Faytes of the Otherworld: Fayted

The next few minutes were a blur. Pete was going on about what the Hedgerow stood for: Peace, compassion, family, trust, growth. All these adjectives lent to a safe haven and a new life amidst the chaos. The people it allowed in were no exception.

“Ladies and gents of the Hedgerow, may I introduce to you Tam of Carterhaugh. He comes to us bringing skills of combat, wit, and military intelligence.” Pete called out to the throngs of people gathered where the mess hall tables usually sat.

Dani laughed at their little back story on Tam Lyn and applauded when the rest of the crowd did as he came forward with Cassia and took a bow. Many women in the crowd swooned at the sight of the Elf and he ate it up like it was his last meal.

Dani knew that she was coming up next and struggled with the thought of running or passing out.

“And now, I am more than proud to present to you the woman that helped keep us safe during the barrage of attacks we have had over the past week. Her skills are comparable to none we have seen and she has selflessly gone out of her way to protect the Hedgerow.

Dani hails from London and is expertly skilled in hand to hand combat, archery, theology, folklore, history and much, much more. Please help me welcome her to the Hedgerow!”

Applause erupted from every corner as Liam led Dani out front and center. Everyone’s faces were lit with a soft glow as the fire roared in the pit.

Dani squinted into the light, searching for familiar faces. Nissa and Orin were off on the roof of the pavilion, while Pete and Shannon were now standing right up front.

Dani hadn’t noticed that Liam had left her alone in front of her adoring fans and went to stand by Wesley and Wren, now applauding himself.

But she didn’t see Evan. She waved and smiled at people, all the while looking for the last familiar face she knew.

Liam had called out for everyone to enjoy themselves as the music picked back up and people began to sing and dance.

In the commotion, Dani still looked for Evan and after being brushed past by a group of dancing men, she finally caught sight of him.

He stood back at the opposite end of the pavilion from where their Familiars sat, arguing heatedly with Anessa.

Evan had his hand to his forehead, pushing back his auburn waves out of frustration while Anessa got in his face, screaming silently under the hum of music and laughter.

Obviously, the fight was escalating as Anessa reached out and shoved him into one of the awning’s pillars before storming off around the building. Evan just hung his head low before sending a hard jab into the pillar. The awning shuddered, but no one seemed to notice.

“You’re famous.” Cassia had come up behind her and threw her arms around Dani’s shoulders.

“Just what I always wanted.” Dani’s sarcasm was rivaled by none.

“Go dance, have some fun. Don’t be so antisocial. You don’t have to necessarily talk to anyone you don’t know, but at least enjoy yourself.” Cassia patted her shoulder and then dragged her out into the gyrating crowd of people.

Dani wanted more to check on Evan than dance, but she didn’t want anyone to think she was ungrateful. Besides, she had already told him what she thought of the situation.

Tam Lyn soon joined the women and tried not to be selfish by letting only one woman dance with him alone. In no time, he was flocked by over a dozen females, and a few males, all vying for a chance to touch him.

Cassia looked a bit jealous and as Dani backed out of the crowd, she saw her friend hip check a woman out of the way so that she was face to face with Tam Lyn.

(*)

Dani looked around for Evan, but after his confrontation with Anessa, he was nowhere to be found.

Eventually, she gave up and went to check in with Nissa and Orin, who were on their way out to wherever it is they went. Dani bid them goodnight and wandered back off to the party.

People were still dancing, most in an intoxicated state as the music had slowed down to more of a Celtic ballad.

Dani wove back through the group, careful to avoid people like Cassia and Liam. She didn’t feel like really conversing or even partying for that matter and just wanted to be alone and think with no distractions.

She somehow managed to sneak past everyone and took the side trail down to the bathing pool. It had been so serene the night before in the warm evening air with the trillions of tiny stars that speckled the heavens.

(*)

The pool was just as perfect as ever with the waterfall softly cascading over the rocks and into the water.

Apparently, when they decorated for such events, they decorated everything. Tiny little fires contained in clay pots were spaced out along the shore, lighting the sandy beach with their flickering dance.

Dani wanted so desperately to get in the water, but she didn’t want to disrespect Cassia’s beautiful gown.

