by Liz de Jager
‘I understand from Andrew that you’re working directly for Suola. If the Queen of Air and Darkness has taken a personal interest in this matter, child, then it’s best for us to play her game to the end.’
‘It’s all very weird,’ I say. ‘The way she’s gone about all of this.’
Aunt Letty takes her seat again. ‘Faeries,’ she says, as if it explains everything. ‘They always have an agenda, even when they tell us they don’t.’ She shrugs her elegant shoulders. ‘Don’t ask me. I sit here on my island and ponder the many ways the world is destroying itself around me.’
Which is a complete lie. My face clearly tells her I don’t believe her and she sighs dramatically.
‘I think the case of the disappearing children is very curious, though. Why has there not been more of an outcry? The newspapers should be full of it. There’s a definite pattern for these disappearances. Even the police should have noticed this. Why aren’t the parents making more of a fuss?’
I lean forward, happy to see that she’s thinking the same way as I am. ‘Exactly. It doesn’t make sense. How many people would whoever’s doing this have to pay off when it comes to the cops?’
‘Not that many, actually. Like all organizations, the police rely on chain of command and hierarchy. It’s compartmentalized, so if there’s a communication breakdown between two levels, it’s unlikely to be spotted higher up or lower down even.’ She squints her grey eyes in thought. ‘And they’re human, Kit. People don’t want to make waves or do more work than is necessary to get by.’
I try not to let my anger rise at her words. It makes horrible sense and that fact really makes me itch in anger.
Luzette quietly places a tray with china on the table and pours us each a cup of tea. She’s arranged delicate-looking biscuits on a plate and places that between us.
‘Anything else, Ms Letitia?’ she asks politely.
‘Thank you, Luzette. Can I ask you to light the fire in the main library room? The place is colder than Gaia’s nose in the middle of winter at the moment. We can’t have Kit freezing to death, can we?’
Luzette smiles and moves off, her gait loose and easy.
‘Has Luzette been with you for long?’ I ask my aunt, wrapping my hands around the delicate china cup.
‘Both Luzette and Isak came to me in their early teens. Luzette travels extensively on my behalf. She’s got a good eye for curiosities, maps and antique books. Isak was waiting for her to get back from Italy when you rang earlier today. She’s brought back some interesting reliquaries that will look great in my Kunstkammer.’ Aunt Letitia takes another sip of her tea. ‘But now, back to your case. It could be that there’s magic involved but not the flashy kind you might expect. Also, it will be a powerful kind of magic. An old type of magic.’
I crunch on a biscuit and immediately know it’s brownie baked, because omg it is the most gorgeous thing I’ve tasted in months. I accept the napkin I’m handed without a word and quietly wipe the tears from my eyes, taking a deep breath. Brownie-made food is food for the soul.
‘Thank you.’ I take a deep breath. ‘An old type of magic? Why would you say that?’
‘I don’t know. It just feels it.’ Here she rubs her middle finger and thumb together in a gesture reminiscent of testing fabric. ‘There’s something that’s not modern about this whole thing, I feel.’
‘Let me tell you what we’ve got so far.’ I haul my file out of my bag and spread it open carefully so as not to bump my tea or damage the biscuits; really, that would be a disaster from which I might not recover.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The library welcomes me into its golden embrace. I sit behind a large desk complete with a Tiffany lamp that sheds just enough light on the desk to cast the rest of the library in a soft haze of rich colour. To my side stands a statue of Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom, who also acted as scribe to the gods. He holds domain here, Aunt Letitia explained when I mentioned the statue – knowledge is power. And power lies in truth, which is why research is an essential part of what the Blackharts do, to enable us to find that truth.
She spoke the words so resolutely that I felt a bit freaked out by the sentiment. Sitting in this library, where I can feel the press of ages on my shoulders from the books and scrolls stored behind their cases, I wonder about doing this alone. I usually do the minimum of research because Kyle loves it, and it allows him to build on his already extensive knowledge of esoteric lore. He therefore always insists on hitting the Internet highway or books to come up with the knowledge. Yet here I am, by myself, in a place that’s as foreign to me as any place I’ve ever been.
