Faire Eve

by Catherine Stovall

  Eldon shoved a small leather pouch towards Aibell, “Make yourself useful and sprinkle this over the top of the communicator while I summon Corrigan.”

  As Eldon turned the crystal egg counterclockwise and Aibell sprinkled the red powder from the bag, he said the words to activate the crystal’s spell. “Corrigan of the Nymphs, I summon you. Hear my words and appear.”

  The wispy smoke churned in the egg and grew into a small figure. “Eldon. Aibell. You have news?” Corrigan’s voice came through, small but clear.

  Eldon repeated a less bubbly and more comprehensible version of Aibell’s story to Corrigan. “We will have to use the Monetisis spell to create more human currency before we join them.”

  “Be careful not to overextend your powers. If they are depleted, you will have to either return to Evalon or complete your mission without their help.” Corrigan reminded Eldon though she knew he needed no lessons in controlling his magic.

  She aimed the admonishment towards Aibell who was always quick to use her magic for the simplest things. Along with aging at a faster rate, a fey’s magic was limited while they were in Upper World. They needed a connection with Evalon to replenish. Eldon often referred to it as recharging his magical batteries.

  Most magical creatures had decades to build a tiny partial portal to Evalon, allowing them to dip into the magic if they planned to live in Upper World for long periods. The construction of even the smallest portal took powerful magic and time that Eldon and Aibell didn’t have. Instead, they had to save their strength and hope that convincing Eve would not be difficult.

  “Yes Corrigan. I will summon you again when we have more to report.” Eldon stopped churning the crystal. He stared at it a second longer and slipped it back into its pouch.

  Aibell went back to exclaiming over the wonders of the modern Upper World and Eldon reclined on the bed. His black motorcycle boots looked sinister on top of the beige coverlet. Staring at the heavy boots, Eldon let his mind wander. He replayed the scene from the boardwalk. When his mind switched from tactical planning to the way Eve’s hair had fluttered in the breeze, he became frustrated. He couldn’t afford to start letting his male brain interfere with his warrior’s mission.

  Not wanting to think about Eve any more than necessary, he joined Aibell on her bed and they began to argue over what to watch. Aibell protested soap operas were educational and could teach them how to better interact with Eve’s family. Eldon accused her of being as simple minded as a human housewife and insisted they watch CSI: New York.

  The two squabbled a bit before settling on the Real Housewives of New Jersey as a compromise between reality and soap opera. After about an hour, Aibell went to shower and Eldon changed into something more suitable for dinner with Eve’s family. Eldon took extra care with his clothing choices. He told himself he only wished to gain her parents’ approval and not to please her. He rationalized he technically hadn’t met either her or her parents and he needed them to like and trust him for his plan to work.

  Aibell exited the bathroom wrapped in a snowy white terry cloth robe to find Eldon still trying to choose a shirt. “Are you done with the catalog yet? I need to get dressed.”

  Eldon looked up with irritation in his eyes and Aibell only giggled when he raked his hand through his dark locks. “Geez, you have been in the damn bathroom for an hour and now you want to rush me.”

  “Give me that.” Yanking the catalog from his hands, Aibell flipped through a couple pages, eyed Eldon’s blue jeans and boots for a moment, and then waved her hand in front of him. The black t-shirt brandishing a rock band logo vanished and in its place, he wore a black button up shirt over a white undershirt.

  Eldon rolled his eyes but as he looked at his reflection in the mirror, he couldn’t help but be relieved that Aibell had made the choice for him. She was an expert of sorts when it came to human clothing. The fad of dressing like the humans came and went in Evalon and lucky for him the trend was popular among the High Elves and the Valkyries. Mumbling his thanks, Eldon ducked into the bathroom. He may find humans a pain, but the serene beauty found in their modern toiletries was something even he could appreciate.

  When he came out a few minutes later, Aibell stood by the window looking over the city. She was dressed in a black and gray cotton dress and two-inch black heels. Her hair was styled in a pile on top of her head in twisty ringlets and a black bag hung from her arm. Eldon went to stand next to her. They enjoyed the view of the city at sunset for a moment before Aibell spoke.

