Dauntless

by Thomas G. Atwood Jr.

  “You don’t,” she stated, standing up. “No offense, but I don’t think this is for you. Let’s get you trained and able to protect yourself first. We’ll focus on your future later. We have work to do. Does that sound fair?”

  “Sure.”

  “Great, see your dad. He’s been waiting for you ever since I brought you in.”

  “My dad?” I squeaked, surprised. “What does he know?”

  “Everything. You two need to talk. Go down two doors and take a left. He’ll be right there.” Kat said, giving me a tired grin as she leaned back against the tree’s trunk.

  I left, my head spinning with conflicting information. My mom’s journal had me convinced that the supernatural was nothing but killers and monsters. Kat had rescued me, however, and that left me with nothing but doubt. Kat, my dad, even Aidan had some tie to the supernatural. Each of them seemed like a kind and loving person, and each had helped. The world seemed more complicated one than it had when I woke up this morning.

  Chapter 5

  The Mansion was the most accurate description of a building I’d heard in a long time. The Maze might also be appropriate. The Mansion countless twists and turns, leading me to bedrooms, gyms, libraries and computer rooms. Despite the brief directions Kat gave, I was beyond lost. I was about to give up when I heard my dad’s voice booming down the hall. I followed the noise to find my father pacing the halls, the calm expression on his face belied by the anger that flashed in his eyes. He wore his usual collection of flannel and jeans, although his hair was disheveled. He rubbed his eyebrows and groaned as he talked on the phone. He kept shouting until he hung up and collapsed on the couch, running his fingers through his sandy blonde hair.

  “I thought the doctor told you to watch your temper,” I teased, causing his head to snap around. He stared at me in disbelief for several long seconds before rushing up and wrapping me in a bear hug.

  “Kacey, thank God. I thought I lost you.” Tears flowed down his cheek, and he pulled me back to give me a warm, loving smile as he sat me down. “Are you okay?”

  “I was until you popped a couple of my ribs with that hug.”

  “Do you need to lie down, or anything? Should you even be out of bed?”

  “Dad, I’m fine. I’ve been asleep for seven days. I could stand to get up and walk around.” I noticed a shade of purple surrounding his eye and scowled. “Who gave you the shiner?”

  “What?”

  “Your eye.”

  “Oh, that. That was your handiwork. You woke up, delirious, once when Kat tried to help you. We had to strap you to the bed. You managed to pop me during.”

  “Jesus, dad, I’m-”

  “It’s not your fault,” he interrupted. “You were hurt. You didn’t have any control over yourself. If anything, it’s my fault for not telling you about all of this.”

  “Yeah, why didn’t you? That was fucked up.” Dad glanced up, but I held my hands in surrender. “I’m not trying to start a fight; I don’t have the energy for it. Mom sounded like she hated Mages and everything in her journal. I guess I want to know why?”

  “Your mom was a complicated woman,” dad replied. “When she was a kid, she lost her parents in an attack.”

  “What happened?”

  “She never gave me any details, but it left her bitter. She loved you, and don’t ever think otherwise, but she was…angry. She never bothered to think of magic and supernatural as anything other than an adversary. You shouldn’t worry about what she wrote.”

  “She mentioned something about binding my powers?”

  “We did that when you were a kid.”

  “Why?”

  “We were worried about what would happen if you gained control of your powers before you were responsible enough to use them. You were such a little daredevil as a kid. We were worried that if you thought you were invincible, you’d be even worse. I can’t even imagine the trouble you could be in.”

  “Okay, that’s smart, but why’d you keep this from me? You had to know I’d find out sooner or later.”

  “We had a few reasons. We made enemies over time. I didn’t want to raise you among our kind because I knew some of them would come for payback. You’d be at risk and I…I couldn’t take it if anything happened to you.”

  “That’s it?”

  “I have more.” My dad sighed as he stared at his clenched fists. He cleared his throat several times, and when he looked up, it was like an anvil was pressing down on his shoulders. Pain racked his eyes, and the ghosts of the past danced beyond.

  “I was a Sentinel for several years. Do you know what that means?”

  “Yeah, Kat told me. Isn’t that a good thing? It’s like you were SuperCop or something.”

  “Something like that,” he returned, grimacing. “While I was a Sentinel, I did some good, but there were times…” He took a long breath, and when he spoke his voice broke. “I had to do some damn distasteful things. I saw crimes that still keep me up at night. I’ve sacrificed innocents, hurt people I cared about, all in the name of the greater good. I was worried that if you knew…I was afraid that you wouldn’t love me anymore, Kacey,” he said, sobbing into his hands.

  “Hey, you’re my dad. We’re family. I don’t know what you’ve done, and I don’t care. Family sticks together, no matter what.”

  Dad chuckled as he wiped the tears away. “I remember someone smart telling you that, who was it?”

  “Mom,” I retorted. “Don’t get too cocky; I’m still pissed at you for not telling me everything.”

  “You have a right to be, kiddo. When is the last time someone changed your bandage?” he asked, eying the patch of gauze on my neck.

