by Hickory Mack
“We reunite this tree with the other tree and take any of these others that want to cross the barrier into the forest. If the gnomes want, bring them to Ichio.” Makkai gently tugged Chiori toward the barrier. She took direction well enough, following placidly, but there was no life in her.
“Do you want me to heal that?” Airi asked. She was dragging Chasm along, the palomino horse following adoringly behind, the gnomes happily riding on its rump. Makkai looked at his arm, blood still oozed at a slower rate. He shook his head.
“No need. It’ll heal on its own once we get back to my territory,” he answered.
“That was the furthest I’ve ever seen you travel away without going unconscious. You’re getting stronger,” Airi mused.
“I have a theory about that, actually,” Makkai answered quietly.
“You think it’s her,” Airi guessed.
“Yeah.”
“I think you’re right.”
“Great. The kid is giving you strength. Now, can you use it to hurry up? The hunters are getting closer and I’m sick of those guys to be honest,” Fen cut in. Both Airi and Makkai gave the boar withering looks, but he jutted his chin at them stubbornly. Airi spoke quietly and the horse trotted forward. She moved to lift Chiori onto the animal and the girl came violently to life, back peddling hard, even yanking away from Lord Makkai, her eyes wide.
“No!” was all she said.
“She doesn’t like to be touched,” Makkai said, his voice calm, reaching out and taking her hand again. He didn’t add that he didn’t much like the thought of anyone else touching his Chiori, either.
“She doesn’t seem to have that problem with you, of all people,” Airi said, her brows knitting together. “You’re out of magic. Get on with her, the rest of us will jump through. She’s fast, you won’t get caught.”
“Don’t get caught yourself,” Makkai said and mounted the horse then reached down and pulled Chiori up into his lap across the animal.
“See you there,” Airi said, grabbing one of the gnomes and jumping with it, the one on her shoulder and the dryad. Fen eyeballed the sprite and the remaining gnome and sighed. He gathered the sprite, picked up the gnome and jumped with a baleful look at Lord Makkai.
Makkai urged the horse into a canter, holding Chiori close. Her hand was curled around a twist of his shirt, fear on her face. She’d never been on a horse before. He didn’t slow the animal down, better to get it over with quickly than draw it out.
“I don’t know what’s wrong, but whatever it is, we’ll fix it, alright?” he said. “It can be trivial or the most difficult thing, I don’t care what it is. It’s bothering you, so we’ll handle it. Whenever you’re ready.”
Chapter 18
Creek looked entirely unimpressed when they rode up, the girl unresponsive, the fox covered in gore, both of them reeking of Earth and Fire. The others hadn’t known where to jump and they’d taken the dryad elsewhere.
“You found a horse?” she asked, looking behind them expectantly.
“There was a goblin,” Makkai said.
“Is that what happened to the witch?” Creek asked.
“I’m not sure.”
“Where’s Fog?”
“She’s dead,” Chiori whispered.
“Excuse me?” Creek blinked, stepping closer. Makkai's lip curled threateningly.
“The kid said she’s dead. Looks like your listening skills haven’t improved in the last century.”
Creek looked disdainfully at Airi and the dryad she was with. Fen, the gnomes and the sprite were nowhere to be found. Makkai hoped the boar hadn’t taken the sprite home with him. The sprites already living there would get riled up and he didn’t need that drama in his life.
“Chasm?” Creek said. “What are you doing here?”
“You sent a fox and his pet witch after me. It was me you scented, not Fog, you idiot. You never could differentiate between us,” Chasm replied.
Airi released her, their part was finished.
“No, I was certain,” Creek said, her face paling.
“She died ninety-seven years ago. You smelled something familiar and made the wrong assumption,” Chasm scoffed. Chiori held out the teardrop amulet and Chasm took it. “I can’t believe you held onto this all this time.”
“She-”
“Tolerated you. She was too kind to you,” Chasm turned to Lord Makkai. “I told you this was none of your business, didn’t I? Do we really have to rehash all of this with an audience?”
