by B. J. Smash
“No. Him.” She pointed to the other side of the cave.
Someone smashed a cigarette out on the rocks. I couldn’t see them, but I heard another cigarette being retrieved and a snap of the fingers. Fire came from the fingers, and the cigarette, burning brightly, was lit. It wasn’t long before more smoke hit my nose.
“You called me.”
Somehow I mustered the strength to sit up. The room spun. “Izaill?”
“’Tis I.” He sat atop a large rock, in human form. His skinny, bony body appeared frail, but if I knew anything about Izaill, it had to be this: he was not frail.
“What are you doing here?” My voice could be heard, and I had to wonder what kind of berry Pladia had given me.
“The ring. You called to me with it,” he said. “I’d been looking for you when it called.” He tipped his bowler cap, took a long drag from the cigarette, and blew.
I hadn’t been dreaming; when the ring hit the dirt, it called him. Just like hitting the ring to the ocean calls forth Magella.
“Where is Lucian?”
“The hellhound? I set him free. I don’t abide dog fighting. It is for the weak and feeble-minded. For as much as the hellhounds despise me, I still have respect for them. After all, my sister is quite fond of them.”
Izadora was fond of the hellhounds; there was no doubt of that. But why did he care?
“I’m here to assist you. You are family, regardless of our squabbles. And family must stick together.”
It’s true, he was my great-great-uncle. But I sure as heck never thought of him that way.
“You’re going to help me?”
Pladia lessened her grip on my hair and peeked over my face to see Izaill. “No trick?”
“Let me put it this way.” He took a long pull from the cigarette until it was spent. He put it out and grabbed another. My lungs were filling with the smoke and I coughed, but at this point, I didn’t care. After the third one was lit and he exhaled, he said, “My brother, sisters, and myself fight and argue. We play bold tricks on one another. Mean and nasty tricks. But we do not take it this far. No. The game we play is fun. This”—he took a final drag from the cigarette, flicked it to the floor, and stomped on it, smashing it with his foot—“is not fun.”
He stood over me now, his silver eyes narrowed. “Your sister has crossed a line.” Snapping his fingers, he released my shackles. All four, at the same time. “Metal is like poison. A slow but sure killer.”
A wave of energy flushed through me; it was not much, but enough to help me get my bearings and stand with the help of his outstretched hand. His body radiated heat, and just his aura warmed me like a fire. He stood above me by a few inches and bent slightly, his face wrinkled with age. He smelled of wood and cigarette smoke. He was old, but he was definitely kickin’.
Pladia hid in my knotted hair. She must have thought if she was out of sight, she was out of mind.
“Hold tightly to my arm. Don’t let go, lest you’ll be stuck in the earth. Ask Mother, that’s not all it’s cut out to be.”
His mother Aggie had been buried in the earth for quite some time before she’d been rescued by me and my GG Edmund. She played it out like it had been relaxing, but I had to wonder if that was a cover-up after the time I’d just spent in this cavern.
I linked my arm through his and held as tightly as my still-weakened arm would let me. But gosh did my limbs feel better without the metal shackles.
“We need to find tree,” Pladia piped in. “For Ivy.”
“And we shall,” he said as he placed his hand over my arm.
“Wait. Where are the captured Elven? And the Unseelie and Fae fighter that were beyond the boulder?”
“The image I portrayed of myself didn’t sit well with them,” he said.
I knew that image all too well, remembering when I released him from the tree. The horns, the fire. I felt a shiver run down my backbone.
“There were no Elven. They must have taken them elsewhere. There were only six Fae fighters outside this cave. When they saw me, they took off with their tails between their legs. Six Fae fighters are no match for the likes of me. Your sister—she wasn’t present,” he said.
The fact that she had left me here to die fueled my fire. Wait till I got my hands on her.
Izaill, finished with chatter, stomped his right foot with such force, the earth crumbled below our feet. What happened next was a blur, but what I remember was ultimately cool.
