Semper Fidelis
Chapter 5
I sat there staring at the corpse lying in front of me that was now even more rapidly becoming a mucus-like goo in the snow. It would evaporate completely soon, even in the cold of the Chicago winter night air, for that is the foundation of ectoplasm in our world. But as I watched it dissolve my mind was on other issues.
Something had killed the yeti, and it had done so right here almost on Harry's very doorstep. That meant now the killer's hunting area included this neighborhood, either that or it had felt the arrival of the yeti in this world, tracked it down, and then killed it incredibly rapidly. If the first situation was true, that created a direct threat to Harry and me who are more or less part-time residents of the neighborhood based upon the demands of our lives. But that also meant the full-time residents would be in even greater danger since they were here more often and likely had little defense against anything capable of killing a yeti as savagely and efficiently as this.
On the other hand if the mysterious killer had hunted down and murdered and the messenger that meant whatever it was it had the ability to detect magic or spells use at some level which once more did not bode well for Harry or I. Oh and when I am standing there in the snow looking at a dead yeti corpse and when I say Harry and I, I am really am talking mostly about me. Unfortunately even understanding this there was not a lot I could do about this based on all I knew.
It was not like I could run and hide though. I was trapped facing this situation not only because Uriel himself had more or less hinted that I was soon to be involved in rather important events; which in my life is becoming all too commonplace, but also because these deaths seemed to be a pretty strong introduction to something really bad happening here in Chicago.
The archangel's words that I was to have faith reminded me of my discussions with Father Forthill. One of my biggest takeaways had been the numerous times the old priest reminding me that God did not provide us with challenges we were unable to surmount if we had faith in ourselves and him to see us through these events. Of course it is one thing to read that in scripture or have your religious leader say it to you, but when faced with something that seems overwhelming, like a dead yeti corpse at your doorstep, it was still hard to accept without reservation.
The on the other hand I also had Elaine's plea that time was of the absolute essence in this events. I had no immediate way of contacting Harry; I told him we needed a magic version of the bat signal but of course he ignored me. I could try contacting Carlos or other Wardens but this was not an issue directly involving the White Council but instead it was one between the Faerie Courts. Even if I somehow spoke to the Merlin himself, not someone I was likely to get an instant interview with I might add, he was by nature more prone to caution and staying out of these situations entirely, which seemed to be directly counter to what Elaine's please required. I realized fate or God had really boxed me in rather nicely.
I watched Elaine reach down and pull free a small icicle token from the snow where the yeti's hand had been. It looked not unlike any small such natural ones currently hanging from the gutters throughout the city. It was only when she passed it to me and I felt the twin sensations of charged magic and unnatural cold that I knew this was the token Mab had sent her yeti messenger to deliver to her emissary. I placed it on my coat like Elaine had done with her butterfly and it instantly stuck to the material like it was fused. Looks like I did not have to concern myself with it falling off.
"We need to hurry." Elaine said impatiently to me. "We will have to find a place to cross over into Summer's demesne which at this time of year might be nearly impossible. With Lady Aurora's death the Summer Court penthouse she kept at the Rothchild Hotel closed down and I do not know if another crossover point has been established. I will have to call up a guide to show us another location and that could take hours."
Harry always warned me not to let myself get dragged into anything without first taking time to think it through; not that he had always done so himself he admitted at the time of this speech, only that his injuries should serve as a lesson to me as well. He stressed that unless I knew myself that lives were at stake and would be lost by any unnecessary delay, it was smart to always find out as much as possible about a situation and then decide the best course of action.
"I think I know a place to cross over." I said to Elaine drawing her full attention and even a bit a surprise as well. "But before we go there I need to know everything that is going on. I know why Mab has a thing for Harry, but you are a wildcard in this as far as I'm concerned. You told Harry that your involvement with Aurora had settled your debt with Queen Tatania so why then are you suddenly their chosen agent again? Why would you subject yourself to their power or make another deal with them at the cost of your services once you had fought so hard to get free?" I also needed to establish early on we would be partners and I was not playing second fiddle to her.
I saw a look of surprise in her eyes when she realized that I was perfectly content to challenge her rather than taking everything she said on faith. And with that I noted also came a twinge of fear. That proved to me that someone in the Summer Court still had their hooks in Elaine and I was damned if I was going to fall for the exact same trap that she had pulled on Harry.
"I'm willing to help." I said offering up a carrot to calm her somewhat and define this from the get go. "But I need you to come clean with me and explain everything that is going on here with you and Summer." Now came the time for the stick. "And I will have your wizard's oath on this or I am not taking one step with you."
