Whisper and Rise (5 page)

“When I met your brother,” I told him, “I
was
a faerie. Then I did something wrong, something unforgivable. The Fae chose to remove me.”

Sam wrinkled his forehead as if pondering my words and took a step toward the door. “I should leave now. Have a nice afternoon.”

“No,” I said, waving him back. “You can hear this. I’m all right.”

I was all right; however, Sianna had fallen to the floor and was kneeling by the counter. I moved to sit beside her and brushed the hair from her face.

“Do you want to hear what happened?” I asked.

She nodded. “I think I need to.”

Sam knelt down near us. I shared my story. I told them everything about Moon Season, gaining courage as I spoke. When I finally told them about my attack on Darian, my words were smooth and unrestrained. I reached the part about my removal from the Fae; the memory jabbed like a sword in my throat. I stopped talking.

Sianna wiped her eyes. “Madeline voted you out?”

I nodded. “You see. I’m not a faerie.”

“Is that why you came to DarMattey?” Sianna asked. She stood and pulled me up with her.

“No,” I answered. “Although that is part of my reason.” I went to my satchel and removed the envelope Madeline had given me. I handed it to Sianna. “This should tell you something. If it doesn’t, then I will clarify why I’ve come.”

Sianna hesitated before tearing open the envelope. While she read, I wandered toward Sam, who leaned against a stack of stuffed burlap bags.

“I know we’ve just met,” I told him, “but please don’t think of me as a bad person. I made a mistake, that’s all.”

The boy shook his head. “It’s confusing to me,” he admitted. “I don’t understand your village.”

Sianna grabbed me from behind and squeezed me in another embrace. “You poor dear,” she said. “You’ve been through so much, too much.”

“What did the letter say?”

“You are welcome to stay here.” She handed me the letter. “Madeline explained everything nicely. Nia will be excited to see you when she arrives.”

I stared at the words Madeline had given to her sister; she didn’t tell her everything; she didn’t say that their sister had been a Prospect—that she had been rejected from the Fae. “There’s more,” I said, looking up at Sianna, “about Nia. When do you expect her?”

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” interrupted Sam. “I need to leave now.” He nodded politely and stepped toward the front door. “It was nice to meet you, Rhiannon.”

“Thank you for your help, Sam,” I answered. “May good fortune find you.”

Sam smiled before disappearing out the door.

“Well,” I said, once Sianna and I stood alone again. “Now you know my secret. Do you think less of me?”

Sianna revealed a flat smile and shook her head. “To me, you’ll always be the wonderful little girl who rode the horses in the meadow by our home. I’m sorry about all the evil you’ve seen.” She walked across the store and stopped at the back wall, opposite a set of stairs leading up. “I’ll collect some blankets and a pillow. This is the best I can offer you as a place to stay.”

I wandered after her, glancing at the variety of objects that adorned the low shelves in the store, and examined my temporary home. “This will do just fine,” I told her. “Do you want to hear the rest of the story? Nia was a part of it.”

“I need to prepare our evening meal.” Sianna walked to ward the steps, ignoring my question. “No, I don’t want to hear more. We all have our secrets. If Nia wants to share hers, I’ll listen.” She stopped, then turned back to face me. “And I’m here for you if you want to tell me more.”

~ O ~

Sianna’s children made the afternoon pass with joy and delight. Connor, her wiry eight-year-old son, kept asking me to chase him, and Sadi, Sianna’s three-year-old daughter, giggled when I made faces. Her husband Jake didn’t say much. The man looked tired when he arrived at the store, much like my father after a long day in the fields.

Mother had been right about Sianna’s cooking. We ate a quiet dinner of burnt biscuits and watery gravy. I longed for meat and well-warmed vegetables, but smiled a polite thanks once the meal was finished. After eating, Sianna put her children to bed while Jake showed me the tiny barn where I was to keep my saddle and harness. He was polite, and seasoned the silence with compliments about Maeia while showing me how to work the latches for the corral where she’d be staying.

“We should have everything you need, so help yourself,” he told me after we returned to the store. He dumped a pile of knitted blankets near the back corner, opposite the stairs. “I’m taking the wagon to Aisling tomorrow to beat the weather. Is there anything you need?”

Aisling. My home. It seemed long ago since I had seen it, but I had only left that morning. I stared out the store windows. The sun had lowered, allowing the dusty sky to glow orange and crimson above the angled buildings across the road. DarMattey looked haunted and pale in the light.

