Magical New Beginnings

by Brenda Trim

  Aislinn chuckled. “I wouldn’t want the job, but I know it’s important. King Voron has been trying to get a foothold here for centuries. If he does, he will take over this realm as well.”

  I finished my tea and rinsed my cup then glanced back at Aislinn. “I’d ask you how I am supposed to make those decisions, but I’ve hit a wall. You up for that lunch?” I was ravenous. I’d inadvertently skipped breakfast and needed to do something normal for a bit before my mind goes back to the bucket of unreal that had just been dumped on me.

  Chapter 3

  “Are you sure you want to walk home? It’s at least two miles from here.” Aislinn looked up from her purse with her keys in hand and a skeptical expression.

  Yeah, I’d be doubting myself too if I was in my right mind. But I wasn’t. And I hated that her question made me feel like I was old. “I’m positive. I need fresh air. And the exercise will be good for me.” All of that was true, but it wasn’t the real reason.

  Once I was home alone, all of the racing thoughts I managed to keep at bay would run rampant and I’m not entirely sure I won’t have a meltdown. My head turned without permission and focused on the dwarf in the café we just exited. Was Bruce, the owner of Mug Shot, a supernatural dwarf? Or another type of Fae? He had some kind of magic to make sandwiches taste so damn good.

  “He’s a type of Fae we call dwarves. Very different from little people,” Aislinn said as if she were reading my mind. Wait. Could she do that?

  “Can you read my mind?” That would be awful. I’d have to stop spending time with her which would suck because I actually like the feisty woman.

  Aislinn chuckled. “Not at all. It’s pretty obvious where your mind was at. I don’t blame you. If I hadn’t grown up being taught about the hidden world that exists in few places outside Cottlehill Wilds, I would have checked into the nuthouse by now.”

  A laugh burst from me. “Trust me, I’m close. But my grandmother was always telling me stories about magic and the Fae. I never considered she was telling me the truth. Anyway, thank you for lunch. I’ll see you soon.”

  I forced myself to start walking away. The town was bustling as I took my time down Main street and past the square in the middle. On the surface the place was like any other small municipality. However, everything looked different to me today.

  There was a glow around some shops and not others. The Sapphire Clam restaurant pulsed with energy as I passed. Teatime was surrounded by plants that gave it a green aura and vibrant feel. By the time I reached the turn off to take me closer to the cliffs and my house, I was convinced when there was some kind of phenomenon present in these locations. It was almost as if it was an indication the place was owned by a supernatural.

  I turned right instead of left and stood on the edge of the cliffs looking out over the ocean in the distance. When I was home at Pymm’s Pondside it was impossible to tell the ocean was a mere mile away. Standing there it literally felt like another world to me.

  My legs were ready to give out after the mile I’d already walked. It wasn’t that I was necessarily out of shape. It was more than the aches and pains were enough to make me regret not having Aislinn drive me home.

  Shaking my head, I turned around and started down the road that would take me home. The hustle and bustle of the town receded quickly, leaving me surrounded by trees and shrubs. The houses out this far were spread out rather than right next door or connected to each other.

  I haven’t visited anyone out here and had no idea what their property looked like behind the wall of plant life acting as a sentinel for their homes and providing privacy. Kicking a rock, I watched as it bounced off an invisible barrier to my right. I barely ducked out of the way when it bounced back at me.

  I wondered where Sebastian lived. Violet had told me it was close to my house. I had shocked myself when I ventured into stalker territory and asked Aislinn and Violet who the mysterious guy was. It said a lot that the moment I described him with his brooding brown eyes and muscular build both women knew who I was talking about. It surprised me that they knew him well enough to refer to him by a shortened version of his name. He didn’t seem like the type to talk to anyone ever.

  The image of his crossed arms and scowl popped into my head. Bas, as Violet and Aislinn referred to him, made sullen sexy. I couldn’t imagine him ever smiling, yet that didn’t deter me. I was drawn to him, regardless. I couldn’t deny I was curious if his face would soften when he kissed me. What? Nope, not happening!

