Missing Magic (4 page)

Facing him, she crossed her arms. “All right
buddy, talk. Your story has too many holes. Even if Mick
had
family, no true relative would be skulking around in the garage.
Explain yourself – and this better be good.”

How much could he tell her? Though Fae could
not lie, they could present partial truths, which sometimes worked
just as well.

Staring down into her suspicious face, he
sighed. “I’m afraid Mick might be involved in something…
wrong.”

“Wrong? Wrong how?”

He scratched his neck, aware he had to be
careful. “There have been instances of people in our, er, family
having something unspeakable done to them. Their brain has been…
altered.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Explain.”

He spread his arms. “I can’t. We’re not even
sure how it’s been done.”

“And you seriously think Mick is behind
this?”

“Not I. My father. And his advisor.”

“Advisor? You talk like you’re in the
government or something.”

“In a way I am. Which is another reason why I
don’t think Mick’s involved. He knows better.”

She started to comment, then shook her head,
apparently having decided to let her questions on that topic go.
For now. Her frown cleared. “Damn it. Mick has been acting—.”

“I’m afraid he’s behind it.”

“Not Mick.” Her answer was instant, totally
certain. “He’s a cop too.”

“Everything points to him.”

Chewing on her thumbnail, she considered his
words. “Could he have been brainwashed?”

“Possibly.”

“He’s not acting normal.” She stopped,
swallowed, before lifting her chin and continuing. “Anyway,
something is not right with him and I want to learn why.”

“Has anything else changed in his life?”

“The major thing is that woman. You saw her
earlier, at Mick’s.”

“The tall blonde?”

“Yes. One of the other guys in the squad room
says she and Mick were all over each other. That would be my first
clue.”

“True. Since Mick doesn’t like women.”

“Right.” She heaved a sigh.

“I knew Mick favors men, but I wasn’t aware
he went public with it. I’d always assumed that with his job…”

“He kept it quiet. A lot of the guys in the
police department would be really surprised to know the truth.”

Cenrick regarded her thoughtfully. “Ok, then
we need to check on the woman. Where she came from, how he met her.
Is she living with him?”

“I don’t know.” She cracked her knuckles, the
sound loud enough to temporarily stop the crickets. Eyeing him, she
cocked her head, as though considering some deep subject.

He waited.

Finally, she took a step towards him.

His heartbeat stuttered.

“I normally work alone,” she said. “Except
for Mick. I don’t do too well in teams. That’s why I didn’t go out
for the Tactical Unit.”

“I need your help.”

“You’re still sticking with the Mick’s cousin
story?”

He nodded. “I am his cousin. Honestly.”

“What are your reasons for suspecting your
own cousin?”

Cenrick sighed. “Mick does have a rather…
spotted reputation.”

“That was in the past.”

Another step, and she was close enough that
he could lift his hand and touch her, if he wanted. Instead, he
clenched his teeth and continued to wait, to see what she would
do.

“My gut instinct tells me you’re okay.”

He let his breath out.

“But,” she continued. “I’m also aware you
aren’t telling me everything. I told you, I want the truth.”

The truth? Warily, he considered. How much of
the truth could he tell her, without her believing him to be
delusional?

“Look,” she said, deciding for him. “If I’m
going to trust you, I need to know. Tell me everything. All of
it.”

All of it. Okay, fine.

He began with explaining what he was. Fae. A
magical being, from another place that co-existed side-by-side with
her world. He talked of Rune, my home. He talked of magic and of
spells, and how his people had been intermingling with hers for
centuries.

When he finished his explanation, Dee looked
blank. Utterly. At a complete loss for words.

He considered himself lucky. At least she
hadn’t immediately denounced him as crazy.

She was a trained law-enforcement officer.
She dealt in realities, all day long. He knew she would not find
his words believable.

“You’re saying you’re from another
dimension?” There was a certain carefulness in her tone. She spoke
in the sort of voice one used to speak to someone who wasn’t quite…
right in the head.

He didn’t suppose he blamed her. “In a way,
yes. Why do you find this so strange? Over the course of history,
your literature is full of mention of my people.”

“Elves and dwarfs? Faeries.”