I shook my head and answered. “I don’t need anything. Thank you.”

A yawn snuck up on me. I covered my mouth to avoid being rude. When I looked up, Jake was staring.

“I’m sorry,” I told him, “This is my first visit to DarMattey. It’s my first journey anywhere. It’s been tiring.”

Jake grinned through his beard before retreating toward the stairs. He stopped at the bottom step. “Explore our town,” he said. “You’ll discover it’s different from most places, but it’s pleasant enough.” He paused. “Then again, I understand why you miss your home already. No place is like Aisling.”

I nodded in agreement. After he left, I wandered to the corner where my supplies and blankets lay. It was darker there than the rest of the store, hidden from the windows and the fading sunset. The floor boards numbed my feet and the walls felt cold to touch. I sorted through the pile and arranged a soft matt of woven cotton before digging in my satchel for a nightdress and changing for the night.

Alone. I stared at the empty store, wondering what I should do next. Not only was this place foreign to me, but the routine of the day felt strange and unfamiliar. An ache of regret caught me and made my arms tingle. Jake was right; I missed my home. No place was like Aisling.

With only my breath to hear, I covered myself in the blankets and watched the approaching night until it overcame me.

Morning arrived too quickly. I felt as if I had barely laid my head on the pillow when the stomping of boots woke me. I rubbed my eyes and peered from under my blankets. Strange shadows hovered around me. The spacious windows glowed in soft amber, hinting of the rising sun.

Jake arrived at the bottom of the stairs after signaling each step down with loud drops of his feet. I watched him from under the blanket as he methodically collected a pair of bulging bags from an aisle in the center of the store. He heaved them onto his shoulders before disappearing out a door at the back of the store.

I waited for him to return, but the creaking of a wagon and the fading sounds of his horses told me he had left for Aisling. I fell back onto the pillow and closed my eyes.

When I awoke again, bright beams of sunlight filled the room. Each ray carried small specs of dust that danced along angled golden paths toward me. I welcomed their blessing and rolled out from under my blankets with a stretch and a yawn.

“Good morning.” Sianna stood at the bottom of the steps, wrapped in a faded robe. She held a tin plate toward me. “Would you like some breakfast?”

I tried to apologize for oversleeping, but Sianna waved me away, left the plate on the store counter, and then rushed upstairs to answer the muffled cries of a child. I wandered to the counter, groggily reviewing my strange surroundings, and stared at the plate. An apple and a dried biscuit were its only company. My thoughts wandered to what my family must be enjoying for their morning meal—warm bacon, cider, fresh dawnberries and eggs. I released a heavy sigh and choked down the biscuit before chewing the apple to its core.

After the quick meal, I started up the stairs to talk to Sianna. When I heard her soothing Sadi behind a closed door, I decided to leave them alone. I returned the plate to the counter and wandered into the aisles to examine the collection of bartering goods. I was inspecting a woven leather whip when Sianna returned down the steps. The child over her shoulder kept her from a silent entry.

“I suspect you’ll want to see the town today,” she said to me, shifting Sadi as she spoke. “And discover what DarMattey is all about.”

I hadn’t made any plans; in fact, my only goal since leaving home was to arrive here safely. “I can do that,” I told her. “Unless you want my help.” I was hoping for the latter. Some good work would take the edge off my thinking.

Sianna smiled her gratitude. “I’m managing the store today, dear. Go enjoy yourself. There’s plenty to explore.” She placed Sadi on the floor and arranged the same tin canisters as yesterday. She motioned to the front of the store. “Will you unlock the door, dear?”

A portly woman with bound curls in her hair stood behind the framed glass, bouncing as if her entry inside required urgent consideration. I smiled politely and rushed to unhinge the brass lock on the door just as she began to knock.

The woman scuttled past, ignoring me, and then assaulted Sianna with a desperate demand for salt and honey. I watched, curious about her urgency, then left her to her business, deciding she had no interest in my presence. I returned to my little corner to straighten my sleeping area and choose a day dress from my bag. A row of shelves provided enough privacy that I prepared to change.

“Mercy to me!” The round woman’s voice made me jump and all the glass in the windows rattle.

I turned and saw her staring at me, wide eyed. Realizing my error, I lowered my dress to cover myself.

