by N. K. Vir
“Listen Duncan I love wine as much as the next girl but this dog is not going to turn water into wine. Are you?” she asked the pup who just cocked his head to the side exposing his adorable snaggle tooth. “Besides we can’t name him Failinis,” she protested. “In the Otherworld,” she said lowering her voice to a whisper. “It would draw too much attention.”
“Nope I like the name Failinis. Don’t you boy?” he playful asked the dog as he dodged puppy kisses.
“What if I wanted to name him Ginger?” she retorted bitterly.
“That’s a silly name for such a brave little pup,” he answered with a frown. He was rewarded as the newly named Failinis tried to desperately scamper back into Duncan’s arms. Duncan took the dog back from Annie who returned his frown with one of her own.
“So much for me getting a dog,” she grumbled.
“Pssssst,” hissed something to their left.
Failinis growled menacingly as it tried to leap out of Duncan’s arms and attack the source of the sound. Duncan tried to tighten his hold on the now squirming dog and finally let him go as he reached behind him searching for his sword. Failinis launched himself into the darkened alley to their left barking, growling and snarling as he disappeared from sight.
“Ouch ye mangy flea bag, twere me that helped ye find him ta begin wit!” shouted the familiar yet outraged voice of Knackers. “Let go of me pants!”
Duncan ducked into the darkened alley and Annie quickly followed suit. Duncan pried Failinis off of Knackers torn pant leg and Annie reached out and pulled Knackers in for a big hug. She was so relieved to see him.
“There, there lass I be fine. Twill take more than a flea bag to get the best of Knackers,” he said giving her a reassuring pat on the back.
“I am so glad you’re safe!” she exclaimed excitedly. “Where’s Rian? Is he okay too?”
“Shush lass, he be fine. He’s with Autie hiding in the basement of the inn. While I was forced to sleep on the street,” he said over her shoulder to Duncan. “Again,” he added for emphasis.
“And what news?” Duncan growled back at him in response.
Knackers pried her arms off of him and looked up at her with a big, wide grin. “We found ‘em Annie. We found Finn and Robert. They be fine, but Finn is injured an’ could no’ move well when last I left him,” he said to Duncan.
“Tell me everything,” Duncan ordered.
Chapter Twelve
A New Threat Takes Flight
After Failinis and Knackers had both calmed down and managed to at least tolerate each other Duncan concerned himself with more pressing matters. He had been eager for news and was not happy with having to wait. Annie suggested that they should all be present so that the story was only talked about once. Duncan did not agree and while Annie was making a phone call (he still wasn’t sure what that was Robert had tried to explain it to him but he still wasn’t sure he grasped the notion of talking to someone who was far away in an instant) he grabbed Knackers by the collar and quickly dragged as much information out of him before Annie returned.
“Speak quickly where are they,” he demanded of Knackers in a low whisper.
Knackers quickly looked around and once he was sure they were truly alone he spoke. “They be hidden in the basement o’ a church on the grounds o’ Tara. Somehow Robert knew it were there an’ managed to get a barely conscious Finn safely hidden away. Twere a Nightflyer Duncan,” Knackers admitted with a shiver as Duncan drew in a sharp breath. “They barely escaped. Robert’s quick thinkin’ saved them but they can no’ hide on church grounds for much longer. Tomorrow be-“
“I’m well aware o’ what tomorrow is,” Duncan hissed cutting Knackers off before he could finish.
Tomorrow was Midsummer, tomorrow was the deadline. If Annie did not reach the Otherworld by the time the sun set on Midsummer the veil would be beyond repair and the Unseelie would be free to bring about the end of both the natural world as well as the Otherworld. The Seelie were ill prepared for the consequences of the veil failing.
Duncan ran a frustrated hand through his hair and Failinis whined as he sensed his new master’s distress. The Seelie were not the only ones who were ill prepared, the Derby Nine were severely outmatched. If Finn had been attacked by a Nightflyer it meant Bres and the rest of the Unseelie court were aware of their plan to get Annie to the Lia Fails. To summon the Nightflyers, winged-creatures who were able to regenerate their tentacle like forms, meant that the Unseelie were willing to stop at nothing to make sure that Annie never reached the screaming stone. They were creatures of the hunt and owed their allegiance to only one.
