Faytes of the Otherworld: Fayted

It had been almost a week since Dani had killed Anessa. Liam recruited the male Elders, sans Evan, to clean up the mess she had caused. They explained away the broken structures as lightning brought on by the sudden warm weather and told everyone that Anessa had gone off alone after breaking up with Evan. People scouted for her, but obviously never found a trace.

Dani didn’t even want to leave her tent. If it hadn’t been for sweet Cassia, she probably would have starved. She came by a few times a day to bring Dani food and to make her wash up once or twice, at least with a basin bath.

Nissa had tried to stay with her, but she insisted that she not worry about it. Dani asked her if Orin had mentioned anything about Evan and all she could say was, “He’s been sleeping a lot.”

Dani wanted to talk to him, see how he was, but she expected that he wouldn’t want anything to do with her after she had killed his ex-girlfriend.

On day seven, Nissa came trotting into the tent around dusk.

“You had a bath lately?” It came out of Nissa’s mouth sounding ruder than she expected.

“This morning.” Dani was rereading the comics Evan had given her for the thousandth time.

“Eat?” Nissa curled up by her side.

“Fish and chips with a glass of ice-cold water.” Dani set the comic down and picked up another.

“Why are you always reading those silly things? What about this?” Nissa pulled out a green leather book that was conveniently sticking out of Dani’s rucksack.

“How the hell did that get in there?” Dani sat up with the book in her lap.

“No idea. Noticed it the other day when I was looking for the catnip. What is it?” Nissa leaned over to get a better look.

“Tuatha Dé Danann. I have no idea what it is about, but it jumped out of the shelf at me when we were at Whitmore. I don’t know how it got in my bag, though.” Dani hadn’t had a chance to really read it before the rumbling started that eventually led to the revelation of Tam Lyn.

“You don’t know anything about the Tuath Dé? They were said to be the creators of the Fae; the Originals, the mythical deities of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland. Their arch nemeses were the Fomorians.

They originally dwelled in the Otherworld, or through the Veil, but still interacted with humans. They gave, what we now know as the Fae, their land because it was the cradle of their civilization. Eventually, the humans moved in and the Tuath Dé tried to have the Fae coexist peacefully with them, but it was doomed from the start.

In time the Mortals, as they called them, pushed the Fae out and brutally so. They faded back into the Otherworld for safety.

Legend states that eventually the Tuath Dé and Fomorians intermarried, for whatever reason, and those Fomorians that were inside the walls of the Tuath Dé kingdom began whispering things in their ears.

A group of fae had been convinced that the only way their land could be taken back from the Mortals was through violence.

They gathered an army of Unseelie and other darkly aligned beings to invade the earthen realm and take back their homes.

Little did they know that the King of the Fomorians, Balor, had orchestrated the whole thing, planning to take the land from the Fae and the Mortals.

Danu would have no part in it and commanded that all those who had respect for the Earth and Seas to stand down. They were not here for violence or chaos.

But violence was inevitable. It ended up turning into some civil war between the Gods and fae, but the humans were none the wiser.

Sadly, Danu was killed by King Balor with an Oak spear. The Tuatha drove the Fomorians so far out for what they had done to their Mother, that it was said they were pushed into a different realm entirely, outside of the Otherworld.” Nissa finished her story. Dani took hold of the book but didn’t bother to absorb its contents.

“How could mum have never told me about them? Why did I never run into them on the internet or at the library?” Dani couldn’t comprehend the void in her faery history.

“I have no idea, considering she was Black Irish.” Nissa seemed to know more about Dani’s mother at times than she did.

“That explains the hair.” Dani poked at the mass of raven locks atop her head. “I’ve just never heard of either the Tuath Dé or the Fomorians and with all I know about the Fae, I now feel pretty silly that I didn’t know where they even originated from.”

“Maybe it’s just a lapse in memory.” Nissa suggested.

“Doubtful. I think I’d remember this. And do they all still exist? The Tuath Dé? What does a Fomorian even look like?” Dani’s brain was on overload.

“Now that you ask—yes, yes, and for example; King Balor was described as a giant with a large eye in the middle of his forehead that wreaked havoc when opened.” Nissa hinted subtly that she knew about the Túath Dé all along, of course but it was another thing she wasn’t allowed to tell Dani for obvious reasons.

“A giant? With one eye?” A picture flashed in Dani’s mind.

