True North

by S.M. Winter

into the darkness of the corridor.

  “What?” I gritted my teeth.

  “You don’t understand,” his breathing was ragged.

  “That’s an understatement,” I scoffed.

  “I wanted you to trust me,” he said.

  I glanced at him and he seemed to be struggling with himself. My anger drained away and was replaced by a very intense pull. I closed my eyes and tried to fight it. This wasn’t logical. Just moments ago I’d been in a near rage, and now I was struggling to not pull off his clothes and jump him where we stood. What was he doing to me?

  “How am I supposed to trust you when you lied to me?” I wanted to know.

  “I’m sorry,” his voice was soft as a whisper and his grip lightened on my arms.

  “I don’t like feeling helpless,” I said.

  “Neither do I,” his breath was on my neck.

  “What do we do?” I asked.

  “I can think of a few things,” his lips brushed just under my jaw sending shocks across my skin.

  I sucked in air and nearly choked on it. It was deliciously wicked the way he chuckled with his lips soft on my neck. I lifted my neck to give him better access and sighed when he kissed the exposed flesh.

  “Aunt Tabbie?” A call from down the hall had us jumping away like a child caught in the cookie jar.

  “Yes?” I cleared my throat as Tad appeared out of the darkness, excitement in every movement.

  “We caught one!” He jumped up and down.

  “Caught one what?” My eyes were still glued to Alexandar’s. A heat seemed to radiate between us.

  “A faerie!” He clapped and ran back the way he’d come.

  “A faerie?” All thoughts of what we had just been doing fled as the improbability seeped in.

  “A faerie,” Alexandar nodded and followed Tad, beckoning me forward.

  I sighed. I wasn’t sure I was ready for faeries to be real.

  The food had changed on the buffet table but it still held a variety of junk foods. When I walked into the dining room I half expected there to be a box held up by a twig, with a string that stretched to Thomas. What I found was even odder than that. It looked as if there was a small breeze shuffling salt and pepper around on the dining table.

  When I looked at Alexandar he just chuckled and nodded. I didn’t understand what was happening. The boys bounced excitedly in place as the condiments swirled around like someone was sifting through them.

  “I don’t get it,” I frowned.

  “You don’t see them?” Thomas giggled.

  I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to be seeing so I stayed quiet.

  “She doesn’t believe,” Tad tugged on his older brother’s shirt.

  “But she knows everything,” Thomas whispered.

  “Knowing is not believing,” Alexandar strode forward and crouched to be on eye level with the table. “Hello my friends, cleaning a mess are you? Well we appreciate it.”

  “I thought you said you caught one?” I asked the boys.

  “We did,” Thomas began to pout. “But Alex said not to keep them, because they are really fragile and we could hurt them if we even touch them. Like butterflies.”

  “So we made a mess they had to clean up by themselves!” Tad cheered.

  “I still don’t understand,” I crouched down next to Alexandar.

  “The boys mixed pepper and salt together,” Alexandar pointed at the black and white sand on the table. “Faeries dislike waste, you see. So instead of dumping it all in the garbage they are separating the tiny grains by hand and putting them away.”

  As I watched I saw the miniscule pieces separating. What I’d perceived as just swirling was actually sorting and sure enough, small amounts at a time were making their way back into the shakers.

  “How...” I started.

  For a moment I thought I saw the air around the salt and pepper piles shift, but then it was gone.

  “There are an innumerable species of faerie,” Alexandar smiled at me. “You will see when you believe.”

  “I’ve accepted my reality,” I looked back at him. “So why can’t I see them?”

  “Accepting your reality is different than having faith or believing in something you can’t see,” Alexandar explained.

  I turned around, half expecting to see things hanging from the rafters and dancing around. I saw nothing beyond the normal.

  “Where are they?” I asked.

  “They still make themselves scarce,” Alexandar said. “Regardless if you believe or not they still don’t enjoy our company. They serve the Elements and by proxy us. But they do not appreciate us considering them our servants. Which of course you are not.”

  Alexandar held up both hands in peace at the empty table. I frowned.

  “Well,” I smiled at the boys. “That was exciting wasn’t it?”

