Return of the High Fae

by Tom Keller

  "Find a way to return it most likely. But what about this Martin, what will losing the scepter do for his position? I understand it is supposed to be a symbol of leadership."

  Siegfried looked thoughtful for a moment, and then answered. "Well, that it is. But if it was common knowledge that it was missing I should have heard of it before now. I doubt Turner has said anything, especially since it is no longer in his son's possession, and Martin would be searching for it on his own. He'd never announce it publicly unless he had no choice. It may just be a symbol these days but it is a potent one. While the loss would not end his rule, it would be a sign of weakness that Turner could exploit."

  "Well, Turner's an ass. So do you know this Martin guy well? Is he a good leader?" I asked, since I didn't know anything about him or local Werewolf politics for that matter.

  "Martin has a good reputation among the Fae," Siegfried commented. "I've dealt with him on a few occasions and he takes care of his people."

  "Ok, I'd like to meet him if that's possible? I have enough on my plate without me getting into a war with some Werewolves because I have his scepter. But let's keep that info under the table for a while. No sense making myself a bigger target."

  "Perhaps I can make a discrete inquiry." He leaned back in his chair and gave me a serious look. "Let me give the matter some thought. Now, are you ready to tell me how you fought three Weres and defeated them?"

  I paused before answering and then I decided that if I was going to include him in the bad things going on, I owed him the good things as well. "Honestly, Siegfried, I'm still not sure. When they shifted it was like something switched on inside of me. I've tried to repeat it, but so far except for a small test, it's only worked when I've been attacked."

  "Well, I cannot say what the spell has hidden from you, but consider this, first you defeat two of the three mages that attacked Mr. Milagre and then Meredith did not sense you when we met for lunch. Later you saw the Faerie and then defeated three Weres. That is not the work of a simple Fae, not even a Fae warrior. I do not know what you truly are but it seems that you are more than just a Dryad."

  He shook his head, laughed and stood up. "You have certainly made my life interesting. I will keep this conversation between us for now. Mr. Milagre will want to meet after what he has just learned from your son. I will let you know if I discover anything else, take care until we meet again." He grasped my hand to shake it.

  "Of course," I replied, "and you do the same."

  "I will be in touch when I have learned something," he added, dropping a bill on the table for a tip. Then he walked out of the restaurant.

  I finished my cup as I thought about what he said. What had I become? Without an easy answer I wandered out of the coffee shop towards the casino. As I walked through it I watched people as they played their games of chance. I could feel the magic in the air swirling about. Formed by the wishes and prayers of the people and pulled out by the talismans and spells situated around the casino. A few of the people had talismans of some sort or another as well. A rabbit's foot in the hand of one young man, an old coin in another, a lucky necklace being worn by an old woman, things like that.

  People seemed happy but I guess that's how Milagre uses his magic and makes a profit at the same time. It was strange; I'd been thrown into this world of homicidal Mages, Faeries and battles with Werewolves and all I could think about at the moment was that there had to be a better use for the magic. I guess I was being altruistic. What Milagre was doing was no different than anything else the Fae had done in the past, or humans for that matter. It saddened me a bit as I was again reminded that this world and my old one were not so different.

  Chapter 15

  Like I said, new found Fae or not, sometimes my job is just boring. I spent the next couple of days just catching up on mundane work. I hadn't heard back from Siegfried but since I still had casework coming in from regular clients I stayed busy. The rest of the time I did what normal people do; went shopping, got gas and did the yard work. Even Charlie and Lucy were quiet. To be honest, it made me kind of nervous. I couldn't shake the feeling that it was just the lull before the storm. Even Bernd hadn't come around. Well, at least no one had tried to kill me in a few days. That was a good thing, right?

  I had just finished mowing the lawn when my phone went off. It was an email from Mal's database. It had found something. I accessed the site from the computer in my home office. Reviewing the information I learned that someone by the name of Deborah Kent had paid a license fee to work in a brothel in late 99.

