Chapter 1
This was written many years ago when I was only 19 or possibly early 20s and I am re-posting in chapters. I corrected several mistakes that I missed the last time I reread it. I have not reread it in probably 10 years. Please review! Absolutely no flames!
Phyllis Gains walked into one of the better hotels in Paris to register. She had been saving up for this vacation for the last few years and finally she was here in one of the most romantic cities in the world.
The lobby was a sight to see. The carpet was a deep blue and so thick that you couldn't hear your footsteps. The walls were painted white with a flower border. On the ceiling where several crystal and brass chandeliers and over on one side of the lobby was a sitting area with what looked like comfortable chairs that were practically begging to be sat and relaxed in. Phyllis walked up the reregistration desk and waited until the clerk noticed her.
"May I help you ma'am?" asked the desk clerk.
"Reservation for Phyllis Gains?"
"Yes, ma'am," said the clerk politely after a moment of checking his computer. He immediately rang for a bellhop. "If you'll follow the bellhop ma'am he'll show you to your room."
"Thank you," said Phyllis.
The Bellhop almost immediately appeared and politely took Phyllis's bags, "If you'll follow me ma'am?"
As Phyllis was walking across the lobby she noticed a handsome man sitting all by himself, pretending to read the paper. She noticed however that he kept giving covert glances in her direction. Phyllis blushed and hurriedly followed the bellhop to the elevator.
~~~The Forgotten Children~~~
Later that same day Phyllis came down to the hotel restaurant to get herself some dinner when she saw the same man again this time sitting eating dinner in the hotel restaurant. He was handsome, she admitted to herself.
The waiter seated her and she ordered a glass of white wine to go with dinner.
"Is this seat taken?" asked a strange voice just as her dinner came.
Phyllis looked up to see the same man she had seen earlier standing in front of her.
"Why no," said Phyllis, somewhat cautiously. For all she knew the man could be a murderer or a rapist or something.
"Let me introduce myself," said the man, who had green eyes, so green in fact that they seemed to shine with an almost emerald fire, but also with flecks of gold. "My name is Ilan Bryant."
"And I'm Phyllis—Phyllis Gains."
"It's a pleasure Phyllis," said Ilan.
"The pleasure is mine sir," said Phyllis, sincerely.
They shook hands and Ilan sat down and they began to talk as if they had known each other all their lives and not just a few minutes.
They then talked long into the night and when the restaurant finally closed at eleven they moved to Ilan's room and kept talking until they both finally could stay awake no longer and Ilan escorted her back to her room kissing her hand like a true gentleman and left her there until morning.
~~~The Forgotten Children~~~
2 years later
"You come back here you little brat," Phyllis yelled as Howie ran as fast as his short legs would carry him. Alyc came out of his room at Phyllis's yelling and Howie immediately ran behind him—cowering. Alyc on the other hand stood his ground as Phyllis came towards him. He could hear his youngest brother weeping behind him for he was scared of his stepmother. So were they all Alyc admitted to himself.
Ilan Bryant and Phyllis Gains had gotten married after no more than a six-month courtship. The marriage had been a mistake from the start. Alyc could kind of understand, even as young as he was at the time, why his father had done so. His father had just lost his previous wife—all the children's mother—due to Howie's birth and he was still grieving when he and Phyllis Gains had met. If only his father hadn't rushed into anything, but unfortunately, what was done was done. There was no turning back now and Alyc and Aryc did the best they could to protect all the younger children even if it meant coming up with bruises meant for the others.
"Move out of my way or you'll be next," Phyllis warned.
"Not on your life," said Alyc. "Howie is only two and a half it's not like he knows any better."
"Well, he'll soon learn—" Phyllis began.
"How? By beating him to a pulp every time he does something that is wrong in your eyes and no one else's? If you had your way he wouldn't live to see three, much less adulthood."
"Why you little brat—" started Phyllis getting no further as they both heard the front door open.
"Phyllis I'm home," called a voice.
"We'll settle this later," Phyllis told him her tone menacing.
