by Bonnie Lamer
Alita’s normally quiet voice echoes down the hall. “Xandra! Kegan! Come quickly!” Not only is she shouting, she is grinning. That seems inappropriate for the current situation.
“What is it?” Kegan calls back.
Alita skids to a stop. “I will let him tell you. Come on!” She gestures for us to follow her.
“Him? Is Kallen here?” I ask daring to hope for the impossible.
Alita’s face falls. “I am sorry, no.” Brightening again, she adds, “But, we have a better chance of finding him than we did before.”
Good enough for me. I pick up the pace, following her wherever she wants to lead us. Which turns out to be the family sitting room. I skid to a halt when I see who is waiting for us. “Dad?” My ghost father is floating in the middle of the room. He isn’t wearing a grin like Alita, but he is smiling. “What’s going on?”
Tana and Isla are already seated. Dagda, Alita and Kegan sit on the couch. Dad gestures for me to sit, as well, but I shake my head. I can’t. Not until I know what is going on. Understanding this, Dad begins to speak. “Do you remember the first night the Sirens came and I told you that your mother and I could not hear the Siren song?”
“Yeah.” Where is he going with this?
“Their song, their magic doesn’t seem to be able to transverse the divide between your plane and ours,” he says, now sporting a grin. “It doesn’t stop there. They can’t see us, Xandra. They can’t see us at all.”
“Um, that’s great, Dad.” His point is not any clearer in my mind than it was a minute ago.
He moves closer and puts his cold, translucent hands on my shoulders making me shudder. “Xandra, you don’t understand.” No, I don’t. “Because they can’t see me, I was able to follow them.”
My heart stops beating. Just stops. I’m a little worried it’s not going to start again. Finally, after a long pause, I feel a ping in my chest letting me know it decided to function once more. “You followed them?”
Dad nods emphatically. “Yes. I was in the village helping Kallen scout the perimeter.” Dad loves speaking like he’s on a cop show. “We ran into some hostiles.” He has watched way too many cop shows and military movies. He and Mom don’t sleep so they watched a lot of late night TV back home. “Kallen got into a scuffle with them but they didn’t take any notice of me. At first, I thought they weren’t worried about me because I’m a ghost. But, when I shouted a warning to Kallen about more of them coming, the ones Kallen was dealing with didn’t even glance my way. Kallen figured it out, too. He was careful not to look at me or talk to me. When he surrendered to them, he knew I was following. I think that’s the only reason he let them take him.”
My heart has gone from refusing to function to dancing a happy dance. Kallen let the Sirens take him so my dad could follow them to their lair. Now I’m using cheesy movie lines. Still, there’s a question I must ask. “Is he under the Sirens’ spell?”
Dad considers a moment before replying. “Honestly, honey, I’m not sure. He acted like he was. I simply don’t know how much of it was acting and how much of it was real.”
Great, now my heart doesn’t know how to react. From my ankle, a voice says, “He does a good job of acting like a wanker, he’s got this.” Strangely enough, that makes me feel better. Not that I think Kallen’s a wanker, but I like that Taz has confidence in him
“Where are they?” Dagda asks.
“Close,” Dad tells him. “A lot closer than we suspected.”
A thought bursts into my brain. Of course they are close. “You guys said the Sirens can swim faster than Merpeople, but I doubt their warriors can,” I say to no one in particular. “They can make them able to breathe underwater but I doubt they could make them all swim faster.” Everyone in the room seems dumbfounded by my observation. What? I can’t make logical assumptions?
Dagda pounds his fist on the end table by him. “Damn it, why did we not consider this before?”
Arie and Kai join us just as Dagda finishes speaking. “What have we not considered?” Arie asks, sitting in an empty chair. Kai stands behind her.
“How close the Sirens would need to be if they have an army of beings who cannot swim as they do,” I tell her.
“Underestimating the Sirens is not advisable,” Kai warns. He should talk. He greatly underestimated them.
“We are not underestimating them,” Dagda says in his most regal voice. “We have located them.” He pauses, then adds, “Jim found them.”