  What? I had guessed that she'd be a little old for that. As I read the rest of the file I realized that it was for some type of contract employee, not a working girl.

  The brothel I knew. It was named the Venus and it had closed down about 10 years ago. It had been a popular place in the 60s and 70s and had been located outside of Pahrump. Now closed, it hadn't been able to compete with the more modern places that cropped up south of town. Big money had been invested in those houses and places like the Venus had slowly faded away.

  Thank God I worked with Hailey; her rolodex just might offer a name. I dialed her at the office. "Hail, it's Rob, didn't you used to know a few of the working girls in Pahrump?"

  "Sure, I still have a few contacts. Why, what you got, or are you just lonely?"

  "You wound me," I said as I laughed. "I had a call to return some property to a girl, that's all. Apparently she used to do some work for the Venus. I was hoping you might know where to start looking for her."

  "Well, she'd have a license if she worked there."

  "Maybe, but this one was apparently not a hooker."

  "Well, let me check my files." There was a pause and I could hear her rummaging around on her desk. "She could have been anything. Let me see...ah, perfect! Mattie Truesdell. Mattie was a manager there before they closed down."

  She gave me Mattie's number. "Once again, you owe me."

  "As usual," I jested as Hailey laughed.

  "You bet your ass, and one day I'm gonna collect!"

  "If this helps me find her, I will, of course, give up some of my commission. Is that acceptable?"

  "It's a deal!" she said as she hung up the phone. Her rolodex had come through again.

  I called Ms. Truesdell next. At first she was hesitant about speaking with me. However, once I told her I worked with Hailey she agreed to meet with me. She gave me her address in Pahrump and we made an appointment for the next day. I hadn't told her too much on the phone, just that I was trying to return some property to the family of a client.

  I spent some time doing computer searches of properties in Nye County with owners by the name of Kent. Finding three, I printed them out, figuring I would take them with me in case one of them was hers. Then I called Siegfried to let him know I would be on Deborah's trail tomorrow. After some discussion, he agreed to contact me in the morning to make arrangements for William's additional peace offering.

  With things looking up I went back outside and played ball with Charlie. Lucy decided to join us as well, although she just sat and preened herself. After a while I went inside to clean up. I was just getting ready to hit the shower when the phone rang. It was Siegfried.

  "Siegfried, what's up?" I asked as I answered.

  "I have that package from Mr. Harrison for you. Will you be available in the morning? I can run it by your house if that's convenient. I have some early runs in the northwest side of town."

  "That'd be great, know where I live?" I asked, already sure what the answer would be.

  "Of course. How does around 8:00 a.m. sound? I should be finished with my other business by then."

  "That's fine, just buzz me at the gate when you arrive and I'll let you in."

  "Excellent, I'll see you then."

  I looked down at Lucy and Charlie and said, "Ok, you two, my friend Siegfried is coming by at 8:00 in the morning. He's like the Fae but I'm not sure if he can talk to you like I can, so act accordingly." I almost felt
silly lecturing the animals but I hoped they'd understand.

  Lucy sat back, licked her paws and gave me a look like she had already figured that out. Charlie, on the other hand twisted his head and asked, "Friend?"

  "Yes, Charlie, he's a new friend, but I'm not sure he'll have time to play ball," I laughed. "I guess it's ok if he thinks you're smart, though."

  He started wagging his tail. "Friend is good," was all he said. He trotted off to patrol the yard. I had a feeling Bernd's order to guard the place was something he took seriously.

  I spent the rest of the evening just thinking. Considering my life the past couple of weeks, I needed to try and process what was happening. Unfortunately, I didn't find any answers. My last thought before falling asleep was wondering where the Dwarf was when I needed him.

  The next morning I decided to wear a suit in case I needed to make an impression. I was just putting my tie on when I heard the phone ring the gate alarm. Picking it up, I answered and buzzed Siegfried in.

