Aislyn

by Aislyn (NCP) (lit)

  * * * *

  Gary sulked for a large part of the ferry ride to Maximillan’s island resort.

  "Come outside. Maybe we’ll see some dolphins," Aislyn said finally, running out of patience. She navigated past the group of school children, their harried teachers and helpers before pushing through a door that led to the open deck.

  Outside, the wind whipped through her hair, and she pushed the dark strands off her face. She grinned. No chance of her hair blowing off due to an unfortunate gust of wind.

  "What are you smirking about?"

  Oops. "Nothing. I know this is work, but I’m enjoying seeing some of the country outside of Auckland." She raised her face to the wind, and drew in a deep breath, filling her lungs with the tang of the sea.

  The ferry rounded the jutting fingers of the mainland, rolling a little as it ploughed through the swell on the way to its destination.

  "That’s the resort," Gary said, pointing at a smudge of green on the horizon.

  "How do you think we’ll get on?" Aislyn asked. "There seem to be a lot of people our age on the ferry. They must be attending the recruitment drive too."

  The smudge of land grew larger and in no time, the ferry docked at the resort wharf. Gary and Aislyn disembarked with the rest of the passengers.

  A young woman, dressed in the royal blue and white uniform of the resort, waited at the end of the wharf. "All those here for the recruitment seminar wait over by the sign. Sameth will be along to escort you to the theatre shortly."

  "I wonder who Sameth is?" Aislyn whispered to Gary.

  "No idea." He studied the rapidly growing group of people and murmured, "Do you think we stand a chance of scoring a job with all these people after work too?"

  "Okay, listen up, everyone."

  Aislyn and Gary turned to study the tall, slender Asian woman who clapped her hands, indicating they should all listen. Hush fell.

  "We are conducting the seminar in the Rimu theatre. There will be a short video presentation then interviews will commence. The interviews will be conducted in registration order so keep your registration cards handy to check the numbers. Any questions? No? Good. Follow Caroline, up to the theatre. The presentation will start in precisely five minutes." She turned and strode away.

  "I wouldn’t want to come up against her in a battle," Gary murmured.

  Aislyn nodded. They trailed along with the rest of the group, both taking full mental notes of the resort as instructed by the boss.

  * * * *

  "Hi, sweetheart." Gill breezed into the office with Seamus trailing behind. "How did the recruitment seminar go? When will you know if you have a job?"

  Aislyn’s smile of welcome froze. Her insides churned in trepidation as she glanced past Gill to Seamus. A bad mood, she decided. Again. "At the end of the week," she said.

  Aware of Seamus’s look of displeasure, she forced a laugh. It sounded unnatural, and her stomach turned over when his frown darkened. "The process was nerve-wracking but not that difficult. We met Maximillan’s assistant, Sameth. She asked the questions during the interviews."

  Seamus stepped in front of Aislyn’s desk, looking large and menacing. "She keeps a low profile, but word is she’s in charge of major decisions. We don’t know much about her."

  The way he studied her face so intensely made Aislyn want to squirm. Why was he here anyway? "I thought you were going to...." She glanced at Gill. "Have the weekend off."

  "I was held up. I leave later tonight."

  "Have a nice time." Aislyn turned to smile at Gill and forced enthusiasm into her voice even though the sight of Seamus’s expression made her want to cry. "I’m looking forward to tonight." She stood and sashayed over to Gill and trailed one hand down his chest. "I’m due at a strategic meeting. Bye."

  "Aislyn!" Seamus’s voice sliced through the silence, and Aislyn flinched. "I’ll walk you down."

  "There’s no need."

  Seamus took her arm and steered her out the door, his iron grip determined. To Gill, the move would have appeared polite. Aislyn knew better. "What is your problem?" she hissed in a low undertone.

  He maneuvered her into the lift--unfortunately for Aislyn, an empty lift. She wrenched away from him, annoyed at his highhandedness and her own breathless reaction.

  "You’re grounded. I’m taking your wings and sending you back to the colony. In fact, I’ll escort you personally."

  Aislyn gaped at him unsure she’d heard correctly. "You can’t do that."

  Seamus looked grim. "Watch me."

  "But I’m a part of the team. What will you tell the others?"

