by L. C. Mawson
“And how difficult will that be?”
Tilly shrugged. “Easier than usual, since you are family, but I won’t lie, it will be difficult.”
“And you’ll follow me in?”
“I can’t. Peter was expecting me to interfere, and he’s familiar enough with my magic to stop me. You’re more powerful than he is, and he is not as familiar with your magic. You are the only one who can get through.”
“And what about after I’m through?”
“Then you convince him to take the barrier down.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. This is petty, even for him. You have him beat. He should let go.”
Freya nodded, sensing the Energy in front of her. As much as Tilly had said that it would be difficult to feel out the signature of the Energy, Freya had it in less than a minute.
She held her hand out to the barrier, shrouding it in Energy at the same frequency as Peter’s, and slipping through.
FREYA USED HER MAGIC to get past the lock and enter the house, finding Zoe and her grandmother unconscious on the sofa. She walked past them to the garden, ready to face Peter.
“So, you return?” Peter asked as she reached the bottom of the garden. “Have you reconsidered my offer?”
“Why are you doing this, Peter?”
He raised an eyebrow. “The protection spell? Zoe fell unconscious and her grandmother began to panic. I didn’t know what had cut her off from my magic, so I raised a barrier in case it was the Demons again, or in case any of the Humans realised there was something supernatural going on.”
Freya folded her arms at that, trying to think of what to say next before her silence became awkward. She didn’t entirely trust that Peter didn’t know that it was her, but she couldn’t deny that it was reasonable that he might not.
“That was me,” Freya admitted. “I didn’t know that I could make it back from the Shadow Realm, so I cut her off from you.”
“Then you have to bring her back so that I can take her.”
She shook her head. “No. Zoe’s not going with you.”
“Then you plan to take her place?”
“No, Peter. I was only going to take her place because the seals were in danger. They aren’t anymore.”
“I can’t go back empty-handed. Come on, Freya, why are you so reluctant? I’m offering you eternal youth and even more power than you currently have. No more rules. No more answering to meddlesome guardians who won’t even tell you the name of your own father.”
“What’s the use in knowing the name of my father if I can never see him?”
Peter shrugged. “Who said you could never see him? Admittedly, he probably wouldn’t be too thrilled at the idea of you being a Faerie. Though you needn’t tell him. In fact, you could return to him and live with him if you wanted. You have the rest of your life to spend among the Fae, after all. I’m sure he would be thrilled to know you’re alive. He’s so worried that you died with your mother.”
Freya was caught off guard by that. The suspicious part of her brain warned that Peter could easily be lying. There was no guarantee that he even knew who her father was. It was just a trick to get her to join the Fae.
“Tell me,” she said. “As a sign of good faith.”
Peter huffed, folding his arms. “Don’t you trust me?”
“No.”
He smiled. “Smart girl. Though, I don’t think I should tell you. I think this is something that should be shown.”
“Shown?”
“You wouldn’t believe me otherwise.”
“I don’t know that I believe you now.”
He tutted, shaking his head. “Now, now, Freya. If you haven’t been able to figure it out yet, then it’s clear that you’re in denial. I have little patience for hand-holding. Agree to my terms, and I shall introduce you to your father myself.”
“What do you mean in denial? How would I have figured it out unless I already knew them?”
“Freya, you know plenty. Have you never wondered why you show such skill with Dark magic?”
“A little Demon blood isn’t uncommon,” Freya replied defensively.
“A little? Is that what Amber told you? She practically sentenced my sister to death, but you she shelters from even yourself. How sweet of her.”
Freya shook her head. “You’re lying. Fae lie. You’re tricksters. You don’t know anything more about my father than I do. You’re just trying to turn me against Amber so I’ll leave her to go with you.”
Peter smirked. “What an obedient pet she’s trained this time. You do know that’s what she does, don’t you? It’s in her nature. We’re all here to fight a battle that isn’t ours. All but the Fae. You’re just soldiers in a manufactured arena. She’ll keep throwing you at the problem until one of you solves it. You’re no different. But you could be. This isn’t your fight, Freya. You don’t have to die to protect her.”
“She doesn’t need my protection. She’s already dead.”
“Not Amber,” Peter told her. “She’s just another puppet. A puppet of a puppet of the puppet-master. The master who’s not even here.”
“I’m done here,” Freya said, shaking her head.
“And what about the girl? If you don’t come with me, I’ll be forced to take her.”
“Will you?” Freya asked with a raised eyebrow. “She’s stuck in the Shadow Realm right now. There’s no way for you to bring her back.”
“You have to bring her back eventually.”
“Eventually being the operative word. I think I’ll just keep her like this until she’s older. A few years in the Shadow Realm sounds like a better deal than an eternity with you.”
“Then I’ll just find another child, and this time I’ll make sure that the seals do break.”
Freya shrugged. “Then I’ll take on the Ancient that used to inhabit Amber. I’ll become the thing you hate to stop you.”
