Weald Fae 02 - The Changeling

  “So you are offering Maggie up as bait to draw the Second out with her vulnerability?” Victoria asked, disgust in her voice.

  Ozara nodded. “In a way, I suppose I am. As I see it, preventing Maggie from learning the secret to Aether is our best opportunity to end this.”

  “At what cost to her?”

  Ozara snapped back, “Govern your passions, Victoria. Maggie is well aware that this conflict will take her life. She has told me so herself. She is quite courageous about it. She knows it is the price to be paid for being a Maebown.”

  “Govern my passions? Indeed,” Victoria shot back, stern and fearless. Her eyes flashed as she focused on Ozara alone. “We have long disagreed on that point, but her fate, as you would have it, does not mean that we have the right to offer her up as a sacrifice.”

  “Of course, I agree. I apologize. I do not mean to sound intransigent on the subject, or callous concerning Maggie’s fate, so please ignore my tone. I am deeply saddened by what I believe will be her fate, but I am committed to seeing our Clan and the human race through this peril.”

  I wasn’t at all happy about playing the part of a decoy, but I did understand Ozara’s logic. Personally, I would much rather have had the ability to defend myself. That, however, was not my choice.

  Before leaving the Council, I overheard Ozara ask Victoria if she wanted to accompany her to Caer Bran. Victoria politely said no, so Ozara picked Meili and Katarina to accompany her. Rarely speaking during the meetings, Meili was a mystery to me, but Katarina was the Council member Billy suspected of working with the Unseelie.

  It was unsettling to think that Ozara was going to meet with the Unseelie, possibly facing the Second in an ambush, while being accompanied by an Unseelie spy. The tether pulled me back across the Weald and I sat up in bed. The alarm clock read eleven forty-seven, well past my curfew.

  “Sara?”

  In a few seconds she appeared in my room.

  “I’m going to go see Billy.”

  “Tonight?”

  “Yes, it’s very important.”

  “All right. I’ll accompany you.”

  “Could you help with my parents?”

  Her black eyes twinkled. “They won’t hear a thing.”

  ***

  Billy was waiting outside Ronnie’s house when Sara and I pulled up. Sara didn’t ask any questions. She apparently knew I needed to have a conversation that couldn’t be overheard.

  “Maggie,” he said as casually as if we’d just met for coffee.

  “Billy, I really need your advice.”

  “What, pray tell, has you sneaking around at midnight?”

  “I’ve been eavesdropping. Ozara and two members of the Council are going to meet the Unseelie at a place called Caer Bran. Do you know where that is?”

  “I won’t ask how you’ve come to this knowledge,” he said disapprovingly. “It’s the site of a Rath in Cornwall—that’s in southern England. It is the very place where the Pyksies were defeated four thousand years ago.”

  “Some of the Council members think it may be a trap, and they’re worried that the Second may be lying in wait.”

  He nodded. “It may be, but I don’t understand what you can do about it.”

  “Billy, if something happens to Ozara before…”

  “I’m well aware of the dilemma,” he cut me off, “but I’m not entirely sure what you want me to do about it.”

  “Katarina is one of the Council members going with Ozara.”

  Billy contemplated that before asking, “Who else?”

  “The giant blond Viking-looking guy with the muscles, Meili.”

  His face seemed perfectly calm, but I knew there was something bothering him. “What is it?”

  “He was originally aligned with the Alfar, the clan that once controlled northern Europe. Like me, he’s Fire aligned.”

  Northern Europe? That made sense. Meili had unreal blue-gray eyes, massive cheekbones, a cleft chin, and his pale skin seemed nearly luminescent. He was massive, the size of the Ohanzee, and his blond hair, which reminded me of corn silk, was radiant in any light.

  “But?” I asked. I knew Billy was holding back.

  “He is the youngest on the Council.”

  “So he’s the least powerful?”

  “He is exceptionally powerful, but yes, of those on the Council, he is the least powerful.”

