Chapter 27: Faeries Wear Boots

Friday, September 1st, 2006, Faerie Pocket

I stood in stunned silence, staring at the place where Maria had appeared to me. The myriad of pastel colors that decorated this fantastical and whimsical valley were blurred within my watery eyes, as were my loved ones who’d stopped to look at me from a few feet away. Wondering why I’d been talking out loud, no doubt.

I held up my hand, interrupting them before they could start, “Gimme a moment, please. I’ll ... I’ll explain in a minute.”

My Maria! She’d spoken to me! I was floored! My God! I never thought to see her again, let alone hear her sultry voice with her endearing Spanish accent. And she promised to come back later tonight! My heart was pounding, and my knees were weak—I couldn’t wait! She wasn’t alive but ... but it was something! She still WAS, she still EXISTED ... in some form at least! We could talk!

I’d bound her soul to mine!?! I didn’t even fully know what that meant, but it thrilled me nonetheless! This was the best I’d felt emotionally since she’d died! I was close to collapsing down and sobbing with relief, yet at the same time, I was too flabbergasted and stunned to do even that. I was struggling to pull my mind together. I felt even more overwhelmed right now than I had when I’d heard Malachar speaking in my head for the first time, which was right after I’d fucked my baby sister, taking her virginity. That was the most overwhelming thing I’d experienced in my life, and this was a close second, so that was saying a lot.

My brain almost couldn’t cope with the surrealness of it all. It seemed as if it had been just moments ago that I was in the Louvre with Violet searching for one of the five rings. One that I desperately needed so that I could get Malachar out of my head, which would simultaneously save me from this curse.

In what felt like a blink of an eye to my mind, we’d fled for our lives while being beaten to a pulp, only to run into the three Nosferatu-looking motherfuckers just as we’d thought we were in the clear. Then after a deadly car chase through nighttime Paris, we’d had a nightmarish escape through a thick brambly forest while being hunted by massive Demonic Hellhounds—or Firedogs as Malachar called them—only to stumble into a valley that was straight out of a children’s fairy tale—literally.

Whoever had bid us welcome was apparently one of the Fey, and this place was their home; they’d even sent a couple of luminescent balls of light to guide us here. And just as I was trying to wrap my brain around that—my senses reeling with relief, happiness, and awe—Maria had answered my most fervent wish and blew my mind.

<Maria! How is it possible!? Did you see her too?>

I did, indeed, m’boy! Astounding! In most cases, one must be able to summon the dead to communicate with them. Usually, they can not pierce the veil unbidden. If they do have the strength on their own, they are at best able to commit hauntings and various poltergeist effects, not be able to hold an understandable conversation like you just had. It’s remarkable, truly.

<Yeah! She’s a ghost! And ... and I can still talk to her! God ... you don’t know how much this means! I’ve been missing her so much! Fuck! I can’t wait until tonight! But it is night right now? Isn’t it? Or at least it was ... Damn, I don’t even know what time it is in this weird but miraculous place!>

Time flows differently in here; just go with what your senses tell you, and you’ll be fine. Yes, I am well aware of how much you’ve been pining away for Maria, and I understand how you feel. It’s great that she was able to appear before you, but the big question is, how in the Nine Hells did you bind her soul to you!?!

<I-I have no idea ... Don’t you? Haven’t you heard of a spell that can do that? I mean, didn’t you create the Hydra set, which does the same thing?>

Yes, I know WHAT you did, and of course, I know how to do it myself, but I know not how YOU did it! The spell I used to create that artifact took me years of research and effort, and you don’t even understand the base principles of magic. Toddlers from any of the realms under the protection of the Societatem Mysticorum know more than you! Yet, somehow you managed to do what took me a vast amount of supreme effort and skill. You should never have been able to replicate that feat! Let alone conjure up the power involved with doing so! You are an enigma, m’boy, an enigma of the highest order.

<Yeah, I don’t doubt that! But somehow, apparently, I did it. Somehow I bound my Maria to me!>

Hmm, perhaps ... Nah ... impossible!

<What? What’s impossible?>

Nothing, it defies all odds and would be preposterous in the extreme to even contemplate!

<What does? Even so, don’t leave me hanging, Dude! Spill the beans.>

I had the insane thought cross my mind that you might be a Soulmage, but it couldn’t be.

