A Bay of Angry Fae, page 21
“When you didn’t come back, we were so worried,” Shay said. “What happened?”
I brushed her hair back out of her face. “Mum just had to take care of a few things.”
I didn’t want them fixating on my injury. They were still sensitive after the incident with the Red Cap, so I tried to distract them. “Tell me all about the quidditch.”
Shay’s eyes lit up as she smiled. “It was the best, Mum. We saw Edward Chanston. He was this close.” She gestured furiously as she fangirled over the handsome keeper. “He only let one through all game. The Griffins are playing in the finals tonight. Can we go, Mum?”
I looked at Alasdair and the Old One. The Finals might present the perfect opportunity for us to go after the Leanansidhe.
“You can,” I replied, “but there is something that your mum and her work friends need to take care of. So, if Gran is happy to watch another match, you’re in business.”
The guilt trip. Another parenting maneuver flawlessly executed.
I’d have felt bad if I hadn’t learned it from her.
“The head on you.” My mother glowered at me. “If you think you’re going back out there like that, Nora Byrne, you have another think coming.”
I looked at her. “I can’t not go.”
My mother folded her arms. “And why not?”
“Because I found the person responsible for all this, and I need to deal with them.”
I was intentionally vague, hoping the children wouldn’t ask too many questions.
“And who might that be?” Mom asked.
I didn’t want to alarm the kids, but we were at an impasse.
“The Leanansidhe,” I whispered.
My mother’s eyes bulged. She raced to the glass doors leading to the balcony and pulled the curtains closed. “She’s here?”
“You know her?” I shook my head. Of course she did. She’d spent decades in the Winter Court.
“Of course I know that scheming hussy. If you’re going after her, I’m coming too and I’m bringing Bruce.”
“Bruce?” Alasdair asked, raising an eyebrow.
I dragged my hand through my hair. “You can’t come, Mum. Who will watch the children?”
In truth, I was more worried that she would get herself killed. The Red Cap had come perilously close. I wasn’t taking any more chances.
“I will,” the Old One replied.
“Nonsense,” I said. “We need you most of all. We all saw you on the beach.”
He shook his veiled head. “I cannot go after the Leanansidhe, not without breaking my accord with her.”
“You made a bargain with the Leanansidhe?” I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. “Why would you do something like that?”
“It was years ago, and I won’t speak any more of it,” the Old One replied. “I cannot do what I cannot do. You will have to go without me.”
Losing the Old One significantly diminished our combat capability, but his tone left no room for negotiation.
“At least if I am here with the children, it will prevent her from coming after them. She likewise is bound to me.”
“What if she sends the warlocks?” I asked, looking down at my kids still clutching me tight.
“Then I will deal with them like I did on the beach. Do not worry for us. I will make sure nothing happens to the children.”
Having seen him in action on the beach I had no doubt they would be as safe with him as anywhere else on the island. But making your boss babysit your kids was normally a great way to irreparably damage your working relationship.
I looked at the kids to gauge their response. The Old One wasn’t exactly normal company, but then again, they lived with a Fairy, so I couldn’t quite tell if they hadn’t noticed, or simply didn’t care.
The Old One raised his lanky, covered arms. “So who wants to go to the quidditch finals?”
“Me, me, me,” Shay shouted, any concern overshadowed by the prospect of watching the Griffins play again.
“It was pretty cool,” Conor replied.
“Then it’s settled,” the Old One said. “You two get ready while us adults finish up in here.”
Conor and Shay raced off to their room.
The Old One leaned in close as he fussed over my bandage. He was close enough I could feel his breath on my cheek.
“Nothing will befall them, Nora,” he whispered. “But you must be vigilant of the Leanansidhe. She is treacherous and her hold over men is as compelling as it is dangerous. Do not let her whisper her lies to Alasdair. He’ll have enough distractions without her poison in his mind.”
Before I could respond, he rose and chased after the children.
I only had a moment to consider his whispered warning before there was a knock at the door.
Chapter 21
Alasdair strode over to the door, one hand resting on the hilt of his machete which he kept in a sheath at the small of his back. Stooping down, he peeked through the peephole and then opened the door.
“Alasdair,” Naerine Oaksidhe called in greeting as she slipped past him and into the unit carrying a bag in one hand. Her human attire was gone and in its place was the same golden-brown armor she had been wearing the day we first met. She was both beautiful and regal in her armor. All I had was the tattered remnants of the wet-suit I’d brought this morning.
“It’s good to see you awake,” Naerine said with what resembled a smile. It was the closest thing to warmth I’d gotten out of her since we met.
“I’ve been better,” I replied, still sitting on the divan. “But I’ve also been worse. Thanks for having my back when it counted.”
“The battle is not yet behind us,” Naerine replied. “While the humans gather for the evening’s entertainment, a steady stream of them are slipping out of the resort and heading north. Warlocks, if I have to guess. Others are watching the area and redirecting anyone attempting to make their way up the beach. If we try to take that path to the lake, they’ll see us coming a mile away.”
“And I’m sure they have other allies in the resort,” I said. “They broke into my room yesterday.”
