The Steward

  Devin smiled. “Thank you, Sara. Always the diplomat. We prefer to stay connected to our element, so we walk about when in physical form. I never saw the need for wings,” he said curtly.

  “So, Air aligned Fae do call themselves sylphs and faeries? The books are correct? What do Earth aligned Fae call themselves?” I asked

  “Fae,” Devin replied, dryly.

  I laughed.

  He shot a quick glance at Sara. “Names, divisions, races, those are all things of humankind. Categories created to typecast. We do not refer to Air aligned Fae as sylph, pixies, or faeries, we do not refer to Water aligned Fae as undines, selkies, sprites, nymphs, mermaids or naiads, but men do. Those and a hundred other names have been applied to our kind, and each is meaningless if you want to know the truth. We are Fae.”

  “Devin, it’s an honest question. I know you don’t like labels, especially one of them, but they will help explain us to Maggie,” Sara said, spinning a quick pirouette in the air before taking her full form again.

  “That is easy for you to say. You are a beautiful fairy,” he grumbled, in a mocking tone, before changing shape into an incredibly handsome man with long golden hair and impossibly beautiful features.

  “Humans refer to those of us who are Earth aligned as goblins…” he blurted out with a silly look on his face, “gnomes…” he continued, with a smirk, “and trolls,” he said, wincing. “Can you believe that? Just look at me. I am no troll.”

  “Other names humans have used for Earth aligned Fae are elves and dwarves,” Sara said. “Devin has developed a … sensitivity … to the t-word over the past hundred years—he’s been watching too much television.” She shot him a disapproving look.

  “Wait, you really watch T.V.?” My face contorted into a silly grin.

  Devin looked a little defensive. “Television shows are broadcast using energy. They are easier to read than human thoughts.” He gave Sara a frown. “It is not that I watch television, it is that I sometimes neglect to block it out.”

  Sara laughed and shook her head.

  Very much like a dream to me, I felt a little like I would wake up any minute and discover I’d fallen asleep in my room. But if it was a dream, I figured I might as well enjoy it. “You are both quite beautiful to me, especially in your natural form. I’ve never seen anything so breathtaking.”

  Devin smiled and his blue eyes twinkled, undoubtedly on purpose. “Well,” he continued, “back to the incessant labels. The last group, the Fire aligned Fae, have been called salamanders, Furies, and demons. They are not nearly as bad as they are thought out to be—most of them. Narcissistic? Oh yes, more so than all other Fae. Admittedly, we are all a bit too preoccupied with beauty—the legends of Fae vanity are true, I am afraid. But again, Maggie, we are all Fae—more similar than not. Each of us, beautiful and temperamental, is capable of both great kindness and incredible selfishness.”

  “I really don’t know much about Fae legends. The books I’ve read frustrated me, so I stopped reading them. Every story was different,” I admitted.

  “The Fae are vain, occasionally to a fault,” Sara said. “Devin is correct.”

  “Wow, mermaids, gnomes—all Fae, and all real,” I said, as everything began to sink in. “Now I half expect you to tell me that the legends of Bigfoot are real.”

  “The legends are true. They are often Earth aligned Fae who just happen to like that form,” Devin said in a matter-of-fact tone.

  I was shocked and alarmed, but why so many people claimed to see them despite the lack of physical evidence suddenly made sense. Images of other creatures raced through my mind, scarier creatures, causing me to shiver.

  “It’s best not to think about those things,” Sara said. “Remember, many of humankind’s worst nightmares were engineered by my kind.”

  “I still don’t get that. If you have the power to move mountains, why bother scaring people? It seems … beneath you.”

  “Yes and no,” Sara said. “Not all fear is a bad thing. In the past, some Fae used the ability to compel fear to keep people away from our areas … all to protect people, of course. In Ireland for example, we used stories of raths, enchanted woods, fairy mounds, and other superstitions to keep humankind out of harm’s way. But there is a darker, more malevolent side. Some Fae enjoy not only eliciting fear—they enjoy causing harm to humans. Some, regrettably, do worse than harm. Those Fae don’t warn. They simply injure or kill as they see fit and, like I mentioned a moment ago, some seek out that kind of interaction.”

