by Zoe Tasia
“I need to take a shower. Then we’ll have lunch and go to town.”
“Mom, would it be okay if we ate lunch in the village?” Jessie asked.
“I suppose we could. Any particular reason?” I toed my shoes off at the door. They would need to be wiped off before I could wear them again.
“Nessa said she’d lend me her address book if I could meet her in the village before one o’clock.”
“Well then, I better hurry up.”
We arrived at the shop shortly after noon and Jess was able to get the book. Kay was working, but said she’d eat with us. She had come in to help bake in the morning and was due for a short break.
“How are you doing?” she asked as she removed her apron, hung it on a nail, and came to sit.
“Yesterday wasn’t a picnic. But things are looking up.” I noticed that Kay took the seat farthest from all of us. I twisted in my chair to nonchalantly sniff my armpit. Nope, I smelled fine. We sat at a table for six, and Kay opted for the far opposite end of the table.
“What happened yesterday?”
“I’ll let Jess fill you in since it mostly involves her.”
Jess told Kay about the hair incident.
“Wow. I would’ve expected this from other weres, but Conall and Lundy?”
“There are different kinds of werewolves?”
“Of course, and different animals can be were, like werebears.”
“Great. I thought when I returned to Aberdeen, I wouldn’t have to worry about this kind of stuff anymore.”
“It’s very unlikely that you have anything to worry about. I believe they live in remote parts of the country and avoid and shun humans.”
“Well, we do have a cat now, thanks to you, so I can always collect more fur to carry around.”
Kay told us an amusing story about a baking disaster involving using salt instead of sugar, then asked, “Oh, what do you think about the spell book?”
“Well, it’s interesting. We also did some research online since internet was up yesterday.”
“What did you find out?”
“We have a few herbs in the garden that may keep fae away and apparently iron repels them.” I tugged at my purse, swinging it from the back of the chair to my lap. “I resolved to bring a couple of handfuls to share with people I knew.” Kay cringed.
“Why, does it bother you too?”
“Becca, a goodly portion of the village has fae blood. When someone is part fae, you never know how much, if any, the person will be affected by things like iron. For example, while it bothers me, it doesn’t cause wounds on my skin if I touch it. Just makes me very, very uncomfortable.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about that. Will it bother Conall too?”
“I don’t know, it’s hard to tell how much it will affect those of us with mixed blood. Obviously, we can use it in buildings, for the most part, but that isn’t the same as having a large chunk of it right beside you.”
“Does steel bother you?”
“No, silly, and you already know that.” She held up her spoon. “I’ve eaten with you and you have stainless steel flatware.”
“Oh, yeah, sorry, stupid question.”
We had almost finished our lunch.
“What are your plans for the afternoon?” Kay asked.
“We need to do some shopping. Jess will be writing notes and thinking of a way to make it up to her friends. Tate and I are going to the library to do more research. What about you?”
“Catch up on errands and—” Kay grimaced. “—housework. But this evening, if you aren’t doing anything, would you like to come over for dinner?”
“That sounds wonderful. We’re here partly because I couldn’t think of anything to make for lunch.”
We laughed.
Once we arrived at the library, Jessie asked, “Mom, is it okay if I stay and hang out with Nessa? She was going riding this afternoon, but changed her mind.”
I paused at the entrance. “That’s fine with me, but be back here by four o’clock. We’ll meet up at the front desk. Tate, do you want to stay with me or go with Jess?”
“Go with Jess.”
“Okay. Jess, keep an eye on your sister. Tate, behave.”
Both girls stuck their tongues out at me then continued down the street while I walked up the stairs to the library’s entrance. Courtney Campbell told me I could go down to the basement to look at the old newspapers. I decided to start from the beginning and scan. I might find something useful to help me deal with the fae, and I was curious about the history.
The earliest issues were predictably short since the island hosted a small population. The newsletter made a point to post new arrivals and business openings. The village experienced a spate of misfortunes—fires, disappearances, sightings of unearthly, frightful creatures. Almost half the paper in the first issues involved stories such as these. “This is interesting.” There was a mention of several newcomers to the community including a Greig Ghillie, Muirne Puldreach and their daughter. “This must be the man that lost his family.” I searched for the names Ghillie and Puldreach specifically and soon enough found something. An article was written about a fire in which several perished including Muirne Puldreach and her daughter, Shona. There was no mention of Greig Ghillie. In a later dated paper, I found a notice about a new family moving into Ghillie Cottage, Mr. and Mrs. Blair. This must be Mrs. Grant’s ancestor. There was a single sentence about Mairi Puldreach, Mrs. Blair’s sister, visiting to help the couple set up house. My relative? In later pages, it was noted that residents repeatedly claimed to have strange experiences in the forest. The constable advised everyone to stay clear of it. People who lived nearby it said they saw a man occasionally. Next, I checked the later issues. Neither the name Ghillie nor Gillie was mentioned again, not that I could tell anyway. But as the island grew, perhaps they didn’t keep as good records. After the nineteenth century, very few people moved to the island. People tended to remain, and the children inherited and stayed. “Weird.”
