His face was a mask of concentration. “It won’t be long now. Keep your magic close to the surface.”

  Yeah, it was close to the surface, all right. My skin was on fire, that blaze burning hottest where my new rune had just flared back to life. Thessa spun again as another man lunged, this time grabbing hold of my leg. I yanked my ankle free and swung my boot at his face.

  “She’s got spirit, this one!” he sneered. “Can’t wait to get my hands on that!”

  Really, asshole? Try that again and I’ll burn your eyes out.

  I wanted to trust Kiaran, but wasn’t sure how much more time we had. Desperate, I snapped my head in his direction again. “Almost there yet?”

  Kiaran nodded, the charge still building around us. “You need to trust me on this. Don’t cast light out this time. Instead, summon it toward you.”

  I glanced up at the sky, wondering what the hell he was talking about. Was he asking me to control sunlight?

  “Okay, now!” Kiaran commanded. “Just know that you can do it!”

  It seemed crazy, impossible, but I let go of the reins and flipped my palms upward. I clenched my eyes shut and imagined light cascading toward us. I told myself that if I could push light out, then I could just as easily summon it. A moment later, heat bloomed at my outstretched fingers.

  Suddenly, voices rose up around us.

  A man cried, “What the hell just happened?”

  “They were right there!” a woman shouted. “Where did they go?”

  Kiaran grabbed hold of my arm, then jerked hard on his reins to turn his horse sharply. “Go!” he called. “Julia, go!”

  His horse surged forward as mine did the same. We took off at a gallop and I held on tight as people leapt to get out of our way.

  This time, voices called out from behind us. “There they are! Did you just see that?”

  See what, exactly? What the hell just happened?

  But I didn’t have time to think past that as Thessa charged forward, her sudden surge betraying her relief at being free. Shouts from the angry mob started to fade behind us. Before long, any threats seemed past and we slowed enough to ride side by side, as up ahead, I spotted Cassie and the others where they’d stopped to look back. Apparently, they’d only just realized that we’d fallen behind.

  Kiaran grinned as his eyes met mine. “Good job. I knew you could do it.”

  I glanced over my shoulder, just to be sure. “Do what, exactly? What did I just do?”

  Seeing my expression, he laughed. Probably because my eyes were bugging out of my head. “A simple trick, really. You bent the light.”

  Hang on. “I did what now?”

  Kiaran’s eyes gleamed with mirth, those damned dimples on full display again. “You summoned the light and bent it around us. That’s how we became invisible.”

  Okay, sure. I’d heard about that before, but only in science fiction. “You’re saying I just bent light. Like I created a cloaking device.”

  Kiaran shrugged humbly. “Well, I did help a little by creating that electromagnetic field.”

  My mind flashed back to that prickling feeling and that sense of building pressure. “So, you did it.”

  “Not at all. I merely provided the means to create a negative refraction index. You did the rest. After all, without the light you summoned, my efforts would have been useless.”

  A laugh bubbled up inside me, partly out of relief, and partly due to Kiaran’s goofiness. In fact, he might just give Cade a run for his money in the nerd category. And, despite giving me the credit, he really did seem pleased with himself. “So, what you’re saying is that you're some sort of nerd god?”

  “I could think of worse things. Is it me, or does your friend look a little peeved?”

  He wasn’t wrong. A quick check showed that Cassie sat upon her horse, staring back at us with one eyebrow raised. “Come on, guys. Try to keep up.”

  I glanced at Kiaran and muttered, “You have something going on with electricity, right?”

  He nodded. “In a manner of speaking.”

  “Zap her.”

  It didn’t exactly help when both of us burst out laughing. “Seriously?” Cassie said. “We’ve been waiting.”

  “Sorry,” I said. “We just had to get past that murderous mob.”

  Cassie sighed. “I keep forgetting that you’re new at this. You get used to that sort of thing. Come on. We’re wasting daylight.”

  And what was there to do with that? Sure, I could try pointing out the irony, but I wasn’t sure I had enough nerd in me. So, we fell in beside Cassie and just kept riding.

