Shadows to Stars Chapters 5 and 6

Of all the things you discovered in the Lodge's upstairs library, the Unseelie recruiting poster freaks you out the most. You recall enough Fae lore from your childhood to know the Night Court sounds terrifying, an entire army of them doubly so.

You find the cait sith lounging in the high branch of a tree and beckon him down, holding the recruiting poster up for him to see.

Pangur Ban stretches out a single claw and skewers the page while he phases almost entirely to a gaseous state before solidifying. "Oh, my mortal friend, this is most certainly the center of the proverbial storm. The Unseelie became extremists united in their loathing of humanity and their belief that the dark gentry are superior to all others. That they are recruiting here does not bode well for your kind."

You swallow hard.

"The crowd is thinning at the bar, wait for me in the library while I attempt to get the witch to read me. You'll get those pages when Selina and I conclude our chat."

There's something off about that cat. Aside from the obvious. You decide to remain close to that bar and go on your own personal information gathering operation.

You find a place at a small unoccupied table against the wall, far enough from the feline, but close enough to eavesdrop. The hair on the back of your neck prickles. A quick glance over your shoulder reveals the cloaked figure seated alone at one of the tables ringing the largest tree, shadowy cowl facing your exact location.

The sooner you can get out of this place the better.

Selina spent the night coaxing her customers into conversation, dropping hints about the island and the wards, but no one seemed inclined to help. If they knew anything, they hid it well.

Maybe Hieronymous understood the situation better than Selina thought. Even the Fae might be avoiding Sauvie Island because not one seemed aware of the wards. Of course there remained the possibility some did know but kept that knowledge secret.

With a sigh, she wiped down the bar.

A glittering, fanged smile shimmered into view. It floated there, disembodied beneath luminous green eyes. The grin wove through the air, slipping between candles and bowls of snack food before coming to rest directly in front of her. It tilted, flipping upside down.

The rest of the cat materialized. Black as ink, he stretched long on his back, his tail languidly sweeping the bar.

Cait sith.

The only troublemakers worse than a phooka.

Green eyes gleamed up at her. “Couldn’t help but overhear.”

“There are thousands of conversations here every night. You’ll have to be more specific.” Selina disliked cait sith; they’d gotten her into situations she’d barely escaped from alive.  

The feline rolled to his feet and sat primly, tail curled around his paws. All cait sith were black with a single white patch on their chests. The white mark on this Fae’s chest caught the candlelight: a perfect, lily-white phallus. 

Selina bit the inside of her cheek. Poor bastard. Laughing would be a mistake. Cait sith were vain and prone to holding grudges. One wrong word, one unfortunate snicker, and he could become her worst enemy. She swallowed it down. “You’re a brave cat, spying in Hieronymous’s pub like this.”

The cait sith flickered, leaving only his glowing eyes and toothy grin. “Spying is such a harsh word.” He reappeared, reclining lazily. “I was simply napping along one of the tree branches when your incessant yammering woke me. Truly unbearable.” He arched his back in an exaggerated stretch. “I didn’t want to hear your pathetic tale. It assaulted my ears.”

Selina narrowed her eyes. “And?”

The feline’s grin sharpened. “I may know how to help.”

That was enough to make her suspicious. Cait sith weren’t known for their generosity. If he had an offer, it would come at a steep price. “And what would your aid cost me? My immortal soul?”

The Fae lowered his glossy head, ears drooped. “Selina, Selina, so cynical.” He head-butted her shoulder, weaving around her arms in lazy figure eights. “It doesn’t suit you.”

She clenched her jaw. “Get to the point, cat.”

He purred, settling into a loaf position on the counter. “I could put you in touch with a Fae who lives deep in Portland. Someone who would be very interested in your story. And as luck would have it, he owes me a favor.” The cait sith flexed his claws. “I could transfer his debt to you.”

Selina picked up a pint glass and wiped the inside, deliberately slow. “And in return?”

The cat’s tail flicked, and a low purr rumbled. “A trifle, really.”

When Fae said that, they wanted the moon. “A trifle. That’s actual Fae code for ‘sell me your immortal soul.’”

He flattened his ears. “You wound me.” The purring continued, deep and deliberate. “Your prophetic gift is rare even among Fae. It’s simple, my dear. I want you to read my future.”

Selina’s heart sank.

A simple request. Except it wasn’t. Her Sight didn’t work on command. Visions crashed into her unbidden, and only the gods knew when or where they’d strike. 