  “The Unseelie,” I exhaled. I understood a little more and felt uneasy about it. I considered the possibilities for a moment—the possibilities of what the Fae could do to fragile humans if they could alter stone with their minds. A shiver rocked through my torso.

  “Yes, mostly Unseelie.” Sara undoubtedly saw the images in my mind. “Because the Unseelie cause pain for sport, and do so without warning, it was obvious to the rest of us that something had to be done to protect humans. We talked to people. We warned them. We told them what places to avoid—those places where the Unseelie choose to dwell in physical form. Thus began the lore of the fairy mounds, raths, trooping faeries, the Will o’ the Wisp, goblins and a hundred others. In some areas the warnings have persisted for a thousand years, but they were designed to protect.”

  I didn’t like the explanation. “It’s like lying to a child about the boogey man just to get her to mind.”

  “Except in this case, the boogey man is very real,” Devin said gently.

  Sara looked me in the eyes and calmly continued. “But men progressed … and forgot. Two thousand years ago, people sought Fae help with every part of their lives. We taught people remedies. We taught them how to live with the land. We co-existed. We counted many people among our friends and allies, but times have changed and your kind turned to science. Humankind adapted quickly. Your ancestors invented technologies that helped them with their lives, replacing the old ways. And slowly humans began to forget about the Fae—relegating us to mythology and legend. There was a time when all people knew who we were. Whether we revealed ourselves or not, they believed.

  “Religion played a role, too. The old beliefs and religions of man included the Fae. When the new religions came, their proponents sought to wash away the old. As new religions spread, everything associated with the old was demonized—including the Fae. After that, it was a simple step for humankind to dismiss us altogether,” she explained.

  “Most Fae, to be honest, no longer take exception to that,” Devin interjected. “People no longer believe—who cares? They no longer think they need us—I am quite unconcerned. Over time your kind forgot how to see us. A glimmer, a shadow, a bit of movement in the corner of the eye—when people notice at all, they blame it on fatigue or the wind. Even when we take physical form right in front of them, people no longer pay attention. I think it is better this way.”

  “Then why all of this?” I asked, confused.

  “Maggie, the clans still occupy many parts of the world, and we take physical form to experience the physical realm,” Sara began, “which means that there are places where it is still unsafe for people to venture. Those places must be protected, and for that reason we reveal ourselves to some people. As Devin explained to you earlier, this place is important to the Fae. We have been here for thousands of thousands of years. When your ancestors settled in the valley, we debated whether we should allow them to stay, run them off, or … worse.” She paused for a moment.

  “Ozara, one of the oldest and wisest among us, believed that moving your family was futile—we all knew many more people would follow. Unsure what to do, she watched your ancestors for months. Your family, like you, had qualities she admired. Instead of removing your family, she decided to reveal herself and strike a deal.

  “What is it about this place?” I asked, unconvinced that the Fae simply liked it here. My gut told me there had to be more to it.

  Sara and Devin were quiet for a few moments.
I guessed they were communicating with one another silently. With a rehearsed tone in her voice, Sara said, “It’s complicated. This land has attributes that are found in only a few other places in the world—this is the only place with such attributes on this continent. Those attributes must be protected. It is important that this land, and the two islands just off the point, stay as they are. We will have time to explain it in the future, but for right now, just accept that your role here is extremely important to us.”

  I frowned, intentionally.

  “Maggie, I promise, we’ll show you in due time. Sara is correct—it takes time to explain, and you have a lot of time.”