“Here?” Naerine asked, setting the bag she was carrying on the table. “Why didn’t you say anything before? We could be compromised.”
“We are compromised,” I replied. “But what are we going to do? There is no ferry running this evening and I wouldn’t trust it with the Leanansidhe around anyway. We have no choice but to deal with them, before they deal with us.”
“They have the lake,” Naerine replied, mulling it over. “They might not bother with us until they have finished there. We cannot afford to let that happen. Is there anything else I should know about?”
I swallowed. I didn’t want to risk the progress we had made over the last few hours but hiding the truth from Naerine was almost certain to backfire.
“Yes, when they broke in, they left your late guardian’s head on a platter here as a warning to me and my family.”
Naerine’s skin tinged red with palpable anger. “What?”
“Don’t worry. I put it somewhere safe so that the proper rites might be seen to. But we can’t afford to let that distract us now. If they succeed at the lake, Solanus will have died for nothing. They have what they need from the ship, and it seems they plan to use it while everyone else is distracted at the quidditch game.”
“It was a big wooden box,” Sleet chimed in, still laying on my stomach half-asleep. “Very ornate, lots of carving. Reminds me of the furniture back at Caisleán Geimhreadh.”
We all stared at the little fae in shocked silence. Caisleán Geimhreadh was the seat of Winter’s power and the home of the Winter King. Dad.
If Sleet was right, whatever was on that ship came from the heart of Winter’s stronghold.
“How do you know that?” I asked.
“Well,” he said, “while the Leanansidhe was trying to kill Nora, Sleet snuck in for a closer look. Nora seemed very worried about that boat. So Sleet took a look around. The Leanansidhe opened the ship, and the bad men carried the big wooden box off the boat. Probably this big.”
He mimed the outline of a large box, though it was difficult to say just how big it was.
“Any idea what was in the box?” I asked hopefully.
“No,” Sleet said, his voice full of remorse. “She didn’t open it. She just took it with her and went.”
“It has to be something they intend to use in their ritual,” I mused out loud. “Otherwise, why go to so much effort to bring it here and hide the ship?”
“Almost certainly,” Naerine replied. “If we try to interrupt them, we’re going to be horrifically outnumbered.”
“I don’t suppose you’d be able to prevail upon your Queen to send reinforcements?” I asked as I eased forward on the couch, not wanting to overdo it.
“The Queen will not commit her forces into an ambush,” Naerine replied. “The Winter King is wily and treacherous and has used such gambits before. She will not move until she has more information.”
I thought of the Red Cap’s strike force ambushing Naerine outside the school. I could certainly see where her caution came from. I imagined that centuries, if not millennia, of intrigue and deception between the Courts was playing on her mind. It was also preventing us from getting the help we needed.
“Help or no help, we can’t just let them carry out the ritual. Whatever they have planned, it can’t be good for us or anyone else here for that matter.”
I was trying not to be selfish, but it was hard to separate the fact that any rise in Winter’s power likely had a corresponding decrease in my life expectancy, set as they were on having me killed.
“What do you mean to do about it?” Alasdair asked. “Rituals are dangerous magic. Trained wizards still give them pause. The smallest interruption when that much power is at play can cause unspeakable damage.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for,” I replied as I gingerly stretched my shoulder. “Something big enough to take out the Leanansidhe and those working with her.”
“If they’re using the lake’s power, you could take out the whole island,” he said.
“That would be a real mood killer,” I replied. “But if we don’t at least try, we’ll be at their mercy. So why don’t you all gather in and let me tell you what I’ve got in mind.”
Naerine and Alasdair took a seat at the table, and I took them through my plan. It was Alasdair, Naerine, Bran, Sleet, my mom, and me. All counted, there were six of us against the Leanansidhe and as many warlocks as she could muster. But if Alasdair was right and they were relying on the lake’s reservoirs of power, interrupting the ritual at the right moment might spoil it, and with the lake’s power dissipated they wouldn’t be able to try again for months.
We didn’t have to beat them all; we just had to interrupt them. A surgical strike at the right moment might be enough to get the job done.
“It is a bold plan,” Naerine replied. “It has potential. If we can thwart their ritual it could buy us the time to muster a proper defense. Winter will not find us wanting twice.”
She pursed her lips.
“What’s wrong, Naerine?” I asked. “Have I missed something?”
She drummed her fingers on the table as she tilted her head to the side. “No. I just find it hard to believe you would thwart your own people. Their gain is your gain.”
I sighed. This again. “It really isn’t. They tried to kill me once when they sent the Red Cap. When that failed, they tried to frame me so that your Court would do their dirty work for them. They’re not my people. My people are here in this unit. This is what I care about. If the Winter Court won’t let us be, then I really have no choice but to do anything I can to thwart their efforts.”
“Very well, but we can’t trek up the beach,” Alasdair said. “It’s crawling with lookouts. If we want to get to the lake, we’ll need to go overland, through the island’s interior. No small journey, particularly on a schedule. We don’t have time to make it on foot.”
“We’ll need wheels for sure,” I replied, and then remembered how my last quad adventure had ended. “But I don’t think the resort will be willing to lend me anything after yesterday. Any other ideas?”