She set the glass down. “I can’t guarantee that. My ability has a mind of its own.”

“I know.” He tapped his claws against the bar. “All I ask is that you try. If nothing happens, no harm done. But if a vision of me ever comes, even through another’s reading, I want to know. And whatever you see?” His continuous grin fell. “You tell no one but me.”

Selina eyed him warily. The deal seemed too straightforward, and she’d been burned by so many Fae bargains before. She repeated his request aloud.

The cait sith gave a slow nod of approval.

She drummed her fingers against the counter. “And this Fae who owes you a boon? What were the terms of his debt?”

The grin returned. “The poor sucker bargained with me long ago in the old country. As you can imagine, he was in dire straits.” His green eyes glittered with mischief. “What I gave him is of no concern to you. What matters is that he was desperate enough to make a very open-ended deal.”

Electricity shot up Selina’s spine.

“This phooka owes me a boon,” the cait sith continued. “I may redeem it any time, for anything I wish. And if you read me, that debt becomes yours.”

Selina’s jaw hung slack. A favor like that was priceless. Her mind spun looking for the trick, but there was none. Fae couldn’t lie, and he’d stated the deal plainly. 

She leaned forward. “You’re actually serious.”

“As a heart attack, as humans say.” He inspected a claw. “Though I think you’re a fool for spending such a handsome boon on this Charlotte person.” He tilted his head, eyes slitted in amusement. “So. Do we have a deal?”

Selina studied him, then nodded.

The cait sith extended a paw.

She grasped it between her hands and closed her eyes. Normally, it took less than a second for the visions to hit. Several seconds passed. Nothing.

She opened her eyes. “I’m not getting anything.”

The cat’s ears perked. Then he let out a delighted cackle. “Well, well.” He flipped onto his back, paws curled against his chest. “This is truly my lucky day.”

He flickered, dissolving into darkness, leaving only those green eyes and his toothy grin. “Selina, you have given me peace. Absolutely nothing of import will happen to me again. I am finally safe.”

Selina wasn’t sure what to make of that. Still, she was relieved not to have to justify the lack of a vision. “Where do I find this phooka?” she called.

“8026 Southwest Canyon Road,” the cat Sith’s voice purred. “Tell him Pangur Ban has transferred his debt to you.”

Selina’s shoulders knotted. Fae inhabiting a sparsely populated island was one thing. A Fae living in the middle of Portland? That made little sense. “No Fae could withstand the iron and the pollution deep in a human city. Fae don’t live there.”

The disembodied grin sailed an arc over her head. “This one does. He has for a very long time.”

Selina’s fingers tightened around the cloth in her hand. “You’re telling me he’s built up a tolerance?”

Pangur Ban’s grin widened as it faded. “Unless your gift someday reveals something about me, our deal is done. If I am part of any future visions… speak my name. I will find you.”

And with that, he vanished.

Selina pushed open the front door just as Charlotte descended the stairs, her expression already pinched with worry. She ran a hand through her tangled curls. “We’re trying again today, right?”

Straight to business. Selina liked that. She dropped a bag of groceries onto the counter, shrugged off her coat, and draped it over the old claw-footed chair by the door.

Fighting back exhaustion, she forced a reassuring smile. “Quests after breakfast. Always. How do you like your eggs?”

“Scrambled.”

Selina nodded toward the kitchen. “You make the coffee, I’ll make the eggs.”

They settled at the bistro table, tucked into the bay window, steaming mugs between them. Selina let the scent of coffee wash over her, grounding her for the day ahead. Ideally, Charlotte would stay here while she called in Pangur Ban’s favor. This wasn’t the girl’s world, and there was no time to ease her through disbelief, denial, and fear that came with learning the Fae were real.

Selina opted for the direct approach. “I think I found a way onto Sauvie Island, but it’s dangerous. Better if you stayed here.”

Charlotte’s fork clattered to the plate. “No! I have to come with you.” Tears spilled onto her cheeks before she could blink them away.

So. Not the simple path, then.

Selina took a sip of coffee, considering. “You need to understand that the world you’re stepping into is dangerous. You already felt its power last night. The thoughts and feelings we experienced trying to reach your father? That was a warding spell.”

Charlotte stiffened. “Magic.”

Selina leaned forward, fork poised between them. She wished she could just have Hieronymous glamour the teen and find her father herself. But if positions were reversed, she wouldn’t sit on the sidelines either. 