"You can count on it," Alyc muttered under his breath as he led Howie to his room. Howie had stopped crying at his point and was barely sniffling. "Come on Howie," said Alyc. "I'll read you a book or something okay?"
"Okay," said Howie, instantly seeming to cheer up. Alyc was just glad that one of them could be cheered up so easily. Howie was really too young to understand the kind of danger he had been in and it was his and his twin brother's job to protect all the younger children for they were the oldest.
Alyc sat Howie down and read to him and before he was halfway through his little brother was fast asleep. "Good night little brother," said Alyc softly. "I love you."
~~~The Forgotten Children~~~
3 years later
Aryc waited as patiently as possible until his stepmother was knocked out from the drink she had been consuming. He and his identical twin brother Alyc had decided one of them should sneak out and go for help. Alyc and him; were the oldest of seven children the youngest two being his stepsiblings. Ever since their real mother had died everything had begun to go straight downhill from there. It had been a boy, an especially big baby whom his parents had named Howard or Howie for short just a few short hours before his mother's death. Dad had gotten remarried within six months of the funeral and things had gone from bad to worse almost before the ink was dry on the marriage license. Phyllis the stepmother was always drunk and beat them black and blue even the baby. Dad had never noticed or had refused to notice and had accepted his wife's explanation of he fell or he crawled into a cabinet. Aryc had discussed it with his twin and it was decided he would go for help and Alyc would stay and cover his absence as long as possible. Hopefully he would be back by morning so no one would notice his absence.
Both boys hugged their red-blond hair shining in the light coming from the moon.
"Ready to go?" asked Alyc quietly so as not to wake his siblings or his stepmother. He stared into his brothers hazel eyes the twin of his own. He saw determination there and resolve. Alyc nodded quickly and released his brother.
"Yes," answered Aryc, just as quietly.
"All right; be careful and I'll make sure your absence isn't noticed for as long as possible," said Alyc.
"And when it is you'll probably get bruises to match the ones you already have," said Aryc grimly. They hugged tightly each wanting to believe it would turn out all right in the end.
"Go! Before you or I lose our nerve," Alyc urged tears in his ears. He wiped them away hastily and gestured for his twin to go.
Aryc nodded tears also running down his cheeks and silently climbed through the window Alyc shutting it behind him.
~~~The Forgotten Children~~~
At about the same time as Aryc went looking for help Eric and Hosea were in Elfhame Misthold trying to do as the book on elves and humans reproducing together said. That in order for a human to have a child with a Sidhe by lawful means it took the power of two Bards to channel the power of Underhill to the mortal partner. Less than a month ago, Eric had declared Hosea's training complete after more than a year of learning.
Eric had also informed Kory and Beth that Hosea was ready and Beth and hugged him and kissed him after hearing that piece of news and Kory had slapped him on the back and also given him a hug. Eric had already set it up with Hosea beforehand.
"You ready?" Eric asked Hosea.
"As ready as I'll ever be," said Hosea a tad nervously
"Don't be nervous," said Eric. "I've trained you well and you know this stuff."
"But if it doesn't work?" asked Hosea.
"It should," said Eric, "If the book is right."
"All right," Hosea sighed. "I just don't want to disappoint you or them."
"You could never disappoint me Hosea not when we're both trying."
"Let's do it then," said Hosea.
"You guys ready?" asked Beth, coming to were Eric and Hosea were talking.
"Yes," said Eric and Hosea at the same time.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Eric heard Hosea mutter under his breath.
Eric gestured for Kory and a few other Sidhe to stand back and when the observers were at a safe distance Eric and Hosea began to play. Hosea on his banjo Eric on his air flute for his other flute had been destroyed doing his adventure against Aerune the mad elf less than two years ago and he had never bothered to buy another one. All this time they were playing they concentrated on making the magic of Underhill flow towards and surround Beth.
Finally, they brought the music to an end and when they finally looked at Beth, she seemed to be practically glowing with an energy nimbus.
Kory immediately stepped forward and took Beth's arm. "You okay?" he asked her.
"Fine," Beth assured him. "I feel as if I just stuck my hand in an electrical socket, but I'm fine."
