An Ordinary Fairy (23 page)

“I think I’m going to puke,” she said, and made a dash for the bathroom. Noah crowded into the tiny room and offered comfort as violent heaves racked her body. When the convulsions subsided, she sat on the floor and leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.

Noah tenderly wiped her mouth with a cold cloth, rinsed it and held it to her forehead. “Let’s get you back to the sofa, sweetheart,” he said. She nodded feebly. Noah helped her stand and then guided her by an elbow lest she fall, and settled her on the sofa with the cloth on her forehead.

“That was awful,” she said. “Thank you.” She found his hand and squeezed it.

Noah smiled. “What are fairy friends for?” he said. She smiled a weak imitation of her usual cheery look. “Now you need fluids for sure so you don’t dehydrate, but tea might not be good. I’ll get you some water.”

Willow tossed and turned for the next hour, unable to get comfortable. Noah sat in the easy chair across the room and watched her. He rose often to check her temperature or rearrange the covers.

Noah hated caring for a sick loved one. He cleaned up after them and did whatever they needed but he loathed seeing them suffer.

Care of sick fairies isn’t on my resume. And I’m sure the
Handy Home Medical Adviser
doesn’t cover this.

Willow vomited twice more during the afternoon, though little remained to come up. The last time she heaved on hands and knees next to the sofa. Noah held her tight while her entire body convulsed. She slept better then and he hoped she was improving, but soon she appeared flushed and when he felt her forehead, she was much warmer. She complained of being cold.

“Sweetheart, have you ever had a fever before?” he asked.

“Yes, once or twice, a long time ago.”

“You don’t have a thermometer, I bet.”

“No, my normal temperature is off scale.”

Noah kept a cold cloth on her head. Her nausea subsided but the fever worsened. She would feel hot for a time, and throw off all the covers, then in a short time she would be huddled under the blanket shivering.

The afternoon wore on forever. Willow’s temperature continued to rise. She became woozy and slow to respond.

I can’t feel your emotions. It’s as if you’re not there.

He caressed her face to waken her. “Willow, I think we need to get you to an emergency room,” he said.

Willow shook her head. “No,” she said, without opening her eyes. “I can’t. The first thing they’ll want to do is take off my clothes.”

Good point.

“What am I supposed to do if you start convulsing?” he asked, but sleep had taken her. Noah paced. She probably didn’t have any aspirin, couldn’t keep it down if she did. Willow mentioned fairy physicists, so there must be fairy doctors, but where? He sat on the sofa arm, looking at Willow.

What’s more important, your mystery or your life?

Maybe Rowan could help. He moved to Willow’s desk, powered up her laptop and located her email software. He returned to the sofa with a pencil and slip of paper. “Willow? Can you tell me your email password? I’ll email Rowan to see if she knows any remedies.” Willow woke enough to give him not one but three passwords and then dozed off again.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Subject: Willow is ill

Rowan, this isn’t Willow, it’s Noah. I need your help. Willow’s come down with something. She’s been vomiting and achy and now has a high fever that keeps going up. What should I do? Is there a doctor anywhere near here? I mean one that knows about fairies.

Thanks, Noah

Noah clicked send, and made sure the laptop volume was at full.

Hurry, Rowan.

Two emails arrived during the next hour, neither from Rowan. The sky darkened outside; Noah turned on the lamps to see Willow better. Her flushed skin continued to feel hotter. He went into the poolroom, flipped on the light and dipped his hand into the pool.

Cold. Might as well be colder.

He opened the little sluice gate as far as it would go. The water gushed down the troughs. Satisfied that the water coming in was cooling the pool, he returned to the sofa and knelt. He gently caressed Willow’s flushed face, pulled the blanket off, and dropped it on the floor. She stirred and rolled onto her back but didn’t wake. Noah touched her face again.

“Willow, sweetheart, wake up.” Her dull eyes fluttered open. “We need to cool you down. I want you to get in the pool.” Willow nodded but closed her eyes again. No way would she be able to walk to the pool.

No problem
.

Without hesitation, he loosened the belt on her robe and opened it to expose her naked little frame. The bright pink of fever colored her skin. He put his arm beneath her and lifted her to a sitting position. Her wings flopped behind her as he slid the robe off.

“Sweetheart, put your arms around my neck,” he instructed. He slid an arm under her knees. “Okay, hang on tight.” Carefully Noah stood up, her weight feeling like no more than a child’s would. Heat radiated from her body, yet she shivered in his arms. He carried her into the poolroom and knelt by the pool.

“Willow, I’m going to put you in the pool now.”

She woke a little and raised her head. “That sounds nice.”

You won’t think so in a minute.

He leaned over the pool and lowered her in backside first. As soon as she touched the cold water, she woke and gasped.

“Noah!” she howled. Noah released her legs and she dropped into the water to the accompaniment of profanity and much gasping. “Noah, it’s so cold!”

“I know, sweetheart, but we’ve got to cool you down.”

Willow began to cry. She curled up in a ball in the water and shivered. Noah sat by the pool and stroked her hair. “I’m sorry.” He sat and watched her, murmuring encouragement.

“Willow, I need to go in the other room. Will you be okay for a minute?” She nodded without looking up.

Noah grabbed a stack of towels and ran to the sofa, where he made a soft, absorbent pad. Next, he went upstairs to Willow’s bedroom, almost bumped his head on the low ceiling, and searched out a clean sheet, rifling through drawers of underwear and clothes to find one. In under a minute he was back in the poolroom. Willow looked up at him with a mournful expression. Her teeth chattered as she spoke.

“C-can I g-get out n-now?”