“Did you know Sirens can’t see or hear ghosts?” I ask Arie.
She considers for a moment. “I seem to recall something about Sirens being immune to vengeful spirits.”
Feeling defensive, I inform her, “My parents are not vengeful spirits. They are ghosts.”
Arie inclines her head. “My apologies. I am unaccustomed to the concept.”
I can’t be mad at her. Basically, every other ghost in the universe is a vengeful spirit lingering to seek revenge on whoever did them wrong. Moving on. “Because they can’t see or hear ghosts, my Dad was able to follow the Sirens when they took Kallen.”
“You followed them into the sea?” Kai asks in astonishment.
“As I am a ghost, I am not susceptible to drowning,” Dad reminds him. Kai flushes in embarrassment.
Enough talk. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go.”
Isla shakes her head. “We need a plan. We cannot simply go barging into their encampment. They have an army which can breathe underwater, we do not. Therefore, only a few us can go. The odds of rescue are not in our favor.”
The odds of death are, she is implying. “So, you’re saying it doesn’t matter if we know where they are.”
“It is a start,” Dagda corrects.
“Even if we rescue your mate,” Kai begins. I glare at him for saying mate instead of husband. “We do not know how to stop the Sirens from attacking this land and any other they care to take.”
He does have a point, as much as I don’t like it. Rising from my chair, I say, “I will find a way.” I teleport out of the room.
Chapter 22
The archives are as musty as I remember. I scare the heck out of the new scribe when I suddenly appear a few feet from where she is shelving books. I assume they are the ones Alita and Kegan sent back when they found no useful information in them. Smiling to reassure her that she is not under attack, I say, “Hi, I’m Xandra. You’re going to want to leave if you don’t want to risk getting hurt.” Funny, she doesn’t seem reassured.
“Pr-princess,” she stammers. The new scribe is a mousy Fairy who I would guess to be in her mid-twenties. Her eyes are a pale green and her black hair is cropped short. There is dust and dirt on her clothes giving the impression she has been searching through books that haven’t been touched in a long time.
When she doesn’t say any more, I try again. “I am going to enter the dark magic section. The last time I did it, things went very wrong. Leave. Now.”
The scribe scrambles backwards. “Yes, ma’am.”
Ma’am? I’m younger than she is. When she doesn’t turn around immediately, I add, “You want to hurry.” Finally, she sets the books in her hands down on her cart and turns. She doesn’t exactly run, but she’s doing some pretty impressive power walking.
Now that I don’t have to worry about her safety, I jog down the long aisle that will lead me to the dark magic section. I’m a little worried about getting in. Last time, it kept Kallen out because his soul was too pure. My aura had been tainted by Tana, so I got past the barrier. Now that my aura has been cleansed, will it still let me in? I’m hoping that since I entered before, it will recognize me and let me pass regardless of the purity of my soul. I am also worried it will let me in because my soul contains enough darkness to satisfy the magic surrounding the area.
When I get to the spot Kallen was stopped before, I pause. I reach a tentative hand out to the magic I can feel in front of me. I get no resistance. Not wanting to focus on why, I continue moving
forward. Like last time, I begin to hear the calls of the books and scrolls stored here. They want to be set free. They want to use my magic to work their evil. Some do not believe magic is sentient like that. I do. I have found magic often seems to have a mind of its own.
Now that I’m here, I don’t know where to start. The dark magic section is huge and the scribes never come in here. This section of the archives somehow maintains itself and it doesn’t use the Dewey decimal system. Nor does it have an index. I look at all the rows of shelves before me and my confidence begins to crumble. How can I find what I’m looking for without causing a major catastrophe like last time?
I walk up and down the stacks, hoping something will pop out at me. Okay, things are popping out at me, just not what I’m looking for. I reach out and touch one of the books that inched its way to the edge of the shelf when it felt me coming. Ouch! I snatch my hand back when my skin starts to smoke. I blow on my fingers while doing an ‘I just burned my fingerprints off’ dance away from the book.
