by M. C. Cairns
Mack shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Brianne grabbed both his hands. “Please. It's worth trying once."
Mack sighed deeply. "Okay. One time. If it doesn't work we find another way, deal?"
Brianne nodded. "Deal."
Mack nodded back at her. "Okay. Close your eyes and imagine. You and I are hiding in a pile of straw in the stables. The horses are stomping their hooves, whining, and shaking their heads all around. We hear the door open and you look at me, putting your finger over your lip to tell me to stay quiet. I try to be quiet, but faeries aren't good at sitting still, especially when they’re the equivalent of a seven-year-old human. Heavy footsteps make their way toward us and I start to cry, silently at first, but when he yells I whimper. He reaches into the straw and..."
"Your dad grabbed me instead of you. It was the first time I used my magic around you. When he realized he grabbed the wrong kid, he threw me to the side and went for you. My whole body lit up and with all that straw we were instantly surrounded by fire. He ran to save himself, leaving us to try to save ourselves and the horses. If it hadn't been for Alayna, you would have died. She felt my fear and ran to get mom. We lost the stables, but none of the horses were hurt," Brianne finished his story for him, tears streaming down her face. "Mom was angry with me for using my magic so recklessly, but you stood up for me. When she heard the whole story, she banished your father from the kingdom."
"Now you know my reason for fighting this war. I owe you, Alayna, and your mother for saving me," Mack whispered and hugged her.
"Wait!" Brianne exclaimed, causing Mack to jump back. "I can see the cave again. Alayna, don't say anything. Listen. We’re here. Look around. Let me see everyone."
"I don't think you have to speak out loud," Mack said.
"I know." Brianne shushed him. "I’m doing that for you. The puca is right next to the opening. The two dark faeries we ran into earlier are deeper in the cave and Alayna is sitting between them all. Where's Mom? What? Really? Wow, it seemed so real."
"What seemed real?" Mack listened intently as she spoke.
"Our mom wasn't really there. She’s being held prisoner in the dark faerie kingdom and they were forcing her to watch Alayna be tortured. They want something from her, but Alayna doesn't know what yet." Brianne to the opening of the cove and searched the woods. "We can figure that out later. Right now, we need to get in there. Alayna is getting weak; we need to get her out. How do we know when the nymphs have taken care of the sentries?"
"I have to give them the sign when we’re ready. Ekon and Yetu will have to enter first to subdue the puca. They were smart to put him at the entrance because we would’ve never gotten past him." Mack looked at the trolls and nodded his gratitude. "Once the puca is occupied, you and I can take care of the faeries."
"I got dibs on Dugal," Brianne growled.
"Who is Dugal?" Mack cocked his head to the side and gave Brianne a strange look.
"That white-haired faerie who hurt you." She set her jaw and gritted her teeth.
Mack still looked confused. “How do you know his name?”
"I heard the puca talking to him through Alayna."
Mack grinned and rolled his eyes. "Fine. You can melt those ice bullets with your temper. If something goes wrong, we get Alayna and get out, okay?"
Brianne breathed in deeply and stretched her arms across her body. "Okay. Let's do this."
Mack stepped out of the hidden cove and whistled a quick tune. Brianne looked past him at the quiet commotion, but couldn't quite make out what was happening in the areas further away, but the fourth sentry was closer to the group and they watched as two nymphs wrapped woody vines around his arms, legs, and mouth. The only thing he could move were his eyes as he watched them head for the falls.
20
The Witch
B
RIANNE AND MACK WAITED OUTSIDE the cave for the trolls to take down the puca. The roar of the falling water made it impossible to hear anything, so they inched closer to the small opening in the rock wall, trying to get a glimpse of the action. Brianne could hear muffled groans and thumps. She leaned out from the wall just in time to watch the puca fly through the air, legs flailing, his soul-wrenching wails getting louder, then receding as he dunked under the water that pooled at the bottom of the falls. The trolls barreled out of the cave close behind and executed near-perfect cannon balls on either side of the soggy equine.
