by J. P. Rice
“You think that’s what this is?”
She shook her head. “I know that’s what this is.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Have you heard the story of Queen Al?” she asked, sinking back into the cushions of my brown couch.
“I think so. You’re talking about the Queen of Sleepy Willow who was chased out.”
“More than chased out. Tell me what you know about her.”
The uneven winds banged against my house, rain now coming down faster. Thunder boomed and the lights dimmed before regaining full power. “They said she was statuesque, elegant, the epitome of beauty. Her braided hair looked like strands of gold, woven to perfection. Her wings made the butterflies blush. Queen Al’s magic was more powerful than any wizard’s. She was a fair and just ruler until her husband, King Ballistar, turned on her.”
Alayna was bawling and I wondered why she had asked me to tell this story. I continued, “The King was jealous of her power and ordered his evil henchmen to clip her wings, effectively killing her.”
Sheets of rain poured down in buckets, hammering the roof of my house. A flash of lightning was punctuated by an immediate strike of thunder. A memory grenade exploded in my head.
It hit me like a lightning bolt in the heart and I began to cry. My mind flashed back to when Alayna had taken me to an underworld to smoke the Plant of Knowledge. The scars on her back. Those hideous scars. They were right in the area where wings would have been attached.
It was her.
It was Queen Al.
But how?
I reached out and pulled her lovingly into my lap. She wrapped her arms around me and we cried. I don’t know how long it lasted. Didn’t really care.
This was my mentor. My mother figure. She had been there for me when everyone else in the entire world had given up on me. I’d given up on me. She’d found out about my secret bloodline with Merlin and helped me awaken it. I owed my life to her. No exaggeration. And now, I had to help her exact revenge.
I felt a primal rage swirling inside my chest, carrying a club of vengeance, begging to bust out. If they were still alive, I wanted to kill every last person who’d made her suffer. For my savior, my mentor, my mother figure and so many more things.
The rain continued to flow down in biblical proportions that would have made Noah anxious. It was as if the Gods, all of them from every culture, were crying with us, sharing in Alayna’s pain. I pulled her up and our watery cheeks mashed together.
What a traumatic secret to have buried down deep for so long. She’d never even given me an indication about her past. I’d always thought she had been born in the Deep Burrow as a wingless faerie. Born that way.
When I thought the overwhelming emotion had died down sufficiently, I asked, “How did you get away? The stories said that you died trying to escape.”
She sniffled and sat up straight, wiping away some of our mutual tears from my stubbly cheek. “After my husband had his Wardens clip my wings, they expected me to drop dead. However, the king failed in his treacherous attempt at uxoricide. I had one loyal friend. A dragon named Pembrooke. My friend swooped down after the guards had left me for dead in the castle square. Pembrooke held my wings in place when I placed a hex on Sleepy Willow, just before the wings dissolved into dust. I cursed the land, poisoning the food and anything that grew out of it. They’ve had to import all their food through the portals ever since.”
“So the curse still stands?”
“If what I hear about Sleepy Willow is true, then yes. When I ruled, it was a much rougher land, than say, the Deep Burrow. After I left things turned seedy and downright murderous, giving the land of the Fae the terrible reputation that it shares now. They did away with all laws as far as I know.”
“How come you didn’t die?”
“The reason I became queen was because no other faerie had ever grown to my size. I’m actually half nixie and half pixie. Nobody ever thought I would grow as tall as I had.”
“What’s a nixie?”
“A nixie is a water spirit. Merfolk. Like a little mermaid or merman. Much smaller though, which made me special because I was like a giant compared to my folk. Nobody had more magic at his or her fingertips than yours truly and the King took notice. I also think that was the reason I didn’t die after my wings were clipped. My magic kept me alive. And don’t forget the help I had from Pembrooke. He flew me to the Deep Burrow. The druidic physicians and healing witches saved me, but my body had shrunk to the size you see right now.”
“Did you at least retain your magic?”
“Nope.” She looked at the window for a few moments, as the intense storm raged on the other side of that glass, and said, “This happened about five hundred years ago. It took me a few centuries to build my magic back up. It’s still nowhere near the level it originally was.”
I asked, “So how do the dragons come into all this?” The window lit up, electricity dancing inside a rolling cloud on the horizon.
“The noble dragons. My dragons banded together to leave Sleepy Willow and go to an unknown location until they were needed again. Pembrooke and all the dragons left except for two black ones that showed a loyalty to the King. The two black dragons decided to stay with the new supreme ruler and pledged fealty to the King.”
“And he’s been breeding them for the past five hundred years,” I guessed.
She pointed at me. “Precisely. I’d hoped that the dragons would have mating problems, but it appears that never happened. I can’t imagine why he’s chosen to attack Pittsburgh. Apparently your past can always come back to you. Has me thinking someone might have dimed me out.”
I chuckled at her phrasing. “Could be a coincidence. How do you get your dragons back?”
“I used to play them music on my Dragon Horn. Sweet, lovely melodies that they would fly around and bob their heads to. When we parted ways, I told Pembrooke that I would never play the Dragon Horn again unless I was in dire need of their help.”
