“Tell Naught to tell us when ten minutes have passed, willya, Nil?” I asked, turning back to the passages again. Nil and Naught were barely six feet apart across the membrane. “My sense of time is wobbly in here.” Nil grinned and spoke with Naught through the geas, though she no doubt heard me since she grinned in sync with Nil. Ryan stood glowering at shadows in the background, just in case, but I had the parking lot covered still. The Weird closed in as my presence receded. With no physicality beyond our existence, unless I gave it some life, it would once again slip into disuse. I had no plans on that, just to get enough awareness of the end to open a portal from here. It was no less real, twisted by the natural eddies of space and energies, life and living, and time and magic. I sank my senses deep into the Weird that I’d explored and listened at the edges where holes were made. We waited for the druid song.
“Seth, there’s a problem,” Nil said. “The waitress, Michelle, is coming out to the car. Ryan is moving to speak with her. You have three minutes left.” I nodded. Ryan and Naught could handle that or at least delay her for three minutes. So Nil and I waited. At three seconds after three minutes, I got worried about Naught and turned back to Nil to leave. And that’s when they decide to start.
“Nil, what’s happening outside?” I asked, turning back to the sound.
“Naught says our time is up and Ryan is still talking with Michelle. Naught isn’t certain of what the issue is, though, sir,” Nil answered, peering through the tunnel membrane.
The Ohio druid’s song was piercing and unfamiliar and easy to find. A hundred and forty-two different points of my mind found them among the forested hillsides. I had several endpoints now, the closest a mere ten yards from their circle. With my awareness, at least part of it, centered there, I hustled Nil out the membrane and back into the world again, following right behind him.
Slipping my arm over Naught’s shoulders as we went, I guided us closer to Ryan and Michelle. “Ryan, is there a problem?” I asked once we were within his hearing.
“Seth! No, not anymore,” Ryan said, exaggerating his accent slightly and swept to the side gracefully. “I think perhaps, initially Michelle was worried that something untoward was going on in the bushes. Once I explained that Nil was curious about the bushes, her fears were allayed.” Then he fluttered his eyes once or twice and adjusted his stance. He was flirting, I realized belatedly. Luckily. Otherwise I would have busted a gut and ruined whatever he was doing.
“That certainly sounds like a discussion for dumpsters and grease pits,” I said chuckling. “We’ll be in the car.” The three of us turned from the back of the restaurant and headed back for the car at the far side.
Once we were halfway there, Naught quietly and nervously said, “Seth… sir, I think Ryan was lying to you. I didn’t hear her say anything about sex, but she did mention the fairy ways a couple of times before it became hard to hear.”
“The fairy ways?” I asked, glancing down at the green girl. “Curious. Well, we’ll find out in a moment or two. It’s good that you waited to tell me about it though. Ryan wasn’t so much lying to me as misleading her. He knows he can’t really lie to me and get away with it.”
“You knew then, sir?” Naught asked.
“I knew he wasn’t saying everything, yes, but I don’t know what he’s not saying yet,” I responded. “I’d prefer to give him a chance to tell us first.” Unlocking the unfamiliar car, we piled in and waited for Ryan. He didn’t take too terribly long.
“Goodbye, Michelle,” Ryan called, walking to the car. I started the engine as he got in. “She certainly got chatty,” Ryan said, with a click of his seatbelt. “She wanted to know if you and Nil went into the fairy ways initially. As I don’t know what those are, I told her you were looking at the plants with Nil. She asked what kind of elves they are, too.”
“Is that when you started flirting with her?” I asked
“Well before then, Seth, please,” Ryan said, turning to grin. “We’re about the same age and she’s a lovely woman, really. And now that I’m free of the vow of chastity…” Naught giggled from the back seat.
“Why would you do that, Ryan?” she asked leaning forward slightly. “You’re a handsome man, fit and strong. You’d have lovely children. Are your skin pictures a natural trait?”
“Get ready for the jump, guys,” I said, laughing, looking left down the highway. Turning right, I started building speed slowly, skipping the car immediately from in front of the restaurant. At least one man was still watching from a window, most likely just idle curiosity on his part, but he saw the rental car vanish. The Whites’ driveway was the next right turn, now, and it was an easy turn at this speed. I parked at a long line of cars.