She stared out at the rippling pool, listening to the chirping of night bugs and the hoots of a nearby owl.

“Cassia wouldn’t be mad if I just got in for a bit. Besides, no one is around to see.” Dani spoke aloud to herself, looking for some sort of towel so she could dry herself off when she was finished.

Over by the wooden trunk sat a stack of freshly laundered towels for tomorrow’s use. Dani grabbed one and quickly began unlacing the back of her dress before slipping it down past her feet and tossing it aside.

She stood there, a cool breeze blowing across her bare skin, not caring if the water was cold or not.

Dani ran across the shore, her toes digging deep into the wet sand as she nimbly jumped atop some rocks and ran out to where she knew the water was deep. She plunged in, feeling the bubbles escape her nostrils as she broke the water’s surface.

For a moment she felt free as she effortlessly spiraled through the water. She had never thought about having the ability to control water but, after what happened the other day, it made her wonder.

Dani held her breath and pushed off a rock to the surface, still contemplating her newly discovered talents. She could bend Earth and Fire to her will, so why not water? Evan seemed to have good control over that element…

Dani floated in the deeper end, her mouth still underwater as she kicked her legs to stay afloat. She hoped the power would be easy to control, but she wondered if she would have to really focus to get it to work if it even did at all.

She scanned the shoreline for any possible sign of life, and when she saw none, she went ahead with her experiment.

Throwing her hands behind her in the water, Dani commanded it to flow up underneath her and propel her forward with a wave. She closed her eyes and focused on the bubbling river below her; felt it surging forward to carry her to shore.

But nothing happened.

Dani still kept her eyes closed, willing the waters around her to take her away. Maybe she was asking too much for her first intentional attempt at water magick because nothing was happening at all.

If Dani could have stamped her foot she would have. One more try and then she was done; she couldn’t stand the frustration.

Dani closed her eyes one last time and prayed for the water to lift her up. Just when she thought it wasn’t going to work she felt a surge beneath her and the water funneled up, catching her at the knees.

She fought to stay steady at first, but eventually got the hang of it as she rode the wave to shore, arms outstretched to catch the wind and eyes still closed so as not to spoil the sensation of flying.

Dani could hear the shore fast approaching and made sure she gave herself ample time to gracefully touchdown in the sand.

The water subsided just as the wave carried her to the beach and she opened her eyes the minute she touched solid ground.

“Oh!” She hollered, startled by what was in front of her.

There stood Evan, barefoot in black denim and a fitted green shirt that looked like something Cassia had tailored.

The sudden introduction of someone into her quiet time caused Dani to lose her balance and fall back into the ebbing water.

“You were flying.” Evan’s eyes were smoldering in the flames of the potted fire. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets and he looked as if he had screamed till his lungs gave out.

“Did I say that out loud?” Dani was a little embarrassed. She tried to tactfully get up from the shore, but the shifting sand caused her to lose her balance once more.

Evan swiftly reached out to catch her and bring her to dryer land.

“That seems to be happening a lot lately.” Dani pointed out, wrapping her towel around her wet body as they wandered off down the shore.

“Couldn’t make it quite work, huh?” Evan perched atop a large rock by the waterside and extended his hand for Dani to take it.

She thankfully seized it and let him help her up so she didn’t have to overwork herself. His hands were rougher than Liam’s, like someone who had worked with them for years.

“Make what work?” Dani curled herself up on the rock.

“How’s your leg?” Evan quickly changed the subject, lighting a cigarette. He offered one to her, but she declined.

“Sore. I haven’t looked under the gauze though. Probably should have changed it by now.” She screwed her face up as she peeled at the tacky adhesive around the bandage.

“Let me see it.” Evan leaned over Dani and waited for her permission to peel back the gauze.

Where the two gashes from Tam Lyn’s teeth had been was now nothing but long nicks underneath the suture.

“You really do heal fast.” Evan touched the outer parts of the wound and Dani flinched out of reflex.

“Told you.” She peeled the rest of the bandage off and folded it into a tiny square.

“I’m glad you’re ok.” Evan was clearly sincere, but there was a hint of heaviness in his voice.

“What did you two fight over this time?” Dani cocked her head to the side before pinching the cigarette out of Evan’s hand; she figured she might need it for this conversation.

