Fae for the Holiday

by Ana Xavier

  4

  My free hand instinctively reached for the hilt of my curling blade. The blade wrapped around my full-length leather trench's waist. It looked to all the world like a fancy if eccentric belt. Tomas or whatever his name was would feel its fury if this little unplanned trip turned out to be foul.

  No need to worry, Dyana. I heard him say directly in my mind. The words interrupting my thoughts.

  How very forward of you. I sent to him making sure to keep my mental voice as still and calm as I would have made my aural voice. I don't recall opening my mind to you.

  He laughed that full deep laugh into my mind. You didn't close it either.

  It made me smile as annoyed as I was, I couldn't help but smile at it. I allowed the smile to reach my lips and brought it forward in my mind as I covertly attempted to dig into his mind. Word play. What other tricks are up your sleeve?

  I knew of World Walking from my studies with the Council. The seconds between the worlds were the most dangerous of the entire trip. They could be marked by queasiness for the rider, but the walker would feel only a rush of energy and emotion something akin to what the Old People called "a high". It could be addictive both to the rider and the walker. After making their first trip, many change. They crave only to travel from world to world, never stopping, never landing, never living a life inside of any one time and space. Those who fall into that trap are often lost between worlds, floating and feeling high until they die. In death, their body is said to disburse, and their chakra energies are absorbed into the abyss that is all creation.

  The headiness was beginning to go away and the feeling of motion even as we stood still began to abate as well. We must have reached our destination. I closed my mind to Tomas and any who might be around. How foolish of me to have let my guard down in the first place. What was my problem? I felt a push toward my mind. It was gentle and I knew it was Tomas asking permission. I opened to him just a bit.

  We are in the Council's 3rd chamber.

  I turned to face him, making sure to keep contact in case I was wrong about the jaunt being over.

  How? My broadcast was a little more strongly than I would have preferred. I knew my reaction could give away much, but I had never been inside the Council's chambers. The chambers were off limits unless one was explicitly summoned. I was very near panicked.

  I asked Ashka if I could be the one to bring you here. He began to change as I looked at him. The elaborate glamour that he had been casting falling away bit by bit. The scratchy wool under my fingers became warm flesh. His dark brown eyes becoming lighter under they came to their final rest on a beautiful reddish tone, almost the color of amber. His skin was also changing, it's color deepening from the sun kissed, to bronze, and finally resting just short of copper. If the sunset was a person, it would have been Tomas.

  His snug wool hat now gone and replaced by close cut hair of auburn hue. His ears were a study in shapes - elongated at the top and almost imperceptibly pointed while the conch interior was outlined by a curl of skin like a typical human ear and a lobe about 1/2 the size of the extended top of the ear. The lips, they were still the same. The mouth almost pouty under his broad nose. I fought to keep my mind shielded as I took in what had to be the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. No not man, but beautiful for sure. I couldn't stop my eyes from widening as I realized that he was Fae.

  I felt the soft push toward my mind. I allowed it entrance and heard him say Dyana, I am Prince Tomas of the Court of Dusk. I am here on behalf of the Courts of the Fae Realm. We are in need of the Council's assistance.

  Why do you need assistance? My assistance?

  It is for the Council to decide what you need to know, not me.

  Then why did you come to get me? Why did the Council allow such interference from an outsider? Where are they? Where is is Ashka?

  I stopped my barrage of questions long enough to look around me. We were in a dark room softly lit by sparse arrangements of candles. There were pillows of varying sizes littering the floor in a half circle, some as small as a throw pillow, some big enough to fit a whole person, and many sizes in between. A slightly raised area in the middle of the soft circle backed onto the wall. It was raised just enough so that those who sat around it could see who or what was on the circle, but not be dwarfed by it.

  Are we in the Council Room? Even my thought was a reverent whisper.

  I didn't need an answer. I knew where we were. I allowed my hand to drop from Speedy's hilt, let go of the prince's arm, and turned to face the center of the circle. I had only seen this place in the astral plane.

  When I first began to shift. I was terrified and utterly alone. At first, I thought it was just a dream as I often woke up with torn sheets and half formed memories. Then I began abruptly leaving arguments as I felt my hands curling up into claws and the *hackles on my back raising and knew that it wasn't something I was dreaming. It also might have been something that I couldn't control. I ignored Ashka's calls at first. The soft whisper of my name in my mind, sometimes soft sometimes more loudly. I ignored it for weeks, months maybe. One day as I lay between the land of dreams and the world of the waking when we are most naturally open to the astral plane, I allowed myself to follow the voice. I had followed it here to this room. Followed it here to the inner chamber.

  After months of ignoring the voice beckoning me to the space between worlds, a voice that I thought was just another sign of the crazytown I was on a trip towards, I allowed myself to answer the call. What or rather who (or maybe it is what) called to me referring to itself as Ashka. It offered me an opportunity to be with those who had powers outside the realm of human understanding.

  Ashka offered me a chance to be part of something. I was offered the chance to be of service to the known Realms and I took it. She had given me the sweet knowledge that there were others like me and to opportunity to learn how to use my gifts. and other things

  Turning slowly toward the prince, hand again resting on Speedy, I asked flatly, "Where are they?"

