by CC Dragon
“Did he say that?” she asked with folded arms.
“Not exactly but that’s how he’s treating me,” I replied.
“You’re doing your best. There are always different and stronger magical beings out there. Whether you’ve encountered them before or not. You and Mason could both be dead. That’s life. Hunting parties go out, and someone can come back seriously hurt. Alaskan life is dangerous for everyone.”
“Mason would rather just stay here and not deal with anything else unless it impacts his village.” I was ready to give up on him, but he’d never acted like this before. It was his life, his choice. I had to respect it but why would he agree to help if he could just walk away from these kids?
“His priority is the village and his family. But you are very close to being family. To being part of this village. It’s complicated for him. I think your feelings for him are complicating the situation as well.” She smiled.
“I don’t have time for feelings and drama. We can deal with that stuff once the case is solved, the kids are safe, or at least we know what happened.”
“After this case, what next? There is always something else to take priority. You don’t have time for a life. But you need to make time for one, or your balance will be off. You need to be strong for those families who need answers, but you feel selfish taking care of yourself. I understand the catch twenty-two. Plus, you’re not near your home, so it’s harder to continue looking after yourself the way you normally would,” she reasoned.
“FBI agents deal with that all of the time. You have to go on the road for some cases.” I shrugged.
Margo wrapped up some cookies and put them and my thermos in a backpack.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“You need to be alone with your thoughts. Take a nice walk in the snow. Mason needs to think too. Maybe he should not be helping with cases. Maybe he can’t be professional with you? Relationships change, and you can’t ignore them for the work…no matter how noble the goal,” she advised.
“Sometimes, people do need to change their partner. It happens. Thank you.” I hugged her. “I wish I had a mom like you.”
“You have me. No matter what happens.” She patted my cheek. “Now turn off your phone and go hike in the fresh air. You’ll find your way when you stop trying to justify the past or plan for the future.”
“That doesn’t sound as easy as you put it.” I slung the bag over my shoulder.
“If it were easy, you’d have done it already.” She nodded. “Go.”
I went out the back door and inhaled deeply. The snow wasn’t too deep yet. Winter in Alaska was so beautiful and real.
I didn’t think too much. I just started walking away from the village and toward the open terrain. It remained on village land, but I felt something drawing me.
It wasn’t the Thunderbird or the sea. I tried to discern the connection, but I was supposed to not overthink things. It wasn’t meditation, but I got into a zone that let me follow my gut and get out of my head.
There was nothing there, but I felt like a beacon was pulling me toward a spot. I couldn’t ignore the blinking feel. Maybe it was just nature telling me that I belonged to the village as much as anyone else?
I walked right up on it and found a simple ring of stones about a foot in circumference. The magic was palpable around the area but strongest right here.
“What is a Fae entrance doing on Native lands?” I asked myself.
How had one been there all the time, and I hadn’t felt it? Noticed it? This entrance was simpler than the one I’d tried to bother before. This was so much closer. Were they trying to trick me? Hide from me?
I waited for a guard or any Fae to warn me off. To order me to go. Getting this close had to set off something down in Fae land. My adopted parents were low level Fae, but they had lived in the human world while raising me. I’d never once been down into the Fae lands in the Underworld.
My feet tingled. I wanted to go. Did I dare step into the circle? With my new powers, I wasn’t afraid, but I didn’t want the rejection again.
They’d want me out. They would probably try to kill me for invading.
Did they know about my real birth? I’d walked among the Shadowmen and knocked them out so I wasn’t in any real danger from Fae.
Sure, the Fae were strong, but maybe now, I was a bit stronger? I looked around for any warnings or signs of inhabitants. Nothing.
I stepped into the circle and in a flash, I was inside the Earth. The world was vibrant and the forest lush. Colors popped and the air felt richer in my lungs. There was no snow but a gentle breeze.
A babbling brook nearby looked so pure and clean, even by Alaskan standards. I was used to raw nature and beautiful views, but the Fae world was like going from black and white to rich textured color. It was too much to be real; it was magic.
There were no roads or signs, but I found a sort of path in the grass. In the distance, I saw a village. Still, no one had approached me. Was I not a threat, or were they trying to figure out how to manage me?
I sipped my very hot tea, and it tasted just as I’d brewed it. That told me this was real. I felt the heat and appreciated the flavor.
I removed my jacket and kept walking toward the village. There were no signs, no information. I could’ve used my magic. It felt highly charged and quite ready, but I chose the walk. Close enough, I could see the village was huge. The structures were made of wood with thatched roofs yet sparkled with dazzling colors. I snapped my fingers and flew into the air to get a bird’s eye view. It was an enormous village…all in that little ring of rocks on Earth. I snapped myself back to normal on the outskirts of the village. I didn’t want to be a threat.
The Shadowmen’s rocky quarters were drab and nothing by comparison. Why would they live like that? Or was it all a lie? Was this a lie? Some trap set up by Indigo? I was getting really paranoid.
