Silence - eARC

by Mercedes Lackey

  She watched Dylan for a few minutes. He kept his gaze towards his food, as if he were trying to stare a hole through the paper boat. From his clenched fists to his posture, it was obvious that he was both angry and still grieving. Staci’s heart ached for him, in that moment. He had lost more than his cousin all those years ago; he had lost his home, and the only family he had known. He had lost his world; it reminded her of her own situation, being suddenly thrust into a hostile and harsh environment with seemingly little choice in the matter. She could also see little glimpses now and again of what he could have been like if things had been different; the nonchalant and confident way he talked and carried himself, the smile that would come easily if he would let it, and the light in his eyes that showed exactly how much he really did care.

  “I’m sorry, Dylan,” she said before the silence became awkward. “I can’t imagine what losing your cousin, and then your clan in Underhill must have been like for you. I wouldn’t wish something like that on anyone.” Carefully, she put one hand over one of his clenched fists. After a moment, he unclenched, squeezed her hand, and held it for a moment, before letting it go. Then he exhaled in a long sigh, and finished his meal.

  “It was a long time ago,” he said. “Thirty years. You get used to a lot of things in thirty years.”

  Staci decided to change the course of the conversation a little bit, to keep him from brooding too much more. “How do you find the Dark Elves? Why did you choose Silence, instead of any of the other places where the…Unseleighe must be? Also, did I pronounce that correctly?” she added quietly.

  “Yeah, you got it right.” He wiped his hands on his napkin, took a sip from his soda, and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not a mage, actually, I’m just a fighter. I can only do the kinds of magic any of our kind can do.” He finally looked at her, with a lopsided smile. “Kind of like everyone learns to read and write in your schools, but not everyone learns how to make a living writing. Anyway, what I can do is fairly limited, and it’s not real good at tracking things down. So after I clean out a trouble spot, I just get out the map and do some dowsing, looking for the ‘next dark place nearest me.’ This time, it turned out to be Silence.”

  She nodded. “That makes sense.” But what about after? Staci suddenly found herself afraid of what the answer to that would be. She realized that she didn’t want Dylan to leave. Even though she had been in danger since she had met him, she felt safe when he was around. She had felt the same thing around Sean, but now she was wondering how much of that was real, how much of it was infatuation, and how much of it was dark magic? She didn’t like the idea that what had felt so genuine had actually been nothing more than games and evil manipulations, that her emotions were playthings to be bent to someone’s will. She didn’t get that with Dylan; hell, he had even shown her how to defend against that very thing. She felt safe with him not just because he was strong, but because he was teaching her how to be strong. “So…after we’re done with what’s happening here in Silence, what will you do?” Staci was very careful in her choice of words; she didn’t want to give him any suggestions to stay or to leave, not yet at least.

  “Head to the next dark place nearest me,” he replied. “There’s always another one.”

  Staci’s heart sank. That was exactly what she was afraid that he might say. Still, she hung onto a shred of hope, willing herself to meet his eyes. “Is there anything that might make you change your mind?”

  He gave her a sharp glance. “I don’t know. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in thirty years, it’s never to say never.” He got up, and stretched, collecting the debris from their meal. “But right now, I’m concentrating on right now. And right now it’s time to get you back to the Hill so you can get home before dark. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be out alone after dark anymore.”

  She nodded, dusting crumbs off of her lap and standing up. Dylan’s answer was better than nothing. He had already opened up to her, admitting that it had been more than he had ever told another human.

  There had to be a reason for that, didn’t there?

  Chapter Eighteen

  The ride back to the Hill with Dylan was as much of a blur to Staci as the ride to the lobster roll stand had been. Metalhead seemed to relish taking bends in the road at breakneck speed, passing other vehicles with ease. She was somewhat worried that they would get pulled over; Dylan had had enough trouble with the police in Silence hassling him. Whether that was due to the way he looked, or some sort of influence from the Blackthornes, she couldn’t know. All the same, they didn’t have any trouble during the trip, pulling up to their usual spot on the Hill as some of the last rays of the sunset came through the trees.

