by Rebecca Hall
“Hush,” Gawain said. “You need a break little cousin, I already spoke to Titania. We can’t have you wearing yourself out.”
Fluffball whined again, tail waving, and tried to worm free.
“Oh no you don’t,” Gawain said. “He’s already sick, I’m not having you set off his allergies.”
“But I have to brush and walk her,” Nikola protested. He tried to sit up and then slumped back into the pillows.
“You have to rest,” Gawain said.
“I’m just a little light-headed,” Nikola protested but he didn’t try to get up again.
“I can do it,” Mitch offered. “It’s the least I could do after disturbing your sleep.”
“You’d get lost,” Nikola mumbled.
“I’ll do it,” Gawain said. “Do you feel up to eating?”
Nikola nodded, “Just something light.” He tilted his head back to look at Mitch in a silent question.
“That’s fine,” Mitch said. “Particularly if it’ll get me my arm back.” Nikola was light but he’d been lying there all night.
“I was hoping I could keep it,” Nikola mumbled but he sat up, much slower this time, and let Mitch reclaim it.
“I’ll tell the kitchen to send it up in half an hour,” Gawain said. “Do you think you can make it outside?”
“Mitch won’t let me fall.”
Mitch rolled his eyes and Gawain chuckled. “I’ll check on you later,” he said, “don’t strain yourself.” He left, Fluffball still held securely in his arms. Nikola yawned and flopped back onto the cushions.
“I think you’re supposed to stay awake until after breakfast,” Mitch said.
“I suppose,” he yawned again. “I need a shower.”
“And I need to get dressed,” Mitch said. “Will you be alright on your own?”
“Don’t worry,” Nikola replied. “It won’t be a hot shower.”
“I always worry about you,” Mitch grumbled but he walked across the courtyard to his own room to change anyway.
They ate together at a low table in the gazebo in the courtyard, Nikola picking at his food while Mitch wolfed his down.
“Ah,” Morrigan said. “So that’s why my sister is demanding the return of her boyfriend.”
Nikola turned to smile at his cousin and she smiled back, gliding over to sit with them, her light dress fluttering around her.
“Hello Morrigan.”
“Little cousin,” she ruffled his hair and snagged an orange, using magic to peel it without getting juice everywhere.
“Mitch is a person you know, not a book to be returned.”
“You’ll have to take it up with Amelie,” Morrigan replied.
“Do I get a say in this?” Mitch asked.
“Hmm, since you need me or Gawain to actually get back to her? No, not really.”
“Well I suppose I don’t really like the idea of being returned,” Mitch muttered, and he was enjoying eating with Nikola again.
Morrigan laughed. “And I don’t like being Amelie’s errand girl, you’d never know that I spent hours teaching her to say please and thank you. I’ll have to come up with something nasty for her next lesson.”
“You also spent hours stringing her up from the ceiling.”
Mitch choked on his cereal though he knew that it was a normal part of training for a telekinesist. They were literally expected to perform magic with their hands tied behind their backs and Amelie was very good it. He would be completely terrible at it, particularly the ceiling part; he was not a fan of heights.
“Don’t worry,” Morrigan patted him on the back. “She had a safety line.”
“Which she took off once,” Nikola added.
“She never made that mistake again,” Morrigan smirked. “Gawain refused to heal her, said it would teach her not to be so stars-cursed stupid in the future, which it did, but it didn’t stop her screaming bloody murder next time I tied her up.”
Mitch smiled, he could imagine Amelie doing that. Hell, he could imagine the Academy teaching similar lessons only without the safety line.
“Do I get to hear anecdotes about Nikola as well?” Mitch asked.
“I’m right here,” Nikola tossed a piece of orange peel at him.
“You don’t take yourself as seriously as Amelie,” Morrigan said, ruffling his hair. “But I suppose we can wait until you fall asleep.”
“How kind of you,” Nikola said, his withering tone belied by his smile. He batted Morrigan’s hand away and straightened his hair.
