The Gift of Fury (24 page)

Orion said that he knew the perfect place for me to visit. I wasn’t quite so sure about that but there was no arguing with him. I’m less sure when I get off the bus. This is the second bus trip this month that has led to the unexpected.

The bus stop is along a deserted and unwelcoming stretch of road. The driver doesn’t give me time to reconsider my decision. The bus pulls off in a hurry eager to continue on its way and leave me behind. Kara makes a noise of discontent as we watch it go. We’re committed. The next bus wouldn’t be along till the morning.

It is close to sunset when I find what I am looking for. The driveway is overgrown and stretched into the forest. A battered wooden sign reads: Welcome to Stone Mountain. Orion had given me a little history lesson before I left New York. Back in the 30s and 40s, Stone Mountain was something of a winter hotspot. Its location close to the Hudson River and major roadways made it easy to get to. People would come from miles around to ski down one of the three trails here. When the World War II started, the place died. People had more important things to do than ski. Stone Mountain suffered a mortal wound that it never recovered from. Some of Orion’s friends pooled their resources and brought the land.

Like the driveway, the area that was once the resort’s parking lot is overgrown. Kara’s voice is getting easier to hear especially with night approaching. Her presence is something else that I need to make sense of. I can hardly believe it sometimes that’s when I get the feeling we are not alone.

“
Good,”
she asks “
You can feel it too.
”

“Yes,” I murmur. It takes me a moment to spot the slightly overweight man walking out of the forest. There is nothing out of the ordinary about him except for his lack of clothing. It’s late November and he is dressed only in a simple dark brown vest and pants. No shoes protect his feet yet he walks sure footed across the parking lot. In his hands, a set of wooden pipes can be seen. As he nears me, something changes. Whatever illusion that was cloaking him wavers and dissipates. His features don’t change much except for his eyes which seem to twinkle and glitter in the darkening light. The ears are now pointed though not enough to call attention away from his goat legs and hooves. Instead of pants, he wears a loin cloth that matches his brown vest.

“You’re a satyr?” My voice sounds squeaky even to my own ears. It gets a laugh out of my goat legged friend.

“And you are pretty observant for one of your kind. You may call me Nightbringer,” he says.

“And you can call me Count.”

“Is that a name or a title?” he asks with a smile.

“It’s a name. I’m a friend of Orion,” I say, finally getting over some of my nervousness.

“Ah, someone else with a strange name but not a stranger,” Nightbringer turns and heads back into the woods. “If you’re a friend of his, you’re welcome to guest at my camp for as long as you like.”

“Thanks.”

“Just mind your manners,” He warns.

Without another word, I follow Nightbringer deeper into the woods as Kara murmurs “
He’s right. You need to be careful.
”

“
Why? Orion wouldn’t send us into danger without a warning,”
I reply, careful to internalize my words.

“
He didn’t tell you what you were getting into either. Maybe, he doesn’t know,”
Kara pauses for a moment as if she is taking a deep breath or figuring out the best way to tell me something. “
Count, you’re still new at this and the Fae…. They can be hard to deal with.
”

“
Hey, I’m not quite helpless, you know.
”

Nightbringer picks this moment to interrupt my talk with Kara with a question of his own. “So, how was it that you could see through my Glamour? Are you a sorcerer?”

I answer with his question with one of my own “The Glamour?”

“It’s the way we use magic. Part enchantment, part illusion and part act of creation, we Fae can use it to shape the world around us and the perceptions of those who walk through our lands.”

I nod, remembering all the stories about the Fae and their magic. The story of Cinderella and how her fairy god mother turned a pumpkin into a carriage comes to mind.

“
That’s a good example of how Glamour can be used. It is their defense and protection in a world that is getting smaller every day,”
Kara says.

“
And how was I able to see through it?
”

“
Call it a gift.
”

“A gift,” I echo her words out loud before I realize I am doing it.

“It’s a mighty fine one,” Nightbringer replies without missing a beat.

