Bridge of Mist and Fog

by Nikki Broadwell

  “I’m sorry he’s invading your mind, Airy. I thought he’d lost all his powers. Was it a dream or did it seem like more than that?”

  “This was more than a dream. I felt him, Fehin. And what about the bridge? So far all I’ve come up with is a bridge from the Otherworld to your island.”

  “That can’t be it. I think it’s between this world and what we consider magical—the bridge would change how people see things.”

  “How can two teenagers get the entire world to believe in things they’re sure don’t exist?”

  “What about God? Think about the service at the church. They believe in a gray-haired old man up in the sky who runs everything.”

  “Those same people would think we were linked to the devil.”

  Fehin sighed. “You’re probably right. There’s a big difference between that and the spirit world.”

  “They’d never believe it,” Airy said in a tone of resignation. “Demonizing another is only a projection—we all need to own our shadow sides.”

  Fehin looked up. “Where did that come from?”

  “I’ve been reading Jung in my psych class. He was an amazing man and able to put what we’re talking about into layman’s terms.”

  He squeezed her hand and kissed the top of her head. “Don’t get discouraged. We’ll figure it out. But right now I think you’d better get back to your own room before somebody notices.”

  ***

  “Are you two up for some shopping today?” Grace asked at the breakfast table.

  Fehin looked over at Airy who seemed lost in her own thoughts. “What do you think?” he asked.

  “Huh? What? Oh, shopping. Sounds fine to me.”

  Grace rose from the table and began clearing the plates. “Say in an hour?”

  Fehin nodded, and then kicked Airy under the table. She jumped and looked up.

  “An hour? Sounds fine,” she said.

  Once Grace was out of earshot Fehin grabbed her shoulder. “You’re acting weird and if you don’t get it together your grandmother will start asking questions.”

  “I can’t help it. I can’t stop thinking about Wolf. I need to talk to the oak. He’ll know what to do.”

  “Why don’t you do it before we leave and then maybe you can enjoy picking out winter clothes.”

  When Airy left the house Fehin went up to his room. He reached out to his brother and this time there was an answer. “I’m watching you,” Wolf said, and then he laughed.

  Fehin tried to keep the connection, tried to see what nasty thoughts were roaming around in Wolf’s head, but he’d severed the contact. “Damn,” he muttered, pressing his lips together in frustration. He stared out the window, watching Airy move across the meadow with her head down. A few minutes later he lost sight of her as she entered the woods.

  He raced from the room, took the stairs two at a time and tore out of the house, his bare feet sinking deep into the snow. “Airy!” he yelled, cupping his hands together around his mouth. Wolf was waiting for her—he knew it like he knew his own mind.

  20

  Just as Airy entered the woods she heard Fehin call her name. What did he want? She had plenty of time before they were due to leave. She ignored him and kept walking, her mind on the questions to ask her old friend and the beauty of the snow-laden trees all around her. It was so quiet and peaceful here. The only thing missing were her bird friends and all the animals that had taken shelter here. Sadness moved through her as she saw them in her mind’s eye.

  The ancient oak had helped in the past—he would help her again; he could explain what had happened to the foxes and the rabbits. But then again the questions she asked him when she was small, like where had she left her doll, and had Lorna Doone chewed up her stuffed animal, were nothing compared to what was going on now. This felt like a matter of life or death. It was then that she heard the whispering all around her. The trees were all talking at once and she couldn’t figure out what they were saying. “Slow down,” she said. “One at a time.”

  But she never got to hear their message because someone looped a thick rope around her neck and dragged her away. Choking, her hands went to her neck, her fingers trying to keep the rope from cutting off all her breath. Her shoes pulled off and the rough ground dug into her bare heels. But the pain was nothing compared to the utter terror that moved through every cell of her body.

  It wasn’t long before they were in an area she’d never been before. Her tormentor grunted as he pulled her but she couldn’t get a look at him. Where was he taking her? It became clear when he hauled her into an abandoned house that had obviously stood derelict for many years. The roof shingles were mostly gone, the joists open and a few missing, the windows were cracked and glass shards sparkled across the floor. The inside of the house stunk like mouse droppings and rot.