Aunt Letitia instructed Luzette to help me with the books. After handing her Kyle’s list and explaining to her what I was after, I was installed at the desk, several foreign-language dictionaries to the right of me.
Luzette, now dressed more casually in jeans and a warm jumper, strolls around the large library, pulling books off shelves. Some of the books look old, with bindings of beautiful leather. There are a few scrolls too, in what looks like actual papyrus. The library is in the north side of the fort and covers three floors. It’s more as if I’m sitting in Saruman’s tower, I decide, as I listen to the instructions Luzette gives me.
‘These are studies of faeries and the Otherworld from Victorian times,’ she says, heaving three large leather-bound books onto the table. ‘Here, we’ve got some German fables and fairy tales. These are French folklore bits and pieces.’ She touches the other books on the carrel. ‘Here are some medieval texts, in Latin and French. I also have a book on Egyptian-Arabic lore here. But call me if you need help with these. Start here, first, I think. Find the most recent lore, then we can go back and find the origin tales.’ She smiles at me. ‘Are you okay? You look a bit nervous.’
‘This is not usually what I do,’ I admit, gesturing to the books. ‘I’m more the go out and clobber someone over the head to get info kinda girl.’
Her laughter rings through the library. ‘I understand, trust me, I do. But really, this is where you need to be right now, doing the research yourself. Kyle’s emailed to say he’s looking into kids disappearing over the past five to ten years. He doesn’t have time to help you with this, so it’s up to you to do it.’
I’m really aching to hit something and looking at the stacks of books makes me feel trapped.
‘I’ll do my best,’ I say, knowing how forlorn I sound. ‘But I don’t think I’m going to find much. I don’t have the knowledge or the skill Kyle does, or even Megan and Marc.’
‘Research is fun. You just open the books and jump in. You’ll see.’
I really don’t believe her and grimace unhappily. She pats my shoulder sympathetically. ‘I’m heading up to my desk to do some tidying up of the catalogue. If you need anything, just shout.’
I watch her climb the stairs to a small desk on the third floor before turning my attention to the books she has put on the desk for me. I creak open the first one and start reading, flipping my notebook open next to me.
Research can be fun. This is what Kyle’s told me in the past. As I sit here hours later, my notepad scribbled full of notes, with my nose itching from all the dust and my eyes sore from all the reading, I admit to thinking he’s nuts. There is, however, a sense of satisfaction.
I push my chair back and stretch, groaning. Luzette’s gone from her desk on the third floor and I don’t even remember her leaving me alone in the library. I load the books back onto the carrel and wander out to find a loo and food.
I’ve lost all track of time and haven’t bothered looking at my phone once to check the time, so when I do and see it’s almost midnight, I halt in surprise. Aunt Letitia meets me in the passage as I walk out of the bathroom; she smiles at me.
‘Did you find something?’
‘I found loads of things,’ I say to her. ‘Can I run a few things past you?’
‘Get your notebook and meet me in the kitchen. Luzette’s prepared a light dinner. I’v
e not eaten yet as I wanted to wait for you.’
I join her in the kitchen with its futuristic feel and we sit at the chrome, steel and glass table. Dinner is a stunning quiche and a mixed salad followed by a rich dark chocolate torte and fresh cream. I eat every single bit and drink every single lick of chocolate milk I’ve been given and afterwards I feel both sleepy and replete.
‘Right, so talk to me about your list of creatures.’
‘Lilith. A nakki from Finnish lore. The Jersey Devil. A kelpie. A Tengu creature.’ I count them off on my fingers. ‘There’s more too.’
Aunt Letitia lights up one of her cigarettes and blows a perfect smoke ring.
‘I think you can discount all of them, except for Lilith. None of them is strong enough to steal children consistently, not from modern habitation at least. If we were talking about Victorian times or earlier, then maybe – but not now. What else have you got?’
I flip through my notes. ‘Aliens. The Pied Piper of Hamelin,’ I say, more flippantly than seriously, and to my consternation Aunt Letitia looks both impressed and interested. She nods.