"I think they are having way too much fun with this," Brianne said. She stifled a giggle, cleared her throat, and grabbed Mack's arm before he could storm in. She pulled him against the wall. "Wait. Alayna says toad boy is coming out in 3, 2, 1..." her voice trailed off as she counted it down with her fingers and pointed at the mouth of the cave.
Doyle ran to the ledge, looking down at the trolls and puca. Mack jumped on him from behind and they went over the edge, a mass of flying fists and thrashing feet. Brianne was on her own.
She edged her way to the threshold and closed her eyes. Readying two fireballs, she whispered out loud, "Okay, Alayna. I'm coming in. Take cover." She stormed in, hands blazing, eyes searching for the dark ice faerie. There was nothing there. She whipped around and turned in circles, but was met with an empty cavern on all sides. "Alayna?" she called out. "Where are you?"
There was no answer.
She walked toward the back of the cave and her arm brushed against something in the air. Reaching out, she found nothing there. She stood staring at the back wall, holding a glowing fireball in each hand. As she watched the magical smoke trail from the fireball in her left hand, she noticed that it didn't flow straight back. It was being disturbed by something. Something that wasn't there. Or at least appeared not to be there. Brianne closed her eyes again. Stay down, Alayna. It's about to get hot in here, she thought.
Wheeling around, she shoved her hands forward and fired molten liquid orbs at the empty space. Dugal shimmered into view, an ice shield, with two fist-sized holes in it, held in front of him, and Alayna curled up in a ball at his feet.
"Let her go," Brianne demanded through gnashed teeth.
"Oh, sure. Since you asked so nicely." The white-haired faerie laughed at her.
"I don't intend to ask. You will let her go, or I will turn your icy butt into a puddle." Brianne took a step toward them and turned the flames up a notch.
"You think you scare me? Trust me, there are much scarier things out there, and I work for one of them. The Dullahan could snuff the fire out of you before you could light a match. I'm not about to cross him." He shivered when he spoke the reaper's name.
"Why does the Dullahan want her?" Brianne asked. "Why is he getting involved in all of this? It's not his fight."
The faerie snickered. "You think this war is only about the Queens? Or your family? This war affects every single being in the faerie realm. Any creature who cares about their home, their family, their friends, will stand up and fight. Only a coward would say 'It's not my war. Let them figure it out.'"
Brianne shifted her weight from one foot to the other and swallowed hard. "Okay, but why her?" She took a couple of steps toward him. "Take me instead. Let her go."
"No can do. She is the empath. That ability will give us the upper hand we need to win this war before it even starts," Dugal said. "Besides, you're all by yourself and I can see through this act you're putting on. You're a scared little girl who is in way over her head. Why would I trade when I can take you both?"
Alayna jerked free of his hold for a split second and locked eyes with Brianne. The dark faerie snatched a handful of her hair and pulled her back to him.
Brianne shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe I am in over my head. Maybe I am all alone. But then again, maybe not," she scoffed as she took another step toward him and looked pointedly at Alayna, "You ready, sister?"
Alayna adjusted her position. "As I'll ever be."
She threw her hand toward Brianne and they intertwined their fingers. Alayna grabbed Dugal's leg and pulled it ou
t from under him before Brianne yanked her out of his grip. They raced toward the exit but stopped short when it was filled with ice. Still holding Alayna’s hand, Brianne stretched out her other arm and pounded the ice door with a wave of flames. Alayna turned toward the back of the cave and slammed the dark faerie with a blast of water from her free hand, catching him off guard and pinning him against the cave wall. A purple light appeared around the girls and they began to lift off the ground. Brianne gasped and let of Alayna while the fire in her hand disappeared into smoke. They both stumbled a little when they dropped back to the ground. Alayna maintained a steady stream of water on Dugal, but the distraction gave him time to regain his composure and he started flinging ice chips toward them.
"Let's get out of here!" Brianne pointed at the hole she had melted in the ice door.
Alayna turned her stream into a shield and followed Brianne to the opening. They squeezed through the gap in the ice and spilled onto the rock ledge. Before they could get up and dust themselves off, toad boy's voice scratched at their ears, "Well, well, I guess my parents were wrong. Good things do just fall at my feet."
