The Iron Bound

by J. M. Briggs

  “We will manage: Merlin and I have dealt with worse in our lives,” she said. Then she paused in her work and gently stretched her fingers. She looked towards the doorway and then at him. “It is late Thor, and you’ve fallen into a mood.” He frowned at her observation. “Go home and get some rest. I overheard you get some requests today. Focus on your work tomorrow. Merlin and I need to have some discussions about our next steps.”

  It was a dismissal and Morgana turned her attention back to her work. Gritting his teeth, Thor kept himself from huffing and quickly left the small hut. Shaking his hands, Thor let his body shudder in pent up frustration before he looked around. The sky was darkening rapidly and already numerous stars were appearing over their heads. At the wall warriors armed with the iron weapons he’d been busy making were patrolling with serious expressions illuminated on their faces by torches.

  A soft sigh escaped him and Thor shook his head. He’d worry about all of this tomorrow. Moving away from Morgana and Merlin’s hut, he headed towards his own home even as he eyes shifted up to scan the dark mountains around them. There was no sign of the strange lights, but a chill rolled up his spine like an icy caress. He allowed himself a small shudder while silently reassuring himself that everything was fine.

  “Thor,” his brother called. Looking around, he found Arvid waiting in the shadow of his forge hut with a pensive expression. “We need to talk.”

  “What is it Arvid?” Thor walked over to join his brother.

  “Thor, what are you doing with the strangers?”

  “Did Father send you to ask me that?” Thor smirked, enjoying the discomfort in his brother’s posture.

  “No, he didn’t,” Arvid replied tersely. “Fact of the matter is that Father is rather content to let you spend time with them if it keeps them in the village. Those things are still out there so I suppose I understand, but-”

  “Then don’t worry about it.” Shaking his head dismissively, he started to walk away.

  A strong hand caught his arm and held him fast. Thor looked at his brother and found a pair of angry brown eyes looking straight into his own. “Look, Thor, this isn’t the time. I know we live for showing each other up, but you are my brother. I don’t want you getting hurt because you’re around them too much. We know nothing about them.”

  “They’re here to help,” Thor heard himself reply softly. He swallowed thickly at the rush of emotions growing in his chest that he couldn’t get a grip on. “They’re teaching me magic,” he admitted in a lower voice. Merlin and Morgana hadn’t told him that he had to keep it a secret. “I was able to use it before they arrived, and they are here to help me control it.”

  A hurt expression took over his brother’s face and Thor felt a stab of guilt. He hadn’t meant to say that at all. Pressing his lips together, Thor swallowed and tried to moisten his suddenly dry mouth. Arvid’s brown eyes were sad even as the hurt expression was schooled into a neutral and stony expression.

  “I didn’t know how to explain it,” Thor said weakly. “I wasn’t sure what would happen… having powers was exciting, but…” Thor gestured around the village with a soft huff. “What would happen?”

  “Are you admitting to being scared?” Arvid’s mouth curved into a slight smile. “The great Thor was worried about what us mere mortals would think?”

  “Now you’re being obnoxious!” The weight on his chest eased and he sucked in a breath that he hadn’t realized he’d missed. “Well, now you know.”

  There was no apology. He wasn’t going to do that, but his brother nodded in calm understanding. For a moment Thor thought that Arvid might say something else. For a moment he felt something stirring his chest and considered that maybe he had something more to say. But a shout of alarm from the wall of the village made them both turn sharply.

  Men were shouting and rushing towards the gateway with their weapons at the ready. Thor didn’t even think as he leapt into his workshop and grabbed the nearest axe. It hadn’t been sharpened as much as he would have liked, but he felt a hum beneath his fingertips as he gripped it. The traces of the magic he’d begun to let flow into the metal reached for him and Thor smirked. His confidence faltered as a thunderous crack blasted through the village. Rushing out to join his brother, Thor found the strange Sídhe creatures pouring in through a new narrow hole in the wall. Horrible hissed words escaped them and hung in the air like a low threat whispered in the shadows.

  Moving towards them, Thor scanned the small horde curiously. They were a mess with their long hair matted with leaves and dirt. Some of them were missing the golden armor and only a few had weapons at the ready with others clawing at the air with long talon-like nails. One of these leapt towards him with a snarl.

  “Poison!” he hissed at him. “Poisoned!”

  Startled by its words, Thor hesitated for a moment, but only for a brief one. Swinging the axe, Thor felt a moment of resistance as the axe blade collided with the side of the creature. Without any armor to slow it down, the dull edge sank into flesh and silver blood tinged with dark brown spurted out when he pulled his axe back. The creature screamed and clawed frantically at his arm, struggling to stand as its legs collapsed beneath it.

  “Stink of magic,” a gravelly voice to his right growled.

  Turning sharply, Thor’s eyes widened as he found another Síd waiting for him. Thor could see the creature’s translucent skin stained with lines of black just beneath the surface that were crawling up its features. Wild, violet eyes were glaring at him and flickering strangely as if their very shade was changing right before him. This one still had its armor and the golden decorations on its horns were longer than the others with fraying braids wrapped around the bases.

