by Vanessa Skye
“The Talentless are becoming bold to attack so close to a large community,” Baird says, scowling.
Aiden nods. “Indeed. Nuadha sent me to investigate claims the Talentless are becoming increasingly reckless, not to mention greater in number. This is poor news indeed to bring him—and there will likely be some retaliation.”
“Wait a minute,” I say, remembering how meek Rowan was. “How do we know this is Talentless? Are we just going to blame them with without evidence?”
“There is no other explanation, child,” Aiden says.
His use of the word child annoys me, and I scowl. “But you don’t know. From what I saw last night, Aife was a pretty horrible person. There could have been any number of fae lining up to off her.” Hell, I thought about doing it myself.
“Fae do not simply kill other fae,” Baird says, the warning heavy in his voice.
“Except for last night, when those horrible boys were going to kill Rowan!”
“I cannot believe they would have gone through with it. Bullying is one thing. Murder is another.”
“So you’re saying fae never kill each other? Ever?”
“Outside of retaliation for the Talentless raids, rarely,” Baird says. “Except for war, of course.”
“So, basically, the exception to fae never killing other fae is all the time.” I cross my arms.
“It is true, we cannot say for certain it was the Talentless, and I will be sure to point this out to Nuadha. Okay?” Aiden places a hand on my shoulder and smiles. “You are quite the champion of the people, Alys. Particularly considering you suffered at the hands of the Talentless yourself.”
“I’m happy to be a voice for them since I know exactly how it feels being bullied.” The admission is barely more than a whisper, but I look straight into Aiden’s eyes then lift my chin. “I can’t just sit back and watch it happen to others. I won’t.”
Aiden turns back toward the body. “Digging a grave in this almost frozen earth will delay us significantly, but we cannot leave her out for the scavengers.”
Baird joins him, placing a consoling hand on the general’s back as they stare at Aife’s still form.
“It is a waste, losing a woman so young. A woman who had not yet reached her full potential.”
Baird nods. “Yes, a death such as this is pointless.”
“Aife deserves better. Let us try to give her some respect.” Aiden claps Baird on the shoulder, sighing heavily.
“It is the least we can do.”
“A pyre?” Aiden asks.
“Perhaps that is a better option.”
Aiden glances at me then Baird. “Could your faeling…” He gestures toward Aife’s body.
Baird studies me. “Possibly. But she is still untested and untrained in the art of fire.”
“What better way to learn than when your subject is already dead?” Aiden asks.
“The forest is a poor place to lose control,” Baird says.
“I’m standing right here, guys!”
“You won’t lose control, will you, Alys?” Aiden smiles. “Consider this the beginning of your training.”
“You’re asking me to…” I look at the body with my eyes wide in horror. “But…”
“Better than leaving her to the wolves, wouldn’t you say?” Aiden asks.
“You can do it,” Baird says.
I stare at my hands. I could barely light a campfire, and they want me to cremate a body?
They both stare at me, waiting.
I guess they do.
I concentrate on the flicker of power within me. I take my time, trying to be more careful—possibly because I want to impress Aiden—and slowly identify and grasp the light within.
As tenuous tentacles wrap around me and swell with power, I raise a hand and let a small amount of it flow into Aife. It may not be enough, but I figure it’s better than setting the entire forest ablaze.
The white light penetrates her body, and for a moment, it looks as though nothing is going to happen. Then, the body begins to smoke, the fire starting on the inside the same way it did with the man with the gun in the human world.
A few seconds later, the thick smoke conceals her body and she is gone. Only white ash remains.
“Impressive,” Aiden whispers. “Well done, child.”
I whirl on him. “Stop calling me a child!”
He nods, clearly trying to hide a smile. “My mistake, Alys. It won’t happen again.”
We head back to the small clearing where they’d left me what feels like a lifetime ago.
Aiden lets out a piercing whistle.
Within moments, I hear the sound of pounding hooves coming closer.
The horses clear the tree line with our packs still slung over their backs, and I’m not sure whether to be happy or horrified.
We jump up—me without assistance this time—and push the horses into a gallop.
I squeeze my poor blazing thighs together in an effort to stay on the back of my mount, but I still feel as if I’m one hoof beat away from plunging to the ground.
Soon enough, we leave the shelter of the forest to emerge in a grassy, sunlit plain, and slow so the horses can rest.
“I appreciate your discretion regarding my daughter and her…talents,” Baird says as we walk. “Many would not be as understanding.”
Aiden looks unsure, opening and closing his mouth several times, but after several yards, he sighs. “I know them first hand, friend Baird. My sister was a fire user. She was taken from our community when she was naught but a babe. I do not even know if she still lives.” His face twists in pain. “It has been a long time since I have seen such a talent. Do not fear. I may have been too young to protect my sister, but I will protect your daughter from those who would abuse her talent or do her harm.”
Baird bows as best he can on the back of a horse. “I thank you.”
I spot a group of fae in the distance, and I hope it is Aiden’s men and not a band of Talentless.
Guilt fires in my gut. Was I not just defending them?
Aiden spurs his horse to a gallop, and we follow.