  He nudged softly at my mind again. I let down my guard the smallest of bits. They are here, Dyana. You must calm down and see.

  I immediately closed my mind to him. These thoughts were not for him. My confusion was obvious, I'm sure, he didn't need to know my exact thoughts too. He gestured to the circle and nudged again.

  Once more I allowed him to speak to me in words only we two could know, Please sit with us and all will be explained.

  Drawing in a long cleansing breath, I relaxed my body and willed my mind to follow. I exhaled slowly, deeply, allowing my whole self to release with the exhale. Walking to the outermost half of the Council's circle, fighting the desire to jump into the soft pool of pillows, I leisurely - or as leisurely as my still beating a mile a minute heart would allow - sat down on the nest of pillows. I motioned for the Prince to sit at my left. He smiled, amber eyes glowing in the soft light. He was magnificent, but I would not be distracted. Not now. Not on my first visit to the Chamber of the Council.

  Closing my eyes and allowing my other senses to take over, I felt him settle in next to me. His scent soft now and oddly reassuring. I steadied myself, regaining control of my chakra, reigning in the energy that had begun to race as quickly as my heart at this sudden change of venue and events. My chakra once again flowed smoothly through its points. I could feel that there were others present here. They had been hidden when I was scattered, but I could sense they had been here all the while. Observing, judging, and they had somehow found me worthy even after my little freak out. They found me worthy and I was sitting amongst them. I was sitting amongst the Council.

  I heard the voice of Ashka both in my mind and in my ears. She spoke softly, but it was still disconcerting to hear both ways. I steadied myself again focusing on her words and not the strange feeling, willing my chakra to remain calm and focused. I am ready. It is so.

  "Welcome", Ashka repeated.

  I am honored.

  "The Prince has brought yo
u to us for you to receive the Fae Realm's request for assistance. You need not feel compelled to assist, nor fear repercussion should you decide against collaboration." Ashka turned her head slightly to face the Prince. The other members of the council faced him as well.

  The Prince did not bother with nudging this time. He spoke as Ashka had, aloud and in my mind. "There is an as yet unidentified threat to one of the Court of Dusk's most beloved artifacts. We believe that someone is trying to steal it."

  "An artifact? What type of artifact?"

  Apparently, I had spoken instead of just wondered because the Prince answered, "I am unable to tell you everything. We believe that the less you know about the artifact, the safer it and you will be."

  I couldn't be sure, but I thought the last bit had only been to me. I wondered if the others had heard that little bit of nonsense too.

  "The time is short before the Festival of the Winter Solstice and that is the time that we believe the artifact will be stolen."

  Ashka picked up where the Prince had left off. "The Fae have requested four members of the Council to enter their realm and be aware. We have given them the choice of 3 shifters, and they have rested on you Dyana, OmniShifter, blood sworn to the Council."

  I nodded my head in ascent and she continued, "You will enter their Realm as a guest of the Night Queen."

  I could not control the gasp that I let out. Thankfully, Ashka paused allowing my rushing thoughts to run their course.

  I knew that Fae existed; however, the literature about them is sparse to say the least. They do not trust the Realm of Men and forbid any knowledge of them be given other than what they have allowed to reach this world. It is only those who are part of the Gifted of the Realm who even know for sure they exist. Even among us Gifted the Night Queen is little more than a myth - a queen with dark skin like the night sky. My eyes flew to the Prince again and I thought how I had immediately likened him to the sunset.

  It is an honor. I finally manage to get out. It was certainly an honor and one that I wasn't really sure I was up for.

  Ashka continued, "You will enter the Court as one of the Fae. Your position will be to simply observe. If anything or anyone seems out of place, you are to report them to the Prince. All Courts of the Fae know we are sending 4 of ours to them; however, your safety is only guaranteed as long as you obey the rules of the Fae. They are the same as our own. Is this understood?"

  The rules of the Council were simple, honor and the truth first and always. I nod my head in accord and feel rather than hear the agreement of the Council members in the chamber.

  "You are free to change your mind any time prior to entering the Fae Realm. Once there, you have chosen. "The sound of Ashka in my ears and mind grew dim and the feeling of headiness began again. No! I wasn't ready to go. There was so much more I wanted to see, ask, know about the Council. I turned to the Prince to tell him to stop, but he was no longer there.

  "I am sending you home for now. The Prince will collect you tomorrow." Ashka's voice reverberated in my mind.

  Holy Shai! I think as I barrel through the nothingness between worlds into my own. Ashka's power is both amazing and terrifying.

  5

  My walk from the park had gone by in a flash. The folks I passed on the streets, the carolers going door to door singing about Santa and his reindeer, even the want to be pick pocket who I had stopped with just a look weren't enough to fully get me out of my own head. I had been in the astral plane. I had physically been present in a non-physical place. What does that even mean? How was it possible? Do I even understand what the astral plane is? I had more questions now than before. There was so much I didn't know.

