Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the dialogue - they belong to the wonderful Julie Kagawa. I'm just playing with them a little bit ;)
The Memory
The Voodoo Museum looks like it's been abandoned for at least twenty years. The windows are covered with dust and in the dim gloom you can just make out a CLOSED sign on the door. Puck mutters a few words and taps on the door, opening it with a soft creak. It's uncomfortably warm inside, at least for me. I really don't understand how Summer fey can stand the heat in Arcadia as they do. As we step inside, Meghan trips over a bump in the carpet, falling into me and I steady her with a sigh. Puck closes the door behind us, encasing the entire room in darkness. In order to avoid a repeat of what's just happened with Meghan I mumble under my breath and a globe of blue fire appears over my head, bathing us all in a cool blue glow. At least the human won't break her neck walking in the dark. It also illuminated the collection of...questionable objects on a shelf in the corner. Skeletons and skulls and preserving jars - all pretty common place in the Unseelie Court if you know where to look, but I can almost taste the horror roiling off Meghan as she stares at it. She really has no experience at all.
"This way," Grimalkin says, his voice loud in the silence. We all follow him down a hall and I catch Meghan constantly gazing around her surroundings in an almost horror like awe - humans do like to scare themselves to death. I keep my gaze firmly on the cats bushy tail, which is no mean feat in the darkness, and try not to keep watching Meghan. She may be beautiful but she has no place in the Nevernever; let alone with me. She's become a naïve pawn in the Courts eyes, something that would never happen in Tir Na Nog. Emotions are a weakness and Meghan Chase is a prime example of why. If she had just left her brother to whatever fate awaits him, she would still be safe in the human world. There would be no contracts, no sidelong glances and absolutely no grudging admiration for the half human who, despite everything, has survived incredibly well thus far all things considering. There would definitely be none of that. If I didn't have enough reasons to curse humans before she appeared, there are at least twenty more added to the list now.
By this time, we've approached a table covered in a black table cloth. With centuries of practise looking for enemies hidden in places you wouldn't expect, I manage to pick out the ghostly face just before she moves and scares Meghan half to death.
"Hello children," she whispers, her voice croaking. "Come to visit Old Anna, have you? Puck is here, and Grimalkin, as well. What a pleasure." What am I chopped liver? I muse as we all take a seat at the table. The witch smiles at Meghan, baring her thin, yellow teeth and I can tell Meghan is terrified and I'm positive the witch does too. Is there any need for this? I wonder before mentally slapping myself. I don't need to concern myself with things like that - all I need to do is help her find her brother and then get her to Tir Na Nog alive. That's all. Mab didn't say anything about her being slightly psychologically damaged and besides, maybe this will help her. Show her she'll have to be constantly alert when she reaches the Winter Court. "I smell need," the hag continues, snapping me from my daze. "Need and desire. You, child. You have come seeking knowledge. You search for something that must be found, yes?"
"Yes," Meghan whispers back, sounding completely overwhelmed with the situation. The hag nods, her intel confirmed.
"Ask, then, child of two worlds. But remember..." She stares at Meghan hollowly, "all knowledge must be paid for. I will give you the answers you seek, but I desire something in return. Will you accept the price?" Meghan sighs quietly, a defeated gaze on her face.
"I don't have much left to give," she says and I feel sorry for her. I can't imagine having grown up free of fey politics and bargains. It must be...confusing...to come into this world and be forced into deals and bargains that could potentially cost your life. The hag laughs like a snake. It's...disturbing to say the least.
"There is always something, dear child. So far, only your freedom has been claimed by another. You still have your youth, your talents, your voice. Your future child. All these are of interest to me."
"You're not getting my future child," Meghan says straight away and I hide a smile. She knows something of fey bargains then. The firstborn child is commonly used and commonly accepted. And always regretted by the desperate.
"Really? You will not give it up, even though it will bring you nothing but grief?" I roll my eyes.
"Enough," I say impatiently. "We're not here to debate the what-ifs of the future. Name your price oracle, and let the girl decide if she wants to pay it." The oracle sniffs at me but settles back, giving us all some breathing room.
"A memory," she announces.
"A what?" Meghan asks and I roll my eyes again. I know for a fact she's not that stupid.
"A memory," the oracle repeats. "One that you recall with great affection. The happiest memory of your childhood. I've precious few of my own, you see."
