FAE

by Heather McAlendin

  room. “Well, some think I am crazy for being a single mother this close to forty but I

  love it. Ling Mae is so worth it.”

  “Ling Mae?”

  “Yes, I thought Marie had told you. I adopted a wee Asian baby. I travelled to

  China a little over a month ago and brought her home. I have a friend from my College

  days who works for an agency over there. She helped pave the way.”

  Gordon sat down on the couch and a thoughtful look came over him. “Adopted,

  you adopted a child. How wonderful.”

  “Yes I think so. One doesn't have to be married anymore to have a child Gord.

  There are so many wee souls looking for love and homes.”

  Gordon hesitated. “Um, are you married? I am sorry if that is too personal.”

  Fiona laughed heartily. “No Gord I am not married. I got tired of waiting for the

  right fella so I decided that now was a good time to have the child I always wanted. If a

  man comes along I'll be happy. But I am happy now, so my life is as is should be.” Gordon looked at Fiona with great interest. He had never thought of starting a

  family without a wife or at least a serious partner in his life. He always assumed life had

  passed him by. Fiona's views on life intrigued him.

  “So, shall we get down do it then?” Fiona asked.

  “What?” Gordon asked, jarred out his thoughts on life and children. “Oh, yes of

  course. I'm sorry. You wanted some history on the house and its previous owner.”

  “Are you okay Gord? I promise that whatever I learn here will stay with me. I

  won't breathe a word of it.” Fiona asked.

  “I'm fine,” Gordon sighed. “Before we get into the history, you seemed interested

  with the word “glamour” earlier. What does it mean?”

  Fiona gave Gordon a brief history of social faeries and how “glamour” was

  comparable to a spell only more sensual in nature and almost always involving a female

  faerie.

  “If it is faerie power being used Gordon, you must know that they rarely do

  anything for nothing. She'll want something in return for her seduction.” Gordon voice cracked as he spoke. “I...this is crazy. First you tell me I've been

  contacted by some faerie and now you are telling me she is trying to seduce me? Give

  me a break Fiona! Your crazier that I am!”

  Fiona sat calming as Gordon tried to reason with what she had told him. “Gord

  try and look at what facts you do have. Who owned this house before?”

  “Mrs. Quinn”

  “Where is she from originally? Do you know?”

  “You know very well where she is from Fiona! Are you trying to tell me that she

  brought these “things” with her?”

  Fiona nodded once. “It's possible. Some Irish families have faerie folklore

  associated with them. My own family has been told to have its own banshee.”

  Gordon just stared at Fiona, trying desperately to comprehend what she was

  saying.

  “What type of plants do you have in your garden Gord? Do you mind if I have a

  bit of a look?”

  The pair walked out into the garden, Gordon silently leading the way and not sure

  if he wanted to continue to hear what Fiona was saying. It was too unbelievable for words. Even he could not make up a story such as this. “How could someone as bright

  as Fiona believe in this nonsense?” he thought.

  “Just as I thought!” Fiona exclaimed as she walked closer to the rose bushes and

  patches of flowering wildflowers. “It's perfect for her.”

  “What is?” Gordon asked.

  Fiona found herself smiling at Gordon's disbelief, but she had always found men,

  even one's as bright and talented as Gordon had a hard time thinking outside of their

  own intellectual “box”.

  “Your trees, this garden and especially the Heather are a welcoming place for

  faerie folk. Heather attracts faeries to people who are shy. But, I doubt you could have

  known that! I just hope for your sake it's only the one and not a whole circle of them.”

  “I need a drink.” Gordon mumbled.

  “The drink doesn't solve the problem Gord. But a wee one can help steady the

  nerves. Let's go back inside.”

  As the pair entered the house, Godfrey made his presence known and rubbed

  between Fiona's legs. “What a lovely cat you have Gord, what's his name?” Fiona asked as she picked

  up Godfrey and stroked his velvet fur.

  “Godfrey, his name is Godfrey. Normally he's so fussy about who he associates

  with. I have never seen him take to someone so quickly. He was miserable the other

  night.”

  “Hello Godfrey, I'm Fiona. Animals know who appreciate them Gord.”

  “All I know is he really took a dislike to my garden faerie, or whatever she is. He

  almost tore a strip off of her.”

  Fiona's back stiffened as she put Godfrey down on the carpet. “Keep him close by

  you then. Felines know when a disruptive spirit is about. I am surprised your faeries

  didn't try and kill him.”

  “And here I though faeries were all sweet and nice.” Gordon sniffed as he poured

  himself and Fiona a small glass of brandy. Fiona accepted the drink and shook her head.

  “Even Tinkerbell had a mischievous side.” Fiona said with a slight smirk.

  “What do I do Fiona? Sell the house and move away? This has become my

  refuge...my home! I won't be driven away by some faerie tale creature.” The two were silent for a moment as they finished their drinks. “Lovely brandy,”

  Fiona commented quietly as she took the last sip of the ruby liquid.

  “I have had it awhile. I don't make a habit of drinking, especially alone.” Gordon

  said as he drained his glass.

