Ironspark

by C. M. McGuire

  “You’re seventeen.”

  “Time flies.” Dom popped the top off the beer, took a swig, and started rummaging through the drawers until he found a large, yellow pad of paper and a pen. “All right,” he said. “So … yesterday. I wasn’t a huge fan of that.”

  Understatement of the century.

  Jasika shifted a little in her chair to fix me with a look that could have given Gooding a run for his money. Except, coming from Jasika, it managed to feel worse.

  Guilt squirmed in my gut and I sighed. “Look. A bendith is dangerous. They plant changelings, they enchant people. She was … I was just…” The longer I spoke, the harder it became under their scrutiny.

  “She could have also cursed all the kids in this town,” Jasika pointed out with a frown.

  “She could have also been reasoned with,” Dom added. “We didn’t even try. Not really.”

  “Did you even hear the things she was saying?” I reminded him. “She didn’t sound like she was up to talk.”

  Dom shrugged. “She was trying to get under your skin and you let her.”

  “I’m sorry, okay?” I clenched my fists and took a deep breath. “She said some things about my mum. And yeah, I fell for it. I’d take it back if I could. But you called me here, right? I mean, I assume you’ve got reasons to want to take care of this.”

  Dom and Jasika glanced between them. Dom drummed his fingers against the bottle before he took a swig.

  “Helen’s is the first place I’ve been in a long time where I felt like I belonged. And now magic’s real and I can’t just go back to a life where I forget that. And it’s dangerous, and Helen lives right next to it. I don’t want anything to happen to her.” He straightened. “I think we could work together. As long as nothing like yesterday happens again.”

  “It won’t,” I insisted, and turned to Jasika. “I won’t let them get to me again.”

  She tucked a curl behind her ear, her lips twisting into a half grimace for just a second as she stared down at the table. My chest tightened, and it didn’t loosen until she took a deep breath.

  “I’ve got family, too. And I feel like I’ve always…” She trailed off and shook her head. “This is something I’ve got to do. The way I see it, if we work together, we can check each other. Make each other stronger. Make sure things are done right.”

  Or, more directly put, she wanted to make sure I didn’t screw things up again. I bit the inside of my cheek. I couldn’t ignore the conversation we’d had a few days ago. About going at it alone. She didn’t want to go at it alone anymore. But teams didn’t just share their skills with each other. They shared their trouble, too.

  “It’s great and all that you two want to protect the town. Really. But do you have any idea what you’re volunteering for?”

  “We’re not stupid, Bryn.” Jasika leaned forward, resting a hand on mine. “It’s our town, too. We can all work separately, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be more effective if we work together. Provided we lay down some ground rules.”

  Her hand felt like a warm, weighted blanket on mine. If I left it too long, I’d feel too comfortable. Too okay with the idea of them fighting and maybe getting hurt. Reluctantly, I pulled my hand away and crossed my arms, glancing between the two of them.

  “Okay. My number one rule is if I decide something’s too dangerous for you two, you stay out of it. No questions asked.”

  “No deal.” Jasika crossed her arms, too, and arched a brow. “That just sets it up for you to run into something dangerous instead. Look, we’ve all got people to protect, but there has to be a line in the sand. I say we draw it at killing prisoners or suicide scenarios.”

  “How about we agree not to rush into any situation without you,” Dom offered. “And in return, Bryn, no killing them.”

  Right. I’d been ready for that one. “Deal, unless it’s a life-or-death situation. That includes one of them running off to tell the Unseelie queen what we’re doing.”

  Dom drummed his fingers on the table for a long moment before he gave a jerky nod. “Life or death only. Otherwise, I don’t know. Try and catch it or cut a deal. I read that fairies love to make deals. Or else use something out of your magic book. Or get the shadelings to help.”

  Jasika blinked. “Magic book?” Then, “Wait. Hold up. What’s a shadeling?”