“Are you reading my mind?” He winced, scratching the top of his head.

“I can, but no. I’m just observant. I saw you two arguing at the pavilion during Pete’s speech.” Dani scooted closer to him as she puffed on the smoke.

“You really want to know what we were arguing about? You won’t be happy.” Evan was reluctant to retell the story.

“Yes. I see how much it pains you and as much as you don’t want to talk about it, you need to.” Dani passed the cigarette back to him and waited.

“We were arguing over you.” Evan’s bold brow was knit together.

“Me? What for?” Dani was genuinely flabbergasted.

“Anessa’s pissed that she isn’t one of the Elders and you are. That’s what started it. I told her about the meeting last night and mentioned you; bad move on my part. She started making passive aggressive remarks about her being more of an elder than you are and, since she’s my girlfriend, that she should sit by my side…blah, blah, blah.” Evan mimicked Anessa’s incessant chatter with his hand.

Dani bit the inside of her cheek as she listened, reaching for another drag of the cigarette.

“But that wasn’t the clincher. Apparently, someone saw us last night.” Evan took the smoke back and hit it hard.

“Saw us?” Dani wasn’t sure what he meant. Last night’s events were still slightly foggy.

“When I was trying to—see what your scent was like.” Evan swallowed hard as he eyed Dani, waiting for it to sink in.

“Oh. Ooooooh.” Dani finally got it, “Ewww.” She then realized what that could possibly mean for Evan.

“Yeah. Someone, who she would not disclose, told her that they saw us getting intimate by the stage. I couldn’t exactly tell her what we were doing, so I sort of fibbed and said that I had to help you back to your tent after you got a bit knackered.” Dani stifled a laugh over his British slang but tried to be compassionate regardless.

“I’m sorry. I could have made it back on my own.” Dani was a little ashamed that she had gotten him physically accosted.

“Not your fault, Dani. None of this is your fault.” Evan caught her attention with the end of his sentence; there was an inflection that suggested that he was implying more than just the ordeal with Anessa.

“Maybe not, but I’m sorry regardless.” Dani took the last drag of the cigarette and snubbed it out on the rock before tucking it back into Evan’s pack.

“Don’t be. I’m not worried about it.” Evan tucked the pack back inside his trouser pocket.

“Why not?” She knew he was leading somewhere and she had to pull it from him.

“I broke it off. I told her I couldn’t stand the jealousy and constant nitpicking and fighting. She just wanted to party and act wild, but never wanted me to go out and do anything fun. If that is even possible during all this. That’s why she shoved me and stormed off; I told her to pack her things and I’d talk to Liam about getting her a tent.” Evan hopped off the rock and held his arms out for Dani to jump.

Dani wasn’t sure what to say. She hoped that she hadn’t pushed him to it with all her suggestions. Though she knew he’d be happier without her, she didn’t want him to hurt over it.

“Dani, I’m fine. Really. This was a long time coming and it just happened to boil over tonight.” Evan still had his arms held out, waiting for her.

“Are you reading my mind now?” She tilted her head to the side.

“Yes. Now jump down; I’m tired of waiting.” Evan wiggled his fingers.

Dani leapt from the boulder and Evan caught her effortlessly like some Knight rescuing the Damsel.

His hands were warm on the chilled flesh of her midsection and she stifled the urge to shudder. He gently lowered her to the ground, but before they could even walk their way back to where Dani’s dress lay, a shrill voice rang out from the top of the trail.

“I knew it! I fucking knew it! Not snogging her, my ass!” Anessa snarled as she stormed down the hill and right up to Evan. She had her fist cocked back ready to strike Dani in the face, but Evan caught it before it ever connected with anything.

“You need to calm down right now, Anessa. What I do from here on out is none of your business.” Evan roughly dropped her hand.

“Don’t touch me!” She jerked her hand back dramatically, even though Evan had already let her go.

“Nothing happened, Anessa. Evan just happened to find me down here already, taking a dip in the water.” Dani tried to diffuse the situation without heated words being exchanged.

“Don’t talk to me! You have no right to talk to me!” Anessa wagged her finger in Dani’s face.

“No more, Anessa!” Evan boomed, standing in front of Dani, “If this really must go on and you refuse to leave, I’ll make you leave.”

