Blue Ridge: Vol. 3 - Escape

by Sophia Gray

  Nadia felt sick. The room seemed to spin and she didn’t want to hear anymore, yet she knew she had to. “What is it they think I am?”

  Dain smiled a truly evil smile. “Valuable. You are Dark Elfin.”

  A stunned silence was in the room. Derrick’s head jerked around and he pointed at her. “This skinny girl?”

  Nadia laughed out loud. “This isn’t D&D or Lord of the Rings!” She looked at Foster, expecting him to be laughing or at least smiling, but he wasn’t. “Foster has touched me, he’s kissed me! My goodness you all saw that! He would have known!”

  Julia shook her head. “No, child, not everyone has that gift, and he is only partially in the blood line that would carry such a gift.”

  Nadia felt angry. She always felt angry when she couldn’t understand something. “Ok, Dain, why did you come to the bookstore?”

  “To make sure Garth grabbed the right one.”

  “He wasn’t alone though, was he?” she spat.

  “No. I helped him, and he took you into the Realm.”

  Nadia tried to gather her senses. She wanted Foster, but she wanted to be home in bed, waking from this terrible dream. A dark elf? What nonsense!

  Foster’s anger couldn’t be contained. “Brother, why don’t you tell of all your exploits?”

  Dain gave him an annoyed glance. Warren’s head shot up and Foster was glad to see the indignation there. He stood and crossed to Dain. “Tell them about Diana.”

  Julia looked confused and Derrick rolled his eyes toward the ceiling.

  “Really, Dain? Another girl?” Derrick asked.

  Dain’s expression changed and he gave Foster and Warren looks of warning. He tried to mouth ‘shut up’, but Julia saw him. She stood and walked to Derrick’s side. “No, they will not be silent. Who is this Diana?”

  Warren’s eyes never left Dain’s. “If he has one shred of decency left, she will be your daughter in law. He has fathered a child with her.”

  “I most certainly did not!” Dain shouted coming to his feet.

  “You bred a child with a human!” Derrick shouted.

  Warren turned and looked at his parents. “No, not a human, a Fae.”

  Julia’s face turned ashen and she looked across the room to the lady they called Zuzana. She motioned Julia to her and held her hand, speaking soft words to her.

  Derrick looked at Foster. “Did you see the child?”

  “Yes. Warren already knew her because Dain took him into the Realm already. She showed us the child.”

  “There is no proof, that bastard is mine!”

  Foster ignored Dain and continued. “The child looks just like him, right down to the glossy black hair that shines like a million diamonds.” Foster smiled ruefully. “Oh and by the way, she helped us, and the only payment she requested was for us to tell her chosen to come and see his son.”

  Julia let out a moan. “You have a chosen, and you have slept with her already?” Julia glared at Foster. “You have a chosen too, have you bedded her yet?” she said and tilted her head to the side for emphasis.

  “No, mother! We will ceremony first!”

  Ceremnony? Nadia was sure she was going to vomit at any moment. It was too much. The things they were saying were just too much.

  Derrick looked at Stefan. “You were with them, what does the child look like?”

  “Dain.” Dain let out an exasperated sigh. Stefan continued. “The child looked a bit large to just be Fae, I did see the hair, and well poor lad’s mother is a bit batty.”

  Dain howled with laughter. “Yeah, she is!”

  “THAT IS ENOUGH!” Derrick bellowed. “You bed her and now you make fun of her?”

  Warren faced his father. “She’s not crazy. She’s actually very smart. She isn’t to her twenty-one yet, and she has hidden the baby all on her own. She gave birth on her own. She’s not crazy, just tired and very lonely.”

  Derrick straightened his posture and pulled at the top of his pants. He looked at his youngest son with the eyes of someone weighing an item for worth. “How old is she?”

  “Just over nineteen.”

  Julia lifted red-rimmed eyes and looked at Dain then at Warren. She finally settled her gaze on Derrick and opened and closed her mouth a few times before speaking. “Derrick, we have a grandchild! We must go to this young girl! We must help her!”

  “We can’t go back into the Realm right now, Julia, you know this.”

  “Maybe you can’t but I can.” Warren spoke with authority.

  “No.” Julia whispered.

  Stefan stood at the same time Garth did. They looked at each other and recognized they had the same intention. “We will go get her.” They said together.

  Derrick shook his head. “They will certainly be looking for Garth.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I owe a debt to your family for my involvement in this.”

  “What did she promise you?” Dain asked looking at Garth. His eyes held a faraway almost dreamy look. It was strange to see such an expression on Dain’s face.

  Garth regarded him with dark eyes. The dislike on his face was unmistakable. “The same she promised you I’m sure; a place by her side.”

  This time it was Derrick’s turn to laugh. “And the two of you bought it?” His laughter became something close to hysterical. He doubled over and held his sides. “A Sidhe promises love two Nephilim, and they buy it! They both buy it!”