As much as I am afraid of doing it, I come to the realization I need to use my magic. I could spend years searching down here if I don’t. But, the spell needs to be worded carefully. I close my eyes and let it slowly form in my mind. “In this cavern of darkness I search for light. A powerful evil beckons in the night. Amid these rows is the answer I seek, I come as a lamb, guileless and meek. I shall leave as a lion ready to roar, prepared to fight darkness upon our shore. Within these walls is the power I need to fight mine enemy’s strength and greed. No foe can claim omnipotence, their weaknesses already on the verge of nascence. Show me the words to fulfill my quest, but all others shall remain at rest. No unwanted spell shall prey upon my magic, neither through my ignorance nor any trick. Only the answer I need shall appear, to these words you must adhere. My magic is mine alone to wield, no mishaps shall it yield.”
I push the magic I’ve been pulling into the dark magic section. I can feel spells lapping at it, trying to absorb it. But, my magic stays true. It repels these interlopers, not letting them take even the tiniest iota of power. After a long moment, I hear the sound of a book falling to the floor. The sound echoes through the archives and I race to find the source. Seven rows down from where I was lies a book. The book has opened to a certain page. I fall to my knees to read it, not caring how dirty and disgusting the floor has grown over the centuries. I run my finger under the words as I read and with each one, hope grows within me. This is the answer we’ve been seeking. With a wide grin in place, I pick up the book and walk to the end of the aisle. I turn toward the exit and find a small crowd has gathered. Everyone from the sitting room followed me here.
When I am close enough to hear her, Isla says, “I certainly hope whatever you found was worth the risk you just took.”
Oh, it is. It definitely is.
Chapter 23
“This could work,” Dagda says, a smile growing on his face. “It could work.” He, Tana, Isla and Arie are crowded around the book which is now sitting on the conference room table.
“It will work,” I correct him.
I glance down the table to Alita. “How are you doing?” I ask.
She shrugs. “I feel fine. Are you certain the book came from the dark magic section?” Dark magic sickens her. It begins with a headache and grows depending on the strength of the darkness.
“In the wrong hands, this information would be very dangerous,” Tana tells her. “In and of itself, it is neutral. Neither good nor bad.”
“It is still a great risk to take,” Isla says. “If it goes wrong, we will all die.”
I shrug. “If we don’t try it, there’s a good chance the Sirens will be successful in their plan to kill every last Fairy in the realm.”
The door to the conference room opens and two Fallen Angels walk through it. “Are you ready to go?” Adriel asks.
Standing akimbo now, I stare at the two. “You have been waiting for me to find this, haven’t you?”
Raziel grins. “For several millennia.”
I shake my head. “It’s a good thing I wasn’t made omniscient,” I tell him. “I could never keep a secret like you can.” I would have blabbed the answer the day the first Siren went bad.
Raziel inclines his head. “It is weight I was created to carry. But, it can be quite difficult at times.”
“If it makes you feel better, it has been killing him not to tell you these last few days. That is why we stayed away,” Adriel explains.
I shake my head. “Do you have any idea how awful these last few days have been?” The guilt in Raziel’s eyes softens my voice. “I guess there is something to be said for finding the answer myself, though.”
“Speak for yourself,” Taz grumbles. “When the wanker gets his wings back, I’m going to pluck the feathers out one by one while he sleeps.”
“I just might help you,” I tell him. Raziel winks at me and laughs. Since he knows everything, he knows what Taz said.
“We do not have much time before sunrise,” Isla says pointedly. It seems she is on board now that she knows the Angels are on our side. “We should proceed with this sooner as opposed to later.”
Her brisk words chafe at me. “Yes, I know.”
“Quit barking at the girl,” Tabatha says, bustling into the room. Behind her trails a tired, angry Garren. He is obviously here against his will. “This whole thing rests on her and that’s pressure enough.”
Isla didn’t hear a word Tabitha said. Her eyes are glued on Garren. His eyes are looking steadfastly at the floor. Good thing because the emotion pouring out of them has a better chance of not pouring out of his mouth if he doesn’t look at her. It isn’t difficult to figure out he is here to help with the spell, not reconcile with Isla.