  I laughed when Devin said a lot of time. It was a cruel joke. He and Sara were immortal—they had all the time in the world. My own mortality was the punch line. For the first time, I thought about my mortality—really thought about it. Here, with them, my own death seemed so inevitable and fixed that it made me shudder. Both of them would be here exactly the same in ten thousand years. I caught myself and took a breath. I refused to get maudlin about death—that would be too pathetic for a fifteen-year-old. I thought instead about something else…

  Even though much of their world was invisible to me, I could apparently be shown these attributes. It was exciting—almost as exciting as getting out of the hole—and my heart rate sped up. I’d always been driven by curiosity. I wanted to discover why this place was so special that immortal beings have stayed here for thousands … of thousands … of years here to protect it. It was impossible to imagine the length of time.

  Almost as soon as the excitement hit me, it left. In the stone gazebo, Aunt May had told me that the Fae wanted me to stay here, on this land. I hated the idea, but if that was the case they might not let me leave. I’ll have to leave eventually. My life, I was sure, would someday lead me elsewhere. Honestly, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life except to swim. But I couldn’t stomach the thought of being trapped here. Would I become their marionette? The Fae could alter stone. And who knows what else. They could read the images I created in my mind, and could make me see things that weren’t there. I didn’t like that, but it was possible that I might not have a choice.

  In fact, everything appeared to have been designed to get me here. I wondered if the Fae were responsible for our financial trouble. I even wondered if they were responsible for Aunt May’s illness. My mind started to race and I didn’t like the things going through it. Sara studied me, probably having a difficult time sorting through all the imagery that flashed through my thoughts.

  I had to ask them. I needed to know.

  “Sara, what happens if I decide I don’t want to live here? What if I decide I want to live in Florida, or somewhere else? Do I have a choice? I mean, what if I don’t want to be the next Steward?”

  “That is a decision you alone must make, Maggie. We will respect it,” Sara said calmly. “But before you make that decision, you need to know that there are consequences. This land does belong to your family, but you are the last of the O’Shea line who can serve as Steward at the moment—your brother doesn’t share your gift. So it falls upon you, at least until either you or your brother have children and they reach the appropriate age. But that is perhaps a quarter century away. Should your Aunt May pass away, and should you decide not to fulfill the role, we will have to find a suitable replacement.”

  “A suitable replacement?” The words seemed cold and dismissive.

  “Sara means that we will find another family with similar qualities, and they will be moved to this location,” Devin said dryly. “From that family we will find a new Steward—we will strike a bargain with them just as we did with your family. You will be free to go on your way.”

  “More likely, we won’t have a choice,” I said, angered by the thought of getting thrown off the land my family has owned for a hundred and eighty years.

  Sara tilted her head to the side, an apologetic expression filling her face. “Yes, Maggie, that is what it means. Your family has been invaluable, and the end of that relationship, if it should occur, would bring sorrow to many of us. We must, however, protect the Weald. Please do not worry, though. If that should happen, your family would be taken care of—handsomely. We would not, as humans are fond of saying, throw you out on the street. We’d arrange a purchase of the property. We have made similar arrangements at other sites—in fact, we arranged for your family to acquire most of this land. Two other families have already been identified. We could choose either.”

  I saw a ray of hope in her words. “Let me get this straight. If I decide to leave this place, you’ll arrange to have it purchased from us and we’d be free to go? You already have buyers?”

  “Yes, I suppose buyers is as good a term as any,” Sara replied.

  “How much?” I asked too eagerly. Embarrassed by the dismissive expression on Sara’s face, I looked down. She simply didn’t understand. I didn’t want the money for myself—being rich was a playground fantasy I had already outgrown. But my parents have been through the ringer—I guess that was just a nice way of saying they’ve suffered. We sold everything, or lost it, before moving here. Dad, who always used to smile and joke, grew defeated and withdrawn. Even his handsome, boy-next-door features had changed. He had dark circles under his eyes, gaunt cheeks, and deep lines, and he’d taken to sneaking cigarettes when he thought nobody was watching. Anger welled in my chest when I thought about their faces, their lives. I fought off the burning sensation of tears welling in my eyes. The money might help us reclaim our lives in Florida—help us heal. For weeks I tried to tell myself that I wasn’t angry with my parents. But that was a lie. A part of me was angry—I felt let down. I was even angrier about feeling hopeless, like an impoverished vagabond. Most of all I was angry at the thought of other people in control of our lives … my life. Again I asked, “How much?”

