The Iron Cursed

by J. M. Briggs

  “Changed how?” Morgana asked gently. The older mage sat down on the sofa next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Alex, what happened?”

  “I’m not sure.” Alex shuddered, the memory of that dark sky full of debris haunting her. “It was just some scary images,” she said. “Brekszta was probably trying to scare me.” She drained the last of the glass of water and smacked her lips together. “Wouldn’t mind some more water.”

  Nicki’s eyes narrowed, but she took the glass back. Something in her gaze warned Alex that this wasn’t over. Then again, she wouldn’t be able to hide her tossing and turning from her roommate. She forced her hands to stay still and inhaled slowly as she rolled her shoulders carefully. The ache was still there, and her skin was rough and raw like she’d truly been sandblasted on a strange world.

  “What did she show you to scare you?” Merlin asked. He was watching her closely and Alex had no doubt both he and Morgana knew she was being evasive.

  “It was the fog again like I said.” The whispers in the back of Alex’s mind grew louder now. A few were insisting that she tell them everything while others were mistrustful. Licking her lips, Alex blinked as Nicki returned with some more water for her. She gave her roommate a small smile and took a sip. “I used my magic to force it back.”

  “That must have been the reaction here,” Morgana said. When Alex blinked in surprise, Morgana chuckled darkly and gestured to the walls. Alex’s eyes widened as she took in the dark marks scattered across the room. “Bran was trying to move you back to the bedroom using magic when your power took over his and discharged. Don’t worry, you didn’t harm anyone.”

  “Oh.” Alex dropped her eyes and took another long drink from the glass of water. “Well, I saw something new after I pushed back the fog. I’m not sure where I was, but it was this strange dead place. There were ruins and debris everywhere. The ground was all ash and soot.” Her hands trembled at the memory. “There was nothing alive there.”

  Morgana’s hand rubbed her back again and the older mage pulled her little closer. Soft lips pressed against Alex’s forehead, surprising her for a moment. “Brekszta was just trying to frighten you,” Morgana said gently. “It was just a nightmare.”

  “Most likely a vision of Earth destroyed,” Merlin added. “As you said, she was just trying to frighten you. Remember that while Brekszta’s ability to invade your dreams is disturbing you cannot be harmed in them.”

  They were trying to comfort her, but they were wrong. It hadn’t been some nightmare of Earth. That statue had been old: a remnant of the civilization that was destroyed by whatever had happened. The sun was too close, yet the sky too dark. Whatever she’d seen hadn’t been Earth, and Alex was certain that she’d forced back Brekszta’s influence, so that vision had come from something else. There was a vague suspicion at the back of her mind amongst the whispers, but she couldn’t fully form it. Couldn’t explain or name it and it began to slip away.

  “Anyway, I’m sorry I frightened all of you,” Alex finally said. “Maybe I need to meditate more even though I have control over my magic. Maybe that will help with the dreams.”

  “You might even be able to put up some kind of barriers in your mind,” Aiden suggested. “That’s something you see in a lot of fantasy stuff.”

  “Not sure how I’d even start.” Alex laughed a little and Aiden visibly relaxed at the sound. “But I’ll give it a shot.”

  Suddenly something made Alex’s magic flare in her chest. It sent a jolt of heat into her heart and made Alex look around in confusion. A small dark shape in the corner of her eye made Alex straighten up in alarm.

  “Guys-”

  The little shape ran across the floor and Jenny caught sight of it. She squealed and grabbed Lance’s arm. “Mouse!”

  “No, it’s not!” Merlin shouted. He opened his palm and green magical sparks erupted around his fingers.

  “No, Timothy!” A small voice called up. Merlin stopped and everyone was still for a moment. “I’m back!”

  Alex released a sigh of relief as the small Brownie bounced up onto the coffee table. He was dressed in a cloak that looked like it had been made out of a small cloth bag. He smiled up at her before looking around.

  “Everyone’s alright? Good!” Timothy cheered. He looked back at Alex and frowned a little. “I come with news from other Fairies.”

  “Is it about the Red Caps in town?” Jenny asked.

  “There are Red Caps in town?” Alex’s eyes widen and on impulse she started to stand only for Morgana to grip her shoulder to keep her in place. “When did that happen?”

  “Jenny and I were attacked earlier today,” Lance explained gently. “We’re fine. We got away and came straight here to wait for all of you to come back from making the Gate.”

  “Red Caps are already here then,” Timothy sighed. The creature’s head dropped sadly and he shook his head. “I was hoping to get back before them.”

  “Then you knew they were coming?” There was a hint of anger and panic in Alex’s voice. She bit her lower lip. “Are more coming?”

  “I don’t know,” Timothy said. He looked up at Alex with watery dark eyes. “Some Faeries were friendly and glad to be free of spell, but Red Caps have always been…” Timothy shuddered. “Violent and nasty.”

  “And they seem to be immune to the blood spell,” Morgana added. “Or at least some of them are. We can hope that they all haven’t gotten through.”