A round of salutes and beannachtaí greet us as we stop in front of the men all dressed the same as Aiden—long pants, tunics and knee-high boots, each with a sword at his waist, and a few with bows and arrows.
While I know they’ve been walking since before sunrise, none of them look even a little tired. In fact, I realize, I should have been sore this morning, but beyond my stinging thighs, none of my muscles ache. I feel alive and ready to go.
“This is Baird and his daughter, Alys,” Aiden says, waving toward us. “They will be traveling with us to see the king. You are to treat them as you would any honored guest.”
The men greet Baird with quick respectful bows, but a few of the men’s gazes linger on me a little too long.
Aiden slides from his mount’s back and rests his hand on his sword. “And any man caught leering at Alys will answer to me.”
The men’s ogling gazes are quickly refocused on prepping for travel.
***
I can’t hide the whimper of relief as I ease off my mount after a full day of riding. Luckily, the sound is covered by noises of the men making camp.
“We made good time today,” Aiden says. “At this rate, we may well reach the ship tomorrow evening and be ready to set sail the following dawn.”
The fall air chills quickly as the sun dips below the pink horizon, and I’m grateful to the fae who has a campfire roaring in no time.
Several men disappear into a nearby wood only to return less than an hour later carrying the carcass of a large deer slung over one of their backs.
They stake the animal up and have it dressed and roasting over the open flames in short order.
My stomach growls full sentences at the wonderful smells floating through the camp. I’ve never tried venison before, but I’m hungry enough to accept the challenge tonight.
Baird sits down next to me and hands me a
chunk of meat on a stick. “How are you?”
“Chafed, but okay,” I reply with a wince. “I didn’t know riding was so hard. I’m pretty sure my thighs will never be the same.”
He chuckles. “The riding takes some getting used to. It has been nearly twenty years since I rode last. You are not the only one feeling sore, I promise.”
We eat in silence for a while.
“Aife’s death…Aiden seems terribly upset by it. Were they…you know?”
Baird shakes his head. “The fae feel the unnecessary death of another fae profoundly, particularly when the death is a young one.”
I frown. “Why? I mean, any death is terrible, isn’t it?”
“Of course, but it takes fifty years for fae to reach an age where they can procreate. Even then, fae women can only have one child. Men, however, can father with multiple partners, as demonstrated by Aiden’s sister. If a woman dies before she has had a chance to have her child, the loss is keenly felt, not only for the woman but also for the child who will never be. Each and every faeling is a precious miracle.” He sighs and stares into the flames. “I suppose it is nature’s way of preventing immortal overpopulation.”
“Oh.” Rhiannon’s melancholy about not having a daughter makes perfect sense now.
“This is why the Talentless cannot continue slaughtering the fae. Thousands of fae were lost under the tyrannical rule of Bres, and it took a full millennium for those losses to be replaced, in number at least. If there is another war, or if the Talentless become so great in number they become a threat, fae could well become a lost species in this world.”
“How come human women can have more than one baby?”
“Fomoiri and Milesians had no such reproduction problems.”
“Huh. For people who are so powerful in so many ways, they sure are fragile.”
He nods. “They are. It is one of the many reasons they protect themselves, and their communities, so fiercely.”
I look around the campsite at the band of men talking and eating. Most of them have the typical war fae scarring, but a few have vines, horns, or muddy dreadlocks hanging down their backs.
“Why do some fae look normal, while others have wings, or vines for hair, or even scales?” I ask.
“War fae are scarred because of constant battle, but fae can choose how they look. Some prefer to appear in their natural form, with wings or vines or gills, and some choose to project themselves without identifiers, so as not to give away their talent. It is up to them.”
“So…do you have dreadlocks, too?”
He laughs. “No. My time in the human world meant I had to blend in. But I might change my appearance the longer I am here. We shall see.”
“Can I change my appearance?”
He shrugs. “Fire users don’t have a particular identifier. Do you feel drawn to a particular fae look?”
I think about it for a moment then shrug. “No. I guess I just look how I look.” I watch the men settle in the grass around the fire while others stand guard around the perimeter, peering into the night, each face a different mask of concentration.
There are no tents, sleeping bags, or even blankets, but I am so tired that, eventually, I lie on the grass, too, and use my lumpy pack as a makeshift pillow.
Baird gets comfortable a short distance away, and Aiden settles on my other side. Their obvious protection makes me feel secure, and I smile slightly.
I feel the heavy gazes of some fae falling on me occasionally as I start to doze, but none approach, and I’m grateful. Positive male attention isn’t something I am familiar with or interested in.
Aiden is easily the most beautiful man I’ve seen, with his luminous eyes and smooth muscles, but I don’t feel anything beyond friendship and gratitude. I keep waiting for the rush of infatuation that inevitably seems to follow teenage hormones, but it never comes. Perhaps it’s normal for fae my age.
As I drift off, I make a mental note to ask Baird about it in the morning.
Chapter Nine
It’s still dark when Baird shakes me awake the next morning.
“Are you kidding?” I groan. Do these people ever sleep past sunrise?
“We need to get underway if we are to reach the ship by nightfall.”
“Where’s his boat?”
