by J. M. Briggs
“Does anyone have anything new to report?” Merlin asked to shift them back to the more serious matter at hand.
“My scouts haven’t seen any Dark Elves leave the caverns for several days,” Frea said as she tightened her cloak around her. “There has been no movement at the tunnel entrance you collapsed, no sign of anything being shifted. We’ve patrolled the area, but haven’t found any other entrances as of yet.”
“They may be trapped or they may be getting more cautious,” Morgana said with a frown. “I wonder if there is any chance of them just starving to death down there.” That remark earned her an irritated look from Brokkr, but he said nothing.
“There is too much we do not know.” Odin shook his head. “Brokkr has been able to provide us with some basic information on the tunnels, but too much remains a mystery.”
“The journey into our world changed them, but we don’t know if they will keep changing,” Morgana added as she twisted her fingers together. “We can’t just wait and see. We need to address the threat. Who knows what they are turning into down there?”
“And what of the Sídhe and these tunnels?” Baldr asked. “Can we expect more of these creatures to come forth?”
“We can hope that the Sídhe are aware of the danger now and will not seek to enter the Iron Realm any longer,” Sif said. She blushed slightly when the others turned their attention towards her.
“I doubt that.” Merlin shook his head with darkening blue eyes. “Their rulers are petty and vicious things.”
“Agreed,” Morgana said. “They might fear these corrupted Sídhe, but it is also a good way of destroying rivals for power.”
“Are they truly so vicious?” Sif asked and Thor found himself wondering the same thing. It all seemed a bit too much.
“The Sídhe… they are a race that has embraced the enslavement of others,” Morgana said. Her tone was sharp and final. “They do horrible things to those they take. I will not burden you with the details, but the fates of those taken during the War were terrible and there was no escape.”
An uneasy silence engulfed the group and Thor eyed Morgana carefully. He wasn’t sure where that statement had come from, but it sent a shudder down his back. It was probably something Arto had known, he reflected with a spark of irritation.
“At least we have the advantage of sunlight over the Dark Elves.” Merlin drummed his fingers together. “Though they are aware of that now and will be more cautious,” he said.
“We may need to consider a major action against them,” Odin told them all sternly. “With our combined power we could bring that mountain down.”
“Right on the heads of my kin!” Brokkr shouted. He leapt to his feet, gripping his axe and glaring at Odin.
“And we might not get them all, Father,” Sif said, reaching over to touch Odin’s arm. “That is a hasty action and not one to rush to. The mountain is their domain and we should assume they have fortified it by this point. Not to mention its destruction would also harm Thor’s people.”
“We cannot wait forever,” Morgana said, looking straight at Brokkr. “They may be changing down there. They may be starving and already eating your kin, Brokkr. They may already have new tunnels to the surface and just hiding from us. They may have reconnected with Sídhean and are increasing their numbers!”
“What do you propose then Morgana?” Odin asked, looking at her with a small frown.
“We reopen the tunnel, together and pour as much magic down there as we can. We find out what is happening and address it. The longer we wait the worse things may be becoming.”
“And if we find them dying?” Merlin raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Then we reseal the tunnel and leave them to die,” she said. “We cannot risk leaving them alone and them turning it to their advantage. Our ignorance might be the opportunity they need and surely a force of us and ours together would prevent them from escaping. We go during the day so escape onto the surface isn’t possible and push on until we know what we are dealing with.”
Thor glanced towards Sif who had a small frown marring her features. He wanted to say something clever and propose a new and better plan. The problem was that they knew too little. Even he recognized that. Beneath his feet, Thor could feel a soft hum that he’d come to associate with magic and yet there was something strange about it. Something just a little bit off. He couldn’t explain it and didn’t like it, but as he focused on that odd feeling Thor had to admit that Morgana might be correct about not leaving the Dark Elves alone for too long.
7
Interlude in Portland
Alex didn’t have anything against Portland. She was just already wishing that Nicki and Jenny hadn’t been so fast to agree with Morgana and tell the boys. Nicki was in the driver seat and following Lance’s truck at a safe distance as they navigated into a nice quiet looking neighborhood. Some kids were out playing in a small park and partially in the street forcing them to slow down and Alex felt an itch of irritation.
“Stop sighing Alex,” Nicki scolded. She turned her head just enough to give Alex a warning look. “Lance is totally allowed to want to see his family.”
“Yeah,” Jenny agreed from the back seat though there was a nervous quiver in her voice. “You’ll be able to look through your books soon enough.”
Alex made a small sound of agreement but didn’t say anything as she shifted her feet. They hit the large paper bag of books beneath her and there was an odd flare of excitement and resignation in her chest.
“How are you?” Nicki asked. “Are you nervous, Jenny?”
“I’m not sure I’ll be introduced as his girlfriend,” Jenny answered, slightly out of breath.
Alex straightened up and turned in her seat to offer Jenny a soft smile. The other young woman returned the smile uneasily, her hands tugging at the hem of her long aqua green shirt.
