Tales of the Fairy Anthology

by Catherine Stovall

  “The poor dear is still unwell from her journey through the veil, my lord,” she tells him. “She was up half the night ill from it. Your unfamiliar food would be harsh to her body just now.”

  “You think so?” Kieran asks worriedly, searching my face as if he could find the truth written on it.

  “I do indeed. Perhaps I can visit the village and fetch the lady something more familiar to her palate? She must be strong for the journey ahead, and she’ll need sustenance that her body can abide.”

  He delicately runs his fingers over my cheek and presses his lips to my forehead. I force myself to hold very still and repress the shudder that wants to ripple through my body.

  “I am sorry you are unwell, Annalise. Grainne is wise, and you would do well to listen to her.”

  I nod, already agreeing with him on that part. If she can get me out of here, I’m ready to declare her the patron saint of all that is awesome and good in the world and light candles at her feet.

  He sends Grainne to the village and she promises to hurry.

  Unfortunately for me, without Grainne there to keep me in check, Kieran doesn’t trust me enough to leave me alone, not even with all the doors and windows sealed shut with his freaky magic crap. So, instead, I have to spend the day in the company of all the other prisoners—or as Kieran likes to refer to them, the other brides—while he sees to the rest of the arrangements. He still stops by every free moment he has with his stray hands lingering on my skin, his cold kisses pressed to my cheeks, and that odd light in his eyes that makes ice skate down my spine. At least we’re surrounded by other people so I hope he won’t try anything here.

  As long as I can keep my face still and hide the revulsion in my eyes, I’m safe. I close my eyes and think of Jack’s sweet smile and gentle touch. It’s a bad idea, because I’m instantly drowning in sorrow. I force myself to be polite and silently pray that Grainne hurries.

  One of the women, Rose, tells me that Kieran had been delaying their sojourn while he waited around that Rath every night searching for the bride that his Seer told him would come. I would like I strike up a friendship with these women, bonded by our mutual captivity, and rally them to overtake the house, so we might escape into the rising sun like victorious heroines in a Hollywood summer blockbuster.

  I’d like to, but I can’t. The truth is, they scare me stupid. In them, I see what my future will be if Grainne can’t come up with a plan. In their dead eyes and hollow words, I see eternity laid out before me with all hope slowly dwindling until I’m only a shell of myself. Churning out baby monsters until I long for a literal death as much as I long for freedom now. I’m ashamed of the revulsion I feel when their perfectly blonde children troop up to their mothers and demand attention.

  I’ll never watch ‘Village of the Damned’ again without having nightmares for weeks.

  ***

  After what feels like forever, Grainne arrives. She tells Kieran that I need to eat and rest before the long journey ahead, and he consents. I shoot out of my seat, forgetting not to look to eager. When he curiously raises his eyebrow at me, I muster a smile.

  “I’m starving,” I tell him.

  It’s not a lie, my stomach is positively aching. The food in the room with us smelled like heaven and it is only Grainne’s warning that eating it would trap me in this nightmare for eternity that has stilled my hands. He smiles at me and tells me to eat and get my strength up. I don’t even look at him as I swiftly follow her up the stairs, happy to be moving again after sitting in a chair all day with my muscles so tense I’m aching with it.

  Once we’re in the room with the door shut, Grainne talks loudly about the bread and cheese she got for me and how hard the journey was on her aching body. She gestures for me to follow her to the far corner of the room.

  “So what’s the plan?” I whisper eagerly. “Did you find a way to get me out?”

  “Indeed I did, child,” she pats my hands. “Indeed I did. Time passes faster in the mortal world than it does here. Your friends and the Guarda have been looking for you for three days.”

  “Three days!” I exclaim, shocked.

  “Keep your voice down!” She admonishes me and glances about, as if expecting Kieran to materialize next to us and cut her down. “Yes, girl. They found your phone in a field near the village and your purse was found next to the fairy Rath. The Guarda kept looking, but once they saw your purse there, the rest of the village already knew what happened to you.”

