“It is because I am Lorehnin,” Devlin finally murmured. “I am only half Faelorehn.”
I blinked. I had no idea someone could be half Faelorehn. I opened my mouth to question him further, but Devlin had already moved on.
“You might be wondering how I know you’ve encountered the one I seek.”
It was a statement completely off subject and it held none of the humor from our previous conversation. Apparently, the whole half-Faelorehn thing was a sore subject with him. Fair enough. I’d have to avoid that topic in the future.
I set my coffee cup down then brushed my hair behind my ears and cleared my throat. “Yes, I have been wondering about that.”
Devlin turned slightly toward me and held out a hand. “It’s easier to understand if I show you,” he said, his voice soft.
Not sure what he meant, I tentatively held out my own hand. Devlin took it with his, setting his coffee cup aside, and then used both his hands to turn mine over so that it rested palm up. Instantly, that incessant chill that had been biting at me melted away and my whole being felt warmth. Unable to look him in the eye, I simply sat there, staring at my palm and listening to his words.
“All creatures of Eile, both Faelorehn and those who are not, have a given amount of glamour. Some have more than others, and those who spend any time in the mortal world gradually become drained of theirs. In order to build up more of Eile’s magic in their blood, they must return and absorb it over time.”
He took the hand not supporting mine and gently brushed his fingers over my palms. A shiver coursed through me, and I fought to banish it.
“The people and animals of the Otherworld leave behind a trail of glamour, and even those in the mortal world have a small amount of it. My particular brand of glamour has the ability to detect even the minutest traces of this magic and to distinguish it from all the others. May I get a closer look at yours?”
Devlin rested his fingertips in my palm, and I looked up at him. We sat mere inches apart, and I had to concentrate on keeping my heart rate steady.
“Uh.” What had he asked me? Oh, right. He wanted to study my magic. We mortals had our own glamour? Awesome.
“A closer look?” I managed.
Devlin nodded. “Yes. I’ve already seen a sample.”
“Really?”
“Traces of your magic linger around your apartment. All I had to do was follow the trail. How do you think I figured out where you work?”
I blinked at him. Now why hadn’t I asked that from the get go?
He continued: “I have a fair idea of what your magic feels like, but living glamour is always a better option than shed glamour.”
That sounded interesting. “Living glamour?”
With the patience of a kindergarten teacher explaining the concept of addition to a troupe of five year olds, Devlin answered, “Living glamour is the magic still inside of you. It is stronger, more potent because it has your soul and body to protect it. Shed glamour is that which has been disregarded or left behind. People shed their glamour in many ways, either by using it in a spell or by leaving traces of it behind simply by walking down the street.”
I shrugged. Didn’t sound too bad. “Then I guess you can take a look at my living glamour,” I said. “Will it hurt?”
Devlin shook his head, his lips quirking into a playful smile. “Oh no, watch. If you concentrate hard enough, you might see mine at work.”
I swallowed, my eyes going wide, then ducked my head and stared at my palm where he’d touched me. I thought I noticed a faint yellow glow coming from the tips of his fingers. The glow eventually subsided, and I thought the show was over, but then a pale violet glimmer rose up from my skin and fused with his.
My mouth dropped open, and I glanced back up at Devlin. His smile was bright and beautiful.
“You have unusual magic, Robyn Dunbarre.”
I blinked several times. “What does that mean?”
Devlin let out a soft snort. “Mortal magic is so much different than Otherworldly glamour. It’s quiet and subtle, more willing to do what it’s told. The glamour of Eile can be wild. Most of us, when we are young children, learn early on how to control it so that it doesn’t grow to consume us. Yours is neither submissive nor dominant; different from the magic found in both our worlds. But perhaps I haven’t had enough experience with mortal magic to make a sound judgment. Or maybe you’re just one of those mortals who understands and absorbs the natural power of your world better than others.”
He turned toward me and grinned. “Made it much easier to find you, though.”
