Chapter 19
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Danielle's researches on the Norn had turned into an obsession. So much so that the clubhouse had turned into a war zone. She was determined to take Dyson's love back from the Norn but first, she needed to learn more about them. In Norse mythology they were deities known to shape the course of human destinies. And they were three. Such as the Fates in Greek and Roman mythology.
In the Fae world, the Norn did not shape human destinies. She would grant one's greatest desire in exchange of a high price. One's Fae powers, for instance or one's passion. Those Fae were always connected to a Sacred Tree. They could not exist without it. Creatures who enjoyed tricking people. Cruel beings, in Danielle's opinion, who took joy in others' anguish.
Danielle was reading all the books she could find on the Norn. Taking notes on everything. She even convinced Trick to lend her some of his books. He had but not without warning her. The Norn was not to be taken lightly. She was powerful and dangerous. Danielle must tread carefully.
"What hell is going on?" Dani rushed into the living room after hearing Kenzi screaming. "What happened?"
"Kenzi got TKOd by a broom." Bo said as she picked up the empty pizza boxes.
"Oh!" Dani breathed out. "What the hell happened here?"
"Oh, I don't know—maybe someone is a little too obsessed about the Norn." Kenzi retorted.
"I'm not obsessed." Dani retorted as she started to pick up the clothes on the floor. "I'm just trying to find answers. And didn't you say that I shouldn't give up so easily?"
"Yes, it's true but you've been locked up in your room for the last two weeks." Kenzi reminded her.
"No, I haven't." Dani looked between Bo and Kenzi. "It hasn't been two weeks."
"It has." Bo moved closer. "Dan, I think you need to step away from the books for a little while."
"But I can't do that." Danielle said as she moved to pick more things off of the floor. "Dyson said he's moved on but it's easy for him. He's not feeling anything for me anymore but I still do. And I can't just let it go." She paused and looked around. "This place is disgusting."
"Are we getting Le neat freak back?" Kenzi asked her.
"I'll step away from the books." Dani nodded.
And she had for a few hours. Scrubbing and sweeping. Washing the dishes, throwing away the trash. And yet, the clubhouse didn't get any cleaner. It looked like she would need more than a few hours to clean the place. Especially without Bo's or Kenzi's help, it would take longer to clean. Not that she minded. Bo was right. She needed to step away from the books. Maybe while cleaning Danielle would also have a clearer mind. Maybe, with what she already knew about the Norn, she could find ways to take back Dyson's love from her.
A sharp pain in her chest put a stop to her train of thoughts and to the binge cleaning. Those pains were still a mystery to her. Lauren had advised her to seek out Trick's help but Danielle had not. She was afraid of the answers she may found.
"Thank you." Dani smiled as Gail handed her a cup of tea.
"So, tell me, Child—what is troubling you?" Gail sat across her.
"You know what's troubling me." Dani snorted.
"Dyson and his deal with the Norn." Gail reached across the table to hold her hand. "It's hard, I know but you have to move on."
"Easier said than done." Dani let out a deep breath. "You know since that night—since Dyson gave away his love, I have been feeling this—this constant pain—this emptiness." Dani started to rub her chest. "It comes and goes. It's numb and yet painful—Empty but heavy—it's like Dyson did more than just give his love away—it's like the Norn did more than taking his love."
"What do you mean?" Gail asked confused.
"Like she took something from me too." Dani tried to explain. "As though she severed a bond."
Gail pulled away. Quiet at first, it looked as though many thoughts were swirling through her mind all at once. And after a few seconds, she finally said; "This is impossible."
"Gail?" Dani called frowning. "What's impossible?"
"Well, not really impossible, I mean Dyson is a shifter." Gail continued. "A wolf shifter. And wolves are known to mate for life."
"Gail, slow down!" Danielle stopped her rambling. "I know about wolves mating for life. But that's only on Dyson's part. It would not explain the way I feel right now. Apart from the heartbreak, I mean."
"Oh, Danielle, Hellhounds and Wolves aren't that dissimilar." Gail told her.
"But I never mentioned anything about mating for life." Danielle stood up. "I did say I would have him as long as he would have me, which was very short lived. Nowhere, in that promise, did I mention mating for life?" Danielle started pacing up and down the kitchen. "And I am a Banshee, and we don't do the mating thing. I don't think so?" She turned to Gail.
"No Banshees don't mate. But Hellhounds sometimes do." Gail pulled her back to her chair. "And you're part Hellhound."