  “I have no idea. Unconscious, remember.”

  “Sit back.” He grabbed a white first aid box from the wall and peeled the bandage off my neck. The putrid scent of rot and blood flooded my senses as pain flowed through my shoulder. I stared at the mirror, horrified by the blackened skin that lay underneath. I grimaced as I reached down to touch the wound, rewarded with cracked skin that exploded with agony at the touch. I saw the monster in the mirror, laughing at me, mocking me for being unable to stop him. Dad didn’t notice; he grumbled as he searched through the first aid box for another bandage.

  “That Kat girl has no idea what she’s doing,” he mumbled as he put it on. “I’ve seen five-year-olds with better healing abilities. I don’t know what she was playing at.”

  “She saved my life, Dad,” I reminded him as I moved my hair so he could work.

  “She’s lucky she managed that. I have no idea what they were thinking, making a woman as young as her a Sentinel. I have half a mind to…”

  “Dad. She saved my life,” I repeated. “She helped me; she even offered to teach me how to use my powers. Cut her some slack” Dad didn’t say anything, but the glare stayed on his face.

  “Be nice,” I warned.

  “What are you talking about? I’m always nice.”

  “Right. Do you remember when the girl scouts came by trying to sell some cookies?”

  “I reminded them what the no soliciting sign meant. I was respectful about it.”

  “You made a ten-year-old girl cry!”

  “But I was polite,” Dad retorted, patting me on the back. “All done.”

  “How bad is it?”

  “You’ll be fine.”

  “Gee, almost like someone used magic to heal me. Who do we know that can do that?”

  “Do you remember when you were a kid, and you were afraid to mouth off to me? Whatever happened to those days?”

  “They didn’t exis
t. I was never afraid to mouth off to you.”

  Dad laughed. “Yeah, you might be right about that.”

  “How’s work? I take it you were arguing with them on the phone?”

  “I told them I needed to take a month off to take care of my sick daughter. When he said no I…”

  “Lost it?”

  “I reminded him that I was the one holding that place together. If they didn’t like it, I would be happy to take my genius ad work to another firm.”

  “Genius? You came up with a cat playing the accordion.”

  “That was brilliant; you have no idea how hard it was to get the paddles on those little paws.” Dad pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. “Besides, no one ever went broke betting on cute animals.” I snatched the cigarette from his mouth and glared at him. He gave me an annoyed glare.

  “The doctor told you to quit smoking,” I said, causing him to roll his eyes.

  “He also asked me to cut down on stress. Cigarettes relax me.” He reached for another one, but I snatched the pack away.

  “Stop smoking, relax, and get some sleep.”

  “No way, I’m not leaving you alone.”

  “Then go to sleep, there’s like a bazillion rooms.”

  “Fine, you win.”

  “I always win. What would you do without me?”

  “Enjoy a cigarette in peace,” dad quipped, heading up the stairs.

  I walked down the halls of The Mansion, poking my head into each room. It had endless wonders. Potions churned and bubbled with invisible workers moving test tubes around. Bangs and pops erupted a room with fireplaces exploding across the ceiling. I was wandering down the hall, and I heard a loud snore echoing through the air. I poked my head inside and beamed when I saw Laurie sleeping. She had a peaceful expression on her face. Bandages covered her head like a mummy, and the blanket lay forgotten on the side of the bed. A pink game system lay clutched in her hands, and she tossed and turned, mumbling something unintelligible. I grabbed the blanket and laid it over her, relieved that she was okay. I stepped out of the room, whistling as I continued to wander the halls. I waved at Kat as she caught up with me.

  “You seem happier than when you first woke up,” she said, smiling as she adjusted her hair.

  “I’m great. My best friend is on the mend, my dad’s home, and I’m chilling at Hogwarts. One thing is missing…” A loud knock echoed through The Mansion at that, and I turned to look at Kat. “Are you expecting company?”

  “No,” Kat replied, her eyes narrowing. “No one should know this place exists.”

  Kat walked down the hall, and I followed close behind. We walked down flights of stairs, down a dozen different hallways and through a half dozen rooms.

  “How the hell do you know where everything is?” I asked as I struggled to keep track of where we went.

  “Practice,” she replied. We strolled to the front door, and she threw it open. Aidan raised his fist to knock again and beamed as he saw me.

  “Kacey, thank God. I’ve been searching-” His words were cut off as a blast of howling wind slammed into him, sending him flying out of the doorway. He landed on his feet, glaring toward Kat.

  “Whoa, guys, what the hell?” Aidan asked, pulling himself up. A staff appeared in Kat’s hand, and she inched closer to Aidan.

  “Do you know what this man is?” Kat asked, leveling the weapon at his chest.

  “He’s my best friend.”

  “That’s not all of it. He’s Unseelie.”

  “Unseemly?” I returned, confused. “He seems fine to me.”

  “That’s not what I’m saying. He’s Dark Fey.”

  “Okay, I don’t understand what you’re saying, but I’m sure if we discuss it we’ll be able to figure it out.”

  “Fine by me,” Aidan replied.