  Chapter 11 - Julia

  By mid-afternoon, we finally reached our destination. I hadn’t known what to expect, but it turned out that Hermster was a little town built along the mouth of a bay. At first glance, it seemed charming and peaceful. In many ways, it looked like how I’d picture an old Irish fishing village, with little shops lined up along a cobblestone street and cottages nestled into the nearby hills. Ship masts swayed gently in the distance, the soft sound of their chiming halyards carried by the breeze.

  Still, despite the idyllic scenery, it was hard to ignore the stares of people lined up along the street. Some whispered, while others pointed, and wide-eyed children stood with their mouths gaping. My first thought was that those stares were drawn by those of us who lacked pointy ears, freaks that we were. However, Ecubon—the man who'd come to greet us and who now led us through town—explained the situation.

  “As you can see, this is a small village. Having visitors is rare enough, never mind those who led the resistance.” He smiled broadly at Revlen and Esras from where he sat atop his horse.

  All of a sudden, the staring crowd made sense. Among those watching, I saw few with the white-blond hair, exotic eyes and fine features of so many Seelie. These people were darker and more stocky, their heads covered with wild curls. We were surrounded almost entirely by Unseelie, the working class that had been, until recently, oppressed. They weren't worried about us nubby-eared types at all. They'd simply come out to see their heroes.

  Revlen returned Ecubon’s smile, hers every bit as genuine. “If memory serves correctly, you also led the resistance. So, why aren't they staring at you?”

  He let out a hearty laugh. “Because I'm ugly, for one thing. Have you seen this nose?” He reached up and gave its bulbous tip a squeeze. “Plus, they remember my rebellious youth. I had quite the chip on my shoulder back then.”

  “In my opinion, yours is a perfect nose,” Revlen said. “A marking of natural nobility.”

  “And you had every reason to be angry,” Esras said. “Which is why you fought to change things.” He grinned at Revlen and added, “What do you think, should we commission a statue? I think Ecubon would look good standing in the town square.”

  Ecubon laughed again. “The seagulls shit on me enough as it is, thank you very much. These days I fish for a living, remember? And I suspect such a statue would only inspire our townspeople to revolt all over again. Not that I’d blame them.”

  They carried on like that most of the way, Cade and Cassie soon joining in too. Four old friends who'd been through a lot together, joking and swapping war stories. As I listened to them recount their memories, it seemed strange to think that Cassie had been right there beside them. By no means for the entire journey, but she'd played a major role in how it had all ended. Meanwhile, Kiaran and I exchanged amused glances at being entirely forgotten.

  “Negative refraction index,” I whispered to him, a smile tugging at my lips.

  He nodded and kept a straight face. “That’s right.”

  “You made that up.”

  “You saw it yourself.”

  “My eyes were closed,” I reminded him.

  Kiaran chuckled. “Well, then. Maybe next time.”

  A little infuriating? Yeah, kind of. But I was the idiot who’d closed her eyes. Still, I grumbled, “Bent the light, my ass.”

  “You used your hands,” Kiaran said, still somehow keeping that straight face.

  Great. Not only could he compete with Cade for Nerd of the Year, he was starting to rival Cassie for knowing how to get under my skin. Although, I had to hand it to him. He really was a quick study. Maybe it was a god thing?

  Before long, we'd ridden through town and onto a path through the woods toward where Glendal lived with her grandmother. A cottage had just become visible through the trees when I heard a small voice say, “Who?”

  I looked around, seeing nothing, but then heard it again, twice this time.

  “Who? Who?”

  Apparently, Revlen heard it too. “Oh, how charming,” she said. “It’s been years since I’ve known anyone to use an inquisitowl.”

  Oh, come on. Inquisitowl? They had to be making this stuff up.

  “My grandmother still uses one,” Ecubon said. “Although, not many do anymore. They tend to be unreliable. During the day, especially.”

  Right, of course. No wonder people had stopped using inquisitowls.

