Birthrights (19 page)

Jaxon shrugged. "Well, it tastes good and it’s
working because I already feel much better!" 

Caislyn grinned "That’s because I put some ground
cocoa bean in it as well. It helps with flavoring and antioxidants.
It’s my own little twist to my moms' recipe!"

"Really? Cool. I love chocolate. I've always said it
should have its own food group!" Jaxon remarked nonchalantly. Her
brow furrowed, "So tell me, why is it that we get tired and
weakened when we use our powers but the Fey didn't seem like they
were getting weak at all that day at the causeway. They just kept
firing and firing on us. Is it just a witch thing or something?
Because we are more like humans than any other species?"

Caislyn thought for a moment. "The easy answer is,
they were in their element. Water Fae in water and whatnot. They
can pull the energy of the element they are aligned with. It's not
necessarily their energy they are using, they borrow it from the
environment around them. It takes less energy that way. They get
tired too, but if they do things right, they can outlast a witch
every time."

The girls talked on about werewolves, vampires and
other things that go bump in the night. Jaxon was asking questions
and Caislyn answering to the best of her knowledge. It wasn’t until
Jaxon started asking more about the People of the Faerie that
Caislyn gave pause. She stood up and grabbed Jaxon's empty mug to
refill it while she thought about how to explain the Fey to her
friend. "The thing with the Fey is that they are different. They
are immortal in a way. No one knows how long the Fey have actually
been around. They are the most magical of all the supernatural
creatures. The Fey were once worshiped as Gods because they are so
close to immortal and so magical. Think Greek and Roman Mythology
and what you are really hearing are stories of the Faerie
people."

"Wait," Jaxon interjected, "If they are immortal, how
the hell are we supposed to fight them?" 

"They are not immortal in the sense that they can not
die, it's closer to vampires, more like they live forever unless
someone takes their head with hard, cold steel. Remember we need a
demon to create that. That, or another Fey can kill them, but they
seem to have trouble reproducing amongst themselves, so they hold
the full blood Fey in high regard. Some Fey have been allowed to
reproduce with humans to see if the Fey blood would be dominate
enough to sustain an immortal life, as opposed to a human's short
life span. I think it worked a little, but the halflings were a bit
weaker than their full blood kin. They are never allowed to mingle
with those of other non-human beings. I don't know why, just that
it is strictly forbidden and the consequences of those actions
result in death.

"Oh," Jaxon thought for a moment about everything she
had learned and wondered why she knew so little since her parents
were involved with the OTHS. Instead of dwelling on what her
parents didn't tell her, she wanted to learn more about what
Caislyn's parents did. "So, how did you learn about everything? I
mean how did you learn to cast spells and teleport and all the
other cool stuff?"

"First of all, I don't know how to teleport. I did
that by accident, and only when I was with you. Everything else, I
learned from my mom and dad. A lot of what I know was taught to me
downstairs. We have a back room behind the book store where we keep
all our supplies and our indoor ceremonial circle. Come on, I'll
show you."

Jaxon followed Caislyn down the staircase and towards
the back of the store. "This is where I spent my time learning
spells and potions with my mother," Caislyn said as she opened the
French wooden doors to the back room and went to light the gas
lamps on the wall. "This room is void of electricity. All elements
and nature in here, nothing more." Caislyn explained.

Jaxon stepped in and immediately felt a charge of
energy surrounding her. It felt like the air was alive and that it
was exploring her as she was surveying the room. Once beyond the
threshold of the door it no longer seemed like a room. It seemed,
alive. There were trees, the floor was the softest, greenest grass
that Jaxon had ever laid her eyes upon. She slipped out of her
shoes just to run her bare feet through the blades of grass. She
turned to Caislyn in awe, "I have never seen anything like this in
my life. How?" The question hung on the air as Caislyn shut the
door and stayed silent while Jaxon took everything in. Jax noted
the pond in the distance, the ceremonial circle in the middle of
the grass. She took note of the natural cabinets and shelving
created by the tree branches along the walls. "This is amazing, and
way bigger than you have space for." She looked at Caislyn a mix of
puzzlement and wonder painted across her face.