"So, I mated with Dyson?" Danielle looked dejected. "For life?"
"I'm afraid, yes."
"Great." Danielle let out a deep breath. "Did Dad mate with someone?" Gail shook her head no. "Have you?"
"What do you think?" Gail smirked.
"I thought you and Ellie were just having fun together." Danielle smiled.
"We are but we mated almost fifty years ago." Gail replied. "Wait! You've known each other that long?"
"Yes." Gail laughed. "We just recently reconnected."
"Recently? It's been years."
"We are Fae, Danielle. Time moves differently for us." Gail reminded her.
"But you're light and she's dark. How is that even possible?"
"You're unaligned and Dyson is light." Gail leaned over. "A mating bond was formed because we chose to. It's in our very nature and the clans we belong to cannot stand in the way of that bond." Gail explained. "It makes it difficult but not impossible."
"Why did you never tell me about you and Ellie?" Danielle asked her. "I mean, I love Ellie and I always wanted you to be happy. So, why keep it a secret?"
"Although, our clans do not stand in the way of our bond, we still have to abide by the rules." Gail explained. "Yes, we mated but we can't really spend our lives together. So, it was better for you and for us to keep it a secret."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Gail took her hand. "My little hound, that emptiness and that numbness you feel, is all his. And that pain and the heaviness you feel, is yours. You're grieving the loss of the bond and the loss of his heart."
"Exactly what I needed." Danielle exhaled.
"I'm sorry, sweetie." Gail kissed her knuckle.
"Oh, well, it's the story of my life." Danielle shrugged.
"What are you going to do now?" Gail asked her.
"Nothing." Dani's eyes started to well up with tears. She leaned over. "This remains between us. No one must know."
"But Dani—"
"No!" Danielle protested strongly. "Dyson made a deal that cannot be broken. A deal stronger than a mating bond. So, there's no reason to mention it. The bond is gone."
Danielle knew it was the right decision. She knew that revealing it to anyone now would only make it hurt more. This was her burden to bear. What was done could not be undone.
"Hey, Kenz!" Dani walked back into the clubhouse.
"So, how's Gail doing?" Kenzi asked from the couch.
"Same old, same old." Dani then frowned. "Did you actually started to clean the place?"
"Oh, no!" Kenzi shook her head. She stood from the couch and pulled Dani to the couch. "This was all Mumphert!"
And a short and bald man, wearing a bow tie came into view. "A mug of hot cocoa?" He offered.
"Yes, thank you." Dani smiled at him awkwardly. "Care to expain?" She then turned to Kenzi.
"He is our new Brownie!"
"Oh, I get it now." Dani nodded. She took a sip from her hot cocoa. "This is delicious."
"I know, right?" Kenzi grinned at her. "Hi, Bo-Bo!" The Succubus had stepped into the clubhouse looking tired. "Have fun playing doctor?"
"Six hours swabbing vents, five vermin samples captured—" She plopped down on the couch. "Two busted eardrums—And we still don't lhave one clue in a Fae tree what caused this 'mad human' disease. Science is exhausting."
"Yeah, but how'd it go bow-chika-wow-wow?" Kenzi asked her.
"Kenzi, please, it's strictly professional."
"Sure! Totally professional." Dani quipped.
Bo chuckled. "And might I add how yummy Lauren is when she's being professional?"
"Mug of hot cocoa to take the edge off?" Mumphert offered a mug to Bo.
"Go ahead." Kenzi encouraged her. Dani smiled encouragingly at Bo.
Bo timidly took the mug offered by Mumphert. "And let's just slide those footsy-wootsies right into Cozyville!"
"Guess what I brought home!" Kenzi exclaimed.
"Um, confusion and chocolate-dispensing terror?" Bo retorted.
"Bo, this is Mumphert." Kenzi introduced the Fae to Bo. "He is our new Brownie!"
"You won't even notice I'm here." Mumphert disappeared into the kitchen to do some more cleaning.
"Uh, Kenzi—?"
"He is our new live-in help!" Kenzi said quickly. "Trick said he's perfectly safe! I swear on my free bar tab."
"Dani, a little help, please?" Bo turned to Danielle.
"Brownies are completely safe." Dani as she stood to follow her friends. "And the Clubhouse does need a good cleaning and Brownies are quite talented in that department."
