by C. J. Abedi
The Kelpie appeared before them all, bowing majestically before Alderon.
“Master, I believe I have found her,” the white horse spoke in a quiet voice.
“You believe you have found her? Or you have found her? Which is it?” Alderon asked with a rising rage in his voice.
“I am quite confident she is the one,” the Kelpie looked up at Alderon and knew that if the outcome wasn’t as he had commanded, his days on this earth were certainly numbered.
“She is quite enchanting, and he is most definitely taken by her.” The Kelpie lifted his head up into the air and took a deep breath.
Alderon was intrigued.
“Continue.”
“She is everything we imagined. Strong, cautious, and beautiful,” Patrick quickly told him, knowing that it was probably not wise to highlight her positive characteristics, as they would likely not be embraced or appreciated. “And it is because of these reasons that I have come to you today.”
“You dimwitted fool, have you fallen under her spell as well?!” Alderon screamed.
The horse immediately shifted to the male figure. He knelt down on the grass, slowly bowing his head before his master, begging him for forgiveness, and hiding his shame.
“No sire, she is not appealing to me. Not in the least bit,” Patrick replied, continuing cautiously. “She appears to be too protected. It is for that reason that I respectfully ask that you remove me from this mission, as I have come to realize that this job is not one that I feel I’m capable of completing to your satisfaction.”
“Do you mock me? You question my judgment!” Alderon was now screaming at the top of his lungs. His anger had erupted, causing the spectators to scatter as he suddenly reached down and grabbed the Kelpie by the throat.
“No sire, but as I said before, I understand the need for secrecy. I understand how important it is for you. And she does not trust me,” Patrick spouted out, barely able to breathe.
“And how do you know that?”
“I can see it in her eyes,” he said in fear. “She is a afraid of me.”
“This has never stopped you before.” There was no mistaking the menacing tone in Alderon’s voice.
“No, it hasn’t sire. But she is also well-guarded.”
“How do you know?” Alderon replied releasing his grip on the desperate man.
Patrick caught his breath. “I have been following her for quite some time now, and I have been watching him from afar. I realized who she was some time ago because he cannot hide his true feelings when he’s around her. That is why there is no doubt in my mind that she is the one. She is the heir.”
Alderon smiled.
“She is so well-protected. I don’t know how I am to make her bleed so that we can be sure.”
Alderon was quiet for a moment, carefully digesting all of the information he had just heard, well aware of the sorry fate of the Faerie that knelt before him. A fate that his son would soon face.
“Well then, I suppose we’ll have to devise another plan,” Alderon finally said in a menacing tone as he brushed his hands against the top of the Kelpie’s head. “You will take me to her, and then you will be free. But first there is someone I must see.”
He left the trembling Kelpie, who would soon face certain death, and appeared again in his private chambers. He moved quickly toward a large chest. The massive lock unclicked on its own, recognizing its master, and lifted before Alderon. He reached inside and pulled out the lock of hair that the Kelpie had stolen for him weeks earlier. A beautiful lock of long blond hair that belonged to his youngest daughter, Tatiana.
Alderon took a deep breath and began to recite words of magik. As he whispered the words, the air around him began to mist into a fog.
“Tatiana, my child,” he began, sounding like a loving father. “My daughter. My only daughter. Do you hear me now? It is I, your father.”
The mist around Alderon began to move again, like a whisper.
“Tell me you hear me,” Alderon said again.
And suddenly Tatiana’s face took shape in the mist as she stared at Alderon. The shock of hearing her father was all over her face. Alderon smiled and reached out, even though he wasn’t reaching toward her physical body.
“You came, my child. Yes, it is true. What your heart has always known. I am your father,” Alderon said in a soothing voice. “Your mother was a Dark Fae. You are not made of Light as Odin has told you but only Dark. You are my child. My only daughter. My only pure child.”
Tatiana’s face was filled with shock.
“He has betrayed and deceived you, your Odin. He has lied to you all these years and has belittled everything you are. Everything you stand for. Denied you your right to be by my side. The only place that is truly your home. How could such a God do this to you?”
Tears streamed down Tatiana’s face.
“I called for you now because we are in grave danger. I loved you so much that I didn’t want to upset your life before. I thought you were happy with your existence. I didn’t want to cause you any more unnecessary pain. But now, I have no choice. My court, your court, we are all facing possible death because of your dear brother. He has placed all of us in peril. Our race. Our very existence. It will all end, my dear Tatiana, if we let him. We cannot let that happen,” Alderon lovingly spoke to the lock of her hair.
“You are a princess. My princess. This kingdom is as much yours as it is his. And he is behaving so very carelessly and foolishly with it all.”
Tatiana’s face suddenly changed, and the look of anger that appeared could not be mistaken.
“And all for the sake of one human girl. I beg you, don’t let him get away with this,” Alderon said convincingly.
“Help us, dear child. You are the only one who can save our people.”
C
I woke up in the morning and for the first time in a long while felt good about the future. Part of it had to do with the fact that Famous was lying sprawled on my chest staring down at me with a funny smile.