  Both Charlie and Lucy were waiting at the front door as I went down to the front room. I opened the front door and saw Siegfried getting out of a black Cadillac Escalade. He was carrying a large satchel. Lucy stayed inside but Charlie immediately burst through the door to check him out. I didn't hear a word from either pet so I figured my comments to them last night must have worked. It was still strange when they obeyed like that.

  Charlie ran up to Siegfried and stopped a few feet away. Siegfried paused a moment and then knelt down and started talking to him. Charlie stole a quick glance at me and I gave an imperceptible nod. He went over and allowed the big man to pet him.

  "What a handsome dog," Siegfried said, standing back up and walking towards me.

  Charlie followed, wagging his tail.

  "Yeah, he is," I agreed and shook his hand.

  "I'm surprised he didn't bark at me when I pulled in."

  "Well, he knows if I let you in you must be ok." I motioned for him to come into the house.

  "So he's well trained?"

  "You'd be surprised at what he can do," I said as I laughed.

  Charlie started to come into the house but I stopped him. "Charlie, check the yard." I hoped he wouldn't make me look bad but he immediately halted and ran to the gate, then took off around the perimeter.

  Siegfried stopped and took a long look back at the hitching post. "This is interesting; do you get many that arrive on horseback?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

  "I like to be prepared," I answered with a grin.

  As we walked in, Siegfried commented on the wooden floors and ceiling beams. I gave him the short version of the ownership history of my house.

  "I tried to keep as much of the original as I could. I know the distressed look is in fashion but I can honestly say these floors came by it naturally."

  "Well, you did an excellent job restoring the place. It's a nice change; there is so little history in this city."

  "Yeah, we do tend to implode everything," I quipped, meaning the tendency of most old hotels to be imploded to make way for the new ones."

  We sat down at the kitchen table. Lucy followed, appearing to keep an eye on the satchel. As we sat Siegfried opened it and removed a package. Lucy jumped up and placed her paws on the opening, trying to peer inside.

  "Lucy, relax," I said, as I reached around and pushed her aside.

  "...and a black cat, you do have interesting friends," Siegfried said, placing the package on the table. "This is from William, $50,000.00 in $100 dollar bills, Mr. Milagre hopes that will be sufficient to make her happy."

  "I think it'll work," I said as I moved the bundle to my side of the table. "Does he need a receipt?"

  "I don't believe that will be necessary." Siegfried said with a smile. He started to reach toward the satchel again but Lucy moved to intercept his hand. "Have no fear, little one, this is a gift for your master."

  I was surprised when Lucy backed away but I also noticed she wouldn't take her eyes off Siegfried's hands. Well, so much for her being low key. It was also obvious to me that Siegfried had some understanding of my companion's abilities.

  Siegfried removed a larger package and placed it on the table as well. Removing the leather wrapping he took out what appeared to be another seax. This one was a little different than the one he had shown me the other night but every bit as detailed.

  "It's incredible," I commented as he removed it from the scabbard and held it up for me. It was a beautiful weapon, single edged with oak leaves and runes inscribed on the blade. The hilt appeared to be made of a dark hard wood wrapped in leather. The pommel was silver, shaped like a ball, with a raised oak leaf on the top. The quality of the workmanship was amazing.

  "This one was also crafted by my family, as is the one I carry. This is a magical weapon designed for fighting evil. It is my gift to you." Siegfried handed it to me, hilt first. "The blade and pommel are made of a variety of metals that are deadly to the Fae as well as others," he said.

  "I'm honored, but why?" I inquired as I accepted the blade from him.

  "First, you saved my employer and in doing so prevented dishonor to me. As I have said before, you have placed yourself in danger. You have also become my friend. This blade may protect you when others cannot. Although in the old times they were worn in the front, at the belt, this one can be worn under the shoulder, concealed." Siegfried unbuttoned the top of his shirt and pulled it aside to show the one he carried.

