by M. C. Aquila
Deirdre turned away, her stomach aching and suddenly feeling hollow. I can’t believe he ditched me! Why would he do that? Was it something I did?
Then she caught sight of the faery still hovering less than a foot away and asked, “Do you have any idea where he went?”
“Nay. But…” The faery swooped down, fluttering over to her side and plucking a short hair off her sleeve. “This is the boy’s, or it belongs to one of his kin. I can use it to create a guiding spell for you. If you wish it?”
“Of course!” Deirdre wiped her eyes. “Thank you!”
The faery swung one of her small, white-and-yellow arms, conjuring from the air three beads of water, which joined into one. She repeated it until there was a ball of water almost as big as she was. Then she flattened the water into a disk and dropped the hair on it.
Immediately the water lit up, the hair disappearing and turning into white light, wavering one second but then splitting into two threads of light, shooting in two directions and looking like a compass with two needles. One of the beams was stronger and brighter than the other.
“Here.”
The faery tossed the disk to her; Deirdre gasped and held her hands out, hurriedly asking the Water Magic to stay shaped as a disk.
For a horrible moment, the water splashed onto her hands, as if it would fall apart and to the ground. But then it re-formed itself, lifting up to hover just above her hands, the needles of light remaining.
“Those lights will lead you to the human or one of his kin,” the faery said, flying over the disk and pointing down. “But this is a weak spell and shan’t last long.”
Deirdre nodded, but before she could thank her, the faery quickly bowed and then zoomed away into the trees, heading in the same direction as the music of a wedding march.
She blinked, frowning. “Why did that faery bow?”
Then she shook her head, looking down at the water disk. I’ve got to act fast before it stops working. One of these lights must point to James… which means the other is Iain. Let’s see…
Glancing up, she spotted lichen on a nearby tree and held the disk out, comparing the directions of the needle to where the lichen faced. The stronger light points to the northwest, and that’s where Iain and Delphina are. So the other light, pointing due north… it must be James!
She hurried off, following the light as quickly as she could.
The rain was falling harder, but the coverage propped up everywhere, from awnings over stalls to hanging tarps to large half-crescent umbrellas attached to the trees themselves, kept her mostly dry. When a raindrop did fall on the compass, it distorted the disk for a moment, but then the spell returned to normal.
As she continued, the compass guiding her on, its cool moisture soothed the wounds in her hands from when she accidentally broke Cai’s flask yesterday.
Magic is so strange. She looked down at the water floating just above her fingers. It can do so many different things, and… exist in so many different forms. But there’s so much to learn about magic and about that Shadow Magic and… and all of it! It’s amazing, and…
Her smile faded as she looked up from the compass. Losing magic would be better than hurting people, of course. But I don’t want to lose it, not ever. I’m glad I have it, no matter what! Iain was right; it’s a part of me.
But then she shook herself and began to walk faster. But that’s so selfish! I mean, I shouldn’t want magic more than I want people to be safe! Right?
The water disk suddenly began to waver, rippling like a wave was going through it. She felt that the magic was coming loose, slowly leaving the disk to go its way. So she walked faster, jogging when she could, heading farther north.
She had just reached the edge of the woods when the Water Magic disk wavered. The two lights flashed, and then the disk dissolved between her fingers, the cold, pure water flowing to the ground.
Looking around, her heart plummeted into her stomach when she saw no one. There was only woods, the sound of wedding music to the far south, and the various melodies in the west, all muffled by the falling raindrops. It seemed to suddenly get darker as she peered between the drops, searching desperately for some sign of James.
I can hardly see, it’s so dark now… Deirdre let out a small gasp, then laughed at herself. Of course. I’ll search this way!
Placing her hand on the shaded side of a tree, she tapped into the shadow, reaching out to it and all the shadows of the forest. It was easier than calling out to someone by name. In an instant she was aware of every shade and shadow cast by the clouds, the raindrops, and the rustling, falling leaves.