“Awesome. Let’s get that bad boy and you can blow into that thing. Problem solved. Where’s it at?”
“It’s in Sleepy Willow.”
“Excuse me?” I asked, hoping I’d heard her wrong.
“You heard me right.”
“Why didn’t you take it with you?”
Alayna explained, “I was out of my mind and dying. I buried it beyond the great expanse. Nobody has been able to find it or they would have summoned the dragons and I would have heard about it. Just like I’d heard about King Ballistar’s dragons. The first person to blow into that horn will have the dragons under his or her command. There is one caveat. The person must be deemed fit.”
“Wait. Who deems if the person is fit?”
“The dragons. They are quite adept at judging character. I surely didn’t say anything, yet everyone in Sleepy Willow lusts to find that horn. It’s just nobody knows where it is except me.”
“How do they know about it? Does that mean they know you’re alive?”
“Not exactly. The legend started soon after my failed demise. Everyone knew I used the Horn to play music for my dragons, so they tried to find the Horn around the castle. After failing to discover it, the hunt began and the stories started. It’s in a spot that most people are afraid to traverse.”
I asked a question I didn’t want to ask, “You’re saying we have to go to the most dangerous area of Sleepy Willow to get this thing?”
She nodded slowly and remained silent.
“I’ve heard that Sleepy Willow was a dangerous place even when you ruled over the land. Now they say beings and creatures will cut your throat for fun or to drink your blood. And that’s not even the vampires. They say outsiders, especially humans, don’t stand a chance getting in there.”
The storm started to relent, turning into a sideways spray of mist, splattering the window in sudden bursts. Alayna tried to smile, but her mouth quivered and her lips remained stiff. “Luckily for us, we know an insider.”
I cocked my head to the side. “Who?”
“Me. Haven’t been back, but I’ve paid close attention to what has happened since my demise. If we can get over Lake Geopold, I can guide us to the burial spot.”
I wasn’t sold. “Do you even know if it’s going to be there?”
“I do not. Not sure, but I’m pretty sure.”
“So this is basically a death wish?” I asked.
Her eyes narrowed, tears still spilling down her flushed cheeks. “I’m over a thousand years old and I don’t plan on dying any time soon. I feel it in my bones that it’s still there. I hid it in a dangerous area that no one wanders into unless they want to die.”
“That’s not sounding any better. Do we have any way to get there? And how do we get past the lake you were just talking about?”
Her voice squeaked, “That’s where we have a tiny problem. I don’t know how to get there anymore. From what I know, all the portals take you to the city. We will also need a way to get through the ravaged city to get to the lake and the great expanse.”
I sighed. “Do you know anyone who can get us there and then guide us through the city?”
“I don’t.”
“Well this is just great.”
The drizzling continued, but the dark clouds parted and a shaft of golden sunlight poured in through the window.
She smirked, although it seemed forced. “Relax, young man. You know someone who can get us in there. I’m not sure if he will help us get through the city, but he should be able to get us in the door.”
“Great. Who?” I wanted to know.
“Your vampire friend, Jonathan, has traveled there many times. I don’t know if he will, but he has the ability to get us in.”
Us? “I figured you would send me because this is too personal for you. You want to go too?”
Alayna raised an eyebrow and gave me the ‘what are you crazy’ look. “I have to. The same way that you had to cleanse yourself with the patricide and killing George. I’ve been running from this for over five hundred years. I wasn’t going to attack them preemptively, but I won’t let them destroy Pittsburgh. I am going, and you just might get to see my full magical prowess too.”
“Just me and you? Is that going to be enough? And are you sure you want to go? You’re public enemy number one there. I’m sure they’d love to torture you over cursing the crops.”
The epic storm seemed to be over as more clouds parted, allowing sunrays to climb up the arm of the couch. The branches on the tree across the street worked with the blinds to cast a splattering of sunlight against the wall behind my couch.
Alayna said, “Only if we get caught. I plan to wear a disguise. The people I knew when I was queen won’t recognize me with the size difference. And if something were to happen, that’s the life we’ve chosen. I’ve had a decent run.” She chuckled. It was forced, but I smiled for her sake.
“I never thought I’d have to go to Sleepy Willow, actually hoped I wouldn’t have to go there.”
“That makes two of us. But we have to. We both took oaths to protect this city. The Fae have invaded our city and we are forced to take action.”
“When you say Fae, what exactly do you mean?”
She sighed, seemingly searching for the right words as life returned to her normally vibrant eyes. They were still holding onto the pain, glossy and red, but the silver flecks scattered around her icy blue irises were alive again. “For the sake of brevity, the Fae or faeries were my beings and creatures. Fae or faerie is a generic name for all supernatural beings and creatures. Faeries, sidhe [pronounced shee], mainly immortals among others. Just special, non-human folk. Then you have all the amazing animals and creatures, good and bad. Some call Sleepy Willow the Land of Fae, a real-life faerie tale. You’ve been conditioned from some of your visits to the Deep Burrow.”
“I’m still shocked every time I see a new creature in that underworld.”