  I reached my house in no time and paused to look over the garden. Weeds were starting to pop up, so I headed through the gate and grabbed some gloves from the table set up to the right.

  “Crap,” I groaned as I lowered to my knees. That might have been a mistake. I’ll never be able to get up. Not to mention the pain in my joints would keep me awake tonight. As I knelt there yanking weeds from the ground, Sebastian intruded into my thoughts once again.

  Crap. That was why I came out here. For a distraction.

  Tugging on the stubborn weeds, I pulled one after another while forcing my mind to focus on the task at hand. Unfortunately, it had been too damn long since I’d been kissed or touched, in any way. For the years since Tim died, I had no reaction to men. I certainly had not been so attracted that I wanted to take one to bed.

  I was used to living with that part of me dead and gone. Yet seeing Sebastian standing there with a scowl on his face had done something to me. Now my body was awake and wouldn’t let me ignore my needs.

  Sitting back on my ankles, I closed my eyes and sighed, trying to push the heated ache outside of me. It was something I’d gotten very good at during the course of Tim’s illness. The sound of rippling water jolted me, and I jumped to my feet. “Shit,” I yelped when my knees started bitching immediately. Getting old sucked.

  The sight of flowers blooming on the lily pads stopped any thought about my creaking body. I limped over to the gate and hurried through. What the heck did I do? And how? I had made little things happen here and there throughout my life, but nothing on this level.

  The pond was at least thirty feet across and twenty-five feet wide and covered by lily pads that now had stunning white flowers on them. My mind refused to believe I was responsible for this development.

  They had to be on the verge of blooming before. It was a bright, sunny day. The rays had to have coaxed the buds to open. Only there hadn’t been any buds, or any hint of them. Standing there gaping in disbelief there was no other explanation when they hadn’t existed moments ago.

  Pulling off the gloves, I set them on the table then went inside and washed my hands. That started a cleaning frenzy. I washed the countertops, then moved onto the cabinet doors before starting on the pantry. That stupid pinging started up in my head again.

  It took a lot out of me and I was losing steam when I finally finished with the kitchen and entered the living room. Before I stopped for the day, I had to rearrange the furniture, so it fit me. When my husband died a couple years ago, I learned there was no need to keep the house a homage to his memory. I loved him, but he was gone. It didn’t matter if I changed the arrangement or bought new furniture that he would have hated. I would still love him. Nothing, and no one, could change that fact.

  My back protested when I pushed the sofa to the opposite wall and the pinging was still driving me crazy. My grandmother had arranged everything around the fireplace. There was nothing better than a fire in the winter, but I planned on creating a place I could watch television when mine arrived next week.

  There was no cable service in Cottlehill Wilds, but there was internet service. Thank God for streaming. I switched when Emmie started college so she would have something to access without having to pay for it.

  When I moved the love seat I stood back and hated the new arrangement. The coffee table didn’t fit with the new setup. I opened the door on the side of the house and shoved the short, wooden table outside. Turning back, I groaned at the mess I’d made.

>   The aches had evolved into agony and I could barely move. Time for a bath. Grabbing a bottle of wine and my e-reader, I practically crawled up the stairs and into my bathroom. I needed a break and had to stop this damn pinging.

  Crossing to the old-fashioned claw-footed tub, I turned the faucets on and plugged the drain. My grandmother had several jars filled with liquid on a wood shelf in the bathroom. I had tossed the ones that reminded me of her and kept the rest. Pouring some that smelled like jasmine and apple, I turned to take off my clothes and froze.

  Hobbling to the window, my eyes flew open when I saw Sebastian standing outside near the family cemetery. I was running down the stairs despite my protesting knees a second later.

  By the time I made it outside he was nowhere to be seen. I stood there and turned in a circle then cursed. What the hell was he doing here again? If he wanted to talk to me why did he take off? On a good note the pinging finally stopped.