Alayna scrambled backward and attempted to throw up a shield while sitting against the rock wall. Brianne jumped to her feet and blocked Doyle's advance on her sister. She reached out with both hands to shoot fireballs at him, but her war cry was turned into a shriek of pain when the puca threw the iron chain around her hands. She fell to her knees and continued to scream. Alayna crawled to her as Mack was tossed onto the ledge beside them.
"Enough!" Alayna cried. "We give up. We’ll go with you. Without a fight. Let her go! Please!"
The puca reeled the chains back to his flank. Dugal sauntered out of the cave and stood between Doyle and the puca.
"Mack!" Brianne shook him. "Mack! Wake up!" She glared alternately at toad boy and the puca. "What did you do to him? How did you get away?"
Doyle pointed behind them to the steps where the two trolls were tied up and unconscious. Standing next to them was a woman in a torn and tattered Victorian-style dress, complete with a corset and full skirt. Her blue-black hair fell in waves to her waist, where a dagger rested in a thin leather sheath. Perched on the horns protruding from her head was a raven. "Sometimes it's better to keep your best weapon a secret."
"Carman?" Alayna whispered. "I thought she died centuries ago."
"Because that’s what she wanted everyone to believe," Doyle said. "You know the old saying 'Revenge dishes aren't good hot?'"
"Curse the gods, Doyle, can't you get anything right? It's 'Revenge is a dish best served cold.'" Dugal punched his arm.
Doyle tried to punch him back, but Dugal was too fast for him, moving just in time to make Doyle stumble. "Whatever, smarty pants, it means the same thing."
Dugal turned toward the girls and Mack. "What my dunder-headed partner is trying to say is, Carman is a clever faerie witch. She led the entire realm to believe she died from grief over her banished sons. Then she spent centuries hiding in the Seam, watching everyone come and go, listening to everything they said, and waiting for the perfect moment to strike back. When she overheard a couple of high ranking faeries from the Seelie court talking about retrieving the princesses, well, she knew her time had come. She found the Dullahan, who owed her a favor after she gifted him the hell steed he rides upon, and enlisted his help in finding the two of you to use as bartering chips with Queen Mora."
"So, what's the going rate for two light faeries these days?" Brianne shot back at him. "A castle in the Unseelie Court? Her very own lackeys," she pointed back and forth at Dugal and Doyle, "to do whatever she orders them?"
Dugal busted out in a fit of laughter. He paused for a moment, looked at a confused Doyle, clapped him on the back, and started laughing again. Doyle laughed hesitantly as Dugal managed between chortles, "A castle. Lackeys." He stopped laughing suddenly and closed the distance between him and Brianne in one big step. With his face only inches from hers he asked, "You really think you're funny, don't you? Well, let me tell you, you're not. You see, if we deliver you two to Queen Mora as a gift from Carman, Mora won't have a choice but to bestow the title of High Witch of the Unseelie Court to Carman. And do you know what that means?"
Brianne started to speak, but Dugal continued, "That means that Carman will be eternally grateful to those who helped her and Doyle and I will be given the highest honor a faerie could possibly have. Knights of the Unseelie Court. We will be given the power of a thousand faeries and the ultimate protection of the Court. Everyone, including that dolt, Drake, will be forced to respect us then."
"Mab will never..." Mack tried to speak, but his words were lost in the coughs wracking his body. He sat back and started again, "Mab will never let you hurt them."
Dugal raised his hands in the air and turned in a half circle. "Mab? Do you see Queen Mab anywhere? She hasn't even tried to save their mother, her STOLEN daughter. Not a peep out of your high and mighty Queen."
"She will come. When the time is right, she will rain down the power of the Seelie Court on all who stand against her." Mack's voice strengthened with each word.
Dugal snorted. "Yeah. Okay. Maybe they hit you a little too hard in the head. Or maybe the fact that you should be dead, if it weren't for some meddling nymphs, is catching up with you. Either way, it's time to go. Get up. All of you. It's time to meet the Reaper."