“And the same shall happen in Sleepy Willow. However, the once-noble creatures have turned to a life of lies and deception, killing liberally, void of remorse. Trust not a soul and beware your past. For nothing shall shape your future more. That is one of our old sayings.”
That used to be my attitude. I didn’t want to regress and stop trusting people. However, this was a different situation. “Maybe we should stop talking about this place. You’re scaring me a little bit. On top of the dragons, it just seems like it might be too much for two people.”
“You should see if your friend Felix wants to go. And anyone else who has a powerful grasp on magic and that you trust. I doubt the Gods will let us take anyone from the Deep Burrow. They’re so stingy with manpower anymore. Ever since the big incident.”
The big incident? I’ll ask about that later. Stay focused. “Okay. I’ll ask the mage, but I owe him a favor right now and I don’t want to owe him two.”
“Would you rather die than owe someone a favor? That’s what we would call a fatal flaw.”
“All right, I’ll talk to him. Obviously, I should talk to Jonathan first. Right? If he can’t get us in and through the city, all this is for naught. I’ll give him a call in a bit. There was a guy down there with long hair and one eye...” I stopped because Alayna’s jaw had dropped and a crimson tide of anger rolled across her face.
“I didn’t know that bastard was still alive,” she said in a hate-filled tone.
“Who?” I asked.
“The Warden of the East,” she explained. “The man who clipped my wings. I hoped he had died by now, but unfortunately, I’m not so lucky. Guess why he’s missing an eye?”
“I don’t know. A fishing injury?”
“No.” She held up her right hand. “I gouged it out with this hand right here. He whimpered like a little baby too.”
I dropped down to one knee. “My lady, I promise from this day until my last that I will avenge your honor with the Warden of the East. With all my strength, I will make him suffer for the wrongs he committed against you.”
“You’re a good man, Micheal. But don’t do this for me. Do it for the people he is making suffer right now. The citizens of Pittsburgh that you’ve been tasked with protecting. Not me. With that said, I am honored that you are willing to stand up for me. A chivalrous gentleman swimming through a sea of evil.”
Her words hit me like an arrow in the chest. Chivalrous? Gentleman? Would those words describe a person who had locked someone in a closet? I shook it off, justifying it with the belief that demons were sub-human.
Alayna shook up a clear vial in her right hand. “Should we try out this return potion? If it works, it will make our visit much more relaxing.”
“How’s that?”
“Allow me to show you.” Alayna took the small vial and poured a few drops out of the tiny opening and onto the back of my hand.
My head felt woozy and my vision became distorted, depth perception played tricks on me, fading in and out like a drunken cameraman. I struggled to hold my balance as my equilibrium couldn’t keep up with the sudden change in air pressure.
Then, everything returned to normal. My scalp tingled with an unknown excitement.
When my eyes cleared and my vision returned, I was standing in my lab. Upstairs.
Goose bumps formed all over my body and concentrated packs of electric sensations crashed into each other and shot off in all directions. It was equivalent to the fuzzy feeling of successfully testing out abstruse magic. I imagined the possibilities. This return potion could prove rather useful in my line of work.
Alayna’s voice rang from downstairs. “Come back down here.”
I descended the steps, impressed that Alayna could make such a powerful potion.
“If we get into any trouble in Sleepy Willow, we just use this to return to your house.” She handed me the potion. “Touch the vial and get some of your fingerprints on there. Then, hold it in your palm and allow it to feel your warmth. I’m going to cast an englyn for a barrier ward so that only you or I c
an open the bottle. It’s safer that way.”
“Good idea. This does make the prospective trip a little better. Having an escape button is a major coup.”
Alayna suggested, “We should work on our telepathy before we go too. You never know when we might need that.”
“I remember. Blink twice or three times for the signal.”
“Exactly. We’ll polish that up before we leave.” Alayna went back up to the lab to set her spell and finish bottling up the liquid.
I sat down on my couch after one hell of a morning and early afternoon.
I tried calming down and thinking about how to solve the problem, but my blood still boiled about the treatment of my mentor.
Seeing dragons for the first time and trapping that demon in my office seemed like days ago. I remembered I would need to feed her in a little while. What did demons eat, anyway? What was I going to do with her when I went to the otherworld of Sleepy Willow? Put out a Craig’s List ad for a demon sitter?
It seemed like a much smaller issue in the grand scheme of things considering the sewer dragons had showed up, not to be upstaged by the flying dragons. And now I knew that the Fae of Sleepy Willow was behind it all. Weird, almost like I had it all figured out, just needed to get a Dragon Horn. So simple.
I’d battled some gnarly demons and spirits in my day, but the reputation of Sleepy Willow was worse than those evil entities. And now Alayna being personally involved ratcheted up the pressure even more. I’d be lying if I said I wanted to go to the Land of Fae. However, it appeared my ticket had been punched.
First, I needed to make a few moves in Pittsburgh to set the ultimate plan in motion.
Chapter 4
The werewolf chauffeur held the back door of the modified Hummer Limousine open as I slid into the vehicle. I sat across from two demons, Aka Manah and the Jersey Devil. A Chieftain and a demi-devil from the Red Cavern respectively. One day had passed since dragons invaded the city so I had to make this brief.