Noah knelt and laid a hand on her forehead. She felt cooler.

I may not get you into the pool again.

He cupped her cheek in his hand. “Stay a little longer.”

Willow closed her eyes and bowed her head.

Noah stayed by her side, whispering encouragement another five minutes.

“Okay, let’s get you out. Turn your back to me.”

Willow complied and he put his hands under her arms and lifted her to sitting position on the pool edge. She swung her legs out and he picked her up. She shook uncontrollably. He carried her to the sofa, laid her on the towels and spread the sheet over her wet skin.

“T-Thank you, N-Noah,” she stammered out.

Noah moved to the easy chair. Willow continued to toss and turn.

Several minutes later the laptop beeped as mail arrived.

Damn! Still nothing from Rowan.

She’s looking flushed again.

He paced the room, contemplating what could be wrong, what he should do, what might happen. He had an acquaintance back home who was a Wicca healer, but he didn’t know how to get in touch with her. Healing spells were not familiar to him.

Willow stirred and murmured in her sleep. Noah sat on the edge of the sofa. He used a washcloth to wipe her face. She opened her eyes for a moment.

“Guess next time I’ll watch what I say to people,” she said. “This karma’s a bitch.”

Noah smiled. “I think you have enough good stuff stored up to counter a few insults.” Willow closed her eyes and drifted off again. Noah sat for a time on the sofa and studied her perfect little features and silky skin. His throat tightened and his eyes burned. He rose from the sofa and walked toward the easy chair. Halfway across the room he stopped.

What if that’s it? Not karma, exactly, but what if Chester Jones did this?

Legends spoke of such things and even in his limited experience in Wicca, he had heard stories but had dismissed them. The leap from an amulet on the front door to casting illness spells was a long one.

Of course, fairies’ being real was a stretch a week ago.

Noah didn’t analyze for long. He roused Willow.

“Sweetheart, I need to leave for a few minutes,” he told her. “I have to get some things. Will you be okay? I’ll be back in half an hour.” She nodded her assent and went back to sleep or unconsciousness; he no longer knew which.

Noah grabbed his jacket and the door key and went out. He shut and locked the door and took off at a run to the truck. This was another reason to tell Willow why he liked to turn the truck around when he arrived.

Noah squealed the tires as he pulled up outside The Broom Closet, in time to see the shop owner locking the door to depart. He leaped out of the truck.

“Sir?” he called. “Are you closed?”

The man wore a black tee shirt and jeans, with long hair and beard, and a few piercings but had a pleasant, friendly face.

“Yep, you just missed me,” he said. Noah’s distress must have been apparent. “What you need? I can always reopen.”

“I have a friend who’s ill or hexed, I’m not sure which,” Noah said.

The shopkeeper grunted, opened the door and led Noah in, flipping on the light as he passed the door. The shop was small and untidy, but clean. More magic paraphernalia crammed the shelves than Noah knew existed.

“So what’s wrong with your friend?” the shopkeeper asked as he walked over to a bookcase.

“Vomiting, chills and high fever. Plus aches and she’s delirious.”

“Let’s see,” the shopkeeper said as he perused his books. “Do you have a spell book?”

“A small one, but it doesn’t cover anything like this.”

“Alright, you’ll need this.” He pulled a purple book from the display shelf and flipped through it. “Here we go. ‘Spell to Break Another’s Spell’” he read aloud, and scanned it while Noah peered over his shoulder. “This will do the same as a healing, too, if it’s not a hex. Do you have any equipment?”

“I’ve got all the standard ritual things, athame, incense, candles, and a pentacle.”

“Good. Only other things you need are some ivy and a black candle.”

The man walked behind the counter, reached up to a high shelf and pulled down a cardboard box. From this, he produced a small black taper. “Here’s a candle,” he said. “It’s a two hour one, should work fine. Be sure you let it burn completely and go out on its own. I don’t have any ivy. And acorns, you should get some acorns.”

“I know where to get some,” Noah said. The east side of the Big House foundation was covered in ivy and the woods were littered with acorns.

“Good, you’re all set. The acorns are for protection after you’ve stopped the hex.”

Noah pulled out his wallet and found he had no cash.

“I don’t have any money. Do you take credit cards?”

The man waved him off. “Not after the computer’s shut off. Just come by some time and pay me. You need to get back to your friend.”

“Thank you. Thank you very much.” Noah extended a hand and gave the man a firm handshake. “Blessed be.”

“Blessed be, and good luck.”

Noah was breathless when he arrived at the cottage, having run through the darkness from the truck to the Big House and then to the cottage. He had ripped ivy from the foundation of the Big House and stuffed it in his pockets with acorns he had gathered near the truck. Willow was asleep. Shadow didn’t move from his guard position but wagged his tail when Noah entered. He stripped off his coat and shoes and put all the supplies on the floor. Willow roused with some difficulty, and then closed her eyes again. She felt hot to his touch.

Time to work some magic.

Noah opened his traveling ritual kit and arranged the contents in a large circle on the floor. He placed colored candles on the outer margin: yellow to the east, red to the south, blue to the west, and green to the north. Two larger candles, one red and one green, sat near the center. An incense burner sat to their east, a small red candle to the south, a tiny bowl of water on the west, and another bowl filled with salt to the north. A pewter pentacle sat to the left of the big candles; to their right a miniature cauldron with a layer of sand in the bottom. In the latter, he placed the black candle.

Noah went to the kitchen, found a large bowl and filled it half full with spring water and set it near the center candles. In this, he placed the ivy sprigs. The pocketful of acorns he placed in a small bowl next to the ivy, after carefully counting out thirteen.