by Amy Sumida
Nothing could be seen beyond the door, just inky darkness, and Sarah hesitated to enter it after Raza forged ahead. So I slid in front of her and offered her my hand. She shook her head at holding hands like schoolgirls but smiled at me gratefully and stepped in behind me. I glanced back and saw that my knights were interspersing themselves between the witches and I nodded to them in approval. Eadan and his hunters were bringing up the rear.
I walked the path Between. Cat ran ahead of me and burst out into the sunlight of an idyllic meadow, to chase the jewel toned fairy butterflies through the berry laden bushes. I called to her as I stepped out of the door but when she stopped and looked back, it was to stare at something behind me. Her ears laid back as she focused intently and something about her stance made my blood run cold. I turned just as the screaming began.
Sarah was on the ground, along with Aidan and Frederick. Then Albert came through the door, followed by Tristan, and finally Jennifer Wasutke. All of them dropped as soon as their feet touched Fairy, shrieking as if they'd been set on fire.
“Oh, sweet Goddess,” I breathed as I rushed over to them. I knew exactly what was happening to them because it had happened to me. “Why didn't I think of this?”
“Because it was virtually impossible,” Tiernan shook his head, his eyes gone wide. “They have no traceable fey blood in them. How could they awaken something they don't have?”
“They obviously have it,” Raza growled as he held Sarah's head in his lap. “They wouldn't have magic if they didn't.”
“But they register as human,” Tiernan argued. “And they were born in the Human Realm. Fairy should have no hold over them.”
“It doesn't matter! Just shut up!” I screeched and took Aidan's head into my lap. “Aidan, I'm doing this to help you, I'm so sorry.”
Aidan's eyes shot open and locked on mine. I blew lavender dust from my fingertips, covering him in the sparkling magic, and his body instantly relaxed as he fell asleep. I laid him down and went to the others, flinging dream-dust over them until all the witches were sleeping soundly.
“Well, now what?” I ran my hands through my hair wearily.
“Now we set up camp,” Tiernan pulled me into a hug. “Well done, Seren,” he whispered in my ear. “You saved them a lot of pain.”
“And don't I know it,” I said as I eased away from him. “Alright, everyone, let's try and make the witches as comfortable as possible while we get camp set up.”
“Yes, Princess,” came a chorus of replies.
“Thank you,” I sighed and looked down at Jennifer Wasutke. “Goddess help us when you wake up. You're the last one I wanted to have more magic.”
“You think they'll become more powerful?” Ainsley stopped, bent halfway over Aidan.
“Why wouldn't they?” I shrugged. “I did.”
“Magic is a mystery,” Gradh offered. She was helping Torquil carry Frederick to a shaded spot and as she walked through the sunlight, her sunset skin glimmered a rosy-bronze. She glanced over to us with her sky-blue eyes and smiled grimly. “Who knows what path it will take with them?”
“Who indeed,” I frowned, wondering if I should try speaking to Danu. I decided that she already knew what we were going through and if she wanted to offer her insight, she would have done so already. “For now, we'll just have to wait and see.”
Chapter Fifty-One
We brought the witches closer to the fire as night fell. Raza paced anxiously, worried about the delay and what it might mean for Raye. I didn't know what to say to help him so I just kept watch over our sleeping witches and prayed silently to Danu that they would live through whatever transformation was happening within them.
I don't know when I fell asleep but I woke suddenly to screaming. I jumped up and found Prime Elder Wasutke standing in the middle of the meadow, holding the edges of her new feathered wings as if they were vicious snakes that might, at any moment, strike out at her.
I rushed forward and took her arms as everyone else closed in. Jennifer stared at me with eyes like a spooked horse, and then she looked beyond me and screamed some more. I slapped her and she refocused on me, blinked, then fell to the ground and wept. I turned to see what she'd been staring at and felt my eyes widen as far as they could.
“What?” Sarah frowned at me, then looked at the other shocked faces and lifted her hands to her face. “What's wrong? What happened to me?”