Biting my lip, I retracted my hand. For a split second, Devlin seemed to resist my attempt, a puzzled expression on his face. Suddenly he was a thousand miles away but before I could wonder about the reason for it, the moment passed, taking my curiosity with it. Once both my hands were free, I folded them neatly in my lap.
“So tell me,” I said, my voice slightly hoarse, “what did you just do and what has it got to do with this person you are hunting?”
Devlin put space between us as he leaned over and picked up his coffee once more. He took a sip and then took a deep breath before continuing. “I used my glamour to draw out yours. When I discover a trail or a drop or a speck of glamour, I push mine out to gather the foreign magic and return it to me. Once my own glamour has had a chance to study it, it gives me a map of sorts to follow in order to locate the source of this new magic. What I did with your hand was send some of my glamour into your body so it could study yours and bring me back a sample.”
I held up my hand, newly distracted by this fascinating subject. I splayed my fingers in front of me. “It was yellow, then violet.” I glanced up at Devlin. “So my glamour is purple?”
He shrugged. “That would be my conclusion, though I wouldn’t really call it glamour. Natural magic would be a better term.”
I formed my lips into a scowl. That’s right. Mortal here. Only nice, Otherworldly folks got to tote around real glamour. Oh well. Not something worth dwelling on.
Clearing my throat I said, “And this is how you also found this person you're looking for, right? By getting some of his glamour and following it?”
Devlin nodded. “Basically.”
“And why exactly are you looking for him?”
Devlin leaned over and placed his elbows on his thighs, lacing his fingers together in front of him. He glanced out across the plaza, his gaze focused. I wondered what he saw and whether or not it was simply something in his mind; something not present here in the physical world.
“I’m sure your friend Meghan told you about the war with the Morrigan.”
“Yes,” I answered. “She didn’t give me too many details, but she said that she and Cade and all of the queen’s subjects defeated her.”
“That’s the abridged version. In order for you to understand what I’m doing here, I’ll have to tell you more. I was there with my brother, as well as Enorah and many of the others who lived in the Weald. The battle didn’t last long, not even an entire day, but it was dangerous for us. Those who are full-blooded Faelorehn are immortal, but they can die. The Tuatha De, those among the Faelorehn who are something more, like the Morrigan and Meghan’s mother, Danua, cannot be killed, but they can be destroyed, their glamour pulverized into a million particles and scattered throughout Eile. Eventually, over hundreds or thousands of years, those granules of glamour will find one another, and the god or goddess who was vanquished will rise once again.”
Devlin paused and looked at me, one dark blond eyebrow arched. I nodded, letting him know I followed.
“While those small pieces of glamour remain scattered, many who wish to gain power will seek them out. Sometimes the one to collect them is simply a mother hoping to heal her sick children, or a young girl wishing to catch the eye of her sweetheart, but sometimes it is someone who desires to raise themselves to the level of the gods.”
“And this person you’re looking for, he’s one of those who want
s to be all-powerful,” I said, putting the pieces together. “He’s trying to collect the Morrigan’s lost glamour.”
Devlin lifted his head and smiled, a hint of admiration shining in his eyes. My stomach did a little back flip and I had to press my hands to the bench seat to keep from falling over. Careful, Robyn. If this guy can knock you off your feet while you’re still sitting down then you’re definitely in trouble.
“Precisely,” he answered.
My nerves back in order, I turned to him and asked, “Then why is he here in the mortal world? Shouldn’t he be traipsing around the Otherworld hunting for bits of glamour?”
“One would think so. And that is where my search began, however it always leads back here.”
He waved a hand around, indicating San Luis as a whole. Looking for someone in a college town was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, Devlin had that little glamour map to help him out.
“I’m not sure why he has chosen to spend so much time here, but I do know he is probably using the same dolmarehn that I am.”
“Dolmarehn?” I asked.
“A portal between our worlds. There is one a few miles from here. A small cavern beside a waterfall.”
