Chapter Twenty-One

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

When I returned to my room, I found two things. First, Luke had placed a pile of books on my desk that was so tall it threatened to fall over. The second was the backpack I'd tossed in San Francisco.

My banmuinen and I sat away from the bag as it lay there on the bed. I explained to them what the bag was and who gave it to me.

"Should we get the guards to take this bag and destroy it?" Elsie asked.

"There might be a spell on the bag," Jeanne whispered.

Beth was still not speaking to anyone. However, she looked pretty worried I was going to make her open it, and believe me, I thought about it. However, since Luis hadn't stormed in here, I figured out it would not kill me. 

I also realized that it represented another gift I foolishly took from a Fae. Years of my mother's training fled just because family and friends charmed me. She'd drilled into me to never accept gifts without asking what they want in return and don't say thank you. That gift on the bed had bound me just as the box of jewels and the key had bound me. To break the geas on me, I must offer something more valuable in return. I had no idea what that would be. I decided to be the brave one and approached the bag with a letter opener I'd taken from the desk.

I poked the bag and jumped back to stand on the chair. The other women all squeaked and cringed.

Nothing happened, of course. I blew out an embarrassed breath and hopped down from the chair. Then I inched towards the backpack and sat down next to it.

"Oh be careful, My Lady!" Jeanne squawked.

Seeing that I was still not dead, I risked opening the bag. Everything that Mike had given me was in the bag, along with the cherry cokes I'd lobbed at my kidnappers. They had no dents.

"We should get rid of it, My Lady," Elsie advised me once more.

"Can't..." I mumbled, my lips twisting, appreciating the irony of gifts I couldn't give away. "It's a gift from a Fae."

"Oh, dear..." Jeanne put her hands against her heart in dismay.

"Try pouring salt on it."

I looked up from the bag in surprise at Beth's suggestion. It was a good idea.

"Why are you helping me?"

She looked away from my stare. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I'm not happy about this. Erick was mine, but I did something horrible to you when we were kids because I was jealous. You should execute me... but you haven't, My-My Lady." She swallowed and grimaced as she said the honorific. Must have tasted like earwax in her mouth to say it.

It wasn't much of an apology, but I wasn't ready to accept one anyway. "I should, but I won't."

Elsie scoffed. "You made a geas with Our Lady when you agreed to be her banmuinen. Nothing is yours unless she allows it."

Wait. What? I closed my eyes and shook my head. Never mind. It wasn't the time right then to explore that statement. "Do we have any salt?" 

"I can go check with Danela, My Lady," Elsie said turning to me with a beaming expression as though she expected head pats for giving Beth a dressing-down.

"Great, th-uh-go do that." I winced as I almost thanked Elsie.

She left to go check and we all sat there staring at the bag until she got back. It had remained stationary and didn't eat one of us — not even Beth.

There are truths about Faery-lore that I learned from many trips to the library, and at my mother's knee. Yarrow is poisonous to the Fae, for instance. I'd found out that the knife Joseph had cut me with was dipped in yarrow when Luis learned of my symptoms.

Another truth is that salt is can remove most Fae magic from an item. Since many Sidhe wear magic shoes, for instance, crossing a salt line is something they avoid. Salt can't remove every magic, but I hoped it would work. 

I'm only a half-Sidhe, so the salt doesn't do much to me except make me thirstier than usual, but spirits were susceptible, as I learned when I'd summoned that evil doll spirit. Mother had dumped half a carton of salt on it to kill it and it had worked. Salt was all-purpose enough that I usually had at least a shaker-full on me at all times — when I wasn't being kidnapped, that is.

However, it's a lie about the iron thing - same with stuffing your pockets with St. John's wort. The Fae dislike that herb, but they can still approach it, regardless. They invented the iron myth so they could move around in the mortal world without causing fear.

"We had some, but please be careful with it, My Lady," Elsie said when she returned. She handed the bag of salt to me like it was a bomb.

"Th... err..." I nodded after almost thanking her again. Nods were safe, right?

"Good job, My Lady. You are learning. But we've both already thanked you when we met," Elsie said about herself and Jeanne. "It's the tradition of the banmuinen to always thank their Lady for her kindness. Thanking us now is perfectly safe. You're safe to thank all your court as your thanks cannot bind you to any more than you're already bound."

Well that was a relief to know, since I probably wouldn't remember not to thank them. I emptied a cup holding pens on the desk and scooped a little salt from the bag. Jeanne turned squeamish and turned away. They were all acting as though I was pouring battery acid on my bag. "Relax, it's okay. I'm only a half."

I dumped the cup of salt into the bag and shook it around. Then, I took out the cellphone.

I flipped it open. Yes. Mike was so cheap he used an early 2000's flip phone for his curse.