Naerine reached into a leather pouch on her belt and drew out a key. “The Summer Court still has allies at the resort. This will get us into the equipment shed. We just need to get from here to there without them realizing what we’re up to. The last thing we want is for them to see us coming.”
“I’ve not practiced my glamours enough to try and pull off something that ambitious,” I said. “So unless you can work one for all of us, I don’t like our chances.”
“We don’t need magic,” my mother said, picking up the two bags she had brought in earlier and setting them on the table. “I figured it would be fun to go to the quidditch in robes like everyone else, so I bought a few things from the convention. If we blend in with everyone else, they might not notice us.”
Mom reached into the bags and pulled out piles of wizard robes in the various colors of the Hogwarts houses. There were also hats, wands, and all manner of other accoutrements.
She spread them out on the table as she spoke. “I took a guess on sizes but they are robes so there is plenty of room under the armpits and around the waist.”
She looked at Alasdair on that one and for once I was relieved she wasn’t picking on me.
Alasdair patted his stomach.
“It’s all muscle, deary,” he replied with a chuckle.
“We’ll see,” my mother replied, handing him the biggest of the robes.
Alasdair took it but gave it an uncertain look as he disappeared into the bathroom. I grabbed a fresh shirt and khakis from my bag. With my mom’s help, I slipped into them and layered the set of Gryffindor robes over the top. There was a part of me that wondered how I was meant to stop the Leanansidhe when I couldn’t dress myself. But the robes did fit nicely over the bandage and still gave me plenty of room to move. I was glad it was nighttime, because the robes would have been sweltering hot during the day.
Naerine took a set of Slytherin robes, and my mother was a Hufflepuff.
I had to admit, the robes were a great idea. We would blend in nicely with the rest of the crowd gathering to watch the grand final.
“What’s in the bag?” I asked Naerine. She had lugged it into the unit but said nothing of its contents.
“Firepower.” She drew out several pistols and fitted their holsters to the belt beneath her robes.
Next, she opened a leather case from inside the bag and checked its contents. Looking over her shoulder, I realized it was a high-powered rifle with a scope. It had been broken down into pieces so that it was more readily transportable, but it seemed like something an assassin might use.
My mother took a chair from the table and carried it to the kitchen. Standing on it, she retrieved Bruce from where she had stashed him atop the cupboards. She took apart the shotgun with an ease that would have made a military man proud and proceeded to load the stock, barrel, and some ammunition into Naerine’s bag.
Alasdair emerged from the bathroom, and I did my best to suppress a smirk. The wizard’s robes were a size or three too tight and clung to his massive frame. His coppery beard complimented the outfit, but I would never say that out loud.
“You’re a wizard, Ali,” I called, doing my best impression of Hagrid’s accent. It was awful but it got the job done.
“I’m a hunter,” Alasdair replied, leveling a finger at me. “And one more word out of you and your next month’s training will consist of nothing but latrine duty at the Camp.”
I patted him on the back.
“If we survive, it will have been worth it. Don’t forget your wand,” I called over my shoulder as I wandered back to the table.
His growl of frustration devolved into a mutter as I made my way into the kids’ room.
“Save her stubborn soul and this is the thanks I get. Next time, I’ll leave ya smart arse on the beach, Nora Byrne.”
Alasdair was grumbling about me; all felt right in the world again.
I pushed open the door and found the kids on the bed. The Old One stood by the window, watching for any threats. Shay cocked her head to one side as she noticed my wizard’s robes.
“Mum bought some outfits for you both. They’ll help you fit in with everyone else. They are out on the table.” Pulling out my wallet, I handed them some cash for snacks. “Go wild but whatever you do, don’t go anywhere alone. Take the Old One with you.”
“Call me Etha, please.” The Old One stooped low, placing one gloved hand on his chest.
“Etha,” Shay said. “That’s a pretty name. Where does it come from?”
“It was given to me by the sea,” the Old One replied. “Long ago.”
“I like it,” Shay concluded. “I think it suits you.”
I was a little embarrassed I’d never asked him for his name. Alasdair always referred to him as the Old One and I’d followed his pattern. My inner critic howled that I shouldn’t leave my kids with someone whose name I had only just learned. But Etha had always looked out for me. I had no reason to believe that would change now. I was also confident in his ability to deal with any stray warlocks that might happen upon them.
“Stick with Etha,” I said, giving them a great big bear hug.
“Yes, Mum,” they replied in chorus, returning the embrace.
“Enjoy the game.” I waved as I pulled the door shut to their room.
The four of us intended to slip out of the unit one at a time so that anyone trying to follow us would have a chore on their hands. I was first out the door. I bent down and patted Bran on the head.
“Stay here till I call, okay?”
Bran looked a little skeptical, but I ruffled his fur.
“Don’t worry. I won’t leave you behind. I wouldn’t dare.”
I headed down the esplanade, weaving through the groups of Harry Potter enthusiasts who were milling about as they waited for the quidditch pitch to open. Our group planned to rendezvous behind reception, near where we had first borrowed the quads. Reaching the resort’s main building, I took a left turn heading between two buildings and made my way out back.