“
And be careful. You don’t want people to think you’re crazy.
”

“
Sorry, I’m still getting used to you being in my head.
”

***

The deeper we travel into the forest, the more magical it becomes. The Glamour hides these sights from unwelcome visitors but I see it in all its glory. Colored lights of faerie fire paint the world in their unearthly glow. The trees and plant life are more vivid in color. It makes everything so much more beautiful.

As we step out into a clearing that is dominated by a fairy ring and large bonfire, I spot the inhabitants of this enchanted place. Here, the evening festivities are well underway. Elves mingle freely with the other Fae of Stone Mountain and their few human guests. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some are too beautiful for words while others are grotesque beyond imagining. It is enough to take my breath away.

“This place is a safe haven and gathering place for the Seelie. Please, enjoy yourself,” Nightbringer says. The satyr doesn’t leave me to my own devices. He takes his duty as host seriously. He shows me around the camp site while Kara fills me in on some details about the Fae.

One people, they are divided into two courts. The Seelie or Blessed Court is made up of the more benevolent Fae. That’s not to say they were all goody two shoes. Far from it, they can be capricious and cruel when given reason. The Unseelie don’t need a reason. I wouldn’t call them evil but you don’t have to be evil to be bad news. Both courts have outposts and settlements scattered across the world.

“
Count, please watch what to say and do,” Kara doesn’t wait for me to ask why. Her advice would be sound for any occasion. “Intrigue is a game to them. There is always some kind of plot going on. It would be best not to be drawn into anything,”
She warns.

After the tour, Nightbringer leaves me to attend to the other guests. Throughout the night, he checks up on me or makes it a point to introduce me to another one of his guests. It’s all part of his roguish charm, even Kara finds herself enjoying the night.

A brownie offers me a drink from his flask. I take a sip despite Kara’s warning. The world spins for a moment before returning to normal. I resolve never to do that again. The stuff is worse than Lithuanian moonshine. My insides will never be the same. I step into the woods to collect myself as Kara chides me for my recklessness. That’s when I hear a woman scream. And just like that, I am plunging into the forest like some hero in a fantasy novel.

***

The screaming stops just as I find its source. A woman, a beautiful one at that, leans against a tree trying to catch her breath.

“Are you okay” I ask. I don’t have time to say or do anything else before Kara cries a warning.

“
Look out!
” she yells.

I hear something behind me, the clopping of hooves moving fast. There is no time to dodge so I just relax and prepare for the worst. Yeah, I know it sounds strange. Maybe relax is the wrong word for what I do. I don’t let myself tense up. Rigid and inflexible things tend to break when they get hit. Less than a heartbeat later, something hard smashes into the small of my back with the impact of a wrecking ball. I’ve been kicked before but never like this. It’s powerful, reminding me of all those animal documentaries. I roll forward with the force of the blow letting it carry me away from my attacker.

It’s a little showy and not planned. I somehow I roll to my feet. I even manage to spin around to face my opponent. Nightbringer charges me again, looking every bit as wild and dangerous as a drunken satyr can be. As he launches another kick at me, he yells “Rook!”

I don’t know if it’s a battle cry or the girl’s name. I could care less. Out of habit, I block the kick even though I’ve moved out of its path. The lessons learned in karate class are put to use once more. I return the favor, delivering a shin kick. It’s not one of my best moves. I’m more of a puncher than a kicker but my kick does land. Nightbringer still hasn’t recovered from his own kick. He is still off balance when mine’s lands. It smacks him in the midsection causing him to double over in pain.

I am about to follow it up when the woman I came to rescue yells “Stop it, both of you!”

It takes all my willpower not to throw the punch I was planning. My heart is beating hard and fast like it always does when I fight. I feel untouchable. Instead, I let go of the rush. I hold my ground and wait. If Nightbringer attacks, I’ll defend myself. Kara picks that moment to give me the bad news.

