Gabriel reached out his hand to touch me. ‘You couldn’t have done anything, even if you had known.’ He spoke with tenderness, but my mind was consumed by the face of the man who was the Fae’s target this day.
‘But why would they do that?’ I choked.
‘The energy they draw off it makes them strong and also….because they can.’ His eyes shadowed with sorrow and I took his outstretched hand, trying to bury the face of the nameless person whose life was soon to be, if not already, destroyed.
‘How did he not see them? They were moving all around him and he acted like they weren’t even there.’ A single tear escaped, and I quickly wiped it away.
‘It is one of their skills,’ he sighed. ‘Unless they physically touch their prey, they remain imperceptible to them. Although they can never be completely invisible as the victim will always be aware of something, a feeling as if there is someone watching them that they can’t quite see. Since the beginning, they have been mistaken as demons who whisper to their victims, causing them to do harm.’
I shuddered as I recalled the wicked gleam in their gaze.
‘I am surprised you could see them,’ he said more to himself. I wished that I hadn’t been able to.
We stood in silence for a few moments before I asked, ‘Why did they get excited when they thought I might be a Siis?’
‘That can only be answered by explaining the origin of the Fae as they now call themselves. About 4000 years ago, one of my kind, Talamiis, formed an attachment with the children of a small settling on the outskirts of Uruk. When soldiers arrived to capture the young as slaves, he broke one of our highest laws and made them invisible to humans. As there were no young to be found, the soldiers burnt the settlement, killing several of the inhabitants as the children watched unnoticed.’
‘Why didn’t he just save the village too?’
‘I would imagine he recognised the enormity of what he had already done, and knew the consequences he would have to face for it.’
The scene in my mind was vivid; everyone running and screaming whilst their huts burnt around them. The fear they would have experienced, the children standing by watching as their families and homes were destroyed. I shuddered at the thought, knowing I too would have probably broken the law to save them, while feeling glad that I lived in a different time and place.
‘So how did they end up becoming the Fae? Did he not change them back?’
‘He managed to make them visible again. But something had gone wrong, he was unable to draw his Shi back out. Before long, the inhabitants started becoming more volatile and more often than not, it ended in violence. When this happened there would always be a child close by watching, their face a picture of wonder and glee. Talamiis realised that they had developed abilities and tried to reason with them, explaining the results of their actions. But they were children and either couldn’t see the implications, or didn’t care.’
‘They all turned bad?’
‘No. The original group separated into three factions, those who took pleasure out of causing disharmony, those who encouraged love and friendship, and the few who seemed either overwhelmed by the abilities they had, unable to control them, or unwilling to take sides, trying to continue with their life as it had been. Talamiis tried desperately to control what was happening in the hope that the children would change their ways, but soon the settlement had become the battleground between the two main factions, the older dwellers their pawns. That is when he left to obtain help from the rest of us.
‘The settlement was a graveyard.’ His tone was low and his eyes shadowed as he recalled how it had been. ‘There had been a massacre. The unchanged having killed each other in what was apparent as acts of rage. There were a few children among the bodies, but the rest had fled.’
‘Did you look for them?’
His eyes darkened. ‘Yes and we even found a few. But the majority had disappeared without a trace.’
‘What happened to them?’
‘You have to understand that there was no other option.’ He looked into my eyes, trying to convey the truth of his words.
‘You killed them?’ I asked in a small voice. My grip on his hand tightened, so that my nails must have been cutting into his skin.
‘We had to… They were no longer children, but half breeds intent on destruction.’
‘And what about the good ones?’ I asked.
Gabriel couldn’t meet my eyes, giving me the answer I really didn’t want to know. I pulled my hand away.
The door opened and the man with greasy hair came in. ‘Hey gorgeous,’ he said, giving me a leery grin. ‘Did you change your mind about that kiss?’
Gabriel turned to him with his body tense.
‘I suggest you leave,’ he said through gritted teeth.