  “I can’t wait to tell...” Thomas’ face dropped like a stone, bringing him crashing back to reality. “Will I ever be able to go home?”

  This was a discussion I had been hoping to avoid for a while yet.

  “That’s a good question Tom,” I took his and Tad’s hands leading them to the sitting area.

  Alexandar was tactful enough, or perhaps scared enough, to beat a hasty retreat.

  “You know how much stock I put into education,” I started.

  I paused when the boys seemed lost immediately into my rehearsed speech and decided I may need to readjust my phrasing.

  “I know you don’t think it’s important now,” I continued. “But it will be one day. I would like to keep you both with me here forever, but I’m afraid you would get too lonely without other children to play with. There is a school for special kids like you.”

  “I get to go to school?” Tad’s eyes filled with delight.

  “You’re sending us away?” Thomas’ eyes spilled over and he pleaded with me. “We can be good! I promise!”

  Seeing his brother’s reaction Tad picked up the theme and immediately began crying as well.

  “Oh honey,” I picked them both up and cuddled them in my lap. “I will visit as often as I can. But it’s not safe for either of you.”

  “When do we have to leave?” Thomas sniffled.

  “I was hoping you both would keep me company for a few days longer,” I hugged them close. “But then we will need to find the school for you.”

  “Why can’t we just go to school here, like you?” Thomas crossed his arms stubbornly.

  “Because the things you learn here,” I sighed. “They are not the formal education I would like you both to have. Valerie has told me about this school and it sounds like you get to learn as much as you want, as well as play with the other children who are like you.”

  Children who had been orphaned by the Void. I had wanted to tell them but I didn’t think that it would have helped in this instance.

  “So let’s have as much fun as possible while you’re here ok?” I hugged them again and they both nodded slowly.

  The next several days passed quickly to my never ending regret. I did not sleep much during those days. I was exhausted but I wanted to spend every waking moment with the boys. When they were sleeping, I was learning. And I had learned so much in such a short time. The journals called to me, but I knew I needed to focus on the task at hand. Once I had mastered my Element, only then would I allow myself the pleasure of new exploration.

  When the day finally came to take the boys to the orphanage I wasn’t sure if I could do it. As much as I disliked the person who had called herself my mother, I couldn’t help but wonder if their lives would be better. I knew the woman would dote on the boys and the man who had called himself my grandfather would take care of them all. When I said as much to Alexandar, he gave me a sad smile and dashed my hopes.

  “They will never be safe, as long as you live,” Alexandar told me.

  I nodded and packed the very few things they treasured now. I saw no problem with the boys taking a couple of the children’s
books from the library and some loose things they had collected from their adventures in the sanctuary. We had even ventured above for a while so they could run through the forest on the island and get some sunshine. It had been a risk but the boys had needed it badly, and so had I. That day had been one of the best, but now their time here was done.

  We all gathered in front of the door and held our keys. Alexandar took pointe and we all inserted our keys. It was just as exhilarating as the last time. I listened to the boys’ indrawn breaths and exclamations. When Alexandar opened the door we all walked through. It was dark, but Chauncy hurriedly created his little suns and it warmed the area quickly. I touched the wall and realized it was pressed rock. It had a damp feel to it but it was smooth, like a tumbled stone.

  “Down this way,” Valerie walked to the right as the tunnel veered off in fifteen different directions. The boys followed quietly.

  In fact we were all very quiet. It felt like a funeral procession. After what felt like a hundred twists and turns we finally came to a door. It was a large paneled double door with beautifully carved handles. Valerie knocked lightly and the doors opened wide by a butler in full uniform. He bowed to us all and put out his arm to welcome us into the foyer. I goggled at the interior.

  An enormous crystal chandelier hung from thirty foot high ceilings. Two staircases wrapped upward to a second and third floor. Beautiful art, which reminded me of my previous employment, hung on the walls. A second set of double doors opened underneath the framing staircases to a ballroom the size of a football field.

  In the middle of the room was a bust of a grumpy man’s head with a plaque below it: Herr Wolff’s Warren for Wayward