  “I am glad to hear that Gord. Listen, I have taken up enough of your time and I

  am sure you have a few things to think about. Let me research a few things and I'll call

  you if you don't mind? In the meantime, I am glad to have met you and I hope you'll feel

  free to call if your “guest” decides to make another appearance.” “And Gord...”

  “Yes?”

  “I wasn't lying when I said I was a fan. Your books are superb! Thank you for

  writing them.”

  Clearing his throat and managing a smile, Gordon walked Fiona to the door.

  “Thank you Fiona. I am glad to have met you too. Thank you for not being...you

  know...odd about all this.”

  Quickly squeezing his hand, Fiona winked and walked out the door. “You have a

  friend in me Mr. Parks. I am here to help if I can!” After watching Fiona drive away, Gordon could still feel the warmth of where she

  had squeezed his hand. He had never met a woman like her. She was so gracious and

  intelligent and she believed in all this superstitious nonsense. Most of all, he was

  amazed that she didn't think him eccentric or crazy.

  “Take it easy Gordon. She has a child and obviously doesn't need a man in her

  life. Don't make this any more complicated than it is.” He commented silently. CHAPTER SEVEN

  It was three a.m. when Gordon awoke to strange scuffling noises downstairs. He

  sat up in bed in a panic. Holding his breath, he strained to hear who or what was making

  the noise.

  Godfrey and already jumped from the end of Gordon's bed and lay flat against the

  floor in front of the door, sniffing the air.

  “What now?” Gordon whispered, upset that his night sleep had been disturbed.

 
Cautiously, he slipped from the warmth of his bed, put on his slippers and as

  quietly as possible, opened the bedroom door.

  The noise stopped.

  Gordon stuck his nose out the door and listened again. Once again, a rustling

  could be heard down stairs. Gordon's heart thumped wildly in his chest as he tried to

  imagine what manner of person or animal could be down there.

  “Please God if it's a thief let them take what they want and be on their way.”

  All of a sudden, Gordon heard his name being called by a soft, sing song voice.” “Gordon, my Gordon. You have left me such pretty colours. I knew I made the

  right choice. I just knew.”

  Gordon squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. “Not again, please let it be a

  dream.”

  “I can be any dream you like Gordon, but I need your help first. Oh look at all the

  pretty colours!”

  Knowing that the soft, feminine voice belonged to Fae, Gordon steeled himself to

  face her and ask her leave. After all he had never asked her here. He didn't want her

  here.

  He stopped midway down the staircase, his eyes opening wide in shock. There in

  the middle of his living room was Fae, dressed as she was the night of the storm. Her

  diaphanous white gown was wrapped around her feet and ankles and boxes of Christmas

  glitter lay opened before her. She look like a faerie tale princess with coloured glitter in

  her hair and silver beads around her neck, hanging between her tiny, round breasts. She

  was so obviously a woman but very childlike at the same time.

  Gordon sucked in a breath and continued down the stairs until he came to the

  bottom where he just stood and continued to stare. “Good evening Gordon. I just love all your pretty things. Don't they make me

  look lovely?” Fae asked as she stood up and turned toward him. The outline of her body

  was visible under the thin material of her gown.

  “Yes...uh...no! Enough of this nonsense, I don't want you here!”

  Gordon watched as Fae slowly walked toward him, her face beaming and her

  fiery red hair creating a curtain around her half naked shoulders. She was too beautiful

  for words.

  Gordon shook his head and closed his eyes, struggling not to look at her until he

  felt her so close that her body touched his.

  “I know what you want Gordon and I can fulfill every desire you have never

  dared to ask of human woman. I can make all those pretty words you write come true.

  But, I want your help.”

  Fae's breath was hot against Gordon's neck as she spoke. She stroked his arms

  and cheek with her tiny, delicate fingers. His stomach grew tight and his breathing grew

  more ragged with every touch. A fired burned in his belly and it scared and delighted

  him at the same time. No woman had touched him in this manner...ever.

  “Fiona.” It was a simple, distinct thought in the back of his head. The memory of

  her simple, friendly touch came flooding back to him. “I do not want you near me. This is not right! You are not real!” Gord struggled to

  release himself from the “spell” that Fae had placed on him. His body desired her but his

  mind ruled and he was able to back away and stare her straight in the eyes.

  “I said get away!”

  With a shriek and a high pitched wail, Fae flung herself at Gordon and they both

  tumbled to the floor. Godfrey hissed and exploded in a bundle of fur and fangs,

  attaching himself to her back.

  “Evil creature! I have had enough of this. If your Master will not comply then

  consequences have to be paid!” Fae roared and quickly grabbed Godfrey around the

  neck and flung him toward the wall. A sickening crunch could be heard as Godfrey's

  neck and back were shattered by the force.

  “No! Godfrey! How could you!” Gordon cried as he tried to move toward his

  beloved feline.

  “Stay where you are human! I am nowhere near finished with you!” Fae hovered

  over Gordon as he lay crumpled on the floor, sobbing in grief. “All I wanted was your

  help and in return you could have had me and anything you ever wanted! No man dares

  to refuse me!” Fae hissed in anger. Gordon looked up and noticed that her eyes had turned from emerald green to

  ruby red. It seemed as if they were consumed by a fiery rage.