<Why not? Why couldn’t it be? And what’s a Soulmage?>

There have only been two Soulmages throughout recorded history; the last one died over seven thousand years ago. There is a theory that the reason for that is because they simply don’t survive the manifestation of their skills long enough to be noticed for what they are. From what I’ve read in my studies and from first-hand written accounts, what we know about Soulmages is that they draw upon their magic very similar to how Sorcerers do. The main difference is that their power is fueled by their very soul instead of their inner reservoir of stored energy—

<Stored energy?> I interrupted.

Yes, stored energy, or life-energy, to be precise. It is what normal practitioners use to fuel their casting. According to your memories, the Chinese know it as Chi, and the Polynesians know it as Mana. To us Wizards, we call it Saol, which translates to life, or in more ancient texts Fuil Beatha—lifeblood.

<Lifeblood ... gotcha.>

It is by tapping into that inner power that allows one to reach out to interact with the sixth element—magic. When a spellcaster performs his craft, he depletes some of his internal reservoir; as they cast, it binds together with the universal force. That force—which we call magic or possibility—is normally found in abundance everywhere. Well, except for here on Earth. As I’d previously explained to you, Morgana caused that depletion when she greedily tried to siphon off all of the planet’s magical force for her own selfish reasons, but I digress. Anyway, It takes time for that inner energy to replenish, especially when completely drained, which is why Violet felt fatigued after she enchanted the necklaces.

It has been postulated that a Soulmage using their soul does so similarly to how a Sorcerer uses their life energy to fuel their spells. Which is purely done by emotional need and not by using calculated reason and complex ritual like Wizards and Witches do. It is also theorized that Soulmages, like some Sorcerers, deplete too much and simply die from the over expenditure. There are rare exceptions where other gifted can die from overexertion as well, but I digress again.

If the legends are true and they learn akin to how a Sorcerer does, well, it fits with the theory. It would explain why ninety-nine-point-nine percent of them would die before becoming adept at using their ability. Especially since a novice Sorcerer casts uncontrollably based upon their emotions. If Soulmages do the same, then they would not have enough time to recover when depleted, and then ... Well, you get the point, I’m sure.

<You said that one’s lifeforce replenishes over time. What about one’s soul?>

They both replenish, but one’s life-energy replenishes at a very high rate—providing one is otherwise healthy and well-nourished—one’s soul, however, does not. So it would stand to reason that a Soulmage could easily overtax themselves and succumb before becoming trained well enough to learn their limits. Unlike Sorcerers—who would have a quick recovery time—they would be required to closely manage their resources. Of course, that’s providing the premise is correct at all since this is just conjecture. It could also simply be that there have only been the two Soulmages that history writes about. They were most likely just an anomaly, and since no one has ever been able to prove the thesis, no one knows for sure. Although...

<Were the two Soulmages very powerful?>

Reportedly, yes. Much more so than most magic users—if one is to believe what has been written anyway. Hmm, if the theory put forth at the academy IS correct ... Why that WOULD make an awful lot of sense in your case. It could explain the coma and the pain you feel when you unwittingly use your ability ... And you certainly do cast like a Sorcerer, which is through emotional need, not prepared spell as I stated. I had honestly thought that you were simply manifesting a Sorcerer’s powers.

I had supposed that because of some weird flux here on Earth—due to the vast majority of magic being absent—that that was why you were harming yourself whenever you used it. It is not unheard of for a small number of Sorcerers to die out in a similar fashion. It is an innate ability, after all, and not learned like Wizardry or Witchcraft—but I’m repeating myself now. I was praying that you would survive long enough to master it, to overcome whatever’s blocking you from fully utilizing your gift. Confound it, boy, but you are making me second guess myself! I need to think about this.

<Uh, okay, but if I am one of these Soulmages, then how do I survive? I know that you told me not to use my power, but I can’t control it. It just happens on its own. It happened again when I thought Violet was being killed, and it damn near knocked me unconscious that time too. It literally took everything that I had to force myself to stay awake. That scares me! I mean, what if next time I do pass out and something terrible happens to everyone because of it? What do I do, Malachar?>

I’m afraid that I can’t help you, m’boy. All I can tell you is that willpower is everything. Do the same thing the next time—if it occurs again. Steel yourself to hold on and to get a handle of your ability. Other than that, I’m afraid that I just don’t know. As I said, I’ll need to think about this some more. I’ll add it to the list. I also need to figure out just how screwed I am now that Violet is wearing my ring!