“I hadn’t thought about that,” Alex admitted apologetically. “This is your first time meeting Lance’s family.”
“Lance said we’re just going to stop in for a few hours.” Jenny forced a laugh, but her nervousness was still clear. “This really isn’t the time to introduce me as his girlfriend.”
“Yeah but even only meeting them as a friend he’s on a short road trip with you’ll still want to make a good impression,” Nicki said. “Anyone know what Lance told them?”
“Not sure.” Alex turned to face the front and watched the back of Lance’s truck once more. She could see the outline of the three boys inside, moving around slightly and wondered what they were talking about. “We’ll have to figure out if we’re telling them we’re staying locally.”
“And if we really are,” Jenny added. “Or if Alex is going to demand heading back to Ravenslake tomorrow.”
Alex pouted a little and looked back at Jenny, but couldn’t be too angry as she observed the spark of amusement in Jenny’s brown eyes. Next to her Nicki chuckled a bit and glanced her way knowingly.
“Morgana wants me to take a vacation,” Alex said, tapping her fingers on the door. “I can give it a shot.”
“That’s the spirit,” Nicki cheered. “Lots to do in Portland: great music scene, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Portland Art Museum and an IMAX theater.”
“You sound like a commercial,” Alex informed her, fighting back a smile.
“I’m just saying that if nothing attacks us and we don’t get summoned back to Ravenslake we should be able to have a decent Spring Break,” Nicki said. “It isn’t Cancun or anything, but it’ll work.”
Lance’s truck turned onto a short dead-end street that opened into a cul-de-sac of suburban homes. They were all rather alike: two stories, pastel or white paint, sloping rooflines over gable windows and neat yards with small white fences around them. Yet the one he stopped in front of stood out with cheerful yellow trim and a raised herb garden beneath the front windows.
“Oh boy,” Jenny groaned in the seat behind her.
Alex couldn’t help but smile.
“Relax,” she said. Reaching back, she offered Jenny her hand for a quick squeeze. “One, this isn’t an official meet my girlfriend visit and two, they’ll love you when the time comes.”
“Maybe,” Jenny murmured as Nicki pulled the car into the driveway behind Lance’s truck. “As long as they never learn the whole story.”
“Jenny, honey,” Nicki laughed. “They’d never believe the whole story.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Alex said. “You and Lance are working it out and that’s what matters, no matter how it all turns out.”
“You are such an understanding ex-husband,” Nicki teased. She unbuckled her seatbelt and leapt out of the parked car before Alex could hit her.
“Jenny.” Alex unbuckled her own seatbelt and twisted to look back at her friend. “Ignore Nicki. Just ignore everything she says.”
That remark got a small smile from Jenny. Alex watched her check her long wavy hair one more time before she reached for the door handle. Holding back a sigh, Alex glanced down at the bag of books and wondered if it would be horribly rude to bring them in. She just wanted to start the research, but this was important to Lance. She reached down and fished out one of the books and shoved it into her shoulder bag before climbing out of the car.
“Nice place.” Aiden’s eyes scanned the house as everyone gathered by the front door.
Alex’s eyes landed on a pile of dirty shoes by the front door and a pair of bikes leaned up on the side of the garage. Lance must have noticed because an affectionate chuckle escaped him. “I’ve got two younger siblings,” Lance said with a glowing smile. “Chris is six years younger than me and Kelly is eight years younger than me. They’re in that early teenager stage, but I swear they’re good kids.”
Alex nodded, she was pretty sure that Lance had told her that before but couldn’t remember any details. Then again many of her early ‘getting to know you’ conversations had been around Arthur. It was hard to admit, but she could, that back then she hadn’t paid much attention to anyone other than the handsome blond man with the great smile. She shook her head as the brief memory of his smile morphed into the crueler one she’d come to know.
“Early teens huh.” Jenny chuckled nervously beside her as Alex forced herself to pay attention. “That’s got to be fun.”
“Well I do find myself missing the times when all they wanted was to talk my ear off about their toys,” Lance admitted with a nostalgic sigh.
“I know what you mean,” Aiden said, clapping his hand on Lance’s shoulder as they moved up the walk.
“Aisling is awesome,” Nicki protested.
“Yeah she is, but you can’t argue that she wasn’t easier to deal with before the pop music and boys stage.”
Nicki grumbled lightly but didn’t argue which just made Aiden’s smile widen.
“Dad’s probably home,” Lance informed them as he dug out his keys. “He works from home part-time.”
“Oh, what does he do?” Jenny questioned, twisting her hands nervously once again. “You’ve never said.”
“He does freelance website design. He loves it and it lets him be at home.”
“So your Dad was the stay at home parent?” Aiden asked, blinking in surprise before he grinned. “Awesome!”
“A bit yeah,” Lance said. “Though when he and Mom first married he worked full time. He didn’t switch to part-time until Chris was born.” Lance shrugged as he put the key into the lock and twisted it open.
