by Norah Black
“That was some slick talking you did with Detective Brian.”
Foster smiled nervously. “Nah, he just wanted this to be something that it wasn’t.”
“Where was my daughter really?” he asked in a low voice.
“We told you, lost in the forest.”
A clock hanging on the wall ticked loudly; a constant reminder to Foster that he needed to hurry. Frank leaned back and pushed himself out of his recliner. “Come outside with me, Foster, the wife doesn’t like me to smoke my pipe in the house.”
Foster reluctantly followed him out the back door and watched as he pulled a tobacco pouch from his pants pocket, and packed the bowl of a brown pipe. He lit it and blew a cherry smell into the air.
“I have lived at the base of this mountain my whole life.” He said and blew more sweet smelling smoke from between teeth that clenched the pipe stem. He pulled it out and pointed it at Foster. “I grew up with old wives tales, and some of them were true tales. Now my wife is a little simple, and she wouldn’t understand if I tried to explain anything to her.” He paused and looked across his yard to the back of the next trailer. Frank shook his head and knocked the pipe on the bottom of his boot to remove the tobacco. Once it was clear he put it back in his pants pocket.
“She was a willful child. She was constantly drawn to the woods. She wanted to read only fairytales.”
Foster tried to smile. “That isn’t so odd for a little girl.”
“Maybe not, but I knew she was different, even if my wife couldn’t or wouldn’t see it.”
“I don’t understand.”
“She can tell if someone is telling the truth, she can run like the wind, climb a tree like a monkey, and jump like a rabbit.” Frank eyed him carefully. “It’s like she isn’t from here, and to be honest, I don’t think you are either.”
“Sir, I would never hurt her.”
“You better not, but I ain’t really concerned about that. Is my daughter in some kind of danger?”
Foster knew he should lie, but he also knew one lie leads to another, and there had been enough lies today. “Yes, sir.”
Frank sighed heavily and pulled in a shuddering breath. “Is she one of the fairy people?” he asked and looked at Foster, “Is she like you?”
“No, sir, not exactly like me.”
Frank nodded and stared at the ground. “We thought she didn’t like boys. We was sure she would never marry. When you came along last week, we were, you know, relieved.”
“I do love her.”
“I can’t understand this, but I know you will take care of her. I just don’t know how I know it.”
“My family will help me, and when this is all over, I will help you understand.”
Frank nodded again, and Foster was struck with how old he looked. He reached out and offered his hand. Frank shook it and asked, “What are we going to need to do?”
*****
When they came back in, Crystal was braiding Nadia’s wet hair, and talking like she had been gone two months instead of two days. Frank put on a smiling face and clapped his hands together. “So, guess what?”
“What?” Crystal asked as she tied a hair band into the bottom of the braid.
“Well, Foster’s family is going on a little vacation, and they want Nadia to come along.”
Crystal looked over Nadia’s shoulder with a surprised expression. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know!” Nadia looked up at Foster, but he just grinned and lifted his eyebrows.
“Well, this girl has been through a trauma. I don’t think she’s up to a vacation! Besides, she’s got school and work!”
Frank rolled his eyes. “Crystal, she’s a grown woman, and she needs to live a little. Now, Foster asked me himself, like a man,” he said holding up his hand so Crystal couldn’t interrupt, “and I told him yes. We can call her boss and let the school know too.”
Crystal James was a true believer in the Christian view of the man being the head of the household, and she would never think of contradicting her husband when he made a decision, but this situation was different.
“Well, I just don’t know. Nadia, would you want to go? I mean do you know these people?”
“I’ve met his parents briefly and his two brothers.” She smiled up at her mother. “Yes, I would like to go.”
“Great!” Foster said. “You need to pack, we’re leaving soon.”
Nadia stood and asked her mother to come help her. Frank and Foster didn’t speak again until they had come back. Nadia was carrying an old fashioned suitcase and her book bag.
“I declare, I don’t even know where you are going!” Crystal said.
“Oh! We’re heading across the state line to see some of the sites in West Virginia.”
Crystal frowned. “Well, it about looks like it does here.”
“Ah, come on now, Crystal, there’s a race track and if they go far enough west they can see that creepy moth man statue.”
“Well, I don’t see....”
Nadia turned around and hugged her mother. “I love you, Mom. I’ll be back before you know it!” She set her suitcase down and hugged her father. “Love you, Daddy.”
“Love you, too.” He mumbled and hugged her hard. “Take care of yourself.”
Nadia nodded and walked to the front door. She said a silent prayer that she could keep her composure until they were out of sight. Foster took her bags and helped her into the truck, before trotting back to the front steps to tell her parents goodbye. Frank gave him a firm handshake and told him to take care of his baby. Crystal seemed worried but happy too. Their strange little girl seemed to finally be having a normal life. Foster was glad that was what Crystal thought.
As they pulled away Nadia let the tears roll down her cheeks. Foster grabbed her hand and pulled it to his lips to kiss her knuckles.