  Thor felt his stomach turn over as his own pulse echoed in his ears, but he didn’t run. A slimy feeling slipped up his arms and the flare of power in his gut fluttered like a cold hand was snuffing it out. His feet felt fastened to the ground as if a hammer blow had fused them to the earth, but he could move his hands.

  “Thor!” Merlin shouted from across the village.

  Snarling at him, the Sid stretched its hand towards him and Thor gasped as a soft glow began to appear around its hand. However, the glow flickered and a pained expression crossed the creature’s face. It was enough to allow Thor to shake his head and stumble back a few steps. Sucking in a deep breath of cool air, Thor risked closing his eyes for a moment and grabbed at the flame in his gut. It flared back to life like a starved fire given fuel.

  Magic burst out of his hand and arched through the air in a blast of lightning that struck the creature and the ground. Thor could feel his arm hairs standing on end beneath his tunic and smell the hum of the lightning in the air. For an instant, he could barely see as the bright flash blinded him, but his senses felt stretched outward beyond his body. There was a faint rumble in his bones, but no sound of thunder which confused him. He pushed the thought aside and focused on the creature which was still alive and roaring in pain.

  In the corner of his eye silver magic flashed through the air in a smooth arc in the air. Green magic rolled past him and he heard shouting of the warriors. Pushing it all away, Thor called on the magic again and felt a tightening in his chest. It stung as it rushed up his arms leaving a burning trail behind him, but burst out of his fingertips on command. A blast of bright blue energy struck the Síd which shouted again. Then as the energy rushed over it the Síd began to dissolve into a pile of dirt and ash at Thor’s feet.

  Panting softly, Thor looked around the village as every muscle in his body tensed at the ready. His nerves were all but burning and the night air felt like ice against the flushed skin of his face. Part of the wall had been broken down with brute force and lay in scattered pieces, but there was no sign of more of the creatures coming through. His muscles felt raw and stretched, but even with the pain in his veins, he could feel the soft hum of his magic.

  He grimaced slightly as he wondered if the pain he’d felt was part of the reason Merl
in and Morgana were trying to pace him. It was an unpleasant idea, but he breathed out slowly and felt the pain ease a little. Looking towards his house, Thor sighed in relief as he caught sight of his brother and Father near their home. Arvid was panting slightly but looked uninjured and his father didn’t appear to have been in the fight at all. For good measure he kicked at the pile of dust and ashes, grinding it into the ground with his foot before searching for Merlin and Morgana.

  Finding them near the wall was easy enough, but Thor was stunned by what he saw. Merlin and Morgana were standing over one of the creatures with contemplative looks of interest. Its long hair was splayed around its head and the tips of its golden covered horns were pressed into the dirt. He waited a heartbeat for one of the mages to do something, but then Merlin calmly unbuckled his belt and handed the pouch on it to Morgana. She nodded and stepped back without a word. Silver magic filled the palm of her hand and she held it over the Sídhe but did not release it as Merlin knelt down and rolled the creature on its side.

  Thor could hear the collective gasp of surprise and alarm as Merlin bound the creature’s hands behind it. Violet eyes began to flutter open and it struggled against Merlin only for the mage to stand up and roughly pull it to its feet. The Sídhe swayed and its legs threatened to give out, but Merlin forced it to keep moving. Without a word to him or anyone else, the pair of mages escorted the Sídhe creature out of the village through the opening in the wall.

  13

  The Adamses in Ravenslake

  Grabbing her packed duffle bag, Alex looked around her dorm room one more time. It wasn’t out of fear that she’d forgotten something, but a lingering worry that while they weren’t in the dorm room the fae would come here anyway. An iron triskele sat on the ledge of the locked window and would hopefully keep things out. Her laptop had been stashed beneath a layer of socks in a drawer and there was really nothing else that she felt a need to worry about. Without her there during the night the fae really had no reason to sack her dorm, and yet Alex had a bad feeling tugging at her gut.

  “Alex!” Nicki called from the living room. “You ready?”

  “Yeah.” Shaking her head at herself, Alex turned off the light. “You’ve got iron on your windowsill right?”

  “Of course, they’re going after mages and we won’t be here,” Nicki said. They walked to the front door and pulled on their coats. “It’ll be fine.”

  “I know, it’s just…” Alex trailed off and shook her head. “I’ve just got a bad feeling is all.”

  Nicki’s lips twitched, but whatever reference or joke she’d been thinking of making didn’t come, and instead her roommate nodded kindly. “It’s probably just the date; Imbolc is one of the seasonal dates and the Sídhe are stronger.” Nicki gave her a smile and nudged her shoulder. “Happy anniversary though. It’s been a year since they captured you and you escaped with all those kids.” Nicki’s smile softened. “It’s probably just bad memories.”

  “Maybe,” Alex conceded with a repressed shudder. It wasn’t enough and Nicki gave her a soft, worried look. “I’m fine,” she said quickly.

  “I doubt that,” Nicki said. “I hear you toss and turn sometimes you know.”

  “It’s been a rough year, but I’m still alive.”