21
The Reaping
T
HEY TRAVELED FOR MORE THAN AN hour through Unseelie territory. Carman bound their wrists together with a magical cord that suppressed their powers and Dugal separated them so they couldn't speak privately. The puca took the lead since he was the only one who knew where to find the Dullahan, followed single file by Alayna, Dugal, Mack, Carman, and Brianne, with Doyle as the caboose to their sad faerie train. The trolls were left still unconscious at The Maiden's Mist.
Early in the trip, Brianne and Alayna simultaneously cried out in pain and grabbed their heads. A smile crept onto Carman's face. "Oh, yes. I may have forgotten to mention that those bindings on your hands also block your telepathic abilities. They really are one of my greatest inventions." For the remainder of the journey, the squish-squish-suck of their feet sinking into the muddy path was the only sound.
When they reached a grove of wilted, rotting trees that amplified the damp, musty smell wafting through the air, the puca stopped and turned toward the curious group. "I will announce our arrival, though I suspect he already knows we are here. Stay here until I call you."
Carman walked toward him. "I will not be told what to do. I am coming with you."
"No. You may have those nitwits convinced that he’s repaying a favor, but you and I both know the truth. You will stay with everyone else." The puca stood blocking the path until Carman backed away and lowered her head in acknowledgment.
He walked toward an opening in the grove and the witch muttered, "Your insolence will not fare so well when I am the one in charge."
Brianne, Alayna, and Mack huddled together. "Anybody got a plan?" Brianne asked.
Mack glanced over his shoulder at their other three captors and lifted his hands toward the girls. "We can't do anything until these bindings are gone. I have tried everything I can think of and they won't budge."
Brianne twisted her wrists back and forth. "Yeah, me too. Maybe we can make a run for it."
Mack and Alayna gaped at Brianne. "Are you serious?" Alayna asked. "You really think we’re going to get very far in dark faerie territory, with no magic, being chased by the strongest witch in faerie history?"
Brianne stopped messing with her wrists and shot them both a dirty look. "Okay. Probably not. I was just throwing out ideas. Plus, I don't have all the faerie knowledge you do. I didn't know she was the most powerful witch in history."
"I thought your memories came back. How were you able to communicate with me?" Alayna asked.
"Mack and I worked it out. He’s been helping me remember some memories, which helps me reach out
to you. I keep hoping everything will come flooding back, but we’re still stuck on a slow trickle." Brianne stepped in front of her sister and narrowed her eyes. "What do you want, witch?"
Carman took a step back, clearly surprised anyone would ever speak to her that way. "You would do well to watch your tongue -- or I shall be forced to show it to you." She made a snipping motion with her fingers. "Now, the Dullahan is expecting you." She swept to the side and held her hand out, gesturing toward the grove.
The tied-up faeries snuck glances at each other on the way in, each one as scared as the other, but no one came up with a plan. As they walked into the grove, the temperature dropped ten degrees, and even the slight glow in the middle of the clearing couldn't pierce the darkness enough to dispel the eeriness. The Dullahan resembled a horrific statue in the middle of the clearing. Their stride shortened with every step as they came closer to the frightening creature. The horse’s fiery mane and tail flickered, and flames licked each leg from the knee to the ground. The rider was anything but majestic in plain black riding clothes, he didn't make a strong impression. Except for the fact he was holding his head under his left arm. The smile on the severed head stretched from the lobe of one ear, across the lower half of the skull, and to the other earlobe. When he spoke, the mouth did not move, but the eyes did -- looking directly into the eyes of each of the prisoners.
"Well, well. You actually pulled it off." He didn't address anyone directly, but stopped in front of Brianne and added, "With interest."
"What do you want from us?" Brianne's voice only faltered for a moment. She had a steely stare, but the fear flashed in her eyes in that moment.
"Oh, not much, my dear." The Dullahan's slimy voice spread through their bones and drew a chill from everyone in the clearing. "A small sacrifice, really. One out of six is such a small amount, don't you think?"
