Electric Blue (30 page)

"So what does the wise man do?" Alicia asked. She stopped to pick a small flower that had grown in the path and put it in her hair.

"He is the holder of dreams, the one of who we seek for answers to our questions. He gives us a way to communicate with the gods. He is protection against evil."

"Do the Fey have gods?" Poppy asked in an awed voice.

Tholonious smiled. "I see there is much you do not know."

"That's putting it mildly," Poppy said, smiling back.

They continued through the forest for a while longer. The trees around them began to thin a little until they came to a small village gathered around the centre of the forest. In the sky above them, sun shone down through a large circular break in the leaves. The sun lit the small houses around them and they could hear beings inside. Poppy looked around and saw other small Fairies, like Tholonious, working and playing in the forest. She heard her Crow Self inside her head and felt her eyes narrow, becoming crow's eyes. She could see the Fey in the forest and could not think of how she could have missed them before. She blinked and her eyes were normal again.

"My people have lived here for centuries. I have led them, but I am not their leader, as I have already told you. We enjoy a peaceful life and hope that you can bring an end to the Darkness," Tholonious said.

"I'll do what I can," Poppy replied.

"I know you will and it does my heart glad. I know that, with your help, we may see the end of this. You will need to speak to our wise man before you can roam around the village. The Fey are nervous of humans, regardless of the magic within them. When you see the wise man, this puts them at ease. They are more likely to accept you."

"But they know who I am?" Poppy asked. She had seen a few of the Fey looking at her with open curiosity.

"Yes, we all have heard of your coming. You are the first Shifter in a thousand years. Surely they should be wary of you?" Tholonious smiled quickly, his curly black hair falling into his eyes that were a smoky grey colour. "But don't worry, they will warm to you soon enough."

"Where do we find the Wise Man?" Alicia asked.

Tholonious pointed to a small hut just outside of the circle of light. "In that hut. None of us have ever been inside, so it is an honor for you to be accepted into his company."

"Why have you never gone in?" Poppy asked. "Is he mean?"

"Not at all, we just mind our own business most of the time and he calls on us once a week to see how we are. It has always been this way. His house is a sacred place. He is expecting you."

"Aren't you coming with us?" Poppy asked.

"No, only you are to enter. I will go prepare the house we have for you. My wife, Mafalda, will guide you there after your meeting with the wise man." He smiled, bowed his head and flew away quickly. Poppy and Alicia looked at each other, clasped each other’s hands and entered walked the small distance to the hut. Its front door was made of rough pine planks and its walls were made of straw. The roof overhead was made of crude clay. But it had all been painted different colours. The straw walls had been painted a soft blue, the roof a shade of yellow and the door had been painted purple. Poppy knocked on the door. The door opened of its own accord and they stepped inside. The door closed behind them.

It was dark in the hut until a single candle began to flicker to life in a far corner of the room. The flame intensified until it lit the whole room. They could see nothing but shadows, but on the floor near them, Poppy saw a medium sized owl. It had grey markings around the eyes, a black beak and white and silver feathered wings. It hooted at them softly and regarded them with soft grey eyes. The owl hooted again and Poppy and Alicia felt the air around them begin to pick up speed. The candle flame flickered out and they were left in darkness for only a moment. The flame relit itself and the hut had light once more. Alicia gasped. Where the owl had been moments before, they watched open-mouthed as it changed and morphed into the shape of a man. When his transformation was complete, he regarded them with soft grey eyes. He had brown hair that fell in curls and a soft face. His eyes were kind and his skin was tanned a soft brown from the sun. He stood and smiled at them. He turned to Poppy.

"Hello daughter," he said.

Chapter Forty One

The Woman Under the House

Deep beneath the house, Monica and Moe were exploring the city's Town Hall. They went into the foyer and closed the main door behind them. There was another door in front of them, this door just as ornate as the first. Moe pushed it open and it opened up into a large room. The room was a wonder to behold. There were maps covering every wall of the cavernous room, but they were of places that neither Moe nor Monica recognized. It took them a moment to figure out that they were looking at maps of the city. The maps were drawn by hand and then pasted on the walls so that whatever you were looking at in the maps was what was on the other side of the walls surrounding them. The room was round, with no straight edges, so that they were completely surrounded by the maps. There were more skylights in the roof of the room and stairs leading up to another floor. Moe was about to suggest that they go upstairs, to see what was there, when they heard a noise coming from the stairwell.

The stairs were creaking and they watched, their hearts pounding in their chests, as a pair of legs began to descend the stairs. They belonged to an old woman, who smiled at them when she reached the bottom. "Good day." She said. "It has been so long since I have had visitors. Pray, what are your names?"

Monica and Moe stared at her open-mouthed. The woman smiled. "Are you capable of speech?" she came a little closer. "Do not be afraid, I will not hurt you. My name is Lilly. What are your names?"

"Um. . . ." Monica stammered. She had heard somewhere that it was not a good idea to give out your full name, as they held power. But Lilly seemed harmless enough. "My name is Monica and this is Moe."

"I am pleased to meet you!" Lilly smiled at them again, her teeth bright and her eyes a soft blue. Her long reddish brown hair fell to just below her shoulders and hung in tight curls. "Please, come with me to my home. I want to get out of this dusty Hall; there is little to no ventilation here you know? I would love to serve you tea and I think that I have some cakes in the cupboard."

Moe smiled at her. "That would be wonderful."

"Excellent!" she said, "then follow me."

They followed her out of the Town Hall and through the grass surrounding it. "This used to be better taken care of, but I am the last one here and there is always so much to do, I don't have time to upkeep a patch of grass. Pity though. I do have a garden at home, though."

