by E M Graham
What the witch community called Normals, the rest of the supernaturals called Nons, short for Nonsupernatural, I guessed.
“One of them is a baby,” I blurted. But my words went unheard, for the dwarves had begun a long and hotly disputed conversation on the finer points of the Convention and the rules governing each supernatural community. I had to wait for IronArms to call them back into order before I could continue with my request.
“I suggest we hear her out,” he said loudly. “The de Teilhard Kin would not have sent an emissary on this small fact alone. There is more to the story, I suspect.”
I had to think fast, for they weren’t going to buy the fact that humans were enslaved by the fairies as reason enough to act against them. I had to make something up, and prayed that my instincts were right.
“The issue is, is that one of the humans is actually part elf, from Nan Hoskins’s own bloodline.”
“Go talk to the elves then, it’s not our problem!” This came from the back of the room and was accompanied by solid cheers. I didn’t know where the elves hung out, but I would keep them in mind if this venture failed.
“Good riddance to bad rubbish,” muttered the elderly dwarf. “Can’t say I miss the old bat Hoskins one bit.”
“Also, there is a baby involved.” I pitched my voice loud and authoritative to speak over the deep murmurings. “And as you are no doubt aware, there is a move behind Council scenes to enact laws protecting the young of every species.”
This created the buzz of confusion I had hoped for. No, none of them were aware of any proposed amendments, and as changes to Laws had to be pounded out in discussion like iron on the anvil being forged to steel, they were greatly upset they weren’t being included. I heard a growing dissatisfaction also towards the Council, that changes would be considered without the input of the dwarves, for everybody knew they were the ones to consult over legal matters.
I hurried to calm these fears. “This is only in the discussion stage, of course, still behind closed doors by some factions,” I hastened to add. “There is after all a growing trend worldwide, and we don’t want to be seen as being old-fashioned.”
“Tradition is more important than new-fangled political correctness,” my neighbor across the table said firmly.
“In light of this, I was sent to see if you would be open to quietly help return the baby,” I said over him as I addressed the rest of them.
“I don’t understand. Was there not a changeling brought forward in place of the human pup?” asked IronArms.
I nodded slowly.
“Yes? Then we will absolutely have no part in this action,” he replied and he brought his fist down on the table with a crash. “De Teilhard will certainly get a piece of my mind tomorrow, that’s for certain. How dare he think he can defy the Convention? The Witch Kin are getting too arrogant.”
The eldest dwarf spoke up again, his voice carrying through the hall and his nose wrinkled in distaste. “Why would de Teilhard think we would help in such an action?”
“The fairy gold,” I told him quickly. “I’ve seen it for myself, up the hill inside his hall. A huge overflowing trunkful of gold, and I doubt Thursk is the rightful owner.”
I had their interest now. “If you help me... us, we see no reason why the gold should not be returned to its rightful owners. The Dwarves.”
“All things hewn from and originating from the rock are the property of dwarfdom,” the one in the back admitted with a gleam in his eye.
Before the conversation could descend into the grumblings of past grudges, IronArms jumped in and addressed the eldest of the group. “You know all the histories. Was this particular gold stolen from us?”
The other shook his wizened head reluctantly, the fluffy white of his beard shaking with the movement. “No, there is no record of any gold taken from these hills,” he said. “The gold must belong to another Dwarf Kingdom. I have no doubt it was stolen once upon a time, but as it is not ours, we cannot claim it. By Law.”
His crafty eyes glittered towards me. “De Teilhard would not have made this mistake,” he said. “De Teilhard is honorable, and would never think to set up false bribes to work factions against each other.”
At this a deathly silence came over the hall and all looked towards me.
“And I want to know, why would the Kin send such a stripling to carry this very strange and irregular request?” IronArms spoke up, his voice suspicious.
“Because, because I am not part of the Convention,” I said in desperation, rising to my feet. “So I’m not going against it if I don’t belong to it. And thus I have certain freedoms, less restraints on me. But, I see you are not open to this, so I will bid you all adieu, and apologies for interrupting your supper hour.”
A hubbub of outraged Dwarfish sensitivities followed me as I fled to the door. Dad was going to hear about this latest exploit, of that there was no doubt, but at least they weren’t chasing me to bring me before him themselves. I reached the door and shut it again behind me, pausing to collect my thoughts in the fresh breeze coming off the harbor.
Before I could shift back into Alt a small sound alerted me to another’s presence. It was the young dwarf who had sat next to me at the table, slipping out the heavy door before closing it softly. I paused, ready to take off at the first hint of threat.
“Wait a moment,” he said. “We should talk.”
He came over to where I waited and drew me underneath the outcropping of rock so as not to be seen if any of the other dwarves came out of the tunnel.
“My name is Dirk,” he said.
“What sort of name is that for a dwarf?” There was not the slightest bit of boast in that moniker, nothing to tell the world about the bearer’s strengths.
“I don’t go for all the old ways,” he said shortly, pulling himself up to stand a little taller. “I’m a modernist.”
“I appreciate you offering your assistance, but the rest of them... they said no, they don’t want to get involved.”