“
Keep in mind, we’re in the middle of an enchanted forest. I don’t think his friends will just let you walk out of here if you rough him up too badly.
”

“Great, just great!” I yell.

“
You’re talking out loud again.
”

“This man came to my aid, Nightbringer,” The woman says.

Another voice, one I don’t recognize, adds “And once more we see that you are not a proper host. Is this is the way you treat your guests?”

All of us turn to glance at the new speaker. Nightbringer spits the word “Kalen”.

The newcomer acknowledges his name with a slight bow. Kalen’s smile troubles me. I don’t know what’s going on but I get the feeling that I am now in the middle of something. For his part, Nightbringer ignores the Fae to see to the woman. As the two of them talk, I look Kalen up and down. There is a coldness to him. He didn’t come to Nightbringer’s camp to relax or enjoy himself. He came to cause trouble.

Kara murmurs “
He is an Unselee.
”

I frown, repeating my earlier words. This time I remember to internalize them. “
Great, just great! What else can go wrong.
”

More people arrive. They are full of questions and reproach. The festive attitude of the night is replaced by business, politics and intrigue. I try to figure out what is going on as they speak amongst themselves. The woman picks this moment to approach me while Nightbringer leads his guest back to camp.

“Nightbringer apologizes for his actions,” She says.

“It would mean more coming from him but it’s alright, Rook?” I reply. This wasn’t her fault. There is no reason to take it out on her. The woman smiles hesitantly but doesn’t correct me. “It was just a misunderstanding,” I say.

“One engineered by Kalen. Now, our home is in danger,” She says.

I frown at Rook “What do you mean in danger?”

“Nightbringer attacked a guest without cause who he was honor bound to protect and shelter. It is a serious offense among our kind,” I nod not understanding. The satyr was only trying to protect Rook. I turn my thoughts inward to Kara hoping she has answers for me. She doesn’t but Rook does shed more light on the situation. “Kalen wishes to use this incident as an excuse to take control of our territory. He has called for an Arbiter to settle the matter.”

“When you said engineered, what did you mean? Did he make you scream?”

“It is something I cannot prove but it is my belief. The timing was too convenient. I had a vision.”

 “
She’s a seer,”
It’s not often that I hear or sense surprise from my guardian angel. A flood of images and references flicker across the link.

“
People really can’t see the future.
”

It would be too easy if everything was preordained and written in stone. It’s not. There will always be things that are out of our control. You can call it luck, destiny or the universe conspiring against you. The rest are all a product of our actions or inaction. So where do seers and prophets fit in? It’s like dealing with your average stock market analyst. He or she isn’t always correct but the good ones can tell you what is most likely to happen with the market based on current events and trends. At least, that’s my take on the matter. It remains to be seen if I’m correct.

I shift my attention back to Rook. “What did you see?”

“I saw you,” She says with a smile.

***

We walk a short distance to the edge of a stream. Here, in the darkness only lit by wisps of light I study her gentle features. I don’t know how to describe her. To merely call Rook beautiful or attractive would be a disservice. She is a living paradox. Youthful while projecting a sense of timeless grace, her presence is commanding without being overpowering. She is friendly and approachable yet reserved. I find out her full name is Rook Half-Elven. Her name and heritage set her apart from most people even those who know who and what she is. Unlike her elven kin, she wears her reddish brown hair short which does nothing to mar her looks.

“Count, you have chosen your path even though you do not know it yet. You have started a journey but you do not know your destination,” She says in a grave voice.

“And you are confusing me.”

Rook offers me another smile before looking into the water. “I’m a seer. When I speak of a vision, I can only put it into words that I can understand. By the end of this weekend, you will know your path though not where it will take you.”

I direct my thoughts to Kara again “
Is she on the level?
”

“
I think she is telling you the truth about whatever it was she saw,”
After a moment of hesitation, Kara adds “
She might not be telling you everything.
”

I nod slowly, focusing on Rook. “So why did you cry out?” I ask.