“Something’s there that I can’t see,” he said. She nodded.
“They’re sprites,” she said.
“Sprites?” he exclaimed.
“I know it’s not easy to believe in something you can’t see but according to them, you can see them if I help you the first time. I’m just not sure how to help you.”
“Well, how about holding my hand?”
“Okay,” she agreed. “Worth a try.” She held out one hand and he took it, both of them careful not to get close to the console. Once his hand was firmly in hers, he looked at the console and jumped, jerking his hand out of Nica’s.
“I take it that worked,” she said wryly.
“Yeah, I think so,” he said. “Again?”
Nica held her hand out again and he took it. Bracing himself, he lowered his gaze from Nica’s face to the console between them. Standing there, looking up at him, were two tiny people with large wings folded back behind them. The female was blue, the male was green, and no matter how many times he blinked they remained the same.
“You see them,” Nica said.
“Yes, I do,” he admitted. “So, these are sprites.”
“You know about sprites?”
“Yes, some,” he said, uncertain what, or how much, he should say. Apedrans had their secrets, but if Nica was friends with the sprites, she probably knew a lot more than he did about some things.
“That helps,” Nica said. “This is Min, and Nim.”
“Hello,” Ian said, feeling a little odd speaking to such tiny people.
“Hello, Ian of Fadden,” Nim replied in a high pitched, squeaky voice that almost made him smile. He wasn’t sure if he should say anything else, but was saved having to decide when Nica spoke.
“Ian, I have to tell you some things that you may not believe.”
“Things that are more shocking then sprites sitting on the console between us?” he asked. Nica nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
“I’m listening,” he said.
“All of the people who’ve been murdered in Cidade had power,” Nica said.
Ian frowned. “What did Bree tell you?” he asked softly.
Nica wasn’t going to answer that. Bree was angry with her right now, but she was still her friend, and she had made her a promise.
“What do you know about the Tuatha De?” she countered.
“Bree couldn’t have told you about them,” he said. “She doesn’t know.”
“But you do.”
“Yes, I do,” Ian said. “How is it that you know so many of our secrets?”
“It’s a long story,” Nica said. “Apparently humans can’t see sprites, but I’m human and I see them just fine. I’ve seen them since I got here, I just thought they were a large species of butterfly.”
“What do sprites have to do with the murders?”
“Nothing,” Nica replied. “But they have a lot to do with how much I know, and how I learned it.”
“All right,” Ian said. “So what’s this about people of power being murdered? Why would someone do that?”
“Strictly speaking, I believe it’s something rather than someone,” Nica said. “Min and Nim call it a Changeling. I don’t really understand what it is, exactly. I know that it’s bad, and that it’s hiding inside of a human. The sprites have been trying to determine which human, but it has enough power to hide itself and its scent now.”
“A Changeling?” Ian whispered, thunderstruck. “There’s a Changeling loose in Cidade?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so,” Nica replied. “I’ve got something else to tell you too, and it’s not good either.”
“Go ahead, Nica, just say it.”
“There have been two more murders in Cidade,” she said. “A Sylvan named Harrison, and his wife, Beth.”
Ian’s face drained of color and he closed his eyes, bowed his head and clenched his fists. Nica waited quietly while he struggled to contain his grief and shock. When he looked up again he was still pale, but in control. “I’m so sorry Ian,” she said. “I wish there’d been an easier way to break that to you.”
“There’s no easy way to break such news, Nica,” Ian said. “It’s not your fault.”
“You knew them, didn’t you?”
“Yes, he was a good friend,” Ian said. Then he frowned. “You said that the Changeling was killing people with power, but his wife had no power.”
“I know,” Nica said. “Kyle’s fiance didn’t have any power either, did she?” Ian shook his head. “Maybe they were at the wrong place at the wrong time and saw whoever the Changeling is hiding in.”
“None of this makes any sense,” Ian said, shaking his head. “How did a Changeling end up in Cidade?”
“My understanding is that it escaped a very long time ago and left Apedra. Now it’s back.”
“But, why?”
“All I’m sure of is that the Changeling is taking the blood of its victims, and it’s getting stronger with each kill.” Nica said. “It started out killing people who didn’t have a lot of power. But the more it kills, the stronger it gets, and the stronger it gets, the more powerful its victims are. Like the Laytons. Like your friend. Like you.”
“Me?” Ian asked. “You know about me?”
“I know you’re a powerful Sylvan, that you heal trees, and that you’re also a very powerful Druid.”
“I’m not even going to ask how you know that. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you about that myself, Nica.”
“Don’t be,” she said quietly. “I know you’re sworn not to tell those things and I’d never expect you to break an oath.”