<Yeah, well, as much as you were yelling at me not to let her do it, if she hadn’t, we’d be dead, and you’d be starting all over from scratch anyway. So keep your bitchy tone down, Dude. There was no other way. At least this way, we’re all alive to find a solution. After all, it’s not your life on the line. If I die, then everyone I care about does too. You just go back to sleep!>

Yeah ... yeah ... Fine, you’re right. I just don’t like it. When she donned the ring, my soul was pulled in two different directions at once. If you each only had one, I don’t know what the result might’ve been. Thank goodness that you had two; that meant my soul was heavier over here, and that tipped the balance to my consciousness staying in your head, instead of either going over to her or getting torn asunder—perhaps even sending me to the void. Even so, it took me a while to fall back into sync. Thankfully, you did all right without my guidance. I was basically oblivious to what was going on from the moment the curse was activated on Violet to the moment I realized that you’d somehow stumbled into a Faerie Pocket. I did have vague impressions that filtered in from your consciousness to mine, but it was like trying to view the horizon from the inside of a fishbowl; the dimensions were out of wack.

<Speaking of the curse. You CAN cure her when we get you resurrected, right? And we CAN still break you free from the rings when we get all five? Right?>

If I get resurrected, then yes, I can cure her at the same time as I do you. As for what will happen if we get all five rings ... I honestly don’t know. A piece of my soul is stuck with her. I can feel her now. I can feel her emotions and her base senses. For example, I can tell you that right now, she is worried because you’re just standing still while staring off into space with tears running down your cheeks. I can also feel the wind on her face and smell the sweat coming from her aching body as she breathes in deeply. I can tell you that she’s enjoying the purple sun and sky.

<So ... that means you’re gonna know exactly how she feels whenever I flirt with her? Shit, I don’t know if I like that or not! Unless you decided to be a Bro and help me instead of being so deadset against us becoming a couple?>

Listen, m’boy, I’ve told you repeatedly that one does not pursue a Witch after she’s clearly rejected the offer! More than once! I will NOT be a party to your dangerous bumbling! It’s bad enough that she has a ring! DON’T agitate her!

<Jesus Christ, Dude! Chill out! Fuck, I’m sorry I even hinted at it! Let’s go back to you ignoring me when I chase after her. I promise you that I will not stop! I gave my condition to what would change my mind and until you give me a solid reason ... well, let’s just drop it! Is there no way to remove the ring?>

If she dies, then it can be removed. That’s the only way.

<Well, that settles that question at least.>

“Mommy? I’m hungie! Canz I eat?” Billy asked, his voice breaking through the silence, snapping me out of my internal dialogue.

I looked at all of my women as they stood in a semi-circle, watching me with concern.

“Eat! Go on eat, all of you! Sorry, I was just having a very important discussion in my head with Malachar,” I directed everyone as I waved my hands at them in encouragement.

“Are you okay, Sparky? You’ve been standing there lost in your head for over five minutes. Wanna share?” Abby asked with a frown.

“Yeah, you looked like you were crying there for a second, Baby. You all right?” Mom added, concerned.

“Yeah, I’m great, actually,” I replied, giving them all a reassuring smile. “It’s just that I just saw and spoke with Maria’s ghost—”

“Maria!? What!?! How!?” Heather demanded excitedly, interrupting me.

“But we didn’t see her!” Stacy exclaimed, puzzled. “I mean, I didn’t! Did anyone else? Where is she? Is she still here now?”

“I didn’t see anything, and I was staring right at him when he started talking out loud. Are you sure it was real? I mean, you did take some blows to the head earlier,” Angie pointed out as she looked over at me critically.

“Blows to the head can have all sorts of consequences,” Aimee confirmed worriedly as she made to step forward to examine me until I waved her back.

“That’s amazing! Is she still here?” Sheila gasped in awe, clearly believing me at face value.