  He tied her hands behind her back before he pulled the rope from around her neck. It was then that she caught a glimpse of his face, her gasp dying in her throat as he turned his malevolent gaze on hers. He was enormous with a bull neck, his hands swollen and disfigured as though from frostbite. His eyes were so like Fehin’s, except they contained no light, and his mouth, also recognizable, was pulled up in a sneer she’d never seen on Fehin’s face. It was as though Wolf was the monster depiction of his brother.

  “You walked right into my trap,” he said in a gravelly voice and then he laughed, a terrible sound that scared her even more than his appearance.

  “What trap was that?” she asked, trying to breathe deeply. But the smells coming from him were worse than the ones in the house. He smelled putrid.

  “The dream. I planted the dream. And you followed just as I wanted you to.”

  “What did the dream have to do with me talking to my tree?”

  “Don’t fuck with me,” he said, and then dragged her by the arms toward a gaping hole in the floor.

  Airy glanced around wildly, trying to think of some way to escape. “Surely you’re not planning to just leave me in here.”

  “Until I get what I want.”

  “And what is it that you want?”

  “You know what I want and so does my brother. Now let’s see how smart he is,” he said before stuffing a filthy rag into her mouth. She gagged and tried to spit it out but it stayed where it was. And then he pushed her, sending her tumbling painfully into the pit below. She couldn’t move, her legs twisted beneath her, her arms bent back and secured, and now she couldn’t scream either. She watched in horror as he nailed boards over her prison, blocking out all light.

  ***

  Airy had no idea how much time had gone by. The only sounds she heard were the scuffling of rats and mice. And once she heard a slither as though a snake was down here with her. Her heart beat painfully in her chest for a long time after that. She reached out to the creatures that occupied her prison but her mind was so full of fear that she couldn’t make a connection.

  Her arms ached and she was sure that one of the bones in her right leg was broken. The pain of it made her eyes water. When she tried to shift her position it was like knives stabbing into her. Where was Fehin? She’d sent message after message his way. And then she thought about how far Wolf had dragged her. It had taken what seemed like an hour to get to this abandoned house. Surely there were gouges and tracks in the mud. But this property did not belong to her grandparents. And she doubted that Wolf was stupid enough to leave his tracks in the snow. He was smart—as smart as his brother and a lot more devious.

  She must have fallen asleep for a while because she came awake with a start, unable to remember where she was for a moment. But then the horror of her situation came back. She tried hard not to cry but the tears came anyway and the sobs racking her body made everything hurt even worse. And following the tears came a terror so deep she thought she might die from it. Her heart pounded as though it would fly out of her chest. This could end up being her grave.

  It was a long time later, maybe even the next day, when thirst began to plague
her. At first it was a mild sensation in the back of her throat but then it was all consuming. If only she could get this stinking rag out of her mouth. But even rolling her head against the ground didn’t do it and finally she gave up.

  Sometime after that she realized she was about to black out. She was dizzy and disoriented, colors flashing across her vision. She had no reference for night or day, no sense of how much time had passed. She fought against it, trying to keep awake, but finally she gave into it, closing her eyes and allowing the darkness to take her.

  21

  Fehin was frantic. He’d searched every inch of the Fitzhugh property and had found no sign of her anywhere. He’d tried over and over to contact Wolf but had come up against a blank wall.

  “Where did you say you saw her last?” Grace asked again, her tear-streaked face making Fehin want to cry himself.

  “She was heading into the woods to talk with her tree. You must know the one.”

  “And we couldn’t even find a footprint anywhere around there. Are you positive this is your brother’s work? It could be some lunatic serial killer. There’s a prison thirty miles up the road.”

  Fehin tried to be patient with her. They’d had this same conversation earlier today and yesterday as well. “I’m sure of it.”