“She was my lover!” Creek cried.
“No, she was our lover. You were a third with high expectations and wouldn’t take the hint,” Chasm said bitingly. She looked at Lord Makkai and Airi. “Much like others, I see.”
Lord Makkai rolled his eyes and looked to Airi. He swung his leg over and slid off the horse.
“Take your beast, we’ll leave them to it,” he said, then he looked at Chasm. “You will be seeing me again, soon. I have questions about the hunters and their little experiments.”
“See you there,” Airi said, jumping both herself and the fifteen hundred-pound horse.
“You owe us, Tree. When she comes for you, be ready,” he said.
“Yeah, okay,” Creek said, her eyes on the ground, fuming.
Airi was waiting when they landed, and she immediately began checking over Chiori cradled in Makkai’s arms, disapproval all over her face. She waited impatiently for him to set her on the cabin steps. She waited even more impatiently for him to wash the blood off at the well. By the time he fetched something to eat and set it next to Chiori, she was fuming. He moved halfway across the clearing before turning to her, ready to hear whatever she had to say.
“What was that?” she seethed.
“An attempt to show the girl I’m willing to compromise,” he said.
“I’ve never seen you behave so stupidly, and I’ve seen you do some pretty insane things,” Airi said.
“Chiori wanted to help, she threatened to do it herself, and I couldn’t allow that,” Makkai answered. He pulled his hair back into a long ponytail.
“Chiori wanted to help,” Airi scowled. “She’s a child Makkai. Ground her, send her to her room, tell her no! Set some freaking ground rules, dad!”
“Too far, Airi,” Makkai growled.
“Too far was how much you siphoned from her. That kid is practically catatonic! What is going on with you?”
“That’s not it, I left more than half of what she had to give, I didn’t drain her, or put her in any danger. It’s emotional. I don’t know what’s wrong yet, but I’m going to find out,” Makkai said.
“She was nearly eaten by a starving Goblin because you didn’t have the power to save her and you call that not putting her in any danger?”
“I didn’t allow it to harm her.”
“No, just yourself. If we hadn’t have come when we did, those hunters would have found you completely incoherent and defenseless. Over what? A pair of dryads that apparently hate each other?” Airi pinched the bridge of her nose. “I warned you that there were things broken in that girl’s head that even I couldn’t fix. She needs stability for a while, let her heal naturally. Maki I need you to think of what will happen to the rest of us if something happens to her. You’re taking unnecessary risks.”
“I have already thought of that.”
“Have you? Good. Keep thinking about it and take better care of her. Lock her in a padded freaking room if you have to.”
“That’s not what she needs,” Makkai said.
“It might be, for a little while. I’m telling you her mind isn’t right Makkai. She’s been through too much, too quickly,” Airi said.
“What do you think we’ve been doing out here, in the middle of the forest, away from everyone and everything? I’ve been giving her time to process,” he answered.
“You have two more days, will she be ready by then?” Airi asked. “I’m taking over as her full time healer. Asuka is too intimidated by you to be firm in her
instructions.”
“That is generous of you. Asuka’s only instructions were to feed her, supplement her meals with herbs. If she isn’t ready by then, I’ll give her more time,” Makkai said, his frown deeply set in place.
“Can you afford more time alone with her? Your mind isn’t exactly right either,” Airi commented.
“I’ll adjust,” Makkai answered, then changed the subject. “I did not see Moscow with you.”
“I sent him ahead. I didn’t want him to see you like that and have more rumors spreading,” Airi answered. “You scared me, friend.”
“Things are changing for me, in big ways. I’m not ready to talk about it yet. Maybe not for a long time,” he said, looking back at Chiori. She hadn’t moved, her plate untouched.
“You feel for her,” Airi guessed.
“Yes,” he answered.
“You love her?” she asked, continuing when he didn’t answer. “That’s okay, you know. You’re supposed to, that’s what those bonds do.”
“Go home Airi. I don’t want to see you, or anybody else for the next two days,” he said.