“I guess it’s not a far stretch for me to believe in ghosts after having been attacked by an Illusionist, found out that I’m a Witch, subsequently attacked by a Werewolf, then jumped on by some weird purple tentacled bastards, and then three vampire looking, Wizards. Not to mention the fact that we were all rescued by a Fairy of some sort and now find ourselves in some mystical valley that looks like it came straight out of the imagination of some kid’s idea of paradise,” Violet shrugged ruefully as she caught my eye. “Somehow, after all that, I do believe that you really did see her, and I hope that she’s at peace.”

“Did she say anything? Can she appear to us too?” Mom asked, sounding both eager and dumbfounded at the same time. “So the afterlife IS real! I always wondered,” she added, looking relieved. “Maybe ... maybe one day I could see your father...” she wished hopefully as the reality of what I’d just claimed set in.

“Oh! I’d love to see Daddy again!” Heather piped up, sounding hopeful.

“I don’t think that’s how it works, Goldilocks, but I’d love to see him again too,” Abby replied as she pulled our baby sister into a fierce hug.

“Did she say why she appeared?” Violet asked curiously as she gave me a sympathetic smile.

“Is she like ... okay? I hope it doesn’t hurt being dead and all,” Stacy piped up with concern as the thought burst out of her.

“Ghosts can’t feel pain, silly!” Heather chuckled as she cuddled into Abby’s arms.

“Well, I dunno! Maybe they can! I mean, Werewolves and Demon Dogs aren’t supposed to be real either,” Stacy grumbled with a pout.

“I didn’t really get to say much. Maria told me that she’d visit me later tonight so that we could talk; she also told me to give all of you her love. Trust me, I have a gazillion questions! Apparently, it takes energy for her to appear to me. God, I miss her like crazy, but just seeing her again lifted my spirits so much!” I explained to my women as they crowed around, smiling happily for me.

“Well, give her all of our love right back, Jake,” Mom said kindly as she stepped up and hugged me tightly. “Tell her that we all miss her more than she can ever know.”

“Yeah, please do, Hunny-Bunny! Oh, and tell her how much Billy misses her! She was the best babysitter we’ve ever had, and both of us miss her like crazy! Tell her that she was more than that too; she was family.”

“Tanty, Maria? I wanz to play wit Tanty Maria!” Billy shouted excitedly as he gurgled happily and clapped his hands.

“Hush, Sweetheart. Maria’s not here right now, Baby. I’ll explain it to you later,” Sheila promised as she hugged her son tightly, giving him a kiss.

“I wanz Tanty Maria to read me ‘One fish! Toof fish!’” Billy pouted.

“She can’t, my sweet, sweet, little Billy-Goat. I’m sorry, but Maria’s gone far away, and she can’t come back right now,” Sheila told him sadly as she squeezed him tightly again.

“Oh,” he pouted sadly while squeezing his chubby little arms around his mother’s neck.

“Yeah, she was so good to us. It meant so much to me how patient she was with answering all of my dumb questions. Tell her that I love her and miss her very, very much and that I wish she was still alive with us!” Stacy added dejectedly.

“Tell her thanks for saving your life,” Abby directed me somberly. “She was braver than I’d ever thought possible, and I’ll always be grateful to her for what she did.”

“Yeah! Tell her that we all appreciate what she did for you and us! I really loved her too, JJ!”

“Yes, do tell her how much she was loved by us all, Magic-Man. She was a treasure, and by saving your life at the expense of her own, she saved all of us, and we will never forget her sacrifice,” Violet implored me emotionally.

“I-I didn’t really get a chance to know her that well, but she was very kind to me, and I was very sad to see her die. Tell her that I’m sorry about what happened and that I wished I could have gotten to know her better,” Aimee said quietly after everyone else had stopped speaking.

“I will. I’ll tell her everything you’ve said. I’m sure that she’ll be touched by how much love you all have for her. Now, as she bade me, let’s all sit down and eat. I’m about ready to fall on my ass as it is, and my body is ravenous. I’ve used every ounce of energy I have. I’ve pretty much been on reserves since before Violet and I left the Louvre. I bet I sleep for a week after I crash out for the night!” I said without exaggeration as a yawn punctuated my words just as my stomach growled loudly at the same time.

“Bade me? What? You walk into some weird Fairyland, and you start talking like some old adventurer from the middle ages,” Abby laughed, poking fun at me as usual, which caused my energizer bunnies to giggle, lightening the mood.