The greasy man blinked several times before he finally cottoned on.
‘Aw Gabe, sorry man. I didn’t realise she was your girl.’ He took his hat off and scratched his hair.
‘You know now,’ Gabriel said.
‘Sorry,’ he mumbled. ‘I’ll leave you alone.’ He grabbed a small cool bag from a shelf.
‘It’s okay,’ I said. ‘I’m leaving anyway.’
I turned from Gabriel and headed out of the door. There were a few smiles as I passed the men, many of them still wearing their hard hats as they sat with their lunch on their laps.
I was half way to the car when Gabriel caught up with me. He touched my arm and without thinking, I brushed him off.
‘Please stop,’ he said. For a moment I didn’t want too. I wanted to continue towards the car, drive home and forget this day ever happened. It was only his pleading eyes that managed to halt me.
‘Have I caused you to fear me now?’
‘No you haven’t,’ I said. He tried to take me in his arms, but I stepped back. ‘What happened to Talamiis?’
He pressed his lips together. ‘He was punished for his crime.’ His tone was set, leaving no room for me to ask how. Not that I would have, I had heard enough about the ways of his people for the day.
‘I’ll see you at home,’ I said turning from him once again. I would always love him and even the knowledge of his past could not cause me to leave him. It just would have been better if he hadn’t told me.
Chapter 4
I pushed the tea trolley into the day room of the nursing home. The walls of the room were a pale peach, supposedly decorated that way in order to give a calm, warm feeling. I thought they would have been better off using a pale blue as the peach was off putting, but as a lowly care assistant, I didn’t get any say in making the place look good.
‘Morning everyone!’ I called out as I halted the trolley in the middle of the large room. Only four of the residents had made their way out of their bedrooms so far. Three of them were sat around a square table playing Rummy. They had tried to explain the rules to me once in the hope that I would join them, but card games were not my forte and I had eventually given up, instead just content to pass my spare time talking to them.
The other resident, Robert, sat in a chair by the window, a frail and extremely wrinkled man with a permanent scowl on his face. I decided to get him out of the way first and politely offered him a cup of tea.
‘That is not tea,’ he growled. ‘I’ve had stronger gnats piss.’ This was the normal routine with him and I controlled my sigh. The other residents rolled their eyes and I had to smother a grin.
‘I know it’s terrible,’ I said with a serious face. ‘You should get on to management and tell them to get better tea bags in.’
‘It’s not the bags, it’s the staff.’ It wasn’t just the tea that was a problem with him, everything was. The staff were too slow, the amenities not good enough. It wasn’t just us. The things he said about his family were so obscene that I wanted to cover my ears when he was on a rant about them. It wasn’t a surprise that they no longer visited him.
‘So I take it you don’t want one.’ I held out the plastic holder, con
taining the disposable cup. He snatched it out of my hand as I knew he would, and turned to face out the window without a word of thanks.
Grateful to have got him out of the way, I made the three drinks I knew the remaining residents would want and joined them at the table.
‘Thank you dear,’ Hattie said as I placed her tea before her. Hattie was one of the youngest members of the home. She was only here because her children had been unable to care for her when her arthritis had become enough of a problem that she couldn’t manage on her own. She didn’t resent them for admitting her to the home, and claimed she had more fun here than she ever did under the watchful eyes of her daughter, who Hattie said, ‘Had a broom shoved so far up her backside, it was a surprise she could walk.’
The other two residents Audrey and Fred were quite a bit older than Hattie, but a strong bond had been formed between them from the beginning, and it was a rarity that you didn’t find all three of them gossiping in the day room.
‘Park yourself down and rest your legs,’ Fred said as he took his drink from me.
I had a quick look around. Carl sometimes wandered the hallways, making sure that everything was running to schedule. There was no sign of him, so I decided to risk it and settled into the spare chair around the table.
‘You seem to be glowing with happiness,’ Audrey said.
‘That’s because she is getting nookie,’ Hattie said causing a blush to flame my cheeks and neck.