He shook his head. Instead of the usual dwarf intricate braids, he wore his hair in a simple bun. Dirk’s eyes burned with passion as he spoke. “They’re fools, so caught up in the old ways and tradition. They don’t see the possibilities.”
“You’ll get into trouble,” I warned him. “IronArms explicitly said no.”
“It’s worth the risk. Think of what we could do with the gold. We could invest, become a force to be reckoned with. Why should the witches have the monopoly on wealth?”
“But it doesn’t belong to your kingdom, the old guy said so.”
“Does the little matter of ownership of wealth bother the witches? Does it stop them amassing whatever they can? No. We, as a collective, need to get with the times.”
“You’ll help me get the baby out of there?”
He shrugged. “I want the gold the fairies are hoarding. They have no use for it except to lure humans in, and they don’t have any understanding what can be done with it.”
“You’re not afraid of them?”
“I have an iron sword,” he said, and spat on the ground. “I don’t fear those vermin.”
I thought about it while I sized him up. He was short, but solidly confident in his stance. A dwarf motivated by idealistic greed was perhaps not the best partner for this venture, but I didn’t have anyone else.
“I have to go back for Chorale or they’ll miss me,” he said. “Wait out here tomorrow evening after the dining hour. You’ll need to stay hidden, just in case, but I’ll come out when I can get free. If anything comes up, leave a note in this cleft here.” He indicated a narrow slot where shale had eroded.
We took our leave, and I rode back slowly along Southside Road town under the streetlights of real time. Being in Alt for such an extended time was exhausting.
I had no idea whether I would be able to make our rendezvous or not, because my actions tonight would only have strengthened Dad’s resolve to get me the hell out of this town, and he would def
initely be hearing about it tomorrow.
12
AS I GOT OUT OF ALT and rode down Southside Road back towards Alice’s house, her phone started pinging like crazy.
I didn’t bother checking it. It was either her trying to find me, or someone else looking for Alice in which case I couldn’t help them. I let myself in her back door.
“Where have you been?” She looked up from where she was sitting at her kitchen table, her face even paler than usual. “I expected you an hour ago!”
“I thought I’d see if I could round up some help.”
“Your phone has been going nuts here. I didn’t answer it. Your Dad’s looking for you, and someone called H. Who’s that?”
“No one,” I said, hedging. “Just a friend.”
“I know all your friends,” she said, suspicion tinging her voice. “You’ve got me, and that dumb ghost in your house, and Maundy doesn’t phone.”
“He’s no one, all right?”
“He! You got a boyfriend? You didn’t tell me about a guy!”
I’d never told her about any of the guys I’d been with, because Alice just didn’t understand the allure of sex or things like that, she preferred her books. I knew for a fact she was still a virgin.
“No,” I said. “Look, he’s something to do with my father, okay? I think he’s a friend of Sasha’s. He’s not from here.”
“Euw, I don’t like your sister.”
“Me neither.”
Sasha. She’d changed so much over the past few months, I mean physically, getting even thinner and so gaunt her cheekbones looked like knives. Hanging out with Seth wasn’t good for her, and if I didn’t know her better, I might even worry about her. But she was just an anorexic bitch.
I sighed. I needed Alice’s help for Operation Benjy, seeing as there was just me and the dwarf so far. I hoped she could be counted on to grab the baby when we got into the fairy den and not get swallowed up by the fairy illusion. It was going to be rough, though.
“Alice, we’re going to try to rescue Benjy tomorrow evening. And the baby.”
She didn’t say a word. I could see the battle inside her between her rational scientific side and what she knew to be the truth.
“Who’s we?”
“You, me ... and a guy I met.”
“Is that H?”
“No, but...” Just the three of us, and Alice with no idea of her own powers, it was going to be tough to get both Benjy and the baby away, not to mention the gold for Dirk. Maybe I could make a bargain with Hugh...
“Maybe Hugh, I don’t know,” I amended.
“Not Sasha though?” She screwed up her face.
“No way, not my sister.”
“What are we going to do?”
“I haven’t gotten that far yet,” I admitted. “I’m going to think about that tonight. But you’ll need to be outside the first tunnel door tomorrow at six pm. Under the rock face that sticks out.”
“What, the tunnels on Southside Road? They’re all blocked off, and I’m not going into those tunnels at night!”
“No, we’re not doing that. We’re just meeting there. Can I count on you?”
“I have a lab tomorrow evening...”
“Do you want Benjy back?”
“Yes, but Dara, all this stuff,” she said. “Fairies? Really? They didn’t take the baby, I saw Jane today, the baby is fine, just a couple of sniffles. This is all pretty crazy, don’t you think?”
Jesus, were we back at square one again? My friend, the Queen of Denial.
“Alice, the fairies are all about illusion,” I said. “That baby you saw is a changeling. Trust me on this.”
“And about those illusions... I don’t know if I can be of much help to you, if all this is true,” she continued. “When we were up the hill, in that gorgeous room under the rock, you say you saw something totally different from what I saw. How do we know I won’t get swept up in that again? You say they cast spells. I have no protection against that, not like you.”