“Stuff it, Snowflake! Before I throw you over my lap and tan your hide again,” I grinned back.

“Oooh! Do it, Tarzan! And then I’m next!” Stacy giggled.

“Enough, silliness for now. I’m seriously starving, and I feel as if I’ve had a house dropped on me, and I’m not even a Witch!” I quipped with a chuckle. I made my way over to the abundantly laden table, plopping myself down in the center of one of the benches.

“Watch it, Buster, or I’ll dropkick you and make you feel like one had!” Violet threatened me playfully to my sisters’ further amusement.

Everyone joined me. Abby and Heather being the quickest to flank me on either side. Stacy sat next to Heather, of course, and Violet sat next to Abs. Mom and Sheila sat across from me with Billy on a wooden booster seat, in between them—Crann had thought of everything it seemed. Aimee sat across from Violet and Angie across from Stacy.

We were all sore, tired, filthy, and even the best of us had plenty of scratches from the thick brush we’d fought through, and a couple of us had plenty worse. Yet the feast before us, plus the fact that we were safe in this magical valley, had us feeling euphoric. Especially since I’d announced that I’d seen and spoken with Maria. Even though we’d lost many guards and Alan and Sharif were most likely dead as well, none of us let it affect our good mood. We ate and drank until we were about to burst.

I leaned forward on my elbows, having just pushed my plate away, and reached for a flagon of what had to be some sort of melon-type punch. Whatever it was, it was damnded delicious. In fact, everything I’d eaten was. Without a doubt, it was the single best meal I’d ever eaten. We all had our fill and were now experiencing the lethargy one felt after a scrumptious meal. Billy was asleep in his mother’s arms, and the others were starting to make themselves comfy on the grass next to the hillside.

“Oh, God, I’m soooooo stuffed!” Heather moaned as she lay back on the blue-green grass that she’d trampled down flat into a small circle. “And so dirty! I really want a shower!” she added mournfully as she picked a few burrs from her tangled dirty-blonde hair.

“More stuffed than when Jake puts it in your butt?” Stacy giggled as she flopped down next to her. “And you’re not the only one who needs a shower! I’m full of dried blood and mud!” she grimaced, her giggling coming to a halt as she voiced the thought.

“Uh-huh! Even more than that! The food was so yummy! Maybe Crann has a bathtub? She must wash too!”

“I sooooo loooooved that cake! It tasted so awesome! I’ve never tasted that flavor before. It was almost like butterscotch and coffee, but not quite,” Aimee tittered as she went to sit at the girls’ feet. “I feel so wonderful! All warm and fuzzy! And I’m sure that we can get clean after, even if we have to wash in the pink river! Can you believe that it’s sooooo pink!?!”

“You’re stuffed, Goldilocks? I’m more stuffed than what you guys did to me the other day! Seriously! I think I ate a bit too much,” Abby groaned as she flopped down next to our baby sister and unbuttoned her shorts. “And the pink river kinda goes well with the whole pastel make-believe world that we’ve fallen into. I should call you Alice instead of Aimee,” she quipped, and they all giggled at that.

“It certainly was the most delicious meal that I’ve ever had,” Mom agreed as she yawned prettily beside me, her arm around my waist, her head resting on my shoulder. “A bath or shower can wait for me, or I’d probably find a way to drown—I’m so tired. Although, if I smell even half as ripe as my Jake-e-poo does, maybe that’d be a good idea!”

I half-heartedly slapped my Mom’s ass before contagiously yawning myself and kissing the top of her head.

“It most certainly was! This place must be what Heaven is like!” Sheila added as she also yawned—it seemed to be catching. “I could use a nap too, Kell.”

“Same here. I’m surprised at how relaxed I feel after having just witnessed so much death and destruction. My muscles even feel a little less sore. It’s as if this place is a balm for our souls,” Violet observed as she stood up from the table and stretched like a cat. My eyes followed, glued to her, appreciating her lithe form, even as beat up as she was.

“Is that why Maria is here and that Jake could see and speak to her? Is this Heaven for real?” Stacy asked curiously.

“No, I wouldn’t think so,” Violet shrugged. “Although, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Heaven was run by magical Fairies at this point. A month ago, I would have called you crazy if you tried to tell me that places like this even existed. All I do know for sure is that we aren’t dead! This valley and our host saved our bacon!”

