The Witches of Merribay (The Seaforth Chronicles) (19 page)

“I see
. Was the mermaid harmed?” Drumm fidgeted with his arrow before returning it to its bag.

“Not at all
, but she'd like her comb back,” Nicoli said as he stared at me.

They stood there discussing mermaids and Izaill, and all I could think of was swimming in the ocean depths with Nicoli's muscular arms wrapped around me
, the sun descending down upon us, colorful fish swimming by…

“Ivy?
” Nicoli was talking to me.

“Umm
. Yeah?” I rubbed my temples, dismissing the thoughts that had surfaced. It was so unlike me to daydream as such, but at the moment, I liked it.

“I said, do you like our ocean
? It's beautiful, yes?” he asked as he stood there, his eyes staring into mine.

“Very
. It's…very beautiful.” I sounded like a robot.

He laughed
, and he had the pearliest teeth and a dimple on the right side of his face. “Maybe you can come back for a swim sometime.” The pretty girl smiled at me. Her eyes reminded me of cat eyes. Her shoulders and chest were toned like a professional swimmer, with abs of steel. I suppose that came from constantly swimming in the ocean.

“Yes, I hope so
,” I said.

“It was nice to see you both
, but we should be going now. I'll find out what I can.” Drumm tugged on my arm a few times and we were off, running at a comfortable speed. I didn't notice that I was smiling until Drumm stopped us about four miles into the forest. He slowed to a walk, and I copied him.

“Ivy, you
’re in a daze. Snap out of it.” Drumm cuffed my arm. “And wipe that silly smile from your face.”

I giggled
. I normally was not one to giggle. “Sorry,” I said.

We walked along a craggy path of rocks with water cascading down them
. “They were merpeople, in case you didn't pick that up. Merpeople can enchant humans very easily, and I see it has worked on you. Didn't you ever hear stories of sailors being mesmerized by the merpeople, only to be pulled down into the water to their doom?” He shook his head. He grabbed some pine needles and held them up to my nose. “Smell.”

I did as he told me, inhaling the fragrant pine smell
.

“Feel better?”

“I do.” I found myself smiling again.

“You
’re hopeless. You must be careful around the merpeople. Nicoli and Jina are my friends, but you should always beware. Merpeople can be of the tricky sort. You must reach deep down and pull out the light elf within you to protect yourself. I must teach you to do that.”

“Ok
ay,” I said, trying to wipe the smile from my face. They had been enchanting; that much was for certain. I hated to admit it, but I could have imagined myself with Nicoli all day swimming in the ocean, basking in the sun rays. “Okay,” I said more seriously.

“Hopeless.
” He crinkled his brow and shook his head. “Let's go. I'll take you back to Ian's gate. You should see your family tonight.” I could tell I'd disappointed him somehow.

We took off running again back through the forest
. Running on the paths, I realized I could somewhat see in the darkness, and not because of the moonlight. Things were more precise, clear. Now, I could make out images. I knew it had to be the elven in me, and now that my ears were healed, things were different. Having pointy ears wasn't so bad after all.

As we neared the path to Ian's, something caught our attention
. Loud, viscous barking came from Izadora's way. Stopping, Drumm said, “You go to Ian's. I must go see what causes the dogs to bark.”

“I will come with you
,” I said.

“No
. Go to Ian's. I got this,” he said, but as he turned to leave, I followed him. When we arrived outside the tree house in a copse of trees by the stairs, we stopped. “You should listen to me, Ivy. I know what is best, but you don't listen to me, do you? Stay here.”

I thought he could be rather bossy
, and I meant to speak my mind. Before I could, a loud snapping sounded from Izadora's. Drumm hopped out beyond the trees to the stairs. I peered out to see one of the dogs pinning something large down to the ground. The other dog held on for dear life as something swung it around on its arm.

Immediately, Drumm shot an arrow
, knocking this thing to the ground. The dog released the arm and stood on its chest. Before he could shoot again, the thing spoke. “Stop. We will leave.”

“What do you want with Izadora?
” Drum yelled, his voice stern and cold.

“We came to ask the old witch for a potion
. By orders of the Unseelie king,” the thing said.

I could make out the shape of it
; it was rather large figure, with a helmet on.

“You know she is indisposed at the moment, courtesy of her brother Izaill
. You are lying to me. You will leave now, or I will strike you down with another arrow,” Drumm said, pulling an arrow back in the bow. “Tell your king you are not welcome in these woods.”

“We will go
. Tell the hell hounds to release us.” The big fellow held both hands up in the air, as if in defeat.