Anessa had her tongue in her cheek, tapping her slipper on the sandy ground.

“I’m not leaving unless you come with me.” Anessa’s blue eyes looked frozen as she glared at Dani.

“Fine. Then let’s go.” Evan steered Anessa around and mouthed to Dani that he would find her later.

(*)

It was late. The festivities at the town center had ended a few hours before and Dani found herself wandering through the grounds of the mess hall amidst the glowing embers of the fire. The dim light illuminated next to nothing, and she found herself sitting on a bench in front of Liam’s cabin, staring at the sky.

She had checked to see if he was in, but no one was home. She heard some stragglers passing by talking about how the party had been moved down near the fields. Dani assumed that Liam and Tam Lyn had gone down that way too.

Dani hadn’t seen Evan either. Maybe he and Anessa were making up.

“Can we talk?” A familiar voice roused Dani from her contemplation.

Anessa was standing in front of her. Her hair was damp and plastered to her face, her eyes ringed in red.

“Sure.” Dani was wary about what she wanted to discuss.

“Walk with me.” Anessa gestured for her to stand up and Dani reluctantly followed. From the looks of her, she assumed that Anessa and Evan hadn’t reconciled.

“I just—I just want to know the truth.” Anessa sniffled, wiping at her nose with a handkerchief.

“I told you the truth, Anessa. Nothing happened. I had a bit too much to drink last night and Evan was just making sure I got home ok.” Dani was as honest as she could be.

“That’s not what he told me.” Anessa hid her face from Dani, her long blond tresses obscuring her features.

“Who? Evan?” Anessa wasn’t making any sense to her.

“He told me that he saw you two kissing by the big Oak. That Evan’s arms were wrapped around you and—and—” Anessa had begun to shake.

“It isn’t true.” Dani didn’t want her to blow up again like she had earlier.

“I won’t let you take him away from me.” Anessa jerked abruptly, the back of her hand connecting with Dani’s face. The sheer force of the knock back sent her sprawling into the food stalls.

The sudden blow had jarred Dani; her ears ringing from the impact.

“I tried too hard. Too hard! I am not going to let some puny girl snatch him away from me.” Anessa stomped over to where Dani lay, ready to finish her off.

Dani tried to gather her wits about her. She knew that if she didn’t move, she might never again.

She rolled to one side as Anessa came crashing through the broken boards with a flaming log from the fire in her bare hands.

“Anessa! You don’t have to do this!” Dani called out, hiding behind the next stall. She could hear the woman stomping towards her, the footsteps sounding like a Giant was on the loose.

Anessa came down hard with the scorching log on Dani’s hideout and she had just enough time to dive out of the way before it all came tumbling down.

“Don’t talk to me like I am some rotting bone bag. You won’t have him; you won’t ever have him!” Anessa rocketed towards Dani at such a speed; she barely blinked before the crazed woman got to her. The smoldering log caught Dani in the midsection and flung her out into the bushes along the trail by the cabin.

Dani could feel her skin burning from the impact but picked herself up anyway. Whatever Anessa was, she was incredibly strong. She wasn’t sure if she could take her on her own.

Dani must have been thinking about him. She could hear Evan’s voice off in the distance, hollering at Anessa.

“Put it down, Ness! Just put it down and walk away!” He must have been running, his voice punctuated by his breathing.

“As long as she’s around, we can’t be together!” Anessa had turned her attention towards Evan who had finally appeared in Dani’s field of vision.

“We can’t be together even if she is around, Anessa! We talked about this: we just aren’t right for each other. We want different things, even in all this bullshit. I can’t be with someone who won’t let me be me! You hated my art, you hated the books I read, you hated my music, my friends, my faith!” Evan was beyond heated at this point, looking as if he was ready to tear out his hair because he couldn’t get this woman to understand.

Dani had no time to warn Evan that she wasn’t mortal; she could feel it in her bones.

Anessa cocked back the fiery log and went to swing it at him, but not before Dani was able to blast her with a bolt of fire.

Anessa’s body rag-dolled as it cartwheeled through the air and landed near the fire pit.

Dani pulled herself from the bushes and tried to call out to Evan as he ran to see if she was alright.

