The Stolen: An American Faerie Tale

by O'Connell, Bishop

  “Like sands in the hourglass,” Dante said as he stepped into the hallway.

  “You won’t regret this,” Caitlin said to Brendan. When she looked at Dante, her mouth fell open. “You wake up looking like that?”

  His eyes were bright and clear, his hair was perfect. She half expected to see a glint off his teeth and smell mint when he smiled.

  Dante shrugged. “It’s a curse.”

  “Can I take me fecking shower now?” Brendan asked. “It’s been weeks since I’ve had a proper one.”

  “I could’ve done without hearing that,” Dante said. “Although, it does explain—­”

  Brendan smacked the back of Dante’s head, then disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

  “I’ll wake Eddy,” Caitlin said.

  “I’ll see about some food,” Dante said as he headed down the stairs. “I’m starving.”

  Caitlin knocked. “Eddy, are you up?” When she heard no answer, she turned the knob and opened the door. She peeked around it and saw that his curtains were open and his form was lying buried beneath a heap of blankets. It felt strange seeing him like that, as if she was invading his privacy.

  Well, she supposed, in point of fact, she was.

  There wasn’t any way around it, so she reached out to wake him but stopped short. Guilt at drawing him into this caused her stomach to churn. But then he’d never willingly just stand by, not for anyone, much less someone he . . . Her eyes moved over his face, following the line of his jaw. Always right in front of her, and she’d never seen it. How much else had she missed, and missed out on?

  Edward grunted and opened his eyes. He blinked a few times before his eyes focused on her. She felt her face flush, but when she saw the creases in his obviously ironed flannel pajamas, she just smiled.

  “What time is it?” he asked.

  “Almost eleven.”

  He sat up and ran a hand through his mess of hair. “Did you get any sleep?”

  She nodded and tried to figure out how to tell him that Brendan had agreed to take her with him.

  “Good.” He yawned and looked at her. “What is it?”

  She could feel his critical eyes on her, dissecting facial expressions and body language. “You know, sometimes it’s so aggravating, having a friend who can read ­people.” She let out a breath and sat on the edge of the bed. “I convinced Brendan to take me with him.”

  “You did?” His expression flashed fear, but it melted away and he nodded. “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  “I still don’t think it’s a good idea. Apart from the danger, you’ve got no idea what you’re getting into. I think you should let Brendan go alone. He knows what he’s doing, and he’s the expert in these things.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “Having said that . . .” He sighed. “I understand you wanting to go. I don’t like it, but I get it, and I’ll respect your choice.”

  Caitlin was speechless.

  “But I’m going, too.”

  “What? No! I know you’d do it, and I love you to death for that, but you can’t.”

  “Cait—­”

  She held up her hand and he stopped. “Eddy, I need you to stay here. In case—­” She drew a breath. “In case something happens to me, I need you to take care of Fiona.”

  “Nothing’s going to happen to you.” He leaned toward her. “If Brendan agreed to let you go, it’s because he believes he can protect you.”

  “Just promise me.”

  He looked at her for a long moment, then drew in a breath. “I can’t do that.”

  She felt her stomach drop. “You have to, she doesn’t have—­”

  “No. I’m not giving you an out.” He smiled. “You’ll just have to make sure nothing happens so you can raise her yourself.”

  It all made sense. His promise hadn’t come in the words she’d expected, but he’d agreed to take care of Fiona all the same and now he needed her to make a promise in return.

  “Okay,” she said. “I will. And thank you.”

  “I told you—­”

  “Not just for that, or for last night, or this morning, or whenever it was. Thank you for everything. I feel like you’ve been a much better friend to me than I’ve been to you.”

  “Well, you’re wrong.”

  Caitlin saw him looking at her lips. Her heart beat a little faster, and she knew her cheeks were turning pink. He started to lean toward her, but she turned her head at the last moment. Guilt tore at her heart when she realized what she’d done. When she looked back, Edward’s faltering smile made her heart crack.