  I had no idea how to find Sebastian, so I went back inside. When I heard water upstairs, I remembered I’d left the bath on. I tripped in my haste to get upstairs. I pushed my creaky body too far today.

  I made it to the bathroom just as the hot water started to flow over the side. Turning the handles, I pulled the plug and allowed several inches to drain away. Checking the window to make sure no one was watching me I tugged the shirt over my head followed by my shoes and socks then the rest of my clothes.

  God, it felt good to sink into the fragrant water. My aches subsided and I grabbed my device and pulled up the latest book I was reading. It was no wonder I enjoyed stories involving paranormal and fantasy creatures. It was part of who I am.

  I lost myself in the story until the water cooled. With a sigh, I set my glass of wine down and got to my feet. I was pleased to discover my knees and back held me without much complaint. Whatever the oils were, they had to have magical powers. A bath had never felt quite so good before.

  I was dried and dressed as the sun started to set. I was hungry again after a long afternoon of walking, weeding and cleaning. When I made it downstairs, I hit my limit of the impossible for the second time that day.

  “How did I make this one happen?” I asked no one as I stood in a perfectly arranged living room. The sofa and love seat were on the opposite side with the chair finishing off the seating. The painting of a landscape that hung above the mantle was gone and empty brackets were in its place. Precisely where I planned to hang the flatscreen TV.

  I really need to figure my shit out. Although, I don’t mind making flowers grow and getting the house to clean itself. I turned and went into the kitchen to grab a light dinner. Nothing sounded good and I had no desire to cook.

  For a split second I stood there wishing for some fish tacos like a fool. Part of me really hoped I could do things merely by wishing for it while the rest knew it wasn’t possible. Eventually I was forced to admit defeat and grabbed an apple and some peanut butter along with a soda. I stood there eating when heat broke out over my body.

  Sweat poured from every pore and I became light-headed. I opened the freezer and stood in front of it hoping it would cool me down. Through the window I noticed the trees swaying in the breeze and I was tempted to walk out there, but the cool air from the fridge felt too good to move.

  A second later the back door blasted open and the winds blew through the house. Freaked out, I shut the freezer door and headed outside to look for what caused the door to open like that. The sun was just setting, and the sky was a beautiful mix of pinks and oranges.

  The crunch of gravel intruded on my quiet moment of peace and I turned to see Sebastian striding down the lane. “Are you following me, Sebastian?”

  His head jerked and his eyes flared before they narrowed. My hands went to my mouth and I wanted to crawl in a hole. I’d just proven to him that I am the worst kind of stalker alive.

  “I’m not following you. I came to Pymm’s Pondside.” His voice was rougher than the gravel beneath his black boots and rubbed me in ways that shouldn’t happen.

  Clearing my throat, I crossed my arms over my chest. “I can see that. Why do you keep coming here? Do you want something?”

  He watched me without saying anything. Aislinn’s words about my new job as Guardian popped into my head. The woman hadn’t given me any information to go by. Perhaps he wanted to cross into Faery.

  “Oh, um, do you want to cross to…” My words faltered as my cheeks heated. I had no idea how this worked. I didn’t want this guy to think I was an imbecile.

  His head titled. “To Eidothea? What do you know of the portal to the Fae realm?”

  My shoulders lifted and fell. “I don’t know anything.” It stung to admit that fact. For some reason I wanted him to see the brilliant woman I was. The one that picked things up faster than anyone around me and had graduated at the top of my class from nursing school. It was why I was the only nurse able to connect patients to ECMO at my previous hospital. “I’m not even sure I believe anything Aislinn said about magic, the Fae, and my supposed job.”

  “I was worried about that. It’s why I’ve come by.”

  “Why? Are you here to help me?” Please be here to help me. I was in over my head and needed someone to teach me about everything. Surely there were rules that I should be following. The last thing I wanted to do was make a mistake because I didn’t know any better.