And there was someone only a few yards away, creeping slowly through the woods. She couldn’t tell who it was, but judging by the shadows, it wasn’t a tall or large person.
It must be James! But why did he come all the way out here?
She stepped from under the tree into the drizzling rain, pulling her raincoat’s hood up over her head more snugly as she called out, “I know you’re there!”
She sensed the person immediately stop.
“Come on, this isn’t funny.” She continued walking through the woods. “Why did you leave me behind? I was really worried! And you could have gotten lost!”
“Stop!”
Deirdre froze, mouth hanging open as a distinctly feminine voice rang out from the woods.
That’s… definitely not James.
“Who are you?” Deirdre asked, peering, taking another step.
“I said stop!” There was a low hiss, then the voice said, “Someone stole my clothes. Can you find me some?”
“What? Why would someone steal your clothes?”
The woman groaned, muttering. “What does that matter? I’m wet and freezing!”
“Well, hold on.” Deirdre slipped off her long raincoat. “Put this on, and we can go get something. I passed a few clothing shops on the way here.” With her magic, she sensed the person move to just the other side of a nearby cluster of thick bushes; she balled up the jacket and threw it over the hedge.
“Ow!”
“Did you get it?” Deirdre called.
“Yes. Wait one moment.”
A minute later, the coat wrapped tightly around her, the woman came around the hedge; the hood of the raincoat was pulled over her head, around a shadowed olive face, framed by thick, wet dark hair.
“Where were the stalls?” the woman asked, shivering.
“This way.” Deirdre pointed, then bit her lip. “Um, you didn’t happen to see a boy back there, did you? A fourteen-year-old?”
The woman scoffed, giving her a sharp look. “You think I was messing around with a teenager, that was why my clothes were gone?” She turned, walking past Deirdre, muttering in a low voice, “Typical gazhi.”
“Gazhi?” Deirdre followed her, smiling lightly. “That’s Romani, right?”
“Yes.” Glancing at her, the woman raised an eyebrow. “How did you know?”
“I have some Romani friends.”
“Well, good for you.”
Deirdre hesitated at the woman’s bitter tone but pressed, “Actually, I was looking for one of them. I thought—”
Holding up her hand, the woman said, “Listen, we can talk all about it, but first buy me some clothes, would you?” She gestured to the clothing stalls, which had just come into sight. “Something warm, please.”
“Okay!” Deirdre began to jog away, calling back, “Wait right here!”
The woman sighed. “It’s not as if I can go anywhere like this.”
A few minutes later, Deirdre returned with boots and a woolen sweater and skirt, spending the last of her coins. The sweater and skirt were scratchy but thick and would help keep out the cold and damp.
Retreating a bit back into the woods, Deirdre kept watch while the woman changed and after a minute or so said, “So I was looking for one of my Romani friends when I bumped into you. I thought you were him, because… um…”
Should I mention magic to
her? Deirdre bit her lip. Would that make her suspicious or anything?
“Well,” she went on quickly, “he’s Romani too, and his name is James. And he—”
“What?” The sound of the woman dressing stopped. “How old did you say he was?”
“He’s fourteen. And still really short, probably shorter than you. And he’s—”
“What’s his full name?”
“His full name? He’s…” Deirdre trailed off, eyes widening.
Why would she want to know? Is she connected to the army and Alan somehow? But no, that makes no sense! If she was in the army, why was she be in the woods here without any clothes?
“Is he…” The woman’s voice caught. “Does he have green eyes? And an older brother, Iain?”
“I, um…” Deirdre bit her lip, wishing someone else was here to help her decide what to say.
“Does he have a mother named Kallista? Is he looking for her?”
Deirdre turned around, gaping. The woman stepped out from the other side of the tree, her eyes wide and her face set.
Now that Deirdre saw the woman without the hood for the first time, the resemblance between her and the boys was unmistakable. She had Iain’s hair and nose but James’s build and large eyes.