Drumm said something in a language that I didn't recognize
. The dogs jumped up and sat at attention, all the while growling and frothing at the mouth.

Both beings stood, and
then walked away. One did so with a wide gait, as he had been shot in the inner leg, close to parts that were tender.

Drumm and the dogs followed them out
. I crouched down in the damp earth amongst the trees, waiting for his return. Who the hell had that been? What did they want? Drumm hadn't believed their story of wanting a potion. An owl hooted in the tree above me, causing me to jump a foot. Wind gushed through the treetops, rustling the leaves. Looking up, I could see the almost full moon shining down through the branches as clouds passed by. When I heard Drumm call my name, I stood up and walked out into the opening.

“Blasted Unseelie
. I should have killed them while I had them,” he said. A foul mood he was in.

“What do you think they want?
” I asked

“They must have caught wind of the undoing of the maiden
-mother-crone spell. Tonight will be the last night Izadora hangs from that balcony, if all goes right. They must have wanted to come while she was still under the spell. For what, I don't know. They may have wanted to take her body. Even Izaill protects his sister to an extent, though. The rope can't be cut through, so they had no chance of taking her.” He laughed then. “One thing I know, the Unseelie hate hell hounds. These dogs put a good scare into them.” He patted the dogs on the head.

We walked in the direction of the balcony where Izadora would be hanging
. “I don't think I want to walk that way. I'd rather not see…”

“I understand
. It's the last night she'll be hanging there. Just close your eyes, and I will lead you through.”

Closing my eyes, I let him lead me out
. I knew we were nearing the balcony when I heard the squeaking of the rope rubbing on the wood. The wind blew by, causing the rope to pick up speed. Not knowing why I did it, I opened my eyes and stopped.

“
What are you doing?” Drumm asked.

It took me a moment to answer
. “I had to see what Izaill is capable of.” There she hung by the neck, her tongue slightly hanging from her mouth. Her eyes bulged, and if I could see her in the light, I knew they would look bruised.

“She wouldn't want you to see her like this
,” Drumm said.

“It's ok
ay. She'll never know, right?” My voice wavered. “It's unnerving to see her this way, so defenseless. One would never picture Izadora this way.” I couldn't stop staring. He waved his hand in front of my eyes.

“She still wouldn't like you staring
. She may look defenseless, but Izadora is never defenseless.”

A shiver ran up my spine
. I had a good feeling he was right. We walked on and broke into a run until we arrived at Ian's gate. Unexpectedly, Ian sat at the gate as though he were expecting me. A laptop was propped up on his knees, and a coffee in a cup holder was attached to his wheelchair. “Well, hello there. It's about time you graced me with a visit.” He opened the squeaky gate. “Come now, let me stroll with you through the garden.”

Chapter
Twenty

It's funny how things can come together in such a way that you feel as though you should have known the very answer all along. Countless things had happened to me, and for the most part, I had accepted them all. Living with my father and sister in New Hampshire, I could never have dreamed that certain things were possible, that certain mystical beings were real. They lived, breathed, and thrived just as humans did. I believe that had I not experienced these beings firsthand, I never would have believed them to be true.

As I approached my grandmother's house, I recapped my conversation with Ian
. He had been waiting for me to return, to inform me that my grandfather had awoken from a coma. This was exceptional news, and my heart soared.
Not only would he be all right, but he could possibly shed some light on what happened in the forest. Gran wouldn't have to worry and sit by his hospital bedside all hours of the night. She could soon relax. With Izadora's assistance, I would be rescuing my father soon. A knot in my stomach formed when I thought of my sister, but I vowed to myself that she too would be rescued.

I had told Ian of my adventures in the forest, of the old woman Aggie
. At that story, of the reburial of the old woman, he cringed, but he claimed that he had heard of Aggie. He just didn't know that she was buried beyond his family graveyard. “I shall not go up that way alone, I guarantee you that,” he had said. Another thing he had noticed were my ears. “They add a sassiness to you. I like them.”

I walked into
my grandmother's house, knowing that I wouldn't see anyone; they were all at the hospital. Except for GG Edmund, who called out to me now.

“Ivy! That you?”

I was careful to pull the hair down over my ears, although I feared they stuck out through the hair anyway. I didn't know how I'd explain it yet. I stood at his bedroom door, peering in. “It is me, GG Edmund. Can I bring you anything from the kitchen?” He lay in his usual spot on the bed, feet propped up by a pillow. He wore a blue and white flannel shirt, with his glasses hanging from a pocket. He had been sleeping.

“A bowl of blueberries, and some tea
. We'll play a game of Yahtzee.”

