Chapter 2

Though the early Spring morning was still crisp, the young people who exited Savery Hall onto the Quad wore little in the way of warm clothing. As is often the case with the young, fashion won out over practicality. Tee shirts and shorts or skirts seemed the attire of choice. Ending classes spilled students into the crisp air from all angles. Shouts left the earlier peace shattered like thin ice. To the watchers in the shrubs, these young people stood out as brightly haloed human forms, giving off an inner light. Waves of unknown, uncontrolled energy caused them to cast a warm glow. Ah, the power of youth! The Folk had long known that the best source of energy, to fuel their magic, was from the human young.

Before the onset of human puberty was the prime time to bring mortals into the fold, but modern mortal laws and mores ruled that out for all but the desperate, or the foolish. Before puberty, mortals were still willing to believe in fairies, and to even accept that a parallel world to their own could exist. Even into their early teens, young women were still prone to believe in the Land of the Fay. But once they reached their late teens and became more focused on the mortal world (and their own shallow problems) the potential in them slowly, but surely, died out.

Although there was still some suppressed potential in the crowd of seventeen, eighteen and nineteen year-olds leaving class, the three watchers focus was still on the flash of energy that had just escaped the front of Savery. A young, strawberry blond beauty exited in a corona of light that caused even Morgan to suck in his breath. And he had seen it before. Gareth recoiled as if struck. Only Emory’s hand in the middle of his back kept him upright. A feral light burned in Emory’s eyes.

Normally, the mortal world could not see members of the Folk, unless one of its members sets aside their glamour and wants to be seen. All the Folk had to worry about were simple animals and those few members of the mortal world that could catch the barest glimpse out of the corner of their eyes. But even that number was shrinking.

At nineteen, Erin Anderson was one of the shrinking number. She was a statuesque beauty who traveled in a cloud of admirers to which she gave equal thought, or no thought at all, depending on your point of view. And, since she had no idea the power of her hidden talent, she didn’t actually see what her mind’s eye told her was there. So she tried to hide a slight stumble of hesitation when her eyes locked briefly onto Emory’s across the yard.

Having made the contact, no matter how brief, Emory was quite content to obscure himself, and the others, in a magic thickening of fog. A fog so subtle that Erin, if asked, couldn’t say what had caused the stumble. Her suite-mate Megan, however, noticed the hesitation and put out a steadying hand. It never quite went all the way toward touching Erin.

“Erin, you all right?” Megan asked while shifting her book bag.

Erin still glanced at the hedge. She settled her backpack and then said, “Yeah, I just thought...”, She slowly shook her head as if to clear her vision, or grasp at the last tendril of that vision, but it was gone. Brightly, she said, “So, back to the dorm and then on to the Intramural Activity Center?”

“It wouldn’t be Friday night if it didn’t include a sweat fest at the IMA, now would it?” offered Megan. Their laughter indicated that the comment had hit the intended mark, it lightened the mood.

The group that worked its way cross campus to McMahon Hall included Erin and Megan, Wendy the third in their suite, as well as Wendy’s boyfriend Robert. They were soon joined by Megan’s boyfriend, Richard. Of this group, only Megan and Richard really knew what had happened at the Quad.

Richard knew exactly what had taken place at the Quad because he had been briefed in advance, and because as a Squire at Court he was of the Folk himself. He had been sent ahead as an advance scout when the quake in the lays of Magic had been felt by Emory. Having him present in the group of friends allowed for watching of another type. That he had taken Megan as his human lover, had more advantages than could be counted. Because he had access to a nearly unlimited source of energy from his relationship with Megan, he did not need to return to Court in order to recharge. That Megan and he had actually fallen in love, and that it was not a “taken” relationship, made it that much better. Often members of the Unseelie court took what they needed when they needed it. This was how the stories of the Vampire came to be.