12. Kiaran #2
The tree line sat at least fifty paces from the fire, and hundreds of souls surrounded it. Up close, I saw the cave-dwelling gremlins, Fae, and dwarves. There were human looking people here too, many of them. They were all together as one, and not a single person looked out of place.
A small hand grabbed mine and tugged. Looking down, I saw the Dwarven woman from the pond.
“You shouldn’t be here, boy. Amelie should not be trying such dangerous magic.”
“I’ve learned that Amelie does what Amelie wants to do.”
The little thing scoffed at me. “Clearly.” She rolled her eyes. “But you should go, lively ones are not usually welcome here.”
Looking back at the crowd, I couldn’t agree less with her. These souls may roam freely from their physical bodies now, but I was lost too. This was maybe a perfect place for me. “I think I’ll be okay. Thanks, though.” Taking possession back of my hand, I walked toward the fire.
“Get back here, young man!” The dwarf shouted at me. The Lost Souls went deathly quiet, pun intended. When I turned to face her, her cheeks were void of color.
A tall, human looking man stepped between her and I, glancing between us. He didn’t have a single hair on the top of his head, but grew an exceptional beard that made it hard to see his mouth. His eyes were dark and brows bushy. Familiarity was thick in the air around us, like we were old friends.
“Ethel, are you trying to ward away guests again?” He gave her a mischievous grin before he turned back to me. “What’s your name, son?”
“Kiaran. Just wanted to come introduce myself, Sir.” Striding toward the man, I reached out my hand to shake his. My father taught me a lot growing up. The few good parts of me were all him. One of those things was to always shake a man’s hand before pissing him off.
I might have gotten those two things backward tonight judging by the look on the bearded man’s face .
The man eyed my hand like it was diseased. “Kiaran,” he repeated, puffing his chest out and crossing his tattooed arms over his chest, letting me know who was in charge here. “Friedrich, come over here. When’s the last time we had a Witch at the camp?”
Feeling very vulnerable without my magic, I tried to side step the man to get back to Ethel, but he moved to stop me. His friend, Friedrich, now joining us.
“It’s been a long while, we wondered when you’d relent and enter purgatory. Al, should I get the boy some ale?”
Al continued to burn holes through my skull with his eyes. I looked to Ethel, fear darkened her face as two more men stood behind her.
The static that had been tingling over my skin was fading.
“One, brother. Then he leaves.” Al responded to Friedrich then looked to Ethel. “Josef, Niklaus, let her go.”
I let out a satisfied breath.
“Do not come back here Ethel, I will not be so kind next time. This is your final warning to leave us be, we are not harming anything.”
Ethel’s fearful expression took over her whole face but her eyes held nothing but contempt. “You all used to be so kind,” she said before locking eyes with me. Just as they had earlier when she was sitting with Amelie, her eyes seemed to glaze over and then I heard it.
You do not have long.
I didn’t need to think about what that meant. I could feel it. The flowers on my skin were wilting and the static was nearly gone. Not wanting to piss off the dead guys any further, I gave her a wink and turned to follow Friedrich.
One drink and I’d be gone.
One was plenty.
It had been centuries since I’d felt the buzz of alcohol so one could assume my tolerance was shit now but I was pretty sure this ale was brewed to be stronger than the Forest itself.
Chugging the last half of the drink, I listened to the men share their stories.
Al seemed to be the leader of this specific posse.
So far, I’d gathered that Al and Friedrich were brothers, but their celestial blood was yet to be revealed.
Niklaus and Josef were human, they explained their ties to celestial blood prior to their deaths which allowed them to enter purgatory in the Forest. They were allowed to wait here until their mates passed with them into the total afterlife.
Neither of them was forthcoming with where their mates were though.
My skin was just skin now and the dirt the flowers grew in was getting cold.
“Thank you for the ale and the stories. I’ll be on my way now.” Getting to my feet from the log I’d sat on, Al studied my stature. “You’ll come back then?” he asked inquisitively. They hadn’t tried to kill me but I definitely didn’t get the impression that they wanted me back.
“If you’ll allow it, Sir,” I replied, treading lightly.
As vulnerable as I was without my magic, it was nice to feel kinship tonight.
Walking to the edge of their circle and bidding the men a good night, Al came to stand at my side.
He set a large, cold hand on my shoulder and said, “It will be your turn to tell your story.”
I gave the leader a curt smile and entered the thick of the trees again. I didn’t want them to see me sprint and believe I was afraid of them, but the lack of feeling in my bones made me feel uneasy.
Fuck not having magic.
I wasn’t even sure I was that far from the cottage but the run was exhausting me nonetheless. Humans must have felt useless day in, and day out. No wonder they lived such short lives.
Trying to remember the way I came, and not having any vision, I sent a silent prayer to whoever might be listening to send a Forest guide out for me.
Focusing in and watching for the candlelight in the windows, I felt it.
The pull of my soul to hers. The wind picked up at my back, as if to help me get to her quicker.
With the extra push behind me, I sailed.
Not thinking of my direction, only feeling for Amelie.
I hadn’t realized how thick the trees were just past the clearing but coming out of it and seeing my home and knowing my girl was waiting for me inside sent my stomach into an excited flurry of nerves. I couldn’t wait to tell her everything.
Fern already had the door open for me as if to say, about time!
Amelie was lying exactly the same as when I left.
Doing the same thing I did the first time, I lifted her up and slid my body under her upper half to rest her head in my lap.
I’d left the cottage. My bones didn’t break and the High Priestess didn’t show up.
The cottage was intact, and I had an invite to visit the men again.
Now, I protected the head of the woman I’d come to adore and waited for her to wake.
If I knew for sure that she would want me to, I would kiss her everywhere she’d let me for the gift she gave me today.
With how much I cared for this woman, I thanked her God that she was mortal and I couldn’t be ordered to give her up.