by Tom Mohan
“That wasn’t Conall I saw today,” Fallon said. “I mean, it looked like him, sort of, but his eyes were all wrong. He wasn’t in those eyes.” She wrapped her arms around herself as if the memory chilled her.
Ana Finn turned her gaze to Liza. “What is your part in this, Elizabeth McCarthy?” Her tone was soft, not threatening or accusing. “That you are a part is beyond question. Brianna’s sight has never been wrong.”
“None of us have ever gone crazy before, either,” Fallon muttered. Marcas gave his sister a disgusted look but didn’t argue the point.
Ana lowered herself to her knees in front of Liza. Her dark eyes held Liza’s own. “Marcas said that he felt drawn to you when he was in California. Did he tell you why he was there?”
Liza shook her head. “No, not really, just that he was working out some personal issues and needed to get away for a while.”
Ana glanced at her son.
“I had no idea what I was looking for,” Marcas said. “I sure didn’t think it was her. What was I supposed to tell her?”
Liza looked down at the carpet. His easy dismissal of her stung.
“And now here she is,” Ana said. “Brianna said that Elizabeth was under attack when she called. That is no coincidence.”
“Call me Liza,” Liza said automatically.
Ana smiled up at her from her place on the floor. “You don’t like your name?”
Liza blushed. She didn’t like the way the conversation centered on her. “My mom is the only one who calls me Elizabeth. She thinks it sounds better than bastard.” She felt her blush deepen. She hadn’t meant to say that last part.
Ana’s face softened. “Liza it is, then. Tell me, when you first met Marcas, what did you feel?”
“I don’t remember feeling anything, really. He was behind me at the coffee shop and offered to pay for my drink. If I felt anything, it was probably frustration. No, that’s not right. I was angry, more than I should have been under the circumstances.”
Marcas laughed. “You told me you were perfectly capable of getting your own coffee, thank you very much.”
Liza had forgotten how much she liked his laugh. “And you gave me that same laugh. I don’t know why, but I felt threatened by it.”
“So, you did feel something,” Ana said. “Marcas was drawn to you, and you were repulsed by him.”
“Mom!”
Liza smiled up at Marcas. “Well, repulsed might be a bit strong of a word. Agitated is more like it.”
“Interesting.” Ana turned to her son. “Why don’t you show Liza around the farm and tell her why you were really in Los Angeles? You might as well fill her in on what you think happened to Conall as well.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Marcas asked.
“Like it or not, Liza is somehow involved in this, and she deserves to know what she has gotten herself into.” She rose in one fluid motion and held a hand out to her husband. Cullen took it without a word, and the two left the room.
• • • • • • •
Liza took a deep breath of the clean country air. Having spent almost every moment of her life in Los Angeles, she found the scent intoxicating.
Everywhere she looked, there was life. The trees and grass were so many shades of green as to dazzle the senses. The sky was a rich blue dotted with cotton-ball clouds. There were no farm animals that she could see, but she heard a dog bark not far away. A moment later, a white-and-tan streak bounded around the corner, and Liza moved behind Marcas as a large pit bull raced toward them. She grabbed Marcas’s arm as the dog slid to a stop and leapt up with its paws on Marcas’s chest.
“Hey there, Huck,” Marcas said as he grabbed the dog by its huge head. Huck’s tongue lolled out one side of his mouth while drool dripped from his jowl on the other side. Marcas gave the dog a rough scratching behind the ears before shoving him away. Huck danced around them, his raw energy making Liza nervous.
“Don’t worry, Huck won’t hurt you. He’s a sweetie.”
“He’s a pit bull,” Liza said. “And I hate dogs. What kind of name is Huck, anyway?”
“Well, our last name is Finn, and we live in Missouri. It seemed appropriate.”
It took Liza a moment to make the connection. “Oh yeah, Huck Finn. I get it.”