“What’s kind of her?” Gawain asked, joining them while Fluffball frolicked in the grass, not at all worn out by her walk.
“Waiting until I’m asleep to tell Mitchell about my childhood.”
“Ah, I’ll get the photo album then,” Gawain said. He brushed Nikola’s hair back and pressed a hand to his brow. “And you’re going back to bed once we’re finished here.”
“Yes Gawain,” Nikola sighed and swiped a piece of orange from Morrigan’s plate.
“Anything else you’d like peeled little cousin?” she asked.
“Not at the moment,” Nikola replied, shuffling over and taking another piece of orange. Morrigan laughed and put an arm around him. They continued eating, Nikola dozing against Morrigan’s side, and Fluffball crept closer and closer until she could nuzzle Nikola’s hand.
“I think she feels left out,” Morrigan said, “we don’t even have any bacon for her.”
“Sorry girl,” Nikola said, scratching her between the ears. “I didn’t remember to check your bowls this morning either.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Gawain promised. “I might even be able to get her some bacon.” Fluffball waved her tail and Nikola sneezed, his eyes watering. Mitch began to reach for a tissue before realising that he didn’t have any on him and that Nikola had just used his magic to get a handkerchief anyway.
Gawain sighed and grabbed Fluffball, dragging her away from Nikola, who was too busy sneezing to notice.
“I knew being sick would make your allergies act up,” he muttered. “I’m dog-napping her until you’re better.”
“I think I–” he sneezed, “can live with that.” He sneezed twice more and sagged into Morrigan’s arms, sniffling.
“Poor thing,” Morrigan smiled down at him and a wave of magic washed over them. Nikola inhaled deeply, his sniffles subsiding.
“What are you doing?” Mitch asked. He could feel the magic but he couldn’t begin to guess what it was doing.
“Filtering the air. Are you alright little cousin?” Nikola nodded and wiped his eyes. Mitch just stared; he’d known that Morrigan was good. Hell, she was probably one of the best in the world, but he hadn’t realised that she was that good. Most of their books insisted that working magic on anything even close to that level was next to impossible. Telekinesis was not supposed to work on things that couldn’t be seen with the naked eye. Morrigan was doing it without apparent effort.
Fluffball whined, struggling to escape Gawain.
“Sorry girl,” Nikola rubbed reddened eyes. “I don’t think I can play with you today.” He sneezed again.
“I think it’s bedtime for you anyway,” Morrigan said, kissing the top of his head. “You’re burning.”
“But–”
“Say goodbye to Mitchell,” Morrigan said firmly. “Amelie is liable to send out search parties if we keep him much longer and you’re clearly in no shape to be entertaining guests.”
“Bye Mitch,” Nikola sighed.
“I’ll come visit when you’re feeling better,” Mitch promised, “I don’t think I’ll be having any classes for a while.”
“Come on Nikola,” Morrigan rose to her feet and pulled him up after her. He swayed and leaned against her, his face flushing.
“Come get me if he can’t sleep,” Gawain said.
“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Morrigan said, putting an arm around Nikola to support him. She reached into a hidden pocket in the skirt of her dress and p
ulled out a packet of balloons which she tossed to Mitch. “Tell Amelie to practice inflating these with magic,” she said.
“Can she actually do that?” Mitch asked.
“Probably not for another century or two,” Morrigan replied, “but she needs to learn patience.”
“You’re not the one that has to live with her while she learns,” Mitch grumbled.
“You’ll just have to visit more often,” Nikola said.
“Come on you,” Morrigan smiled down at him. “We need to get you to bed, you’re practically asleep already.”
“But Mitch is here,” Nikola took a half step towards him and staggered.
“Mitch is going home to let you rest,” he said, jumping to his feet and catching Nikola before he could fall.
“Gawain could just heal me,” Nikola grumbled, wrapping his arms around Mitch. Mitch grimaced, Nikola’s fever was climbing.
“We both know that the problem here is that you’ve had too much magic,” Gawain said.