  “Billy, doesn’t that strike you as a little dangerous? If something happens to her…”

  “I think you’re reading too much into this, Maggie. Ozara’s powers are without rival. During the last Fae war, she dueled with a powerful Aetherfae, a Sidhe, who was known as Dagda. He could not defeat her though he tried for two centuries. Zarkus is no match for her. I’m comfortable saying that she could destroy the Unseelie Elders by herself.”

  “I know she’s powerful—I saw her destroy three rogues this afternoon. They didn’t even realize she was hunting them. I suppose you’re right, but I’d feel more comfortable if I knew how to create Aether.”

  “I know you would. How did you see her destroy the rogues?”

  “I have to divulge one of those secrets you want me to keep. Are you sure you want to know?”

  “This, I’m afraid, I need to know.”

  Nervous energy whirled in my stomach. This was very serious or Billy would not have asked.

  “Simply put, I tracked her the same way I found Mitch. Gavin’s idea. If I concentrate on her, I can find her anywhere in the world…well, until she uses a Seoladán.”

  “Fascinating. Where did this happen?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I think it was in the Alps, and there was a Seoladán at the base of a mountain.”

  “You’re positive it was Ozara?” His question was a red flag. Something was very wrong.

  “Positive. Why?”

  He studied me and then gave me a concerned look. “The Seoladán you describe is in the Slovenian Alps. Don’t worry about that, I’m just curious. Can you follow her to Caer Bran?”

  “Sure, but I don’t know when they’re planning to meet.”

  “I do. For now, go home and get some sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow when you get to school.”

  Sara and I drove home after I dropped my Air barrier. She kept a pleasant expression and like usual, didn’t ask any questions. More than anything, except Gavin, I missed confiding in her.

  Trying to fall asleep, I wondered why Billy wanted me to follow Ozara to Cornwall. Then I thought of Gavin. In the locker room he told me to find him when I could. I sat up in bed wide-awake.

  “Oh, my god, I’m so freakin’ dense…he has already told me how.”

  THIRTY-THREE

  SURPRISE VISIT

  It took nearly as long to calm myself as it did the first time I tried astral projection, but eventually I felt my mind floating and an instant later I was in a dark wooded area with thick vegetation on the bank of a slow moving stream. The massive size of the foliage and the sounds of exotic birds and insects told me that I was somewhere tropical. While I couldn’t see the moon through the confounding mist that always accompanied my travel, I knew it had to be full, because Gavin was illuminated in soft blue light.

  “Gavin!” I screamed.

  He turned his head, startled, and formed molten material in his hands as he scoured the jungle around him looking for the disturbance. The sight of him filled my mind with euphoria and a sense of belonging.

  I cried out his name again. Instantly, he transformed into Naeshura and shot away through the tangle of vines and leaves. I was right above him as he darted randomly and chaotically. I called to him again. His movements only became more frenzied.

  He must not be able to hear me, I thought. It didn’t matter. He was alive and I could find him anytime I wanted. We were together.

  He continued moving sporadically, crisscrossing miles of jungle. Eventually he stopped and took physical form again. I desperately wanted him to know that I was with him, but I didn’t want to add to th
e torment he was experiencing. So I marveled at him like an awkward school girl, which was fitting. I watched him as he stood next to the base of an enormous tree with smooth bark, massive roots, and thick vines that hung down like ropes from high in the canopy. The desire to touch him, to have him stare into my eyes, was brutally painful, but I couldn’t remember ever being happier.

  Although I loved staring at him, and I did so for a long time, exhaustion began to take its toll. The tether to my body grew from an annoying resistance, similar to trying to stand upright on a steep hillside, to a very powerful tug-of-war. Reluctantly, I allowed it to take me, and I left him standing alone in the tangle of vegetation. I would be back at the first opportunity.

  ***

  Billy sequestered me in the parking lot when I arrived at school. Sara took the hint and disappeared into the building. She seemed perturbed.