  “And we’re going to keep you that way.” Nicki reached over and squeezed Alex’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go. The boys will beat us despite making a snack run at this rate.”

  “They are aware that we’ll probably be dealing with the fae tonight right?”

  “Yeah, but that just means we’ll need lots of caffeine to stay awake,” Nicki said with a lazy shrug. “Besides, the seasonal days may lower the defenses of the earth, but as these creatures are already in our world tonight may be nothing special.”

  Nicki did have a point: the seasonal days were days when the transition of the Iron Realm’s seasons affected its natural defenses. They still had their magic, but it was easier for creatures from other worlds to break into their realm. With the new Iron Gates in place, Alex couldn’t really be sure that there would be any trouble tonight. It was all just a precaution.

  “Hey, Nicki?” Freezing in the doorway, Alex shuddered as a horrible thought occurred to her. “You don’t suppose that Arthur sabotaged the Gate do you?” The idea hadn’t crossed her mind before now and she looked fearfully towards Nicki.

  The redhead looked worried for only a moment before she exhaled slowly and put a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “No, I think we’re safe. From what Arthur has gloated about, he and his… mother were interested in controlling the Sídhe’s access to Earth in exchange for their allegiance. Since their plan was to get Cathanáil there was no reason, and in fact, it would have been dangerous for him to try and sabotage the gate then with Merlin and Morgana watching so closely.”

  “That makes sense.” Alex nodded slowly, allowing Nicki to tug her out of the dorm suite and turn the lights off behind them.

  “Try not to worry so much.” Nicki chuckled and nudged her shoulder. “It’ll give you wrinkles.”

  “That would be the least of my problems,” Alex grumbled, though she calmly followed Nicki downstairs.

  “Besides, you’ve got Aiden, Bran and I helping you out this time around!” Nicki laughed as they walked past another student staring at his phone. “Not to mention Lance and Jenny. We’ll work through all of it.”

  “Your optimism is irritating. I think I like you better cynical.”

  “I’m only cynical about a few things, thank you very much,” Nicki huffed with a toss of her red hair. “Usually I’m a lovely ball of sunshine.”

  Stepping in front of Nicki, Alex gripped the front door and gave a strong tug to pull it open. She froze in place with the door against her foot as she found herself face to face with a very familiar and surprised woman.

  “Mom?”

  Sure enough, the woman in front of her was her mother, with her long graying blonde hair up in a bun and bags under her eyes that made her look even older. Inwardly Alex grimaced as it sank in why her mother would be here.

  “Elizabeth did you find-” her father’s voice called from around the corner moments before he came into sight. He stopped and looked at Alex with wide eyes. She couldn’t help but notice that his hair had gone a little whiter since she came back. “Hello, Alex.”

  “Mom, Dad.” Nervously licking her lips, Alex took in their serious expressions. “I’m guessing you’re here to talk?”

  “You’re not calling home much,” her mom said. “We know that you’re dealing with a lot and maybe we weren’t very…” She trailed off and grimaced slightly. “Supportive? Understanding? I’m sorry sweetheart, but we still don’t know how to process this.”

  “I get that,” Alex said. “But this is a bad night to visit.”

  “Oh.” Her dad over to stand next to her mother and his eyes dropped to the duffle bag in her hand. “Are you going somewhere?” He looked around Alex at Nicki who was loaded up with her backpack.

  “It’s Imbolc.” Glancing nervously towards the sun, Alex tried to keep her voice even. They had several hours until sunset, but she could feel her stomach turning. “It’s a night that… uh, problems are likely.” Forcing a laugh, Alex tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “We’re doing a sleepover at Morgana’s so that we’re all together.” She paused and considered her parents, whose faces had paled slightly. “So what brings you two here tonight? It’s not exactly a fast drive, and it’s a weekday.”

  “We just… you didn’t call this weekend and we were talking with your brothers,” her dad floundered and shook his head. “We just needed to see you.”

  “You literally picked the worst afternoon possible!” Nicki laughed in a poor attempt to ease the tension. Then she coughed and stepped up next to Alex. “Maybe we should take them to see Morgana and Merlin,” she suggested in a softer voice. “Let them explain a bit more.”

  “Uh yeah,” Alex said weakly. “That’s probably a good idea Mom. Morgana and M
erlin are the experts. They can probably explain better than I did.”

  “Alex,” her dad began to say before shaking his head. “Sorry to surprise you like this sweetheart.” He stepped forward and wrapped her up in a hug that Alex melted into with a soft sigh. “Good to see you,” he murmured with a kiss to her forehead.

  “Good to see you too Daddy.” Alex’s throat tightened and she really didn’t want to move. “But really, the professors would probably be the best people for you to talk to now.”

  “Alex is right.” Nicki gave her parents a warm reassuring smile. “It isn’t too far away.”

  “Alright,” her mom agreed hesitantly. “We’ll follow you then.”

  Alex was keenly aware of her parents watching her as they headed down the sidewalk towards the parking lot. She could see her parent’s car in the short term parking spot and her own a few cars down in the first row. Resisting the urge to look over her shoulder at her parents, Alex let out a soft sigh which earned her a sympathetic look from Nicki.