“Mmhm, the Fomorians were known as giant grotesque creatures with many eyes or sometimes none at all. There are stories that go on to say that some only had one arm and one leg.” Nissa detailed the hideous race. Another image flashed in Dani’s head.

“Nissa…did you ever get to see Anessa’s body before they got rid of it?” Dani was on to something.

“No. By the time I had heard anything, Liam had the whole mess sorted out. Why?” Nissa was curious as to what was going on in her Guarded’s head.

“Hand me my sketchbook.” Dani instructed Nissa and the cat obeyed, dragging it over to her.

She turned to a blank page and pulled a kohl pencil out of the eaves of the spine. She began sketching away, smudging and re-shading as she went.

“Nissa, does this look like a Fomorian?” Dani showed her the sketch. It depicted the grotesquely giant creature that was Anessa with twelve eyes, snake nose, one arm, and all.

“Dani, this—this isn’t Anessa, is it?” Nissa’s eyes were so wide; Dani thought they were going to pop out of her head.

“Yes. I thought she was just an Unseelie who became obsessed with Evan, but she was something else entirely.” Dani ran her finger over the tiny sketched eyes.

“She was a Fomorian, Dani. Fae kind haven’t seen or heard from them in thousands of years.” Nissa sounded like she was trying to convince herself that this wasn’t happening.

“So we think. I don’t like all this damn vague faery mystery punctuated by cryptic positive affirmations.” Dani snapped her sketchbook closed and put it back in her bag.

“We are a mystery.” Nissa snorted.

“Maybe if I show this all to Evan he won’t hate me so much.” Dani mumbled.

“Oh, speaking of Evan. That’s why I originally came here in the first place: Orin told me he wanted to see you.” Nissa narrowed her eyes at Dani.

She was simultaneously relieved and extremely anxious.

“Did he say why?” Dani began to chew at her bottom lip.

“Because he hasn’t seen you in a week and you kind of killed his girlfriend.” Nissa’s upper lip curled.

“Ex-girlfriend.” Dani sighed.

“Just go see him. Orin says he’s barely left his caravan; doesn’t even want to talk to Pete. He sees a kinship with you, Dani. You need others like that right now.” Nissa placed her paw on Dani’s leg.

“Ok. I’ll go see him.” Dani nodded in hopes that she wouldn’t change her mind if she confirmed it with her Familiar.

“Scoot then. I’m off to see Orin.” Nissa waited for Dani to move.

“You see kin in Orin, don’t you?” Dani finally posed the question.

“I do. I do, Dani. I haven’t seen another Imp in…hundreds of years. Pyewacket kept me in a cage for what felt like a millennia before the Seelie rescued me.” Nissa’s eyes were glistening.

“Go then, Niss. Go be happy.” Dani pushed her furry little butt out of the tent flap and started to get dressed so she could finally speak with Evan.

(*)

Dani walked through rows of tents in the dark. She had somehow managed to make herself look somewhat presentable with the beautiful clothing that Cassia had given her. She opted to wear her hair down and show that she was vulnerable. She had already done so much damage to Evan since she had been here.

She even had enough time to sneak down to the brewers and snag a bottle of wine as a peace offering.

Dani didn’t know where Evan’s caravan was, but when the rows of motor homes and cart houses appeared, she figured she was on the right track.

Most of the lights were off in the coaches she passed. Some were nice, others were not. A few had little gardens out front and short stone walkways, but when Dani got to one that was a little larger than the others, with crazy paintings of swirling landscapes decorated on the side, she knew it had to be Evan’s.

As she got closer to the door, she could hear Led Zeppelin’s Battle of Evermore emanating out of an open window.

Dani took a deep breath as she stood on the top step of the tiny porch before finally knocking.

The music continued and Dani gave it a minute before she knocked again. She heard the song cut off and then the padding of feet to the front door.

It creaked open to reveal a topless Evan, his hair hanging wildly in front of his murky eyes.

“Dani.” He smiled. Evan looked much better than she had expected, but still pretty rundown.

“Hi. Nissa said you wanted to see me; I brought wine.” Dani held up the bottle.

“Come on in.” Evan opened the door wide and she could see a futon covered in a spiral printed blanket with tasseled pillows and comics all over the tiny coffee table.

Dani walked through the door, set the bottle of wine on the table, and just stood awkwardly between it and the futon.

Evan closed the door and went over to the tiny kitchen to pull two metal camping cups from the cabinet. He set them on the table and went back over to a record player that sat by the front window. Evan flicked a switch and Led Zeppelin came back on.