“I don’t think they expected us to come this way,” Ryan murmured, looking out the front window to the left into an area of recently replanted trees and shrubs, hurriedly being tended by a dozen or so people. Behind the widely spread stand of trees was the ritual site of their call, hidden behind a veil similar to the Hilliards’ veil in texture but on a much smaller scale.
“Of course they didn’t,” I said. “They expected us to come in a bright flash of light with a great deal of show. All right, kids, listen up.” I turned against the seat, looking back at them. “Naught, if you hear me say ‘bug-out’ at anytime, you go. No excuses and no hesitations, do you understand me? I’ve already had this out with Zero and Nil, and I’ll deal with the others as necessary. These people have presented a curious problem for me. They don’t know who we are and have decided to err on the cautious side. Unfortunately, this is also the type of test that pisses me off. Naught, do you know how to shield yourself?”
“Yes, sir,” she said confidently and nodded once. “I can also blend well and have some skill with a staff and bow, if necessary. It won’t come to that sort of violence, will it, Seth?”
“No time like the present to see,” I said and gave her a smile. “Now, once we get out of the car, both of you stay close to me unless I say it’s okay, but even then, be aware of danger. I don’t quite trust them, but it’s their choice to show their asses.”
With a cursory look around, I asked, “Any questions?”
“I have one,” Ryan said. “What am I doing here exactly? I mean, officially? Otherwise, this is all quite fascinating.”
“Legal advisor? I don’t know that you have to have an official capacity here,” I said cheerfully. “Let’s just say you’re a friend and leave it at that.” He nodded, a slight smirk on his face he thought I couldn’t see. “Let’s go, guys.”
All four doors popped at once. I mean, come on, how random is that! Have you ever tried synchronizing even three? Three people, three door handles, three locks… Pure chance. Anyway, all the plant-tenders stiffened visibly, then inched faster toward the back of the house.
I stepped out onto the cut grass and sent some subtle sensings through the ground and grasses. They didn’t have enough people for a serious offensive against us, but there were many latencies built up around the house and workshop, I guess it was, out back of the house. The large field to the right was where the Ohio circle chanted a few minutes ago. They were still holding their positions there, more or less. An entourage of people waited casually nearby. Of course, all this was conveniently blocked from view by the house.
“You’re going to the house?” Ryan asked as he came around the car.
“Yes, the address Col. White gave me is nailed to the column beside the front door,” I answered, pointing vaguely. “It would be impolite to do anything else. And frankly my goal is to check on Sara.” I rang the bell, glancing back at Ryan, grinning. “Besides, they’ve only just now realized we’re here, but not where they want us.”
Small rustles of clothing told us that someone came to the door. I was trying to hold myself in, but my senses found the person and instantly the whole house exploded into my consciousness. Sara stood feebly on the other side of the door, peeping through the curtains. After ringing the bell again,
I called out gently, “Hello? I’m Seth McClure. I’m supposed to meet Brian White here.”
The bolt moved quickly as she fumbled with the handset lock. Sara opened the door a crack after a moment, peeking out around the door. “Seth?” she mumbled weakly. “I know that name, don’t I?”
“Hello, Sara,” I oozed charm with those words. “You’re looking much better now. Yes, you remember me, don’t you? I’m Seth McClure. I’ve come to check on you and see that you’re getting better. That’s why we’re looking for Brian. How are you, though? Are you feeling any better? Why are you alone?”
“Daybreak?” she asked, barely breathing.
“Yes,” I nodded, too, just to be sure. Then slowly, “Nice deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Easy and slow.”
Two slow breaths together and she had enough strength to take a step back. Sounds of people running from the back of the house could finally be heard.
“Sara? Where are you?” a female voice called from the back.
“Sara? Where are you?” a male voice called, closer. “Sara, dear?”
“Won’t you come in, Seth? Please?” Sara asked, almost pleading.