My directness and willingness not to jump in blindly with both feet seemed to shock her to the very core and make her reconsider how to play this. I could even see the merest hint of tears forming in her eyes, but that type of crap does not work on us girls as well as it does on you boys. In fact, for the most part we tend to get annoyed or insulted when someone tries to pull that on us. Consider it a violation of professional courtesy between us gals.
"You would endanger everything, even your family, even Harry?" She asked shocked.
"You betcha!"
"Hasn't Harry taught you anything about a wizard's responsibility?" She asked me.
"Yeah from what he tells me I'm a pretty poor example of a student. I guess that is funny because all my teachers in school said the same thing about me as well." I replied. "So it's not like any of the White Council is going to fault me, a mere apprentice I will remind you, for not jumping into the middle of a Sidhe war so I don't see I have too much at stake to risk my life with some being who Harry has described as all powerful and yet lacking anything close to a moral compass."
She bit her lip as she weighed my offer. I had rightly guessed that these events were obviously vital to her, way more so than they were to me, and as long as I kept that focused in my mind that presented me with a leverage opportunity she could not overcome or bypass. As I read the cards this meant she had only two options left; to accept my offer or try to negotiate for better terms. To win in either case, especially the second meant I had to remain firm in my resolve.
I could see from the changes in her expression and stance that she was going to try for negotiation. If being a sensitive mage allowed me to read people's emotions and expressions this well then I was going to have to try my talents out at a Vegas poker table one day soon.
"I will agree to taking your oath if you take one as well promising not to reveal to Harry anything I tell you." She said throwing a few more chips on the table but not realizing I knew from her face and her posture that she did not have the cards.
"No deal." I fired back calmly. "For all I know you could tell me something vital to his life and I will not sit back and knowingly let harm come to him if I have information that can prevent it from happening." Take that Elaine I thought smugly to myself.
After a moment and a sigh of resignation she spoke again. "Fine." She surrendered. "I will take you oath but ask you only to consider everything I tell you and understand why I have kept it from Harry. It is for these reasons I would ask you not to speak of it either, but I will trust your judgment if you feel that you must.
I nodded my head knowing that everyone kept secrets and that I would take her concerns into consideration. "Can I tell you during the drive?" She asked. "Time is of the essence."
That seemed fair to me. "No problem." I said. "The place I am thinking of is likely an hour's drive this time of night. I need to make one phone call first and gather my stuff. Where all are we going and how long do you expect we will be gone?"
"We will visit Summer Court first." She said confirming what I had already gathered. "After that we will have to pay a visit to Winter to ensure Mab agrees you may serve as her agent in this." Talk about a trip impossible to try and pack for. Okay bikinis and parkas I guess were the required wardrobe. The thought of parkas reminded me I had a perfect little potion that should be just about cool right now that I should take along too.
"I hope to return by dawn though one can never be sure where the Sidhe are concerned. They may delay us just to show they can, though with a potential for war I suspect they will think better of playing petty games." She said with a note of actual fear in her voice.
I went back into the house and immediately called my parent's number. I did not want my mom worrying if I did not make it home on time tonight and then deciding to come looking for me. Of course I was not exactly sure what I wanted to tell her either, especially since she had been forced to come rescue me the last time I visited Winter. Father Forthill would just have to set forth another penance for me for lying I guess.
The phone rang twice before a male voice picked it up and said "Hello?" It threw me off for a second knowing my brother Matthew's bedtime was past and he had school tomorrow.
"Matthew, it is Molly." I said suddenly happy that I could leave a quick note with him and hopefully therefore not have to lie to mom at all about the dangerous plans of how I intended to spend my evening.
"It's Daniel." He said with obvious annoyance in his voice either from me mistaking him for his younger brother or having to talk to me at all. What he was doing home so early I did not know and did not have time to reason out. Since he started his new job he had been rolling in about midnight and was gone every morning by about ten.
"Sorry Daniel." I said trying to retract the seeming insult I had offered. "Can you leave mom a note that I am working on my magical studies tonight and will get home tomorrow morning? Tell her I will still make it to the hospital on time." I tried to be as contrite as I was capable of which I have to tell you for me is not easy.