“You bitch!” Anessa was already standing before Evan even reached her.

“Evan!” Dani barked, pumping her legs as she ran towards him. Something in the pit of her stomach was telling her that this situation was about to get way worse.

Dani got to Evan in the nick of time.

Right before their very eyes, Anessa began to grow in size. Her beautiful mortal form morphed into a hideous creature over twice as big as she had once been.

Anessa had at least a dozen eyes on her face, a serpent-like nose, and a gnawing void where her mouth had been. The skin of her now naked body looked scorched and cracked. Even the locks atop her head were hideous: a matted mess of boar’s hair and feathers.

“Holy. Fuck.” Evan was dumbfounded as he watched his ex-girlfriend transform into a five-meter-tall, monstrous faery.

“Watch out!” Dani shoved Evan out of the way as Anessa’s only arm came swinging down, her fist planting itself deep into the embers of the fire.

Evan quickly gathered Dani and sprinted off towards the bushes again. They needed to put as much distance between her as they could.

“Fire won’t work on her.” Dani spoke hurriedly, glancing back to see Anessa working on taking her arm back.

“Why not?” Evan crouched close to her, whispering in the darkness.

“Look at her: her body is fire. Maybe I can use my light bolts or summon water up from the bathing pool.” Dani panted. Anessa was now plodding about, sniffing the air through the slits in her face; she could smell Dani.

“You can’t summon water.” Evan shook his head, pulling her deeper into the foliage around them.

“I can so! You saw me down at the pool.” Dani insisted.

“Remember when I asked if you couldn’t make it work?” Evan had Dani’s attention.

She just nodded.

“That’s because I saw you out there, struggling. Wanting so badly for that water to carry you away, but you were distracted. I couldn’t tell what by, so I brought you in with the wave.” Evan admitted.

“You know water magick?” Dani was amazed, but she remembered the whirlpool that had been created just a few days ago; that wasn’t just her doing, was it?

“Yes. That and Earth seem to be my expertise. I noticed yours are Earth and Fire.” Evan took Dani’s hand in his; a vine rose up from the dirt beneath their palms and wrapped up and around their hands.

“If we work together, this will be our strongest element. If I can find water, I can use it, but this is going to be our best bet.” Evan released Dani’s hand and the vine wiggled back underground.

Dani nodded again, enamored with how he was taking charge and helping her keep it together.

“I smell you, Dani. I knew there was something off about you, but in a mortal form, I can’t smell things the way I normally do. You’re Fae, aren’t you?” Anessa called out, still sniffing the air around her.

“Wait till she turns around.” Evan whispered to Dani and took off through the brush. He was able to go under the radar and made it to the pavilion before Anessa could even see him.

“Anessa!” He hollered out, “Why are you doing this?” Evan pleaded to the weak side of her; the side that was still infatuated with him.

“Because I love you, Evvie. I saw you out on a scouting trip with Pete and I knew that I had to have you. I shifted forms to look like the beautiful Mortal girls and joined up with a group looking for refuge.” Anessa had almost passed Dani and was beginning to head towards Evan’s voice.

“I steered them here. Followed your trail till we found the Hedgerow. I just wanted you to love me!” Anessa’s back was now towards Dani.

Without hesitation, she dove out of the bushes. Evan waited for that cue before barreling at Anessa himself.

The two met in the middle, climbing Anessa like a mountain. Simultaneously they summoned the roots from the giant Oak, the anchors ripping up through the dirt before winding themselves around Anessa’s giant form.

That’s when she roared. A scream so loud and violent that it shook the structures around them.

“Somebody is going to hear that.” Dani landed quietly on the ground and Evan touched down right beside her.

“Good, then we have back up!” Evan noticed that the troughs from the sink area were close enough for him to get to. With a flick of his wrist, a swirling funnel of water came crashing down from above, dousing the bound Anessa. Her whole body hissed and screamed along with the bellows that erupted from deep inside her.

Even though the water had extinguished most of the embers that were Anessa’s flesh, it wasn’t soon enough. She had burned through the roots and was now ready to annihilate her former captors.

Pop! Pop!

Something went whizzing past Dani’s head and struck Anessa in two of her twelve eyes. She screeched, flailing around her singular arm.