Ian rubbed his face with the palms of his hands and stared out the window. Nica waited quietly, letting him think. When he turned to face her, he looked so sad it frightened her. “I don’t know much about Changelings, Nica. All I have to go on are ancient legends, but if half of those are true, we can’t hope to fight one. Especially not one that’s found an alternate source of power like this one has. It’ll kill every human on Apedra eventually, and we won’t be able to stop it.”
“No, we won’t,” Nica said. “But there is someone who can.”
“Who?”
“Eibhleann.”
“Do you mean the Queen of the Tuatha De?” he asked incredulously. “That Eibhleann?”
“Yes.”
“I suppose the sprites told you about her,” he said stiffly, casting a stern look at the tiny people standing quietly on the console. “Apparently they failed to tell you that the Tuatha De abandoned Apedra some time back. Eibhleann can’t help us because she is no longer here.”
“Why do you think that?” Nica asked, surprised.
“Apedra is dying,” he said, revealing what no one not of Apedran blood knew. “It started about thirty five years ago as far as we can tell. There were just a few signs at first. So small that no one paid much attention to them. Now, it’s all we Sylvans can do to keep enough crops alive to feed our people. The land grows weaker and weaker by the month now. Eventually we won’t be able to do anything but escape.”
“And you think it’s because the Tuatha De have left Apedra.”
“Yes, we do. Apedra means stone, Nica. That’s all this world was before the Tuatha De decided to settle here and transformed it with their magical power. Without them, and their power, it began to revert back to its original state.”
“The Tuatha De didn’t leave, Ian,” Nica said. “They’re still here, on Apedra.”
Ian wanted to argue, but he really did trust Nica. A faint spark of hope flared within him. “Are you certain?”
“I’m positive,” Nica said.
“Then why is our world dying?” he asked. “And why haven’t they stopped it?”
“Because they can’t,” Nica said. “They’re trapped, every one of them, on an island.”
“Then we’ll go free them,” Ian said, but Nica shook her head.
“It’s not that simple, Ian. They’re trapped by a magical barrier of some sort that only these two spri
tes are able to pass through.”
“Then we’ll have to spread the word,” Ian said. “There are lots of powerful Druids on Apedra. Together, I’m sure we’ll come up with a way to free them.
“No Ian, you can’t tell anyone about this.”
“This is news that would give all of us hope, Nica. I have to share it.”
“No, you can’t,” Nica said. “Eibhleann is the one being in the Thousand Worlds that the Changeling fears. If it discovers that she and the rest of the Tuatha De are trapped, the streets will run red with blood. Fear of her is the only thing restraining it right now. And since we don’t know which human it’s hiding in, you can’t trust anyone.”
“Yes, you’re right, of course,” Ian said slumping back against the seat. After a few moments he turned back to Nica. “Where exactly are the Tuatha De, and how do we free them Nica? Do you know?”
“All I know right now is that they’re on an island they refer to as the Shining Isle, and that it’s somewhere on the far side of Apedra. As for how to help them, I’m not sure. When I spoke with Eibhleann she asked if she could put everything I needed to know into my mind, and I agreed. But, when she was done, I could tell there were blank spots. She said that I was the one blocking certain areas of my mind, and that I had to figure out how to unblock them on my own. Until I do that, I don’t even know what’s in my own head.”
“You spoke with Eibhleann?” Ian asked in awe. “The Queen of Tuatha De? You actually talked to her?”
“Yes, I did.”
“That’s so…amazing,” Ian said. “I’ve always wondered what she looks like.”
“She’s very beautiful, but definitely not human,” Nica said, smiling at him. He was like a little boy in that moment, learning that his fairy tales were real.
“You’ve seen her?” Ian asked.
“Only in my mind, but yes, I’ve seen her. She has bright yellow eyes, the color of sunshine, and black hair so long it flows across the grass behind her when she walks, like a train. She spoke through Nim, and listened to me through Min.”
“The sprites?” Nica nodded. Ian looked down at the sprites who were now sitting on the console, their wings spread behind them, then back up to Nica. “You’re worried about me going to Cidade.”
“Yes,” Nica admitted. “I’m not the only one, either. The sprites are worried too. That’s why they decided to allow you to see them, so you’d believe the truth of what’s happening. I suspect that Eibhleann is worried as well.”
“I appreciate that, Nica, but I hope you don’t expect me to stay away from Cidade because of the Changeling.”
Nica shook her head. “Of course not. It would take a lot more than that to keep me away from Bree right now, and you’re her brother. I just want you to be aware of the danger, and to know that you can’t trust anyone.”
“I’ll remember,” he said. Nica fell silent for a long time. Ian watched her face, trying to discern her thoughts through her expression, but all he could get was that she was troubled by something.