Hands flying to her mouth, Deirdre gasped. “Are you related to Kallista? To Delphina and to James and Iain?”
“I am Kallista! And you know my sons!” The woman grabbed Deirdre’s shoulders and gave her a shake. “Where are they? Where are my sons?”
Deirdre was still stunned, but a smile was breaking out on her face. “You’re Kallista!”
“Yes, we’ve established that!”
“And you’re here!”
“Yes!”
Joy bubbled up into a delighted scream, and Deirdre grabbed Kallista’s hands and jumped up and down. “You’re here! And you’re safe! And you’re right here—you’re not in some horrible place!”
“Yes—settle down!” Kallista raised her hands, her voice firm. “Now, where are they?”
Deirdre froze and gaped, then burst out, “James is lost, but Iain’s with Delphina because we came here to ask her if she knew where you were, but she didn’t, so we split up, but Iain stayed with her, but James ditched me, and this faery gave me a magic compass to help me look for him, but that’s when I found you and—”
“Stop!” Kallista stepped forward, looking Deirdre in the eye. “What do you mean, James is lost? I need to find him right away. He’s in danger.”
“Danger?” Deirdre tilted her head. “From the Cait—?”
Kallista shushed her. “Do not say that name. He will know when you say it. He’s already here, which is why I need to find my son before he can.”
“Is the—is he a faery cat?” Deirdre asked. “That’s what James thought, and Alvey, she’s a half elf who’s been traveling with us, thought that too.”
Swatting her hand through the air as if to bat away Deirdre’s words, Kallista continued, “I don’t know what he is, but he isn’t always a faery cat. Sometimes he is a man. I followed him here with…” She trailed off.
“What?”
Taking a step back, Kallista eyed her intensely and asked, “How do I know you aren’t one of his thralls? I haven’t seen you before, but I cannot be too careful.”
“I’m not a thrall! And I don’t even know what he looks like.”
“He has gold-colored eyes.”
“Wait, wait.” After sucking in a breath, Deirdre continued in a hushed voice, “We saw him earlier. He was talking to us.”
A wave of emotions flickered across Kallista’s face, first pale fear, then sorrow, and finally staying on fierce anger. She clenched her fists like if the creature was standing there, she would fight him that instant.
After a moment, she swallowed hard and said, “You told me Iain was with my sister. Maybe James has gone back to them? We can hope.”
“I didn’t think of that.”
Kallista nodded, then gestured. “We need to find them and get out of here. I heard that creature say terrible things—that the military is coming here.”
Deirdre’s hands went numb. “They are? Here?”
“Yes. And once they get here, they’ll just attack the festival without restraint. We need to leave before this becomes a battlefield.”
“W-we have to tell everyone!” Deirdre gestured in a wide circle. “Everyone needs to know and run away!”
Kallista placed her hands on her hips. “How will we do that?”
“Um…” Deirdre snapped her fingers. “The wedding! A wedding is going on, and almost everyone is there! We just need to go there and announce it, like from the big tree near it, so everyone will hear and know!”
Leaning back, Kallista looked at her incredulously. “We are not doing that.”
“Why not?”
“If you did that, everyone would panic and run over each other!” Kallista sighed, rubbing her temples. “We need to tell someone who is in charge, someone in authority. Then they’ll handle it so we can get out of here.”
“Right. I don’t know many people here, but…” Deirdre pursed her lips, thinking, then let out a heavy sigh before saying, “I guess we should go find Cai; he seemed to know people.”
“Who is Cai?”
“He’s…” Deirdre shifted, rubbing the back of her neck. “Well, he’s really poorly behaved, actually. But he ought to at least know whom we should talk to.”
Kallista folded her arms, considering with a frown for a moment before saying, “And if he’s well known, even if they don’t believe you or me, they might believe him.”
