how old they are, I still feel the need to give them a lot of credit for their adaptability.”
“But this could be a real issue!” Aiden raised his voice, and Alex heard something overhead. “I think we’re onto something!”
Holding back a sigh, Alex shrugged and started eating her food. Aiden started pacing. She understood his frustration, but today she was a little too exhausted to do anything about it. Noise on the staircase drew her attention, and she smiled when Nicki came into view. The redhead was grinning. Alex quickly put her fork down and stood up. Nicki all but jumped her, wrapping her arms around Alex and pinning Alex’s hands to her side.
“Welcome home!” Nicki released her and tucked a strand of Alex’s blonde hair behind her ear. “I hated knowing you were out there without us.”
“I had Morgana,” Alex replied. “Speaking of which, she was going to run home and shower, but she’ll be here soon. She was going to bring Merlin.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Nicki asked. Her glee had faded into worry.
“I’m not sure. I tried talking to her about the Queen, but Morgana… she doesn’t like to think about it.”
“So we have to convince Merlin of the threat to the Tree of Reality,” Bran observed.
“We’ll get through to him,” Nicki said firmly. Alex held back a sigh and resumed eating. “Any more dreams?” Nicki asked gently.
“No,” Alex answered. They didn’t seem to believe her: all of her friends were giving her dubious looks. “Nightmares,” she conceded. “But nothing that seemed useful. I’m sure that I could see them again if I tried… at least I think so, but I’m not sure how to try. Scrying usually doesn’t work. I know that Morgana has tried to find Arthur that way numerous times. She told me a bit about that.”
“So… was it awkward?” Nicki asked. “I mean, thanks for working on it obviously, but was it weird?”
Shrugging, Alex finished chewing. “Wasn’t much time for it to be weird.”
The others were exchanging looks again, and Alex properly studied them. Everyone looked okay, but three were missing. There was no sign of Jenny, Lance, or Avani. Straightening up, Alex stopped chewing.
“They’re fine,” Bran said. “Jenny, Lance, and Avani are upstairs doing magic lessons.”
“Oh.” Alex exhaled and took another bite of food. “Okay.”
“You sure you’re okay?” Nicki was frowning at her with narrowed eyes.
“Just tired,” Alex said. Shrugging, she tried to keep eating, but her appetite was slipping away with everyone watching
her. “And worried. I didn’t like being away from town. Without you guys there, it was like I had to keep looking over my shoulder. It was just off.”
Scraping up the last bite, Alex smiled as she noted that her friends looked oddly pleased. Nicki was smiling again and chuckled a little at her. Turning around in her chair, Alex looked into the kitchen as she realized that someone else was missing.
“Where’s Timothy?”
“He said something about checking inside the walls.” Bran gestured all around them, looking vaguely alarmed. “He’s concerned that there’s enough space in the walls for Red Caps to get in.”
Maybe she had missed something. That was fair. The others had missed her failed attempts to talk to Morgana about a subject that Morgana didn’t want to talk about. Swallowing the last bit, Alex took the empty container and spoon back into the kitchen and dropped them in the sink.
“I’m going to go up and check on them,” Alex said. “Uh, Merlin and Morgana will be here soon. It won’t take Morgana long to get Merlin moving.”
“No, it won’t,” Nicki agreed. “I’ll make up some tea.”
“Thanks, Nicki.”
“I’ll make sure that the living room is clean,” Aiden said. Bran nodded in agreement and followed him.
That left Alex with Nicki. Her friend caught her hand and squeezed it for a moment. “I’m glad you’re back,” Nicki said. “It didn’t feel right for us either, you being out on a mission without us.”
“I was only gone a day and a half.”
“But you were gone. Without us.”
Moving quickly, Alex hugged Nicki, making the redhead laugh. Nicki had to adjust the teapot that she’d picked up, and Alex heard a clunk as Nicki put it down on the stove. Inhaling slowly, Alex enjoyed the soft, quiet moment. Her knees quivered, and she sank into the sense of safety. But it didn’t last, and Nicki squeaked a little when Alex put a little too much weight on her. Standing up, Alex felt her cheeks heating up, but Nicki just gave her a soft look.
“They’re up in Avani’s room.”
Heading upstairs before she proved herself any more of a basket case, Alex stopped briefly to pop her head into her room. Mjǫllnir was still on its stand on the wall, and Galahad was on one of her pillows. Everything was where it was supposed to be. Everyone’s homes outside of Ravenslake were protected, and nothing bad had happened at home. Tapping the wall, Alex furrowed her brow thoughtfully and nodded. That was good, but it didn’t make her worries go away. She headed to Avani’s room.
Alex stopped in the doorway and stared in surprise. Avani’s bedroom furniture had been pushed against the walls to make an open space in the center of the room. She, Jenny, and Lance were sitting in a small circle with an unlit candle between them. Blinking, Alex couldn’t help the stray thought that suggested this was something out of a weird teen movie. Biting her lip, she held back a laugh and sternly reminded herself that she didn’t know what went into ritual magic.
None of them seemed to have heard her, but she didn’t move. Leaning against the doorway, Alex flinched as Cathanáil hit the doorframe. Avani’s eyes opened, and she looked towards Alex, but Lance and Jenny didn’t move. Concern for the pair took over, but Avani gave her a reassuring smile. She lingered for a moment, watching and waiting for something to happen. There was nothing. No new magical glow around Lance or Jenny. Nothing that shouted magic.