  “What the hell is a Rath?” I ask, confused. I’ve heard this term a few times now.

  “Tis the circle of stones that brought you here. Everyone around these parts knows better than to set foot in a fairy fort, dear.”

  I want to tell her that not everybody knows that, since the guidebook only talked about the dangers of wandering the cliffs in the fog. There wasn’t a word about mythical creatures dealing in human trafficking or Anne Marie’s paranoia would have spared me. I swear to myself, If I get out of this nightmare I’m canceling the cable in the dorms and writing Bill O’Reilly a really nasty letter.

  “So how do I get out of here?” I ask, instead.

  “The Vicar in the village has the sight too, child, but he’s a man of the cloth—so they can’t touch him. He helped me find your friends. We had a devil of a time convincing them what we said was true. It wasn’t until I gave that girl the ring the Master took from your hand that they believed me. The sweet girl with the brown eyes recognized it. She said your young man and your family are trying to get out here to get to you as well, but there’s a fierce storm brewing over the ocean delaying all the flights. Don’t worry though, dear, your friends said that they will fight for you as if you were flesh of their flesh.”

  Tears stung my eyes, but for the first time since this whole ordeal began, they’re happy tears and I let them fall.

  “When we pass by the village, he’s going to help your friends pull you from your horse. The Master is going to fight something fierce for you, but whatever happens, they can’t let you go until the Vicar can finish baptizing you and gives you back to God.” Her eyes are gleam, clearly pleased with her plan.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be in a river or a bathtub or something to be baptized?” I ask, confused. Admittedly, my only experiences with religious ceremonies come from Joseph Goldberg’s Bar Mitzvah and what I’ve seen in movies.

  “He can sprinkle the Holy Water on you to wash your sins away, child. Tis not the amount of water that cleanses you, tis the power behind the words.”

  In a world where fairies existed, it wasn’t a stretch to believe that God existed too. I just hope He is paying attention and is ready to step in and save my ass. I’d be willing to sign up for a lifetime of Sundays in uncomfortable clothing and giant hats if it got me out of here.

  A creaking in the hallway tells me that someone is coming, and Grainne shoves an apple in my hands while she starts pulling food from her bags and setting it on the table. I take a huge bite just as Kieran opens the door, smiling brightly at me.

  “There you are, my darling one,” he smiles down at me.

  I look at him blankly and chew the apple, grateful that I don’t have to answer him.

  “I came to tell you that we will be leaving just before sunset. There is nothing quite like a moonlit ride along the sea. Do you know how to ride or would you like to ride with me?”

  I vigorously shake my head and swallow the apple. “No, that’s not necessary,” I insist, wincing at the high pitch of my voice. “I know how to ride. My parents made me take lessons.”

  He looks disappointed. “I’ll make sure you have a mare saddled for you, so that you can ride next to me.”

  “My lord, shouldn’t she ride with the other women?” Grainne asks gently. “It would put your ladies out terribly to ride behind a human in the procession.”

  “Why should I care what upsets them? If they cannot bring themselves honor by bearing the young of our people, then I will not concern myself with t
heir desires.” His eyes flash dangerously and his face darkens. “Annalise will remain at my side. She is familiar with Earthly horses, but fairy horses can be harder to manage. She will remain with me, so that I can make sure she comes to no harm.”

  Grainne bows her head before him and agrees that, indeed, it would be safer for me at his side. He presses a kiss to my forehead again and gives me strict instructions to rest before the journey. As soon as he is out the door, I am at her side, panic welling within me like a balloon about to burst.

  “What are we going to do?” I ask frantically.

  “Be still, girl,” she commands me. “This changes nothing. I cannot ride with you, but the Vicar has the picture that your friends have been circulating, and when you see him and your friends, you must dismount and run to them as fast as you can. Whatever you do, child—whatever he does—you must not let go before the Vicar can finish the rites.”

  I promise her that I won’t. Hell itself couldn’t tear me away from my friends, and after they pulled me through, I swear I will forgive them everything and anything. We are the Anna’s and fate brought us together for a reason just like I have always believed.