Sianna groaned. “Rhiannon is a friend from Aisling,” she said, her face reddening. “She came to town for my sister’s wedding.”

I offered a shrug and a weak smile. “I’m sorry,” I said to the woman. “I needed to change dresses.” As I spoke, I felt my face warm.

“Obviously.” The woman scowled back at me and stomped out of the store, leaving the door swinging on its hinges behind her.

Sianna stepped gracefully across the store to close the errant door. “Rhiannon, you’ll be the most popular visitor in town,” she said. She peered out the window. “Word of your morning welcome is already blazing up the road.” Sianna turned to me and smiled. “Business will be good today.”

I stared at the floor. “I’m sorry, Sianna. I wasn’t trying to be vain. I needed a clean dress.”

Sianna reached around me and squeezed, offering me her warmth. “Don’t worry about it, dear. People are different here in DarMattey. They don’t know the life we live.” She stroked a finger down one side of my face and continued to hold me close. “That you live.” She paused, and then coughed to end the silence. “I’ll tell Connor to show you the river. A morning swim will clean your hair.” Sianna lifted my chin with her hand. “And your worries.”

I was grateful when Connor finally led me out the back door; the road outside the front of the store had quickly filled with people, just as Sianna had predicted. Those who entered the store, made their purchases while piercing me with stares that made me feel like they all had seen me dressing.

We wandered to the side of the building where I introduced Conner to Maeia. While I rubbed her neck, he fed her an apple, which she enjoyed. Then the boy led me to a thin trail behind the barn. As we ventured past the trees he kept looking back, as if expecting someone to follow us. When out of sight from the buildings, the boy dashed away, forcing me to chase him past large gray boulders, or risk becoming lost. As we ran, the forest changed. The soil softened and tiny drops of vapor clouded the air between the trees.

I stopped running. I knew this place.

Everything was familiar, though I was certain I had never been here before. The trees reminded me of a dream and the mud seeping into my sandals felt comfortable and welcoming. I held my arms out and stepped slowly through the sparkling mist. This place felt magical, special. When I reached the end of the trail and saw the gorge below, memories of Sean rushed into view. I covered my mouth and fought a tear.

“I don’t believe it,” I said, muffling my voice with my hands.

Three waterfalls drained from high on the steep mountain at our right. From the cliffs on the opposite side of the gorge, two ropes dangled from sturdy trees and disappeared into the fog. They looked as perfect as the last day I had descended them.

“Are you coming down?” Connor’s yell shattered the roar of the water and broke me from my trance.

I looked over at him and watched him step onto a zigzagged trail that led to the bottom of the gorge. I felt numb and confused, but followed him.

“It’s a great place, isn’t it?” he told me proudly when I reached him. He removed his shoes and stepped into the water. “My mom says it’s magical.”

I nodded my agreement. “She’s right,” I told him. “This is a special place. I used to come here often.”

Connor, up to his ankles in water, put his hands on his hips. “I thought you’ve never been to DarMattey,” he said, sternly. He wrinkled his forehead the same way my Mother did when she was angry. “How could you have been here before?”

I pointed at the cliffs on the other side of the pool. “That’s Aisling,” I said, still amazed at where I stood. “My village is on the other side.” I removed my sandals and set my brush down on a flat rock. I wandered carefully along the water’s edge and thought about undressing. Still upset about the round woman’s reaction in the store, I kept my dress on, lifted it to my knees, and waded into the shallows.

“I can’t believe we’re so close,” I yelled—my voice drowned in the roaring falls. I wandered close to Connor while he splashed about. “Do you see those?” I pointed at the dangling ropes that ended just past the highest overhang of the cliffs. “Climb them and walk through those woods, then you’ll meet a wonderful family.”

“Are they your family?” asked Connor.

I paused to smile before answering. “Yes. In a way, they are my family.”

My mention of the Bauer men reminded me of their special gift the day before. They
were
my family; Sean’s father, his uncle, and his brother, Cael. They were men I trusted and knew would help me. The weeks since my removal from the Fae had been busy with work; so busy, I hadn’t had the chance to look for the scrolls. Now, I felt excited to begin my search and couldn’t wait to talk to Cael again.