  “Ah, I see it now.” Revlen pointed to a nearby tree and, sure enough, there it was. Only it wasn't quite what I expected, since apparently inquisitowls were small and blue and had large purple eyes.

  It tilted its little head and stared. “Who? Who?”

  I could have sworn I heard a note of impatience that time. Apparently, Eras picked up on it too, because he turned to Ecubon. “You should probably get that. I mean, since you know Glendal.”

  I sort of got the feeling Esras didn’t feel like dealing with the inquisitowl. Maybe they were just too low tech compared to lingualawks.

  Ecubon shrugged and looked at the little blue owl. “Glendal? It’s Ecubon.”

  I stared, thinking it couldn’t be possible, but then the owl opened its little beak again. “Hello?”

  Ecubon raised his voice. “Glendal, it’s Ecubon.”

  “Zebulon? Is that you?”

  “No, it’s Ecubon!”

  No wonder Esras took a hard pass. This was freaking ridiculous. On top of that, we could literally see the house through the trees.

  “Oh, Ecubon! How are you?”

  Seriously? Small talk?

  “I'm doing just fine!” Ecubon said, his voice booming through the woods. They had to be able to hear him inside that house. “I brought some guests with me! I hope that’s okay!”

  I cringed as I waited, figuring this could go any number of ways. I was putting my money on her saying something about “pests,” but then Glendal threw me a curveball. “What’s in the chests?”

  I had to wonder if maybe people used inquisitowls to annoy people away. Maybe we should try deploying one along with the Door Troll.

  Ecubon sighed. “Not chests, guests! I brought guests!”

  The owl blinked a few times, making me wonder if Glendal had mixed feelings about inviting guests into her home. But then she said, “Yes, that’s fine. I’ll meet you at the door.”

  As we finished approaching the house, I couldn’t help but wonder how the inquisitowl had known what Glendal was saying. I put it out there just for the heck of it. “So, how does that whole thing work?”

  “Not very well, obviously,” Revlen said.

  I decide to leave it at that.

  *

  We were met at the door by a woman with short brown hair and pale orange eyes. She looked a little startled at seeing us. Understandably, given that there were seven of us. Probably not quite what she’d anticipated. Add to that, two of those people were the co-regents of Faerie these days. So, it made sense that she seemed a little off balance.

  “We’re sorry to arrive without notice,” Revlen said, by way of priming the pump. “But we wondered if you might be able to help us.”

  Again, it took a moment, but Glendal finally found her voice. “Of course. Please come in.”

  We crowded into a place that was little more than a cottage, its tiny front room just barely big enough to hold us. At one end of that space, another woman sat in a chair turned toward the hearth, where a fire blazed despite the mild day outside. Glendal’s grandmother presumably, although all we could see was the back of her head where her gray hair was tied into a neat bun.

  Glendal gesturing toward a dining area. “I’m afraid all we have is the table.”

  Clearly, that was the only place with sufficient space to accommodate us. Suddenly, it seemed strange that so many of us had come so far just to ask a few questions. But maybe that was how things were done here. People traveled, they talked, and they traveled back again. Not exactly efficient, but at least it was personal. And, from what I’d noticed, most of the time no one seemed particularly pressed for time. Maybe that was because the fae lived so long?

  “Can I make you tea?” Glendal said. “I’m afraid we don’t have much else to offer.”

  “That's very kind,” Revlen said. “But it's really not necessary. We just wanted to talk for a moment and then we’ll be on our—”

  “Who is it, Glendal? Is someone here?”

  At the sound of her grandmother’s voice, a soft smile appeared on Glendal’s lips. “Yes, grandmother. We have guests.”

  I expected the old woman to remain seated, but she reached for a cane and slowly rose to her feet. She turned to face us and she was one of the cutest things I’d ever seen. She was small, thin and hunched, with round spectacles pinching the end of her nose. Two sharply pointed ears rose on either side of her head. She looked like a wizened Christmas elf as she tottered toward us.