"Sure thing." He said. "I'll tell her you are off playing witch and don't have time for family right now." He said and then hung up the phone before the shock I felt when I realized what he had just said to me turned to rage and I could respond. I thought about immediately calling him back but he likely wanted me to do just that so that the ringing would wake up the whole house and I would be trapped explaining myself, and having to do so angry no less, to mom this time. I swallowed it all down and slammed the phone handset back on its cradle before turning to gather up my stuff.
Elaine looked at me askew seeing the rage burning in my eyes. "Something you want to talk about?" She asked.
"Nope." I ignored her and went downstairs to gather up my cold resistance potion and put it in my backpack as well. I made sure all the candles were out and then climbed back up the stairs, closed off the workshop, and gathered up my keys. Elaine's patient look was a second offer to listen if I chose to talk about it but that proposal failed as badly as the first.
"After you." I said holding my hand out so that she would pass me and I could close and lock up Harry's apartment and reset the wards. I could feel her eyes on me but I shrugged it off and called forth the necessary magic to protect his place while I was out. I'd have to tell Harry when he got back that Elaine had gotten through his defenses and see if he felt changing or adding to them was in order.
We walked across the street to my car and Elaine stepped around to the passenger side and reached for the handle. "Not yet." I said drawing her up short to stare in my direction.
"I will have your official oath first or we are not going anywhere." I said rather matter of factly.
She sighed again in resignation then spoke. "I swear to provide you all the information you requested on this subject." She said and I felt the surge of magic that bound her very power to this oath. While this wording allowed Elaine to keep other secrets about herself, it was enough to ensure she told me what I needed to know. If she failed to do so she would lose her powers. As you see oaths are something we wizards take very seriously.
"Alright get in." I said and did so myself, tossing my backpack into the backseat by my practice sword.
The car started up and we headed off into town, the streets only relatively busy by Chicago standards. I knew the destination and the best roads to get me there so I was not required to focus fully on the drive, except to avoid the occasional patch of black ice. I wanted her story all out in the open before we crossed over into Faerie so that I could back out if I felt it was necessary or at least call in reinforcements before I left. Just because I knew I was not about to let the whole world fall into some magically caused ice age did not mean I had to tell Elaine this. I preferred her to think I was young and did not care so she could not play me.
"Let's start at the beginning Elaine." I said once I was on the road and had some heat seeping into the car. "Why are you still working for Summer if you told Harry your debt was paid off?"
"I told Harry my debt to Titania was paid off." She corrected. "I never told him my debt to the Summer Court was paid in full."
"And of course you let him believe this half truth." I said with obvious irritation in my voice.
"Yes I did." She admitted. "Sort of like telling your brother that you were practicing your magic tonight rather than admitting you were going to go traipsing off to the Nevernever and get yourself in the middle of a potential war between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts."
"Yeah well my interactions with them are complicated." I replied not liking the comparison.
"As are mine with the Summer Court." Elaine countered and I had to give her the benefit of the doubt she had more complications dealing with them than just an obnoxious younger brother.
I let her sentence hang for a few moments between us as we drove in silence. I had made my request and it was up to Elaine to honor it or face the consequences of her oath.
After a bit she began in a quiet and submissive voice. "What has Harry told you about us…about me?" She asked. "I need to know where I must begin in my explaining."
"I know you and he were apprentices to the wizard Justin DuMorne." I said. "I know that when Justin tried to enslave him that Harry killed him and for a long time thought he had killed you too." She watched me and nodded in apprehension telling me there was much to this story that I was unfamiliar with obviously. Trust Harry to protect a woman's reputation by not telling me everything.
"And of course I know about your contract with Summer that was supposedly completed." I said finally. She closed her eyes and nodded once more and without opening them again she began to speak, obviously concentrating on her story.
"Justin found me when I was just coming into my powers. I had found I could make sparks or fire by concentrating on these ideas." Elaine said as she leaned back and got comfortable, or at least tried to project that image. She probably did not understand I could read the fear she was projecting by having to reveal these memories. But I figured if she was afraid then it was likely she was being completely honest as well.
"He literally pulled me from the fire as I awoke in my bedroom one night to find my house was completely engulfed in flames. I screamed for my parents to come and save me, even as I realized that my dreams had been of being trapped in fire. I immediately understood that I had willed forth this magic in my sleep." She said.
"I tried to get away but the fire was already creeping up my walls and flowing across the ceiling. My eyes burned from the smoke and I rolled out of bed and to the floor finding just enough clear air to breathe and to scream some more for my parents. In the distance I could hear parts of the house collapsing, some so close as to make the floor shudder beneath me as I prayed for my mom to come rescue me."