  “Hank will be back with the police soon—I wish we’d called them sooner.”

  “How could you with the power out?”

  It was Monday morning and Airy had been missing since early on Friday. Around noon on that day a storm had raged across the area, taking down power lines and dropping branches from trees like they were toothpicks. It seemed like a tornado, a type of storm unheard of in these parts. Fehin had a feeling he knew where it came from. But now all was still, as though Airy’s energy had been depleted. Even the snow had stopped. When he went outside the stillness felt like an absence.

  Fehin hadn’t slept, his nights filled with images of Airy being tortured. He felt responsible for what had happened, apologizing over and over to her grandparents. They waved them off but he knew they held him at least partially accountable. It was his brother who had done this. They asked him several times how Wolf had known they were here, as though Fehin had led him up here on purpose.

  Why would Wolf do this and not contact him? And then the realization hit him that Wolf might simply have killed her just to be rid of her. He saw her then, her eyes closed, her face pale in death. And when he reached out to her there was nothing. He doubled over as a wave of nausea and dizziness went through his body. And then the tears came. It was way past time to call on Gunnar.

  ***

  That stupid idiot, Wolf thought. He’s going to let that girl die rather than to tap into our birthright—telepathic communication. Fehin doesn’t have the power to do anything for me but won’t it be nice to see him blamed for this? And with the dark thoughts I’m sending his way on a daily basis he’ll soon be unable to function at all. Wolf chuckled to himself, hurrying to catch the bus back to Milltown. He and Gary had a gig going that would bring him some good money and with any luck the rest of his powers would soon return on their own.

  ***

  “So what you’re telling me is that Airy has been gone for three days and you’ve done nothing about it?” Gunnar glared at Fehin. “You do know she could be dead by now.”

  “That isn’t helping, Gunnar,” Fehin said, trying not to grab him by the neck and squeeze. “I searched the entire property. I thought Wolf would contact me.”

  “And you’re positive it was Wolf?”

  “Of course I am.”

  At that moment Hank and the police arrived and Grace rushed out of the kitchen, her focus on the front door. The dogs began to bark and in the commotion Gunnar slipped away, taking Fehin with him. Once they were outside the druid said, “This entire scenario seems very strange to me. Have you tried to reach Airy telepathically?”

  “I’ve tried over and over.”

  Gunnar grunted in obvious disgust. “Center yourself, boy! Do you want her to die?” With that statement the druid disappeared.

  Fehin turned to see several policemen with dogs on leashes working their way across the meadow. He hoped fervently they would find her. In his room he meditated, saying no to the thoughts that kept intruding. It took a long while but finally he was calm enough to send his thoughts out to her. Airy, tell me how to find you. She was unconscious, her mind barely able to track. She was somewhere very dark. When he heard the word ‘hurry’, he grew weak with fear. She was very near death.

  ***

  The police and the dogs were back, their dour expressions saying it all. Fehin felt his heart drop and when he glanced at Grace she burst into tears. In the midst of this he heard Gunnar in his mind asking to meet him outside the house. He hurried through the front door and then around to the back to the privet hedge. Gunnar was waiting there, his expression dark.

  “I can’t find Wolf.”

  Fehin opened his mouth and closed it. “He has to be here! Why would he leave without getting what he wanted?” And then he was crying, the sobs hysterical as panic took over.

  “Did you ever consider that Wolf’s motives may not be what you think?” Gunnar had no sympathy, the expression on his face as serious as Fehin had ever seen. “This is up to you now, Fehin. You know your brother’s methods. You need to put yourself inside his head. Where would he take her?”

  Fehin was wild, his mind splintering off in several directions at once. “I can’t. I don’t know how he thinks! And I’ve never been here before—how would I know where he’d take her?” In truth he could tap into his brother’s mind but the sucking darkness he found there pulled him down, tempting him with the idea of unlimited power.

  “Fehin, listen to me,” Gunnar said, grabbing his arm. “You conjured an island, you saved a thousand people from your brother’s evil. You know how to read minds. You can do this.”