We splashed in the water for a while; Connor swam in the depths while I continued to marvel at the good fortune of my morning. I had always known that DarMattey was on the southern side of the river, but I had never realized how close it was. I wandered knee-deep in the crystal water and reached toward the ropes, as if I could touch them, just to prove the moment was real. My fingers tingled as I stretched, and I held my arm high until it hurt.

There was no explanation, save good fortune, to tell why fate brought me back here this day. I dipped my face and washed my hair, grinning in the morning shade and the glistening mist above me.

Connor scooped up the bucket he had brought and filled it with clear water from the pool’s edge. He replaced his boots and started back up the hill. “I should go now,” he yelled at me. “My mom will scold me if I stay too long.”

I could have spent the entire day at the falls—and wanted to, but I also knew not to indulge too much in the perfection of the moment. Leaving my memories behind, I splashed my way to the shore and stepped back into my sandals. Then I followed the boy and brushed my hair as we walked.

“Why do brush your hair like that?” asked Connor. He stopped to get a firmer hold on his water bucket.

“I don’t want my hair to tangle,” I answered. I leaned against a large round stone, absorbing the warmth it had collected from the sun. “It’s clean now, and I want it to look good.”

“For your sweetheart?”

His words, innocent as they were, knocked me from my balance.

“I don’t have a sweetheart.” My eyes prickled with tears I thought I’d shed the last of. I gently grabbed his shoulders and held him. “Did your Mother talk about me?” I asked. “Did she tell you what happened?”

Connor stared at me. “She doesn’t talk about the village.” He shook his head. “I think it makes her sad.”

I pulled the boy close and gave his shoulders a squeeze. “It’s best that way,” I told him. “Until you’re older. Then, you’ll understand. Like that pool of water, Aisling is magical.”

Connor submitted to my hug for a moment and then pulled away from me and scampered back down the trail toward his family’s store. I lingered a bit, allowing the morning sun to dry my legs, and then ambled after him.

When I finally slipped through the back door to Sianna’s store, I immediately wished I hadn’t entered—a dozen strangers turned to look at me. They stared while I replaced my brush inside my satchel and the store turned eerily silent, except for whispers that bounced off the walls and mixed together with odd conjunction. Sianna was helping someone measure a rope and didn’t appear to notice me. I smiled shyly at the unfamiliar faces and ducked quickly out the back door to safety.

I thought about returning to the waterfalls, the place that Sean and I had once thought to be secret. I imagined myself climbing the cliffs and returning home. “I could do it,” I told myself aloud, “and be home by midday.”

A hundred reasons to carry out my sudden plan started making sense to me, but only one reason to stay away entered my mind.

Darian.

No matter how much I wanted to return to the falls, for my parent’s sake, I couldn’t risk putting myself back in danger.

I clenched my fists and wandered through the open alley between the store and the building next to it. It angered me that I was destined to be the stranger here, the spectacle for the gawking masses. Still, compared to the danger I faced back home, I could accept this fate. When I neared the road, voices alerted me that I wasn’t alone. Leaning casually against a wall, three young men hovered in the shadows, whispering and blocking my way. I wanted to ignore them, but their stares told me they wouldn’t ignore me.

“Hey, faerie,” said one of them, twisting his words and drawing a chuckle from the other two. “Welcome to DarMattey.”

“Yeah,” said another. He was taller than the others were, and fat. He strutted toward me, appearing to gain courage from his friends’ praise. “Show us a dance.” He spun and raised his arms, mocking me with a jeering smile.

I teased him back with a sour laugh. The men in Aisling were cruder than these young men could ever be; I wasn’t afraid of them. “You have no idea
what
I could show you,” I said. I shoved the taller one in the shoulder with my open palm and skirted past him.

“We didn’t say you could leave,” he responded. He grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me close to him, but I spun around and yanked my arm free.

The men laughed and followed me as I escaped onto the wooden promenade to join the moving commotion of the town. I grabbed my necklace—my fingers trembled—and sighed louder than I needed to. The town was busy again, like yesterday, and no one had noticed what had happened in the alley.

People
did
notice me and stared back as I searched for someone who could help, but no one offered a look of kindness or support. When I tried to walk close, they moved away or hurried clear of my path. One mother, two boys in hand, stepped suddenly aside and fell to the lowered dirt road. Her children landed on top of her. One little boy grinned back at me, his feet kicking up dust as his mother dragged him away by his arm. Near him, the three men from the alley continued a casual pursuit after me.