It was then that Dani realized there were actual electric lights illuminating the inside of Evan’s caravan.

“I have a diesel generator in here; a lot of people don’t know I have it, though. It mostly runs on old cooking oil which is a lot more prevalent than diesel fuel.” Evan sat down on the futon and popped the cork on the bottle before pouring two full glasses of wine.

“A full glass.” Dani picked hers up, “Is this any indication of how the night is going to go?”

“Just drink, eh?” Evan held his cup up, “Cheers.”

Dani hadn’t even responded to the toast before Evan downed the whole glass. He poured himself another and just sat there, eyeing her.

She swallowed hard. What game was he playing? He had asked to see her, but he hadn’t said what about. Now he was just sitting there, looking at her as if he was waiting for an apology. The emotions Dani felt from him were a strange mix that she couldn’t sort out.

“I’m sorry.” Dani blurted, feeling a bit uneasy. Evan had fae strength like she did; if he wanted to he could take her out where she stood. He looked like he might be possibly angry enough to do so, but there was also a hint of uncertainty under all of it.

“For what?” Evan drained another glass before looking to Dani, “Drink. You brought the wine.”

She couldn’t take it. She didn’t want to play games with anyone, let alone Evan. Not right now; not after what they went through. If he had something to say…

“Just say it.” Dani uttered, clenching her fists at her side. She was prepared for the worst.

“What do you want me to say?” Evan sat his glass down and leaned forward, eager to hear her response.

“I—I don’t know. Something. What happened last week—”

“What happened last week is behind me.” Evan picked his glass back up and took a sip.

“And how do you feel?” Dani didn’t believe him for a second.

“Great. No more Anessa. No more arguing or drama. No more bullshit.” Evan listed off the things he was glad were gone.

“No more girlfriend.” Dani prodded him with her words.

“Yeah. No more girlfriend.” Evan killed what was left in the cup and sat back on the futon.

“Ok, then. Why was it that you wanted to see me?” Dani sounded a bit bitter, a little more biting than she had anticipated.

Evan wasn’t expecting such curt words from her; she had never been that way before.

“I wanted just that, to see you.” Evan made it seem self-explanatory.

“See me? So we could sit here, drink wine, and not talk about the utter bullshit we went through?” Dani’s face was full of anger. Evan could feel it pulsating from her center and out into the room.

“Dani,” Evan’s face softened from its stoic expression, “I just don’t know what to say.”

“Say that you hurt. Say that you hate her. Say that you fucking miss her. Tell me that you don’t hold it against me!” Dani was so worked up that when she tilted the cup to her mouth to drain it of its contents, Evan could see that she was fighting back tears.

“Hey. Dani, stop. It wasn’t your fault; none of it was your fault.” Evan stood from the futon and came over to where she stood, shaking. She heard his words, but like before, they fell on deaf ears.

“You have got to stop blaming yourself for everything. You’re not responsible for other’s actions, only your own.” Evan tried to reason with her.

“The goblins killing you? That wasn’t my fault? Or the troll I led back here? The goblins in the bathing pool, the Changelings at Whitmore, the attack by the Spriggan; all of that was because of me.” Dani was trying to hold her composure, but her tears threatened to ruin that.

“You can’t control what you smell like! You made the decision to defend and protect yourself. None of that was your fault.” Evan reached out a comforting hand, but Dani pushed it away.

“I called those goblins to me that night out in the field. I wanted a fight because I was so tired of struggling and hiding. I just wanted it to end and to take out as many of them as I could before I died. I was being selfish; I didn’t think about anyone else being around.” Tears streamed down Dani’s face now and she hated herself for it.

“Dani—you didn’t make me follow you that night; my own curiosity did. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time, but I’m glad I was.” Evan’s tone was smooth, calming almost.

“You’re glad that I got you killed?” Dani hiccupped, bewildered that he’d say such a thing.

“In a way, yes. If I hadn’t followed you out there, those goblins would have kept coming and there is no way you would have survived. There would have been no one there to save you like you saved me. You’re responsible for attempting to take your own life, but I was responsible for being there on my own accord. But because of it, you focused on saving me; fighting for our lives and bringing me back when everyone else would have let me stay dead.” Evan took Dani’s chin in the tips of his fingers and tilted her head to face him.