For the very first time in days, Dani went to bed without opening the books about the Norn. For the very first time, she fell asleep quite quickly. It was almost as though acknowledging the mating bond had lifted a weight off of her chest. It was still numb and painful. It was still empty and heavy. But she felt lighter for it. Although, Danielle should have been sleeping the whole night through, the atmosphere in the Clubhouse had switched suddenly. And Danielle felt it. It wasn't just the atmosphere that had gotten her out of bed. She also heard the growls of something or someone.
Danielle had bumped into Kenzi as she walked out of her room. The latter had her sword in hand. Without a word, the two friends rushed to Bo's bedroom. There, they were met with quite a strange sight. A blonde female, dressed in all black was sitting on top of Bo's chest. Looking as though she was feeding.
"BO!" Kenzi called.
Bo woke up and pushed off her attacker down and out of bed. The woman got up with a maniacal smile on her face and fled the scene, vanishing as she passed through Kenzi and Danielle.
"Skinny-bitch-cooties!" Kenzi breathlessly said.
"Bo?" Danielle turned to the Succubus. "What the hell was that?"
"Whatever it was that drove those humans crazy—I think I just found it."
"I think it followed you here."
As Dani stepped into the living area of the clubhouse, she was not prepared to find it cleaner than the day before.
"We should have gotten a Brownie, ages ago." Kenzi said as Bo and Dani walked into the kitchen. "He ironed everything. Including my tankini."
"Well, how is his barista skills?" Bo asked and Kenzi rushed to pour them both a cup of hot coffee.
Dani took a sip and moaned happily. "This is great coffee."
"Oh, wow." Bo said. "And might I add, thank god."
"Teensy thing—" Kenzi started. "Um, he kinda ate all the Honey Berry Crunch. Is that weird?"
"No, the Brownie eats honey and cereal." Dani shrugged looking at Bo who was struggling with a bottle of pills.
"What?" Bo looked between Dani and Kenzi.
"Not much with the sleeping, uh?" Kenzi chuckled as she pulled the bottle out of Bo's hand.
"Would you be able to sleep with some crazy lady waiting to jump on your chest?" Bo said back.
"What about us? We had to walk in and see it." Kenzi retorted. "She was like five seconds from going reverse cowgirl on you. Anyway, Mumphert says he didn't see any more signs of her all night, so—"
"Yeah, well—every time I dozed off, I got slammed by nightmares." Bo replied. "It's like she's—like she's got her hooks in me."
"Well, maybe how you suck people's faces, she sucks people's brains." Kenzi suggested.
"Or more specifically people's nightmares." Dani nodded.
"Super!" Bo looked between them. "You stay on top of the Honey Berry Crunch situation." Bo said to Kenzi. "I have to go figure out what I brought back from Frank's building and why she's inside my dreams."
"Wait! I'm coming with." Dani pecked Kenzi on the cheek quickly before following Bo.
"Sounds like a Mare." Trick told them once they had told him what happened the night before.
"Well, this filly had only two legs and tried to ride me." Bo replied.
"That's not what he meant." Danielle snorted. "He meant Mare as in nightmare."
"Ah." Bo let out.
"Usually Dark Fae." Trick continued. "Mares give humans bad dreams and feed on the resulting fear."
"Sounds familiar." Danielle commented.
"But I'm not human." Bo remarked.
"True." Trick frowned up. "And Mares usually aren't so toxic. She rendered an entire building insane?"
"Yeah, apparently."
"You should stay awake until we know what we're dealing with." Trick said. "Mares only feed on those who slumber."
Danielle turned to Trick. "About the humans, can the damage be reversed?"
"I.E., can I look through my books?" Trick retorted. "Yes, I can look through my books."
"Thank you, Trick." Bo tiredly smiled at him.
"You go to Lauren." Danielle suggested to Bo. "See, if she has anything to keep you awake."
"What are you going to do?" Bo asked her.
"Research."
"Did I already tell you I love your library?" Dani said as Trick brought her a beer. "Your collection is quite impressive."
"Well, it took years to build it." Trick chuckled. "Speaking of, I hope you'll bring back those books I lent you."
"I bet it did. And yes, I'll bring them back really soon." Dani retorted. "They confirmed what I already knew, anyway." Dani let out a deep breath. "As for the Mare, there is nothing in here on how to keep their preys awake."
"But there's one about undoing the Mare's influence." Trick pushed the book towards her.
"Yes, if we can find one."