‘Definite possibilities. What else?’
‘Just lots of faerie lore about kids being stolen to entertain the faerie queens, with changelings being left behind in the human world. It goes back to Roman times, and the Greeks before then.’ I riffle the pages of my notebook. ‘I’ve not even really looked at African, Middle Eastern or any of the Russian folklore. I also have gods and goddesses from various Western pantheons stealing kids. There’s this group of creatures called the Faceless that freaks me out a little. I’ve not found much about them but they seem tied to the Sidhe somehow.’ I rub my eyes tiredly. ‘Mostly there’s lots of stuff about children across all ages and times wandering off in the middle of the night and being stolen by demons and things.’ I sigh and slump in my chair. ‘This is hard. Why can’t it just be some stupid human?’
‘Who is to say it isn’t?’
I open my mouth to say something but nothing comes out for a few seconds. ‘Excuse me, what?’
‘Who is to say a human isn’t behind this? Why can’t a human be strong and clever enough to engage a supernatural creature to steal the children he or she wants?’
‘But what for?’
‘Many reasons. Human trafficking. Paedophilia. To trade for something else with someone else.’ She lights another cigarette as the other lies dying. ‘The world is an ugly place, Kit. Never ever forget that. Bad things happen to the helpless. And no one is more helpless than a small child. Some people are sick and perverted enough to get off on that, on the power they hold over small fragile things.’
My heart lies heavy in my chest as I consider her words. I’ve not considered a human protagonist in this at all. I’ve never had to do so.
‘If it’s a human, I’ll have to take the case to the police,’ I say. ‘How do I even do that? I’m a kid myself. Will they even believe me?’
‘You’re a Blackhart, girl. We hold some influence with mundane human authority.’
I scrub my eyes and yawn. ‘I feel completely lost in the middle of this,’ I tell her, surprising myself. ‘I feel like I’m treading water.’
She narrows her eyes at me through the smoke and points with her cigarette. ‘Talk to your partner about this. I’m sure he has some insights. Make sure you visit the estate again, talk to those kids. They’ll know more than they think. Find the one thing that links the disappeared children. It will be something unexpected, unusual; I bet my next packet of Marlboro’s on it.’
‘I’ve spoken to one of the Infernal about the case,’ I tell her. ‘Miron. Do you think he’d tell me if Lilith’s involved in this?’
‘If Lilith’s involved, the whole world would know. Lilith never ever does anything on a small scale, this restrained. It’s not in her nature. And Miron would tell you, I have no doubt, but he will not offer any assistance. No, I do not think it’s Lilith, but it’s worth keeping an eye on her. She’s been quiet for a very long time now and I’m sure we’re due some kind of show from her.’
I groan and pretend to sob. ‘I’m so tired.’
‘Go home, get some rest. The helicopter is ready, so is Isak.’
I dutifully stuff my notes into my bag and give her a hug. She holds on to me for a few seconds before gripping my face between her hands.
‘Trust your gut, girl. You’re a Blackhart.’ Her lips are cool against my forehead. ‘You have good instincts: follow them.’
With her words still ringing in my ears I make my way through the dark, dappled interior of her remote fortress of a home, up to the helipad where Isak’s waiting patiently for me.
He helps me into the back without a word, passes me my earphones and makes sure my harness is strapped. Despite the noise, I fall asleep before we even lift off.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I hit the ground running, sword in hand, ignoring all the safety instructions my nan ever gave me about running with sharp objects. The dogs behind me are getting closer and I need to try and get to safety.
They’re huge monstrous beasts with slavering red mouths and lolling tongues. They are also sickeningly fast and have fanned out behind me so that I can’t slip sideways into the forest.
The forester Crow’s lessons on reading the forest are uppermost in my mind. I remember the Fae’s tips on how to use it to my advantage as I propel my magic ahead to seek the safest path through the trees. My legs are pumping so fast it feels as if I’m careering heedlessly along and my heart is pounding so hard against my ribs that I can’t catch a decent breath.