"That feeling will fade," said Eric. "Once the magic surrounding you begins to lessen in strength."
"I know," said Beth.
"Well, you two better get going," said Eric. "I have no idea how long this will last. Just tell me how it goes, okay?"
"We will," Kory assured him. "If this works we'll owe both of you a debt we can never repay."
"Aw shucks," said Hosea, blushing. "You don't owe me, nothing. I was glad to do and I'm sure Eric feels the same."
Eric nodded and then he and Hosea watched as Kory and Beth headed towards there place to make good on the promise.
~~~The Forgotten Children~~~
At about the same time as Eric and Hosea were in Elfhame Misthold Keighvin Silverhair and Tannim the human mage sat in a restaurant in Savannah. It was one of the ones that catered to the Fairgrove crowd and a little oddity was expected.
"It was nice of you to treat me to dinner Kevin," said Tannim.
"It was my pleasure. If somebody didn't look after you your cholesterol level would be sky high," Kevin jibed.
"Very true," said Tannim not taking offense. "I tend to eat on the go which means fast food a lot. It gives me energy."
Before Kevin could reply he was out of his chair. "A child's in trouble," he whispered urgently. "I can hear him screaming as if in fear for his life."
Tannim nodded and followed not bothering to argue. Elves had extremely good hearing and could hear a lot of things human hearing couldn't. If Kevin said a child was in danger then it was so. The Seleighe as a whole couldn't stand to see a child in an abusive situation because they could have such few children of their own.
Kevin was out the door first Tannim close behind. People stared at them as they rushed out the door wondering where they were going in such a hurry.
Kevin led the way and they were at the end of the block and turning in the alley where they saw at least five older boys attacking another boy no more than ten or eleven. The alley was a dead end so he couldn't even run.
Kevin instantly transformed from his Fairgrove clothes to that of a Sidhe warrior, golden armor, glowing sword, pointed ears and cat slitted eyes all in an instant. The gang didn't notice him at first they were so busy tormenting someone smaller, then themselves. But then Kevin stepped out of the shadows and into view and the look in his eyes made even Tannim shiver and he was on the elf's side.
"How dare you pick on a child who is weaker then you and cannot defend himself. Have you no shame?" Kevin said his voice booming through the alley like thunder.
"This is none of your business old man so we'll allow you to leave," said the leader with false bravado.
Kevin didn't respond at first and when he did speak his voice practically shook with fury and his eyes glowed, an emerald, green. "You made it my business when you attacked an innocent child."
The leader a white man with dirty long blond hair backed away and Kevin attacked with Tannim right behind magic at the ready. Kevin attacked and within a handful of minutes they were all on the ground unconscious with only a minimum of help from Tannim.
At the end of the alley a very frightened ten-year old boy shivered against the brick wall that made up the dead end. He had been saved but by who? Were they enemies, friends or neutral?
Not neutral, Aryc decided. Because they would not have gone to the trouble of saving him and would have just passed by and not gotten involved. But enemies they could be and had saved him for their own evil ends. But that man with the glowing green eyes that were slitted like a cats and pointed ears had saved him. Whatever he was—it definitely wasn't human. Not with eyes glowing like green fire, golden armor and glowing sword not to mention the pointed ears.
"Are you all right lad?" inquired a kind gentle voice in concern. The boy was still frightened and with good reason, Kevin thought. He had no idea if he was friend or foe. "I'm a friend," said Kevin soothingly while helping the boy to his feet. "My name is Kevin what's yours?"
"Aryc," said the boy timidly.
"Well; Aryc why don't you come with us and explain what you're doing out here this late without your parents."
"And we can take you home," Tannim added coming forward.
"I don't want to go home," Aryc protested. "At least not until I do what I came for."
"You hungry lad?" asked Kevin changing the subject for a minute.
Aryc shook his head and his stomach growled as if to make his no a lie.
Kevin laughed and gently led him out of the dead end alley. "We can at least get you something to eat lad before you tell us what you were doing out here at this late hour."
~~~The Forgotten Children~~~