“I know that place,” I said. “There’s a hiking trail nearby, the Reservoir Canyon Trail, I think. You can get to the Otherworld through that cave? Really? Can you show me?”
I started to stand up, but then I remembered first, it was already late into the night and secondly, what Meghan had told me once. When I’d asked her if I could visit her in Eile, she’d told me that mortals couldn’t cross into the Otherworld.
My knees bent and I sank back down onto the bench.
“Sorry,” I murmured. “Forgot I was mortal for a second there.”
I flashed my teeth, though the smile brought me no joy. Devlin sat up and stretched out a hand, brushing my cheek with his fingers. “Don’t ever be sorry for what you are Robyn,” he whispered.
Again, that pleasant crackle of electricity fluttered over my skin, and I started to wonder if it was his glamour that had such an effect on me or if it was something else entirely. His comforting caress was so unexpected I once again found myself at a loss for words.
Devlin took his hand back and returned to his previous position of resting his elbows on his knees.
“The glamour I have tracked is most prevalent around the small creek behind your house,” he continued, picking up on the earlier part of our conversation.
I furrowed my brow, thinking. Could this shadow he chased be one of the homeless people living under the road bridge? It was possible. After all, Cade had once disguised himself as a homeless man. Meghan had told me as much during one of her visits last year. But that didn’t explain how Devlin knew I’d been in contact with this Otherworldly stranger, so I asked him.
“Trace amounts of his glamour showed up on your front lawn and around your door.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. Oh, and didn’t that just make me feel violated.
“Oh god, I know who it is,” I rasped.
Devlin shot up, his back straight, his eyes alert. “Who?” he growled.
I shook my head. “No, I mean, I don’t actually know him and I never saw his face, but I think it was the man who tried to attack me that night you intervened.”
Devlin looked confused. “There was a large amount of newly shed glamour around your house that night, but I didn’t detect any coming off the man who attacked you.”
Well, if Devlin was unable to explain it, I sure as hell couldn’t.
“What do you know about him?” Devlin eventually asked.
“Nothing, but I suspect he’s a member of the Noctyrnum.”
Devlin’s incredulous look prompted me to continue. “The Noctyrnum. A local gang. They get their kicks tormenting homeless people and torturing stray animals. My friends, my pagan friends, are part of a group called Earth Bound. We focus on appreciating the earth and all things living in nature but the Noctyrnum stand for every stereotype that gives pagans a bad name. Some people would call them Satanists or devil worshippers. The truth is, they are just a bunch of sadists who get some sick, twisted satisfaction out of hurting others.”
My throat tightened. I knew about the Noctyrnum because of Claire and the others in Earth Bound, but their existence had never been real, or relevant, to me until the night they attacked me.
I almost jumped out of my skin when Devlin laid his hand on mine. Apparently, I was still nervous about the attack, even two weeks later. I gave Devlin a watery smile as my face heated. Smooth, Robyn.
“Then it is likely that this troupe of evil-doers is hiding my quarry.”
“Or he is using them as a cover,” I added. That was the more likely possibility, in my opinion.
Five intoxicated college students chose that moment to come bursting out of the back of a restaurant on the other side of the creek, their obnoxious laughter and unfiltered conversation like a bomb detonating amidst our fragile, serious conversation. Two young women struggled to keep their friend upright while the two guys with them looked on with glazed expressions. I rolled my eyes and clenched my teeth when they started crossing the foot bridge that would bring them closer to Devlin and me.
As if he sensed my unease, Devlin said, “It grows late. Perhaps it’s time I return you to your home.”
He stood and reached out a hand, easily pulling me to my feet. I grabbed my now-empty coffee cup and his, depositing them in a nearby trash bin as we left the inebriated revelers to figure out how to cross the bridge on their own. The lively sounds of music and conversation faded away as we left the downtown area behind. Every so often we passed by a house overflowing with music and clamorous conversation, but once we reached my neighborhood the night descended into silence. Ah, no parties on my block this Friday, thank goodness.