"But it was not my mom or my dad who smashed in the window in my room and drew the smoke and fire out. It was Justin DuMorne in all his magical glory." She said trying for neutrality in her voice. "He was wearing the grey cloak of a Warden and looked like an avenging angel coming to punish me. He later explained that he had sensed the troubled spell I had inadvertently cast in my sleep and came to investigate the source, finding in the process I had set my entire house on fire.
We managed to only just escape due thanks in a large part to his personal shield spell as the house literally collapsed around us. My parents unfortunately were not so lucky." She paused and I sensed the real grief she carried for this act. I could tell it was all from memories she had hoped long put behind her. She had avoided them for a long time most likely; until I made her dredge them up again.
"Justin was a Warden?" I asked hoping to distract her from unnecessary pain and on to the next part of her story. "I had only ever heard he was involved with black magic."
"He was a part of both." She said. "I did not know what a Warden was when he rescued me but that turned out to be the first thing he explained to me. He told me he was one of those who policed those with magic powers. And then he explained the Laws of Magic to me and that I had violated the First Law by killing my parents with my magic. The rules required he turn me over for immediate trial and likely execution."
I could only picture Morgan looking down on me as Elaine told her tale and I knew had he been the one to find me at the Splattercon film festival I would no doubt be dead today. The dedication of the majority of these men and women who wore the grey cloaks to their task was nearly fanatical. Lucky for me it was Harry who had been the one to find me.
"I explained to Justin that I had not done this of my own will, in fact I had been asleep. Still I knew from his explanation of his responsibility and the Laws of Magic that if anything this subconscious, uncontrolled use made me even more dangerous as far as the White Council was concerned. I was afraid and I did not want to die."
"He saved you." I said seeing the similarity in her story with that of my own. She only nodded. "He took you before the Council and defended you for this unknowing mistake."
"No." She said. "He did not tell the Council or the Wardens about me." She explained removing the sense of empathy I had allowed to creep into my mind at her story. "He said they would never understand. They would never allow me to live after having killed my parents with magic." She paused and spoke even softer. "But he said perhaps I had another option if I was willing to do exactly what he said."
"He told me that he was currently training an apprentice about my age and that he could take on a second one without any effort." She explained. "But I could never tell anyone what I had done, not even Harry, or Justin and I would both be executed. When you are looking at the only life preserver you are likely to be thrown you do not care that it says Titanic on it."
While the reference seemed a little odd to me I accepted that it made sense to her and merely made a soft 'huh' to tell her I was listening at that she was free to proceed.
"I accepted this choice as you know and came to live with Justin. We told Harry only that I was another apprentice Justin had taken on and that we would be studying together. Harry has always been a generous soul where women are concerned as I'm sure you know so he had no objections to another student, especially once we came into our teenage years." She said with just a hint of
"Harry was my first." She said not elaborating what kind of 'first' and I did not need to ask though I admit this caused a little bit of anger in me to hear that I likely projected inadvertently outward which caused her to pause and open her eyes and look at me.
"You were saying?" I said as I turned quickly and flipped off an unsuspecting cabbie to make Elaine think the feeling of hostility she sensed was not related to her. Yeah that is another couple of Hail Mary's for that little deception and the poor grief I caused the undeserving cabbie.
I watched her out of the corner of my eye until she turned back from staring at me and closed her eyes once more to get back into her story. "We shared a lot in those days. He told me about missing his family, especially his mother whom he thought about often though barely knew. I made up a story about my own family's death so that I would not have to tell him the truth as I promised Justin. It also drew us closer in shared pain. She said. "And then one day he told me about his godmother. I assume he has mentioned her to you?" She asked.
I merely nodded my head and stayed concentrating on my driving as I was turning off onto the next road I needed. I already knew The Leanansidhe is a noble in Winter, the Handmaiden to Mab, and likely as talented in raw magical power as the young queen Lady Maeve or close enough that I would never know the difference in a fight with either as I died horribly. I also knew that Harry had been bound to The Leanansidhe by his mother supposedly as a means to protect him but she had been anything but a comforting substitute parent responsible for his moral upbringing after his mother's death. Yeah that so was not the case he faced unless you consider wanting to transform you godchild into a hellhound as a moral decision.
"When Harry told me of Lea and how it was her job to protect him I wondered if perhaps that was just the type of arrangement I should consider for myself." Elaine continued. "By the time I thought about this Justin had moved beyond being merely our wizard master and start moving toward becoming our slave master. His dark magic had infected his soul and he began to make me uncomfortable to be around. I feared for Harry and myself, but mostly for myself."