Doing my best to ignore their drama, I turn to Dad. “Ready to lead us to them?”
“Whenever you are.” This is the first time Dad has felt truly useful since becoming a ghost. He is so thrilled about it, and Dagda is so impressed by it, the two haven’t sniped at each other once.
“Sire, the boat is ready,” Sindri says from the doorway. Perfect timing, as usual.
“Thank you, Sindri,” I say because I know my biological father will not remember to say it.
Dad told us the Sirens are about three miles from shore on a tiny island. To conserve our energy and magic, we decided not to swim to them or bother with a breathing underwater spell. If necessary, we can adjust our plan along the way.
Alita wraps her arms around Kegan and kisses him. “Come back to me,” she tells him, a trace of desperation in her voice. Alita’s magic is not very strong. It was a difficult decision but it was decided she should remain behind. She might not survive what we need to do and that is not a risk any of us are willing to take.
Kegan touches her cheek with his palm. “Always,” he says softly.
Taz, ever the romantic, starts to cough. “Can we get on with this? The love in the air is choking me to death.”
The other couple in the room of which only one will be going say a less romantic good bye. Basically, Arie nods at Kai and he nods back. They have a lot of work ahead of them to save their marriage. Because of Kai’s earlier doubts, Arie thought it best he not come along in case the spell is not successful. In other words, she thinks he’ll become a Siren slave.
The rest of us file out of the conference room and make our way outside. I can’t help but notice Garren puts as much distance between him and Isla as possible. I hope his animosity doesn’t screw things up. I’d tell him to stay behind but Raziel made sure to bring him meaning we need his magical strength.
In the river outside the palace sits a moderate size boat, not the yacht I expected considering Dagda’s need for all things ostentatious. Noticing my surprise, Kegan leans over and says in my ear, “This one is for speed. His private yacht is considerably larger.” It all makes sense now.
We climb into the speedboat that is being helmed by one of the guards. There are enough seats for eight but there are
eleven of us – Dagda, Tana, Isla, Tabitha, Kegan, Adriel, Raziel, Arie, Garren, Dad and me. Dad doesn’t need a seat and Kegan and I elect to stand. Kegan does because he’s being polite; I do because I’m too antsy to sit down. I second guess my decision when the boat starts to move, though. I’ve never been a boat before. I had no idea how hard it would be to remain upright while it is in motion. Seeing me struggle, Garren gives me his seat. I smile in gratitude. Antsy or not, I should sit. Falling overboard would just slow us down.
The miles fly by and it isn’t long before we see the island in the distance. “If your magic doesn’t work on them, have them ride in a boat with me. After I throw up on them a few times, they’ll agree to anything,” Taz mumbles through the paw holding his nose to the floor. He keeps swallowing back bile and the sound is making me seasick. He probably should have skipped the bacon before we left.
“How close do you want me to get?” the guard asks Dagda.
“Bring us to shore,” my biological father tells him. The guard grimaces and turns back to the ocean before us. He’s not happy about getting so close to the Sirens. Right about now, he’s wishing this was his day off.
About a hundred warriors are gathered on the shore to greet us. All of them are magical beings. Not a single Cowan among them. Wise choice on the Sirens’ part. It only would have ended badly for the humans if they tried to stop us. Not that it’s going to be any better for these guys. The first one to point a weapon at Dagda ends up lying flat on the ground with his own weapon pointing at him.
“Take us to Irena,” Dagda orders.
“No need for such dramatics, love,” a voice I recognize purrs. There is no need to search for her. Irena has come to greet us and she is not happy despite her attempt to appear unruffled. “I knew it would not be long before you found us. In fact, I admit I thought it would be sooner than this. You are not the sharp Fairy you once were, Dagda.” Liar, she did not believe we would find her. Her eyes scan the Fairy King from head to toe. “My, the years have not been kind, have they?” She turns and begins walking away. “Come, we will converse in my tent.” Dagda ignores the insult and motions for us to follow the Siren.