Peter fumed for a moment, but then it faded, leaving him looking disappointed. “Why, Freya? I offered you everything you ever could have wanted. A family, power, adoration. It could have all been yours.”
Freya shrugged. “I dislike being used as a pawn.”
“That’s all you are. She’ll use you up, just like your mother and grandmother. That’s all our family has ever been. We’re all just pawns in the end. Tilly and I are the only ones to escape. I just wanted that for you too.”
“I know. But burning the Earth isn’t the answer.”
“Then you’re too naive to realise the truth,” he said sadly. “I swear to you, I’ll release the girl and return to the Glades.”
Freya nodded, sighing internally. If she had realised that threatening to take on Ku would make him back down so quickly, she would have done it much sooner. “Thank you, Peter.”
“Keep your thanks. You won’t mean it soon enough.”
With that, he vanished.
“What did he mean by that?” Freya asked, before remembering that she was alone.
She turned to Zoe with a sigh, turning her thoughts to how she was going to return her soul to this realm.
Chapter Eighteen
“Where will you go now?” Freya asked Tilly as she walked her home.
Tilly shrugged. “I have a friend in Australia. She can put me up for a while. I’ll probably see about sourcing an ageing illusion. I may be fourteen, but I’ve been that age since ‘78.”
“Oh. You can’t stay in town?”
“I don’t know anyone but you here,” Tilly pointed out. “And you are hardly in a position to help me get on my feet. No, for now, we must part ways.”
“Before you go... What Peter said... About my father, I mean.”
“I wouldn’t take anything Peter said at face value, Freya. He wanted you to join him. He would have said anything to break your trust in Amber.”
“Do you know who my father is?”
Tilly shook her head. “Your mother never told anyone, and there’s no way to know. Unless Peter happens
to know your father somehow, I doubt he knows either. He was just winding you up.”
Freya nodded, accepting Tilly’s words, even if they were a little depressing. As much as she didn’t want Peter to be right, she didn’t want the possibility of her finding her father to sound so grim.
They reached Freya’s house, which only caused her to sigh. “Do you think my foster mother will remember what happened?”
“What happened?”
“She tried to have me killed. And I assume she followed me to Zoe’s grandmother’s and gave her the poisoned apple bar. She also implied that I was a slut.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah. I mean, it was Peter’s magic. But... Yeah.”
“You good with memory spells?”
“I’ve only ever used them to erase a few moments before, but yes.”
Tilly passed her a vial of pale blue liquid. “Give this to her. She’ll pass out but her mind will remain open. You can more easily manipulate her memory that way. Weaving a complex memory charm is difficult, but I think you can do it. You just need to nudge the memories. No full-blown erasure necessary.”
“Thanks. Amber’s not really good with the memory stuff.”
“Amber’s magic could change the very fabric of the world with very little effort. Being taught by a Witch, who was very much bound by the laws of nature, wasn’t what she needed. You, on the other hand, need to appreciate the laws. Your Ancient power is mixed up with so much else that you need to respect the balance. You seem smart enough to figure it out, though.”
“Thanks,” Freya said sheepishly. “Any chance you could come inside and help me through the spell?”
“Alright. But then I really need to go.”
Freya nodded, opening the door.
“Look, I know that!” Freya heard Margaret frantically yell.
She crept around to the kitchen and saw that Margaret was on the phone. Her hair was a mess and her eyes were puffy.
“I just need to know where she is! I-” Margaret stopped dead as she saw Freya in the doorway.
Freya waved awkwardly.
“I... Never mind. She’s here.” Margaret hung up the phone.
“Who were you talking to?”
“Damon’s uncle. Gregor. I... I thought you might be staying with him.”
“I was. But then my friend Tilly let me stay with her.”
“Hey,” Tilly said sheepishly.
“Tilly?”
“She’s a new friend. I don’t think I’ve mentioned her. Are you okay? You look tired.”
Margaret stared at her blankly. “You... You’re okay.”
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be okay?”
“I... Zed... He...”
Freya sighed, realising that Margaret remembered everything. She moved over to the sink and made a glass of water, using a glamour to conceal her pouring Tilly’s potion into it.
“Here, have a drink,” Freya said. “You seem unsettled.”
Margaret nodded, drinking the water. Freya let her magic catch her as she passed out.
“I hate tying up loose ends,” Freya muttered as Tilly helped her move Margaret through to the sofa.
IT TOOK ALMOST TWO hours to correct all of Margaret’s memories and Freya had a banging headache by the time she was done. Tilly didn’t stick around as she made herself some painkillers, though.
“That was impressive,” Amber told her as she finally shut the door to her room.
Freya didn’t have the energy to muster a response for a little while, simply collapsing on her bed.
“You’ve been gone a while,” she eventually managed to say.
“You were in good hands with Tilly,” Amber figured. “Plus... I didn’t know how she felt about me.”
“Why? She seemed to hold you in high regard.”
“I feared she would blame me for your mother’s death. Peter certainly seemed to.”
“Yeah, well, Peter also wanted me to help him take over Earth, so I think he just has some issues.”