"I did not want Harry or Justin to know what I was considering in seeking out protection from an outside source." She explained. "Thankfully Justin had a good number of books in his library on the subject of those beings that exist in the Nevernever. I decided up front to avoid the Unseelie Court of Winter in part because Harry had his connection there and I feared word of my investigations getting back to him, but even more so since the Winter Court was not known for its benevolence in general. Harry's mother's arrangement with Lea came at some great price personal I have no doubt."
"The neutral Wyldfae generally are strictly self motivated and with the exception of a few rather dangerous beings like the Erlking, leader of the Great Hunt, they did not seem to have any history of granting power or wisdom to mortals." She said matching in essence what Harry's lessons had taught me. "In fact the most common interaction with mortals appeared to be having them for dinner." You will note the key phrase here is not having them to dinner which is the proper way of speaking of an invitation to dine and converse in words other than 'please don't eat me.'
"The Non-Fae creatures were, if anything, even less inclined to deal with mortals except where direct profit is concerned and the types of things an unemployed teenage girl had to offer were outside the boundaries of what I was willing to negotiate with." Elaine said. "My studies of Justin's books taught me that they certainly had power but the cost of such dealings is rarely in a mortal's best interest."
"The Non-Fae?" I asked. This was a term I was unfamiliar with during my studies with Harry and in playing Arcanos. I did not want to distract Elaine from her story but needed to understand what she was speaking of in case it had any relevance to her story.
"Those are the creatures of the Nevernever not a part of the Fae such as the dwarven races who despise the Fae except as paying customers and of course the dragons." She explained. "Dwarves willingly deal some with humans but only on a contract for goods basis so would those types of bargains would not be all that useful for what I was looking for and dragons…" She paused and shuddered. "Dragons are best avoided thoroughly and completely except in the most extreme situations." She shuddered one more time telling me she had some personal experiences with at least one of these creature in her life. I was tempted to ask about it but figured she would tell me if it played a direct part in what I needed to know and if it did not we probably did not have time right now for the distraction.
"With all of those options unavailable I focused solely upon the Summer Court as the Seelie presented the most reasonable chance in my opinion of the time to find a means to protect myself from Justin. I researched all he had on the powers within the Summer Court and decided that I was too young and inexperienced to deal directly with any of the Queens if I wanted to live. That left me to seek out one of the lesser beings instead." She continued and I felt a well of dread for her. Harry had made no illusions that such dealings were foolhardy at best and that I was to avoid such things whenever possible. So why and I here then wearing Mab's token? I shook my head at the absurdity and the knowledge Harry would be giving me a long talking to once this night was over I had no doubt.
"The Courts are balanced in all things so it was my mind to seek out Lea's counterpart in Summer. With research I learned her name is Abagalesidhe, known also as the Lady of the Summer Storm. The Romans once worshipped her as a goddess." She explained. "And it is because of her that mankind still to this day calls a torrential downpour a gale."
I was personally unfamiliar with the being she mentioned as Harry had kept me focused on the six queens and two knights in addition to his godmother. He explained in his experience that most trouble in the Nevernever would trace back to one of these nine beings. Now it seemed that I had a tenth name to add to the list of Fairie concerns. "You must have been very young." I said. "How did you summon such a being?" I tried jumping a little ahead in where her story seemed to be going.
I waited for a summer night when such a storm was due to strike for I knew that to be the strongest time to reach out to her. On Justin's property there was a small runoff creek that ran through the woods and in the middle of one part of that stream a small six-foot island of grass sat that allowed the creek to trickle past on both sides. It was a little private sanctuary place I had found soon after coming to live with Justin and I had never told Harry about it because it was the one place I liked to think of as all my own; my place to seek refuge when I needed to be alone."
"When I felt I understood how to summon Abagale and knew the conditions that night to be right for it, I went to this island and prepared it to serve as my summoning circle. I started by drawing out the necessary symbols in the soil and clearing away any stray brush that might break the lines once the magic had been cast. Harry and I had watched Justin cast such spells, but they were not ones he permitted us yet, though he promised that soon we would be assisting him in such rituals." Once more she shuddered making me understand that she realized now what he meant was he would use their life force as power for such spells when he held them as thralls.