  I'm not sure if I sensed her before I saw her or if I just knew she would be there, but I knew Tamra would be waiting at my front door when I turned the corner. Although I live in Center City, my block is completely residential. It's unusual for there to be more than 5 people on it at any one time and today was no different. Her plush red beanie with the giant pom on top was not hard to spot.

  I wasn't sure what kind of visit it was going to be. Was I going to get more of the big sister talk or were we going to talk like friends? To me it didn't much matter either way. She was going to get an earful of what happened like it or not.

  Tam spotted me and began walking towards me, her gait a little quicker than normal. When she got a few feet away from me, she looked shaken a bit. Her eyes darted around me as if looking for something just to the right or left of me. When she got within arm’s reach, she pulled me into a hug that was strong enough to take my breath away.

  "Nice to see you too." I choked out returning the hug just as hard as she was giving it. She held me out at arm’s length, her eyes no longer darting but focused on mine. She pulled me back into a hug that was a little less intense than the first one, sighed, and let me go. Her arms falling to her sides as she took a step back.

  "What is it, Tam?"

  "I came looking for you. I followed your scent to the park and it seemed to just stop there. I came here and you weren't here either.."She trailed off, her eyes slowly widening. "Where have you been?"

  "You might need a scotch to accompany this story." I grin at her.

  Tam sat on the edge of my most comfy chair, the tan leather deal that managed to be simultaneously over-stuffed soft and firm in all the right places. She had sat in the same position for over 25 minutes as I told her the story. Tam sipped from her Double Midnight, pouring more as the story got stranger and stranger. At one point I thought she was going to drop her glass all over my electric blue wool rug, but she just leaned back in the chair exclaimed 'Holy Shai' took up her original position again and urged me to tell more.

  When I got to the end and finally stopped my pacing, I was still too pumped to sit down. I made myself a drink and settle on a standing position beside my wood burning fireplace. Back against the cool wall, and the heat of the Double Midnight running down my throat give me a sense of place that I hadn't been feeling since the first realization that the Prince was taking me on a jaunt.

  I wanted to hear Tam's thoughts, but I didn't want to rush her. Hell, it had happened to me and I didn't know how to voice my thoughts about it even to myself. I took up my pacing path again. Going from the peninsula that separated the kitchen space from the living room, crossing the fireplace and couch, walking to the left of the comfy chair and settling on the window seat for a mere second. Before my bottom even put a dent a in the bench pillow or tousled the throw, I was back up again.

  "For the love of Shai and all the Fates, Dy. Sit it down. All your jittering on top of the story is more than I can take."

  I stick my tongue out at her but am so happy that she is saying something. I need her to talk to distract me from what's happened from the crazy thing that I am about to do tomorrow.

  "Have you been to the Council's Chamber before?"

  "What? Why did you let me believe that it was a non-physical realm?"

  "The Council chooses what you know about the astral plane, not me."

  I look at her not attempting to hide my incredulity that was bordering on aggravation. How could she have not told me something so vital about the Council. What else might she not be telling me?

  "Don't give me that look." Tam's tone was the same one that she used when I was tired of being pushed at practice or had it up to here with being assigned three books on anatomy and physiology to read and be tested on with only two weeks to prepare. The tone said just be cool. But this was not like those times. Not one bit. I turned my back to her, feeling my fingers tingling. They wanted to curl into claws.

  "I'm going to ask you again," I damn near growl, "Why didn't you tell me?"

  I feel the nudge at my mind and know that Tam is trying to show me something. I didn't even realize that I had sealed it so tightly again. Normally I leave holes in my defense for those who I would like to connect with, but I had closed Tam out without even thinking about it.

  I open a snippet allo
wing Tam's thoughts to connect directly with me. I turn to face her. The fire warm against the back of my legs and my still curled fingers grounding me. This better be good. I sent to her.

  She assures me, It is.

  In my mind's eye, I see a young Tam looking into a mirror. She's talking to it. No, not quite talking to it but at it. I concentrate on hearing her. She's reciting the Councils credo "Honor and truth - first and always" again and again.

  So, she's always been a weirdo, I laughed to myself and fought to stay focused on the projection.

  The room was way more girly than any place I would imagine Tam living before her entry into the Council or after. She'd been a part of the Council for 8 years or at least that was what I thought, but this version of her could not have been more than 12 years old. In my estimation Tamra would be at least 10 years off joining the Council.

  The girl gets up. Her pink fingernails and toes almost the same shade as her wall, she drags herself over to her tall white dresser and carefully places the hand mirror on top. The room is immaculate. The white carpet totally bereft of any visible dirt. Young Tamra's bed is decked out in an arrangement of pillows and stuffed animals over a fluffy looking white comforter. Tamra falls out onto the bed. Laying with her feet dangling off the edge. Her head nestled between a pink elephant and a yellow throw pillow, Young Tam closes her eyes and begins to cry.

  Okay, what am I watching here, Tam? I ask losing my patience.

  Just watch, she answers.

  The room is darkening. I look at the pink clock on the wall. It's only 5p. Way too early for it to be getting dark on what looks like a fine spring day. And it's a weird kind of darkening. The light is almost being sucked out of the room. I realize it is being drawn from the room. It's being drawn from the room and into the figure on the bed.