This piqued Moe's interest. "A garden?"

"Oh yes, with flowers and bushes and the like. I love my garden; flowers make anywhere home."

"Ain't that the truth," Moe said.

"Moe is a gardener," Monica volunteered.

Lilly turned and smiled at him. "Another green thumb? This day keeps getting better and better. I hope you like my garden, Moe. I have tended it since I came here."

"Where is here, exactly?" Monica asked.

Lilly stopped walking and looked at them. "Do you not know where you are, then?"

"Not really," Monica said. "We were exploring in the basement of the Coven House and found the door. We've been exploring ever since."

"Ah, the Coven House. . .tell me, how many are in the Coven now, has it grown?"

Monica and Moe looked at each other and finally Monica spoke. "There has been no Coven until recently." As they walked the distance to Lilly's home, Monica and Moe filled her in on what had become of the Coven. Lilly looked crestfallen at the news. "I can't think why they did not tell me. . . ." a tear slid down her cheek. "I have waited here for years and years. . .decades I think; time moves differently here. There are only four members of the coven now?"

Monica nodded. "Orlando, Alicia, Nai and Cecelia. But more are joining, so it will grow again."

"I just can't believe that I was left alone here. . . ."

"Don't feel so bad," Monica replied. "I was locked in the attic room of this house for more than a century."

Lilly's eyes grew wide. "Do you mean that you are the one that was sacrificed to the house by that mad woman?"

Monica nodded.

"Oh, child, then you are welcome here. Come in, come in, I will put on some tea." They had reached her house and Monica heard Moe take in a breath. In front of them was the most beautiful garden that either of them had ever seen. Roses bloomed and thyme, and rosemary. Petunias and lilies bloomed side by side with marigolds and poinsettias. There was climbing ivy and mistletoe, cat’s tails and african violets. The bursts of colour were brilliant against the grey of the rest of the city and the perfume of the flowers was heavenly. "I have passed a lot of time in my gardens," Lilly said.

"There is more than just this garden?" Moe asked.

"Oh yes, I have several more."

"Are you the Coven's gardener?" he asked with a smile.

"Oh no," Lilly said solemnly. "I am the Coven's Keeper of Prophecies." And she stepped through the open door of her house.

* * * * *

They were in Lilly's foyer. It was a medium sized room with a cobblestone floor. A window was to their left and it let in the grey sun. The light filtered through yellow curtains, so that the rays were coloured a soft gold. Lilly opened a door with a small stained glass window in its centre. The glass was in the pattern of a rose, all different colours of red and the light twinkled on its surface as well. She opened the door and stepped through the doorway that led to the rest of the house. It was a large dwelling, built all on one floor. They were standing in the living room, a large fireplace in its centre, deep bay windows looking out at the grey city. There were arm chairs and a soft comfortable couch to sit in and ottomans to put your feet on.

Lilly led them to the kitchen, to the left of the living room; it was a sprawling room with a deep sink basin, large windows again but they were covered with ivy. The floor was tiled in terracotta and the cupboards made out of a varnished pine. The spare bedrooms, three of them, were all done up in shades of blues and purples, they were small comfortable rooms that swam in fabrics and plush carpeting. The master bedroom was beautiful, done in shades of red and soft mauves. Lilly slept in a large, oak canopy bed draped in gauze and the fabric matched the deep red of her velvet curtains. A large, sauna-like bathroom at the back of the house completed the home and it was a place of relaxation. The stone floors had been sanded soft and they were cool on the feet. A large, old claw-footed bathtub stood in the centre of the room with a large showerhead that glinted silver against the stone. There was another bedroom, but the door was locked.

"Your house is beautiful," Monica said when they had been served their tea.

"Thank you. I have had many years to build it."

"How long had you lived here?" Moe asked.

"Since I was thirteen."

"What?" Monica said. "You were a child!"

"Yes, but a Witch reaches her maturity when she first bleeds. I was thirteen when I bled the first time, so I was a woman then. I came from a long line of Prophecy Keepers. My mother was one before me, as was my grandmother and my great grandmother. It was family tradition."

"What do Prophecy Keepers do?" Monica asked.

"Well, we are an oddity of sorts. We are Witches, but we possess no magic. What we do possess is knowledge. We are keepers of history for the Coven and all its Sisters. We protect the fallen city and we protect and learn the Prophecies."

"The fallen city?" Moe asked. "Is that this place?"

"Yes, it is," Lilly replied. "There was a time, way before any of us were born, when this city existed." She looked out at the city through the kitchen window. It peeked through at her through the vines. "When the Coven was looking for a place to build this house, they looked for power spots; old places that had been forgotten that housed power. They were led here, to the
Fallen
City
. No one knows when it was built, though it has been around for eons."

"The Coven House gets its power from the
Fallen
City
?" Monica asked.

"This is true," Lilly said. "The power in the ground of this place runs through the walls of the Coven House. It is sacred ground here and very old."

"But why are you down here all alone?" Monica asked. "Surely you could have left the Coven House?"

"I am the Coven’s Prophecy Keeper; I cannot leave the Coven House. . . ." she sighed. "At least I haven't for some time. I used to teach the young Witches in classes of how the Coven was formed, the Coven's history. I cannot bear to leave the prophecies for very long, so I stay here. People used to come to me until one day. . .they stopped coming."

"Weren't you curious about what was going on? Why there were no people coming to see you?" Moe asked.

"Yes, but my first responsibility is to protect the Prophecies. I admit I was curious, but I am also afraid. It has been eons since I was in the world of the above. I spend my time here."