  Devin laughed. “I believe the term is fair market value, and given the enormity of the parcel, it would be several million I think.”

  My heart stopped in my chest and I felt a little dizzy. Sell? Millions? Oh my lord, that would be a dream come true. I toyed with the idea of moving back to Florida and my parents wanting for nothing. I had images of the beach and a comfortable home running though my mind.

  “So, it is already determined.” Devin’s eyes narrowed beneath a deep furrow in his brow. There was a grim quality in his tone.

  “Mind your hubris, Devin, she hasn’t made the decision. Maggie must be given time to think this over and to discuss everything with May. There is too much she still does not know.”

  Devin snarled at her. “It is not hubris, Sara. You can see her mind as clearly as I. And I know you have been sensing her emotions for the last two weeks—she will not stay and you know it. Why put off the inevitable?”

  Hearing Aunt May’s name ratcheted my guilt, violently ending my fantasy about Florida. She’d be devastated to hear that I had contemplated selling the land. Guilt aside, Devin’s condescending manner angered me. I didn’t care if he could read the images in my mind—it wasn’t his decision. What made me even madder: he was probably correct. Of course I will sell. Why stay here? Denying the inevitable is silly. Obstinate, even. Nonetheless…

  “It is my decision, thank you, and I have not made up my mind yet,” I said calmly. “When I do, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

  I pictured a large stone falling from the roof and hitting Devin on the head. They both saw the image in my head. Sara laughed, and to my surprise, so did he.

  “Pity you cannot see what I am thinking,” Devin said. A smile spread across his face.

  Sara shot him a quick look and then focused on me. “I believe you will make the correct decision, Maggie. I also believe you embody the best qualities of your family and will make an unrivaled Steward. You passed this trial faster than anyone in your family ever has.”

  Her compliment caught me off guard, quelling my anger. “Really? Did everyone get stuck in the hole?”

  D
evin smiled. “No, Miss O’Shea. You are the first to tackle this trial—shall we say—head on.”

  “Oh,” was all I could manage. I felt my face blush.

  “But Sara is correct. Your control at such a tender age is as astonishing as it is unique,” Devin said, smiling again. “It would be unfortunate for someone with your gifts to walk away from the Weald. You have many months to decide whether to accept our offer, and you will have until your eighteenth birthday to learn what you must learn before you step into that role.”

  “Wow, so I’m the only one clumsy enough to fall?” I whispered.

  Sara shook her head, “No Maggie. You don’t understand. The trials are individually tailored to the person. Your fear of being trapped in a cave is powerful—Devin and I both saw the images and felt the emotion, the fear, as you entered the cave. While I might not agree with the test Devin devised, it was his choice—and you were never in any real danger.”

  Devin nodded. “That is true. We would have pulled you out before your family got home, or sooner, if necessary.”

  Devin did this? I glared at him and shook my head. His nonchalance was offensive.

  “Please, I am not cruel.” He rolled his eyes.

  Sara shook her head with a faint smile on her face. “Devin, thank you for your time. I believe Maggie and I will be leaving now.”

  Devin smiled and politely nodded. “I look forward to your next visit, Steward of the Weald.”

  With that he turned and walked into the cave wall, disappearing behind the surface. The amber stone still glowed when I retrieved it from the Earth symbol etched into the wall. It felt warm to the touch. It felt good.

  “Shall we?” Sara pointed at the back wall.

  “Shall we what?”

  “Shall we leave?” she smiled, still pointing at the stone surface.