  I try to rest like Grainne wants, but I’m too amped up by the prospect of my escape. Instead, I pace nervously, watching the sun until it nears the horizon and I hear the heavy tread of Kieran’s feet. He is excited to leave, but not nearly as excited as I am. His happy chatter tells me that he doesn’t suspect that I’m about to make my escape. Maybe it’s because he’s blinded by his own exhilaration, but he doesn’t think it odd, that after all my resistance, lackluster, and nearly hostile demeanor, I’m responsive to his demands.

  He leads me out of the house, and I see that everyone is already mounted and waiting for us. I pass the carriages with the pregnant women and the miniature monsters that will grow up to terrorize helpless women as their fathers before them. I feel the cold and angry stares of the Fae women as Kieran leads me past them to the horses saddled near the front. I barely even register his hands as they glide over my skin as he lifts me into the saddle of the large white horse.

  “Why aren’t you wearing riding clothing?” he questions me, his eyes lingering on the bare skin between the boots Grainne retrieved for me after my botched escape attempt and the grubby grey material of my skirt.

  “They’re too tight for me,” I lie smoothly. “Grainne spent the day in the village getting me food, but she’s promised to let them out for me when we settle in.”

  He skims his lips over my knuckles and mounts his horse next to me. “No need for that.” He grins happily. “By the time you’ll need them again, I don’t believe you’ll be fit for riding anyway.”

  I inhale sharply and force myself to look away from him. I don’t let his words upset me, because I know before the night is out, I’ll be free of him. The first chance I get, I’m taking a flight back to Washington where he’ll never find me again.

  The horse is large, but not unmanageable, and I easily follow behind Kieran, keeping my eyes peeled for the Vicar Grainne said would be waiting for us. We pass the Rath, and I know we must be nearing the outskirts of the village when I see them along the road. I can see the landscape and the fairies trooping along with us clearly, but it’s hard to make out my friends. It’s as if a smoky veil covers them, and I have to strain my eyes until my gaze meets the Vicar’s. He gestures for me, and without warning, I dig my knee into the horse’s sides and tug the reins, breaking away from the column.

  I can hear Kieran shouting my name behind me, but I keep going until I reach them.

  “Now, girls!” the Vicar yells.

  I reach out and put my hands into Anna Beth and Anne Marie’s. When they feel my grip in theirs, they pull hard and tug me from the horse, the three of us in a heap on the ground.

  “Oh my god!” Anne Marie cries brokenly. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you! How could you just take off like that?”

  An angry roar fills the air, and I can feel Kieran’s breath on my neck behind me.

  “What do you think you are you doing?” he demands angrily.

  I ignore him and clutch their hands. Anna Beth cries out, and I know that she can see him and he’s not hiding his true self from her.

  “Don’t let go!” I beg them as the Vicar stands beside me, dripping water on my head and intoning words that have Kieran seething and cursing me as he paces behind me.

  Anna Beth has turned white as paper, her eyes wide.

  “Don’t look at him,” I beg her. “Keep your eyes on me. Don’t let me go, Anna Beth. I need you!”

  She inhales shakily and turns her eyes back to me. Kieran circles around them, looking for a break, for a crack to squeeze himself in, but the girls lock their hands around my wrists and hold firm.

  “This is your last chance, Annalise. Come back to me and no harm will come to you or your friends. Ygrette has already seen what will come to pass. You will be at my side. Why fight it? Yield to me, Annalise.”

  “Screw you!” I yell back at him and try to drown him out, focusing on the low rhythmic voice of the Vicar as he drones on in Latin. I don’t know what he’s saying, but the words are beautiful. They mean freedom, freedom from sin and freedom from Kieran.

  “As you wish, my love,” he says darkly and completely drops his glamor. His black eyes blaze with fury as he lets loose a stream of words in a language I don’t recognize. The skies above us darken as clouds gather and the winds howl, whipping our hair around in a fury. The Vicar raises his voice to be heard over the din, and just like when he pulled me through the Rath, there is a current in the air.