  “Okay, the meeting is tomorrow at sunset in Cornwall. You’ll need to track Ozara at noon. She’ll use the Seoladán in Ireland, I’m sure. Find her there. This is critically important, Maggie. If something happens to them, you must warn the Council immediately.”

  I pulled a deep breath into my lungs and slowly let it escape. “Do you think we have anything to worry about?” I asked.

  Billy looked worried. “I don’t know. I learned of the meeting time and place pretty easily, so I would assume the Second knows as well.” He studied my face. “Can you control the elements when you project?”

  My chest tightened. “No. I’ve tried, but I can’t seem to make the connection.”

  “I was afraid of that. Your connection to Naeshura is likely tied to your physical body. You can probably learn how to, but not in time.”

  The look on Billy’s face made my stomach churn. “I’m worried about Ozara. If something happens to her, we’d all be vulnerable,” I said.

  He looked sympathetically at me. “Yes, we will, but not as vulnerable as you might think. If Ozara’s destroyed, the Second will come after the Council next, but he or she would do so individually. Like I’ve said before, even an Aetherfae has weaknesses. When they are all together, the Council is strong enough without Ozara to defeat an Aetherfae—the Second knows that. In the past, Ra tried to assault the Council directly and he barely escaped with his life. Dagda knew this, so he never tried anything so foolish. He ambushed members—destroyed three of them—but never all together. I’m convinced that’s why Ozara is taking Meili, Katarina and four guards—to draw it into the open. The good news is that Ozara is taking Katarina. At more than twenty million years old, Katarina is exceptionally powerful—only Sherman, Victoria, Guanyin, and Anuket are older.”

  “But Billy, last year you said Katarina might be the spy on the Council.”

  “I know I did. That’s why I want you to follow. It’s probably nothing, though. Don’t worry about it.”

  He embraced me.

  “I promise—I’ll let you know exactly what happens. Where will you be?” I asked.

  “I’m going to have your friends and family in one place. Faye, Sara, and the rest know about the meeting. We will be protecting them in the event something happens.”

  Billy disappeared, moving off to find Ronnie. I caught up to Sara inside the building. She wasn’t in the mood for small talk, ignoring Faye, Candace and Ronnie. Agitated and angry, she did her best to give me space. Sara wasn’t about to put me in danger by asking what Billy and I discussed, not with Ozara reading her mind. The secrets were definitely starting to take a toll. Sara had always been my confidante, and I missed that. Apparently she did too.

  At lunch, Sara was still in a foul mood. I found Candace studying her face several times. Sara noticed and changed her demeanor—absent the dimple. Candace shot me a knowing glance. Just before class, she followed me to the restroom. I checked the stalls, turned on a faucet, and cast an Air barrier around us when Candace circled her finger in the air.

  “What’s going on?” she asked.

  “A lot…maybe nothing.”

  “Spill it.”

  I quickly explained what I was supposed to do, and my reservations about Ozara making herself vulnerable. Candace reacted by pressing her eyebrows together, and staring at the tiled floor.

  “I don’t like this,” she whispered. “What if the Second waits until she’s gone, and attacks the Council, or you?”

  “I know, that’s scary, but Billy said that the Council was too powerful. The Second would never risk it. They’re going to make certain that all of you are safe somewhere. Go along with it.”

  “I hope he’s right.” She finally looked up at me. “This sucks. Can you learn to make Aether on your own?”

  I shook my head. “I’ve tried a few times, but I’m rarely alone long enough. Ozara warned me not to.”

  “Why? Never mind that…what happens if you do it anyway?”

  I reminded her that if I got caught trying, they’d erase my memories and move me back to Florida.

  Candace was pissed. “Oh, my god, if they do that, I will come after you—I swear it. I’ll demand you listen to me until you remember.”

  I laughed. “I’m not sure it would be that easy, but I appreciate it.”

  “Just consider me the string around your finger. But we need to come up with a plan. We should figure out how to remind you in case that happens. I don’t understand how any of it works—I just don’t know how to remind you…unless…no, that wouldn’t work. Maybe…” she began to prattle as she tried to work it all out.