We fell in with the crumbling earth, deep down, similar to falling in a well but surrounded by earth. My body felt fluid, like flowing water, and the dirt like soft crumbled clay. I don’t remember breathing—and I don’t think I needed to breathe. And we fell and fell, deeper and deeper. At one point my mind formed a thought that maybe Izaill had tricked me and he was taking me to hell. I cast the thought aside. I wouldn’t let myself doubt him. He had a vendetta against Zinnia for betraying him, and although he didn’t like his sister, Izadora, he was loyal to her. Unless it was his game. Then it was a different story.
All thoughts left my mind as we sped down at a ferocious rate, as if in a vacuum, being sucked down, down, and somehow abruptly stopping and going forward. Flowing, flowing like water. We then flew over an underwater river the color of the sky. So much water everywhere—an underwater world. Our liquid-like movements continued on, and his fist went to the front of us as we hit the earth once again. He parted the way easily as we slipped through, and then up and up we glided, moving swiftly through a boulder the size of a small yacht. I felt the raw energy of the earth as we coursed through and heard it, too—a crackling sound. A zipping sound. Changing course, we flowed straight again, over a large spine of what could possibly be a dinosaur skeleton. Around another curve and up we zoomed, picking up speed through the roots of a tree. I felt so alive.
Finally we slowed and burst out through the ground. Losing my grip, I was flung to a muddy bank next to a gushing waterfall. Face-first. The mud oozed in and around my nose, and down my throat.
Normally I’d feel panic at the thought of not breathing; however, that ride was intense and left me feeling on top of the world. After a moment of trying to free my head, I did start to wonder if I would be released. I didn’t have to wonder for long, as I felt Izaill pull on my legs.
Even before my head exited the mud, I could hear his laughter. “Ba-ha-ha-ha-ha.”
When my head was out and I wiped the dirt from my eyes, he stood before me, his hand on his stomach. “I didn’t mean to let you go, but I have to keep my feet on the earth, you see. I had to stop fast, and you just—ba-ha-ha-ha—flew out of my grip.”
“Gwad I could entertwain you,” I mumbled over the mud in my cheeks. I spit the mud from my mouth and grabbed some leaves to blow my nose in.
“That was intense,” I said when I cleared my nose.
“It’s how I travel. Ley lines, underwater caverns, over underwater rivers.”
“Through rock,” Pladia said. She flew over by the waterfall. Apparently she exited my hair before I landed in the bank.
“Drink.” He handed me a silver canteen embossed with a dragon.
I had no idea what I was putting to my lips. I decided that I had trusted him this far, and so I drank the unknown contents. My throat felt much better. Swallowing, I realized it was water, and I handed the canteen back to Izaill. “Thank you.”
Walking over, I joined Pladia, dipping my head in the water and rinsing my face and hair.
“Here, your sack—Lucian stash behind big rock.” Pladia pointed to my bag behind a moss-covered rock.
“Lucian?”
“He recovered your belongings. He should be here anytime now,” Izaill said, still smiling.
I checked my things to make sure that the vial was still there. To my relief, it was.
I happened to have a travel-size bottle of shampoo and small bar of Izadora’s lavender soap in my bag. Never was I so glad to see shampoo as I was now. I sure as hell wasn’t worried about how I lo
oked; I just wanted to be able to see properly and get my wretched, muddy hair out of my face.
“Go ahead. Clean up.” Izaill still hee-hawed. I had to admit, I’d rather see him laugh at me than curse me. “I’ll step over there and keep watch. Hurry it up.”
He walked off, well out of sight. I took off my robe, shook it out, and laid it on the rocks. I didn’t have time for a full bath but I jumped in, clothes and all, and washed up quickly. The freezing water forced me to be quick.
To top it off, my worries were back and I had to hurry, to find Lucian and Drumm and the rest of my crew. My stomach clenched with the unknown.
Within five minutes, I sat on the rocks, combing the remainder of the mud from my hair.
“I help you.” Pladia grabbed the comb and zipped around my head like a bumblebee. Within moments my hair was clean and knot-free.
Izaill returned, walking over to the muddy bank. “Your clothes are wet!” He stepped over to me and stood, radiating heat that felt like a hair dryer. “Better?”