 “Yes, sweet. Magic. And the sooner you grasp that it’s real, the safer you’ll be.” 

Charlotte hesitated, her fingers tightening around the mug. “No,” she admitted. “I think you really can see the future. At first, I thought you had researched me. But I was right there with you. You couldn’t have Googled me that fast. And other than magic or madness, nothing explains the last week.”

Selina nodded and swallowed the last bite of her eggs. It was a start, yet one mystery remained: why Charlotte could remember her brush with the wards. She didn’t sense magical ability in her. The sole explanation was the sharp focus her deep love for her father brought.

She rose and disappeared into the den. When she returned, she carried a large red leather book, gold scrollwork curling over the ridged spine and iron tips reinforcing the corners of its binding.

She heaved it open and pointed to an unusual creature. “This is a phooka. In its true form, it’s about three feet tall, but it can take any shape it wants, as long as it’s a living creature. They always have a tell, though. Their coloring never changes. Black phooka form black creatures, white phooka form white ones.”

Charlotte studied the inked image of a cloven-hoofed Fae with horns curling back from its goat-like face and too-long, rabbit ears. “It says they live in forests. Is that where we’re going?”

“No. This one lives in the city.”

Charlotte frowned. “How is visiting this phooka supposed to help me get home?”

“Fae powers offer the only hope to breaking through regardless of who built the spell keeping us out.” Selina didn’t add that they might also need Fae magic to fight whatever had created those wards.

Charlotte closed the book and pushed it back toward her. “Okay. Part of me still can’t believe going home means chasing fairy tales, but it’s the only option I’ve got.”

“That’s the right attitude.” Selina clasped Charlotte’s hand, her expression turning serious. “If you come with me, you must learn to avoid getting caught in the Fae’s webs of manipulation.” Charlotte nodded.

“First, you probably won’t be able to see them unless they want you to. If they reveal themselves, show the utmost respect and politeness. Offend one, and the consequences could be dire. Second, never say ‘please’ or ‘thank you.’ To the Fae, that implies a debt, and they will collect.”

Charlotte let out a breathy laugh. “What could they possibly do for thanking them?”

“Anything they wish. You could indenture your family for seven generations. They might just take your happiest memories. Or your youth. The list is endless. And, this is pivotal: never, ever give them your entire name. It gives them power over you.” Selina held her gaze. “I need to know you understand this.”

Charlotte swallowed hard and nodded. “I understand.”

“Good. Last, the Fae cannot lie. That might sound like an advantage, but it isn’t. They’ll twist the truth and mislead you, however it suits them.”

“So… they’re like politicians.”

Selina snorted. “Exactly like politicians.”

She let the humor fade from her expression. “You still have that necklace I gave you?”

Charlotte nodded, rubbing her sternum beneath her shirt.

“Keep it hidden. Don’t take it off. It will protect you from their enchantments. The Fae can glamour you, make you see things that aren’t there, make you desire things you don’t want. The iron and other charms in that necklace will stop their glamour.”

Charlotte frowned. “Then why didn’t it stop the wards?”

An excellent question. She had no answer. Some Fae schemed to regain the level of power they had in the Underworld. Perhaps enough stranded gentry had banded together to craft a spell of that magnitude. Their capricious nature, however, made that doubtful.

If the gods hadn’t left, it could be one of them.

She refused to terrify the girl with unknowns. “The charm will protect you from minor enchantments, but the spell over the island? That’s something else.”

Charlotte’s grip tightened around her mug, but she nodded.

Selina pushed her chair back, standing with a sigh. “Well. Let’s go meet a phooka.”

***

You shift in your seat in the corner of the Lodge, thankful the cloaked figure has moved on. Well, at least Pangur Ban wasn't lying. It seems all he did really want was a reading. The Cait sith pops into a puff of smoke, and you scurry into the library.

"Well, well, my human friend," The cat's grin covers his entire face, "It looks like it's off to Aruba for me."

He sails a low circle around your shoulders. Wisps of magical smoke tickle your nose and you wonder if there would be ill health effects from inhaling cait sith vapors. Will it solidify in your lungs into a bunch of black fur and suffocate you?

A book materializes. "As promised, your reward. Since you discovered that Unseelie Army recruiting poster, I guessed you’d want to know more about elves. May this knowledge serve the highest good."

To get the next chapters, please return to your email and choose one of the two options to either read the pages you got from Pangur Ban or avoid such dangerous Fae knowledge.

Once you choose a path the next chapter will be on its way shortly!