"Really? That's it? You just want one of my memories, and we have a deal?" I wince slightly at the naivety. She doesn't understand - no one can. While this procedure has never been done to me specifically, I have seen it done before and it's definitely not pleasant.
"Meghan-" Puck interrupts, obviously having realised the same thing that I have. "Don't take this so lightly. Your memories are a part of you. Losing one of your memories is like losing a piece of your soul." I do have to give Goodfellow credit, it seems like a pretty accurate description of the process. Meghan considers it for a moment.
"All right," she says and I share a look with Puck. "You're on. You get one memory of mine, one, and then you tell me what I want to know. Deal?" The hag grins.
"Yesssssssss." She stands and leans over the table, resting her claw like hands on Meghan's face, making Meghan shiver.
"This might feel a bit...unpleasant," the oracle hisses. Meghan gasps suddenly, making both me and Goodfellow tense. Meghan's face screws up with pain and Puck hovers near her. I know he's desperate to change this - to stop it from happening. "Yesssssss," the oracle hisses again. "I will take this one. Now it is mine." Meghan stiffens before slumping dramatically in her chair as the oracle withdraws her hands. She sits up, wincing a little. The oracle smiles smugly over the table as Puck murmurs things in Meghan's ear to make her feel better. Not even I can stop myself from shooting her a sympathetic glance. I don't think I could give up my happiest memory so easily - not when it's likely to include Ariella. It's extraordinarily brave of her in my eyes to give up something so important to her. "It is done," the oracle drones. "And now I will uphold my end of the bargain. Place your hands in mine, child, and ask." Meghan swallows and shakily places her hands into the oracles. "Three questions," she rasps. "That is the standard bargain. Three questions I will answer, and I am done. Choose wisely." Meghan takes a deep breath and looks over at us, prompting Puck to nod at her reassuringly.
"Where can I find my brother?" She asks. There is silence for a moment - just long enough to make me question whether the oracle can actually tell us what we need to know.
"Within the iron mountain
a stolen child waits.
A king no longer on his throne
shall guide you past the gates."
"Oh, fabulous. I love riddles. And they rhyme so nicely," Puck mutters. Then, a little louder so Meghan can hear him better, "ask her where we can find the Iron King." She nods and repeats the question.
"In Blight's heart
a tower sings
upon whose thrones
sit Iron Kings."
"Blight," Puck says, arching his eyebrows. "And singing towers. Well, this gets better and better. I'm sure glad we decided to come here. Prince, can you think of anything you want to ask our most obliging oracle?" I pause for a moment, thinking carefully. Unlike Goodfellow who is prone to rushing things and not thinking plans through the whole way, I prefer to know the outcome of plans. This is our last question, so I have to make it count. I raise my head from where it's been resting on my hands.
"Ask her how we can kill him," I tell her. She wriggle uncomfortably in her seat, although I'm not sure whether it's because of what I'm asking her to do or because I'm telling her to do something.
"Ash-" She says.
"Just do it," I tell her sternly. She swallows again.
"How do we kill the Iron King?" She whispers. I lean forward to hear the answer, knowing deep down that this will be my job. Neither Goodfellow or the Princess will be up to the task.
"The King of Iron cannot be slain
by mortal man or fey.
Seek out the Keepers of the trees.
Their hearts will show the way."
And with that, the oracle collapses onto the table, laying there for a moment before disintegrating into dust. Meghan coughs and it's only through quick reflexes that I manage to clamp my mouth and eyes shut against the dust storm. When the dust settles, it reveals that the oracle has indeed gone, leaving us alone in the empty museum. If that's not an opening for one of Puck's infamous pranks then I don't know what is. With that disturbing thought, I can't wait to get out of here.
"I believe that our audience is over," Grimalkin announces, peering over the table before jumping down and heading back towards the door. "Well," he says, stopping to peer over his shoulder at the three of us still sat round the table, staring the at the dust of the oracle. "Are you coming or not?"
So here it is - finally - the first chapter of 'Meeting Meghan'. The collection of one shots from Ash's POV throughout the Iron fey series. Each chapter will be done in the order of the books, so all the Iron King chapters will be first - so if there's a section you want to see from the Iron King then let me know. Obviously, if I get to Book 3 and someone wants a chapter from Book 2 then I'll do it but for now, there should be an order to things. Let me know what you think, I hope I did Ash justice, and let me know what other sections you want to hear from Ash's POV. See you guys soon xxx