I ran to her and grabbed her hands, pulling them away from her gaunt cheeks. “Sarah,” I said calmly. “Take a deep breath.”
“Tell me what's going on!” She shouted.
“When you crossed into Fairy, your fey blood was awakened,” I said gently as the other witches started to gather behind me.
“Tristan,” Sarah moaned as she looked over my shoulder.
I looked back and saw that Tristan had gone through a similar transformation to Sarah's. His face was deathly pale, his cheeks sunken, as were his eyes. And those eyes... they were shrunken, as beady as any dullahan's, and they started darting around uncontrollably. Beneath those crazy orbs, his mouth had widened and even as I watched, it began to smile.
Sarah screamed.
“Sarah!” I shook her. “You can fix it with glamour. It will be okay, I promise.”
“Okay?” She screeched as she held her hands up to her smiling mouth. “Do I look okay to you? Because I don't feel okay,” she fell to the ground and began to laugh hysterically. Then she looked up suddenly, setting her gaze on Raza. “Is this what you meant when you said; soon perhaps?”
“No,” Raza whispered. “I had no idea that this would happen to you. None of us did. You have my deepest condolences.”
“I'm so sorry, Sarah,” I started to reach for her again but but then Frederick started shouting.
“There's something on my back!” Frederick pulled off his jacket and started yanking at the buttons on his shirt. “Get it off me! Oh Goddess, what is it? Get it off me!”
He yanked his shirt off and turned in a circle, trying to see what was attacking him. Jennifer, who was still crouched amid her raven-black wings, started cackling along with Sarah. The rest of us just stared in shock as a pair of delicate dragonfly wings unfurled from Frederick's shoulder blades.
“What are they?” Frederick screamed.
“Wings,” I said gently and laid a hand on his arm, stilling his movement. “Their smaller than usual but clearly sylph. I know some sylphs and they have wings very similar to those.”
“Sylphs?” He stared at me blankly.
“Air elementals,” Tiernan added. “I don't think those are big enough to allow you to fly but at least you have your answer now. Storm is descended from sylphs.”
“At least I have my answer,” Frederick said blandly and then huffed. “Useless wings. Be careful what you ask for.”
“And what about me?” Aidan asked. “Do I look any different? How's my face?”
“Still ugly,” Ainsley smirked.
“You haven't changed at all,” Conri chuckled as Aidan punched Ainsley's shoulder. “But then if you're from my line, you wouldn't; we are as we are. You lucky bastard.”
“I think I must have been lucky too,” Albert said over the fading cackles of Sarah and Jennifer. “I don't feel any different.”
We all just gaped at him.
“Uh, you might want to take a look down,” Conri advised.
“Oh!” Al declared. “Well, I think that's a bit of an improvement, don't you agree?”
“I do,” Conri nodded. “You look good, man.”
And he did. Albert had gained about fifty pounds and it appeared to all be muscle. His arms and legs bulged, tearing through his clothes in places, and his chest had widened. His features were thicker too, more manlier, and his voice had deepened.
“What do you suppose I'm descended from?” He mused as I headed back to Tristan and Sarah, who were now huddled together and moaning.
“Who, not what,” Gradh corrected him as she eased up to the now-buff man. �
��I'd guess trolls or dwarves.”
“Trolls,” Ian decreed. “Look at his teeth.”
“My teeth?” Albert bared his teeth and revealed a pair of thick fangs. He poked at them. “Oh wow.”
“They look good on you,” Gradh grinned.
“Seriously?” I asked her. “You're gonna flirt with a troll witch while I'm trying to help Beckoning witches?”
“You mean the dullahan witches,” Jennifer smirked and stood. She was done cackling but I wasn't sure if this was an improvement.
“Shut up, you feathered whore!” Sarah screeched.
“No, I won't shut up,” Jennifer strode over to Sarah, spreading her wings aggressively as she went. “I've taken enough of your bullshit, Vex. As far as I'm concerned, this is payback for all the witches you've ever tormented or abused. Fuck you, you dullahan monster.”