  Maybe he’d put some sort of invisibility on himself and the bike. That would make sense, actually. Maybe the reason he didn’t do that in Silence was to stay under the radar.

  This was about the only time you actually saw the sun around Silence; at sunset, when it managed to drop below the clouds that perpetually covered the town.

  Dylan stayed astride Metalhead while Staci climbed off, letting the elvensteed’s engine idle. With a wave of his hand, the air shimmered and her bicycle appeared right where she had left it.

  “That could be real handy, you know,” Staci said, smiling as she looked from the bike to Dylan.

  “In time, young Padawan. Let’s focus on the task at hand, first.” Dylan patted Metalhead’s gas tank, and the elvensteed shut its engine off. “Even with you knowing some decent combat magic and spellbreaking, and all of my tricks, I’m not sure we’re up to this one. There’s still a lot of things we don’t know about the Blackthornes; which of them, precisely, are in on whatever this plot is and what they’re planning to do that’s going to take this town to hell. A lot of unknowns means a lot of danger…maybe more than we can handle.” He sighed. “Still, we got to give it a shot, right? That’s what the good guys do.”

  “We’re all right as long as they don’t know we’re snooping, right?” she asked, suddenly reminded again that this really wasn’t a movie…and that what had happened to the missing kids could, all too easily, happen to her. “And if it looks like too much, can’t you, you know, get some help? Maybe not from your clan, but from those other guys you talked about? I mean, if there’s a whole town in danger?”

  Dylan simply shrugged. “I can’t say for sure. Again, the Fairgrovers mostly keep the dogs at bay in their own neck of the woods. We can’t count on anyone coming to bail us out.” He jutted his chin towards the setting sun. “You need to get home. I’ll talk with you again tomorrow. We can figure out the next move then. Get some rest, Staci. You did good work today.” Metalhead’s engine revved to life with a throaty roar. With a wink, Dylan gunned the throttle, and the pair were off.

  Well, if we can’t get help from other elves…There had to be someone else around!

  And then, like a flash, it came back to her. It seemed like ages ago! But it hadn’t been more than a couple of weeks.

  Tim knew Dylan, or at least knew what he was. Knew why he was there. And had warned him that he didn’t want any part of it…which meant Tim knew about magic, heck, maybe he did magic himself! After all, if Staci could do magic, there had to be other humans who could! And maybe Tim had warned Dylan he didn’t want to get involved before…but that was before they knew that the Blackthornes were going to do something horrible!

  He can’t just walk away now. And Staci was going to see to it that he didn’t.

  She got on her bike and started the long trip back to town.

  * * *

  It was full dark; really close to curfew, actually, although given that Staci was probably now known to be “Sean’s girl” by the cops, she kind of doubted they were going to do more than give her a “fatherly warning” if they caught her. Still, she did her best to stay off of the main streets and out of view; no reason to get stopped if she could help it. She was lurking in the alley at the service door for the bookstore, next t
o what had to be Tim’s car, a battered old blue Volkswagen Beetle that had seen much better days, just like everything else in this town. She’d never seen Tim come out the front door after he locked up, so she’d reasoned there had to be a back one, and here it was.

  She took a few breaths to ready herself, tamping down last-minute doubts and hoping that she wasn’t making a mistake. When she felt prepared, she very gingerly tried the door handle; it turned, thankfully without a squeak. Slowly, she pushed the door inwards, and it swung silently on its hinges. The aroma from the coffee maker, and the familiar smells of the books and leather seats all washed over her, the warm yellow light from the bank tellers’ lamps still on and inviting. Moving slowly and quietly, she shut the door behind her, trying to keep her steps light as she moved into the bookstore.