I brought in tea for the both of us and his blueberries
. I put a dollop of whipped cream on them, knowing that to be his favorite thing. Gran normally wouldn't allow him to have such a luxury, with him being on a restricted diet and all.

“Thank you, Ivy
. Get the game on the shelf.” He set the food on a tray to his left and placed his glasses on his nose. “Open the window, will you? It's awful stuffy in here.” The room smelled of newspapers and spicy cologne. I gladly opened the window, relieved at the pleasant breeze that spilled in, refreshing the room. I pulled the game down, and we started to play.

“So, tell me how things have progressed out in the woods
. Have you seen Izadora?”

“I have.”

“Tell me everything. Don't hold back from your great-grandpa. I can handle it,” he said solemnly.

I didn't want him to worry about me
; at the same time, I felt like telling him the whole story, even the parts about Izadora's gruesome curse. I explained Izadora's curse and how Izaill was surely wicked to the core. He kept nodding his head. When I finished the story he said, “That guy sounds like a real jerk.” When he rolled the dice, five 4’s appeared. “Yahtzee!”

“How do you do that
? I barely ever get a Yahtzee.” Pouting, I wrote his score down.

I continued to tell the story of Aggie
. To this, he appeared astonished. He put the dice down and scratched his head. “You have seen Izadora's mother? It's been said that she disappeared, possibly died.”

“I sure have
. She's buried up beyond the graveyard, in unconsecrated ground. And get this, she is still alive.” My stomach churned at the thought of it. “But she doesn't seem to mind it, though. She says it's a nice resting place.” I added the last part, trying to soften the story up a bit. He didn't look too happy, and I wondered if I should have withheld the story about Aggie.

“I'm sorry
, GG Edmund. Maybe I shouldn't have told you.”

“Yes, you should have
. I am sorry that you have been dragged into this mess. I have heard when Izadora sets her sights on someone, they can't resist. She has a way with pulling people in, promising them things.” He lifted his spoon and ate some blueberries with cream. “I must tell you, no one has heard from the likes of them weirdos for a long, long time. I truly am sorry that it had to be you that deals with them. I have heard they can be a wicked bunch. You need to be careful.”

“I will
. For sure. And I have Ian and Drumm to look out for me. And soon, we will have Father back.” Thoughts of Zinnia sprung to mind, but I couldn't bring myself to mention her.

“Yes
. Be very careful.” He looked as though he were in deep thought, chewing and staring straight ahead. “And the boy, he used to play with you. Your father would bring you to a field.”

“Drumm is very trustworthy.”

“Is he now? Good. Good.” He chewed on a single blueberry using his front teeth, avoiding my gaze.

“You knew about Drumm
.” I knew what he was going to say but that he didn't think it was his place to tell me. “You already knew that.”

“I did
. Although many times I thought you should know, I withheld. It was never me that you should hear it from. He's a good boy, I hear. Faithful kind. He's got morals and dignity, that one. Least that's what I have heard.”

“
Where do you hear these things?” I had to wonder, as he seemed quite knowledgeable of everything.

“Oh, Ian tells me things
. I'm an old man, but we are good friends. His father and I are the best of friends.” He picked up the dice and rolled. It didn't surprise me when he got yet another Yahtzee. “Yahtzee!” he yelled out.

Thinking it would be time to show him my new ears, I tied my hair up into a ponytail.

“Your ears! What happened to them?”

“Izadora fixed them.”

“I thought something about you seemed different. Your eyes—they are bigger.”

“Ha! I can see better too.”

He contemplated something for a moment. “You must be careful when dealing with this Izadora and the rest of that clan. Watch your back. When your father returns, you should probably leave here.”

“I assume that we will
,” I told him. A day ago I would have agreed wholeheartedly, but now…something in me wanted to stay. I mean, I had Drumm now. Could I just leave him behind? And Izadora, she didn't seem that bad.

We finished
four games and were on the last one, when he brought up a subject that got my full attention. My mother.

“Get me that box up there on the shelf.
” He pointed to an old wooden box with a little gold latch in the front. I handed it to him, and he opened it and pulled out a thin, long white rope. A pendant hung from the center. “This must have belonged to your mother. It was in the basket with you, when you were brought here. It was me that opened the door that night. You were the cutest little button I'd ever laid eyes on. I saw your mother in the tree line. Beautiful, she was. Anyhow, here is the necklace. It would suit you to wear it.”

My face lit up and I reached for it, clasping it in my hand
. The stone glimmered silver, blue, pink, and greenish; it appeared similar to a moonstone inlaid in silver.