I had my magic, and I felt like I could leave whenever I wanted. Maybe I’d need to return to that spot, fine. But I wasn’t trapped here, not that I felt.
As I neared the first building, a trio of Fae warriors appeared in front of me. Their silver armor and spears gleamed like new. I had no fear, but maybe I should?
Chapter Three
The three guards surrounded me. It was freaky, like angels with power. Only this time, I wasn’t the least bit afraid. Should I tell them I was part Shadowmen or not? Maybe they’d relax and respect me more? I liked the idea of knowing I was stronger. Finally, I had an advantage.
“Hi, how are things?” I asked like I belonged here. “I’m Dot.”
“You can’t be here,” one of them said.
“But I am here,” I replied.
They hadn’t hurt me so far. Before, I’d always let myself be chased away at the gate. Now I was in and wanted to see how far I could get. They weren’t insulting me either. Calling me a half Fae or talking down to me.
Something was very different. But was it just that this was a Fae community on Native land? Maybe their rules were different. I certainly had the right to be in the Native village.
“You should leave. One chance,” another guard said.
“Nope, I’m welcome on Native lands. I’m treated as one of them. This Fae ring was on a Native land, so you must have some sort of truce with them. You can’t really remove me without causing trouble. I’d like the tour, please,” I quipped.
A guard each grabbed my arms, and suddenly, their wings came out in a massive spread. They carried me along, and I got to see the village again.
I probably could’ve teleported faster with my own powers, but I let them think they were in some sort of control for now. They settled in the middle of the village, near what looked like a town hall, and guided me into the building and straight back to a holding area in a very formal looking room. The emerald green ceiling was so pretty, I wanted a dress that color.
A few other Fae milled around, but no one spoke to me. Did they have laws and rules and bureauc
racy? These people were part of me, and I knew nothing about them but was willing to learn if they’d let me hang around. Oddly, I didn’t feel very connected to them.
I studied the room and tried to figure out if I was in danger. The non-guards wore vibrant colors with no protection or weapons in sight. Their clothing looked like leaves or petals, but I could see through the sparkle that they were made of sturdier cloth. Everything sparkled down here.
Suddenly, everyone else left the room.
I waited and examined my escape options. Things looked relatively secure, but deep down, I felt like I could bust out if I put a little magic behind it. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t in need or fear of approval from the Fae.
The grate over the window seemed overkill. I studied the shimmering metal. There looked to be scratches on the metal. I moved over for a closer look.
The symbols etched there felt oddly familiar. Not recently, but something buried in my memory. I pulled out my phone, but it wouldn’t turn on. Magical realms short-circuited some things. I put the phone away, and I tried to memorize the symbols to look them up later.
One of the symbols popped into my head from my childhood. It was on the window sill in my bedroom, the bedroom I stayed in after my mom had died, and I was staying with my adoptive parents.
A man walked back in. “Come with me.”
“Wait, what does this symbol mean?” I asked.
The man glanced at where I pointed. “Protection.”
“From what?” I asked.
“Protection from the person inside. In this case, you. Come with me,” he insisted.
Protection? Were my adopted parents afraid of me?
I followed the Fae to an interrogation room. It felt familiar, only I was generally on the other side of the interrogating.
“Sit,” he said.
I sat in the very cushiony chair. The room was illuminated from all sides, like the sun reached every angle and surface. The table was crystal and the walls a calming lavender. I didn’t feel at all threatened.
“Why are you here?” he asked.
“Why not?” I asked.
“You don’t belong here. We know who you are. We have people on the outside to watch for people like you,” he said.
I showed no emotion, but that surprised me. Most Fae didn’t welcome hybrids, but they knew who I was and were having me watched? I was wanted in the magical realm? I almost laughed.
“Who is watching me?” I asked.
“Various people. Not all Fae choose to live here, and they keep an eye on things. One of them has kept an eye on you for us, recently.” The man sat opposite me with posture which made him look like a mannequin. Such perfect skin and piercing eyes, I didn’t look like that. Full Fae were a bit out of this world, but they looked more normal on Earth.
Did I sparkle here? I looked down at my hand. Not really.
I was only half, but my other half was strong, assuming the Shadowmen crap was true.
“We have a woman in the local police department. We try to keep the peace with the humans and others who live on the surface,” he replied.
I nodded. “I’ve been working on a case involving children going missing. You wouldn’t know anything about that?”
“I’m not interested in your work. Why were you in our village?” he asked.
“The case brought me around here,” I said.
“How did you get in?” He slapped the table.
I smiled. “I just stepped into the circle of rocks. It’s not my first contact with the Fae world, but your guards were sleeping on the job, it appears.” I was pretty sure my Shadowmen side had everything to do with my easy access this time, but I wasn’t going to advertise my other half. I knew I wasn’t just half Fae and half human—I was full magical of some sort.
“You understand how hybrids are regarded?” he asked.
I nodded. “I’m aware.”
“Why did you come here?” he pressed.
“I never noticed this Fae entry point on Native lands before. Maybe it was hidden or maybe I was meant to find it this time. You have no conflicts with them?” I asked.