“I agree, the food was perfection on a plate, and I’m Italian and know good food! This was even better than my Nan’s!” Angie exclaimed, sounding a bit shocked by her own confession. “Do ... do you think that I will see my family’s ghosts here, Jake?” she asked me a little trepidatiously after a moment’s pause. “I’d really love to be able to speak to them again ... If only to say a proper goodbye. I-I ... I think that it would make me feel so much better,” she added softly, her wishfulness apparent.

“I’m sorry, Ang, but I don’t think so. Maria said that I bound her soul to mine, and I think that your family’s spirits went on to wherever they were supposed to go. Though I believe in my heart of hearts that they are at peace now,” I said gently. “I know how much you miss them, and if there is ever a way ... Well, if I ever learn how to communicate with people who’ve passed ... I promise that I’ll make it so that you can talk to them,” I vowed, looking into her liquid brown eyes with all of the love and compassion that I could muster.

“Thank you, Jake. You’re the most kind, caring, yet evil bastard that I know,” she whispered softly as her eyes glistened wetly, a small smile briefly appearing on her face before she turned to wander away. I watched her shapely ass for a moment as she headed towards the pink river, which was only a dozen yards from our picnic spot.

“Whatever this place is, it’s awesome! I feel safer now than I have since I met you guys, and that WAS the best food I’ve ever eaten too! Look, even Killer loves it here,” Aimee tittered as she pointed to our German Shepard pup, who gave an obligatory yip while chewing contentedly on a Turkey leg.

“I am glad that you enjoyed it, daughters of Eve and son of Adam,” Crann said, her musical voice sounding like chimes on the wind, seeming to come from everywhere at once.

“Why do you call us daughters of Eve? My Mom’s name was Sandy. Well, she might be my birth Mom, but my REAL Mom is Mrs. O’Conner, and her name is Kelly,” Stacy asked, puzzled, as she spun her head looking for the source of the voice.

“Aww! I love you, Stacy, and you ARE my daughter! Come here!” Kelly exclaimed as she left me to swoop over, pulling Stacy up into a tight hug.

“It’s because according to the Abrahamic religions, Humankind was started by Adam and Eve,” Violet stated kindly as she wandered over to stand where the girls had clustered together. “So if you think about it—if what the book says is true—then that means that all Humans come from the original two. That’s what she means when she says that,” she added. Wiping crumbs from her hands, she flopped down beside Abby with a tired sigh.

“Oh? Like what’s in the bible? I went to church a couple of times when I was younger because my parents liked to drop me off for Sunday school so they could go drinking. Eve’s the one who convinced Adam to eat the apple, right?”

“Exactly,” Violet smiled over at her.

“Thank you for the wonderful feast, Crann. It was much needed and very appreciated, as is your offering us shelter here from our enemies. You undoubtedly saved our lives, and I am in your debt,” I said gratefully. “Would it be okay to ask you some questions now?”

“What was in your food? I feel amazing!” Heather giggled.

“Yes, now is the time to talk, son of Adam. There is much you desire to ask, I am sure,” she replied musically. “Look above you. I am here now. I apologize for not greeting you before in person. I had important wards to set and defenses to put into place, and they needed to be dealt with swiftly to make sure that those malevolent Wizards had no chance to break through into my refuge. None who seek destruction will find succor or welcome here. Especially if they are from the Consilium de Ardenti ad Petram. Not while I still draw breath.”

Everyone looked up at the same time as I did, and a collective gasp sounded out from my women as they saw the three-foot-tall Fairy flying stationary above us. Her translucent wings were fluttering akin to a hummingbird, looking like a silver blur, and they were almost as large as her whole body. Now that I was looking, I could just barely hear the soft buzzing coming from the vibrations.

Whatever type of Faerie she was, she was most definitely female and breathtakingly gorgeous to boot. I didn’t have a clue how old she might be, but she looked like a teenager in both her face and body. She was petite of stature, and her proportions perfectly reflected that with her perky apple-sized breasts, slender hips, and shapely legs and arms that ended in dainty feet and hands. She had brown skin that was a light caramel in color and bright green hair—wispy in nature; it gently flowed around her with the breeze. I noticed right away that her toenails and fingernails matched her hair color to a tee.