Huck barked at them before plunging into the high grass of the field behind the house. Winged grasshoppers swarmed up around the dog’s path before disappearing into the grass once again.
“He likes you,” Marcas said.
“Oh? How can you tell?”
“He told me so.”
“Really? Now you talk to dogs? This keeps getting weirder.”
Liza took in the scene around her. Forest surrounded the field on three sides. A small pond was nestled at the edge of the trees. She kept pace with Marcas as he followed the dog into the field. The grass was waist-high. More of the grasshoppers fled before them, springing up with flashing wings only to land a few yards away. The large bugs made her wonder what else might be lurking in the sea of grass. For the second time that day, Liza found herself wishing she’d dressed more appropriately for rural life.
“So, what did happen to your brother?”
Marcas took a moment to answer. “To understand what happened to him, you have to understand us—my family, I mean.”
They came to the edge of the pond. Marcas gazed out over the water. “We aren’t exactly your normal family, as I’m sure you’ve discovered. A long time ago, our ancestors were involved in something rather world changing. As a result, we were assigned a task that has been passed down from generation to generation.”
“Sounds important.”
Marcas smiled. “Yeah, you could say that. You won’t believe me if I tell you, though.”
“Try me. I’m pretty open to weird stuff.”
“Okay. Ever hear of Tír na nÓg?”
“Nope, at least not until you mentioned it inside.”
“Tír na nÓg is the ancient name for the land of the fae, or fairy as they’re better known.”
Liza turned to face him. The breeze blew her hair in her face, and she shook it away. “Fairy? As in little people that fly around?”
He laughed, but there was little mirth in it. “That’s how most people think of them. Wings, leprechauns, sirens . . . that sort of thing.” He saw the skepticism on her face. “See, I told you that you wouldn’t believe me. But it doesn’t matter if you believe or not. The fae are real. Not like the legends, though.”
Liza could see the pain in his face. “Let’s say I do believe you. What did your ancestors do?”
“In the beginning, the fae had their own world, a world that touched ours but was separate. They wanted more, though.” He chuckled. “Isn’t that the way it always is? Anyway, their evil seeped into our world. It drew people to it who sought power. Keep in mind, this was thousands of years ago. They found a place in Ireland where they could come through. Ancient people from all over could feel their power. Most ignored it. Unfortunately, there have always been those who are drawn to its power.
“Anyway, a lot of the details have been lost over the centuries. My ancestors came up with a magic of their own that sent the fae back to their world and kept them contained. The problem was that their presence lingered in what we now call the Mist. The Mist is a remnant of Tír na nÓg on our side that contains enough power to cause some major trouble. It’s also a very dangerous place. It has to be guarded at all times.”
“So, what are you saying? Your family is now the guardian of this Tír na nÓg?”
“It’s more complicated than that but, basically, yeah.”
“Wouldn’t you have to be in Ireland to do that?”
“It isn’t in Ireland anymore. Remember, Tír na nÓg is not a part of our world. It has no exact location here. What we can control is how and where it connects with our world. Where the remnant of the Mist is.”
“Okay, and just where is this fairy land?”
Marcas waved
his arm toward the surrounding forest. “You’re looking at it. Well, not exactly at it, but close enough. Humans can’t see it. Some can feel it. The power draws them to it. Only Conall and I can physically go in, and even then, only together. That’s our purpose. To go in and rescue those who make it that far.” He stared out at the wall of trees. “Only together. Never alone.”
Liza heard the sadness in his voice. “What happened?”
“Conall went in without me, when I was out in California. That’s why I had to leave so abruptly.” Marcas looked away from the forest and turned to Liza. “No one knows why he went in, but they all agree that he was different when he came out. When we go in together, the fae can’t bother us. We know they’re there, sometimes even catch glimpses of them, but they can’t harm us.
“Mom says that Conall was moody and not himself. They knew something had happened. It was Conall who told them what he’d done when he started talking about the Prince. Then he disappeared. I knew he went back in, and I tried to find him.