“Yes.”

“That’s fiction,” she exploded. “Come on. I
can’t believe I’m even standing here talking to you when you’re
clearly-.”

“Delusional?” He lifted a brow, daring her to
refute his words.

“Possibly.” She said. “Actually, definitely.
Look, Cenrick. I’ve got enough problems without adding insanity to
them. I think it’d be best if we parted ways now.”

“I’m telling you the truth.”

“This is ridiculous,” she exploded. “And I’ve
had enough. Just leave. Go.”

He couldn’t say he blamed her. Were their
situations reversed, he’d probably think she was nuts too. “All
right, Dee. You leave me no choice-.”

Immediately, she stiffened, one hand
automatically going towards her weapon. “I’m warning you—.”

“Hold on, I’m not threatening you.”

She didn’t relax. Or take her intent and
focused gaze off him for one second. He admired that. Dee Bishop in
full cop mode was a sight to see.

“Will you believe me if I show you?”

“No,” she growled. “Take your big self and
your weird story out of here.”

Cenrick sighed. Sometimes actions spoke much
louder than words. He spoke the words of crossing quickly, feeling
that familiar tingling that told him the parting of the veil
between worlds had begun.

Then he grabbed her arm, knowing they must be
touching in order to go together.

“What’s happening?” She tried to tug her arm
away, but he held on fast. “Where are you taking me?”

In the last seconds, while their surroundings
wavered before finally blinking out of sight, she fought him. As he
had told her, the gun fell to the ground, left behind. “To my
home.”He felt a sense of rightness, even though he knew his father
and Mort would not be pleased. They wanted answers and wanted them
quickly. Taking the time to bring a human woman back with him
wasn’t in the plan. But if Mort saw the same things in her as
Cenrick, they’d realize she would be instrumental in obtaining
those answers.

The more time he spent with this woman, the
more he became certain he needed her help. Thus, he had no choice
but to show her Rune. He had to prove to her that the Fae existed.
He had the strangest urge to press his mouth to hers, to see if he
could turn that scowl into a smile.

Instead, he tightened his grip on her while
her world vanished and his began to take shape. “I’m taking you to
Rune.”

AS USUAL, Rune was… more. More vibrant and
colorful, the sky sharply beautiful, the trees massive and leafy
and proud. Even the scent of fresh mown grass seemed larger than
life.

While they reformed, Cenrick inhaled, not
bothering to hide his delight at the familiar aroma of home. Here,
he could feel the pulse of the earth, the energy that blazed
through all living things felt vibrant and close.

He wondered how this human female would
react, watching as she turned a slow circle, taking in her first
glimpse of his home. He couldn’t help but wonder what she’d remark
on first. Would she exclaim over the glossy petals of the
multi-colored flowers, remarking that they stretched like neon
velvet towards the sun’s warmth? Or the way each blade of grass
seemed separate, yet together in a thick carpet of emerald
arrogance, reaching to be first in a quest for the sky?

They’d arrived in the middle of the lush
meadow of wildflowers that stretched from the massive oak forest to
the castle. There were snapdragons and paintbrushes, daisies and
carnations, and more – a floral smorgasbord of brilliant hues and
intoxicating scents.

“What the…” Dee sputtered. She spun out of
his grip, going into a crouch and instinctively reaching for a gun
that was no longer there. “How did you do that? Where are we?”

He spread his arms. “My home. The home of the
Fae.”

“What?” She went still, though her frowning
gaze continued to scan their surroundings. “This is ridiculous. Am
I hallucinating?”

“No.” Watching her closely, he gestured at
the meadow. “You are in Rune.”

“How? How is this possible? What’d you
do?”

Since the simple answer was also truth, he
told her. “Magic. We’ve crossed the veil which separates our
words.”

Another glance around them had her frown
deepening. “Beam me up, Scottie? Like that?”

At his blank look, she made a rude sound.
“Star Trek. Look, whatever you’ve done, stop it. I want things to
be normal again. Real. Put me back where we were.”

“In a moment.” He touched her shoulder,
making her jump. “Relax. Take a look around.”

“Can’t.” While she talked, her gaze scanned
around them.