Alex found herself holding her breath and standing straighter. She was braced for something, this meeting was important, but she was suddenly uncertain as to why. Frowning at herself, Alex relaxed her shoulders and eased her almost military rest position. She didn’t understand her own reaction. Sure meeting Lance’s family was important and it was better for everyone to make a good first impression, but it wasn’t that serious. Confused, Alex shrugged it off and focused on the house as Lance led them inside.
The entryway was very clean for a house with teenagers with a woven rug in front of the door that was slightly faded from the sun coming through the windows. There was an old-fashioned wooden hat stand filled with coats, a couple hats, and scarves in the corner next to the door. A staircase in front of them led up to the second floor with a small hallway alongside it leading towards the back of the house. The large archway to their left opened into a spacious living room. To the right was a large room with a long wooden dining room table that led into the kitchen. Sunlight was streaming through a long row of windows, bathing the house’s wooden floors in a warm glow. It was different from her own home, but there was a sense of peace in the place that helped Alex relax a little.
“Dad?” Lance called, moving further into the house and leaning over to look into the living room. There must not have been anyone because he walked across the entry hall and looked into the dining room.
“Lance?” a deep voice called up from what seemed to be below them. “That you?”
“Yeah, it’s me. I brought some friends too,” Lance shouted back, heading down the hallway by the stairs.
There were footfalls from beyond the staircase and a moment later a beaming man dressed in jeans and a faded concert t-shirt appeared. Lance’s father was even taller than Lance with bright brown eyes that swept over them. His look of confusion morphed from surprise to genuine pleasure at the sight of Lance. Alex watched as he laughed and grabbed Lance in a hug. Aside from them sharing African descent, Alex couldn’t see any features in common. Lance’s father’s eyes were a lighter shade, his skin was darker and they had different noses and different jawlines. It took her an embarrassingly long time to remember that this was Lance’s step-father.
“Lance! This is a surprise, a welcome one, but a surprise.”
“Sorry about that Dad,” Lance apologized with just the right blend of apologetic and amused. “My friends and I are on a short road trip around the region and thought we’d stop by.”
“Well, you’re very welcome. I’m afraid your Mom is working later tonight, Chis and Kelly are out with friends, but should be back soon.”
“We’re not in a hurry,” Nicki assured him with a smile.
“Ah, you must be Nicki.” He chuckled before looking at them all in turn. “Uh let’s see Bran?” he half said, half asked as he pointed to Bran who nodded. “Aiden and Alex,” he said as he pointed to them. “And Jenny.”
He said her name completely calmly though there was a spark of interest in his eye that hinted that Lance might have told his Dad a bit about their complicated relationship. She hoped for Jenny’s sake that he hadn’t gone into too much detail.
“Nice to meet you,” Jenny answered in a voice that went higher than usual.
“And it’s nice to meet all of you,” Mr. Taylor said. “I hope you’ve had a safe trip so far.”
“We have,” Alex agreed. “Thank you Eab-” Alex began to thank him only to stop suddenly when she heard the wrong name coming from her mouth. “Thanks, Mr. Taylor.”
“Not a problem.” Lance’s step-father smiled warmly. “It’s nice to have a chance to meet Lance’s friends.” His smile became slightly comforting like he was trying to calm a wounded animal. “And you can call me Peter. I’m glad you kids stopped by.” He gestured vaguely over his shoulder towards the back of the house. “We were going to barbeque and you’re welcome to stay.”
“Sounds great Dad,” Lance replied with a nod. “Thanks!”
Alex vaguely listened to the conversation between Lance and his father. There were questions about their plans, but Alex was barely aware of them. She allowed the others to move ahead of her as they began a quick tour of the house. Not trusting herself to speak, she stayed silent and struggled to hold back a tingling chilled sensation that was creeping up her spine. Finally, they finished the tour of the house which ended with Bran and Aiden teasing Lance about some poster in his room and Alex slipped away from the group to breathe.
She found her way back into the living room and shuddered, trying to shak
e off the odd sensation of dread plaguing her. The voices of the others in the kitchen were irritating rather than soothing and Alex swallowed a rush of bile. Sitting down on the couch, Alex relished the moments of silence. She was very aware of how rude she was being and how awkward this would make things for Lance, but she couldn’t just- Alex shook her head. Something was wrong. Eaban: that had been the name she’d tried to say. Alex slowly mouthed the name, careful not to say it out loud. It rolled off her tongue easily despite Alex being certain that she’d never used that name before. Of course, how was she so certain that it was a name at all? It was a bit similar to Ethan she supposed, but that wasn’t the name of Lance’s step-father. She had a bad feeling that she knew the real source of the name.
Luegáed’s father must have been Eaban. The name of Lance’s father in the other life. First, she’d had that dream and been speaking in what was probably the ancient Gaelic tongue and now this. A shiver went through Alex as she pulled out the book on Norse mythology. It was an older book and was frayed at the edges of the old hardcover. As a used book they’d gotten it for only a few dollars, but Alex hoped it would prove more valuable in helping her understand just who Thor had been and that maybe it would distract her.