  "I’ll tell them you’re sick. And don’t even think about trying to return. You can’t. Not without your wings and a supply of pills." He glared at Aislyn. "Since you refuse to follow instructions, you can suffer the consequences."

  "You’re not being fair. I haven’t done anything wrong." Aislyn gritted her teeth. "The boss told me I was doing a good job. Besides, the board doesn’t want me there." Loneliness curled through Aislyn as well as a good dose of self-pity. No one wanted her.

  "You’re a maverick. You don’t follow the rules--"

  "Rules!" Aislyn glared at Seamus, so angry she could barely speak. Her hands shook. Her stomach churned. Her chest heaved. "This has nothing to do with rules. This is about you. Not me. You made your choice clear when you chose the rich little princess to bear your children. So, you can’t turn around now and expect me to take advice on my personal life. You forfeited all rights when you signed the betrothal deal with Renee’s father."

  A flash of emotion crossed his face, darkening his eyes to fathomless pools. For an instant, she thought she’d got through to him and made him understand how unfair his actions were. He couldn’t have her friendship when he’d chosen to marry Renee. Then his expression hardened, every trace of emotion wiped clean like a whiteboard in a classroom.

  "My decision is final," he snarled. "I’ve made up my mind, and there’s nothing you can say that will change it."

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Not one thing had changed in Glenveagh. The fairies who inhabited the village still thrived on gossip.

  Aislyn sat at an outside table in front of the Majick café trying to ignore the gaggle of fairies at a neighboring table. They whispered, glanced in her direction and then laughed. Life in the colony was just the same--it sucked. Aislyn pulled on her sunglasses and sprawled back in her chair, pretending that their discussion didn’t bother her in the slightest.

  When the male waiter strolled over, she ordered a flat white. While she waited for her coffee, every building in the square changed color from a dazzling lime green to a pristine white. A howl of protest erupted from the cluster of fairies at the far side of the square. Aislyn sighed.

  It was as if she had never left.

  "Aislyn O’Sullivan! Just the fairy I wanted to see."

  Aislyn took one look and groaned inwardly. Patrick Leary, the reporter from the News of the Colony tabloid. Ever since she’d returned from the human side, he appeared where ever she went, hounding her for a story.

  "Aislyn, sweetheart." His grin was wide and insincere. "Thought any more about that exclusive. Fairies have a right to know the identity of the Guardian. I’m offering big money, enough for you to set up in one of the other colonies. Ever thought about the French Riviera?"

  Aislyn tsk-tsked. "But Patrick, I have no idea who the Guardian is. I’ve told you that. Several times. And even if I did, I wouldn’t sell a story to you."

  "But the board are treating you like a leper," he murmured, keeping his voice low so none of the bystanders would overhear. "Don’t you want payback?"

  A snort escaped Aislyn. The board acted like a bunch of scared, old women, immersed in the past and not an original thought between the lot of them. "Go away, Patrick." Aislyn half expected him to argue but for once he left, a cheerful whistle trailing in his wake.

  Patrick might be a worm, but he was right about the board’s treatment. Since her
arrival back in the colony, she’d practically been under house arrest. Another blast of whispers from the neighboring table made Aislyn fidgety. Realizing her agitation was visible, she froze but not before the tinkle of the security bracelet encircling her left ankle underlined her lack of freedom. She had to report in with Murphy every morning at ten sharp. During the meeting, his interrogation covered her plans for the day. A horrid ordeal to bear, but Aislyn knew she would survive embarrassment. The worst thing was the way they’d stripped her magical powers.

  And it was Seamus’ fault.

  A fuss at the other end of the square drew Aislyn’s attention. Murphy. His appearance was expected, but Aislyn stiffened when she noticed the dark-haired female who walked at his side. Why did it have to be Renee who witnessed her embarrassment?

  Renee had arrived in the colony exactly one week ago. Everyone adored the fairy. Heck, even she liked Renee. All personal feeling aside, the fairy was perfect for Seamus. She was beautiful, charming and she followed the rules.

  All of them--to the letter.

  "Ah, Aislyn," Murphy boomed.

  "Hello, Aislyn."