  I already had the answer. “I do. I keep a journal. I have it hidden with a few more. It’s in my handwriting and it explains everything. It’s like my own personal failsafe.”

  She smiled. “That’s brilliant. Where is it?”

  “Hidden behind the plaster in my bedroom wall. Below the picture of Aunt May.”

  She smirked. “I’ve seen it, to the right of your mirror.”

  I nodded and smiled. Of course she’d noticed.

  “So I’ll have to tear a hole in your wall?”

  “Yep.”

  She laughed. “Fine. I’ll tear the entire place apart if I have to. Billy will help me, I’m sure…but I promise not to mention it unless something happens. Okay, how will I know?”

  “They will probably compel me to be hateful to you, Ronnie and Doug. And of course, I’ll move. If that happens, if I’m hateful for no reason, you’ll know. Play along, that’s important. The Fae will probably follow you for a while to make sure…”

  “Sure,” she said, interrupting me, “to make sure we’re not up to something.”

  I nodded.

  “Don’t worry, Mags, I’m smarter than they are.” She gave me the look.

  I cackled. “Yes, you are.”

  ***

  After dinner I snuck up to my room and made my way to Gavin. He was in a different location tonight, a vast desert. He was crossing waves of sand in his natural form. He veered around a mountain range in the distance and I immediately knew why. I sensed them too. Several Fae lingered in the copper and terra cotta colored bluffs. My hope that he had slipped by unnoticed was dashed when he abruptly changed directions and shot back the way he’d just been. I felt them coming.

  I’d never been able to use my abilities while travelling like this, but I tried again. Nothing. Gavin easily matched their speed and then pulled away. After several miles I felt the pursuing Fae turn and retreat back to their stronghold. Gavin continued moving across the expanse of sand until he happened down a dune to a small collection of worn adobe buildings and palm trees. He took human form, draped in white linen, when he reached the fringe of the settlement.

  He walked slowly and confidently to an area of thick vegetation that ringed a small pool of water. He slipped to the water’s edge and looked up at the heavens. Though I couldn’t see anything through the misty cloak, I imagined the countless stars that must surely be filling the night sky.

  Drawing closer, I considered trying to alert him to my presence once again, but I didn’t have the
heart to risk chasing him away from this beautiful place. He relaxed and sat with his muscular back to a palm. I concentrated on being as close to him as possible. Inches from his face, but continents away, I was nonetheless content to be here. I refused to get caught up in the fact that he was alone in the world, fleeing from his own kind. Tonight we were together.

  A broad smile formed on his face and he closed his eyes. Despite the vanity of it, I told myself he was thinking about me. The pain of not being able to touch him returned—it forced its way into my mind, fighting for a place there with the rapture I experienced being so close to him. Gavin’s strong face tensed.

  Distracted by the change in his expression, I forced myself to concentrate again on one thing: happiness. His eyes opened—he looked amused and almost perplexed.

  Was he reading my emotions? I concentrated on a new emotion: love. The image of his face filled my thoughts until nothing else existed. A furrow formed in his brow as he searched the area around us. I moved directly in front of his face, taking a position so that I could pretend he was looking straight at me. I’d been right about the stars—they reflected on the wet surfaces of his sultry eyes. The mischievous half-grin that melted my heart appeared on his face. It was as welcome as a glass of cool water on a hot day.

  “Maggie?” he whispered.

  The tether yanked me hard as my emotions began to run amuck. Even though I didn’t want to send him racing into the darkness like I had the night before, I decided to take a chance.

  “Yes!”

  He twisted his head, like a human would do when listening for a whisper in distance.

  “Is that really you?”

  “YES!” I cried.

  “Well, I wondered how long it would take you to find me,” he said softly.

  “Oh, my god, Gavin, I…”

  “Maggie, I can’t understand anything you’re saying. It sounds like gibberish, like the notes to a song being played out of order.”