"My dad's magic somehow creates a larger space than
is actually here." Caislyn looked around the vast expanse of the
outdoor room. "I don't know how he did it." A flash of shame
swept through her that was not missed by Jaxon. "I took so much for
granted about them."

"We will find them, Caislyn. We have too. Why else
would all this be happening if it wasn't to prepare us to find your
parents and who took them?" Jaxon turned and placed a hand upon her
friend's arm.

"Oh, hey, I almost forgot. Seth called while you were
trying to burn the house down with your candles. He wants to know
where we're gonna meet and when for the party tonight.”

"So, you think going to this thing with Seth is a
good idea?" Jax waited while Caislyn nodded her head, "uh huh, well
damn. That sucks."

"They always have yummy drinks there!" Caislyn threw
in to try to entice her friend a bit more.

“Well, at least there are perks, fine, you knew I
would go with you anyway.  Now, I just have to figure out
something to wear."

"I've got that covered already." Caislyn said as she
jumped up to head to her room she added, "though, you may not like
it."

***

Raving Lunatics

"I can't believe you let him talk us into going to
this thing." Jaxon squirmed in her way too tight vinyl outfit that
Caislyn convinced her to wear. "I really can't believe you wanted
me to dress like cat woman for a party!"

"Jax, you are at the Summer's End Rave, you can't
exactly wear business suits and fit in!"

Seth gave an appreciative nod towards Jaxon, "It
suits you," he began before being interrupted by Jax.

"Oh, no! You don't get to comment, the peanut gallery
is closed tonight." She readjusted the leggings, all too aware of
just how much Seth was noticing as she bent over to do so. She
didn't really need to adjust anything, but her nervousness had her
fidgeting with everything including the pigtails Caislyn had
insisted on. She straightened up and pulled her left pigtail a
little tighter until she felt certain that it was even with the one
on the other side of her head. She looked up in time to see Seth
quickly looking away, smiling.

Caislyn was too busy searching the crowd for anything
and everything to respond to Jaxon's further complaints about her
outfit. Non-humans had a great sense of humor when it came to
Halloween, so the Summers End Rave was always fun to attend,
'except this year,' Caislyn thought. "Damn, I always liked coming
to these things before, but now it's so hard to tell who is who or
what here."

"What do you mean?" Jaxon said as she finally found
something to take her mind off her outfit. She began looking around
and saw that she was hardly the only person dressed up in
Caislyn-esque outfits. "Shit! How the hell are we supposed to know
who's after us if everyone's wearing costumes?" Jaxon looked more
than a little miffed when Caislyn answered her with an exasperated
sigh.

"Seriously, Jax? Did you live under a rock before you
moved in with me?" Caislyn looked around, "okay, here's what we
do," she looked at Seth, "you can obviously sense other
vampires."

"So can she," he nodded toward Jaxon.

"Oh, here we go again," Jaxon began mumbling, "freak
girl there is able to sense vampires, but she's only a witch, no
she's a vampire, no she's a witch." Jaxon tired herself out while
the other two just stared at her during her outburst. She shrugged
a semi-apology for her tangent and stayed quiet.

"Tried and true, Seth. We know your sense works all
the time. We aren't sure what's going on with Jax." She looked out
at the crowd around them, pulling in the feel of nervous energy
that always accompanied a party where people were trying to conceal
themselves. "I can usually sense Lycans, but I know a spell to help
out with that."

"Not needed, I can smell them," Seth said as he
wrinkled his nose. "They have a strong odor that no amount of
cologne can hide from a Vampire's heightened sense of smell."

"Good, then you have Vamp and Lycan I.D. duty."
Caislyn looked at Jax, "Just be ready to keep your shields up so
that we are protected from any attacks." She breathed in deeply and
let the air back out slowly, clearing her mind. "I will find the
Fey."

Seth looked over at Caislyn, showing a rare moment of
surprise before he gathered himself. 