  Aislyn smiled weakly. Renee had an adorable French accent and dressed with distinct Gaelic flare. Squirming uneasily in her scruffy jeans and T-shirt, she eyed Renee’s short black skirt and mandarin colored top that fit like a second skin. Her make-up looked natural. Flawless. In contrast, Aislyn recalled the sprinkle of freckles she’d seen in her mirror this morning. She sighed. No wonder Renee was the chosen one.

  "Waiter!" Murphy pulled out a seat for Renee, seated her and then dropped into a seat opposite Aislyn.

  The waiter arrived with Aislyn’s coffee and produced coffee for Murphy and Renee in double quick time. The grin that rode his mouth as he placed the latte in front of Renee was positively sickening.

  "Right. To business," Murphy said in a brisk voice. "I’m too busy to oversee your integration back into the fairy community since it’s the middle of tax season, so Renee has offered to help."

  Aislyn’s stomach flipped and then tied into a tight knot. She placed her coffee cup carefully on its saucer so the tremor in her hand didn’t broadcast her feelings on the subject. Inside her head, she screamed. Why of all fairies did it have to be Renee? Hadn’t this fairy stuffed up her life enough?

  "I don’t see why I need to report to anyone," Aislyn said in a careful voice.

  "Because Seamus ordered it," Murphy boomed. And it was a boom rather than the normal gobble. Aislyn saw several fairies turn to stare in their direction with a great deal of interest.

  She cringed inside and lowered her voice. "Why did Seamus order it? I’ve done everything expected of me. I haven’t spread gossip among the colony. I’ve kept to myself, and I’ve done the community work you assigned me. I’ve even agreed to wear this stupid bracelet around my ankle." This time she had to work hard to keep the resentment from her voice.

  "There’s no point arguing, O’Sullivan. Renee will oversee your rehabilitation from tomorrow."

  Bitterness warred with frustration. Coffee seesawed inside her tummy. The punishment wasn’t fair. Seamus had overreacted because she was friendly with Gill and refused to give up the friendship. She wondered how Seamus had explained away her absence. "Fine," she said, turning to Renee. "What time would you like to meet each day? At ten?"

  Renee pouted, managing to look charming rather than silly or sulky. "We will discuss this later, no? Let us enjoy this coffee and the sunshine."

  "Seamus is a lucky man," Murphy said. He punctuated his words with a loud gobble that made Aislyn roll her eyes. "Yes, a lucky man."

  "Renee, have you met Lady Wickham yet?" Murphy asked.

  Aislyn tuned out. She stared into her almost empty coffee cup and stewed over the injustice of Seamus’s punishment.

  "O’Sullivan, one more thing. The board filing system requires modernization. We have purchased one of these new-fangled computer systems. It will be your job to load the data onto the computer. Plenty of work there to keep you out of mischief." He gobbled and looked to Renee for approval.

  Aislyn cast a resentful glare his way. It was not fair. She would not stand back and take this without a fight. While Murphy and Renee continued to chat and discuss the current state of the colonies, Aislyn considered a plan she’d been mulling over for the last three days.

  * * * *

  Night fell. The colony fairies retreated to their homes for the evening. The sickle moon hung low, shedding scant light.

  Perfect for her plan.

  Aislyn crept from her flat, past the young security guard posted outside, and made her way to the track she taken on the night of the ball. Although, she wore the security bracelet on her ankle, she hoped her absence wouldn’t be noted straight away. Especially since she had delivered a bottle of Irish whiskey to the guardhouse earlier in the evening ostensibly to apologize for the error of her ways. They’d bought her sweet lies so easily Aislyn had had to work hard to contain her scornful laughter.

  Aislyn hurried along the twisting path, pushing her body hard on the uphill parts. Her breaths came in strangled gasps. The backpack she carried dug into her shoulders. Packed with supplies she might need for her trek to the Guardian’s house, she had no intention of ditching so much as a match, no matter how heavy her pack. Focus on the goal was her mantra. It was time the Guardian knew what sort of tyrant he’d appointed to run the fairy force.