I checked my phone. It was close to four o’clock, so I put everything up and made my way upstairs. The girls were already waiting for me.
“How did it go?” I asked.
“I think I have all the addresses I need. Nessa and I had a long talk. I promised not to interfere with her and Lundy—at least not without warning her about it first.”
As we waited for the bus, Tate told me what Jody, Nessa’s little sister and her did while the older girls talked. When we arrived at the cottage, the first thing Jessie did was rush for a pen and paper to start on the apologies. As she worked, I cautioned her not to write the exact same thing on all of them. Kay expected us at around six.
SINCE WE WERE VISITING her, we decided to leave the nails at the cottage. I grabbed a flashlight and carried a large stick from the back yard. Jess had a cane she found, and Tate toted a closed umbrella. Properly armed, we speed walked to Kay’s.
“Come in, come in,” she called to us from the open window. “I’m making salmon.”
When she went back to her preparations, the girls both wrinkled their noses at me.
“You liked the stew. Keep an open mind and be polite,” I said, under my breath.
Kay motioned for us to sit on the couch and brought drinks, a glass of wine for me and glasses of water for the girls. She clinked her wine glass to mine and joined us. I told her about my research findings and asked if she knew anything.
“I don’t think so, but, if somebody did mention something pertinent and I’ve forgotten, maybe our talk will jar it loose.”
“I know that Mrs. Grant is a descendent of the sister-in-law of Mr. Ghillie. And I think we may be related. I found an identical last name on the trees, but I don’t know if it was simply the same name but a different person.
“Have you looked around in the cottage? Maybe there are family photos.”
“I would assume that Mrs. Grant took them all with her.”
“You have full re
ign, right?”
“As far as I know.”
“Then whatever you get into is okay.”
“Things have been so crazy since we have arrived, that I haven’t looked further than items we needed immediately.”
“Well, you may want to take some time out to search the house and possibly contact Mrs. Grant and ask her flat out.”
The girls didn’t care for the fish, but ate plenty of the other dishes. Kay must have suspected something because she gave them both very small portions. I thought it was delicious.
Afterward, I said, “Dinner was wonderful. Thank you.”
“Let me drive you home. Things have been weird, even for the Shrouded Isle. I should have told you when I invited you that I would take you home. I wasn’t thinking.”
“But that means you’ll be alone when you return home.”
“But I’m part fae.” Kay winked at me. “And I’ll be in a car,” she added.
“I appreciate it, Kay. Time to go, girls.”
Kay loaded us in. As she turned from her lane, the weather took another turn for the worse. As she squinted at the road, the windshield wipers struggled to keep up with the downpour. “I should have had you spend the night.”
“Well, when we get to our cottage, you’re definitely staying with us. This weather is insane.”
Kay turned to me. “Thank you.”
Something darted out into the street. Jess screamed and Kay wrenched the steering wheel to the left. We bumped over a broken place in the wall and hit a tree. “Is everyone okay?” Kay asked, upset.
I turned to the girls, they nodded. “We seem to be fine. What was that?”
“Becca, are all the doors locked?”
I knew I made sure the girls’ were and had turned to lock mine when my door swung open and a woman leaned in. Her pale skin glowed and her wet hair hung in ringlets, scattering droplets on my shoulder. “Could you help us? My sister, she fell in the road. She’s not answering me.”
I didn’t think. I immediately hopped out. As soon as I did, the rain blinded me. The woman grabbed my arm and tugged me into the lane. I heard Kay scream, “Becca!”
As we drew closer, what initially appeared to be a pile of clothing on the road revealed itself to be a woman.
I rushed to her side. “If we can get her in the car, I’m sure that Kay will take her to the village doctor.” I didn’t want to move her, but she couldn’t stay on the road. I knelt and grimaced as the rain water soaked the knees of my jeans. She lay face up and still. She didn’t resemble her sister at all. Though wet, I could tell her hair was blonde. Her angelic face was heart shaped, while her sister’s was oval, and her nose was snubbed when her sister’s was Romanesque. When I leaned closer, her eyes opened. Large blue orbs regarded me. “Oh. Are you hurt? What can I do to help you?”
“Come closer,” she said.
Her voice was as beautiful as she was. Warm and kind, like my mother’s voice. I realized as I knelt, I no longer noticed the rain or the chill in the air. Some part of me pointed out that that was wrong and I should be concerned, but her voice chased my doubts away. I leaned in. A hand on my neck pushed me closer.
A yowl pierced the night and the pressure on my nape vanished. I tore my eyes away from the blonde sister and turned. The large, black cat slashed at the other woman. The woman screamed as claws sank into her flesh. I sat back on my heels.
“Please help me,” the blonde said.
I started to turn back to her, but Jessie grabbed me and yanked me to my feet. The woman sat up and, like a cobra, her head, mouth agape, darted toward my calf, but she missed. The creature, I didn’t know what to call it, but it was certainly no woman, hissed and bared her teeth, long and fanged.
Jess shoved me toward the car and yelled, “Run!”