“I can no’ believe Bres has awoken the Slaugh,” Duncan muttered aloud.
“It gets worse,” Knackers informed him. Duncan shot him a look that had Knackers cringing away from him. “Donna blame the messenger,” he said defensively. “Robert swears there were other eyes waiting an’ watching in the shadows and darkness that surrounded the stone.”
“In other words we’re heading into a trap,” he replied matter-of-factly.
Knackers nodded his head in silent agreement and Failinis barked out a warning as Annie rounded the corner. “Griffin says they can be here in about thirty minutes, if the traffic’s not bad and if he can safely manage driving on the wrong side of the road. Fiona and Kat are looking forward to-.” She stopped suddenly and stared suspiciously at them. Duncan and Knackers tried to look as innocent as possible but she instantly saw through their ruse. “Really?!” she exclaimed her voice and posture signaling her annoyance with them. “You couldn’t wait could you!” she said pointing an accusing finger in Duncan’s direction.
Knackers stepped in between her pointed finger and Duncan his hands stretched out before him as he tried, albeit in vain, to try and placate Annie. “Now lass in his defense he is a captain in the Green Riders and has knowledge o’ things ye’ve never heard of.”
“Really?” she quickly countered. Her tone had Knackers quickly backpedaling. He bumped into Duncan which earned him a menacing growl from Failinis as well as Duncan.
“Yer no’ helping,” he informed the Wag-by-the-Way as he shoved him out of the way. “Annie I’m sorry I didna ken about Failinis being the name a powerful dog. But trust me this one ye’ve no’ heard of. Twere better that Knackers told me first so I can explain ta ye what we’re gonna be facin’.”
“Try me,” she challenged as she crossed her arms defiantly across her chest.
“Fine,” he replied as calmly as he could. “Finn and Robert were attacked by a Nightflyer and Robert claims that there were more nasties awaitin’ in the darkness, though he could no’ see them.” The instant he finished updating her he regretted it, she did indeed know what was awaiting them at Tara. Her ivory complexion paled to an almost translucent white and her eyes grew wide in terror and shock. He reached out a hand to draw her in and offer her some comfort but she stepped away and took a deep breath calming herself before she spoke.
“Nightflyers only have power at night as does the rest of the Unseelie court,” she said aloud and waited for both Duncan and Knackers to nod in confirmation. “Then we go now, as soon as the others get here. Griffin can make two trips and get us to Tara quicker than walking. We should still have plenty of time to find Robert and Finn and get to the stone before the site closes for the day, which is at six so that gives us eight hours,” she rambled on as she quickly glanced at her watch.
Duncan shook his head.
“Don’t you do that!” she hollered at him pointing her finger once again in his direction. “You will suck up the momentary car sickness. I am not walking all the way to Tara!”
“Hush, lass tis no’ what I meant. We have till sunset which is closer ta nine than six. We have more time than ye think,” he said correcting her. He would gladly take the car ride and accept the momentary illness to reach Finn and Robert quickly.
It was Annie’s turn to shake her head in disagreement. “The site closes at six and I have no idea wha
t kind of security they have. Tara is a national treasure to the people of Ireland. I’d imagine they are very protective of it.”
Knackers scoffed. “Since when have the rules stopped us?” he asked Duncan.
Duncan held his hand up to Knackers begging for quiet. “Annie, for once Knackers has the right of it.”
“ ‘Bout time ye admitted as much,” he accused Duncan, which earned him a sharp look. Knackers received the message and covered his mouth with a hairy hand.
“The fewer people that are still at Tara when we rescue Finn the better. It would be very hard ta explain a bleedin’ mon ta the public, not ta mention having ta explain your sudden disappearance.” Those last few words were very difficult for him to say. Now he had but a handful of hours to convince Annie of more than he was ready or even able to say. Time was fighting him at every turn and it was an enemy he could not fight. Solve one problem at a time he calmly reminded himself.
