by Carrow Brown
“It’s not that. More along the lines of it loses its impact when I hear it so many times. Don’t look at me that way.” I pointed my finger at Anann’s scowling face. “You know where I’m coming from.”
Her scowl deepened before it faded, and she rubbed her face. “I do, yes. Sorry. It’s been a stressful few weeks.”
“It’s fine. I know what it’s like to see someone close to you change.” I looked to the front of the house and then back to Anann. “What can I do to help?”
“I don’t know. Anything?” She pulled in a breath and dropped her hands. “We haven’t had a chance to settled David into his role as an avatar, and with Badb the way she is, Macha and I are doing everything possible just to keep things manageable.” She settled her full attention onto me, her face set and eyes stern. “We’re going to need to take her to Tir na Nog and see if they can help.”
I couldn’t stop my scowl, an expression my face adopted a little too often. If Anann and Macha had to take Badb to Tir na Nog, the place in the Under for their pantheon, then it was serious. I’d known the Morrigan sisters for a few hundred years, but the friendship we shared was good and born from the fear and mistrust others had for us.
“And you can’t take David with you because of the court politics, right? Worried one of the other gods will try to whisk him away while Badb is weak?”
Her head bobbed. “For a potential avatar, he’s very good. This just isn’t the best time to foster the bond between him and Badb. We have not yet done our duty in guiding his first steps into both his role and our world.”
“And it’s easier to have him go with someone who isn’t able to have an avatar? No conflict of interest. Really, Anann, you could just ask if he can stay with me for a few days.”
Anann winced and I watched a blush spread over her cheeks. “I do not wish you to feel as if we are pushing him onto you.”
“Stop that. You three have always been kind to me. Even Macha, in her fussy grandmotherly sort of way. I’ll keep David with me until Badb is better.” I clapped her on the back. “Keeping him safe for you is the least I can do.”
She let out a breath. “Thank you. We plan to leave this morning.”
“Just be careful with the ways into the Under. The waypoints are acting up.”
Anann paused, her eyes narrowing. “What do you mean?”
“A waypoint keeper told me in Seattle, but I noticed it right afterward. Things are slow, and I wouldn’t want to be stuck midway from point A to point B, particularly in the Under. I’ve been using the water elementals.” I watched Anann’s troubled face. “Do you know something about it?”
Her eyes flickered to me and then away. “I do, but I am not able to speak of such matters at this time.”
“Nothing at all? I know Vainya is looking into it right now.”
Her mouth opened and I saw her tongue shift, but a croaking sound left her lips instead of words. With a groan, she rubbed her face. “I am unable to speak of it. I am sorry, Ghost.”
I patted her arm. “Don’t worry about it. I have my own restrictions for speaking, as well. Just make sure to avoid the waypoints until they are fixed or something else is done. The elementals are working well for me at the moment.”
The goddess wrinkled her nose. “You’re going to accrue a debt that will take years to pay off.”
“I’ve got nothing but time. Anyway, my point is you should stick to other means to get in and out of the Under. Caves, elementals, churches, so on. At least until someone can figure out if it is just a regional thing.”
Anann nodded. “We will.” She hesitated before adding, “Thank you, Ghost.”
I shrugged and walked to the front of the house. David was still waiting, and he looked my way as I ambled over. I noticed a small basket grasped in one of his hands and pointed. “What’s that?”
He lifted the cloth to expose a pile of cookies. “Food. Macha said I may get hungry.” He re-covered the baked goods. “What’s the scoop?”
Why does he get cookies? We only get winter cookies, but he gets them for showing up? I want to complain to the manager.
“You’re staying with me for a few days while Badb gets some TLC. They’ll send for you when she’s better. Is your stuff in the truck?”
“Yep.”
“Awesome. Let’s go find a church.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Sisterhood
Iappreciated David’s ability to enjoy a comfortable silence. Anyone else in his position would’ve asked a million questions during the ride, but outside of giving directions, he remained quiet. Or perhaps he had his own thoughts to mull over.
My own left me troubled.
I thought back to Vainya’s concern about dwindling magic and the ripple effect it would have. Was Badb’s condition a result of that? The more I turned the idea around, the more it made sense. Gods had a tie to magic and worship. The old ways of worship for the Tuatha Dé Danann were guesswork by many modern pagans since their traditions had been destroyed. And many thought “The Morrigan” was one entity instead of three, forcing the sisters to share limited worship if they got any at all. A lot of deities chose to sleep off the energy drought in the same fashion someone would a hangover. Granted, I hadn’t known anyone who went into the slumber and awoken. Part of me worried they would never wake up. And then what would happen to us?
David’s voice pulled me out of my musings. “We passed a lot of churches already. What makes this one special?”
I rubbed the side of my face, the questioning reminding me of how Badb used me to avoid doing the world introduction course she should’ve done with David. It left me mentally grumbling, and I made a note to get back at her later. “Time, worship, and experience count for more than a modern appearance. Generations of power and combined faith need to be soaked into the foundations of a building to maintain a doorway into the Under. Unfortunately, you have to pay to go in when you use them. Gems, trinkets, Girl Scout cookies.”