  Her voice was hushed and her eyes searched the city below. “Could you imagine how strong a love must be to make you turn your back on Trig Na nOg and Evalon? They have made it all these years without separating. Her own parents banished her. They forbade her from ever coming home. I couldn’t imagine giving up everything for one love.”

  Eldon simply shook his head no. He didn’t want to ruin Aibell’s moment. She rarely contemplated life on such a level. She was behaving like a true Valkyrie and he did not want to take it away by sounding crass. Personally, he thought the entire idea of love was cliché. Running away and turning your back on your family and Evalon was not something he could comprehend. His loyalties to his people and his home ran bone deep.

  Turning from the window, Aibell’s eyes lost their sadness quickly. Her carefree laugh filled the room, “Okay, let’s go party brother dear.” She loved teasing him about their non-existent family relation.

  Eldon gathered some supplies from his bag and used the Monetisis spell to produce a large quantity of crisp bills. He took half and gave Aibell half. While he folded his neatly and placed them in his pocket, she simply threw them all into her purse as if they were used tissues. Once they settled the money situation, Eldon took the opportunity to remind Aibell they were not there for fun. His voice was stern when he told her, “Let’s go work.”

  6

  Eldon never raised his hand to a woman but he desperately wanted to hit Aibell. She nearly danced as they entered Times Square. The lights and crowds fed them an almost tangible energy charge. Human emotions swirled in the air like a fine mist off the ocean. Even in New York, where the strange never seemed to phase the hardened souls toiling in the city, people stopped to stare at the girl as she exclaimed over everything they saw.

  Throngs of people covered the sidewalks and cars lined the street as if it were a parking lot instead of a road. The taxis blared their horns and the fuming emissions made Eldon’s eyes burn. The glow of the neon lights and bustling people did not impress him at all. He was wary of danger and of Aibell’s ridiculous behavior.

  Only once did they risk discovery. As Aibell twirled along the street, avoiding every person she passed with a graceful sashay and a smile, she spun too closely to a man. A downtrodden soul who used the cold concrete of the sidewalk for a bed and the daily newspaper filled with murders, money, and sadness as a blanket. His clothes were dirty, his body unwashed, and his mind a hopeless haze of drugs, alcohol, and pain.

  When he saw Aibell, his eyes cleared of their cloudy gloss and he smiled a wide and toothless grin. His gravelly voice was barely a whisper at first, but then, it grew louder with his excitement. “She is an angel. Oh Angel, please have mercy upon my sinner’s soul and take me home. I was lost but now I am found.” The blithering old man fell to his knees with his hands clasped in front of him as if in prayer.

  Shocked by the man’s sudden recognition of her as a non-human and because her Valkyrie heart, Aibell stepped forward and laid her hand upon the man’s shoulder. Eldon barely recognized Aibell as her whole being reached out to the man. “Oh human soldier, you are truly the fallen. You once fought a great battle and your people have left you to die in the arms of a cold winter. I’m no angel in the sense that you think I am, but I promise you redemption.”

  Eldon moved fast. Something primeval and instinctual took over Aibell. Not quite a priestess, she shouldn’t be able to summon the means to carry the man’s soul to the Great Hall of Asgaurd but the hu
man on the street also shouldn’t have affected her either. Before Aibell could prove centuries of Valkyrie belief wrong and do the summoning in the middle of New York City, Eldon grabbed her arm and spun her towards him.

  Aibell’s eyes were vacant for a full frightening second before the fire came back into them. “Oh, what was I doing?” Confused and frightened, she clung to Eldon like a child.

  “I think we need to go back home.” Eldon’s face was pale and he was watching Aibell closely.

  “We can’t go back to the hotel. We are almost to the restaurant.” Aibell was apparently coming back to herself because the whine in her voice made Eldon cringe.

  “No Aibell, not back to the hotel. We need to go back to Evalon. What you did was dangerous and not at all normal.” Eldon spoke in a quiet and calm voice. He did not want to upset her after such an experience and he did not want to attract any more attention from the people streaming around them. The old man sat down next to the corner and prayed to his God vehemently, asking for release from his life.