“I didn’t think of that,” she admitted. “We need to take a few moments to think and we need a place to talk freely,” she said glancing up at the inn they had just escaped from. Knackers followed her gazed and a thought lit up his green eyes.
“I think,” he said slowly. “This be a perfect job for Autie.”
Annie smiled and quickly agreed. “After all they would do nothing to upset the fair folk,” she said winking sagely at Knackers.
“Let the superstitious old goat put the fear of the Fae in ‘em. They’ll be too busy ta be too nosey,” Knackers agreed.
Duncan shook his head and sighed heavily. He was glad they were on his side. Together Knackers and Annie were devious and that was putting it lightly. He actually felt sorry for Mr. and Mrs. O’Neal; they had no idea what had just been unleashed upon them.
It had taken longer than Annie had predicted for Griffin, Kat and Fiona to arrive at the inn. Duncan did not understand what traffic or driving on the wrong side of the road had to do with the delay but Annie was instantly sympathetic if not overly anxious as there ever shortening timeline dwindled quickly away.
Autie had, as promised, kept the O’Neal’s busy as the superstitious couple was occupied by the strange events that had started to happen around the inn. First he had gotten a hold of an old pair of shoes and left them on the kitchen table which caused Mrs. O’Neal to scream and sputter incoherently as Mr. O’Neal tried to console her. Autie explained to the room that Mrs. O’Neal came from a family of miners and that when a miner died his shoes were left on the table. Mrs. O’Neal had become convinced she had lost a member of her very large family and spent the better part of the afternoon calling half of Ireland to ensure no one had passed without her knowledge. Once she had exhausted her phone book and seemed to settle down, and hence begin to once again get nosey and curious Autie pulled out his most devious trick as he put dandelions all over the inn, a warning to the inn keepers that there were ill and sickly Fae about. The O’Neal’s were currently busy thoroughly cleaning the Inn, starting with their own private quarters and of course, the basement.
Fiona had declared Autie an impishly smart fellow as she fluttered her brown eyes at him and attempted to straighten her worn and faded dress. Apparently Rian wasn’t the only Fae in the room with a crush. When Knackers called attention to the gushing words Fiona was throwing at Autie he earned a firm boxing of his pointy ears from Fiona and a kick in the shins from Autie. The light slapstick comedy lightened the mood in the room which had begun to take on the odor of fear.
Everyone had been informed by Duncan of the good news as well as the bad. The Fae in the room had reacted with immediate horror leaving Kat and Griffin confused. “It means the bad guys know we’re coming and are pulling out the big guns to make sure we don’t, or rather I don’t reach my destination,” Annie explained laughing nervously.
Again Duncan reached out to her trying to offer her some comfort and again she side stepped his advances. Her distance was beginning to bother him and he tried hard to conceal it from everyone in the group but Griffin’s ever watchful eye caught him. Thankfully the big man kept his observations to himself and concentrated on the danger that was looming over the group.
“So Nightflyers are the ultimate baddies,” he said as he waited for confirmation from those in the know.
“Um, yes?” Annie replied unsure of the validity of her answer.
“What would be worse?” Kat asked her eyes volleying rapidly between Duncan and Annie.
“Verra few things,” Duncan confirmed. “There are other thing, other entities the Unseelie could put in our way but verra few are as frightening an’ difficult ta deal with as the Nightflyers. They answer only ta the Slaugh’s King who created them for the sole purpose of hunting the Sidhe. Hopefully we will only be dealing with the Nightflyers an’ not their masters as they are more difficult to defeat.”
“More difficult than a being that is able to regenerate?” Kat squeaked nervously.
“Yes,” Duncan answered simply. He did not wish to frighten the group further by explain the Slaugh to them, let alone their king. They already had one terrifying nightmare to deal with there was no sense in making everyone more afraid than they already were. They needed a plan and they needed one fast.