“I suppose.”
“How come you didn’t tell me about them?” Freya asked. “I mean, you always talk as if my mother’s family is all gone.”
“After what happened, can you blame me?”
Freya sighed. “I guess not.” She yawned, stretching. “I hate when magic follows me home. Margaret shouldn’t have to put up with this kind of thing.”
“She doesn’t remember, at least.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t make it right... I don’t know. Sometimes I think I should cast an ageing illusion like Tilly and make my living collecting magical bounties. I shouldn’t be putting Margaret and Ryan in danger like this.”
“Freya... Maybe you should scale back your involvement with the magical community instead. You might not be dragged into so many fights if you didn’t make yourself such a target.”
“I never made myself a target,” Freya reminded her as she clutched her pillow to her chest. “The Demons found me without any provocation on my part, and it looks as if everyone else is following their lead.”
“Perhaps,” Amber said simply, though she shook her head in dismissal. “Never mind. I should let you get your rest.”
FREYA AWOKE CHASING the shadows of dreams. Now she knew that she ventured to the Shadow Realm in her sleep, she was eager to remember her journeys. Had she and Damon made their way back to the Manor? Had she found her answers? Were they still together?
All she remembered was looking at the purple blanket, with embroidered stars, while standing beneath the glittering sea.
She decided not to dwell on the Shadow Realm after that. There was no way that had been something good. And even if she and Damon could be together there - even if there were no secrets to divide them - it didn’t matter. They couldn’t be together on Earth. It would only upset her.
As if caused by her thoughts, her phone buzzed.
Park?
Freya groaned. She would be happy if she never stepped foot in that Creator-damned park ever again.
Okay.
IT WAS SOMEHOW ALREADY hot when Freya arrived at the park. She wondered if she hadn’t accidentally shifted to southern Europe. She had only just arrived and her dress was already starting to get sweat patches.
“Hey!” Damon greeted as she approached. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s only been a few days.” Though she supposed that it had been less time for her, since she’d seen him in the Shadow Realm. It was odd. She couldn’t quite match up that Damon with the one in front of her. The Damon in front of her was certainly not going to start kissing her.
He shrugged. “I know. I just... Are you okay? After everything that happened with Margaret, I was worried.”
“It sorted itself out,” she assured him.
He raised an eyebrow. “Freya... Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Look, Damon, things might not be perfect with Margaret but... It’s better than being sent away.”
He nodded. “Okay then.”
Freya was glad that he didn’t ask for any more explanation or tried to convince her to report Margaret or something. It was a risk, she knew, especially given that Damon himself had come from an abusive home. But it had all been the spell. Margaret didn’t deserve the blow-back from the magic Freya had brought home with her.
“You know, I had the weirdest dream last night,” Damon said, thankfully changing the subject.
Though Freya prepared herself to be bored as she politely asked “Oh? What about?”
He shrugged. “It was really weird. You were there and we were talking to, like... It was a woman made of water. This lake just rose up to speak with us.”
“Weird,” Freya said, trying her best not to frown. That kind of sounded like what had happened to them in the Shadow Realm.
“Yeah, that’s not even the weirdest bit. She was really mad at you for some reason.”
“Me? What did I do?”
“Hell if I know. She just sa
id... What was it? ‘The bloodline has been tainted,’ I think, and then the sea - oh yeah, the sky was the sea, I forgot to mention that - the sea parted and a bolt of lightning came down and hit you.”
Freya stopped dead, doing her best not to show how much Damon’s words had rattled her. What he was describing sounded exactly like what she had remembered from when she was cursed.
“And then what?” she eventually asked.
He shrugged. “Then nothing. I don’t remember anything else”
“So, what? I should avoid thunder storms?” she eventually managed to joke.
“Well, it is unusually hot and humid today,” he figured. “There probably will be a storm later.”
She punched his arm lightly. “You’re such an arsehole.”
“It’s not my fault what my subconscious dreams up,” he defended.
“I mean, it kind of is.”
As he laughed, Freya caught sight of Jamie across the path, her stomach doing excited flips.
“Oh, hang on. I need to go speak to someone.”
He raised an eyebrow as he spotted Jamie. “Okay, seriously, what’s going on with you two? Jamie is acting like she had a personality transplant.”
She shrugged, a smile forming unbidden on her lips as she skipped across the grass. “I have no idea. Something good, I hope.”
Damon gave her a confused look which she didn’t answer.
“Boo!” she said to announce her presence as she bounded up to Jamie.
Jamie smiled back at her. “Hey. I was wondering if you would be hanging around here.”
Freya sighed. “Yes, it has become something of a second home recently. I really should fix that.”
Jamie’s smile widened as she blushed a little. “Perhaps. But it’s nice to know that I can always find you here.”
“Well, there is that.”
Freya, despite being hopeful about whatever was blossoming between her and Jamie, couldn’t shake what Damon had said from her mind.
“Hey, Jay?”
“Oh, are we doing nicknames now?”
Freya shrugged. “It just sounded good in my head...”