“Stop blaming yourself for everything. You’re doing better than your best and saving countless people in the process. You are going out of your way to find a solution to this seemingly never-ending problem, but you have no confidence in you. I see you second guess yourself, even in your magickal abilities, and you have got to stop.” Evan tried to soothe her, but she had already reached peak hysteria.

“You don’t understand. I had to hide who I was from everyone because those who saw what I was capable of labeled me as a freak. My mother tried so futilely to keep away those who would never understand, but they always found me. There were rumors about her, rumors about me that drove people to do nasty things, and I fear that it will happen no matter where I go. I left the Hedgerow that night because I thought that Liam was going to be like everyone else, and if he didn’t accept me, how could the rest of the commune?” The purple of Dani’s eyes was vivid underneath so many tears.

Evan could see that she had been holding back years of pain for so long. She felt unaccepted, unwanted, and unloved. The only thing she ever truly felt connected to was gone and besides Nissa, she was alone in the world.

“What happened to you? What did people do that would make you think this way?” Evan was truly curious as he lured Dani to the futon. She sat down, her arms wrapped around herself, as she curled her bare feet under her.

“A lot of things.” Dani began, a pained smile on her face. She turned away from Evan towards the back of the caravan. “They hated me in school. Kids bullied me, teachers bullied me. Told me that I wasn’t smart because I was quiet and kept to myself. That I was a weirdo because I talked to plants and animals instead of playing football. The teachers always thought I was up to no good because I was such an introvert and made a big deal out of every time my mum kept me home for our holidays because it wasn’t like all the others.

I wasn’t good at hiding what I was, even though I didn’t even know yet. A few kids saw me playing with crystals one day and when they asked where I got them, I told them that I had made the stones. They mocked me to the point that I had to prove myself, and when I did—well, it didn’t go over very well.

When I came home with a bloody nose, bruised eye, and sore ribs; my mother had had enough. She pulled me from public school and decided to teach me at home.

That didn’t stop them; nothing did for a long time. But—” A memory had struck Dani.

“But what?” Evan wanted to know where the story was going. Even though it hurt him to hear it, it needed to be said. Dani needed to get everything out that had been tormenting her for so long or she would never be able to move forward.

“I was almost thirteen.” Dani took a deep breath after considering whether or not she wanted to tell the story. “I had walked down to the library for some books and was on my way home when I ran into a bunch of kids that I had been in school with. They started harassing me, asking if I could make them a potion to pass a test or a spell to make them irresistible to whomever.

I ignored them and kept walking, trying to get home as fast as I could, but they followed me. They stalked me all the way to my house, teasing me the whole way. I had finally had enough and when I turned and dropped my books, ready to fight, they jumped me. Started beating me in my own front yard.

I could have stopped them, I guess, but I didn’t know how strong I was then. Instead, I let them beat the hell out of me while I just cried.

I felt so helpless just lying there. Mum couldn’t hear any of it because she was asleep.

But—but then I was saved.” Dani paused in her story, trying to remember all the little details.

Evan just listened on, wide-eyed.

“I guess he saw what was happening. I had never seen him before, but he just came out of nowhere—knocking over kids left and right till he got to me beneath all those ruthless children.

He picked me up off the ground, scared away my attackers, and carried me to my house. Waited patiently at the door, knocking loud enough for my mother to hear.

I was pretty beat up too; my cheekbone was broken, my lip was split, and I had more fractures than anyone knew.

My mother thanked him profusely before taking me inside to care for me. Of course I healed quickly, and without any physician’s assistance, but I never forgot him.

I would see him from time to time, walking down the street to school in his uniform. He had to be at least several years older than me and in a private school which explained why I had never seen him before.

He saw me one time, watching him from my bedroom window, and he waved. That afternoon my mum found a box on the stoop that had a little faery keychain in it and a brand-new copy of The Two Towers since my library one got destroyed in the fight. I wish I still had them, but they’re somewhere in my old room.

Eventually, I stopped seeing him around, but I guess I never forgot him.” Dani finished her story, fresh tears now evident in her eyes.

Evan couldn’t speak. It felt like he had been slapped in the face with a memory he had all but forgotten.

“That’s because I moved to San Diego not long after that.” He finally spoke, his words a little shaky.

It took Dani a minute to register what he was saying.

“What?” She was astonished. She couldn’t comprehend the words coming out of Evan’s mouth.

“Did you used to live in an old Victorian on Hounds Street, down in the East End?” Evan narrowed his eyes at Dani.

