5. Approached by a Cloaked Figure

Relieved to leave the magical Lodge and its throngs of Fae patrons, you stopped for a slice of pizza at Sizzle Pie.  Your  shoulders relax under the familiar sound of Portland traffic and the afterglow of melty cheese. 

You must have lost your mind to deepen your relationship with the Fae further. Especially after what you read about elves and sylphs. At least the vast majority of elves live in the Underworld and not anywhere near you.

The flow of afternoon foot traffic in Portland carries you to the garage containing your car. You wait patiently for the elevator when someone tall emerges from the shadows and your nerves catch fire.

A man dressed in black with that same wide, dark hood you recall from Fògradh Lodge slides beside you. You catch a glimpse of short grey beard before he speaks. "Stare straight ahead. Don't make eye contact, friend. We've no clue who may be watching." His Scottish brogue is thick.

All moisture evaporates from your mouth and breaks out instead as sweat. "I saw you-"

"Shh. Don't speak. It's not safe. We’ve been following you to ensure your Fae dealings leave you unscathed."

And probably to get information for your own purposes. You flash the mysterious man a weak smile while edging back a step. "And what deal must I make with you for the pleasure?"

The man pushes off from the wall and eases around a corner. “No deal, we want nothing from you, only to protect you. Once you finish the errand for our mutual acquaintance, I'll find you. We'll compare notes, and I think you'll find the ultimate source of our shared friend's information quite surprising. That book's owners may want those pages back."

___

All that incense and chanting gave you a pounding headache that made processing all that you witnessed a challenge.  Knowing Fae could work powerful magic was one thing, seeing how masterfully one could manipulate a room full of people proved horrifying.

Before you hurry out the gaudy, overly Victorian door, you grab one of the brochures to show Pangur Ban what his phooka friend is up to so deep in the city.  

A cult.  Fae literally running a cult. Why?  Perhaps the vaporous cat will have answers. Your shadowy new friend seems to have knowledge of the magical world as well.

Visit Pangur Ban at the Lodge, get your new pages, and meet the shadowy stranger.