  I shot Dom a halfhearted glare, more out of habit than anything at this point, before turning back to Jasika with a shrug. “The shadelings are … Well, they’re these sort of imps that live in the shadows. They’ve been around ever since my mum went missing. Think The Shoemaker and the Elves, only they smell awful and all they want is food and a safe home…” My gut twisted with a sudden pang of longing. They still hadn’t turned up.

  Jasika furrowed her brows and glanced between us.

  “They’re kind of cute in a Jim Henson sort of way,” Dom elaborated.

  “I guess that’s a thing.” Jasika shook her head. “So what’s this magic book I’ve only just now heard about?”

  I squirmed in my seat. It didn’t feel natural, being this open about everything. And Dom had really overstepped, blabbing about Mum’s book. I’d have to be careful moving forward with what I told him. But now the cat was out of the bag. I let my eyes dart up to Jasika, down again, and forced myself to explain about Mum’s jewelry box, the book, and what we’d found out from the water wives. After all, I was making a distinct effort to play nice with others. And maybe Jasika was right. Working together was our best shot, even if it spread the danger around to all of us.

  “So if it’s protected by Fae magic, it’s probably got that same magic inside,” I explained. “I don’t want to count it as an asset or a liability until I’ve had a chance to check it out more. Their magic runs on something I don’t understand.”

  “Wait, so your mom just happened to have a book of Fae spells lying around?” Jasika demanded, drumming her fingers on the table. “Doesn’t that feel like a big coincidence to you?”

  “I … I don’t think so.” I chewed the inside of my lip and reached out, swirling the water in my cup to watch the little whirlpool form in the center. It was easier to watch than their faces. A small voice in my head pointed out that I really didn’t need to tell them. But the words spilled out all the same. Maybe I’d just kept it all pent up so long it only needed a tap to come spilling out. Maybe some small part of me was so desperate to push them away from all of this that I’d tell them everything. “When I was a kid, she taught me all about Fae and fairies. I think she had a past with them.” I swallowed and tried to focus on the singular words. Not the weight they carried. “Um … so I was eight, and I found this Fae wounded in the woods. I didn’t know back then that there were bad ones, so I brought him home to try and help him. I left him in the living room with all the family pictures and went to get bandages. When I came back, the living room was a mess, and he was gone.”

  Just thinking about it—the shattered picture frames. The rips in the couch, stuffing everywhere, and Mum’s face when she came home from the store. She must have known what had happened. What would happen. She must have known it was all a trap.

  My eyes burned at the memory. I forced myself to drink some water, but it went down like cement.

  “They took her. Dad went out to the woods to try and get her back, only when he came home, he was seeing things. The Unseelie did something to him. Gave him the hallucinations. When he realized what they’d done to him I think he gave up hope of finding her. Packed up. Moved halfway across the world to live in a small town with a man who specialized in protection against the fairies. Only I don’t think it was enough. Maybe they, um, they didn’t just want Mum.”

  I could feel their eyes on me, but I didn’t want to look up and see it. It felt weirdly like I’d just stripped down naked in front of them. After a few long seconds, Dom cleared his throat.

  “I’m … shit. I’m so sorry.” He tapped his finger against the neck of his bottle. Every little tap was like little
bomb going off in my ears. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him take another swig of beer.

  “I never realized,” Jasika breathed.

  I squirmed in my seat. “I didn’t tell you to make you feel sorry for me. You two need to know the stakes here.”

  “Yeah. The stakes. They’re high.” Dom cleared his throat. “But if things go wrong, a lot of people get hurt.”

  “You’ve gone at this alone long enough,” Jasika added. “And I get it. It’s made you hard inside. But maybe it’s time to accept help from other people with skin in the game.” She leaned forward and rested her warm hand on mine. Like a weighted blanket, right when I needed it. This time, I didn’t pull away.

  “I guess you’ll be teaching me all the things you’ve taught yourself,” I said.

  Jasika smirked. “I’ll do my best, as long as you return the favor.”

  Dom leaned forward with a grin. “Not to intrude or anything, but there’s one other person who can probably teach us a thing or two.” His eyes shone, and I didn’t even have to ask who he was thinking of.