“Yes. It’s still there as far as I know.” Dani answered his question, still in shock over his prior words.

“That was me. I saved you that day, Dani. I never knew your name. I came by a lot more often than you realize, but your mother sent me away after the first time. She told me not to take offense, but she had to keep her daughter safe.” Evan explained.

“You left me the book?” Dani was becoming emotional.

“And the keychain. And at least a dozen other books that I hope your mother gave you.” Evan pointed out.

Everything finally clicked for her. The eyes that reminded her of something she couldn’t quite remember, the copy of the Hobbit he had given her after they first arrived at the Hedgerow, and the little things he left for her when she wasn’t around.

Evan was the same boy that had saved her from those relentless bullies so many years ago.

“You lived down the street from me for seven years, moved to America, and then came back here a little over ten years later? We lived in two entirely different areas of London…and yet somehow we found each other once more.” Dani was now in awe. What were the odds that they would ever meet again after Evan moved out of the East End? This was fate at work.

“It’s definitely weird. And we’re both Fae.” Evan confirmed that this coincidence, if it was one, was definitely out of the ordinary.

“Which part of you is fae?” Dani had never thought to ask that of him.

“Pretty sure it was my father; I never knew him though. My mom used to talk about how handsome and suave he was. Reminds me of Tam Lyn.” Evan chuckled a bit.

Dani laughed with him, her eyelids feeling a bit heavy.

“What about your father?” Evan asked, sliding a pillow over to her. She slunk down in her seat with it before answering him.

“I don’t have a father. According to the wizard, I am fae essence and mortal flesh.” Dani hadn’t really spoken about Merlyn with anyone, but Nissa.

“Wizard?” Evan’s face was quizzical, albeit sleepy.

“Oh, yeah. I never told you. I never told anyone, but Nissa. You’re starting to know all my secrets.” Dani’s words were a bit slurred together. Sleep was winning.

“His name is Merlyn. Like the Arthurian Merlyn, I think. He comes to me through the Veil and he helped me save you in the field.” Dani had begun to curl up into a tight ball on the futon. For some reason, she was just so tired.

“Don’t go to sleep just yet.” Evan scooped Dani up with one arm and sat her in a nest type chair in the corner. She sleepily watched him fold out the futon before carrying her back to it.

“Am I sleeping here?” Dani groggily questioned, stretching out on the nice soft mattress. It wasn’t like Liam’s bed, but it felt oddly like home.

“If you want. You looked too tired to walk anywhere.” Evan stretched out next to her.

“I am.” Dani mumbled, her face pressed into a pillow.

“Then sleep.” Evan clicked off the light and the whole room went dark, save for tiny slivers of moonlight that streamed in through the front window.

“Evan?” Dani’s voice seemed quieter than the Zeppelin album that was still playing on the record player.

“Mm?” She felt him roll towards her, the heat from his partially naked body radiating up against her.

“Thank you.” Dani almost whispered, tucking into herself.

“For what?” She felt Evan’s fingertips graze the back of her arm. It almost made her shudder.

“For accepting me for who I am. Outside of my mother, I’ve never had a human do that before.” Dani turned her head slightly and could feel Evan breathing beside her.

“I’m a Halfling, remember? Proves that you’re accepted all around, Dani.” Evan’s voice was husky in his tired state.

Dani flipped over in the darkness to face him. His eyes were still open even though it was kind of hard to see. Dani’s seemed to glow back at him, her face so close he could smell her rich scent.

Evan’s eyes roamed her face, looking for some sort of answer that he didn’t even have the question to yet. She just stared back at him for a moment, her lilac eyes illuminated in the moonlight.

With a swift movement, Dani laced her arms around Evan’s neck. She pulled herself to him, buried her face in his chest, and just started to cry. She almost felt foolish, but she just couldn’t help it. It was as if she found a missing piece of herself.

Dani may have never known his name or anything about him, but her twelve-year-old self had sworn she’d find him again. She never imagined it to be like this.

Evan let her cry; he knew she needed it. He needed it too. He was over Anessa, but not over all the time she had spent deceiving him. It made him think back to LeAnna: how he dropped everything to be with her and she had left him out in the cold. He hadn’t felt true affection for years, but just holding Dani while she cried herself to sleep was sweeter than any touch of Anessa’s or LeAnna.

Evan held Dani tight as the two slowly drifted off to sleep.