  “Yeah, I bet. How do I know you’re not trying to collect the bounty on her head?” Kat asked.

  “What…there’s a bounty on her head? Point me in the direction of the person who placed it,” Aidan snarled.

  “You’re serious?”

  “Lady, I don’t want to start a fight. I came because I found Kacey’s blood in the alley. I tracked her down, and the trail led me to her.”

  “How did you get past the protections we put up?”

  “You have a few holes in your defenses. I can help you fix them if you want.”

  “I’m not interested,” Kat said, lowering her staff. “Do you swear that no harm will come to anyone under this roof?”

  Aidan rolled his eyes. “Fine, I swear.”

  “Do you swear that you will tell no one about anything you see or the location of this building?”

  “I swear, can we get on with this?”

  “And do you swear to leave in peace at any time and never return?”

  “I swear.”

  “Aidan, why don’t you come on in,” Kat said, stepping aside.

  “Thank you,” Aidan replied, his voice as cold as ice. He stepped up and wrapped me up in a hug.

  “It’s good to see you again. I was worried.”

  “I’m fine, I promise.” Aidan glanced at the bandage on my neck, and I shrugged. “Vampire,” I said.

  “Is he…?”

  “He doesn’t live to tell the tale. All thanks to Kat.”

  Aidan bowed his head at Kat. “I owe you one.”

  “Yeah, you do. Kacey, I’ll be down the hall if you need me. Romulus and Remus will be even closer,” she said, the icy steel of a threat hanging in the air. Aidan raised an eyebrow and watched her walk up the stairs.

  “She’s nice when you get to know her.”

  “I bet. So you were telling me about the vampire?”

  “Not much to say. A vampire bit me. It’s going to leave a scar and make me all ugly.”

  “Please. It’d take more than that to make you ugly.” I grinned as he said that, and gasped at the cool touch of his finger as he ran it along my neck.

  “So we should talk,” he said, giving me a warm grin and backing away.

  “Yeah, that was intense, but we’re adults. I mean, we can almost kiss and not turn it into a big deal…I mean right?”

  “It’s not that,” Aidan replied.

  “It’s not?”

  “Well, not that. I mean, that was incredible, and I can’t stop thinking about…”

  “About kissing me?”

  “About you in general. I dream about you all the time. I close my eyes, and I see you. Your hair, your eyes, your lips…” With each body part, he ran a single finger down my face, leaving goosebumps along my skin and causing my heart to pound like a drum. When it settled on my lips, every instinct in me screamed to grab him and never let him go. I smiled and slid my fingers through my hair. I stared at the ground, searching for words that never came.

  “I um…I haven’t dreamt the last few days. I did punch my dad,” I said with surprising cheer, making me groan at myself.

  “You did?”

  “It was a whole thing. I want…all of this, but I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I can’t, alright? What happens if we break up? What happens if you hate me? Jesus, Aidan, what happens if you die because of me?”

  “What? That won’t happen.”

  “Yes, it will,” I screamed, backing away from him. “It can and it will. It’s happened before.” I turned my back on him and sniffed, wiping the moisture from my eyes. I didn’t want him to see me like this. I had to be calm and collected. That’s
how I always was, and these days I was a wreck. A thousand conflicting emotions flowed through me, but each one came down to the same thing. Each time I thought of it, I saw Aidan’s face falling into the icy blackness of the pond.

  “Hey,” he said, grabbing me by the shoulders. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise. I don’t know if we’ll get a happily ever after, and I'm not sure this will all work out. What I do know is that I am crazy for you. I can’t imagine a day without you. I can’t imagine not seeing your face or hearing you laugh. If you tell me to stop, then I’ll stop. We’ll go back to being friends, and I won’t bug you about this anymore. But if you think there’s a chance, one chance, that we can make it work, then let me know. I may be selfish, but I want it all. I want you as my girlfriend, my best friend and everything else. I want you.”

  I stared at the emerald green color of his eyes, and I felt them drawing me in, wiping away all of the pain of the last few days. He was my white knight, my north star. Whenever I needed Aidan, he was always there, and he was a part of me. Everything in my life was changing, but Aidan always remained the same. The same loving, amazing man that I fell for years ago.

  I pulled him close without thinking and pressed his lips against mine. The hard steel of his body pressed against mine, and I gasped as I felt the warmth of his lips as they pressed into me. His fingers sent little waves of energy running through my body as they slid up my back, making me long to stay in this one, perfect moment. I pulled away, gasping as I saw his brilliant gaze lighting up the room.

  “Hi,” I said, still wrapped up in his arms. I nuzzled my head into his chest as he held me close.

  “Hi,” he returned, laughing as his fingers stroked my hair. “So are you saying yes?”

  “I’m not saying no,” I returned. “I…I need some time to get there.”

  “That’s fair.”

  “So what’s a Fey?”

  “A faerie.”

  “You mean those little, winged pixies that I…other people drew on their notebooks.”

  Aidan chuckled. “Something like that.”

  “Cool. Why was Kat so afraid of you?”