"—Now I have gut-rot and I have to pee like a racehorse." Bo moaned, Trick and Dani stood behind the bar. "I really coulda used those pills from Lauren."
"Actually, what you need is a Baku." Trick told her.
"Awesome!" Kenzi cheered. "What's a Baku?"
"It's shy and eats bad dream." Dani answered her.
"And where does Baby get Baku?" Bo asked them.
"Did we mention it's shy?" Trick replied.
"Nervous stomach?" Kenzi said.
"No—" Trick patiently said. "A live Baku eats nightmares. But the pelt of a dead one wards off disease."
"Unfortunately, Baku have been hunted almost to extinction." Dani added. "It's going to be tricky to find one of them."
"Lauren might have a Baku or two in her old medical records." Trick suggested.
"Lachlan came for her." Bo informed them. "He called her chattel. I swear, if he touches her—"
"Bo, I have ears in many places." Trick assured her.
"When you're Fae, you should probably use a different expression." Kenzi interjected.
"Word in the Ash's compound is; Lauren is being treated with respect."
"Yeah, except for the whole owning thing." Bo retorted.
"Lachlan is an unknown quantity." Trick told her. "Tread carefully with him. Play nice, Bo."
Trick walked away, leaving the three girls alone. "Yes, play nice, Bo." Kenzi repeated to the Succubus. Danielle leaned on the bar.
"I'm so tired, Kenzi." Bo whispered.
"DeeDee!" Kenzi called her name.
"Kenzi!" Danielle said as Kenzi burst through the door to her room.
"Danielle, we're having a Brownie crisis." Kenzi sat on the edge of her bed.
"How bad?" Danielle sighed.
"There were socks in my food." Kenzi answered. "My food!"
"Did you get the Honey Berry Crunch?" Danielle asked her.
Kenzi hesitated before saying; "I was going to."
"Kenzi, Brownie don't take money but they're also susceptible. Especially, when they believe they're not appreciated."
"Yeah, Trick might have mentioned something about that."
"I bet he did." Danielle got up from her bed. "Let's get ourselves some Honey Berry Crunch."
They didn't need another Fae crisis on their hands. Bo couldn't go to sleep without being plagued by nightmares while also being fed on. And if, the Succubus' audience with the Ash should fail they also needed to find a Baku.
From what Danielle had read, a Baku was a Japanese creature that found its origin in the Chinese Folklore. They were described as a shy, Chinese mythical chimera with the trunk and tusks of an elephant, the ears of a rhinoceros, the tail of a cow, the body of a bear and the paws of tiger. They were said to ward off pestilence and evil. However, their abilities to eat nightmares came much later. For once, the Humans weren't too far off on the description of this mythical creature.
Unfortunately, without Lauren's help they had no chance to find a Baku.
"Oh, Mumphert!" Kenzi called when they got back home. Danielle was walking behind her, carrying the bag filled with Honey Berry Crunch. Only, the little human would find ways to get this number of cereals in such a short time. "Mumphert!"
"Mumphert!" Danielle called him too. But the two girls stopped calling when Mumphert walked into the room.
Before them, stood a completely changed Mumphert. He was wearing Kenzi's clothes on his bag, and a red wig. "You were gone so long, I thought you'd abandoned everything." Danielle and Kenzi glanced at each other. "And everyone."
"Mumphydoodles—abandon my favorite Brownie?" Kenzi walked up to him and her arms around his shoulders. "Never."
"Some people would take money for what I do. All I ask for is gratitude." Mumphert told her.
"Gratitude!" Kenzi walked back up to Danielle. "I have so much gratitude, I can barely keep it down!"
Danielle put down the bag at Mumphert's feet, and Kenzi opened it. "For me?" Mumphert asked.
"Yeah." Kenzi nodded.
"You didn't need to do this." Mumphert grabbed one of the boxes and started eating.
"Wish that were true." Kenzi grumbled. And then Kenzi started to rub his arms. "Mumpty Dumpty, everything copacetic?"
"It's fantastic."
Danielle sat on the back of the couch watching them. Kenzi had said she had plan that would kill two birds with one stone. So, Danielle remained quiet and observed her human friend and the Brownie interact.
"Good." Kenzi retorted. "Cuz, I don't know if you're up for it yet—Actually, I don't even know if you're capable—"
"No, what?" Danielle's eyebrows went up, who knew Brownie were so eager to show what they were capable of. "Anything, Miss Kenzie. It would be my pleasure."
"Personal shopping request. Fur." Kenzi said.