I had to admit, the old man came in handy. He could travel like lightning, and he was a walking heater. On the contrary, I’d also known him to be cold as an ice cube. “Thanks,” I said.
“Sure. Next time we’ll have to work on that landing. You should have seen yourself.” One more chuckle and then like a flip of the coin, he was all business. “The hellhound returns, and we have things to attend to.”
I stood and walked to a great oak, seating myself at its base, waiting, absorbing some of its energy. Feeling free and alive once again. I concentrated on my inner core. In my mind’s eye I could see a white light starting in the belly button area and extending up to my solar plexus and sternum. This light connected with the tree’s vibration. Soon, I felt as good as new.
I don’t know how Izaill knew; even with my keen hearing, I never heard his approach until a few minutes later, when he was upon us. Lucian strode up to us, shirtless, a fresh scar on his muscular chest, yet he still smiled when he saw me. He still had a black eye, but he’d cleaned himself up. His dark brown hair stood up in the front, as if it had been styled, and it was perfect. He just naturally looked good without much effort.
“What happened to your chest?”
“Demon dog. Their saliva works like acid.” He held up his wrist to show me burn marks. “And their claws mark you as if branding you with fire,” he said, pertaining to his chest. “But he won’t be bothering me anymore.”
“I thought Izaill rescued you from having to fight.” I turned to Izaill and then back to Lucian.
“There were several lined up to fight me. In my weak state, they may have devoured me. Izaill arrived after the first one had a go at me. The others—”
“Were sent back to where they came from,” Izaill finished. “Now, here is my plan,” he said, changing the subject. “I have something that I need to take care of. The pixie will come with me.”
“Huh? Me not go with you, mister,” Pladia squeaked.
“Oh, yes. Yes, you will. I cannot leave the ground. There is something you need to do.” Smoke drifted from his ears. “I give you my word—I will return you to Ivy when we are done.”
“Alive?” Pladia asked. She knew the tricky way of warlocks and wizards.
“Alive and unharmed. My word.”
“Hmmppph,” she said. “Fine. But you return me to Ivy.”
“Where will you go?” I asked.
Loud thumping noises sounded from the forest. Voices carried in the wind.
“There isn’t time to explain. The other hellhounds, er, McCallisters are on the other side of this mountain.” His large hand went up and motioned behind us. “That way.”
“And?” I asked.
“They have maneuvered their way around the barricade. I’ve seen them. Find them. Stick with them. I’ll be back when I can. There is something going on that’s far worse than you expect. And though we still need my mother’s book of spells, there may be a greater problem at hand.”
Something whacked a tree; the noise ricocheted throughout the forest.
“Be gone now,” he said.
I had taken four pieces of dried jackfruit from my sack and handed two to Lucian. We ate them up quickly. All my strength had returned, and I couldn’t imagine that not only an hour ago, I’d been on my deathbed. As dangerous as things were, I felt like I could handle anything. Sometimes we never fully appreciate what we have until it’s gone. My health would be valued from now on, and metal on my skin would be avoided at all costs.
Lucian retrieved the other small bag that had been stuffed behind the rocks. He strapped it over his body, and flung on his black robe. “C’mon, Ivy.”
Pladia reluctantly flew to Izaill and sat on his shoulder, scattering silver dust on his arm. Her tiny face was filled with disgust.
Izaill nodded once and stomped the ground with his right foot. The hit was so hard that the earth split all the way to our feet and we had to jump back, or we’d be taken in. They disappeared out of sight with a drop, leaving the ground trembling in their wake. The spot filled back up and grass grew quickly, and you’d never know they’d just been sucked into the earth.
“He’s a jerk. But he’s pretty cool,” Lucian said.
“When he’s an ally, I’d have to agree with you. Let’s just hope that he really is our ally. I know that he wants that book for himself.” We began to jog into the forest. “And yet, he’s helped us this far.”