  “Eldon, I am fine. We will deal with this later.” Aibell waved an impatient hand at the man and turned on her little black heels. She strode a few feet and turned to Eldon. “Well, are you coming or not? You keep reminding me we are on a mission. What’s more important, my little freak out, or saving all of Evalon?”

  Eldon trudged up alongside her, unable to find the words to argue. He noticed the bounce was gone from Aibell’s step. She walked at a slower pace with her eyes straight ahead. She held her head high but there was a different set to her body. As if she had aged right before his eyes, Aibell changed. The two of them walked in silence, merely taking in the sights of Times Square in quiet awe.

  They finally reached the Hard Rock Café and the uplifting atmosphere managed to bring a little color back to Aibell’s face. The glitz and glitter reminded Eldon of one of the Selkie landscapes in Evalon. A place where everything sparkled and the moon hung in the neon-dappled sky. Eldon forcibly tugged Aibell away from the wall of guitars to take their seats. A hostess guided them to a table in the dining room where Eve and her family were waiting.

  While waiting for their dinner, Eve’s parents asked many questions about their hometown, what grade in school they were in, if they were twins, and other sort of parental information. Of course, all the answers they received were pure fabrications. Thankfully, both he and Aibell had planned all their answers to sound like average humans.

  Eldon was glad to see Eve’s father was no exception to the stereotypical sports loving dad stigma. While he and Eve’s father discussed football, the girls talked favorite shopping spots. The topic made Aibell’s end of the conversation much easier. She had a dwarf friend who brought her all the latest fashion catalogs to Evalon and she manifested her favorite clothes from them.

  Once the food arrived, there was a break in the heavier conversation. They continued to chat around mouthfuls of food but the third degree seemed to be over. In the time Eldon and Aibell spent together on their previous mission, Eldon had never seen her eat quite as much. The experience with the bum must have really taxed her strength because she ate all of her own entree and then began stealing fries from Eldon’s plate.

  The five of them sat at the table for a while after dinner and chatted. Catching both Eldon and Aibell by surprise, Eve’s father asked what they planned to do after graduation. Neither of them had thought to develop the plan beyond the superficial. Eldon could not say he planned to head the Daoine Army against the dark forces on the edge of Evalon. Nor could Aibell say that she planned to prove herself worthy to the Valkyrie clan and achieve the status of High Priestess. As they stumbled on the question, Eve’s mother came to the rescue.

  “Richard! Its ok kids, you don’t have to be in a rush to figure it all out quite yet. You will have to forgive my husband, he thinks all teenagers should have a definite plan and should stick to it. He forgets how it feels to be young and to have your whole life ahead of you.” Clarisse looked at her husband with such huge, loving eyes that, for one second, Eldon thought he could understand why she left their world behind. The adoration in her eyes when she looked at him was evidence of how much she treasured her husband.

  His gaze reflected his wife’s affection for a moment before he looked at Eve with the same love and pride. Richard took the opportunity to brag about his daughter. “Eve here, she’s got a good head on her shoulders. She has it all figured out already. She has been doing her college prep classes this year. All she has left to do is make her choice between Marine Biologist and Biophysicist. Oh, and stay out of trouble.” With the last sentence, Eve’s Dad cast a wary eye in Eldon’s direction.

  Eldon kept his face expressionless, despite the heat rising inside of him. Every ounce of him wanted to stand up and draw the sword he obviously wasn’t carrying. He was a Daoine warrior not a hormone driven teenage mortal, scheming about how to deflower the man’s virginal daughter. Outrage made Eldon’s skin crawl until he felt Aibell gently nudge him beneath the table. The bump was a simple reminder for Eldon, in Upper World and to the humans, he was a teenage boy.

  Dinner continued without further offense and even the two fey enjoyed their selves. It turned out that both Clarisse and Richard had a sense of humor. Eve remained quiet throughout most of the meal. She spoke frequently to Aibell in words barely audible to Eldon. When she did speak to the rest of the group, she insisted her parents not brag or embarrass her.