  Suddenly, Fae shrank back and held her hands over her ears. Her ferocious

  behaviour dissipated as quickly as it had started and she looked like a helpless child

  being rebuked by its mother.

  “No I do not want to go! I was having fun! You have spoiled everything again!”

  Fae turned on her heel without another word, ran out the back door and

  disappeared into the garden.

  Gordon hurried to his feet in pursuit only to find an empty garden. The rose

  bushes and Heather were untouched and birds were singing loudly amongst the Maple

  Trees. It was as if Fae had never even existed.

  His heart sank as he slowly trudged back into the house to once again view

  Godfrey's broken body.

  “I am so sorry old friend.” Gordon murmured as he sank back to the floor and

  placed his head in his hands in despair. “I was useless to you. What kind of man am I?”

  Getting an old towel from the mud room, Gordon lovingly wrapped up Godfrey's

  body and held him in his lap. “You were a good friend to me Godfrey and I will miss you so much. Now I am

  truly alone.”

  Hot, fat tears streamed down Gordon's face. He felt anger well up within him and

  was at a loss as to what to do with it. “You need to be in the garden Godfrey, where you

  chased the butterflies and terrorized all those poor birds that nest in the trees.”

  Burying Godfrey was the hardest thing that Gordon had ever had to do. He felt

  like part of him died as well. As he covered over the small burial plot he made in the

  garden, he whispered a prayer then sat, staring at Godfrey's makeshift grave.

  “All this because of some...some...faerie? What the hell is going on?”

  Gordon's moment of grief was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. He

  threw the spade down and impatiently flung open the phone.

  He hesitated, and then spoke quietly into the phone. “Yes?”

  “Gord? Is that you? I can barely hear you.”

  “Hello Marie. Yes, I'm here. I really don't want to talk right now. I can't talk right

  now.”

  Gordon heard an intake of breath on the other end of the line. “Now you are worrying me. Fiona called and said she had spoken to you. What's

  happened?”

  Gritting his teeth and gathering every bit of patience he had, he explained to his

  sister that he had a rough evening and promised to call her the next day. He had to call

  Fiona! CHAPTER EIGHT

  Fiona sat on her overstuffed couch and watched as Ling Mae played in her

  playpen.

  “Almost time for bed wee one. It has been a busy day and I need a night's rest.”

  Ling Mae cooed in agreement and grabbed one of her toes; Fiona laughed as she

  scooped up the baby and brought her into the bathroom so they could bathe. Fiona

  enjoyed the nightly ritual that she had developed with Ling Mae. At the end of the day

  she ran a warm bath with chamomile baby wash used as bubbles and with Ling Mae on

  her lap, she would wash both their hair and use the time to connect with her baby

  daughter.

  “You are God's
gift.” Fiona said brightly as she used a soft towel to dry off

  herself and Ling Mae. “My life would not be the same without you.”

  Fiona dressed Ling Mae in a fresh diaper and a clean sleeper and cuddled up in

  her own soft, warm bathrobe and padded down to the kitchen to warm up a bottle. She

  was startled when the phone began to ring.

  “Now who do you think is calling at this hour?” She asked her sleepy daughter as

  she picked up the phone. “Um, hello? Is this Fiona?” A familiar voice asked.

  “Oh my, hello Mr. Parks...Gord how are you? I was just putting my daughter to

  bed.”

  “Oh God, I am sorry Fiona. I didn't even think of the time. I can call tomorrow.”

  Fiona could hear the urgency and panic in Gordon's voice.

  “No, please don't be like that now. You sound upset.”

  “Um, yes I am. Godfrey's gone; he's dead.”

  Fiona brought the phone into the living room and placed Ling Mae back in her

  play pen with the bottle and her blanket.

  “I am so sorry Gord. What happened? He looked in the pink of health when I was

  over earlier.”

  “Fae.”

  Silence.

  “Fae came back Fiona and this time she left angry and she killed Godfrey. She's

  no figment of my imagination. She is very real and she has proved to be formidable.”

  A long exhale of air escaped Fiona's lips as she thought about what to do. “Gord, can you come by here? I can't leave now as my wee babe is asleep. But I

  think we need to talk.”

  “I don't want to be a bother, I just...”

  “It is no bother, please come by. I think I may be able to help.” Fiona's voice was

  firm but caring as she gave Gordon directions to her home. When she hung up, she

  carefully lifted Ling Mae out of the play pen and placed her in her crib.

  Quietly closing the door, she hurried to her room and got dressed in a pair of

  jeans and her favourite old fuzzy pink sweater. After toweling her hair as dry as

  possible, she went down stairs to the kitchen and made a pot of tea.

  “Now, how do we deal with you, you nasty little faerie? I have not heard of one

  of your kind for quite some time. I wonder if Mrs. Quinn knew of you? She must have

  had some secrets to deal with you.”

  Grabbing some leather bound books from her small home office; she placed them