  "I don't know what to say."

  I slid the blade back in the scabbard. While it hadn't been very long since my situation had been revealed, Siegfried had become the closest thing to an ally and friend I had, outside of Bernd in the Fae world. But this was unexpected. I almost felt guilty that I had not trusted him sooner.

  "Say that you will wear it," he said simply.

  "It will be an honor to wear such a blade," I replied and removed my jacket and unbuttoned my shirt as Siegfried helped me put it on in the same way he carried his. The holster was designed to be easily pushed forward and the blade removed. The fit was perfect. I could hardly tell it was there.

  Charlie took that moment to come into the house and drop a ball at Siegfried's feet.

  "Charlie, not now," I said. "Sorry about that, he loves to play."

  Siegfried picked up the ball and tossed it down the hallway. "It's fine. Well, would that I could stay but I have other duties," he said, standing up as Charlie ran back with the ball. He turned to Lucy and petting her said, "Keep watch over your master, little one."

  I'll be damned if she didn't purr!

  Then turning back to Charlie he added, "you as well," as he tossed the ball again. "Well, I must go."

  I got up to walk him out.

  "Be safe, and carry the seax. We can discuss things further after your trip."

  "Good idea, and thank you again," I said as we walked outside to his car.

  Once he had left I went back into the house, grabbed my coat and gun as well as the package Siegfried had dropped off and then headed out to my car for my trip to Pahrump.

  Chapter 16

  The drive to Pahrump is about an hour or two from Las Vegas. The difference depends on which side of the Valley you're coming from. For me, it's about an hour and a half, if traffic cooperates. Although there are a few things to look at, most of the trip is just desert. At least it gave me an hour to reflect on the past week.

  Last month I'd been just a normal guy, taking care of my business, my house, and talking to my kids now and then. Now, things were different. I mean, hey, think of the simple pleasure of playing ball with your dog. You throw it, he runs, catches it and brings it back. You do it again and again. It's fun to do. At least it was fun for me and Charlie.

  Now, I'm not saying it isn't fun anymore but the dynamic has changed. Especially when I throw the ball, miss the grass, and it ends up in the rocks. Now he gives me a dirty look and I wince when he tells me that it was a rotten throw. As if I didn't already know that!

 
On the other hand, I have to admit it's kind of cool finding out I can do magic even if I haven't mastered it yet. It puts a whole new perspective on all the fantasy tales I read as a child. All of a sudden I'm living them. The downside, of course, is that there's folks out there that want to kill me. Not to mention having to kill them, dark Wizards or not.

  Alright, I'll admit it, it's still pretty cool. I mean, come on, how often do you get to carry a Viking dagger? I know I used to be a cop and all that. Being a cop or PI may sound glamorous but it's nothing compared to this. Of course there were a few things that still bothered me. The least of which was that I didn't seem to be able to summon up the magic at will and when it did kick in it was almost uncontrollable. Bernd had said it would take time but I still had the feeling he wasn't telling me everything. Then there was the bastard king thing. Damn, if I was some Faerie king, shouldn't I feel different? Where was this all leading? What was I missing I asked myself for what must be the hundredth time?

  I arrived in Pahrump a little after 10: and wound my way around town till I arrived at Ms. Truesdell's address. It was an older house, well-kept, with a chain link fenced front yard. The one thing that makes Pahrump different from Vegas, other than being a small town, is that it's still a rural community. There were goats grazing in the front yard and chickens as well. You don't see that in Vegas too often, at least not the goats.

  I parked and went through the gate towards the screened door, dodging goats as I made it up the short stairway. The door opened before I could knock.

  Standing there was an attractive blonde woman in her 60s. She was dressed in Wrangler jeans and western shirt and wore reddish leather cowboy boots. Her hair was pushed up, like they used to wear, and her sparkling eyes were brown with a hint of hazel. "You must be Mr. Hoskins," she stated with a smile.