  “Staci, why are you sneaking in through the back just as I’m locking up?” Tim’s voice seemed extra loud in the quiet of the bookstore. She half jumped out of her skin, and turned to see Tim to her left, coming out of the backroom with a leather backpack over one shoulder and a money box under his other arm. She had expected him to be up behind the counter, like he always seemed to be. Damnit. Well, at least he didn’t sound angry…just surprised.

  “I need to talk to you,” she said. “And I didn’t want anyone seeing me come in the front.”

  Tim set down the backpack on the ground, placing the money box on top of it. “It’s late. Curfew soon, if it isn’t already.” He studied her for a moment. “But, I’m guessing that this is something that can’t wait. Why don’t you grab a couple of cups of coffee. We’ll sit down and talk.” He walked past her, finding his way to a couple of chairs in an alcove nearer to the front of the store than where her group usually sat. She complied, moving woodenly for a few moments from the shock of being caught in the act of breaking into the business of one of the few people she counted as a friend in Silence. But was it breaking in, if the door was unlocked? She filled up two large mugs from a pot of coffee that was still warm and didn’t look or smell too old, then followed to where Tim had sat down. He was leaning forward in his chair, his elbows on his knees and his fingers woven together. He smiled as he accepted the mug she offered to him, blowing on the surface of the liquid before taking a sip.

  “So, what’s the emergency that needed you to come here in secrecy, when no one else is around? If you’re a ninja assassin sent to kill me, I warn you, I’m a screamer and won’t go quietly.”

  She pondered her next move. On the one hand, she just wanted to confront him and get it over with. On the other…well, he might laugh at her. And then what? He’d shove her out the back door and she might miss her chance at getting some help.

  “You know Dylan,” she said finally. “Or at least, you know what he is.”

  Tim’s face betrayed nothing; he kept his voice even and his eyes on his coffee, blowing on it again and taking a sip before speaking. “Why would you say that?”

  “Because I was there the day that he came in here and you two were talking. I overheard you. You told him that you knew what he was here for, and you didn’t want any part of it.” There. That was putting it out in the open without actually saying the “m” word.

  “Guys like that are trouble, Staci. I’m not sure what he’s told you, or what you think you overheard. I try to avoid trouble, as a rule; it’s why I run a bookstore. Save for the occasional ninja assassin, it’s nice and quiet.”

  She frowned. It sounded as if he was going to stonewall until she found a way to break through. And that he didn’t think she had a way to break through without sounding ridiculous, easily brushed off and her statements rationalized away.

  She dug into her purse for her phone and the cell charm on it. “You know, I could point out that my phone doesn’t work here for anyone other than Dylan,” she said. “But I’d rather show you this.”

  And she made the charm blaze up. This time it was brighter than any time she’d ever made it light up before; so bright that she let out an involuntary “Shit!” and cupped her hand over it, spots before her eyes.

  Tim hadn’t moved when she stopped shielding her eyes. He was still watching her, though now she could see the barest hint of a grin at the corner of his mouth. “Well. He’s taught you a little bit of magic. You’ve got talent,” he said, with some pride. “I could strangle that pointy-eared bastard for dragging you into this world.” He took a very long pull of his coffee this time, setting the nearly empty mug down on the short table between the two of them. “No more games on my part. You know about magic, and clearly a little bit about elves. What do you want to talk about?”

  She let out a sigh of relief. That was a start and more than she’d had a little bit ago. “The Blackthornes. They’re elves, and they’re bad, and Sean is going all possessive on me and I think that’s probably a bad thing. He was messing with my head this weekend to make me think that lurking in my bedroom while I slept was sweet.”

  Tim’s eyes narrowed slightly. “That’s why you don’t get involved with elves. You can’t trust them.” He looked her up and down quickly. “You seem to be doing better now.”

  “It started phasing out when I got inside the store, and then when I was talking with the gang it completely snapped,” she said. “And Dylan showed me how to break it myself, so they can’t put it on me again.” The last was said a little defiantly, in response to You can’t trust elves. “So…what’s this store, anyway? Why did it help me break the spell?”