“Thank you, Sara, that’s most kind,” I said, smiling. Propping Sara up with a little strength didn’t hurt me and could only help her. It only took looking at her to know she wasn’t eating well enough. “When’s the last time you ate anything, Sara?” I asked quietly, slipping in beside her and dropping my arm across her waist to steady her.
“Um, well, last night,” she answered in a whisper, staring up at me with haunted eyes. “I think. Yes… yes, it was last night.” Her “last night” was three nights ago.
“Sara!” a hoarse whisper from the doorway announced the man’s arrival. “What have you done, girl?” An older man, he was an average-sized man, mid-sixties, only a little heavy for his age. His horrified face was weather-worn and tanned from years of working outside.
“Nothing, Mr. White,” I murmured, brushing a loose wisp of hair behind Sara’s ear. He swung back and out of our way as I headed for the kitchen. We found the owner of the woman’s voice next, standing in the corridor to the dining room. “Why don’t you slow everyone from running into the house in a panic, though, so they don’t scare her.”
Mrs. White wasn’t a frail woman. Slightly younger than her husband, this time with her daughter had taken a toll on her. Neither she nor her husband had dealt with problems of this nature before. These were the stalwarts of the large extended family, always helping others through their hard times, but rarely feeling the hurt themselves. They were good people and they loved their daughter. And they were very afraid of me, of us.
“Last night? Well, Sara, you should be hungry again by now,” I said gently. “Would you like something to eat? I’m sure your parents and I would love to have you eat something. You need to keep up your strength to get well again.” Mrs. White’s eyes widened in surprise and hope.
“I… I could eat… Seth,” Sara whispered, still staring up at me.
“Good,” I encouraged her with a small squeeze. “How about a couple of scrambled eggs and some toast. That should be easy on you.” Mrs. White stifled a small cry and turned for the kitchen, almost running in her eagerness to start cooking. We followed, never changing our slow pace. Naught and Nil looked everywhere, but thankfully, at the moment all eyes were on Sara and me. Ryan watched us intently, unaware of our history.
Mrs. White’s kitchen showed the signs of use beyond the three of them, but I hadn’t looked that deeply into Sara’s history. Mrs. White was already busy, nervously busy, starting the flame on the gas stove and turning to the refrigerator. Then back to the stove to turn down the flame. She was about to have a nervous breakdown, I think, and I didn’t want to sneak a fascination into their home without the Whites knowing ahead of time. Fully within the rights of hospitality because of Sara’s invitation, I still thought it would be rude and cause them undue stress.
“Ryan?” I asked quietly, shrugging Sara off my arm gently. “Would you mind? I’ll find a chair.” No questions of her, please. She needs a little distance still, I sent through his key as he gently took Sara by the shoulders. Ryan began humming lightly as he shifted her weight, emanating safety and concern for Sara deftly through the happy tune. “Nil? Naught?” I whispered, nodding in different directions for each of them. Then I went in search of a chair.
“Mrs. White?” Naught called gently as she came closer. “Hello, Mrs. White. My name is Naught. I’m happy to meet you.” Then she smiled. Mrs. White calmed down in quick breaths as she looked at Naught. “Would you like some help, dear? You look frazzled…” I didn’t see any energy flow or fascination start from Naught. Mrs. White merely instantly trusted her for no apparent reason.
“Oh, yes, please,” Mrs. White answered, full of relief. The pair began at the refrigerator with Naught in the lead, both comforting her and seeing to the cooking at the same time. At the other end of the room, Nil quickly cleaned out the old stone hearth. His gentle magic controlled the airflow and kept the dust from the air. Mr. White was working on it but abandoned the project, presumably for Sara’s sake. For supposedly decision-dependent faery, they acted pretty damn confident to me.
Heading back into the house for a decent chair, I checked outside to see how Mr. White was doing. There were only two entrances to the house, the front door and the back, through a mudroom attached to the side of the kitchen. He was standing ten paces out from the door, blocking the small garden path. Eight men and three women stood in front of him, urging him to let them pass. Brian White stood at his uncle’s left, cross-armed, listening to him talk.
I found a chair, but not the kind I originally started after. A rocking chair, old as the hills, sat in the corner of Mrs. White’s sewing room, just off the master bedroom. Passed down for generations, this was an old piece with a presence of its own—if it weren’t powder blue with stenciling, wobbly on the left, and both arms came up without much effort. Picking up the rocking chair, I headed to the kitchen again.