“The witches sent another message, the tutor will be on time, so be ready, they’re coming here, to the tree,” she said. “I don’t like seeing you like this, hurry up and get back to being you. And for the love of the gods, don’t do anything else at this level of stupid you’ve been hanging out in.”
“That’s kind of the point, isn’t it? The bond is changing me. I won’t ever be that person again,” Makkai said, “and, I’m okay with the changes so far.”
Airi went back to her horse, muttering about children and impossibly idiotic lords. Makkai rolled his eyes, grinned and went back to his Chiori.
She was impossibly still, her breathing slow, her eyes cast down. She still wouldn’t meet his gaze. He took out his ocarina and played. They sat like that for an hour, until she blinked a few times and took a deep breath, expression returning to her face. Chiori’s rigid back softened and she reached for a carrot. She ate one, then a second, but held the third in her hand, staring at it.
“Do you need some time alone?” Makkai asked, feeling awkward for the first time.
“No. Don’t leave me, please,” she said quietly.
“I won’t,” he answered.
“I think, maybe I shouldn’t go back to the house,” Chiori said after a long silence she set her carrot down and fidgeted, twining and untwining her fingers. Makkai stifled his surprise.
“Can you explain that a little further, so we’re on the same page?” he asked. Chiori’s answer was so quiet he couldn’t make it out. Makkai took her hand and pressed it between his. “I’m sorry?”
“It hurt you,” she said. “I couldn’t stop the magic, I wanted to kill that monster, and I could have. If I’d have let it go, my magic could have killed everyone there. You, too. I shouldn’t be around anyone.” Sweet, sweet relief.
“Oh. Oh my Chiori, that’s what bothered you?” he asked, pulling her in and hugging her, stopping himself from laughing with the weight lifting from his chest. “Sweet girl, you absolutely could have killed that goblin, and done great harm to the dryad, but your magic can’t hurt me. And you did stop it. You held it off until I could take it. That was your strength, not mine.”
“The magic was in control, it wanted to kill him even more than I did, but I started it. I wanted to kill someone,” Chiori said, horrified.
“He was trying to kill you. Chiori if someone is trying to kill you, you kill them first, every time. Always, always protect yourself,” Makkai said, stroking her hair.
“I didn’t care about myself. He hurt you,” Chiori said. “What if we’re at the house and someone accidentally hurts you? What if I can’t control it?”
“You’re going to learn to control it. The magic doesn’t have a mind of its own, though it may feel like it does. Magic responds to intent, and emotion and mastery. Your power was feeding off your anger. Feeling it so unfiltered and raw like that must have been frightening,” he said. Chiori nodded her head.
“Is it really so surprising that it was your response, when you think about it? You grew up surrounded by hunters. Your entire life revolved around killing, didn’t it? You trained for this, you were engulfed by a culture of kill or be killed. Of protecting your comrades, right?” he asked. Chiori looked at him for the first time, surprise in her eyes as she took in what he’d said. Slowly, she nodded.
“Yes, you’re right,” she said.
“You reacted as you’ve been conditioned to react. Chiori you are in the right place, you’re right where you belong. In that house you will be surrounded by people you won’t be able to hurt while you work on control. People who will be sympathetic to what you’re going through because on some level, we’ve all gone through it too,” Makkai said.
“Let’s be real here for a second. You didn’t kill that Goblin, but he was killed anyway. A creature like that, it was a cruelty to force it to keep living. Better us than the hunters.”
“I’m glad it’s dead. That makes me a terrible, horrible person, but it’s true,” Chiori said.
“No, that makes you a witch. It makes you fae. It makes you a hunter’s child. It makes you who you are,” Makkai said. “You can’t get away with leaving me over an impulse you can’t be blamed for.”
Chiori sighed, picked her carrot up again and bit into it with a crunch. Makkai gave her a squeeze and fetched her some tea.