I nearly laughed at that thought. Only a few short years ago I’d been the rebel in high school, the one who had no fear of challenging the social norm. And don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed a good party as much as the next person, but there’s a big difference between hanging out with your friends, stirring up a bit of mischief, and spending time with a bunch of desperate young adults pressing together in a less-than-sanitary frat house like a school of senseless, pickled sardines. Sure, I still enjoyed flaunting my wild side from time to time, with the right people of course, but when real life hit me, after my parents cut me off and I had to make it on my own, I realized I didn’t have time for all that extra drama anymore.
I glanced up at the Otherworldly man striding so silently beside me. Oh? No time for drama? Then why on Earth are you humoring this stranger who is bound to turn your life on its head?
I generally ignored my conscience when it was telling me things I didn’t want to hear, but this time I decided to answer it. Because, I responded, I’ve been behaving myself for far too long now. Time to test the waters and see where they take me. I liked that idea and at least now that I was a little older and a little wiser, I could do so without falling overboard. At least, that’s what I hoped.
-Six-
Faelah
The two streetlights at the head of my road were broken, leaving only the one across from my house to blaze down on us like some spaceship hoping to abduct a few wayward souls. The house itself was quiet and dark, all but the porch light out front, so I imagined my housemates were out on the town with everyone else. Yes, I would bid farewell to Devlin, then go inside, take a nice, hot shower and crawl into bed. It had been an exhausting day, an exhausting week, and I was ready to catch up on my sleep. Unfortunately, the powers that be had other plans.
My foot had just touched the pathway that would lead to my door when a loud crashing noise and a low, rumbling growl floated up from the far edge of the yard. Instantly, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end and my heart rate spiked.
“What was that?” I hissed.
Devlin, who had remained silent for the past several minutes, instantly fr
oze. The rustling and growling continued, moving ever nearer. This time Devlin stepped so close to me that I could feel the heat from his body and sense the aggression pouring off him. Swallowing my fear, I glanced up at him. His blue eyes were fierce, his full attention focused on the tree line at the end of the street. I followed his gaze, squinting. What was he looking at? I couldn’t see a thing. Then I noticed it. The shrubs were pushed aside, as if some large animal had squeezed through. Only one problem with this scenario: There was no animal. The plants sprang back to their previous state, but there was absolutely nothing there to see. What the hell?
A heavy hand fell upon my shoulder and I yelped.
“I want you to go inside and lock the door behind you,” Devlin snarled in a low voice. “Do not come out, under any circumstances. Not until I tell you it’s safe. Do you understand me?”
This was a side of him I had seen only once, on the night I’d first met him. Whatever had just invisibly entered my yard was about to get its ass handed to it. Nodding my head, I turned and quickly made my way to the door. I fumbled with my keys and dropped them twice before finally getting the door open. After locking myself in, I switched on my small outside light and climbed onto the futon below the narrow window that looked out into the yard just above ground level.
Despite the added light from above my door, there were still plenty of shadows in the yard. I was, however, able to make out Devlin’s figure, that tall, broad build impossible to miss. He continued to gaze toward the end of the street, presumably staring at whatever invisible monster had crept up from the ravine. It had to be something Otherworldly. Of its own accord, my mind shot back to the weeks following my graduation from high school. Thomas, Will, Tully and I had reserved a campsite at Lopez Lake, and Meghan and Cade had met us there. It was the first time everyone had gotten to meet Cade, and that night the campground became inundated with Otherworldly creatures. Cade had taken care of the worst of them, but apparently, once you killed one of them in the mortal world, their glamour failed and they became visible to human eyes. I had a bad feeling that the thing Devlin now faced was one of these monstrosities. I really hoped it wasn’t as large as the one from Lopez Lake . . . That beast had been as big as a bear and the most terrifying thing I’d ever seen.
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