“I don’t know when or if I will ever see them again!” she sobbed.
“You will see them again, Nadia, I promise.”
“What if they hunt for me here? Who will protect my parents?”
Foster had already considered it, but knew it wasn’t likely that they would be harmed. It was Nadia they were after. Once they realized she wasn’t there, it wasn’t likely her parents would be bothered. No one from the Realm ever suspected a human of knowing what went on the other side of the veil. Frank James was a perceptive man however. It was a shock for Foster.
“It’s not likely, Nadia. Really it isn’t.”
She had no choice but to trust him.
*****
When they pulled back in to yard at Foster’s house, Darren was sitting on the front steps. He stood and asked Foster how everything went.
“Better than I thought. Her parents think we are going to take her with us on vacation.”
“And the police?”
“It’s settled.”
Darren nodded and looked at Nadia. “Well, Nadia, welcome officially to our home.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Did Stefan and Garth go after Diana?”
“Yes, and your fool brother Warren went with them. They left about an hour ago.”
Foster didn’t like the idea that Warren had gone, but what was done was done. He took Nadia’s things up to his room and came back down the stairs yawning. Julia met him at the bottom of the stairs and smiled thinly.
“You look tired, son.”
“Mother, I have never been this tired.”
“I think Nadia must be too.” She motioned towards the fireplace and he saw Nadia curled up on the rug in front of the tall candles Julia liked to have lit. He smiled lightly and looked at his mother.
“Why would Lily want to drink her blood?”
Julia put a hand to her forehead and rubbed near her temple. “Rest, now Foster. When you awaken, we will try to explain a few things.”
Foster yawned again and started towards Nadia’s already sleeping form. He turned back and asked, “What of Darren. Where is he?”
“What will happen?”
“So many broken rules are before us. I really cannot say.”
Foster turned and walked quietly over to Nadia kicking his shoes off. He pulled her body into his and kissed her neck before closing his eyes to a fitful slumber.
*****
When Foster awoke it was fully dark, and he could her Nadia’s voice in the dining room. She was seated with Julia and Zuzana, and she held a baby in her arms.
“Where is everyone?”
Julia had to tear her eyes from the child in Nadia’s arms. “They are sleeping upstairs. I will wake them soon to eat. Please, Foster, fix a plate for yourself. I made stew and cornbread.”
He had to smile. His mother had fixed a very human meal for Nadia. It made him feel good to know that at least his mother was ready to fully accept her. His eyes rested on the older woman and his smile faded. He walked to the stove and began fixing a plate of food. The presence of Zuzana made him nervous. Why had his grandparents been kept from him his whole life?
“Because we were temporarily sent to another place after your Grandfather lost his throne.” Zuzana said right behind him.
Foster jumped, but kept dipping stew onto his plate. “So, you are powerful enough to read minds.”
“Yes, but I don’t always indulge in it.”
Foster turned and smiled at her. She wasn’t to blame for being absent. Perhaps no one was. “Stew, Grandmother?”
“Why, yes, thank you!” she smiled. “There will be time for explanations, Foster.”
He nodded and headed for the table. The baby was cooing in Julia’s arms, and she looked like any other grandmother: proud and possessive.
He nuzzled Nadia’s neck. “Did you eat?”
She nodded. “Yeah. The baby is really beautiful.”
“Has Darren seen it?”
She shook her head. “They just got back about thirty minutes ago. His mother, Diana, insisted she go to the barn, but your Dad stopped her.”
Foster looked around. “Where is she?”
“Well, she went up a tree.”
Foster stopped spooning stew into his mouth and asked through a full mouth, “Why?”
“To think.”
He looked at his mother and she just shrugged. “She’s been through a lot, Foster, give her time.”
Time was one thing Foster knew they didn’t have. “How long will it take with Darren?”
“As long as necessary.” His mother said quietly. Foster silently hoped they tortured him a little.
An abrupt sound came from the large glass doors, and they looked at one another. It was a thunk thunk sound, like something was thrown against the wood of the house. Darren bounded through the front door and ran to the glass doors throwing them open. Whatever had made the noises, Darren already knew about it. Foster followed and saw his father pull something from the small strip of wood that framed one door from the other. It was two arrows, with a piece of parchment hanging from each one. Darren read them and handed them to Foster. Foster looked back at Nadia’s troubled face before reading.
Blood for blood
Tooth for tooth
Return her
Or die where you roost.
The second one simply said:
You have until the final full moon.
Foster held the papers in his shaking hands. “We only have two days.”
~ Volume Four: Last Chance ~
The barn was not a normal barn. Nadia was sure she would walk into something decrepit that smelled of moldy hay and animal dung, but to her surprise, it was neat as could be, and far larger than it looked from the outside. Foster led her up some stairs to an elaborate area that half circled the entire barn. Each side had a traditional loft, and in between were several bedrooms for guests, all connected by a narrow hallway. Holding to the rustic design of their house, Nadia was delighted with it.