“What is it?”
“It just seems odd to me that, in the beginning, the murders were all committed in the open. In the park, or in an alley, or on the street, and always at night. Now, the killer is going into people’s homes. Powerful people’s homes. Not the most powerful, from what I understand, but it seems to be gradually moving up.”
“You’re right,” he said, wondering why he hadn’t thought of that himself. “You’re thinking that the killer is either someone of higher society, or someone who has access to those people and their homes.”
“Min, Nim,” Nica said. “I ask a favor of you.”
“What favor?” Nim asked warily, but Min tsked at him and nodded at Nica. “We shall help however we can, Bright Lady.”
“Please go to Fadden House and keep an eye on Bree until Ian gets there,” she said. “We’re worried about her.”
“Of course, Bright Lady,” Min said, not even looking at Nim. “I will go right away.”
“What do you mean you will go right away?” Nim demanded huffily. “Do you plan to go alone, Min?”
“If I must, yes,” Min said, raising her chin at him.
“Well I’m going too,” Nim said. “I don’t want to see anything happen to the Bright Lady’s friend, either.”
Min rolled her eyes, and got to her feet, then flew to the window. A moment later she was through the glass and gone. Nim was at the window before she was through it, mumbling to himself the whole time. Then he too was gone.
“Thank you, Nica, for asking them to do that.”
Nica nodded, not bothering to explain, again, that she loved Bree too.
“Why do they call you Bright Lady?”
“Queen Eibhleann told me that she foresaw the coming of a human female with a bright and shining soul who would help them escape.” She blushed pink and dropped her eyes. “I don’t know about the bright and shining soul, but I’ll definitely do what I can to help them escape.”
“Why do you say that?” Nica hesitated. “Please?”
“Because when Bree told me that you were marrying Flora, I decided to leave Apedra on the next available shuttle,” she said softly. “I know that Queen Eibhleann and the Tuatha De, as well as the sprites, and even the humans of Apedra, whether they know it or not, are depending on me to do…something. Something important that I can’t quite remember yet. But I never even thought about them. Not once. All I thought about was myself.”
“You think you’re selfish?”
“Of course, don’t you?”
“No, not at all,” Ian said. “Tell me, what did you do the moment you found out that Bree needed you?”
“That’s different.”
“No, it’s not,” Ian said. “And I don’t believe for a moment that you would have left Apedra anyway, Nica. You were hurt, and you reacted, but eventually you would have remembered Queen Eibhleann and all the rest.”
“Why do you have so much confidence in me?”
“Because you deserve it,” Ian said.
Nica shook her head slightly, then leaned back and closed her eyes. “I’m going to try to rest for a while.”
“That’s a good idea,” Ian said, watching her. He kept watching her until, a few minutes later, he was certain that she’d fallen asleep. Then he turned his gaze back to the window and wished the driver would go a little faster.
Chapter 11
“Have you taken leave of your senses?” Ian demanded, knowing the moment the words left his mouth that they were a mistake. He was just so damn tired. And so worried.
No matter how hard he’d tried, he hadn’t been able to convince Nica to return to Fadden House with him, so he’d dropped her off at her hotel, then come the rest of the way home alone. Upon his arrival Joseph had informed him that Bree had gone to the theater with Quill and Evan Hearken. The only thing that kept him from racing out to search the three theaters in Cidade was the knowledge that Evan Hearken was with her, and would allow no harm to come to her.
When she’d finally arrived at nearly midnight, she’d merely stared at him in surprise that turned quickly to anger. “Why are you here?”
“Excuse me?” he asked, so shocked it took him a moment to process her words.
Bree waited, glaring at him as though he’d done something wrong. “I’m here because this house belongs to me,” he said as cold fury replaced his shock. “You will come into my study at once.” He could see her struggling to refuse, but in the end, a lifetime of habit won out. She turned and stormed past him, up the hall and into the study. Ian nodded his silent thanks to the sprites who’d followed her into the house, grateful to know that they’d done as Nica had asked, and kept an eye on Bree even after she’d left home. The sprites nodded back, then flew to the door and skifted through it.
Ian went into his study and closed the door, then walked around his desk and stood behind it, staring down at Bree. “I’d like an answer to my question,” he said in a much calmer tone of voice
. “Have you taken leave of your senses?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bree said, her chin raised defiantly.
“No?” Ian asked. “Tell me, Bree, have you already forgotten about a young woman who is supposed to be your best friend, one whom you professed to love as a sister? Perhaps if I remind you that you threw her out into the street, alone, in a strange city, on a strange planet, then you will remember her.” Bree paled but remained silent. “Do you really believe that Nica was trying to steal some man from you? Does that truly make any sense to you at all?”
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