  He was probably right. I turned to Jasika. “Well, if we’re going to start our own little Scooby gang, I think there’s someone you should meet.”

  Fourteen

  It felt downright sacrilegious at this point, bringing not one but two visitors to the side of Gwen’s pond. At what point would they declare enough was enough and ban me for good?

  As we broke the tree line, I gave Dom a nudge. He dug a box of wheat crackers and a can of green beans out of his backpack. I blinked at the offering.

  “I told you to bring greens and bread.”

  “Crackers are like bread and these are green beans.” He gave the can a little jiggle.

  I could have smacked my forehead.

  “This isn’t some little BS phone-call ritual, Dom. This is an actual—” I broke off at Jasika’s gasp as Gwen rose from the water. Pond water sparkled like stars in her wet hair as she stepped onto the land, surveying us silently. After a long moment, she folded her hands in front of her.

  “My sisters won’t come out for so many people, Bryn,” she warned me. “But you know that I always will.”

  I couldn’t help smiling at that. “Yeah. Thanks, Gwen.”

  Gwen’s eyes sparkled as she clapped her hands. “So, what have you brought me?”

  “Only the best for the pretty lady.” With a flourish, Dom handed her his pantry rejects.

  Gwen blinked and took a deep breath. “I see. How very … generous.” She turned, nodding at Jasika. “We have not met.”

  “Jasika Witters.” Jasika stuck out her hand, just like I had when I’d first met the water wives. Gwen stifled a giggle, awkwardly resting her hand on Jasika’s.

  “I am Gwen,” she murmured, looking Jasika up and down. “You have a power about you. You’ve been educated.”

  Somehow, the way Gwen said “educated,” it didn’t sound like she was talking about algebra. It almost sounded like it was spelled with a capital E. For all that Jasika insisted she knew things, I was looking at her in a new light. I knew I’d underestimated her before, but now there was no telling how much.

  Jasika caught her breath and nodded. “Self-taught, mostly. I’ve always sort of … known. Then Bryn and Father Gooding got my family out of a scrape. After that, I figured I ought to learn more. There are a few things I think I can do with it.”

  “Impressive.” Gwen glanced at me. “Such interesting friends you’ve brought, Bryn.”

  “Yeah, well, I try.” I knelt down in the muddy grass and opened my backpack. “Sorry to drop by unannounced again, but Dom and Jasika are going to be working with me. I figured it would be a good idea to lay everything out and let them know where all my cuts and bruises keep going.”

  Gwen giggled, managing to sound like a gurgling stream as she knelt in front of me. Very close in front of me. Right in front of the others. Apparently, boundaries and personal space weren’t really water-wife things. I glanced at Jasika, but she’d plopped down on the grass next to Dom, hands folded politely in her lap. And Dom? He was laser-focused on the backpack. He might as well have waved a neon sign screaming SOMETHING COOL INSIDE! Gwen could have snogged me right there and I doubt he would have noticed anything if there wasn’t active magic involved.

  Well, it was time for just that. This wasn’t just a social visit after all. “Gwen, the Unseelie didn’t just send a drone. The changelings were being delivered by a bendith right in these woods. In person.”

  Gwen’s eyes widened. “Oh, Bryn. That was you, wasn’t it?” She took a deep breath and began to play with her long, pale hair. “You killed the bendith. Of course it was you. Did you at least learn her name?”

  “I…”

  “There wasn’t time,” Jasika cut in. I glanced over. Jasika had smoothed her expression into a stony mask. For his part, Dom wasn’t looking at any of us, and there was a faintly greenish tinge to his cheeks.

  Gwen narrowed her eyes. “Did she curse the town?”

  My stomach sank. “I guess there was time enough for that.”

  Gwen hissed something that definitely wasn’t English under her breath and rose, storming back and forth in front of the pond.

  Dom hurried up to her, holding up his hands. “We’re sorry. But we talked about it. There absolutely won’t be any more killing.”

  Gwen slowed and crossed her arms. “That death should not have occurred. You’ve placed the whole of this town in danger.”