  “Why can’t you find her?”

  “It’s isn’t up to me to find her. I’ve helped as much as I’m allowed.”

  “Allowed by who?”

  “Stop trying to wheedle out of this. You’re related to Wolf, you’re Brandubh’s son. Now tap into that part of you. It may be painful to look at the darker side of yourself but in this case it just may save Airy.”

  “You think she’s still alive.”

  Gunnar narrowed his eyes and then disappeared.

  Fehin stared into the spot where the druid had been. He loved Airy. If she died he didn’t want to live. Maybe this would turn out like Romeo and Juliet after all. Without thinking he found himself wandering across the meadow and then into the forest on the other side. When he came to the oak tree Airy had shown him he stopped and looked up. “I’ve never spoken to a tree before but I would be most grateful if you could help me. I know you love her as much as I do. I have to find her but I don’t know where to look.”

  The forest stood silent around him. He sat down in the mud and put his head in his hands and then looked deeply into his own psyche, into the part that could kill another human being without a second thought; his fury with Wolf made it easy. But if he entered that tangled morass he was afraid he might never find his way out. After all, he was a sorcerer’s son as much as Wolf was.

  It was the vision of Airy’s pale face that made the decision for him, sending a jolt of adrenaline through every cell of his body. He sent his thoughts out through the ether searching for Wolf, and when he found him he wormed his way into Wolf’s thoughts, seeking the ones he needed. He could feel his half-brother’s depravity, his utter lack of compassion, mercy, or sympathy. As soon as he found what he needed he fought his way out of the rotting weeds, the mire and filth, bursting free and slamming a wall down between his mind and Wolf’s. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the life-giving oxygen coming from the trees. He knew what to do.

  A fence ran around the Fitzhugh property with gates that mostly stood open; the sheep and other animals they’d kept were long gone. Fehin headed south fr
om the woods, walking through one of these gates and following some inner voice that directed him that way. In the distance another copse of trees loomed dark and in the meadow in front was a derelict house. It was the perfect place to hide someone.

  “Airy?” he called out once he reached the falling-down structure. There was no answer. It was then he noticed the footprint and the gouges in the mud leading to the entrance. He hurtled through the doorway coming to a stop in the dim interior. “Airy?” he called again, louder this time.

  He could smell fresh sawdust. And then he saw it--the boards that had recently been nailed into place. He tore at them, cutting his hands as he tried to rip them loose. Finally he got another board and pried them up one by one. He couldn’t see a thing but he could feel Airy down there in the dark. He switched on his small flashlight before lowering himself down.

  When he found her she was twisted into a shape that could only mean broken bones. “My gods, what has he done to you?” Tears ran down Fehin’s cheeks as he moved her gently into a sitting position and took the rag out of her mouth. Her face was pale as death, purple shadows under her closed eyes. Her head lolled to the side and when he felt for a pulse it was thready and weak—she was unconscious, barely alive.

  He untied her arms and then picked her up, hoisting her partially out before climbing out himself. He put his arms gently around her shoulders and legs, cradling her body against his chest and began the trip back to the farmhouse. His tears fell onto her face as he moved through the snow. There was no sign of life from her aside from the slight rise and fall of her chest. This was his entire fault.

  ***

  “We’re forever indebted to you,” Hank told Fehin, glancing at Grace beside him. She smiled weakly, her pale face registering the extreme stress she was under.

  The three of them were standing together outside Airy’s hospital room. She was back from surgery but hadn’t yet come out of the anesthesia.

  When Fehin reached the farmhouse hours before, he’d been met with confused hysteria and frantic calls to the hospital and the ambulance company. It hadn’t been long before the shrill sound of sirens blared, and then the MT’s were placing Airy’s limp body on the stretcher and carrying her out to the waiting vehicle. Fehin watched them leave, a feeling of utter futility washing over him. No one had said a word but he knew there was a good chance she wouldn’t make it.