"As I said I thought I understood how such spells were cast." She said. "My research and observations had taught me that much. Of course actually casting such a spell is a bit more intimidating when you know what all can go wrong. Fortunately I was not graced with that knowledge or experience at the time and desperation made me ignore those little voices of warning inside my own head." I nearly asked Elaine at that point if her voice sounded like her master Justin's just like mine sounded like Harry's.
"As the storm reached nearly its full peak I left the house and went to my circle in the woods and cast the spell without stopping to consider it further." Elaine now was speaking comfortably but with a sense of remembered excitement as well. "I felt the magic build as I had expected. I felt it flow forth. And then I felt nothing." She said.
"I knew I had cast the spell correctly in part because it had not blown back and killed me, but without a result it seemed to me something was wrong." She continued. "I crossed the rapidly rising water in the creek and stared at my symbols in the wet dirt, confirming for myself that they were all still correctly copied, and that Justin had not known of my attempt and changed them in some way. And as I tried to figure out what I had done wrong a bolt of lightning struck down from the heavens and into the small island not three feet from where I stood sending my body flying and my eyes blinded in a flash of impossibly brilliant light.
I landed on the edge of the island, my hands the only thing keeping my upper body from falling underneath the rapidly flowing runoff stream. And as my vision cleared finally I saw standing before me the being I had called to and knew in that instant I had made a terrible mistake." She said.
"Her body seemed composed of lightning for it crackled and spat sparks as she stared down at me. Her skin glowed, not in a shine of health but literally glowed like raw energy from white in the lightest parts to burnt orange in those aspects of her form still in shade." Elaine seemed still in awe and having had my own dealing with a few beings of such overwhelming power I certainly comprehended why. "I understood then why the Romans had thought her the goddess of lightning and named her Fulgora though there was no doubt this was indeed The Abagalesidhe I was looking upon." She continued.
"'Why did you seek me out mortal child?' She asked looking down upon me with shining eyes that flashed in perfect synchronization with the lightning dancing in the heavens above us."
"I stumbled to my feet. My rain soaked nightdress clinging to my body and making me look like a ragged street urchin compared to her power and beauty. But I knew from observing Justin that I must not let my will waiver. I must not doubt myself or my power over her would be gone and she would be free to do to me whatever she desired."
Elaine took a breath, opened her eyes, and then looked over at me and smiled. "I was so naïve to think I had any control." She said before resuming her pose and continuing. "'Abagalesidhe if you wish your freedom from my circle you shall provide me your promise to protect me from Justin DuMonte.' I commanded pushing my will into the binding circle that surrounded the Handmaiden of Summer."
"Her eyes narrowed as another bolt of lightning struck not far from us in the woods to startle me." Elaine seemed to be emotionally connected to these events once more as her breathing seemed to quicken. "I turned back from that distraction and Abagale's will slammed against the barrier of my will's creation, probing and pushing it as she sought a weakness in my spell. I held on during this attack with my own will and slowly pushed her back giving added strength to the circle until she was not longer trying to escape."
"'You shall not escape until you agree to my terms Abagalesidhe.' I said again with a bit of arrogance knowing now my power had stood up to her own. I kept my will focused upon the circle."
"'This spell is truly impressive for a mortal and one so young as yourself.' She smiled at me. 'Impressive but irrelevant.' With a mere flick of her wrist she battered a blast against at my circle and this time I felt a measure of her true power. The circle shattered and for the second time in almost as many minutes I was sent flying this time fully into the creek, only I knew now Abagale was free to pursue me!"
"I scrambled to my feet in the torrent of water and somehow fled back across the creek before scrambling up the other side of the bank. Only then did I have the courage to turn and see how close the Summer Handmaiden was to ending my life. But when I turned to look I saw she was not pursuing me. She stood at the edge of the island and watched me with an undisguised look of amusement in her eyes. Something about that look made me mad enough that I stopped running and turned to face her with a look of defiance of my own aimed in her direction."
"Her own look of amusement paused and as we stared each other down her smile grew even wider and a series of four bolts of lightning struck around me in each compass direction. 'It seems I stand corrected.' She said as I did not flinch from her lightning but instead kept facing the real threat. 'Yes indeed child perhaps there is indeed enough spirit about you to make an offer as my vassal that might convince me overlook your impertinence and perhaps offer you the protection of Summer.' She spoke to me but made no move to come forward so I made no additional move to flee."
"'What are your terms?' I asked her knowing that I was no worse off now returning to Justin without any protection and it cost me nothing to hear her out at least."