Behind me the sound of a hunting horn echoes through the early morning dawn air and an involuntary gasp of fear escapes me at how bloody near it sounds, right on my heels.
Fear spikes through me and my magic rockets ahead – it almost feels as though it’s pulling me along in its wake and I’m helplessly following along. I’m aware of the ancient forest feeling quite intensely interested in me as I race along.
The hunting dogs’ masters are closer too, from the horns’ sounds; they seem as feral and wild as their hounds.
I desperately wish for Aiden in wolf form by my side. He’d give these dogs something to think about. Then I burst through the undergrowth into a clearing filled with a sea of tall grass the colour of midnight sky. I stumble over my own feet in surprise, the colour so unexpected and yet so beautifully vibrant against the lush green of the surrounding forest, Then the first dog hurls itself towards me from the forest’s shadows. I swipe a blow at its side, then there’s movement behind me and I’m running again.
In the clearing, perhaps because of the open space, my magic soars high above the grass. I hurl heedlessly along behind it, pumping my arms and thanking Jamie for the level of fitness he expects of us.
The dogs are now further behind, which is peculiar because they should be faster now too. I risk a glance over my shoulder and notice how they’re slowing even more until their handlers have caught up. They huddle in a mess of fur and fang on the edge of the clearing and I slow down to a light jog too, wondering what’s going on. Of course, it could be a ploy to make me let my guard down, but something has changed. I come to a standstill and watch them mill around in confusion, as if they’ve lost track of me.
With my magic buzzing in and around me I lift my hand and wave at them. Nothing. The dogs are circling their handlers, whining and growling, while the hunters seem oblivious to my presence a mere two hundred metres or so away from them. Their voices are loud and angry as they discuss where I’ve gone. I turn and jog deeper into the clearing, keeping a grip on my sword, taking deep steadying breaths.
‘You do get into some interesting situations,’ a familiar voice tells me and I start with fright.
Thorn’s eyes fix on the point of my sword hovering millimetres from his throat, and he lifts an elegant eyebrow. ‘This is how you greet me after such a long time?’
‘You’re not real,’ I tell him, my voice definitely not catching on the
word real.
‘But I am real, Kit.’ Ignoring the tip of the blade, he presses forward until it dents his skin but even so I don’t drop my arm. ‘It is important that you believe me.’
‘What are you doing here?’ My voice isn’t even, which I blame on being out of breath, but the thudding of my heart has nothing to do with the run I’ve just had and everything to do with seeing his stupid beautiful face and impossible eyes. ‘Why were they chasing me and how come they can’t see me now? What is this place?’
He makes an impatient noise. ‘My will is shielding us from them, for now. I don’t know how long it will fool them. We have to be quick and get you away from here.’ His expression becomes very serious. ‘You are facing great peril, Blackhart . . .’
My lips twist because when am I not in danger? Before I can say anything, he continues. ‘Much more than you can imagine.’ He sighs impatiently and wraps his fingers around my blade, pushing it away and down. He shows me his palms and I’m not surprised by how fast the wounds heal, or by the soft hum of his magic against my skin. These things are as familiar to me as my own face in the mirror. ‘Are you paying attention now?’
I nod mutely and sway towards Thorn, all thoughts of self-preservation and things being impossible gone. I feel the steady beating of his heart through his tunic as he folds me against him. He holds me close for a few seconds before kissing me softly on the lips. The kiss is sweet and chaste, but it makes my blood thunder in my ears and I’m grateful he’s holding on to me or my knees would have given way.
‘Where are we?’
‘In our dreams.’
It’s cheesy and silly, but I don’t care because I want to believe it. A thought occurs to me. ‘When are we?’
He looks surprised, but then seems to understand why I asked the question. ‘When? We’re now, Kit. Right now. I’ve been here all along, trying to find you, calling you. I know you heard me. I felt it.’ He searches my face. ‘You heard me calling you, didn’t you?’
I blink at him in confusion. ‘I . . . don’t . . . Maybe. Thorn, what is going on? Who are they?’