Audrey slapped at her playfully. ‘Don’t embarrass the girl.’
‘What?’ Hattie said. ‘We’ve all been around the block.’
‘Some more than others,’ Fred muttered. The three of them burst into laughter and it was only a moment before I joined in. There were many times they had had me in stitches with the things they had got up to in their lives, and I had come to realise that even though times changed, the fundamental essence of people did not.
‘So how did you meet him?’ Audrey asked as she put her cards down.
‘Or her?’ Hattie added causing Fred to roll his eyes. ‘What?’ she asked. ‘I’m up with the youth today.’
‘It’s a he,’ I said. ‘And he rescued me from an attack off damp leaves and a puddle. He even carried me all the way home because I sprained my ankle.’ I smiled as I remembered that rainy night. Huddling against his hard chest had made me feel as if I was staring in a romance novel.
‘Sounds like a real gentleman,’ Audrey said. She turned to Fred. ‘If only you were still that way.’
‘Fifty eight years of marriage,’ Fred grumbled. ‘And you’re still not happy.’
Audrey took his hand and gave him a gentle smile. When they look at each other in that way, I was always reminded of my parents.
‘Hey up,’ Fred said under his breath. ‘Warden alert.’
I looked up to see Carl heading towards us. Even though he was short and thin, he had an aura about him that ensured people noticed when he entered a room.
‘Great,’ I muttered standing up.
‘Why are you sat here?’ Carl said pushing his thin framed glasses up his nose to peer at me. ‘The rooms still need to be cleaned before lunch.’
‘I’m just on my way,’ I said.
‘It’s my fault,’ Hattie said giving me a discreet wink. ‘I was just wondering, why it is we have the same dinner menu every week?’
Fred silently shooed me to go before Carl remembered why he came over. I gave him a quick grin before rushing off to exchange the tea trolley for the bedding one.
As I stripped the beds and washed down the tables I found myself once again thinking of Gabriel, lingering on the image of how his eyes shimmered when he gazed at me.
‘You’re daydreaming about him again, aren’t you?’ Lexi stood in the doorway, beaming at me.
‘How can you tell?’ I answered with a blush as I loaded up the trolley with the dirty laundry.
‘Oh I don’t know, maybe it’s that starry eyed look you get, or that lopsided stupid grin on your face.’
She ducked, laughing, as I threw one of the clean towels at her head.
‘What about you?’ I asked. ‘Have you got rid of that waste of space yet?’
‘Richie isn’t that bad,’ she muttered looking down at the floor. ‘He just has problems.’
‘Yeah, an ice cube for a personality and an addiction to drugs.’
‘He’s off the drugs now,’ she said defensively.
‘And how’s it working out this time?
‘He’s only thrown the ashtray at me so far.’
‘Well, that’s okay then,’ I muttered.
‘I wish you didn’t hate him so much.’
‘I wouldn’t if he treated you with an ounce of respect.’ I reached forward and pulled up her sleeve, revealing a deep purple hand print. ‘And if I didn’t have to see these.’
‘He’s getting help for it,’ she said, unable to meet my eyes. ‘And he was really sorry.’
‘They always are,’ I said. ‘Until the next time.’
‘He isn’t like Nathan,’ she said defensively.
‘Not yet,’ I muttered. ‘Just give him some time.’
I spent the rest of the shift completing my chores and bantering with the residents. Finally knock off came and after saying goodbye to all the residents, I drove into town. Since Gabriel had come into my life, I had become a bit of a recluse. I had no burning desire to speak to other people, but a change of scenery was definitely needed and I was looking forward to dinner out.
The traffic was light and parking easy, leaving me with time to kill before Gabriel met me, so I spent the time window shopping along the high street.
A clothing shop called Mysteria had recently opened and I gazed longingly at a red, knee length dress in the window. After battling with myself for a few minutes, I reasoned that I needed a new outfit for the end of year ball in University, and entered the shop, only to turn straight back around when I saw the price. One hundred and ninety pounds! Who on earth would spend that much on one item?