"'I demand your loyal service of course.' She said with an appropriate bolt of lightning dancing across the night sky through the rolling black clouds undoubtedly at her command. 'You will swear to serve as my mortal agent and I will seek out my Queen's blessing to offer you the very protection that you desire against your mortal master.'"
"'Not good enough.' I bartered back. 'You merely offer me a chance to hide for the short period until Justin forgets about me but your payment for this runs for the rest of my life.' I reasoned and she smiled and nodded her head impressed that one so young would not so easily be trapped."
"'Then let us commit to the standard contract among our kind.' She provided her counteroffer. 'Three services you shall render to me and in exchange I serve as liaison with Queen Tatania to provide you sanctuary.' She smiled and I was so entranced by her charm that I nearly failed to notice how she stepped back slightly as the water of the creek rose even further now that the storm was upon us in full force."
Elaine paused and looked at me as if judging if I caught on to the secret she was offering. "Running water, of course!" I said nodding my head. "Your magical barrier had failed but she was stopped by the flowing water which complicated her ability to reach you." I said recalling that Harry had explained running water was often a good means of attack or defense against things from the Nevernever.
"Your answer is correct but you path of reasoning to get there is faulty Molly." Elaine replied. "Though in fact many such creatures are indeed dispelled or destroyed by running water, the royal courts of Summer and Winter are much stronger so not stopped by something so simple as this. You could immerse Lea under Niagara Falls and she would still destroy you the instant she decided to. In fact I believe she likes to walk upon waves just to show this type of superiority over lesser Fae."
"Then what was it about the water that stopped her?" I asked now obviously confused.
"As I said she was called the Goddess of Lightning once." Elaine repeated. "Her power is derived from elemental lightning just as there are similar creatures of fire, water, and air." She did not need to tell me there were a host of other type elementals as well for this was part and parcel of my regular magical studies as well.
"Ah so a large body of water would short out her powerbase." I reasoned. It was not all that different from the effect of using some of Summer's power at Arctis Tor, the Heart of Winter, a place I had inadvertently visited before becoming Harry's apprentice and seeing this effect firsthand. Opposing forces like that tended to cause all types of terrible things.
"It removes her ability to call upon her magic only for the time she is in contact with ground water." Elaine nodded. "She Abagalesidhe retains her ability to walk through it as all such beings, not to mention she is a well trained warrior as well, so had she chosen to she could have easily waded after me and then dispatched me with a weapon or quickly recharged to destroy me. Of course at the time I thought her action the same weakness you assumed at first as well." She explained before turning back to her story.
"In truth though, by this point I had despaired at finding a guardian who would protect me." She said. "A contract such as she seemed to offer seemed no better than what I face with Justin, and he at least was mortal so prone to eventually dying. 'I will consider your offer oh great Abagalesidhe.' I said. 'You shall have my answer soon.' In truth I had no intention of ever finishing this particular conversation but it was not like I was about to tell her that." Elaine informed me.
"'I will know your answer probably even sooner than you.' She smiled at me in that most disturbing way the Fae have of telling you they know more of what is to come than you do. Unfortunately that was true in this case as well. With a flash of power she was gone, my eyes merely registering what looked to be a bolt of lightning firing upward instead of down for once."
"I ran back to the manor, hoping to get free from the rain and put this night's events safely behind me. I entered through the side door I had left unlocked and did not think Justin would consider checking but of course I was wrong. He had felt the power that Abagale had called down from the heavens during our discussion and saw my room was unoccupied. While he may not know the night's true purpose, Justin always was one to desire all power for himself." She continued.
"I discarded my muddy shoes at the door and turned to head up to my room when I saw him step into the hallway and cast his spell. I reflexively called forth a shield but the spell he cast was not one of the body such as fire or lightning, but one of the mind instead." She said. For my part at this disclosure I kept my eyes focused forward on the drive so not to inadvertently give away any expression at this revelation. "I was overwhelmed with fear and despair, the same feelings I had felt in the burning ruins of my family home washed over me once more and I cried out in grief before collapsing to near unconsciousness."
"I felt Justin pick me up and carry me back up the stairs to my room. I was reviled by his touch but I was so filled with panic that I was nearly comatose and unable to form a coherent thought to resist."
"I heard Harry come to his door as we passed and ask if everything was alright. Harry always cared and I could hear concern in his voice for me. But Justin ordered him back to bed for we had school tomorrow. He told Harry I was merely sick and would likely be staying home but that he would have me up and around like my old self by the time school was over."