"What," she questioned? "It's a trick my dad taught
me years ago." Caislyn noted the guarded look on Seth's face, but
figured they had more important things to do than worry about what
was on Seth's agenda - for now! Caislyn went back to her breathing,
closed her eyes and imagined the glamors of all the Fey dissolving
until she saw their true faces. She had to make the attempt several
times before it worked, but then the Fey started to glow amongst
the throngs of darker beings. Fey had an inner glow that showed
through their being, but only to those who could see past their
glamor. Her father had told her that it was a rare talent amongst
non-Fey to be able to glimpse the magic that they possess. She was
able to do it though, because it was a trait her father had passed
on to her. As they began to walk through the crowd she would point
out the Faerie people that seemed to be taking an interest in them.
While trying to maintain her concentration, she missed Seth's
watchful eye scrutinizing what she was doing.

The Summer's End Rave was always held at Fun
Junktion, which was an old human landfill. At some point in time
the bright idea was to turn yesterday's trash heaps into a park for
kids. In the valleys beyond the trash mounds were playgrounds,
skate parks, ponds, and plenty of outdoor space to accommodate all
the non-humans that came to this party. As their group walked
closer to the mounded areas of land, Caislyn felt a tug inside her.
She almost felt as if a part of her were trying to get free. She
decided to follow the instinct and began walking where her body
told her to go. Jaxon and Seth followed, though each gave the other
a questioning look.

"Shit!" Caislyn said, distractedly. "I lost it for a
minute. There's a witch nearby." As she looked around to try to see
who was watching them Caislyn made eye contact with Gregore. "Oh
hell," Caislyn said under her breath.

Seth noticed Gregore coming their way too, "get rid
of him, Caislyn. We need to keep moving, standing still in this
place too long will be a danger to us."

"Cais?" Gregore questioned. "It really is you. Two
raves in such a short time span? Are we getting the old Caislyn
back, finally?"

Caislyn looked at Gregore, her long time friend. He
was beaming down at her from his lofty six foot four frame. He
still had the same dopey grin she used to cherish,and she wished
more than anything that she could be a normal girl at a normal
party and throw her arms around him and run off to play pranks on
the party-goers like they used to. Caislyn wasn't that normal girl
anymore. Since her parents were taken her life was turned upside
down and she didn't have the comfort of Gregore being around her
anymore. "Greg, I'm..."

Her tone caught him before her words had the chance.
"You're with your new friends now," Gregore said with such a sad
tone that Caislyn didn't need to see his body sagging to know how
he felt. "No, I get it Cais."

"Gregore," Caislyn began.

"No, really. I understand. I wasn't able to help you
before, with your parents. I guess these two are as deluded as you
have become. It's been over a year, Cais. They're gone." Gregore's
shoulders slumped forward even further if that was possible. "Shit,
Cais, I didn't mean..."

Gregore's words were like a slap in the face to
Caislyn, and she honestly didn't know what to say to him. Jaxon
picked up on her feelings and decided that this was a distraction
her friend couldn't afford right now. "Caislyn, we have to go." She
looked at Gregore pointedly and said, "I thought you were different
that night at the gallery, but you are an ass!"

"Cais?" Gregore waited for her to respond and when
she didn't he added, "I'm sorry." Then he walked back off into the
mass of people loosing himself in the crowd.

Caislyn wiped the tears from her cheeks and cleared
her mind again. "Gimme a second, please, I um, need to refocus a
bit."

Seth and Jaxon stepped off to the side giving Caislyn
some room to breath as she tried to clear her mind and reconnect to
whatever trail she had been following before. Suddenly, she was on
the move again walking around the mounded hill they had come upon
until they were out of sight of the rest of the party goers.

"What's going on Cais?" Jax finally questioned as
they began to round the small mountain of terrain covered
garbage.

"I don't know," Caislyn said as perplexed as the
other two felt. "I just have this strange feeling and I..." Before
she could finish she saw the back side of the mound that they had
just walked around and realized there had been a very strong Fey
glamor hiding a doorway. The mound, it appears, was not garbage,
but a hidden bunker.