“Not currency?”
“Human currency changes too much for it to be value to us. Many of us exchange favors since you can hold onto those until death. Sometimes beyond.”
“For future reference, what currency do you accept?”
Hrm, Silence said. He’s already trying to figure out how to bribe you. Does that make him smart or slimy?
I peeked at David from the corner of my eye. He kept his attention on the road in front of him and his expression relaxed. The longer I looked at him, the more I found myself liking how he looked.
When he looked at me, I realized I’d been ogling him and cleared my throat. “I accept mead and vodka. But I also accept raw materials—fabric, lumber, and brick.”
David’s brows rose. “Raw materials? Is that common?”
I unbuckled the seatbelt as he parked outside the building. “Not for everyone, but it is for me. I have a growing house to feed.” At his puzzled expression, I added, “It’ll make more sense when you see her.”
Getting out of the car, we grabbed our things and walked toward the church. David stared at the building with narrowed eyes, his gaze shifting to the windows. It was a humble building with a two-story bell tower and a lobby area that couldn’t seat more than thirty people. The walls along the east side had vines and some other kind of vegetation growing along the length. Beyond the church, I spotted the speckled rows of tombstones worn down by time and elements. Even though it was mostly abandoned, I could feel the energy of the place.
I rested my hand along the cold and damp stone, enjoying the coolness traveling up my arm. “Places like this have history and personality. It was loved.”
“Right.” David walked along the path toward the door. “I don’t think anyone’s here.”
I withdrew my hand and joined him. “We don’t need them to be. We only need the door,” I said. Turning, I glanced back at the truck parked on the gravel. “You said that’s a rental, right?”
He looked back at the truck and then me. “Yeah. Why? Are we going to n
eed it again?”
“No, but it isn’t coming with us.” I pulled out my phone and sent a text to my operator to have someone come and pick up the truck before turning it off and tucking it the front pocket of my bag. “Toss the keys somewhere safe. Someone will come and return it for you. Oh, shut off your phone.”
David did so, turning off his cell as he walked back to me. “Why turn off the phone?”
“They either explode or die completely when you enter the Under. Better to not take chances.”
His brows rose. “Explode? Are you serious?”
I grinned. “No. But there’s no reception in the Under, and we don’t have an outlet for you to charge it. So you’re better off shutting it down.”
David rolled his eyes while slinging his day pack over a shoulder. “So, serious question.” He jerked his head to the church. “What’s Jesus like?”
My smile widened. “Jay-Jay? He’s cool. Makes amazing falafels for potlucks. Super sweet kid who loves everyone. You’d really like him.”
I hate him, Silence said, presenting me with a visual of a child gagging. So much love, compassion, and goodwill make me nauseous.
“What about Santa?”
“Nick’s cool, too. Granted, he doesn’t talk to me much since I became a permanent member of the Naughty List Club.”
David cocked his head to the side. “How did you earn that membership?”
My lips pulled back in a grin at the memory. “I may have been part of the group that convinced some of his elves that Christmas was moved to July. They’re very gullible.”
“They don’t fight over their combined holiday?”
The laugh left me before I could stop it. “Those two fight each other? No. They meet up afterward and share whatever cookies Nick collected. Not like it’s Jay-Jay’s birthday, anyway.”
I placed my hand on the door of the church, expanding my senses to inspect the energy of the archway. Under the power of the church was a subtle warmth that made my palm tingle. I pulled my hand back and moved my bag around. A few moments of seeking and I grasped the handle of a petite bell wrapped in a leather case. I took care pulling it free and turned it over to make sure it was still in good condition.
“What’s that?”
I pointed from the bell to the door. “The doorbell.”
I held it up and gave it a small shake, the bell emitting no sound. I lowered it as the door swung open, showing a well-lit wooded area where rows of pews should’ve been. David alternated his attention from the deep woods and sounds of birdsong to the darkness of night behind us and then back inside again.
My attention settled on three small people the size of my index finger at the bottom edge of the door. There were two males and one female, each with raven hair reaching to their lower backs. Their clothing was a mix-and-match of what scraps they’d managed to find. Brownies had a hard time finding clothing in their size and often took whatever they could get their hands on.
“Thanks,” I said.
“You’re using the door?” one of them called up in a high-pitched and squeaky voice.
“What if I am?” I retorted as I tucked the bell away. “There are three of you here, so you can’t claim you were busy.”
The other male asked, “What’s the password?”
I stared at them in disbelief. “Password? Since when do you do passwords?”
“Today!” the first male by the door cried, as he pointed at me. “Say the password or you can’t come through!”
“For fuck’s sake. I’ve got your password right here,” I muttered, while going through another pocket in my bag. I pulled out a sandwich bag full of bright bits of fabric. “Doll clothes!”
Their eyes bulged at me. The female raised her hands making grabbing motions as she squealed, “Give!”
Tossing the Ziplock, it didn’t even hit the ground before the Brownies dove onto it and tore through the contents. I gestured for David to come through and closed the door behind him. He followed as I led him away from the happy squeals.
Once we were several paces away, David asked, “What were those?”