“What is it”? I asked him as he wagged his tail. Slowly petting his furry body, I knew what he wanted. A walk. And truth be told, I really felt like I could use one, too.
“Let’s go. Let’s go out for a walk,” I said to him as he wagged his tail even harder and started to bark at me. I couldn’t help but laugh as I put on my jogging pants, and he pulled on the edges with his teeth. He was so excited that he wanted me to hurry it up.
“Okay! Okay!” I dressed quickly and pulled my hair back in a ponytail, and then the two of us ran down the stairs together. He was barking happily as he bounced after me. I knew my parents had already left for work, so I grabbed the house key, put his harness on, and we were off.
It was a beautiful day. We’d had a few days of rain, but today the weather had warmed quite a bit as the sun kept peeking out from behind the clouds. It definitely wasn’t tank top weather, but it was nice nonetheless.
Famous was happy to bounce along the sidewalk and bark at every car, bird, insect, or squirrel he saw. It always made me laugh, but I was happy with his joy because it confirmed his innocence and made me appreciate how beautiful life was, all through the eyes of this little creature.
I looked behind as he sniffed around the ground and saw three runners approaching us, not far from where we stood. All of them wore similar black jumpsuits and seemed to run in perfect sync. Even though it was a little eerie, there was something beautiful about the way they moved in perfect unison.
I continued staring at them in awe, as Famous played in the grass around me. Little did I know that just moments later, every aspect of my life would change.
As the runners grew closer and closer to us, I unconsciously loosened the grip on his leash.
That was all it took.
As Famous felt the freedom from my grip, he began moving forward faster, so much so that had quickly lost the leash entirely. It’s funny how in life the things that happen
to you that are the most monumental, and potentially devastating, always seem to go by in slow motion.
In his exuberance, Famous kept sniffing along the grass until he was at the edge of the sidewalk and then finally in the street. Finally free.
And running.
He hadn’t made much noise, so it took me a while to snap out of the trance-like state I was in. When I finally realized what had happened, that he was gone and running, I began screaming out his name.
First in anger, mostly at myself.
And then in fear.
But as all tragedies, my cries were too late. A car swerved around the corner, literally appearing out of nowhere, and hit my precious baby, making him fly like a bird through the air.
To say in words what I felt would be to diminish the love I felt for this animal. He was my life. A part of my heart. The one true thing I had. The scream that tore out of my body came from the very depths of my soul.
“No!!!”
I ran toward his limp body.
“Help!!!” I continued screaming at anyone who would listen. I turned around in despair and locked eyes with one of the joggers. He didn’t ask me if I needed help. He didn’t even stop. He just looked at me, and as he ran by, he even seemed to have cracked a small smile. At first I thought that my imagination must have been playing games with me.
Who would smile at this?
What kind of monster would find joy in an animal’s suffering? To see his innocent and lifeless body. All of it was unbearable.
My Famous.
The tears began streaming down my face as I reached down and picked him up and cradled his disfigured body in my arms. I told him over and over again that I loved him. Gone was the smiling baby of the morning and all that was left was a limp barely breathing dog.
“Oh Famous. No! Please, no. Somebody! Somebody please help me!” I don’t know who I screamed at. In a blur people started running toward me as I cradled my baby in my arms.
I was dying with him. I knew it. This small animal had been my only life support, and he was about to be taken from me.
God! No!
D
I bolted up in bed.
Caroline.
Something didn’t feel right. I felt sudden alarm, sensing that she was in trouble. In deep and utter pain.
I could feel it within my body. I closed my eyes and shuddered at the sense of fear that washed over me. I felt as if she was dying. Something was very wrong.
I moved to the side of the bed, letting my legs hang down as I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes. My mind was instantly silent. I called upon my skills. The dark magik. It was the only power that would help me see through anything, it was like my very own crystal ball.
“Show me Caroline,” I commanded. “Tell me where you are.”
A sudden flash went through my mind. And instantly, I saw her. Running. Screaming for help. Crying hysterically.
My heart stopped. I had to take a moment, breathe deeply again, so I could see through my instant anguish and rage over her suffering. I wouldn’t be able to find her otherwise. I focused again, and I saw another flash.
There she was. Climbing out of a stranger’s car and holding a limp Famous in her arms. She was beyond grief. Tears streamed down her face as she openly wept in anguish.
“How?” I asked out loud.
And then the whispers began. The magik began to work in earnest, and I saw Famous running. I saw the dark car speed up in the direction of the small animal. I saw the point of impact. And I saw the joggers.
One.
By.
One.
And then I saw her, and my mouth went dry.
Tatiana.
My dear sister.
But a sister no more.
I immediately rose and began to dress, and as I did I silently vowed I would kill her for causing Caroline such sorrow. She would weep in pain for every tear that Caroline shed. She would feel the depths of true sorrow. She would feel the depth of my wrath.
But there was time for that. Now I had to console Caroline.