I looked at Alice, looked at her slenderness and height, the wispy fine long hair that was such a light brown it was colorless. Yeah, this kid had elf blood in her. And then I remembered my own awakening, the realization of the power I held in my very genes.
“You’re never powerless, Alice,” I told her. I leaned over the table closer to her. “You may not know it, but Nan Hoskins told me she had elf blood in her. And you are the very image of her, so I think it’s very likely that you do too.”
“Elf?” Her cheeks burned red in a flash. “Are you making fun of my ears, Dara? This is hardly the time.”
Poor Alice, growing up she’d always been teased about her skinniness, called a string bean and worse, so much so that she had no confidence in her physical looks and no idea of what a gorgeous woman she was now. She’d learned early on to keep her hair over her ears, because they were sort of weird come to think of it, long and sharp. Yes, she definitely had elf blood in her.
“I’m not making fun of anything,” I said. “I just think you have some strain of elf in you, so you’re probably more powerful than you think.”
“Oh, yeah? And what kind of elf powers would I have? What do elves do, can you answer me that?”
I couldn’t. “Google it.”
So she did. “Oh,” she said, sounding pleased. “Says here they have superior intellect.”
“Sounds like you.”
“Strength, speed, stamina, durability...”
“Tick, tick, tick, umm, maybe not that so much...”
“It’s a Germanic word, and seems to mean white being...”
Trust her to ignore all the modern references and go straight into the origin of elfdom.
“But it doesn’t specify what elf powers are.” She looked up at me with those huge gray eyes. “It just says magical powers. How am I supposed to know what my powers are? If they exist, that is.”
“No one can answer that but you, Alice,” I said. “Maybe... maybe you don’t actually have any magical powers, if you haven’t discovered them yet. But you definitely have a streak of elf in you, so that’s got to help. You’re super-smart, super-fast and really strong.”
She was silent for a moment. “So what’s the plan for tomorrow evening?”
“I don’t know that yet, but I’ll work on it.”
“If what you say is true, and I think it probably is because I couldn’t see the reality of the fairies like you could, how are we going to convince Benjy to leave?”
“He may have already seen through the illusion,” I said. “At least that’s what I’m hoping. It could be that he knows now he is enslaved by their enchantment, so he’ll go along with us. If not...”
If not, there was no way the three of us would be able to get him out of there.
IRONARMS DIDN’T TELL Dad about my visit the next morning. No, he had to pass on that juicy bit of news right that very same evening.
Dad pulled up to Richmond Cottage in his gigantic midnight blue Mercedes SUV just as I was letting myself in the back door. He almost hit the railings, he was in such a fury.
We entered the house like a couple of cats squalling.
“Just stop it, the pair of you!” Edna’s hands were over her ears and her eyes squeezed together in pain. She hated noise and uncontrolled emotion, she had a hard time blocking them out. “What is going on?”
He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. I’d never realized before what a big man he was. He was taking up a lot of space in that kitchen. “Yes, Dara, we’d all like an explanation of what is going on.”
I slumped into my usual seat at the kitchen table. Edna wouldn’t want to hear this, she preferred her ostrich life with her head in the sand.
“I’ll tell you,” I said, sounding as miserable as I felt. All I’d needed were twenty-four hours, and I could have saved Benjy, replaced the baby and no one would be any the wiser. One day, that’s all. But now it was totally gone to shit. “But...”
I looked at Edn
a. So did Dad.
“Edna,” he said, as he flicked his head towards the hallway. “You don’t need to hear this.”
And she surprised me. “I think I do,” she said as she came and sat by me, taking my hand firmly in hers.
“You know what this will concern,” he said. “And you are not to be a part of this conversation.”
“Don’t try to bully me, Jon,” she said with quiet strength. “Dara is my concern, so anything you guys are going to talk about, I need to know, and I need to be here.”
I was touched by the love, I really was, but I wished she would get the hell out of there. It was going to be hard enough just telling Dad who understood all about the supernatural elements in town, without having to explain the details to my aunt and having to deal with her disbelief. She knew about Dad being a witch, but had never asked for the details of other supernaturals.
I bit my lip and shook my head. “No, Edna, he’s right,” I said. “We can’t have you here.”
She looked at me and made to get up, then changed her mind.
“No,” she said. “I did that before, I left so the witches could talk, and Marian disappeared. We’ve never seen her since. I’m staying right here, and I’m holding on to Dara. You’re not taking another person away from me, Jon.”
She let go of my hand and moved her arm around my shoulders and held tight, then stared back up at Dad.
He glowered at us both, his dark eyes turned to flint.
“Fine,” he said shortly. “You can stay. But keep out of the conversation.”
He turned to me directly and spoke, his voice tight. “You lied and misrepresented me. This is an unforgivable embarrassment.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “But I told you I needed help, and you weren’t giving me any. I thought maybe I could get them on board.”
‘They’ were the dwarves of course, but we were speaking shorthand for Edna’s benefit. What she didn’t know wouldn’t screw up her head.
“I am a well-respected member of this community,” he continued. “You acted in flagrant disregard to the Convention, to them of all the communities, and they’re the ones who wrote the bloody laws!”