  “Is it because I put in the exception?” Alex asked, looking up at Morgana. “Did I weaken the spell too much?”

  “One, you didn’t do that on purpose and two, I doubt your compassion is the problem,” Morgana answered quickly. She gave Alex an almost stern look. “So don’t put this on yourself, Alex.”

  “It may be a side effect from the power of the Chain,” Merlin suggested. He hummed thoughtfully for a moment, drumming his fingers on the back of the sofa. “They were exposed to the magic of the Iron Realm for several months, and more correctly the power of the Iron Soul. While the Iron Chain was made by a darker life, his personality may have had some impact on how certain creatures reacted to the Chain.”

  Managing a nod, Alex kept her mouth tightly closed as her stomach turned. The memory of that slave ship was too clear in her mind. Those poor people that had been bound and their dead eyes were more vivid in her mind than some of her most precious childhood memories. Cuthbert’s memories were getting sharper and stronger while her own were fading away. She held back a shudder and turned her attention to Timothy.

  “Well, thank you for trying to warn us; at least no one was hurt.”

  “Still, we need to go and deal with these things,” Morgana said. Merlin nodded in agreement and Jenny looked at them both in alarm. “Merlin and I can go hunting later tonight.”

  “But Faeries are coming to talk!” the Brownie shouted. Timothy’s words drew everyone’s attention. “That is other news,” Timothy said. He looked embarrassed now. “Some of the Faeries I spoke to are coming to talk. They want to know what happened and help spread the information. Spell went far and was felt by all.”

  “Right,” Nicki said. “That makes sense if you think about it. If I was taken over by a spell that made me violent and want to seek out mages I’d want to know how and why it happened.”

  “It’s understandable,” Bran agreed. “But what do we tell them?” Frowning, he glanced towards Alex and offered her an apologetic look before looking at Merlin. “I mean, it was done using an item made by the Iron Soul. That’s not going to look good.”

  Merlin’s eyes narrowed. Alex looked up at him and sighed. “They’ve got a point,” Alex said. She scuffed her feet against the floor as her stomach churned painfully. “We probably need to be braced for some anger.”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” Aiden said. He was all but glowering. “You didn’t cast the spell, the Queen did.”

  “Scáthbás’ return frightens many.” Timothy voice trembled and Alex looked back at h
im sharply. “News is spreading. I answered what questions I could, but there will be more.”

  “That’s to be expected.” Morgana lowered her hand and rubbed Alex’s back once more. “You said that the Faeries are coming to talk? What sort of representatives are we dealing with?”

  “Volunteers from some of the colonies,” Timothy answered quickly. “There are a few from further away who were drawn here by the spell and want to learn more before they return to their homes.”

  “How many are we talking about?” Lance asked. “And where?”

  “Not sure how many, maybe a dozen. They’re outside of town, on one of the trails,” Timothy said.

  “Is there a cave they’re using?” Jenny asked.

  “No, a few of the Sídhe have RVs.”

  It would have been funny under other circumstances, but right now it just reminded Alex of how the creatures lived on the outer edges of their world. They traveled at night, stayed underground or in shaded cities. She wondered how many there really were now, how organized they were and if they had some sort of governments. Timothy used the term colonies, so were there democratic councils or a ruling prince? Did they organize markets in abandoned subway tunnels? It made her head hurt and her imagination spring into action.

  “Is there a time they want to meet us?” Morgana asked. “Or were you to organize that?”

  “Not so much.” Timothy shifted uneasily again. “I came rushing because I overheard a group talking about the Red Caps they’d met on the way. They weren’t with the others and I got worried.”

  “So you aren’t a spokesman for the others,” Merlin said. His gaze narrowed and he looked towards the window. “How organized are they?”

  “Not very,” Timothy answered. “Staying in a large group now, but the different Faeries don’t really trust each other. Everyone tends to stay with their own kind except for trading. Spell made everything worse and everyone is mad at each other.”

  “And those descended from the original Sídhe invaders?” Morgana leaned forward, her dark eyes glittering. “How are they being regarded?”

  “Uh…” The Brownie looked almost panicked, his eyes moving from mage to mage. Sympathy welled up in Alex’s chest.

  “Honestly everyone, Timothy isn’t going to notice everything. Not when there is so much going on. He’s a house Brownie, not a diplomat or a spy.” Alex tried to keep her tone light but was afraid that her own nervousness crept through. Smiling down at the Brownie, Alex avoided thinking too much about the look of adoration Timothy was giving her. “Was there anything odd you noticed– anything that seemed out of place? Any strange behavior?”

  “Well, a lot of them are together, which is strange,” Timothy admitted. “The Sídhe seemed very quiet and thoughtful: they didn’t talk much with any of the others, but they did let us on their RVs,” Timothy said helpfully.

  “And are they waiting for us now?” Alex asked. “Do you need to go back and let them know first or should we just go and see them?”