“Light the candle,” Avani whispered.
The sudden words made Alex jump, and Cathanáil’s hilt scrapped against the doorway again. Yet Lance and Jenny remained still. A flame suddenly appeared on the wick of the candle, and it began to burn happily.
“Open your eyes and exhale,” Avani instructed.
Jenny did so first. She looked down and saw the burning candle. Her face lit up, and she clasped her hands together.
“Nice,” Alex said. Not that she knew what had gone into that, but it was the first bit of magic that she’d seen the pair do. Lance grinned as he caught sight of her. “I’m back.”
Jumping to her feet, Jenny rushed forward for a hug and Alex chuckled. It was easy to accept the hug, letting it ground her. The old whispers about Jenny and her former lives were silent. Lance climbed to his feet, and once Jenny released her, extended his hand. Taking it, Alex grinned when Lance gave her a quick one-armed hug.
“Welcome back,” he greeted.
“Alex!” Nicki called from downstairs. “As you predicted, Merlin and Morgana just drove up!”
Shrugging, Alex turned towards the door, but Jenny caught her hand before she made it into the hallway. “How did it go?” Jenny asked. “My Dad; did you arrange things like I suggested?”
“Yes.” Alex smiled indulgently. “It went fine, Jenny. Just like it did the first three times I texted you back.” Lance chuckled, fighting back a full laugh. He winked at Alex right before Jenny spun and pouted up at him. “Are you coming downstairs?” Alex asked, moving towards the stairs.
“We’ll be right down,” Avani promised.
Morgana and Merlin were already seated in the living room when Alex came in. Sitting on the sofa wasn’t very comfortable due to Cathanáil, but Alex was getting used to it. Aiden was handling the tea, and she sat down next to Bran on the sofa.
“Morgana brought me up to speed,” Merlin said. “Well done on the alarm system.”
“It doesn’t solve the problem,” Alex said. “But hopefully it will help.” When Aiden offered her some tea, she shook her head. “Arthur might try to use hostages to get Cathanáil.”
“I doubt it,” Morgana said. Blowing softly on her tea, she looked towards the staircase as Avani, Lance, and Jenny came down. “Arthur seems… detached from normal human emotions. I’m not sure that he’d believe you’d give up the sword for a human, given what you know of him.”
There was a hint of warning in Morgana’s voice of what would happen if Alex ever did give him the sword. She doubted that Morgana would ever consider any trade worth the risk. Alex didn’t respond to the words and stayed still on the sofa. Bran shifted slightly, making their legs touch. Hopefully, it would never come to that. Morgana sounded far more certain of the outcome than Alex felt.
“We need to learn what Arthur’s goals are,” Merlin said. “The Fae we’ve been in contact with have no new information. Arthur and the Queen have stopped contacting them and seem to be only in contact with those who already pledged to help them.”
“So, I use my magic and try to spy on them again,” Alex said.
“I’m amazed that you were able to see them that time,” Morgana said. Her green eyes narrowed on Alex, carrying a hint of irritation and a warning. “We’ve tried looking at them, but the Queen always repels us. Her magic, her power, is stronger. Far stronger than it should be, likely due to the Iron Chain.” Holding back a grimace at the reminder of the Chain, Alex dropped her gaze for a moment. Morgana sighed. “You probably only managed because she was exhausted.”
“There were signs of someone trying to damage one of the new Iron Gates,” Merlin said. “It was unsuccessful, of course.” He chuckled for a moment but quickly turned serious. “Those two events are likely connected, but pushing yourself; pushing your magic to spy on her, could be dangerous. Arthur’s Fae won’t be able to break down the Iron Gates, not without Cathanáil.”
“But we need to try something,” Alex said. “The Queen seemed… desperate. Doesn’t that make her even more dangerous? She wants Cathanáil.”
“And we need to be cautious and make sure that she doesn’t get it,” Morgana said. “The new security measures are good, especially in the light of Arthur’s medallions.”
“What about the Tree of Reality?” Aiden asked. He crossed his arms and studied the older mages. “What do you want to do about that?”
“Aiden... You children are jumping to conclusions,” Merlin said. Shaking his head, he tapped his left fingers on his knee. “There is no evidence-”
“That’s not true!” Alex snapped. Fisting her hands, Alex did her best
to keep her voice calm. Anger wouldn’t sway Merlin or Morgana. “The Demons spoke of a Darkness that frightened them into coming to our world again, and I’ve had visions of the Sídhe’s dead world.”
“Maybe there are world’s dying,” Morgana conceded. “But that doesn’t mean that the whole Tree is doomed. Tree branches die, and new ones are born. That’s natural.”
“Okay,” Bran said. “How do we check that then? You both have told us about the Tree of Reality, but how do you know all that? I mean, how did you learn?”
Merlin and Morgana exchange a weighted look. Then they spoke rapidly in their ancient language. Pulling on her magic, Alex focused on the words and willed them to be translated. But the older mages finished talking too quickly. Morgana raised an eyebrow, clearly guessing what Alex had been trying.