  Eldon spoke to Eve as much as he deemed appropriate without risking the disapproval of her father. Her responses were fleetingly short and he noticed she often cast her eyes downward when she spoke to him. Somehow, he did not believe she was shy. Nor did he believe she was masterful at the art of seducing boys and she was playing coy on purpose. Either way, the effect was maddening. Each time she spoke to him, he wanted to grasp her chin, force her face upward, and see the light in her eyes.

  Engrossed in his thoughts about Eve, Eldon didn’t hear Clarisse the first time she asked him the question. Aibell gave him another nudge and when he looked at her, he noticed the strained look on her face. “What?” He asked bewildered on how he could have missed anything very important.

  “I asked if you had family in Connecticut. You look familiar to me.” Clarisse was staring at him, hard. Her eyes bored into his while she searched for the answer he did not want her to find.

  “I believe we may have a cousin or two near Hartford but none I am really well acquainted with.” Eldon flashed his best smile, but underneath it, he began to calculate his next steps. Clarisse must not stand in the way of their mission.

  “Well, I guess maybe I’m mistaken.” The searchlight in her eyes dimmed and she looked at him with less scrutiny.

  “Mom, leave Eldon alone. You and Daddy have been acting like a couple of inquisitors tonight. Poor Eldon was dragged here by force so that Aibell and I could have dinner together. I doubt seriously that he is happy about the arrangements, but he has been very kind. Please leave the poor boy alone.” Eve implored her parents. Her voice was strong but quiet. No disrespect could be found in the way she spoke, only a bit of disapproval.

  Eldon saw, for the first time, the type of ruler she would be if she were to take the throne in Evalon. Understanding and just, she would serve their kingdom fairly. Her even tone and character would accompany judgments and rulings. The accused would feel admonished but not beaten down. He could almost see her on the throne, decked out in elf finery, as was the fashion in Trig Na nOg.

  “I’m sorry darling. You know us old fogies, we are always trying to protect our young.” Eve’s father laughed heartily and the conversation began to flow again.

  When everyone was done and the bill paid, they wandered around the restaurant and gift shop, admiring the rock memorabilia. The fey’s fondness for all music helped them mix into human culture smoothly. Elvis, Jerry Garcia, Bob Marley, and other rock legends were as admired in Evalon as in Upper World. Both Eldon and Aibell’s love for the Beatles overjoyed Eve’s
parents. They shared a lively discussion on the better performers of current time and Aibell recommended Eve’s mother listen to Apocalyptica and their heavy metal rendition of the classical musicians.

  As Aibell continued to flaunt her musical knowledge, Clarisse seemed skeptical once again. Being of Sidhe blood herself, she was very aware of the fey’s love for music. Eve saved the day when she interjected that she had recently purchased a large amount of music of various genres for her iPod days before the trip. Apparently, Clarisse was confident her daughter repressed all the magic in her blood and assumed her eclectic taste was part of being a normal teenager.

  At last, the evening ended. Aibell invited Eve to come with her to Coney Island for the evening festivities, with Eldon acting as an escort. Eve begged her parents but both were adamant they did not think she was quite old enough to be gallivanting around New York at night on her own. When Aibell almost protested, Eldon interjected.

  “Aibell, it’s too late for any of us to go tonight. Why don’t the three of us go tomorrow morning and spend the day? I don’t want to be mugged.” Eldon enjoyed playing the part of big brother and protector, and his dialogue was more than convincing.

  Eve’s parents agreed that Eve could go in the morning and they left the restaurant. Exiting the building was almost like crossing into a different landscape for Eldon and Aibell. The Hard Rock Café was relatively less busy and bright than the bustling world they emerged into. Awestruck tourists bathed in the neon as if it were the sun and stood happily smiling for pictures in front of the massive billboards glowing on the sides of the buildings.

  The bum that Eldon and Aibell had dealt with earlier still squatted near the corner. He appeared to be sleeping but Eldon didn’t want to take any chances. He steered Aibell to the farthest side of the sidewalk and let the crowd stream between them and the old man. If the man started ranting about Aibell being an angel, they could blame it on his obvious state, but they would be exposed if Aibell began to transition as she had before.