  Zuzana looked at him coolly. “I do recall a young and reckless son of the fallen that fell in love with a member of the Sidhe.”

  Derrick immediately sobered. He stood and caught his breath. He looked at Julia for several long seconds. “Yes, and he has never regretted it.”

  Foster was not used to his father’s features softening; he was used to the hard dark eyes that knew no pity. There were still too many questions and not enough time. “Why did she want Nadia? Would someone explain it?”

  “Her blood.” Dain said.

  “My blood?” Nadia couldn’t comprehend it. “My blood for what?”

  Dain leaned towards her and touched her just below her juggler. He could feel her rapid pulse and grinned. “To drink it.”

  *****

  Nadia was being herded towards Foster’s vehicle. Derrick was right on their heels. He threw a backpack into the backseat and turned to place something in Foster’s hand. Nadia leaned over and saw that it was a small pistol. Derrick let go and placed a hand on the driver’s door.

  “Go there. Let her see her parents, do whatever is necessary to appease the police, and then get her back here. She will be in impossible danger if you don’t.” Derrick looked at Nadia hard. “You understand that the life you knew may be over?”

  Nadia nodded her head.

  “Is my son worth it?”

  Nadia felt a moment of doubt. She looked at the ground and then up at Foster’s profile. He wouldn’t look at her; he kept his eyes on some point beyond his father. She could feel the tension in his hand and arm. She leaned in and smelled the earthy scent coming off of him. She allowed her mind to drift to the taste of his mouth and his emerald eyes. When she finally looked at Derrick she knew only one thing; she would die before she let Foster out of her life.

  “Yes, sir, he is worth it.” She could feel Foster’s hand and arm relax.

  Derrick nodded and stepped away. “Just so long as you are committed.”

  On impulse, Nadia let go of Foster’s hand and stepped up to Derrick. He was as tall as Garth and even on her tiptoes she had to motion him to her. He bent his head down and she kissed his cheek. “Thank you for helping me.”

  Derrick’s face was comical to Foster. He wanted so badly to remain a hard exterior, but in the innocent face of Nadia, and with her gesture of a thank you kiss, he couldn’t. He nodded his head and lightly touched her face.

  Foster grabbed her hand again and pulled her to the passenger door. Even in that moment of extreme danger and stress, he was a gentleman. They backed out and Foster left the front
yard of his home, praying that all would be safe when he returned.

  *****

  The next four hours was hell. Crystal and Frank cried. They called Nadia an idiot. The police had been there, and the detective had to come back and take a statement.

  “Why did you drop your cell phone?”

  “I didn’t mean to.” Nadia smiled patiently. “I had dropped my purse and the cell phone fell out.”

  “Right, and you left your car because?”

  “Well, I was just confused and, I needed to walk. You know…to sort things out.”

  “Oh my Lord, she has never done one thing reckless, Officer!” Crystal said for the fourth time.

  “Yes, Mam.” He replied again. He was fairly old and had graying sandy colored hair. Foster could tell he was just weary of the whole thing. He was hoping for the big case that he had wanted his whole career, and a flighty girl with no sense of direction was all he got. “So, you thought walking at night was a good idea?”

  “Here?” she laughed. “Of course I did.”

  The detective eyed her sharply. “Do you take any kinds of drugs, Miss James?”

  “Me? Oh no! I don’t even like aspirin!”

  The detective snapped his notebook shut and stood abruptly. “It’s a good thing you came home when you did, young lady. One more day and we were going to start a serious search.”

  “Which you should have done to begin with.” Frank mumbled. Foster smirked and hid it with his hand and a pretend cough. He knew something needed to be done. He placed his hand on the man’s arm and started walking him to the door.

  “Officer, I know this seems ridiculous.”

  “It sounds like a pack of lies!” he snapped.

  Foster nodded and let some of his energy seep through his fingertips. The man began to relax. “Yes, and it was reckless of her. It really is my fault. I pressured her too soon in our relationship, that’s all.”

  The man looked confused and finally he shrugged. “Women: can’t live with ‘em and can’t live without ‘em!”

  “That’s right.” Foster smiled and opened the screen door for him.

  “Well, at least she found those berries to eat! It’ll be one hell of a story to tell around the station!”

  Foster allowed a little more of his energy to seep into the man, and he gazed into his eyes. Foster thought of a flame and how a tiny one could become a blaze capable of devouring almost anything. He kept that image as he gazed into the detective’s eyes. “Maybe your report should state that she decided to go hiking, and lost her way. I see no need to make this family a laughing stock, do you?”

  He swallowed several times, and shook his head slowly. “No, I don’t.”