The forest changed in parts, making me wonder if it had moods. At present we ran amid trees with red and orange leaves, like it was a fall day in New England. Leaves the color of fire shed to the forest floor, covering it completely. Giant gray rocks covered in lime moss extended above, escaping the invasion. Light mist rolled along as the sun set beyond the fiery-colored trees. Hints of orange and pink peeked through gray clouds, illuminating the red leaves, and casting an eerie pink glow.
“We’ll never find them tonight. I don’t sense them anywhere close by. We’ll have to camp in the trees.”
My gut was unsettled. “Though this is a beautiful area, I think we should find somewhere else to stay.”
“I get the same feeling. This place is enchanted by someone or something.”
“Is that why the leaves are changed?”
“It’s hard to say. Who knows who or what lives on the outskirts of the land of the Elven. All I know is, nothing can pass their gates without their permission. But that doesn’t stop other beings from living on the outskirts. I’ve never heard tale of the leaves changing like this. It’s beautiful, though.”
“It sure is,” I mumbled.
The sun sank fast, bringing forth nightfall. The fog had thickened, and Lucian thought it best that we climb a tree and settle in for the night. There had been no sign of the McCallisters—or anyone, for that matter. Even the animals were quiet.
It was one of those nights where you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face, and you wouldn’t want to linger far from safety. We found our tree with the perfect layout, two limbs close together but not too close, and we climbed up and made ourselves comfortable.
With our backs to the trunk we stretched our legs out to the front, him on his limb, me on mine. The fog didn’t reach this far up, we could observe below us a sea of thick clouds that drifted slowly by. An owl hooted close by.
“Finally. Some life does exist out here,” I said.
“Oh, there is life out here. Not sure where,” he replied.
“You can’t even see the moon or the stars tonight,” I grumbled.
“It’s a good thing. It’s hard, so hard, to stay in this form when the moon is present. Takes a lot of self-control. A lot of will to silence the darkness.”
“You make it sound like you’re a werewolf. I thought hellhounds were different.”
“The moon affects us all, Ivy. Even humans.”
This I knew to be true. I just wanted to have conversation. The woods had a deep place in my heart; even so, this place freaked me out. I
half expected to see zombies with tattered shirts and lopsided faces limping by below us.
“You could sit over here with me, if you’re scared.” An impish grin formed on his lips. “There is room.” He patted a place in front of him.
“Ha. Funny.” I glanced below me. “Believe me, I’m not scared. There is a difference between being creeped out and being scared. Trust me. I’ve been scared before.”
“No doubt. But with experience, things become less and less intimidating, don’t they?”
I nodded. What he said rang true. While some things should be feared, fear was only an emotion—one you could control. Like Izadora, she could master her emotions. Or maybe she didn’t have any. Yet I remember the night she said good-bye to Drumm. She had been sad to see him go. Almost like she’d never see him again. And certainly she could get angry. I’d seen her angry several times. It was never a pleasant experience for the receiver.
How I wished she was here now. I had to admit, it would be hard to feel any fear with her present. Better yet, if Maximus were here, we’d be all set. But he had made it clear that this wasn’t his battle. Not yet, he’d put it. What did that mean?
We sat in silence for quite some time. I was in my element now. This was how life should be, out in the wide expanse of wilderness. I dozed off for a bit, only to awaken by Lucian’s hand over mine. “What are—” I began, only to be shushed.
“Shhh. Don’t talk,” Lucian whispered. He pointed down below, and I turned my gaze downward. The fog had thinned somewhat, and three broad-shouldered dudes approached our area. Behind them were the three Elven that had been captured yesterday. They were weak and could barely walk. Big metal shackles bound their legs and arms so closely together that they had to move in sync.
I gritted my teeth so, that I could have sworn they heard it. My hand shook, not from fear but from anger. How could they do this to my people? As they drew closer, I could see Conri and Niall. The third Elven looked like Jorden. Where was Drumm? My heart clenched, and my stomach knotted. I might puke all over them if they didn’t move.
To make matters worse, the clouds had begun to part, and the moon peeked out at us. She was beautiful, the moon—a silver white beauty in a haze.