  After ten minutes, Aislyn reached the area where she had stood and spied on the Guardian. The magical barrier between the two worlds made the view hazy so there wasn’t much to see. She paced the boundary and frowned. This was where Seamus had called forth the portal entrance. Aislyn was almost positive. Yes, right by the totara tree. She pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket. Torn from an old spell book, Aislyn thought it was the one Seamus had used.

  This journey from the village might turn out a waste of time. The spell was old. There weren’t many fairies practicing the old Celtic magic, but Aislyn had always loved to read of the Motherland. She’d picked up an old text years ago at the second-hand market stall. Time to see if her skills were advanced enough to use the old spells.

  But first, she needed to locate the portal. She stilled and concentrated, seeking the soft surge of power. There it was. A faint hum no louder than a buzzing bee. Aislyn sucked in a deep breath, suddenly nervous and apprehensive about what she intended to do. She wiped moist hands on her jeans and focused on emptying her mind.

  The old Celtic language tripped off her tongue smoothly and concisely as the book of spells specified. The words still echoed through the air when the first shimmer started. Holding her breath, she spoke the second part of the incantation. The portal coalesced into a shining doorway, a bridge between the fairy and human.

  So far, so good, Aislyn thought. She stepped through and muttered the words to close the portal. Now for the really difficult part. Since she hadn’t been able to get her hands on size enhancing pills, she needed to hurry before every cat in Newmarket converged on her.

  The plants towered above her, the leaves spreading out above her head like huge umbrellas. An ant clattered past only a few feet away, its mandibles crammed full of seeds. The ant let out a warning hiss, and Aislyn hurriedly stood aside. She peered through the gloom. Tiny green lights sign posted the ant pathway as far as she could see. Aislyn sprinted across. Where there was one ant there were more and she didn’t want another face-to-face experience.

  Aislyn walked steadily through the thick grass using the steady drone of the traffic on the street outside the Guardian’s house to guide her as to direction. Given her size, the journey would take a long time. Aislyn didn’t care. Anger at the injustice against her propelled her onward. She would present her case to the Guardian. But she knew better than to pop into the Guardian’s presence without cooling off her temper a little first. Aislyn felt confident that a few hours physical exertion would do the trick. The time would give her a chance to plan exactly what she would s
ay to the Guardian. Since she had left the colony without permission, she needed to take care with her case presentation. Unfortunately, there were a few variables in her plan. Given her luck, she was aware the whole scheme might backfire. Except, Aislyn thought with a loud sniff, she couldn’t be worse off than she was now, stuck with community work and stripped of her magical powers.

  The grass forest gave way to a mountainous range. The path, Aislyn surmised with a soft groan. She pulled a compass from her pocket, double-checked the direction, and headed down the very edge of the path.

  Three hours later, Aislyn reached the three steps leading up to the Guardian’s front door. She paused to swipe the tail of her shirt across her brow as she studied the climb in front of her. After sliding her pack off her back, she opened it to retrieve climbing gear.

  She inched her way up the step face, banging in spikes to take her weight, climbing up and thumping in the next. A thin film of sweat beaded her forehead and dripped in her eyes, but Aislyn kept doggedly going, determined to make the top. Finally, she heaved her trembling body over the top of the last step. Tired but exhilarated by her early success, she stood. And was confronted by the door.

  Bother. This might prove more difficult. She tilted her head upward. Mmmm. No way she was going through the door, but perhaps under? She studied the gap. It might be a tight squeeze, but manageable. She wouldn’t know unless she tried. Aislyn dropped to the ground and slithered under the door. Halfway through her bottom caught fast. She wriggled frantically to no avail. Aislyn groaned softly. Too many hokey pokey ice creams while she was human side. She took a deep breath. There was no way except forward. She had to keep going. Then she heard a sound that made her blood chill.

  "Meow."

  Aislyn wriggled, frantic to fit her bottom under the door. She heard the tinkle of a tiny bell.

  "Meow."

  It was closer. Scented powder--flea powder--filled the air. Aislyn sneezed loudly then popped under the door like a champagne cork exploding from a bottle. Hot breath wafted under the door. A disgruntled snarl sounded followed by scratching. Frantic, Aislyn scooted away from the gap under the door, making sure she was out of reach. Heart pounding, she crawled unsteadily to her feet. Three rats and a mouse--that was a close call.