  Lightning furiously crashes down around us and Anna Beth screams. She’s terrified of lightning, but I grip her arm tighter, urging her to hold on. I look at where our hands join and yelp when I see my nails have turned into claws and my skin is blue.

  “How long will they fight for you when they don’t recognize you?” Kieran whispers in my ear, his sharp teeth grazing over my skin. “Will they fight for you as long as I will?”

  “Yes we will!” Anne Marie shouts, her face set in concentration. “You can’t have her!”

  Kieran sets his eyes on her and fixes her with a glare. “We shall see.”

  My hands change again, and again, and again; but Anne Marie holds tight. Anna Beth doesn’t even flinch. Her eyes are closed and she’s breathing steadily, unshakeable. Unmovable. I don’t feel myself changing, and I know he’s just using his magic to change the way I look, but not what I really am.

  “It’s just an illusion,” I yell at Anne Marie. “It’s not real. Just close your eyes until it’s done.”

  Suddenly, my hand looks huge, green, and covered with fur. He’s making me look like his Cú Sídhe, and Anne Marie—who has a fear of dogs—screeches, covering her face with her hands. Realizing what she’s done, she reaches to grab me again, but Kieran has already thrown her back.

  “Hold on girl!” The Vicar yells at Anna Beth. “I’m almost done.”

  “Don’t think I’ve forgotten you,” Kieran snarls at the Vicar.

  “You cannot touch me, demon,” the Vicar says firmly. “I am a child of God, consecrated and washed from my sin as this girl soon shall be, and far beyond your reach.” He brings a vial out of his pocket and pulls the top off, splashing the water over my head. He begins reciting from his book again and I want to cry in relief. It’s almost done.

  Anna Beth pulls me to her and presses her cheek against mine.

  “I love you, Annalise,” she cries remorsefully.

  “I love you too, Anna Beth. More than a sister.”

  “I’m so sorry!” she cries.

  “It’s okay!” I yell over the din.

  Kieran is roaring louder, pacing up and down behind us like a caged tiger, veins bulging in his neck as if he’s going to burst from the force of his anger.

  “Whatever happened before, I forgive you. It’s over and we can move on,” I reassure her, and I mean it. Whatever happened with Jack, whatev
er comes in the future, this ordeal has makes me grateful to have her. She is here fighting for me, just as I would fight for her, and that has to count for something.

  She hugs me tighter. “No, we can’t. I love you more than my sisters, Annalise. You’re my best friend. But I love Jack more,” she confesses, “and as long as you’re around, he’ll never see me. If I want a future with him, I have to do what’s best for me.”

  “No, Anna Beth!” I cry out in horror, seeing the resignation in her eyes. “Don’t let go!”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispers again and pushes me away from her and into Kieran’s arms.

  Anne Marie shrieks and lunges for me, but in a flash of light that sends me reeling; they’re gone from my sight. Not even the hazy figures I had seen exist anymore, and I know that I’m trapped in Tír na nOg. I sag limply and give way to the despair that overtakes me.

  Kieran holds his hand out and a golden ring appears in his palm. He grabs my left hand and roughly shoves it on my finger, a trinket meant to shackle me to his world.

  “I could have made you happy, Annalise,” he seethes at me as he drags me to my feet and marches me back to his horse, past the disgusted faces of the other Fae who have watched this like a spectacle. “You could have yielded to me, and I would have treated you like my princess.”

  “You didn’t want me to be your princess,” I whisper brokenly as he roughly pulls me onto his horse and climbs behind me. “You want me to be your prisoner.”

  “Either way, Annalise, you’re mine. It’s a good thing you’ll have an eternity to make this up to me by bearing many of my children.”

  Keeper of the First Book

  Zebulon Brookenstook tossed in his bed. The sound of humans laughing while they decorated the second Christmas tree in the living room upset him. He had long accepted that such events would happen in the apartment he shared with his boss, but it made it difficult when all he wanted was to cover his head with his pillow and find what little comfort he could in sleep. His own holiday celebration had not gone well, and their jubilance was a smack to his ego.