  Tim sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. “It’s a haven. For me, and any who seek it. The only place like it in all of Silence; at least, the only place left like it. Enchantments, hexes, bewitchings, curses…the magic etched into every board and nail of this place cancels it out. I’m honestly surprised it took as long as it did to work out whatever was put on you. Your friends definitely helped, though. Good energy there, something that people take for granted far too often.” He waved his hands outward. “All of these words? They have power. Every little word you utter has a small measure of power in it. Cussing someone out, a word of encouragement, even a simple thing like saying ‘thank you’; there is energy that’s transferred. Talking with people that care about you helped to break the last link of the spell that was put on you.”

  “But why’s it here, in Silence? Why are you here?” she asked. “I know the Blackthornes have been here and doing nasty stuff since before this store was here, because you aren’t all that old.”

  “It’s easier to hide in plain sight, sometimes. I don’t bother with politics, especially with goddamned elves.” Staci was shocked by the venom he put into the word elves; there was a lot of anger in Tim, and she was afraid to find out where it came from. “This place is a sanctuary, right in the lion’s den. No one would think to look for it here, and it can do the most good for those that need it. The spells on this place are old, and powerful, feeding off of one of the few ley lines in the area that hasn’t already been tapped. It’s safety, and there’s precious little of that in Silence.”

  She digested that for a bit. “Okay, so…if you don’t bother with politics and elves, then why did you come here in the first place?”

  He shrugged. “Had to settle down somewhere. Quiet town, cheap real estate. No one much bothers anyone around here, which is how I like it.”

  “Well, it’s not going to be that way anymore,” she said flatly. “The Blackthornes are killing people, Tim. They’re hunting them with these dog things. And they’re going to do worse. They’re going to do something that hurts the whole town and everyone in it.” She was starting to get exasperated. “I saw the Wild Hunt with my own eyes,” she said stubbornly. “And I saw a guy they were hunting—one of the people that’s missing now! And I overheard Sean talking. Plus they think I’m not paying attention, so they talk in front of me. They’re planning something big, and that can’t be good for Silence!” She glared at him. “That means you—and all this”— she waved her hand around, indicating the store �
��“are going to be right in the firing line whether you like it or not!”

  This time Tim frowned. “And what makes you so sure? Dylan told you all of this, I’m guessing? And what makes him such a trustworthy advisor?” He shook his head, keeping his eyes locked to hers. “Staci, elves use people. Seleighe, Unseleighe, good, bad; it doesn’t matter. They use humans for their own ends. Whatever philosophy they try to wrap it up in, it’s still not a dynamic where the human benefits, unless they can’t help it or it’s by happenstance. Why do you think this Dylan character came to me before he turned his eyes towards you?”

  That gave her pause for a moment. Was Dylan using her? Well…

  No. Oh maybe a little at first, but not now. He’s been totally up-front about everything since I started using magic. He keeps trying to warn me off. Tim’s wrong about him.

  “I think he came to you because this is the fort in the wilderness,” she said flatly. “He says he goes from ‘one dark place to the next,’ cleaning them up. He says Silence was the ‘next place he could find’ and I bet he was surprised to find the bookstore here and figured you’d help him. And I don’t know why you aren’t.”

  “It’s not my problem, Staci. If your friend wants to carry on the good fight, I say let him. I know this,” he said, pointing at her. “You need to get as far away from him as possible. Elves only leave wreckage behind them, especially when they start playing their games with each other. That wreckage all too often has names and families. Don’t become part of it, Staci.”

  She frowned, fiercely. “It is your problem, because you live here,” she pointed out. “And if crap starts flying, you’re going to get spattered. Why are you acting like this, anyway? I mean, if what you really, truly wanted was to be left alone, you wouldn’t have put this bookstore together right here. You’d have found some cheap house out in the middle of nowhere with no neighbors and…I dunno…started an Internet bookstore, if you had to run a bookstore. Or an organic herb farm, or something. What you’re saying doesn’t make any sense with what you’ve made here! So…why are you saying it?”