“I love it!
”

“Put it on but keep it hidden under your shirt
,” he advised me.

I put it over my head and held the stone
. “Why can't anyone see?”

“I have a feeling it has power
. You keep it a secret. Don't let anyone know that you pack a punch.” He gave me a half smile.

Before we finished the f
ifth game, I brought up Montague. “Aggie told me to summon Montague. She calls him Monty.”

“Monty
, you say? What does she want with him?”

“She says he knows how to release her from the earth, break the spell
. She told me to go to the ocean and write his name in the sand. That would summon him, and he would come to her aid.”

He scratched his head and rubbed the stubble on his face
. “Interesting. I wonder if he'll show up? No one has heard from Montague in quite some time.”

“I don't know, but I hope so
. She granted me one wish if he comes. If Izadora fails to free my father, I shall wish for that.”

“If Izadora does free your father, what use would you have for a wish?”

I paused, not knowing if I should broach the subject. I figured it was best to just get it all out there. “To free Zinnia.”

“I hear from Ian that she is in cahoots with Magella
. Is that so?” he asked.

Surprised that he knew this, I said, “It is true.”

“Then that would be a good wish.” He thought for a moment, and then we added up our scores. Of course, he won.

“Legend says that Montague never got along with the rest of his family
. They were too strange to him. I don't know if you should get your hopes up. He might not show. If that be the case, you won't get your wish.”

“I know
. There is always a chance he won't come. One way or another, I have to help my father
and
my sister.”

“I think I will l
ie down now. It's a bit late and I am weary. Good night, Ivy.” He rubbed his elbows as if they ached. I felt sorry for him; I knew that his arthritis gave him trouble.

“Good night
, GG Edmund.” I put away the game, lowered the window a bit, and left the room, quietly shutting the door.

That was a great amount of information for such an old man to take in
. I hoped that I hadn't caused him to worry. He seemed frail to me, and I would hate to see him suffer on my account.

Tired myself, I went to bed
. The last thing I remember was dreaming of a woman in the forest. With the moon shimmering behind her, and the millions of tiny sparkling stars in the black sky, she looked like a goddess. Long, wavy blonde hair flowed past her shoulders, billowing out at the sides with the wind. Her silver and blue dress matched the silver crown with bright blue stones atop her head. She waved for me to come closer. Nearing her, the smile upon her face vanished, and a look of fear crossed her eyes. One moment I was standing before her, and in another I was up close, looking into her eyes. I could see a ship and storm with waves the size of towers, and mad-looking faces appeared and disappeared before my eyes. The earth opened up, threatening to swallow me.

I awoke panting, sweat covering my body
. Sitting up, I wiped my brow on the top sheet.

Magella and Izaill were coming for me
; I was certain of it.

The next morning, I ate lime
Jell-O topped with whipped cream, even though a better part of me preferred to eat celery. I couldn't find any; my sister had finished it off, which left me with a deep craving. There weren't any carrots either.

My aunts were wandering about the house
. Aunt Cora scurried from room to room, dusting everything in sight with a bandana over her mouth (to keep the dust out, I suppose) and rubber gloves. When she was excited or nervous about something, she couldn't sit still. It was why Gran's house was spotless. Aunt Cora was always excited or nervous about something.

Aunt
Clover chatted on the phone with someone, walking back and forth and down the hall, up the stairs, and back down the stairs. Finally she plopped down at the table and clicked off the phone. She leaned her elbows on the table and propped her chin in her hands, smiling all the while.

“That was Ian
. He's such a nice man, isn't he?” Ian had a way about him that made everyone feel special, and my aunt Clover fell victim. Before I could answer, she spoke aga
in. “He wants you to come up as soon as you can.” She wore a black tank top, gray cardigan, and jean shorts, causing her to look comfortable, whereas Aunt Cora wore tan capris, a light pink cami covered by a short-sleeved, white button-down blouse, and white wedge sandals. She looked as though she should be out shopping at an upscale grocery store.

“But it's not even 8:30
a.m. He's supposed to be asleep still. He doesn't come down to brunch until 10:30 a.m.,” I said.

“Apparently he's awake now
. You should get a move on.” Aunt Clover said.

“Wear a sweatshirt! Maine mornings can be chilly
,” Aunt Cora yelled from down on her knees behind the kitchen island. She was cleaning the floor with Windex and paper towels.

I grabbed a black hoodie from a hook on the wall by the door
. I was about to ask about my grandfather but was sorely interrupted when Aunt Clover spilled her coffee on the floor. Aunt Cora apparently had good ears. She stood and walked over to the spill, got back on her hands and knees, and Windex-ed it up.