“Being alone in the Mist was much different than being there with Conall. I could feel their eyes on me and knew that I was no longer protected. I’ve never felt so exposed, so terrified. I’m pretty sure they could sense my fear. I was lost and could feel the fae closing in, hear their whispers and taunts, feel them grabbing at me. I knew panic meant death, but that was what was happening. I ran. Next thing I knew, I was out. I’d fled and left Conall behind.”
Never before had Liza felt another’s emotions as she did then. Her heart pounded with Marcas’s fear and self-loathing.
“I’ve run across him twice since then. Actually, three counting today. That isn’t Conall. I mean, it is him, but not really. He brought something out of there with him, something that controls him. I’m afraid it’s driving him insane.”
He was about to say more when Fallon’s voice called out. “Marcas, Liza, get back up here.”
They turned toward the house. “What’s up?” Marcas yelled back.
“Brianna needs us. She says it’s a matter of life and death.”
“Oh yeah, whose?” Marcas asked.
“Ours,” Fallon replied before turning and disappearing back into the house.
Brianna’s house was exactly as it had been earlier in the day. Liza got the impression that it never changed much. Brianna greeted each member of her family with a hug and kiss on the cheek. Liza felt a touch of jealousy at the closeness of the family. She stood off to one side, feeling awkward and out of place.
Brianna gave her a warm smile. “Thank you all for coming so quickly.”
“You didn’t give us much of a choice,” Fallon responded with a hint of amusement.
“No, I guess I didn’t. It was important that you all hear what I have to say. Please, sit.” Liza remained standing, as did Ana, while the rest of the family made themselves comfortable. They all turned toward the kitchen as an off-key voice began singing.
“Mom’s gone dancing,
Pop’s got gout.
I don’t know what gout is,
But it sounds bad,
And Mom never came back.”
“Paulie’s here?” Marcas said. “Is that a good idea?”
Brianna shrugged. “I don’t know. He said he needed to be here.”
“And you never could tell him no,” Fallon said.
Brianna turned her attention to Liza. “Like you, Paulie is something of a mystery. He’s simple—slow, if you prefer that term. He showed up one day many years ago. No one knows where he came from. The police chief at the time did everything he could to trace his origins, but no missing persons report matched him. It was as though he had been dropped off like an unwanted dog.”
“Paulie’s the sweetest,” Fallon said. “The whole town takes care of him. Sometimes he disappears for days at a time. He always comes back, though.” She winked at her sister. “He has the hots for Bri. He always comes back here.”
“Paulie and I enjoy one another’s company,” Brianna said as redness crept up her face.
“Okay, Brianna,” Cullen Finn said. “What’s got you so worked up?”
“Other than two dead Old Ones?” Fallon asked.
“Which is what we should be focusing on,” Ana reminded them.
“Believe me, Mother, I understand the severity of the situation. I already feel the shift in the town’s perception. Things are beginning to move, and I fear we have little time before it spirals out of control.”
“Who are the Old Ones?” Liza asked.
“Marcas has already explained to you some of what we do,” Brianna said. “There is still much you do not know. I do not have time to explain it all now, but, in brief, the Old Ones are those from the old land. There are—were—seven of them living around the perimeter of Halden’s Mill. The Old Ones wield ancient power and wisdom. They aid us in our task to guard Tír na nÓg. They also have an effect on the town’s residents, keeping their conscious minds from noticing some of the stranger things that happen around here. Of course, some of the people in town know about us and what we do—the chief of police, for instance, and some few others. Without the Old Ones to hold sway over the people, I fear our mission could be jeopardized.”
“That is a valid fear,” Cullen said. “My family and I are somewhat older than we look. The Old Ones are much older still. They have much wisdom and power. When they die, their power dies with them. They cannot be replaced. There will be no more Old Ones when these are gone.”