One of the first things I'd done when I'd been alone was to check to see if my phone worked. It didn't. My computer had worked however when I went to try that out. It didn't connect to places on the Earth, however. All the sites were based in Aleria. Mike's phone had bars but my smartphone didn't.

I dialed Mike, and it rang.

He didn't answer the phone, but I hadn't expected him to. 

"Nuts. It still works. Salt doesn't work on his magic."

"How could that be?" Elsie asked.

"Perhaps a Fae didn't create the magic." Beth helpfully supplied again.

"He's a Nirumbee, maybe that's why?" I said.

"No. The Edentrees made the Nirumbee," Elsie said.

My mother told me that the legend of the origin of the Fae began in the Garden of Eden. Although left out of the account, fruits and nuts created most of the Fae. They were gardeners and helpers for the trees in Eden. However, the Nirumbee, goblins, trolls, and dwarves were made from the mud left over when the Creator made people. 

The Nirumbee possessed a special gift that allowed the trees to link to the mortal world. When the mortal world fell, they escaped with other solitary Fae before the Garden was closed. That is why there are still legends of Big Foot and Yeti, and other sightings of strange, magical cryptids on the Earth.

"My mother said the Nirumbee formed from the earth  when the Creator formed the humans and animals."

Elsie looked at the bag. "So Nirumbee magic is one of those exceptions to the rule. I see. I had always thought the Edentrees made them."

I hesitated to dump the salt on my mother's box. What if I came to regret it? With a sigh, I set the salt aside and turned to the ladies.

Beth was staring at her hands, looking stricken. I guess she hadn't thought of the consequences of coming here to interfere with the Becoming. It burned my curiosity, so I had to ask, "Why did you agree to be my banmuinen. Didn't you know you'd be making some sort of vow?"

She glanced up at me. "No. I wasn't told that, err... My Lady." She looked surprised that she admitted that and covered her mouth.

My eyes narrowed. "Okay. Spill it. Out with it."

She took her hand from her mouth. "Erick came to the Earth and visited us the day before he caught you. It was the first time in four years I had seen him and he wanted nothing to do with me. I was desperate! I followed him to San Francisco without him knowing. There was a large cupboard in the van they drove, so I stowed away." She coughed violently and looked at me with shock.

"You commanded her to speak the truth, My Lady, that's why she must."

Interesting. "Okay, go on."

Beth tried to resist and turned red with the effort. But more words tumbled out despite her effort. "Once they parked the van, I lept out and found the maid's outfit in the laundry room which was near the garage. Everyone thought I was a new hire and put me to work. I met Emerlee who was carrying on in her room over being dumped and I felt sorry for her! She'd had her man stolen by the same wench that stole mine! I thought being your banmuinen would make me be able to get revenge!"

I snorted in derision, "Guess that didn't work out so well."

Her jaw clenched, "No, My Lady. And I saw her give your aunt the room key. I knew that they were plotting something."

So she had left that out and not warned anyone. Well, being stuck with me as her boss was an unsavory consequence to her. 

Jeanne sneered at Beth. "Well, now you're stuck unless Our Lady loses. The geas goes both ways. She can't release you."

I tried to do it. "I release Beth from being my banmuinen."

I stared at her for a minute, then I gave a command. "Hop on one foot."

To her horror, she began to hop. Nope. Guess it didn't work. 

"Well, let's get to work on these books, and get me ready for this dumb party. You can stay there and hop, Beth." Yes, yes. I know. Petty.

While Beth hopped, the rest of us spent the time before the ceremony studying. As I made my way through the pile, I found a slim notebook, written in Luke's hand. It stated the rest of the rules that I should follow while in court.

One. Upon entering, the doorman would greet me and have me announced. I would need to hold my head high as one of the Elect. Two. The Elect had the same station as royals until defeated, thus they didn't need to kneel or prostrate before the Counsul, the high priestess, or the nobles. I would have to prostrate before the Goddess. Yeah. Not happening. Three. I must always keep a member of my court with me since there had already been an assassination attempt. Four. I couldn't accept food from strangers at the party, since it could be poisoned. All food at the tables was being overseen for safety so it was fine to get food from the tables. Five. The ceremony would begin with the highest Elect contestant going first and the lowest going last. The high priestess would draw the knife over each Elect's palm. Six.  If the knife didn't cut her, she would take the chalice of oil and touch it to herself and each member of the court, including her banmuinen and any concubines. Seven. The bond of commitment would make a seal where the oil had been applied in the form of the Elect's family crest. Eight.  After that, she would pour water on the stone of destiny, and if it rang, then her status as an Elect would become valid. Nine.  If the stone did not ring, she may offer Duir and her consorts gifts to receive mercy and be able to go forward as an Elect.  Ten.  Luke had provided three gold coins to serve as gifts.

I told Beth to stop hopping, and we left for the party. 

I was the last to leave, and I picked up the small book, but I forgot the gold coins. 



You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net