  I sighed and pulled the book out. In an instant, the friendly atmosphere dissolved. Jasika leaned forward, brushing her fingers against the leather cover. Gwen recoiled, eyes wide.

  “Bryn, why have you brought that here?” she demanded.

  I glanced helplessly to Dom and Jasika, but they didn’t offer anything to help. “Gwen, I know it’s risky, but—”

  “A grimoire of this sort is not to be used lightly.”

  “My mum used it!” I insisted, and my heart skipped a beat. “This was her book. Maybe it’s risky, but if she could use it, then so can I.”

  “If the town is in danger, then help us save it.” Jasika leapt to her feet and grabbed the book. For one knee-jerk moment, I almost lunged for it before I caught myself. We were working together now after all. All the same, my hands itched to take the book back.

  Gwen turned to face us. A long, quiet moment passed. I don’t think any of us dared to breathe until, at last, Gwen gave a little nod. Jasika tried to hand her the book until Dom stopped her.

  “Oh, no, um … apparently Fae can’t touch it? It’s enchanted or something.”

  “Just rest it on the ground,” Gwen murmured.

  Jasika did, and we all huddled around as Gwen pursed her lips, watching carefully as Jasika turned page after page.

  “This book is very old,” she said, and I wasn’t sure if she said it to herself or to all of us. “It’s far older than any human ought to be. Perhaps your mother was not its first owner.”

  I rested my hand on hers. “Could you tell us which spells might have been written by my mum, then?”

  Gwen bit her lip and threw a glance over her shoulder at the pond. “The Welsh and the modern English spells are most trustworthy. But I don’t think any of you should try anything but the English. At least, that way, you’ll know what you’re saying.”

  Well, it was a start. I squeezed her hand. “Okay. Do any of these look good to undo a bendith’s curse?”

  Gwen watched Jasika flipping the pages before she held up her hand. “This one. It’s just an incantation. Everyone here should be able.”

  By “everyone” she plainly meant Dom, who looked like he was about to explode with excitement.

  “Wait. Right now? Are we actually going to do this right here, right now?”

  Gwen stared at him a moment before her lip twitched. Yeah. Dom seemed to have that effect on people, didn’t he?

  “Don’t we need ingredients? Elements, salt, anything?” Jasika demanded. “I mean, we haven�
��t even secured the circle.”

  “Secured the circle?” Dom cut in.

  “Usually before you do this, you’re supposed to make a circle around yourself with a knife,” Jasika explained. “It sort of keeps everything unwanted from getting in or out.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m here. Fae magic is a little easier. And a little harder.” Gwen crossed her arms in front of her, wrist over wrist. “I can secure the circle, but you shouldn’t try without human methods. If you haven’t the strength, human magic simply won’t work. Fae magic will often work and just keep taking and taking until you’ve paid for it.”

  “So better to read the fine print and follow the rules,” Dom muttered, flipping his wrists a few times before he was satisfied.

  “Better not to try Fae magic without a Fae,” Gwen clarified. “Misguided humans have been known to turn to stone.”

  Jasika and I shared a glance before we folded our hands in the center.

  “You need to focus your power into the center of us all. Over the book,” Gwen explained.

  “What?”

  “Just imagine your hands getting warm, Dom,” Jasika explained, closing her eyes.

  Gwen’s lip twitched.

  “How long have you been doing this, Jasika?”

  Jasika gave an awkward half shrug. “Actively? Maybe a year or so. But I think I’ve sort of been playing with it since I can remember. This’ll be the first time I do it with a group, though.”

  Gwen nodded in approval. “You’ll find it a bit easier.”

  After a few seconds, something thrummed behind our hands, like the tingling, tightening of skin near a fire without any of the heat. I focused on pushing my own out, but none of us could have matched Gwen’s strength. If we were campfires, she was a power plant.

  “I will lead in the human fashion. You will follow,” she instructed, and her voice dropped lower than I’d ever heard it. “Hail to the water of the west. Guide our sorrow and our joy and purify this place we call home. Be with us and feed our intuition.”