Liza gazed around the room at each member of the Finn family. She was having a difficult time accepting their story. They all looked so normal sitting around Brianna’s comfortable living room. That the murders were real and Conall was somehow involved was beyond question, but the rest of it sounded like something out of a fairy tale—literally.
“Mom’s been hunting.
Pop’s been mad.
Gremlins coming.
I been hiding.
My friend’s a long way away.”
Brianna frowned. “That’s new. Paulie’s songs are always strange and make little sense, but he’s never sung of gremlins or hiding before.”
“I should go back home,” Liza said. “I don’t belong here.”
“You doubt, and I cannot fault you for that.” Brianna pressed her fingertips together. “It is time for you to see the truth. Please, open the front door. Tell me what the day looks like.”
“It’s a beautiful day,” Liza said.
Brianna smiled. “Humor me. Open the door and look outside.”
Liza moved to the door and opened it. Nothing had changed. “Like I said, a beautiful day.”
“Come back over here, Liza, beside me. Marcas, would you be so kind as to open the blinds?”
Marcas hesitated before moving to the window and tossing the curtains open with a flourish. Liza knew that she should see the same view as she had from the front door, but what hid behind the now-open blinds was such a distorted version of what she’d seen before as to be almost unrecognizable. The scene that greeted her was one of nightmarish shadows and glistening flickers of muted light. The tree that stood in the front yard was still there, but now it was a dead thing, stunted and bare as it jutted from the barren ground.
Liza couldn’t believe what her eyes were telling her. “That’s not real. It can’t be real.”
“It’s real,” Ana said as she moved to stand in front of the large window. “What you are seeing is Tír na nÓg, the land of the fae.”
“I thought Marcas said it was in the forest at the farm.”
“It is everywhere and nowhere,” Ana said. “The forest you saw is much more than it seems. If you were to look upon it from the sky, it would look like nothing more than a few dozen acres of woodland. Someone without knowledge of the fae may pass through it in minutes, never suspecting the power that surrounds them. However, there are those to whom Tír na nÓg calls, those of great evil who hear the summons and seek its source. They are drawn to the forest. They seek the fae, though
few of them know that. The fae seek them as well. They seek to give them power, to use them in this world.”
“I thought the fae couldn’t possess people?”
“They can’t, lass,” Cullen said. “But they can live through those who accept their power. They cannot control the person, exactly, but those who seek them offer little resistance to their influence, an influence that seeks to wreak havoc in this world.”
Liza struggled to grasp it all. “I still don’t understand. How can we see two completely different scenes out the window and the door? Is this house some kind of gateway or something?”
“Not the house, “Ana said. “Brianna is the gate.”
“You look out the window and see Tír na nÓg,” Brianna said. “But you can walk out the door and be in the mortal world. I cannot. What you see out that window is the only world I know.” She pointed toward the dim world outside the window. “If I walk out the door, I am there.”
“If she were to go out, the fae would tear her apart and use her soul as a gate to this world.” Fallon stared at the window.
“I can never leave this house,” Brianna said.
“Never?” Liza could not imagine such a thing.
“We all have our purpose. This is mine. It isn’t so bad. As you saw in California, I have my ways of communicating with the outside world. That was only one of them.”
Marcas’s voice interrupted them. “Something’s happening out there.”
Everyone turned to the window. Liza saw a form moving in the shadows, slithering along the ground toward the house. As it moved closer, its front rose up, and a forked tongue licked the air. Liza flinched back, terrified by the strange creature that was repulsive yet somehow familiar.
She felt the world tilt as a dim memory tried to force itself into her consciousness. The snake-thing stopped a dozen yards from the house and rose until it took on the form of half snake and half man. The scratch on Liza’s leg throbbed, and she put a hand on the wall to steady herself.
“What is that?” Fallon whispered.
“That’s Darius,” said a voice from behind them.
Liza turned to see a young man dressed in tan cargo shorts and an Iron Man t-shirt. His face had the classic features of Down’s Syndrome.