He shook his head. “We coexist in peace.”
“I see.” I smiled.
“What?” he snapped.
I shrugged. “Just be aware, if there is a conflict, I will side with them. They regard me as free to belong there, come and go as I please. That village is my new home, so I will choose them over you.”
He smirked. “You think you are so powerful.”
“Is that a challenge?” I asked.
He frowned. Before he could answer, there was a knock at the door.
The door opened, and a Fae female glided into the room. She looked regal in a dark blue cape with a gleaming silver tiara on top of her head.
The man shot to his feet then bowed.
“We know who she is, why she is here, and she is safe. We will speak to her,” the woman spoke calmly.
I didn’t recognize her. Not her voice, not her face, nothing.
“I feel like I’ve been spied on my entire life,” I said.
The woman smiled. Slightly. “That is not wrong. Come with me. You are not detained. You are our guest.”
That didn’t sound as welcoming or sincere as it should. But when had I ever been able to trust Fae? I wasn’t going to start now.
Chapter Four
The Fae woman waited for the male to leave. Then she made direct and a bit too long eye contact. “My name is Gileal. I am a protector of the Unseelie Court of Fae.”
I extended my hand. “I’m Dot…”
She waved me off. “We know. I’m very sorry you were forced to remain in the human world for your life. Certain Fae rules and prejudices mixed with other factors.”
“If you’re going to just be rude and give some double talk nonsense, I’ll leave,” I replied. Maybe that’s what they wanted. To talk down to me or bug me into leaving, but I knew I could always come back—and so did they.
She smiled. “You want answers. Of course. I don’t blame you. Let’s walk while we speak.”
She opened the door and let me walk out first. I didn’t trust her for a second, but I might as well hear her out.
“I get the prejudice. Fae don’t want hybrids around.” I shrugged it off.
We walked past buildings, and I didn’t bother to ask about what they were. This wasn’t home, and I’d forced my way inside. All of the people we passed bowed to Gileal. Her authority was real enough but what did people do here in a magical underworld?
“That is true, hybrids can breed trouble. But your power set up is very different. Until you were an adult with your full powers and aware of your other side, we couldn’t safely permit you into any Fae community,” she explained.
I nodded. “I was so much safer with humans.”
“You were. If people knew that your father was a Shadowman, you’d have been hunted all your life. Any para would’ve wanted to capture you and hold you for ransom or anything really.” She led me toward the forest area.
“Who would believe I was half Shadowmen? If I had no powers and my dad wasn’t in my life…” I prompted.
“People know. Your father was very powerful. Strong enough to produce a living child. That is extreme, and there’s every reason to believe you are as powerful, hybrid or not,” she replied.
I nodded. “The Fae dislike weaker hybrid combinations.”
“You are hurt and betrayed. You feel abandoned by your parents. This is normal. I’m sorry we didn’t have a better alternative solution.” She led me through the forest to a small cottage. “This is for you.”
I frowned. “I have a home.”
“Now you have a place among the Fae,” she said.
“Too late. Not interested.” I folded my arms.
She sighed. “You don’t trust us.”
“Why would I?” I asked.
“Very fair. Why would you come down here?” she asked.
“I never noticed
the ring before. I don’t understand why it’s on Native lands. I don’t like Fae being this close to my new home.” Part of me started to itch to leave, but I held my ground.
“We’re partners with the Natives. We want the Earth to heal and grow.”
I chuckled. “The Shadowmen said the same thing.”
She held out her hand, and a little bird flew into her palm. Then in a blink, the bird was gone.
Was this a contest? I opened my hand and conjured a ball of snakes all hissing and striking at the Fae ruler. Instead of making them disappear, I hurled them at her. She didn’t blink, but hopefully, I’d proven a bit of my magic.
“I’m not interested in commanding nature or animals, but I can if I have to,” I replied.
Two seconds later, Mason materialized in front of me.
“Crap,” Mason said.
“I agree. What the hell are you doing here?” I asked.
“I summoned him. The Natives are protectors as well. They are sworn to complete secrecy about our existence. They protect our entrance. You only found it when you were ready.” Gileal nodded.
“I only found this place when I didn’t care anymore. When I didn’t want your acceptance or approval. That’s insane. Come on, Mason. Let’s not waste more time on people who think we’re inferior.” I waved him to follow.
Mason shook his head. “We made a deal with the Fae on our lands. Protection for good hunting and good lands.”
“That doesn’t mean they’re the boss,” I replied.
“No, but he will hear me out. What I need and want. You will as well, I hope,” she said.
“If you actually answer my questions maybe,” I said.
She nodded.
“Is my mother dead?” I asked.
She nodded.
“Are you taking these children from their families?” I asked.
She shook her head negatively. “Centuries back, we took children with gifts to be trained. But the humans turned on us, hunted the fae. They destroyed many hills, limiting our access. That’s why so few humans believed we were real. The Natives knew and trusted us. Our intentions were good if sometimes the results weren’t ideal.”