“Damn you to hell Jennifer Wasutke!” Sarah shouted as she stood and the shockwaves of her voice seemed to radiate visibly through the air.
“Oh no,” I whispered as Jennifer's face went blank and the life faded from her eyes.
Prime Elder Jennifer Wasutke fell to the ground; dead.
The whole meadow went silent, all of us staring at the winged corpse. Honestly, I wasn't too upset to see the Flight Elder expire but I was concerned about the fact that Sarah had inherited the dullahan ability to hasten someone's death through simply calling their name. Except she shouldn't have been able to kill Jennifer unless Jennifer was fated to die. Which meant that either these witches were going to soon die from their transformations, or Sarah had just developed another mutated magic.
“What did I do?” Sarah whispered.
“It's not your fault,” Tristan hugged her against him. “You didn't know. It was an accident.”
“And now, I truly am a monster,” Sarah cried. “Oh Goddess, kill me!” She started to bawl pathetically and then pulled away from Tristan to scream at the sky. “Kill me! Do you hear me, bitch? You've never done anything for me, you've never answered a single prayer, but if you do exist, I'll forgive all of your silence if you just kill me now!” She dropped to her knees and placed her face to the grass, weeping.
We all stood around her in a mournful circle, silent and grim. I was about to head over to give her as much comfort as I could, when a vibrant energy rushed through me, straightening my spine and lifting my head. I inhaled sharply as my body came alive with more magic than it was meant to hold.
“I have never answered your prayers because you were born too far away for me to hear you,” I said with the powerful voice of Danu. All of the fairies dropped to their knees, even Raza knelt, wide eyed and reverent. Cat though, yipped happily and bounded over to sit by my side.
“Hello, Sweetling,” I said and stroked Cat's muzzle gently.
Sarah stopped crying and looked up at me in shock. I don't know what she saw in my eyes but it was enough to convince her that her goddess stood before her at last. The witches gathered close, staring at me like I was their savior. Then they got to their knees as Sarah lifted to hers.
“Goddess?” She asked.
“I am Danu, sister of Anu, Goddess of the Fey,” I intoned in a voice that seemed to vibrate out through the world, touching everything as it went. “I am bonded to this realm, unable to cross into my brother's domain, or I would have answered your call. I would have answered all of you.”
“Danu,” Aidan whispered in wonder.
“Ah, the bargest magic runs true,” I said, I mean she said through me. “You are a miracle to me. All of you are. I am overwhelmed with joy to meet you, little lost ones. Even as I mourn the death of my raven mocker daughter.”
All I could think was; well damn, the witches were right. They did have a goddess, they just didn't know how to reach her. Danu continued, speaking over my internal dialogue.
“You were born in the world of humans, the world of Anu,” she went on. “So it is to be expected that you don't appreciate fey features, as we do here,” she/we reached down and stroked Sarah's sunken cheek. “You are still beautiful to me; a dangerous beauty. But I feel your pain. Both for what you've done and who you've become. So I will give you a choice. Both of you,” I/she looked to Tristan. “You may stay here, with me in Fairy, and I will take you to live on my sacred isle. Or I will reverse the changes in you and you may become what you were. You will go home to the realm of humans, never to return to Fairy.”
“And never to see you again,” Sarah concluded and Danu nodded.
“If you were ever to return, the change would occur again and it would be permanent,” Danu said.
Sarah looked down at herself, pensively stroking a finger over her mottled skin. Then she looked over to Tristan, who was staring at me/Danu like he never wanted to stop. Sarah sighed and closed her eyes tight. Then she took a deep breath and opened them.
“I'll stay,” Tristan said before Sarah could speak.
“Tristan,” Sarah gasped. “You'll never see your family again. You'll stay this way forever,” she waved a hand at him.
“I don't care how I look,” he shrugged. His eyes, like little glass marbles, remained focused on Danu/me. “You can tell my family that I've devoted myself to the Goddess. How could I possibly go back when she stands before me and offers me a place at her side?”
“I will return for you when you finish your mission,” Danu smiled at Tristan. “Now, Sarah. What is your decision?”