Dani turned shoulder to see Liam, his revolver aimed out in front of him. Pete and Wesley flanked him, with Tam Lyn and Wren not far behind.

“What in the hell is that?” Liam came up beside Dani and put her behind him.

“That would be Anessa.” She responded as three more pops went off. Wren had his own rifle at the ready.

“What is she?” Liam readied to fire off more rounds as Anessa pulled herself upright.

“I’m not sure. I’ve never seen anything like her before.” Dani held her hands up, palms out as Anessa came floundering towards them.

“She’s immune to fire. I think the bullets are just a nuisance.” Dani started lobbing bright red bolts of light at Anessa. Four more of her eyes went out in puffs of smoke. Only half were left and they were all on one side.

“Do you have iron bullets?” Dani waited as Evan kept Anessa at bay with large stones that he willed from the ground and pelted at her face.

“You can’t shoot iron rounds from a regular barrel; it’d mess up the grooves.” Wren fired a few more shots around Evan.

“Well, there goes my idea. I know nothing about guns.” Dani plunged her hands into the dirt and brought up two crystal bow staffs: one a violet amethyst, and the other a glittering pyrite.

“Natural iron.” Dani darted off towards Anessa, skillfully striking her over and over again with the staffs.

If Dani could create minerals out of the soil around them, Evan wondered if he could do the same. He felt the ground around him, trying to focus on drawing up the crystals from below. Evan had no idea how to do what she did.

Dani could feel the Earth vibrating beneath her. She knew that meant that someone was tapping into the mineral resources nearby.

She glanced up after jabbing out three more of Anessa’s eyes to see Evan elbow deep in the soil.

Dani reached down and touched the ground in direct alignment with him. The area around him shook and when he removed his hands, a huge Warhammer was pulled forth from the ground.

“What an imagination.” Dani chuckled, piercing another one of Anessa’s eyes as she got too close. There were two left and Anessa, or whoever she really was, had regressed to a wild animal. There were no more human words being spoken.

Evan came charging forward and sprung up like gravity wasn’t holding him down. He swung hard, smashing the hammer into the last two eye sockets.

Anessa dropped like a fallen tree, screaming the whole way down.

The duo had to jump back as her club-like feet landed in front of them.

“Is she dead?” Evan was breathing so hard Dani thought he would choke on his own words.

She tiptoed up to the fae’s face, prepared to check for any signs of life. She hovered her hand over Anessa’s throat to check for a pulse, shaking from all the adrenaline.

“Anything?” Evan leaned in to get a better look when Anessa sat straight up with a skull splitting roar; fluids and spittle spewing forth from her yawning mouth.

She would have eaten him had Dani not acted quickly. She cracked her pyrite staff in half and plunged it straight into the center of Anessa’s skull, exiting her lower jaw.

The monster slumped over in a heap, not able to take another breath.

Liam rushed over to Dani while Pete went to check on his friend.

Dani could hardly breathe; the energy coursing through her body at the moment was crushing her.

“Dani.” Liam wrapped his arms around her before picking her up and carrying her to one of the nearby tables.

“Evan. Is Evan okay?” Dani panted, trying to steady her heartbeat.

Liam turned back to see Pete with his arm draped around Evan. He had Anessa’s blood on his face and his eyes were wide in disbelief.

“He’ll be fine. Are you alright?” Liam had angled Dani’s face towards his to get a better look at her. Her right eye was blackened while the left’s brow was split open. Her lip was busted and the shirt she had changed into was burned from bust to hem.

“Dandy.” Dani half smiled. She felt a little crazy. One thing after another since she and Nissa decided to leave the tubes. More and more she wondered if they should have stayed where they were because of all the problems she was causing by being at the Hedgerow.

“You don’t look it. Maybe I should take you to the cottage.” Liam fawned over her.

“Seriously, Liam. I’ll be ok.” Dani stared past him at Evan who was being escorted away from the gruesome scene. A shock like that could put people in a weird headspace and Dani figured she’d be surprised if Evan ever said anything to her again.

He turned his head and caught sight of her watching him, his face was almost expressionless as their eyes met.

Everything was in slow motion as Pete led him off, presumably to his caravan.

She may have saved his life but at the expense of killing their friendship.