  “Well, hello,” she said, smiling. “And who do we have here?”

  We offered our names one by one as the old woman nodded. When we finished, she said, “I’m Leleth.”

  “Revlen and Esras are the co-regents these days,” Glendal explained.

  Leleth’s brow furrowed. “What’s a co-regent?”

  “Like a king and a queen,” Glendal said.

  Leleth beamed at Revlen and Esras, her old face lighting up. “This is the king and the queen?”

  Glendal shook her head. “No, grandmamma. They’re not married.”

  Leleth’s smile started to fade. “Then how can they be king and queen?”

  Glendal thought for a moment. “It’s sort of like having two kings or two queens.”

  Leleth frowned this time. She peered at Esras. “He’s a man, right?”

  Glendal nodded, her face turning red. “Yes, grandmamma.”

  “Then how can he be a queen?”

  A smile tugged at the corner of Esras’s mouth, suggesting Cassie might have explained a few Earth terms.

  Glendal tried again. “He’s not queen, grandmamma, but he’s not the king either.” She gestured to Revlen. “Just like she’s not the king or the queen. They rule together, so it’s like having two kings or two queens. The gender doesn’t matter. Does that make sense?”

  Leleth stood staring for a moment, then said, “No. I’m going back to my reading.”

  She tottered back across the room, mumbling to herself along the way. She let out a sigh twice the size of her body as she sank back into the sofa, then lowered her head as she went back to her book.

  “Please,” Glendal said, gesturing again toward the table.

  Once we were seated, and had finished chuckling, Esras brought us back to business. He told Glendal about the attack on the temple, about the people they’d lost and that we were hoping to find what the dark goddesses had come seeking.

  It took a few moments for Glendal to recover from her shock. Then she said, “I’m not sure what that could possibly have to do with me. I’ve been gone for almost twenty years now.”

  Revlen spoke softly. “We know. But Tharnel mentioned something about your childhood. She said that, long ago, you met a human witch who could travel through the realms.”

  Glendal glanced at me and Kiaran, the only two of us present without pointy ears. “I did,” she said. “I know it wasn’t supposed to be possible, but it happened all the same. You think that might have something to do with this?”

  “Possibly,” Esras said. “The coincidence was simply too big to ignore. Can you tell us what happened?”

  Glendal fell silent as she thought back. After a few moments, she said, “Of course. I’ll try to remember.”

  Cassie perched forward. “Just to be sure, this was over a hundred and fifty years ago.”

  Glendal didn’t hesitate. “That's right. I was seven.”

  It was just so like Cassie to be a dog with a bone, but it was also hard for us to recalibrate here. Glendal looked no older than fifty, sixty at the most.

  “So, you were seven,” Revlen said. “Could you tell us what happened?”

  Glendal took another moment to consider. “Well, I was wandering in the woods not too far from here, just where the trees end at the bay. It was one of my favorite spots back then. I loved being in the woods, but still able to see the water and the way the light rippled on its surface. It felt magical to me.”

  “It sounds lovely,” Revlen said. “No wonder you liked going there.”

  “And that’s where I was that morning,” Glendal said. “I was looking through the trees when I saw a strange flash of light. At first I thought it must be sunlight, but then it kept shimmering and spreading. It opened up into a tunnel. That’s when I saw them.”

  “Them,” Kiaran said, glancing at me. “How many were there?”

  “There were two,” Glendal said. “I stayed hidden so they couldn't see me. I'd seen magic before, of course, but not that kind of magic. And while I'd heard tales of humans, I'd never seen any outside of story books. I'd always been told that they couldn't travel here, just like we couldn't travel to their realm.”

  “How did you know they were human?” Kiaran asked. “Could you see their ears? “

  “Yes. But then I found out because of what she told me, the witch who spoke to me. Although, that came later. At first, I just tried to stay hidden. I'd heard terrible things about humans, that they were brutal and warlike and never stopped killing.”

  It was sad to hear, but not truly an unfair assessment given our history. I just wished I could say that things had changed.

 

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