“Nervous?”

“Oh, please.” She gave him a look full of
scorn.

“Take a deep breath. Look around. Then tell
me what you think of my home.”

Glaring at him, she went still. Inhaled.
Exhaled. Loudly. The only other movement was the gentle breeze
ruffling her hair.

“You want my opinion? Really?”

“Yes.”

“Fine, then. It’s so… silent,” she said, the
question in her voice wondering why without saying so. “Achingly
so.”

Quiet? Startled, Cenrick considered. Then he
remembered when he’d first visited the world of humans as a child,
the noise there had overwhelmed me. It had not just been the
obvious ones, not the traffic sounds or the roar of the occasional
jet flying overhead. Instead, he’d been bothered by the ever
present hum of the electricity always on, of whirr and click and
growl of the many machines, constantly working. It had taken years
for him to grow used to such sounds.

He’d once asked Alrick if this bothered him.
His brother had laughed and shaken his head no, telling Cenrick he
needed to use his eyes before he used his ears.

And now, so many years later, this human
woman saw with her ears first, as he’d done. She’d noticed the
silence before she even commented on the raw beauty of his
home.

“Now do you believe me?”

“What does it matter?”

“So you understand what Mick is, as well as
myself. I want your help. If seeing Rune gains your trust, both
Mick and I – as well as my people – benefit.”

She did a double take. “Mick? Are you saying
he’s…”

“Fae. Yes. We’re related, remember? I was
telling you the truth when I told you we’re cousins.”

“How is that possible? We grew up together in
Trixon’s Children’s Home. Mick’s an orphan, just like me.”

He sighed. “He’s Fae. His irresponsible
mother left him in the human world. By the time she decided to go
back for him, he was nearly grown.”

“Then he
knew
? All this time, he knew
he was a… Fae and didn’t tell me?”

“He couldn’t. Not if he wished to remain in
your world.”

She opened her mouth to speak, then closed
it.

He couldn’t help but smile. Then, because she
still looked dazed, he touched her shoulder. “Please, take a look
around Rune. I promise you we won’t stay long.”

“I—.”

“Please.”

With a sigh, she did as he requested. At
first, he mobile features showed no visible reaction, but he kept
watching and saw the change come over her as she gradually began to
take in the amazing natural beauty surrounding her. Her lovely eyes
softened with curiosity rather than hostility or fear and her lips
curved in the beginnings of a smile.

Finally. After all, Rune was a wondrous
place.

With the shadows of the ancient forest behind
them, and the palette of color stretched as far as the eye could
see, it might be easy to overlook the gold-cobbled path that wound
up the hill to the glittering fortress which Cenrick called
home.

As she did as he’d asked, she tugged at one
ear with nervous fingers. She turned, her amber gaze darting here
and there, taking it all in. Now she saw the scarlet butterfly
there, the sapphire dragonfly warring with another the color of
turquoise. Now she took in the massive oak forest, the carpet of
grass, the splash of the flowers.

Watching her, he knew what she’d say next.
The heady perfume of this fragrant meadow had caused many a female,
human and Fae, to exclaim in delight.

Instead, she sneezed. Once, twice, then
again, with explosive force. Then cursed. “Damn allergies.”

For a startled moment, he simply stared.
Then, dragons help him, he laughed.

Sniffling, wiping at her nose, her smile had
completely vanished. “Amused, are you?”

“Yes.” He grinned at her.

She sneezed again. “I don’t know why.
Allergies aren’t any fun.” Her eyes were red. She wiped at them.
“My eyes are running. Can we get out of here, away from all these
flowers? Otherwise, I’m going to be really miserable.”

A woman who didn’t like flowers. This one was
different, that was for sure.

“Sure.” Indicating the path, he motioned for
her to go before him. “After you.”

She glanced at her watch, narrowing her
watery gaze and squinting at the dial. “Damn thing stopped working.
I just replaced the battery too. It must have been defective.”

Peering at her wrist, he shrugged. “I’m
surprised it even crossed the veil with you. That’s unusual.
Mechanical things seldom cross to Rune, and when they do, they
don’t work. Your watch will probably be just fine, one we get back
to your world.”