  “Alex, now isn’t a good idea,” Morgana said quickly. “You’re-”

  “I’m fine,” Alex said. “I can still use magic; besides, the longer we make them wait the tenser things could get. It just seems like a bad idea, especially if they don’t usually stay together.”

  “If all the others are together, how did the Red Caps get here?” Jenny asked. “I mean they aren’t tall enough to drive.”

  “The RVs did have to stop for gas at a truck stop,” Timothy offered, turning to look at Jenny. “They could have gotten in a truck coming here.”

  “I hope we aren’t going to find reports of a murdered truck driver,” Lance said. He shuddered and pulled Jenny a bit closer.

  “Yeah, thinking about that isn’t helping.” Alex slipped out of Morgana’s grip and stood up, brushing off her jeans. “Anyway, we should probably head out to meet them.”

  “Alex, Morgana and I can go. There is no need for you to come with us,” Merlin said. Standing up quickly, he gave her what he probably thought was a reassuring smile.

  “You and Morgana don’t have the best history with the Sídhe,” Alex said bluntly. “I get that you want me safe, but the Iron Soul not coming with you could easily be taken the wrong way.”

  “She has a point,” Bran agreed. “So you three have to go, but the question is do you want Nicki, Aiden and I to go with you or stay in Ravenslake?”

  “We could follow you or head downtown and see if we can find the Red Caps,” Aiden added. “I mean, we need to contain them before they hurt anyone.”

  Morgana frowned at them before her expression softened sadly. “Children… you do understand that you’re talking about hunting them down? I know that you’ve killed Faeries in combat before, but they’ve always attacked you. Going looking for them is … different.”

  Aiden, Nicki, and Bran exchanged a look. Their shoulders tightened and Alex could do nothing but watch a parade of emotions pass through their eyes. The idea of hunting made her own stomach turn, but then again she knew so would a report of a murder in the morning. It was Bran who sighed first.

  “I’ll stay and patrol town,” he said. “I don’t like it and I get what you’re saying, but what else can we do? I won’t attack them unless they’re going after someone or attack me.” He shook his head. “That’s the best I can offer.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Aiden said quickly. He straightened up a little and while he was a bit pale, his determination was clear.

  Nicki nodded in agreement. “We’ll look after town then.”

  “Lance and I could come to the meeting with iron swords,” Jenny suddenly offered. “I know we aren’t mage backup, but maybe having some baseline humans will be reassuring to the Faeries. We’re on the same playing field as most of them.”

  Alex was silent as Jenny looked hopefully at Lance, who nodded. Without a word Merlin went to collect two of the swords. Timothy looked around at all them, clearly picking up on the underlying tension. As Merlin handed the swords to Lance and Jenny, he said something to them. They nodded in agreement, each taking a sword.

  “Are we leaving now?” Timothy asked.

  “I guess so,” Alex said. “It isn’t evening yet, but it will be soon enough.”

  “Twilight is better for us,” Morgana said. “Lets us fall back if needed while letting the Faeries outside without harming their eyes. We are not going into the RVs, no matter what.”

  “Okay,” Alex agreed.

  Timothy bounced down from the coffee table and up onto the arm of the sofa next to Alex. “A moment, Timothy,” Merlin called, walking over to them. “How did you get into the house without help? I understand that the blood protection spell doesn’t repel you, but there is iron in all the door frames and windows.”

  “Oh, I found a mouse hole,” Timothy answered. The Brownie smiled up at the professor who blinked in poorly contained horror. “Don’t worry. Too small for anything other than mice and Brownies to squeeze through.”

  “Wow,” Nicki laughed, biting her lower lip. “You must be very flexible.”

  “Brownie magic helps too,” Timothy said. He waved his hand merrily. “Can’t do much, but it helps get jobs done.”

  “Someday I’m going to have to study Brownie magic,” Merlin muttered. “It has never made sense to me at all. They’re one of the only Sídhe relative species that have hung on to their magic. I know their world is close to ours, but really!”

  The blend of irritation, frustration, and curiosity in his voice made Alex smile. In the back of her head, she heard a couple of other voices chuckling warmly at the old mage’s antics. Alex wasn’t sure how many there were; the amused sounds all blurred together, but it provided a brief sense of comradery. Merlin shook his head and said something under his breath. Alex glanced around to find her shoulder bag and opened the front pocket for Timothy. The Brownie jumped inside and smiled at her before ducking down into the protective shade. They were off to meet with the Faeries. It was turning into one hell of
a day.

  20

  Meeting the Faeries

  Alex was all too aware of the heavy silence in the SUV as they drove out of town. Her muscles still ached, but the burning pain from using too much magic had dulled and she was confident that she could use more if needed. She drummed her fingers on her knees and watched the trees rush by her window.

  Merlin turned the wheel of the SUV and they pulled off the highway. A worn gravel road headed into the trees and Alex licked her lips nervously. In the front Merlin and Morgana glanced at each other and Alex’s hand slipped into her bag, closing around the hilt of her dagger.