“I can't stay here,” Sarah said sadly. “I can't be this,” she held her arms out. “I'm a Vex. I must protect my people. I have to think of them. And myself. I'm sorry.”
“Can you accept what you've done here?” Danu waved a hand towards the body of Jennifer Wasutke.
“I will take responsibility for it but that's another reason why I must return,” Sarah said calmly. “Please, change me back.”
“I will,” Danu promised her. “But first, I want you to understand where you come from, who you come from, and you need to learn to control the magic that has birthed you. This new body will help you do that.”
Sarah bowed her head in acceptance.
“When I return for Tristan, I will change you back,” we laid a hand on Sarah's head. “Until then, know that I watch over you and you are loved, for all of your strengths and all of your weaknesses,” we looked to the other witches and laid a hand on each of them. “Go with my blessing and free those who have been stolen from you.” Then we turned to Raza and went to him, holding our hands out to him. He took our hands tightly, staring up at us like we were something miraculous. “My son,” Danu whispered and caressed the angles of his face. “So beautiful, so proud, and so sad. But I felt hope return to your heart when you first spoke to Seren.”
“She told me you had returned,” Raza smiled. “And I prayed that she was right.”
“I know,” Danu smirked. “I heard you but you weren't ready to hear me.”
“I was listening,” he swore adamantly.
“Action and acceptance are very different things,” Danu said gently. “You were ready here,” we tapped his forehead, “but not here,” we laid a hand over his heart. “Now you are ready.”
“Danu,” Raza whispered. “You have made my heart beat again.”
“It will always beat,” we smiled and lowered our lips to his cheek to whisper, “and it will always be mine.” Then we straightened to say louder. “But I'm willing to share it. Just be wary of giving it away too soon. Time is a tricky thing and must be handled carefully. One step in the right direction but placed at the wrong time, will only bring chaos. Be patient.”
“I will,” he breathed. “But, Danu, my son...”
“Is safe,” we smiled brightly and Raza's shoulders dropped in relief. “I have looked after the wild birds who have finally come home to roost. All of them,” we glanced at the witches. “But I can only do so much. You must free them and I will help you where I can. Know that I am with you always.”
Thank you for bringing them home, Seren... she whispered in my h
ead as she faded away from me.
I inhaled deep, closing my eyes as my body became fully my own once more. When I opened my eyes, I found Raza staring up at me with an unreadable expression, his hands still clasped in mine. Then the look was replaced with a smile as he stood and hugged me.
“Thank you for bringing her to us, Seren,” he whispered, unknowingly mimicking Danu's own words.
Cat yipped again, alerting me to the fact that she had followed the Goddess around the meadow. I bent to give her a hug and then straightened to look over the awed faces around me. Everyone stood, Tiernan coming over to hold my hand supportively. But it was Sarah who I was concerned with.
“I'm okay, Ambassador,” she whispered when she met my eyes.
“Alright,” I sighed. “We need to get to Dathadair and rescue our friends but first, let's bury Prime Elder Jennifer Wasutke. I wish we could take her back to her people but I don't think that's an option. So instead, let's lay her within the arms of Fairy and pray that she finds peace here.”
“And that her family will understand,” Tiernan said under his breath.
Chapter Fifty-Two
“What does Dathadair mean?” I asked Tiernan as we laid atop a hill, surveying the dullahan village below us.
“Death Omen,” Tiernan said dryly.
“Of course it does.”
“Well what did you expect a bunch of dullahans to name their home; Sunnydale?” He shot back.
I choked on my laughter.
“It wasn't that funny,” Tiernan cast a dark look my way.
“Oh damn, for a moment there I thought you were purposefully referencing Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” I chuckled.
“Buffy is the name of a vampire slayer?” He lifted his brows.
“It's meant to be funny,” I slid a smile his way. “But what's really funny is that Sunnydale was the name of the town Buffy lived in and it happened to be built over a portal to Hell.”
“Hmph,” Tiernan huffed. “Maybe it would have been an appropriate choice after all.”