  Oh God! What if I let some Fae serial killer through the portal?!

  Sebastian didn’t reply, just stared at me. Lightning bugs flitted by my head. I waved them away while keeping my eyes on Sebastian. The buzzing became persistent until I finally turned to see I was wrong about what was flitting around me. They were actually tiny people flying around. Just like Tinkerbell!

  These creatures had iridescent wings and vibrant colored hair and clothes. “What are they? Aislinn never told me what they were.”

  Sebastian closed some of the distance between us. “They’re pixies. And those are brownies.”

  I followed his finger and noticed small brown creatures crawling under the fence and into the garden. “What do they do? Are they trying to cross?”

  “You need to learn your shit before King Voron sends something horrendous through to establish a foothold in this realm.” With those growled words, Sebastian stalked away.

  My mouth compressed into a thin line to keep from cursing him as he left. Swallowing the anger and frustration wasn’t easy, especially when I considered how this had just been dropped into my lap and he was expecting miracles.

  With a growl, I stomped my foot on the grass. Electricity shot out of my hands. I screamed and waved my hands through the air. A bright white stream flew to the left and slammed into a tree.

  Flames erupted along the bark and a tall willowy figure separated from it shouting. I ran around the pond and reached her in a flash. My heart pounded against my rib cage as burns sprouted along my arms.

  Acting on instinct, I ran to the pond and scooped water into my hands. By time I turned back to her with a handful of water the fire was out, and she was staring at me. I poured the liquid over her arm. “I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to harm you. I lost my temper.”

  Her thin pale brown lips stretched up at the corners and her green eyes sparkled. “It’s okay. Bas has that effect on people. I’m Theamise. Your grandmother invited me to live in the maple when it was dying from a fungus.”

  I nodded my head as if I already knew that. Every time I turned around there was something new thrown at me. Except I did know that. Grams had told me the story about the tree dying and making a deal with a nymph to save it.

  It seemed impossible that these creatures even existed. If not for the stories my grandmother told me I would be far more shocked. I hoped it got easier to accept this was real because I couldn’t continue having the same arguments in my head. Seriously, I made schizophrenics look sane.

  I was no longer in my twenties. Being hit with all this was taking a toll on my mind. But like all Shakleton’s, I refused t
o allow it to overwhelm me. With a start, I realized my mom ran from all of this. I didn’t think she denied it existed. After all, she sent me to her mom every summer. But why didn’t she or my father ever tell me about any of this? I couldn’t help but wonder what made her move away.

  None of that matters right now! Right. I needed to get a handle on the situation before it got out of hand. Something was obviously going on in my new world and I had to know what before it put me on my ass, literally.

  “I’m really sorry about your tree. I hope I didn’t do any permanent damage, but I need to run and talk to a friend real quick.”

  “I understand. I will heal, as will the tree. Do not worry about us.” Theamise waved me away and went back to the maple.

  I raced inside grabbed my purse and keys and jumped into my car. Violet didn’t live far, and I needed to ask her if she knew anything about what was going on. Maybe she had a book that would help me. Regardless, I need my bestie to help with a reality check. I parked in front of the Golden Codex.

  The bell jingled when I opened the door and Violet looked up from the register. “Hey, Fiona. What’s wrong?”

  I should have known she would pick up on my distress. I checked down the aisle next to me then the next one before I approached her. “I need your help.” I explained what happened that day and what Aislinn told me earlier.

  Violet sighed and gave me a sympathetic look I’d seen a thousand times before. “She’s right. Your grandmother was the last Guardian and you are her only living heir, so when you claimed the house you claimed the position.”

  “How did I never know about all this? Why didn’t you ever tell me magic existed?”

  Violet bit her lip. “I assumed you were born a Mundie and that’s why your parents moved away with you. It’s difficult for a Mundie to grow up among supernaturals. I wasn’t going to be the one to tell you about the world that existed around you, especially if there was nothing you could do to protect yourself from it.”