  She reached out a hand to take his. “Eddy, I’m sorry, I just—­”

  “No, I’m sorry.” He stood and stepped away.

  She opened her mouth, desperate to explain it wasn’t him but the timing.

  “I, uh, I just—­” He turned away. “Look, I just.” He turned one way, then back before stopping and pointing to a door. “You go ahead and use my bathroom.” He started pulling clothes from his drawers. “It’ll give you more privacy. I’ll just use the spare one.”

  “Eddy—­”

  “No, it’s—­” He turned as if to say something, but he just shook his head and closed the door behind him.

  Caitlin stood there in stunned silence with nothing but her own stupidity to keep her company. She put her face in her hands and sighed. “I don’t need this right now.”

  She ran a hand through her tangle of hair. At this point, there was nothing to be done. This wasn’t the time to get into it. Right now, the only thing that mattered was Fiona and getting her back. This would just have to be added to the pile of crap she’d deal with later. So she did all she could do. She went into Edward’s bathroom to shower and, hopefully, wash away more than dirt, sweat, and dried tears.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Caitlin showered quickly. As she put on her dirty clothes, she pushed every thought and emotion down deep, until the only thing left was numbness and a focus on the task before her. This was how it had to be. She wondered if this was how soldiers felt before a battle. A “violent and bloody event” is what Brendan had said. She worried that Fiona might get hurt, or see some terrible things. But Caitlin also felt a twinge of excitement at visiting some of the pain back on those who’d taken her little girl. Violence and blood sounded about right.

  All the doors in the hallway were open, and she heard faint voices from downstairs. She descended to the large eat-­in kitchen, where the three men were sitting at a table, picking at food.

  “You should eat.” Dante offered her a plate.

  She hesitated.

  “You can eat quickly, but you need to eat,” he said.

  She accepted the plate of red grapes, neatly cut chunks of cantaloupe, slices of apple, and perfect squares of cheese, even though she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep anything down.

  “Hope you like fruit and the like.” Brendan drank from a mug. “Damn fae are all vegetarians.”

  “There’s the stove.” Dante popped a grape into his mouth. “There’s nothing stopping you from cooking up some kind of dead animal.”

  “I’m enjoying my tea, thank you very much.” Brendan glowered and sipped from his mug.

  After a few bites, Caitlin realized how hungry she’d been. Like sleep though, eating didn’t seem right under the circumstances. The sense of dread hung so thick in the air she could almost taste it; it was a bitterness that spoiled the taste of the food, but she ate anyway.

  Brendan and Edward were as dour as she was, and it seemed that they somehow comforted each other in that silence.

  Dante, on the other hand, acted as if it was just another day. He always seemed to be smiling when Caitlin looked at him. She did a double take when she saw him pop a handful of small, colorful candies into his mouth and chew w
ith an almost euphoric smile.

  “Are you eating M&M’S?”

  Dante’s smile vanished as he stopped chewing. “Maybe,” he said with his mouth full.

  “For some reason, he and his fellows got a weakness for the damn things,” Brendan said without looking up.

  “It’s not a weakness,” Dante said.

  “Aye, whatever you say, then,” Brendan said.

  “Well, maybe, but just the peanut butter ones.” Dante held a handful out to Caitlin. “Would you like some?”

  “No, thanks.” She turned to Brendan. “So what’s the plan? What do we do first?”

  “First, you get some food in you,” Brendan said. “Then we get you some fresh clothes and proper shoes.”

  “Okay.” Caitlin quickly ate the last of her food, then stood. She reached for her plate, but Dante grabbed it from her.

  “I’ll get this.”

  “All right, then.” Brendan slid his mug away and stood as well. “Let’s get moving, then.”

  Caitlin glanced at Eddy, who was staring at Brendan with a hard, almost resentful look she’d never seen before. After a moment, Eddy turned to her and smiled, but she could tell it was forced. She fought back the sense of doom that hung over her like the sword of Damocles, dismissing the feeling as nerves.