“But everything is all spinny.”
“That’s why you’re going to lie down and sleep little cousin,” Morrigan said, prising him off Mitch and leading him away. “Come on, I can stay with you until you’re actually asleep.”
Gawain sighed when they were out of earshot. “He really is doing much better,” he said, setting Fluffball down and getting to his feet. Fluffball stared at Nikola’s room and whined but didn’t try to follow.
“I know,” Mitch said. “Guess it’s time I went home.”
“You’re welcome to come back whenever you want,” Gawain said, leading the way through the Court. “Morrigan or I are usually available.”
“Thanks,” Mitch said. “And thanks for coming to get me last night, I was kinda out of it.”
Gawain chuckled. “You were completely out of it and my sister wasn’t doing anything to help.” He sighed and came to a halt just outside the entry hall. “Don’t let her push you around too much ok, I know what Amelie can be like.”
“I’ll do my best,” Mitch said, crouching to give Fluffball a final scratch between the ears before going home.
PART FOUR
Deep Faerie
“Is everything alright?” Amelie asked, sitting on the couch next to him.
“Fine,” Mitch replied, putting down the phone.
Amelie arched an eyebrow. “You do realise that I can see your face, yes? And I heard half that conversation.”
“That was Miriama,” Mitch said, sinking a little deeper into the couch, “she’s never going to be able to walk again.”
“You already knew that didn’t you?” Amelie asked, moving a little closer.
“Not for sure,” Mitch said. Sure, he could give himself x-ray vision but that just showed him the bones not the nerve damage, and a tiny tiny part of him had clung to the hope that maybe, maybe it hadn’t been as bad as it looked. He sighed, if he really was going to study diagnostic magic then he’d have to learn more anatomy and he’d never been a fan of squishy science.
“I’m sorry,” Amelie said. “If you’d been able to get her to the Netherworld…”
“In an earthquake?” Mitch asked but he knew that she was right. There were potions that could reknit broken bones though he was less sure about resewing torn nerves. But if humans had never confirmed how bad the damage was it might have been possible to have her treated by a healer. Now it would just raise too many questions. Miriama could adjust to life in a wheelchair, he didn’t think she could adjust to life as a medical miracle. Everyone would poke and prod at her, wanting to know how she could walk again.
“So what should we do now?” Mitch asked.
Amelie shrugged, “We could volunteer to help with the clean up effort I guess.”
Mitch shuddered, search and rescue had been called off earlier that morning; now it was search and recovery and he didn’t want to go anywhere near it.
“We could go travelling instead,” Amelie suggested. “With all that damage campus probably won’t happen until next year.”
“Stupid war,” Mitch muttered, the epicentre of the quake was right in the middle of campus. Hell, it had probably been right where Hayley was sitting and it probably wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t been there.
“We could do it you know,” Amelie said after a moment. “Ask Nikola, he’s with Titania and Gawain, he’d be safe and they could end this stars-cursed war.”
“You’ve got to be joking,” Mitch said, making to rise only to have Amelie pull him back into his seat.
“This can’t go on forever.”
“The hell it can’t. It is called the Eternity War.”
“It’s just a name Mitchell. And I would like to have children one day, preferably without my husband dying when we start having grandchildren.”
Mitch gulped, apparently Amelie was a lot more committed to this than he was. He wasn’t even sure that he wanted children, or marriage; times like these he wasn’t even sure he wanted Amelie.
“Maybe they’ll find another demon or something,” Mitch said, slumping back into his seat. “Besides, it’s not like angels can get into Faerie. Hayley said that they’re not even aware of it.”
“There has to be a way,” Amelie insisted.
“Then someone would have found it before,” Mitch pointed out reasonably. “Anyway, we don’t actually know where in Faerie the curse is,” Mitch said, relaxing slightly now that the conversation had turned away from Nikola.
“Well if I had to guess I’d start with the Heart of Faerie.”
“The Heart of Faerie?” Mitch asked.