“Take me to her,” I commanded and was instantaneously transported into the entrance of the veterinary office in Roanoke. I ran through the doors and up to the front desk.
“Caroline. I’m here to see Caroline Ellis.”
The older nurse looked at me sadly.
“You’re her boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
“She’s going to need you. I will take you to her.”
I knew that Famous was not going to make it through this accident. And I wanted to be with Caroline through it all. The nurse took me to the door, and I paused just before I opened it. Once I entered I stopped breathing.
Caroline was sobbing on Famous’s body. Clenching him as she shook convulsively. The dog was barely breathing as the vet prepared a syringe to put him down. Caroline was so immersed in grief that she didn’t even hear me enter.
“Do you know how much I love you? Do you know what you mean to me? How much joy and happiness you’ve given me?”
I was accustomed to loss. To life and death. But my eyes began to burn with tears as I heard her desperate voice. I watched Famous struggle to look at her; I knew he was in supreme pain. I could feel it, but he wanted, even at this moment, to ease her soul. This was the depth of his love for her.
“You are the only true thing I’ve had in my life. The one honest love. You are so special to me,” she said as she wept. “And I don’t know what I’ll do without you.”
The doctor nodded at me as I moved forward to Caroline and put my arm around her. If she thought it was strange that I was there, she didn’t say. When I looked down at Caroline and saw the grief on her face, I instantly made up my mind.
One look.
One simple look and that was all I needed.
All it took for me to court the dark magik and use it for her. I looked at the doctor and silently ordered him to leave the room. He nodded as if he was in a trance and did as I bid. I looked down at Famous, who was close to his last breath, then looked over at Caroline.
“Leave us.”
“What?”
“Just go, Caroline. Please.” If it was the look in my eyes or her trust of me she nodded slowly and walked out.
I heard the door close before I put my hands on the frail animal. He watched me intensely, and I could see the life slowly leaving him.
“Come back,” I told him as I felt the light rush around my body. I could feel his pain, the last thuds of his heart. I could feel the infinite love he had for Caroline, I could feel it all. And my energy began to work around his tiny body, mending the evil my sister had done. Bringing this animal back from the dead and knowing that what I was doing would be the demise of my very own soul.
For I was breaking the cardinal rule of all Fae.
Never interfere with death.
For what is meant to be, will be, and cannot be changed or altered. But I could not watch this innocent die, or worse, watch Caroline suffer. I would break any rule just to take her pain away.
“A Danann vu mata. Face death, but choose life,” I demanded of him. His body levitated off the table under the light in my arms, and I watched as my energy healed his body, his being. It took only seconds. I lowered him to the table again. And brushed my hand across his head.
“How are you, my friend?”
He was, of course, different now. No ordinary dog. Immortal until Caroline left the earth, part Fae from my energy and full of life. Hers for eternity. I knew he smiled at me, and I heard him say, “Thank you.”
“You are very welcome,” I told him. I ran my hands over his body and made sure he was okay before I turned to get Caroline, inform her of the miracle that had just taken place. But I didn’t have to.
She was standing right in front of me.
And I knew she had seen the whole thing.
C
There are moments in your life when th
ings happen and you walk away and wonder if it you had imagined it all. You wonder if your eyes played tricks on you, or if your imagination ran away with itself and got the better of your rational mind. These are the moments that are often times the most profound and life changing. And they stay with you forever. Imprinted in your mind and ready to replay over and over again. I closed my eyes thinking that when I reopened them, the vision would be different. But it wasn’t. All I saw was a bright light. And Devilyn.
I couldn’t shake it from my mind. The questions that were racing through my brain, endless. Why? But more importantly, how? When I saw the light emerge from Devilyn’s hands, I was entranced. For a moment I believed that my grief had taken a hold of me, and I was overcome with the feeling of loss. I wiped my eyes and looked again and knew that I wasn’t imagining anything.
The vision before me was real.
In my wildest dreams I couldn’t imagine my dog being lifted by this light up and off the metal table. I couldn’t imagine hearing Devilyn speak in an ancient tongue that was foreign to me, yet seemed so familiar. My mind was not playing tricks on me. What I was witnessing was reality.
It was truth.
And when he turned and saw me staring at him, his eyes were an iridescent black. Filled with bright shimmering light and yet, at the same time, a darkness resided within its depths. I could feel my body tingle all over as if there was an electrical force moving through me. He stood there for a long moment, his eyes glittering, his palms facing me, and it was almost as if he half expected me to run away from him.
The movement on the metal bed caught my attention. I watched as Famous slowly sat up and faced me. He wagged his tail and gave me his special smile. His eyes were brighter than they were before, but he was alive.
He was alive.
Devilyn moved away from the table and allowed me to walk up to him. I reached my arms out, and he jumped into them, licking my face joyfully. I couldn’t stop the tears from running down my face. He was alive! I hugged him tightly to my chest and looked over at Devilyn. The light was gone from his eyes, and he was back to being the normal high school student that I knew. His face was devoid of any expression as he waited silently for me to speak.