"That night, and into the next day, Justin cast his black magic spells and made me his thrall." Elaine said and then opened her eyes to stare at me. "Would you accept that this event has taken place and spare me the explanation to you of the horrors of having your mind taken over and dominated, no not just dominated but raped by another?" She asked me. "I would not want you to suffer the dreams from hearing such things that I have had to live with after experiencing them."
I thought of her words and knew that this is what I had in essence done to my two friends to cure them from using drugs. I had been so sure that what I was doing had been correct, that I was using the power that God had graced me with to save not only their lives, but the life of their baby as well. Now here I was hearing that what I had thought was a good action Elaine was choosing to call nothing short of rape. The idea that I had done something so vile like that to ones I had considered friends struck home in my soul and I merely nodded to her request not trusting myself to speak.
"Thank you for that Molly." She whispered obviously pleased to keep those personal demons still locked away. Little did she realize that I had now released my own.
"By the time Harry arrived home I was completely Justin's creature, though he directed me to act like all was normal and not to speak of any of last night's events to Harry." She went on with her story. "Though I fought against it the spell was too strong and two weeks later when Justin decided it was time to do the same thing to Harry I was right there as his unwilling accomplice, casting the spell of binding on my love while Justin prepared for the domination of his body and mind as well."
"But Harry knew my spells just as strongly as his own and therefore knew the weakness in the binding I had cast upon him. He used this and escaped, fleeing first from the two of us he thought had cared for him. Justin sent a demon after the boy. Somehow Harry defeated it, or in truth broke its binding which the magical backlash drained Justin severely. Because of this the spells Justin ahd cast upon me began to weaken." Elaine said with undisguised pride in Harry's actions. "And instead of fleeing, Harry returned while Justin was weakened and did battle with him."
"In the midst of the fight one of Harry's spells tossed both Justin and I across the room." She continued. "I happened to land upon an antique Edison lamp and the resident battery-like charge still in it snapped away the rest of the binding spell still upon me. I realized instantly that electricity, the controlled version of Abagalesidhe's lightning, had freed me from Justin. That was no accident."
"As the two continued their magical war I fled, afraid to face the master from whom I'd escaped or the lover whom I betrayed." She said.
"It was raining once more, likely fate or the Handmaiden of Summer choosing as a final proof or so it seemed. I stumbled my way to the creek where the small island remained, its grass blackened by the bolts of lighting and Abagale's presence. I kneeled down on the charred wet grass and looked up into the heavens at the lightning dancing in the clouds."
"'Abagalesidhe I accept your bargain.' I cried out into the storm as the clouds opened up their full fury upon me." Elaine now had tears streaming down her face as I pulled up at our destination. "And in an instant my body went from feeling the cold shivering rain to being warm and dry and I opened my eyes to find myself in Summer Court."
"'Your bargain was accepted Elaine Mallory.' Though Abagalesidhe stood before me the voice that spoke came from Queen Tatania who sat to the side upon her golden throne. 'You are hereby made a ward of the Summer Court and placed under our protection in exchange for your three promised services to my handmaiden and of course the one service now owed to me in saving your life this night.' She informed me. I merely bowed, knowing then that I had traded one master for another."
Elaine turned to look at me. "That is the story. I repaid the Queen's price in helping Harry defeat Aurora but I have not yet settled my debt to Abagale. She has called me forth to do so and says that a mortal agent is required for this task. I can only assume that Mab came to the same conclusion or desires to keep the balance and so selected Harry. That is truly all I know at this time." She looked toward me and I could tell she was speaking the truth.
"Well that is good timing because we are here." I said opening my car door and getting out without having to tell her to do the same. In truth the shock of the rape like feeling was still playing with my conscience so I wanted to move on quickly and not focus upon this.
"A technology museum?" Elaine asked obviously confused at our destination.
"Yes, they have a display on the second level called the Faerie Castle." I said. "This spring I got the sense that it could be a crossing point to the Nevernever. I guess now is the time to prove me right." I headed around to the back and hoped the museum's security had not installed new locks or alarms since I had fizzled out the old ones.
"Wait a minute." Elaine called to me and stopped staring wide eyed at the building. "I get a sense of great power here, something lingering. Something really powerful and magical happened here and it left the surrounding area almost scarred."
"Yeah that would probably be the million or so souls I free last spring." I said starting to walk again like everything was normal but feeling her sense of total shock at my declaration. "Yeah that or what is left of the pagan goddess I banished." I turned and gave her a wink that said all too clearly I was not kidding. In my own mind I just hoped this perky little kitty had not used up all her nine lives just yet!