“Little People. Brownies. Little folk. There’s a book called ‘The Borrowers’ not too far off the mark with them. They come in and steal things they need or help out good people. Piss off those living in an old house and you’ll have a permanent case of lost keys.” I released a sigh. “I would love to have some. They can help with the cleaning if you foster a good relationship with them.”
David let out an I’m-losing-my-mind-but-whatever grunt, his wide eyes still shifting over the lush forest about us. His gaze ran from the thick foliage of the trees overhead to the moss-covered ground around our feet. Overhead, soft glowing orbs of light floated in the air akin to milkweed seeds, their contact on my skin leaving a pleasant warmth. Another moved in front of my face and I blew it away.
David’s eyes remained frozen in a disbelieving stare as we exited the trees to look over the vast fairy-tale landscape. “This is the Under?”
“Yep.” I smiled as I watched him process everything. “Spirit world, fairy, parallel universe, alternate dimension... whatever you want to call it.” A tree limb lowered down toward me, and I lifted my hand to lightly grasp it while the branches twined around my arm. “Your typical Fae, Gods, Demons, and their homes are here.”
David took a step backward to me as a tree reached out for him with its limbs. “Should I be concerned?”
“It’s fine,” I said, pressing my hand to his back. “You’re new, and they’re curious. Everything is animated here and trees are the friendliest things you’ll encounter.”
He hesitated before following my example and lifting his hand to the tree. “Why are they so friendly?”
“If you were stuck in one spot and couldn’t move, you’d be friendly to passers-by as well,” I said. “It’s just the nature of trees and tree spirits. Think of them like giant dogs, only with bark and leaves instead of fur and teeth. They’ll always help you, unless you set them on fire. Then you’re S.O.L.”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” David said, reluctantly pulling his hand away from the branch. “Which way are we going?”
I scanned the landscape and pointed toward a glittering line through the trees. “There, where the river is.”
He came to stand next to me to see where I pointed.
Grabbing his arm, I pulled him along with me. My eyes moved over the inside of his forearm, and I felt myself go still. I saw his tattoos, but not what I expected to find there. “Wait, you didn’t do the initial ceremony to be Badb’s avatar?”
“No idea what you’re talking about. She said I needed to take you down and that’s all I’ve done so far.”
“She should have put her hands on you and branded you with a mark on her forearm. This didn’t happen?”
He shook his head. “Nope. When was that supposed to happen?”
“When you agreed to be her avatar.” I tightened my grip and dragged him after me. “We need to hustle now.”
“Hustle? Because of the meeting?” After a bit of wiggling, David freed himself from the trees and walked alongside me.
“That, too.”
“There’s another reason we’re rushing?”
“Uh.” I took a moment to glance around. “Let’s say yes and leave it at that.”
“You’re not going to tell me why?”
“It’s better if I don’t. Besides, it won’t be an issue once we’re home.”
“You’re really not going to tell me? I’m a grown man, you know.”
“Yeah, you’re a human male—not an avatar. That’s the problem.” I glanced over at him. “Out here you must worry about Fae, the Unseelie and Seelie court members, and other troublesome mythics who enjoy fucking with mortals—literally and figuratively.”
“Literally?”
“Yes. You won’t enjoy how it feels, either.” I took another look around but didn’t relax. “I suppose this is a good time to tell you this is a pretty da
ngerous life path to take.”
“I’m not so sure,” he said. “I can’t complain about the company, at least.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks, while Silence groaned, Really? He went there? I’m losing respect for him fast. And why are you blushing? Stop that!
Turning my head to the side, I focused my thoughts on something other than the man next to me. The fact that someone hadn’t bothered to show genuine interest in me after my marriage—outside of a one-night stand—was affecting my perception. I needed to focus on the priority of getting David out of the open as fast as I could. Damn Badb! The entire thing was making my headache spread to the rest of my skull. With a groan, I rubbed my forehead, feeling a dull throb as my headache reminded me of its stubborn presence.
David’s words took my attention away from the throbbing pain. “You okay?”
I tapped my forehead with the palm of my head. “I’m fine. Just a headache.”
“Do you think you can tell me more about what I’ve gotten myself into?”
I shrugged. “Not much to really explain right now. You became the avatar of a goddess which means you’ll be her errand boy for however long you stay live in the role. You could be sent on missions to preserve the greater good or you could be sitting on a stool while Badb rubs soup in your hair.”
“Soup in my hair?”
“Look, we are talking about Badb. I already mentioned at their house that soothsayers are nutters. On one hand, you have Badb—the Battle Crow charging off into brutal violence and emerging victoriously with the heads of her enemies hanging from her belt. On the other, you have the loopy chick who frolics naked in the woods. I can only predict her as well as the morning news predicts the weather. And that’s a god I am friends with. Zeus, Shiva, Buddha? No clue what they’ll do.” I scratched the side of my nose. “Well, Buddha is actually pretty predictable.”
I could hear the river and see the glittering of water beyond the trees. Just a bit farther and I could be back home. All we had to do was get through the clearing and pass the few yards to the river and we’d be safe.