“Everything about you and your family is magical.” She breathed, touching the smooth dark wood of the railing and looking down into the meeting hall.
“It only seems that way because you are from the outside. It’s just everyday, normal stuff for us.” He smiled wistfully. “I wish I could see it with new eyes.”
“What do you think about all of this talk of me being a full or half dark elf? Personally, I’m offended. I mean just because I’m olive skinned, I may be a ‘dark elf’?”
Foster smirked and tried to discern if she was joking or just indulging in her own innocence. “Sweetheart, it has little to do with your skin tone. Some dark elves are in fact darker skinned, but some are as white as the Queen. It has to do with aura.”
Nadia didn’t understand any of it. All she knew was that her life was in danger, as well as the lives of Foster’s entire family. “What about my blood? Why does she want it?”
Foster paused and tried to think of the simplest way of explaining it to her. “Lily is obviously sick, Nadia. A dark elf is generally not very nice. They tend to be thieves or assassins, and they have a penchant for the dark arts. Many of them are very powerful witches.”
Nadia let the thought sink in as she watched Foster’s mother glide into the meeting hall below. “So, she thinks that if she drinks my blood, she will gain some of those attributes?”
Foster slowly nodded his head.
“It’s rumored she has already drank the blood of several creatures in an attempt to become more powerful.” Julia said, as she walked up the stairs towards them. “In truth she is weak, and drinking of the life blood is an abomination.” She smiled at them both. “Come, I would like time to speak with you both before the meeting begins. She led the way back down the stairs and out into the night air.
Nadia knew the situation was dire, but in the face of such beauty, she felt her nerves ebb a little bit. The night air was crisp, as only autumn can produce. A few of the first changed leaves were beginning to fall. They appeared black in the silvery light of the full moon.
Julia led them to a cleared area behind the barn where tree trunks had been arranged around a small campfire. The fire was currently unlit, but two tall torches were burning nearby. Julia indicated for the two to be seated, and she gracefully took her seat next to Nadia.
“Tell me, Nadia, what do you know of your birth parents?”
“Nothing at all.” She recited the same story she had told Foster when they first met, of how she was found in a rest area badly injured, and had ended up with her adoptive parents.
“Do you know what type of injuries you had?”
Nadia frowned. “Not exactly; my father only told me they were very bad and life threatening. I have a small scar on my side that he says was one of the injuries.”
“Like a cut?”
Nadia nodded. “Yes, but it is very thin. Something extremely sharp must have made it.”
Julia nodded. “Tell me, do you understand what it means for Foster to say you are his chosen?”
“I assumed it meant he has chosen me as his life partner. Maybe his wife?”
Julia smiled faintly. “Yes, that is exactly what it means.” She paused as Foster took Nadia’s hand in his. “Are you prepared for such a commitment to my son?”
“Yes.” Nadia said without hesitation. “I know we are young, and I’m pretty sure all young people have the idea that they know it all, but this feels right.” She looked into Julia’s eyes and saw compassion there. “Before Foster, my life was miserable. I only have one friend. I mean, my boss is nice to me, but only one real friend. I never felt any real hope. I always thought I would finish college and maybe do a little better than my parents had, but that’s it. I always thought I would be alone.”
Julia’s face never changed. She wore the same serene look, with a faint smile, but her words were not easy to take. “To be with a member of the Fae or Sidhe, you would have to give up virtually every part of your previous life. It would be for the protect
ion of Foster and his people. Do you understand?”
“Isn’t Foster also something else?”
She nodded. “His father is Nephilim. Do you know what that is?”
Nadia shook her head. “He’s powerful though, like Garth.”
“Yes, he is powerful. A Nephilim is a child of the fallen. Originally it started as fallen angels mating with human women. Eventually, a rule was created for the safety of humans that Nephilim could only breed with each other.”
Nadia turned her head and looked at Foster. He was a complicated bag of races. Races that were supposed to be for make believe storybooks. It was hard to comprehend, but it was also the most wonderful thing she had ever heard. “Well, I think it is all pretty cool.” She said and squeezed Foster’s hand.
“Now, Nadia, the game is more complicated. You may or may not be of the Fae blood. I sense it when I touch you, but it’s faint, so I know you are not full blooded. It will however give you a certain privileges.”
“What’s that?”
“Foster and access to the Realm. Once we reclaim it, that is.” She said with a wiry smile. “Unfortunately the Queen thinks you are something that you are not. Perhaps you are dark elfin, but I doubt it. Your skin tone has nothing to do with it.”
Nadia chewed on her lower lip and tried to decide if she should ask the question that plagued her mind. “Garth said I did something in the dungeon that humans can’t do.”
“What was it?”
“He said I used Glamour.” Julia and Foster exchanged a quick glance.
“Glamour is used to make a Fae or Sidhe blend into their surroundings, so that no one can tell what they really are. It is occasionally used on buildings, like our barn for example. Please tell me what Garth thought you did.”