“Yes. Assuming he does help us. But I can’t think of anyone else!”
“Do you know where Cai is?”
Deirdre nodded. “He might still be shopping or maybe he’s drinking; there were all these alcohol vendors near the wedding, near the center of the fair. I bet he’s there.”
“Let’s go. Quickly.”
Chapter Fifteen
After standing about by Delphina’s stall for a minute, Iain said, “I should go meet Cai.”
Delphina barely looked up from the copper earring she was hammering with a tiny chisel tool. Her glasses slid down her nose. “Good idea. Lurking about like that, you’re intimidating any would-be customers.”
After taking a slow, steady breath, Iain asked, “Are you sure there’s nothing else you know that could help us find your sister? She’s your family.”
Delphina shook her head. “That is what I told her. We are her family. But once she met Alan, she chose him over family. And just look at what that choice got her. I knew he was a worthless husband and father from the start.”
Clenching his jaw, Iain managed to swallow back the bitterness in his throat. “My father’s done terrible, vile things, but he wasn’t always like that. He was good to her. I know he was.”
It was odd, having distinct memory fragments of his father when Iain wanted to grow up to be like him. Before his little brother was in his life, he remembered special moments between him and Dad, days they’d spent together, stories he’d told, being held tightly like Dad never wanted to let him go, and witnessing tender affection between his father and Mum when they thought he wasn’t nearby.
I know he loved her. He couldn’t even bear to talk about her after she left.
“I’ll tell you what, nephew.” Delphina looked up from her work with a thin smile. “I will give you two pieces of free, parting advice for the first and last time I see you: family will always disappoint you, and if you don’t go home, you’ll meet the same fate as Kalli.”
“With respect, I think you’re wrong on both counts, Auntie.” Iain adjusted his pack on his shoulders, ready to set out again. “When we find Mum, is there anything you’d like me to tell her?”
Delphina was silent for a moment. “You are a bit like her, you know. Stupidly optimistic, with foolish romantic notions… But if you do find her, tell her that I am sorry I did not try hard enough to knock more se
nse into that hard head of hers.” Delphina’s smug smile had faded. “She never did listen.”
“I’ll tell her you’re sorry.”
“That is not what I said.”
Iain shrugged. “Yeah. I guess that’s my stupid optimism at work. I can’t help it.”
She waved him off with a swat of her hand.
When he turned around, Alvey’s chair was right behind him; he jolted, having forgotten she was there. “Are you ready to go?” he asked her. “After I talk to Cai, we need to find Deirdre and James and decide where we’re going from here. I think the Summer Court seems like our best bet now.”
“No, I’m not finished shopping.” Alvey folded her arms. “I have nails, wood, and a copper necklace chain, but I still need rock crystals. However, I heard some folk in the crowds speak of exactly where to find them. I will retrieve the items I need while you talk with that gin lover.”
Iain gestured uselessly around them. “You really shouldn’t wander on your own. This place isn’t exactly safe.”
He was slightly wary when she smiled her Cheshire cat smile, as it usually meant mischief or sass was incoming.
“Ah, but I am not on my own.” She pointed to the air, tracing her finger through it toward the woods. “There are Water Garden faeries all around us presently, and most are probably familiars of the Summer Court. Should the need arise, I can get help from them easily.”
Glancing around, Iain saw nothing, but his mouth twitched at a smile. He was not certain why, but the presence of faeries and magic did not make him as anxious as it did in the past. It almost felt comforting to know they were there.
“Even so, we won’t be able to find you again easily; this place is huge, yeah?”
The girl’s cheeks flushed a light pink, yet her voice was a little ominous when she said, “But I can find you. I would know your scent anywhere. I could even track you down halfway across the country if I needed to.”
A horrified, strangled sound came from Iain’s mouth before he could stop it. He recovered after a moment and said, “Regardless, we should have a meeting place to be safe. The tree in the middle of the festival grounds is a good spot.”