"Oooh—Mink coat? Fox stole?"
"Actually, I was thinking a Baku?" Danielle frowned up at that.
Mumphert hummed. "Baku pelt. Very rare."
"And I would like it with the Baku—still in it?"
"How did you even come up with this?" Danielle asked Kenzi.
"Our little Mumphy is very gifted when it comes to finding rare items." Kenzi smiled proudly.
"Kenzi, we are talking about a Baku." Danielle reminded her. "This is not retail. You just asked him to find a live Fae."
"DeeDee, you just need to trust the process." Kenzi's phone rang in her pocket. "Hey, slumber butt, where ya been all day?"
"Put it on speaker." Danielle asked her which Kenzi did.
"—I don't know—I don't know if I'm awake or dreaming." Bo said on the other end of the line.
"Oh, honey berry crunch, where are you?"
"I'm at the Crawford. I don't know what's real anymore—"
"Bo, you gotta hang in there—"Danielle started saying when Mumphert walked into the clubhouse followed by a Baku.
"Look what I found!" Mumphert announced proudly.
"You caught one?" Kenzi asked him. "That's amazing!"
"Bo, stay where you are, we're coming. Kenzi got you a Baku."
Kenzi, Danielle and the Baku rushed to the Crawford. When they stepped into the building, Danielle saw the humans lying on the floor, most of them sleeping on the floor, some blabbering incomprehensible gibberish. That Mare was very toxic and it seemed famished.
"Bo!" Kenzi called the Succubus as soon as they arrived to the basement.
Bo was standing in the middle of the hallway, and it seemed as though she was deep into slumber.
"Bo!" Danielle called her name softly. "How do we proceed?"
"Should she hold her head while you unhinged her jaw?" Kenzi continued. The Baku gently pushed Danielle to the side and hugged Bo tightly. "Oh, that's nice."
"I've eaten the scary dreams." The Baku told them. "But your friend is stuck. Someone or something is holding her there."
"Bo! Bo! BO!" Kenzi yelled her name while shaking the Succubus.
"She can't hear you."
"She'll hear me." Danielle leaned closer to Bo's ear. Her eyes turned purple and whispered gently. "Bo, please come back to us."
And as though slowly coming out of a deep and terrible slumber, Bo woke up. "Hi!" Kenzi greeted her as Bo looked at her. "Bo, meet Baku."
Bo hugged the Baku again. "Thank you."
"I want in." Kenzi joined the hug and so did Danielle.
"If you're still hungry—there are plenty of humans in the building." Bo said once they pulled away. "Bet their dreams are pretty bad too."
"Thank you." Danielle thanked the Baku as he left to feed on the humans.
"You're feeling awake and not-cuckoo?" Kenzi asked Bo, Danielle holding her.
"I wish." Bo said sounding exhausted. "I feel like—I feel like the Mare still has a psychic link to—"
Without a word, Bo turned to the door behind them. Kenzi and Danielle as she started to march on to the door. She kicked it open. There, lying on the ground, was a pregnant Mare and next to her, was her husband.
There were a couple of Dark Fae who were feeding on the Light Fae territory. The Mare was pregnant with six babies, and her hunger could not be satisfied. So, they had decided to feed on the Unaligned Fae. Danielle should have gone to this meeting too, but she had passed to clean the clubhouse because she had been obsessed with the Norn and Dyson. She couldn't let that happen again.
"Come on, get in bed." Danielle said to Bo.
"I don't need to be tucked in." Bo climbed into the bed.
"Well, it's my pleasure." Danielle replied. "Also, I kinda feel bad for not having your back. So, this is my way of making up for it."
"You don't have to make up for anything." Bo told her.
"I think I do." Danielle said as a soft knock resonated on the door.
"Got everything you need? Eye mask? Ear plug?" Kenzi asked Bo. "You get as much beauty sleep as you need, pumpkin. I'll be sooo quiet tomorrow. And clean too."
"Oh, I'll make you the best breakfast in town. The coffee won't be as good as Mumphert's but I'll try my best, promise." Danielle pulled the covers over Bo.
"Just keep being you, girls." Bo smiled at them both.
"Sweet dreams." Kenzi said. "The sweetest!"
"Sleep tight, baby." Danielle kissed Bo's forehead.
"Oh, and don't worry, I got this watch." And the Banshee and the Human left the room, leaving Bo to have a well-deserved, and hopefully, dreamless sleep.