  Brendan picked up his bag and the four of them walked together towards the door. When they reached it, Edward muttered and began to pass his hand over the knob. Everything slowed down as Edward’s hand finished its pass.

  Brendan and Dante traded a glance before Brendan leapt at Caitlin and pinned her to the wall.

  The door exploded inward.

  The concussive force of the blast shook her entire body, all the way to her insides, even through Brendan’s body.

  A wave of intense heat rolled over her face as everything went white. For what felt like an eternity, the only sound Caitlin could hear was her own pounding heart and a faint ringing in her ears. As the droning faded, another sound took its place. Growing in volume, she could hear splinters raining to the floor.

  “Bloody hell.” Brendan winced. “Dante, you and Edward still whole?”

  “Look to be,” Dante said from the floor, where he’d tackled Edward. “You know what this means, right?”

  “Aye,” Brendan said. “Not much room for misunderstanding in that message, is there?”

  “What’s it mean?” Caitlin asked.

  “It’s a bleeding civil war.” Brendan lowered his voice. “You’re all right, love? Everything still attached as it should be?”

  Caitlin nodded and swallowed. “If it’s okay, I’m just going to start banking my thank-­yous. I get the feeling it could delay things if I stop to keep saying them.”

  “Sense of humor intact as well, aye?” Brendan said. “Don’t move. I’m going to check it out and make sure there’s no one waiting to take another shot.” He angled his head to look out the open space previously occupied by the door.

  “No! Brendan, wait!” Edward shouted from the floor.

  “Wha—­”

  A boom shook the room and knocked Brendan to the floor, even sliding him back a dozen feet. A bolt of red lightning jumped from a small ball of crimson light floating just outside the doorway. It struck the floor between Brendan’s legs and left a black mark in the wood.

  Brendan lifted his head. He looked at the scorch mark, and his eyes went wide. “Dar fia, that was a bit close.” He scooted back some more and took a moment before getting to his feet. “Right, never mind, then.”

  Dante helped Edward to his feet. “It’s the wizard,” Edward said.

  “How do you know?” Dante asked.

  “I’ve read about those, but I’ve never actually seen one before now. I think it was a thread bomb. They’re traps tied to wards and set to go off when the wards drop.” He looked at Brendan, then Caitlin. “You two okay?”

  “Aye,” Brendan said. “Knocked me arse over teakettle and nearly changed me religion, but I’m none the worse for it.”

  Caitlin saw the subtle wince of pain as Brendan moved.

  “Caitlin?” Edward asked.

  “I’m okay,” she said. “Brendan got me out of the way for the first hit, and I think he blocked the second one with his body.”

  “No offense, but it weren’t intentional,” Brendan said. “Dante, you still with us?”

  “I am.” Dante rubbed his head. “All fingers and toes accounted for.”

  “So,” Brendan said, turning to Edward, “any more surprises I should know about before I go looking about outside?”

  “Maybe,” Edward said and shrugged. “But I’m pretty sure that last shot was the spell exhausting itself.”

  “You two wait here, then,” Brendan said to Caitlin and Edward. “Dante, keep an eye on them.”

  “No,” Edward said. “I’ll go with you. I can watch your back. If someone’s out there and takes a shot at you, I might be able to get them first.”

  Brendan looked at Dante, who shrugged. “All right,” Brendan said, “but keep your wits about you.”

  After they disappeared through the doorway, Caitlin looked at Dante. He leaned against the wall. His smile was gone now.

  Once again, an oppressive silence fell on the room.

  After a long while, Caitlin felt a surge of relief as Brendan and Edward came back inside. Their faces were grim.

  “Well?” Dante asked.

  “Got good news and bad news,” Brendan said. “Good news is, whoever set the trap is long gone. Bad news is, so are the marshals.”

  “Is the car still here?” Dante asked. The look on his face said he knew the answer, so he didn’t react much when Brendan nodded.