Sara’s attention came instantly to me when I re-entered the kitchen and set the chair on the stone hearth. Nil was still working on the fireplace, but had a small fire built already. Naught stirred a small bowl of eggs then poured them into a small iron skillet. She was listening to Mrs. White as she described her ordeal with Sara over the last week slowly. Naught knew the base story only in a theoretical way, but she could see Sara better than her mother could and knew the kind of trauma she’d suffered. She also knew not to admit to any knowledge of why. That was my place.
“Seth?” Nil called, standing up from the fireplace. “Sir, may I repair the fireplace? It seems like the master of the house got interrupted by more important matters.” Yeah, and the Whites may need the hearth soon with winter at hand.
I glanced over his shoulders at the fireplace and saw the gas, heat, and smoke build up that said there was a blockage in the flue. “Do as you think best, Nil,” I said. “That’s why you’re here.”
Ryan held Sara gently, still standing and swaying gently to his tune in front of the long table in the center of the room. Now that I was going to work on the rocker, she needed a place to sit and rest. A stool, I remember a stool somewhere in the house and reached out to pick it up.
“Here we are,” I said, putting the stool down just behind Sara. “Not ideal but it will suit for a few minutes anyway. Now, let me go get your father.” I patted Sara’s shoulder as Ryan eased her onto the stool. Before I left through the door to the mudroom, I grinned and said through a thick, and bad, Irish accent, “And, ladies, since he’s already in a musical mood, maybe you can talk him into a ballad or two while I’m gone. ‘E’s got a loverly voice, ‘e does.” Then I ducked down the hall with the rocker, opening a portal to the outside.
You bastard! followed me through the portal and out past the garden, facing Mr. White’s back. I laughed and put the rocker down. Everyone looked at my chair and me. I did just drop in front o
f them so it made sense. Quiet reigned supreme until…
“Mr. White, would you mind if I restored this chair? I think it would help in Sara’s recovery somewhat,” I asked, indicating the old rocker. Mr. White stared dumbly at me for a moment then nodded his head.
“Um, yes, if it helps, Mr. Mc—”, he said mumbling at me. I interrupted with an upraised hand.
“Please, call me ‘Seth’,” I said with a warm smile, then I turned my attention to Col. White. At five-ten, he might even be called tall for a naval fighter pilot, but he was built for it. Lean and muscular, his gray suit fit well and any possibility of violence was hidden behind calm gray eyes. He had the confidence of a colonel and the bearing to make his commands happen. As the paint peeled away from the chair, I stepped over and held out my hand.
“Hi, you must be Brian,” I said, still smiling. “I’m Seth McClure. We spoke on the phone earlier.” Got another one confused. He wasn’t sure what to do or say.
“Um, hi, yeah, I’m Brian,” he said cautiously. “It’s good to meet you, sir.” He pumped my hand with genuine enthusiasm. I turned back to the chair, ignoring the crowd of people. Most of them respected power, but I showed them only a little. I made sure to stay below the thresholds of their perceptions. So, in short, it looked like magic as years of wear just fell away from the walnut wood. It appeared to just grow in front of us from a dilapidated chair for sewing discards and back to its glorious youth. If you weren’t watching, though, you’d have missed it completely. The peeling paint was the most animated effect.
“What do you think? A little darker on the varnish?” I asked them, sending the paint chips back into the earth with a wave.
“I don’t believe it,” muttered Brian, staring at the rocker. Similar mutterings occurred behind me.
“Shall we go in?” I suggested, moving in to take the chair again. Turning back to the crowd, I said, “We’ll talk shortly. Don’t make any attempt to dismantle the snare. You won’t like the consequences.” Then I tapped the ground once with my foot and said a word, “Cha’honoth.” Pulses of druidic power hit the ground and rumbled outward, orienting and turning until it found its target. Our intended landing site was now protected against changes. None knew the magic I threw, but they all felt its heritage as their own. Then I picked up the rocker and went inside, urging the Whites in front of me.
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