Annie took a deep breath before addressing the room. “We are not without our own advantages,” she said quietly. Every eye turned to her and for a moment Duncan thought she would say no more. But her innate courage surfaced, her spine straightened and her words grew more assured and certain as she continued. “This is the time of the year when the Seelie Court still holds power. The days are long and the nights are short. We only have to reach the stone before the sun sets. We also know what to expect, they can only guess at our power and strength. We are also a day early. Even though they’ve seen Finn and Robert they, as of yet, do not know that we are here and that we are ready, that I am ready to step on the stone. We might still be able to do this,” she said with such passion, with such assurance that every head in the room began to nod in agreement; even his own.
“A diversion then?” asked Autie who rubbed his hands together in anticipation of being able to cause more mischief.
Annie nodded her head as a slow devious smile began to spread across her face. “A diversion,” she agreed. “I am so glad that we found you. You are exactly what we need.”
“I tink Knackers an’ I might enjoy bein’ the center o’ attention,” Autie admitted as his blue green eyes gleamed and sparkled with scheming mayhem.
“Speak for yerself,” Knackers grumbled. Fiona raised her hand ready to deliver a blow to the back of Knackers head making him quickly change his tone. “I meant,” he said flinching. “That I can guarantee we’ll enjoy it.”
“Good,” Fiona stated as she lowered her threatening hand causing Knackers to visibly relax. “I tink Rian an’ I are more than capable o’ taking care o’ Finn. I can cook up a few poultices now and ‘ave ‘em ready ta heal Finn if Rian is okay with guardin’ us?” she asked glancing quickly at Rian who eagerly nodded.
“Griffin,” Duncan said regaining the attention of the room. He was beginning to warm to the plan the room was formulating as a whole. They all seemed to understand everyone’s strengths. He only hoped they also understood everyone’s weakness. “Do you think you an’ Kat could project another one of yer famous shields?”
“One big enough and quick enough to keep up with Annie away?” the big man asked.
“Nay,” Duncan said with a quick shake of his head. “One big enough ta draw the attention of any other nasties that may be hiding in the darkness ta lure them from Annie,” he explained.
Griffin’s mouth kicked up in a crooked grin that made the man look younger than he appeared. “Yes, I think I see where you’re going. We could make it look more impressive than it is that way we can save up some energy in case we have to think quickly on our feet.”
“That takes care of everyone but you and Robert,” Annie said to Duncan. Failinis, seemingly aware that he had been left out bar
ked loudly gaining her attention. “Yes and you as well Failinis,” she added rewarding the pup with a playful scratch behind his ears.
“We’ll be comin’ with ye guarding yer back an’ makin’ sure you make it ta the stone in one piece,” Duncan informed her quietly.
“Oh no you won’t,” she protested loudly in return. The entire room grew quiet as they fixed their eyes upon the two people in the room who still hadn’t sorted out their roles in tonight’s dangerous adventure.
“Yes we will,” he replied sternly.
“I will not put you and Robert in that kind of danger. I- I,” she stumbled as a deep foreboding emotion flickered across her face. “I wouldn’t be able to go through with it if something happened to either of you,” she finally finished her voice barely above the sound of a whisper.
“Fine,” he said softly. “Robert can stay behind with Kat an’ Griffin. As a matter of fact that’s a much better idea, from a distance with his hair just the right length that he could be mistaken for you. He can be a decoy hidden under Griffin’s protective bubble. Better?” he inquired. He knew she would still try to protest. Did she really think he would let her take this leap on her own? Had she learned nothing? Had she heard nothing he had said? He was not willing to let her go just yet. What she did not know what she could not even imagine was that there was no way he was letting her step on that stone alone. They would do it together or not at all. He was not and could not risk losing her now.
When she looked as if she were about to protest Griffin stepped in. “That sounds like a perfect plan. Robert won’t be happy but I’ll take care of him. As for you,” he said pointing to Annie. “There is no way any of us are letting you approach that stone on your own. More than likely the worst of what they have to throw at us will be waiting for you on top of that hill. You,” he said pointing a brotherly finger in her direction. “Will be climbing that hill with the best we have. If Finn were in better condition he’d be going with you too. You will not argue this point any further.”