  Edward winced and shook his head. “This is my fault.”

  “What?” Caitlin asked.

  “The wizard must’ve tracked me down when I summoned Justin.”

  “It ain’t your fault,” Brendan said. “The oíche are making a play for the leadership of the Rogue Court.”

  “And they’re using a wizard to help them do it,” Dante said, then cursed under his breath.

  “Wait, what are you talking about?” Caitlin asked.

  “You might as well tell her,” Brendan said.

  “Tell me what?” Caitlin’s hands tightened into fists.

  “We don’t know anything for sure,” Dante said.

  “Really?” Brendan pointed to the gaping hole. “You see some ambiguity in this, then, do you?”

  “Tell me what?” Caitlin repeated, but her voice had gone flat and even.

  “We think the oíche might have taken Fiona,” Dante said, “as payment to a wizard for his help in their attempt to grab control of the Rogue Court.”

  Caitlin swallowed a mouthful of fire and rage. After a moment she asked the most obvious question. “Why would a wizard want Fiona?”

  “That’s not something to be thinking about just now,” Brendan said. “Thoughts like that won’t do no good. We’re still going after her, and we’re still bringing her home.”

  “Why would they bring her to Tír na nÓg then?” Edward asked.

  “They probably figured it was a way to keep her out of reach until they made the exchange,” Dante said.

  Caitlin shook with the anger that roiled inside her as she fought the nightmarish images of what the wizard might have in mind for a little girl.

  “Caitlin?” Brendan took her by the shoulder. “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you, but nothing’s changed. You can’t let yourself be getting carried away with thoughts like you’re thinking. If you’re still coming with me, then you need to keep focused on that. If your mind is wandering, you’ll be no use to me.”

  “But—­”

  “But nothing. We’re going to get her back before anything happens, yeah?”

  Caitlin nodded and
fought hard to push the images from her mind.

  “What’s to keep them from crossing back here with her once they find out you’ve gone after them?” Edward asked.

  “He’s got a point,” Dante said. “I should see if I can find the wizard. Block the back door, so to speak.”

  “Whoever this wizard is,” Edward said, swallowing, “he’s tracking me. I might be able to lure him away. Maybe even help Dante find him and take him out.”

  “That’s a good plan.” Dante nodded. “If we can remove him from the equation, the oíche will lose their advantage. Moreover, if they do cross back, they’ll be headed to the wizard’s location themselves. Not only will this make sure they don’t slip away, it might even help by distracting them.”

  “It’s settled then, yeah?” Brendan turned to Caitlin. “We’ll get to her. Nothing is going to happen to her, all right?”

  Caitlin stared hard at Brendan. After a brief moment, she managed a single nod.

  “I mean it. I need you here and now. I know what I’m asking of you, but you have to put all that aside. She needs you to.” He leaned in close and looked into her eyes. “You understand?”

  Caitlin sucked in a breath. “You should’ve told me sooner.”

  “Aye, we should’ve at that.”

  “That was my fault,” Dante said. “I’m sorry. We had only suspicions, and I didn’t want to scare you unnecessarily. We’ll get her back before anything happens. I’ll bring in every resource at my disposal.”

  “Are you with me, then?” Brendan asked her. “Are you here?”

  She steeled her resolve. “I’m here. Nothing’s going to happen to her.”

  Brendan turned to Dante, and they spoke to each other in what sounded like Irish.

  Caitlin threw her arms around Edward, hugging him tight. The earlier drama was shattered with the door and lay lost in the debris.

  “I’m sorry,” he said into her ear. “I know the last thing you need—­”

  “Shut up,” she said and squeezed him tighter. “You better be careful. If you get yourself killed, I’ll never forgive you.”

  “What could go wrong?” he asked. “You’re going into the faerie world to get your daughter back. I’m going to take on a wizard and prevent the overthrowing of a fae court. It’s just another Saturday.”