“Aiden’s ship is anchored in the fae version of Lake Eire, close to what you call Toledo. From there, we navigate the various waterways until we reach the ocean. It is a three-week sail to Éire from there.”
I sit up, rubbing my eyes free of sleep. “The Toledo near Grand Rapids?”
“Hurry.” He rushes off to help with final preparations.
“We’ve walked from Chicago to Grand Rapids, and now, we’re heading for Toledo?” I call after him. I don’t know how many miles that is, but I’m pretty sure it’s a lot.
Sleeping in your clothes does have its advantages. I pick up my pillow/pack, and I’m ready. Taking a mental inventory of my body as I stand, I realize I should be sore, but again, I’m not. Even my inner thighs are healed.
My horse is waiting, and I wince.
We eat our morning meal of dried fruits and nuts on the back of our horses while Aiden’s men set off at a steady pace in the distance. It’s amazing how many miles fae can cover on foot, seemingly without ever getting tired.
The day passes much like the previous one, with our mounts alternating between a walk and gallop and Aiden’s men jogging within constant eyesight of us without ever asking for a break.
In the distance, bodies of clear, crystal blue water can be seen on all sides, and I marvel at the beauty of wide, open grassy plains dotting the landscape between thick forests, natural creeks, and marshland. The air is clear and crisp, and the sun slowly warms everything as it moves across the sky. To think, on Earth, this pristine countryside is jammed with housing, highways, malls, and people.
By the end of the day, I am feeling quite proud of my horse skills. However, as the tall dual masts of a sailing ship draw near, I realize my horse legs have to evolve into sea legs, quick.
The ship is beautiful, similar to the ones Mom and I used to visit off Navy Pier, but different. Our ships were rounder and sat higher out of the water than this sleek vessel made of some kind of wood bleached nearly white by the sun. It must be at least one hundred feet long with two tall masts carrying an endless web of ropes and colorful sails.
As we ride closer, I see a beautiful woman carved on the front of the ship. Her hair is long, and her flowing hair wraps around her body like a curtain while her robes drape along the sides of the ship as if they are blowing back in the wind. Her face is serene, almost angelic, but her gaze is piercing as she watches the sea, protecting the ship against impending disaster. She looks so realistic that I wouldn’t be surprised if she climbed down to greet us.
“Who is that?” I ask Baird and point at the lovely lady.
“She is Danu, the lost goddess. She is the mother of the Tuatha De Danann and greatly loved by all fae.”
“The lost goddess?”
“She was lost to her people nigh on a millennium ago, now. She simply…disappeared.”
“Oh.”
“But fae never stop believing she will one day come back to her people.”
I frown as we dismount and climb the narrow ramp toward the massive deck of planking stretching fifty feet in either direction and broken up only by the masts and the huge round wheel. I am surprised by how solid the ship feels beneath my feet.
“Um, are we going to sleep on the deck? In the rain and everything?” I ask. “What about the horses?”
Baird laughs. “No, Alys. Fae ships contain more than one surprise. Follow me.”
Aiden waves, and as we approach, he opens a hidden trapdoor to reveal a narrow set of stairs.
My eyes widen as we follow Aiden into a large room filled with men preparing supplies and putting away personal belongings. Bunk beds, stacked four high, line one side, and on the other is a row of closed doors with a dif
ferent symbol carved into each one.
“There are another two levels like this one below us,” Baird says as I look around. “Each is accessible via watertight trapdoors like the one you just discovered. The horses will be safe with the cattle in a stable below the stern of the ship. Appearances can be deceiving.”
“Wow.”
Aiden opens one of the doors. “These are your quarters while you are here,” he says, waving us inside. “I am to your left, should you need anything.”
The small windowless room is lit by the warm glow of an oil lantern sitting on top of a small table set with plates and goblets for two. Dual bunk beds are built into opposite walls, and while it’s not as fancy as the room Rhiannon gave me, it is certainly cozy and comfortable.
No wonder this thing sits so low. There is an entire city living inside!
“Thank you, Aiden. You are indeed generous to two traveling strangers,” Baird says.
“You are most welcome. Food will be brought in soon. Till then, get some rest. We will set sail at first light.” Aiden tilts his head. “And, Alys, your training starts not long thereafter, so save your strength. You are going to need it.” He closes the door softly behind him with a smirk.
“Training?” I suddenly feel drained.
“Yes. If you are to be even slightly convincing as a war fae, you have to get good at fighting, and quickly. Aiden has taken on that responsibility. In any spare moments, I will help you with your magic.”
I sigh and flop down on one of the bunks, sinking into the soft, down mattress and wool blankets.
Next thing I know, Baird is shaking me and whispering, “Food. You need to eat.”
I blink and grumble a bit but make my way to the table.
The food is good—some roasted meat with root vegetables—and I finish the meal in silence, undress, and climb back into my bed.
I’m not sure my head even hits the pillow before I’m fast asleep.
***
The soft rocking of the ship wakes me the next morning—at least, I assume it’s morning. The cabin is almost pitch-black without the benefit of portholes. The only light is the lantern, with a low flame too weak to penetrate the darkness.