“It’s in the Equilands,” Amelie said. “The land between… Look, I’ll show you,” she added when she saw his confused look.
“What do you mean show me?” Mitch asked as she closed the curtains. “I thought you could only open a gate to the Unseelie Court in winter.”
Amelie shook her head. “It might be more accurate to say that I can’t open one to the Seelie Court,” she sighed. “The Equilands don’t really belong to anyone.”
“I thought that the gates always opened to the Courts?” Mitch asked.
Amelie gave him a look. “They really don’t know what they’re talking about do they?” she said, dropping back onto the couch. “The Outer Courts were built where the fabric between realms is thinnest so if someone inexperienced tries to make a gate to Faerie that’s where they end up. If you know what you’re doing you can open one elsewhere, it just requires more magic.”
“Oh, right,” Mitch said, adding it to his list of things the Academy hadn’t taught him. He’d really have to ask Nikola to teach him how to make a gate to Faerie after equinox.
“Anyway…” Amelie said. It was more of a window that a gate, a shimmering tear in the air through which Mitch could see a confused tangle of trees. Some were just coming into bloom while others were adorned in red and orange leaves with more decorating the ground around them. Mitch looked a little closer, peering this way and that through the window into Faerie and everywhere he saw the confused mismatch of autumn and spring.
He stepped back and the gate snapped shut.
“So you think the curse is there somewhere?” Mitch asked.
Amelie nodded, “The Heart of Faerie is there.”
“And we can just walk in?”
Amelie nodded. “There’s more magic in the Equilands than there is anywhere else in Faerie, and it’s between Summer and Winter so everyone just avoids it.”
“But–”
“But what Mitchell?” Amelie asked. “We know where the curse is.”
“We don’t know how to break it,” Mitch reminded her, choosing not to point out that what they had was an educated guess at best.
“We’ll work it out,” she said, smiling brightly. “Or would you rather sit around here waiting for the next earthquake?”
“You know it’s plans like this that got me killed in the first place,” Mitch muttered. He couldn’t have just left Belle in the Host’s hands though.
It was wrong and… He shifted uneasily. Belle had seen him rescue her, had she seen this as well? Did she know him well enough to nudge him towards it? No, he decided. Even if she did, she wouldn’t, would she?
Amelie laughed, “That’s probably a good thing. There’s too much magic in Deep Faerie for a human to survive. You would have been turned into one of the Fae and I’m told that the transition is painful.”
As opposed to dying and having to drink blood to survive, Mitch thought. The Fae might have become divorced from humanity as the centuries passed but he still knew which one he would have chosen.
“Can we at least try to make a plan?” he asked. “I mean, we should probably get some camping gear or something.” Though he had no idea where they’d get it from, the CBD had been cordoned off after the quake.
“Of course,” Amelie smiled at him and Mitch groaned, wondering how he kept getting dragged into such madness when all he wanted to do was study maths and hang out with Nikola.
#
“How far do you think we have to go?” Mitch asked, readjusting his pack. Amelie had found a camping store that hadn’t been closed down by the quake. Hell, it was doing a roaring trade now, and got them everything that they’d need for a week or so. Provided that they didn’t mind cold food. Amelie had said that an open flame here was a bad idea. The trees would object. Given what he’d seen in Cryptobotany Mitch hadn’t argued. Arguing with trees never worked well. He just hoped that the combination of ice-packs and cryomancy would be enough to keep his blood bags fresh.
Amelie shrugged. “The only thing that I can tell you for sure is that it’s that way.” She pointed. Mitch rolled his eyes; he could tell that much, unless Faerie had two giant magical beacons.
“We’ll probably have a better idea by nightfall,” she said.
“Maybe.” Mitch looked around uneasily. The trees were too scattered to really be called a forest but too dense to be anything else. Now that he actually stood amidst them the strangeness was even more pronounced, some of the trees were even blooming and turning at the same time and he was certain that he recognised some of the more dangerous plants from his classes.