  Foster grinned and let go of his arm. He waved as the policeman got into his typical dark colored sedan, and drove away. He was certain the report would state she was lost while hiking and that would be the end of it. He turned back towards the others and saw Frank watching him closely. Foster gave him a weak smile and sat down. He was drained and needed to rest. Crystal followed Nadia to her bedroom, insisting she take a shower and check for ticks. When they heard the door click shut, Frank leaned forward. His eyes were steely, and Foster knew he didn’t buy a word of it.

  “That was some slick talking you did with Detective Brian.”

  Foster smiled nervously. “Nah, he just wanted this to be something that it wasn’t.”

  “Where was my daughter really?” he asked in a low voice.

  “We told you, lost in the forest.”

  A clock hanging on the wall ticked loudly; a constant reminder to Foster that he needed to hurry. Frank leaned back and pushed himself out of his recliner. “Come outside with me, Foster, the wife doesn’t like me to smoke my pipe in the house.”

  Foster reluctantly followed him out the back door and watched as he pulled a tobacco pouch from his pants pocket, and packed the bowl of a brown pipe. He lit it and blew a cherry smell into the air.

  “I have lived at the base of this mountain my whole life.” He said and blew more sweet smelling smoke from between teeth that clenched the pipe stem. He pulled it out and pointed it at Foster. “I grew up with old wives tales, and some of them were true tales. Now my wife is a little simple, and she wouldn’t understand if I tried to explain anything to her.” He paused and looked across his yard to the back of the next trailer. Frank shook his head and knocked the pipe on the bottom of his boot to remove the tobacco. Once it was clear he put it back in his pants pocket.

  “She was a willful child. She was constantly drawn to the woods. She wanted to read only fairytales.”

  Foster tried to smile. “That isn’t so odd for a little girl.”

  “Maybe not, but I knew she was different, even if my wife couldn’t or wouldn’t see it.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “She can tell if someone is telling the truth, she can run like the wind, climb a tree like a monkey, and jump like a rabbit.” Frank eyed him carefully. “It’s like she isn’t from here, and to be honest, I don’t think you are either.”

  “Sir, I would never hurt her.”

  “You better not, but I ain’t really concerned about that. Is my daughter in some kind of danger?”

  Foster knew he should lie, but he also knew one lie leads to another, and there had been enough lies today. “Yes, sir.”

  Frank sighed heavily and pulled in a shuddering breath. “Is she one of the fairy people?” he asked and looked at Foster, “Is she like you?”

  “No, sir, not exactly like me.”

  Frank nodded and stared at the ground. “We thought she didn’t like boys. We was sure she would never marry. When you came along last week, we were, you know, relieved.”

  “I do love her.”

  “I can’t understand this, but I know you will take care of her. I just don’t know how I know it.”

  “My family will help me, and when this is all over, I will help you understand.”

  Frank nodded again, and Foster was struck with how old he looked. He reached out and offered his hand. Frank shook it and asked, “What are we going to need to do?”

  *****

  When they came back in, Crystal was braiding Nadia’s wet hair, and talking like she had been gone two months instead of two days. Frank put on a smiling face and clapped his hands together. “So, guess what?”

  “What?” Crystal asked as she tied a hair band into the bottom of the braid.

  “Well, Foster’s family is going on a little vacation, and they want Nadia to come along.”

  Crystal looked over Nadia’s shoulder with a surprised expression. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t know!” Nadia looked up at Foster, but he just grinned and lifted his eyebrows.

  “Well, this girl has been through a trauma. I don’t think she’s up to a vacation! Besides, she’s got school and work!”

  Frank rolled his eyes. “Crystal, she’s a grown woman, and she needs to live a little. Now, Foster asked me himself, like a man,” he said holding up his hand so Crystal couldn’t interrupt, “and I told him yes. We can call her boss and let the school know too.”

  Crystal James was a true believer in the Christian view of the man being the head of the household, and she would never think of contradicting her husband when he made a decision, but this situation was different.

  “Well, I just don’t know. Nadia, would you want to go? I mean do you know these people?”

  “I’ve met his parents briefly and his two brothers.” She smiled up at her mother. “Yes, I would like to go.”

  “Great!” Foster said. “You need to pack, we’re leaving soon.”

  Nadia stood and asked her mother to come help her. Frank and Foster didn’t speak again until they had come back. Nadia was carrying an old fashioned suitcase and her book bag.

  “I declare, I don’t even know where you are going!” Crystal said.

  “Oh! We’re heading across the state line to see some of the sites in West Virgin
ia.”

  Crystal frowned. “Well, it about looks like it does here.”

  “Ah, come on now, Crystal, there’s a race track and if they go far enough west they can see that creepy moth man statue.”

  “Well, I don’t see….”

  Nadia turned around and hugged her mother. “I love you, Mom. I’ll be back before you know it!” She set her suitcase down and hugged her father. “Love you, Daddy.”

  “Love you, too.” He mumbled and hugged her hard. “Take care of yourself.”