They spent the rest of the day lazing about. Makkai produced a fiction novel she’d never heard of before and read a few chapters aloud, then they took some time in the boat again. Chiori tried to convince him it was the perfect time for a swimming lesson but he brought her back to feed her instead when her tummy gave a loud gurgle of protest.
The following day was more of the same. It was calm, and quiet, but Chiori felt like Makkai was watching her more than usual, like he was afraid she might break. Airi listened, nobody came from the house with reports or bothered them at all. New clothes and food appeared through magic instead of being personally delivered.
When the day ended Chiori’s stomach was sour and twisted into nervous knots. Her magic teacher would arrive the next day, and they would have to go back to the house. The vacation was over. Chiori stayed awake late into the night, well after Makkai had fallen asleep. She wanted to soak in as much of him as she could, while she could. She couldn’t keep him to herself anymore after this and she hated it.
The Sun came too soon, and with it, Fen’s low voice conversing with Lord Makkai, who sounded every bit as annoyed as she felt. She’d missed much of what they said, only catching the tail end, Fen talking about breakfast and walking away. As always, she couldn’t fool Makkai into thinking she was still asleep.
“He came to prepare us to meet your magic teacher. He was going to make us some breakfast, but I sent him away,” he said and she stiffened. Chiori sat up so she could see his face. “They’ll be here at Noon.”
“Can I still have today with you?” she asked, her muscles tightening with anxiety.
“That’s the plan. Your mentor can have the day to settle into the house and get acquainted with everyone. You’ll go home tomorrow, we’ll have the formal introduction to the household, and your education will begin,” he answered, taking in her expression. “It won’t be as bad as you think.”
“It’s going to be exactly as bad as I think,” Chiori said stubbornly. The time had gone too quickly, it was too soon.
“Have you heard the theory of self-realization and manifestation?” Makkai asked, picking her up and jumping to the ground. He brought her to the cabin to make breakfast, explaining about self-fulfilling prophecies and manifesting what she wanted positively instead of negatively.
Chiori listened politely but it wasn’t what she wanted to talk about or listen to. She wanted to pretend nothing was going to change. They ate and cleaned up and changed clothes and played another game with Makkai’s illusion magic, this time using a chair. When Chiori gave up
, a frustrated look on her face, he promised her she’d be able to figure it out soon.
“Can we work on the trees together, one more time?” she asked. He looked up, reading the position of the Sun.
“We have about four hours. We can spend this time any way you like,” Makkai answered.
They settled next to the three trees still needing help. Chiori’s palm itched to touch them, her magic waiting for permission. Makkai held out his hands and she placed hers in them without hesitation. From one breath to the next she was cocooned in his magic.
They moved together with the comfortable ease that comes with practice. They worked closely, his mind brushing hers now and then, checking in. As one they hunted down the tree’s reserves of Earth magic, mixing it with his. He followed her guidance, weaving and knitting the tree back to health.
At some point a third mind pushed its way in, offering enough green Earth magic to match the blue fire. No more hunting for reserves required. Chiori flinched away from the contact, almost breaking her connection with Makkai, but her Lord accepted it with an interested curiosity. They finished the tree quickly and moved on to the next, following Lord Makkai’s lead. The two worked together beautifully and Chiori scaled back to watch, feeling she was more in the way than a help.
When they finished the second tree the newcomer pulled out, breaking away from their connection, and Makkai placed Chiori safely back in her own head. She blinked and stretched and took in their third, Lord Makkai doing the same.
He had messy, bright red hair, pieced off into chunky spikes of varied lengths. His eyes were a vivid green with flecks of brown and he wore an easy smile, revealing elongated canines. His ears were pointed with multiple piercings, and his clothes were utilitarian, loose and comfortable but sturdy, with a large knife sheathed on his thigh. A large bag lay on the ground behind him. Chiori’s heart nearly failed. She was pretty sure he was a vampire, out here in the middle of daylight.
“You two have some ridiculous stamina, that was four hours of work!” he said. “I’m Gideon, your new witch,” he added, nodding to Makkai.