When the time came to meet Gabriel, I made my way to the crossing closest to the restaurant. The button had already been pressed and I stood waiting for the lights to change, smiling lightly as the cool breezed diluted the musky smell that always clung to my clothes after work. A fresh faced woman, with blonde hair scraped into a bun and thin framed glasses, joined me. She held a pram out before her, the ones with a car seat that clipped onto the top. A small boy stood at her side.
‘He’s gorgeous,’ I told her as I peered at the baby, who was still squidgy and wrinkly. His tiny fist rubbed at his open mouth and his eyes blinked furiously against the sunlight in a way that would make anyone’s heart melt.
‘You wouldn’t think that at three in the morning.’
She chuckled and bent over to adjust the baby’s blanket. My attention was drawn to the toddler who had curly white hair and huge, deep blue eyes, creased in concentration as he pursed his lips. He kept throwing a tennis ball into the air and catching it against his chest, his hands too small to grasp the item on their own.
He glanced in my direction, causing him to miss the ball as it fell down. Neither of us moved as we watched it hit the ground, glance off his toes and shoot out into the road. I anticipated his actions, but only managed to graze the sleeve of his jumper as he ran after the escaped item.
My legs locked in place and the breath paused in my lungs as the large van bore down on him, the driver having increased his pace in the hope of getting through the amber light before it changed. The engine was loud, growling the hunger of an ancient monster approaching its prey. For a split second I didn’t see the plain red van; the bonnet was a mouth, puckered with desire and the lights were eyes, gleaming with anticipation. The illusion went as quickly as it came, and in its place was something just as terrifying.
I ran into the road.
At the sound of the squealing tyres, the boy looked up with wide, frightened eyes, the object he had been desperate not to lose forgotten as it c
ontinued its journey across the tarmac.
I managed to grab hold of his collar and without pausing, yanked him backward. There was a moment in which I thanked God, before I lost my balance and stumbled forward to take his place.
I had time to see the driver’s eyes bulge as he leant into the steering wheel, as if by gripping it with all the force he could muster would stop it faster.
The van hit, and the ground seemed to rise up, taking me with it. The sound of shattering glass was loud as my head hit the windscreen, then all the sound was sucked from the air leaving a silent vacuum, in which the sun beat on my face, with only light wisps of clouds to block its brightness.
I hit the ground and rolled several times, barely aware that the tarmac skimmed the skin off my face and hands, before finally coming to a stop on my back. My ears popped and a scream penetrated my haze, so shrill that I wanted to turn away from it, but I couldn’t move. My bones rattled as if I had been spun in a centrifuge, leaving me with the sense that if I did move, I would surely separate and become nothing more than a heaped skeleton.
‘Call an ambulance,’ a man shouted. There were many other shouts, but as with the man, they sounded tinny and warbled.
Faces formed above me, blurred and distorted, making me think of the rippled glass my grandmother had had on her front door. As a child, I had always been afraid of the misshapen forms, so much so that I had hidden behind my grandmother’s legs when she answered the door. Now it seemed funny, as if I was in a crazy house at a fair.
‘Let me through,’ Gabriel shouted. ‘I’m a doctor.’
When his face appeared above me, I tried to talk, but all I managed was an incoherent gargle.
His face became a shade darker as he took in my injuries. ‘Stand back,’ he bellowed to the twittering observers, before turning his attention to me once more. I tried to smile at him, but the creases on his brow only deepened until his eyes were barely more than slits. I obviously hadn’t managed it well.
‘Why do you insist on getting yourself in trouble?’ As he spoke a tingling feeling flowed through my body, as if revitalising air was being blown into my cells. A nice and somewhat familiar feeling, that made me smile. My lungs cleared and I breathed heavily in, grimacing against the taste of burnt rubber that assaulted my senses.
Night of the Fae (Ana Martin series) Page 4