She swung the cane at the creature smacking it in the mouth. It screamed as blood gushed.
“Kay said don’t look at its eyes, Mom!” Jessie warned me. We stumbled to the car.
“Where’s Kay?” When I turned back to search for her, I saw the black cat racing toward us. I darted to the driver’s side and told Jessie, “Slam the door shut and lock it when Kay gets in. I’m driving.” I threw open the door and jumped inside.
“It’s Kiera, Mom,” Tate corrected me.
The cat leapt in the front seat between me and Jess and from there to the back. Jess slammed the door shut and locked it. I pushed the clutch and cranked the key. My driving skills were so rusty with a standard and, for a moment, I thought I would kill it, but it jerked forward and, as soon as I could, I upshifted.
“I don’t see them, Mom.”
“They’re following us, look up.” Kay had turned back to her human form. I glanced in the rearview mirror. The women flew after us as if they could swim through air.
“What in the world are they?” I asked.
“Drive faster, Mommy,” Tate said.
“Mommy’s driving as fast as she can, sweetie,” I said.
“They’re baobhan sith.”
I waited and when no explanation came, asked, “What’s that?”
“Creatures who need blood to survive.”
“Vampires? You have vampires here?” I pressed on the accelerator.
“They usually prey on animals, which is why no one leaves a pet out. This is wrong.”
My wet hands slid on the steering wheel as I took a turn. “I heartily agree with you on that. Are they still there?”
Kay, Jessie, and Tate looked back. “Yes, but they can’t keep up.”
“Praise the Lord for that.” I didn’t bother to slow down, and we fishtailed as I took the corner to our house. I ignored the lane and drove the car right up to the front door then killed the engine. “Run to the house!” I said then dove out. The others waited as I unlocked the door and once everyone was inside, I slammed it shut.
“Make sure the windows are shut and locked,” Kay said.
We rushed from room to room and checked.
I found the place where I had stored the nails and lay them at the window sills and the doors. “I hope the iron doesn’t bother you too much, Kay.”
“If it keeps those creatures away, I can stand it.”
I heard scratching on the door. Tate screamed and ran to me.
“It’s okay, honey. They can’t get in.” I looked at Kay and she nodded. “Girls, go sit on the couch.” It was located in the center of the room and farthest away from the windows and doors, so hopefully, the safest place in the cottage. I motioned for Kay to join me in the corner of the room and lowered my voice, so the girls wouldn’t overhear. “We were lucky you were with us, Kay. I don’t know what came over me.”
“Given warning, you would have been prepared and able to resist them. You’re strong with the magic, but caught unaware—”
“What do you mean strong with the magic?”
“You were telling me of your family tree. You know that Mrs. Grant is a powerful hedge witch, yes?”
“Yes, you mentioned it before.”
“And the fact that you and your daughters can see the fae, when most off-islanders can’t, shows that you too have some talent. From what you have told me, you’re related to Mrs. Grant somewhere far down the line.”
“I haven’t seen any fae before this.”
“There aren’t many fae at all in America, I think. Most of the powerful beings there are indigenous.”
“You mean the American Indians’ lore?”
“Yes. Have you ever gone to one of their holy places?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Houston is a new city. The States is just a new world in the clearest sense. There’s the possibility that your powers were awakened when you came here since there’s so much magic about, especially with the boundaries breaking down.”
“I also saw that Mrs. Grant is related to the man’s wife who lost his family in a fire. After he vanished, his sister-in-law, the only living heir, inherited it, so—”
“You and Mrs. Gra
nt are related by blood and you’re both related to Grieg Ghillie through marriage.”
“I guess I’m lucky someone bothered to keep a record.”
“I’m guessing it wasn’t luck. How did you come to get your family history?”
“My mom said that someone contacted my grandmother and claimed they were related. This person asked my grandmother if she would like to see the family tree. They became pen pals.”
“I bet that you’ll find that person is a relative in some manner to Mrs. Grant.”
“This was all planned, you think?”
“It seems probable.”
“How does Greg fit into all this? He’s a descendant of this Ghillie, right?”
Kay shook her head. “Not exactly.” I opened my mouth, but she stopped me before I could say anymore. “Grieg Ghillie was cursed and a geas put on him regarding this island and inhabitants. Because his grief consumed him to the point that he no longer cared for others, he had to remain in the forest and keep the peace between the fae and the islanders. The geas affected the fae also. The doorway between the world of the fae and man became virtually unpassable for those in the Hill. The stronger the fae, the stronger the effect, so only the least powerful fae could pass through. These were easily handled. The Ghillie, as he came to be known, would return these intruders from whence they came. Unfortunately, the geas is failing.”
“So, this Ghillie is some ancestor of Greg’s?” Kay didn’t answer. ”Are you saying Greg inherited some family curse? That’s crazy. And what’s a geas?”
“A geas is a magically imposed obligation. Think on it a moment, Becca.”
I grew quiet and thought about all I knew and had learned about Greg and his family. About how there was no evidence anywhere that he existed. About how the last time his family name was mentioned was after the fire except for occasional forest sightings.