An Ordinary Fairy (52 page)

“The bats were a great idea.”

“Thanks. I remembered hearing them when I was in the big cave. There must be a third entrance.”

Noah glanced at the motionless figure on the floor. “What do we do now? He knows you’re a fairy.”

Willow followed his gaze and sighed. “The other choice was dying, I think, for both of us. Then he would have discovered the truth anyway. I had to Guard the Mystery.” Her eyes became moist. “I can’t stay here with what he knows. We need to keep him locked up somewhere for a while until I can arrange things.” She fell silent and bowed her head. “It’s hard to think about leaving Hoopeston, but I always knew this day would come.” Noah put a hand under her chin and raised her eyes to his.

“I’ll go with you. Wherever you need to go, I can take you. We can leave tonight if you want. Right now.”

Willow looked doubtful. “I thought you had commitments.”

“That was before I saw you with a knife at your throat.”

A smile grew on Willow’s face.

“My heart beats with yours, Willow. I can’t separate myself from you anymore. We’re the same soul. I won’t abandon you.” He kissed her. “But first, we better find some rope or something to tie our visitor up. There must be rope in one of these drawers. Not all the Joneses’ guests were willing, I’m sure.” They began rifling drawers and opening doors.

Noah heard scuffling behind them and turned as Jones vanished behind the curtain. Laughter echoed in the cave beyond.

“Sorry to leave this romantic scene!” Jones shouted. “But I’ve got things to do, you know. People to call.”

“Damn!” cried Noah. “Come on! We’ve got to stop him.” Noah picked up the knife from the floor and stuck it in his belt while Willow retrieved her flashlight. He also grabbed the smaller knife Jones had dropped on the bench, folded and pocketed it.

“I’ll lead,” Willow said. “No arguments. We can’t use the flashlight. He might have a gun somewhere.” Noah nodded and took her outstretched hand. They moved quickly into the large cave and waited a moment for Noah’s eyes to adjust.

“There,” Willow said, pointing to the far end of the cave. Jones had a light, probably a small spare from his belt. It bobbed up and down on the far wall, almost at the ladder. They ran as fast as they could in the darkness. Willow was surefooted but Noah stumbled several times. When they were about halfway across the cave, Jones’s light vanished in the darkness.

“Hurry!” Willow said.

When they reached the ladder shaft, she cautiously looked up. All was darkness. She switched on her flashlight and illuminated the empty ladder. “The hatch is closed,” she said.

“I’ll go first,” Noah said as he pushed Willow out of the way. She started to protest, but relented. Noah grabbed the ladder in both hands and stood for a moment, taking several deep breaths like a diver preparing to jump. “You keep the flashlight,” he said. “Please don’t drop it.” Willow nodded and patted him on the back.

“You can do it, Cowboy. You’re my hero.”

Climbing the ladder spread excruciating pain up Noah’s arm.

It distracts me from the height.

Willow kept the flashlight trained on him. In less than a minute, Noah’s head bumped into the closed hatch. He pushed up with his good hand, but it wouldn’t budge.

“He’s blocked it.”

“He probably piled some feed sacks onto it. Move over.”

Noah crowded to one side but held on with both hands. Willow squeezed by, her body pressed close against him. Noah took the flashlight while she positioned herself with her shoulders against the hatch, and brought her legs up two rungs, compressing into a ball. She exhaled and gave a mighty upward shove by straightening her body. The hatch opened a few inches and stopped. With the load suspended, she moved her feet up another rung and compressed herself again. She prepared like a power lifter and thrust upward with a tremendous grunting effort that popped the hinges out of the frame. She tipped the entire load to one side with a crash and scrambled up the ladder. Noah followed more slowly. When his head popped out, Willow stood with her hands on her hips and a satisfied look on her face. Several large bags of feed lay strewn across the floor.

At least she’s breathing hard.

They clambered down the stairs. The big door stood open, where Shadow waited with wagging tail; he apparently had not deterred Jones, but was unhurt. Once out in the open, Noah took the lead.

“Let’s head south. He probably parked at the cemetery again.” Willow nodded her agreement.

No light flashed ahead, which didn’t surprise Noah considering the thick woods and twisting trail. They ran down the south trail, compromising quiet for speed. Soon, Noah slowed to a stop. Willow stopped, too, but Shadow continued to run ahead.

“What’s wrong?” Willow asked.

“This is useless,” Noah said. “We should go to the cottage and get things ready to leave. With flat tires, somehow.”

“We need to catch him, Noah. He’s going to come back with a gun.”

“You’re right. We know too much. He wants to kill us.”

“Not us. You.”

Gooseflesh ran down Noah’s back. He felt very alone.

Willow touched his arm. “I spawned a fairy Hunter when I revealed myself. He won’t hurt me, but you’re in his way. Noah, I can catch him.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“I’ll knock him out from behind before he reaches his truck. He’s seen my wings, but he doesn’t know I can actually fly.”

Noah stared into her eyes.

I can’t lose you.

“I have to go right now,” Willow said. “I’m our only chance.”

Noah sighed and nodded. “No heroics. You don’t land and you stay invisible.” Willow stretched and shook her wings. Noah handed her the large knife, which she tucked into her belt.

“You look like a fairy fighter,” Noah said with a grin. He quickly became sober again. She placed a reassuring hand on his chest.

“I’ve been in tougher scrapes than this. I’ll be fine.” Her wings buzzed and she lifted a few feet off the ground.

“Be careful!” Noah implored.

Willow grinned. She flew away, but then darted back to Noah, hovering inches away. She grabbed his face and kissed him. Her wings buzzed loudly and she executed an incredible maneuver, leaning backward and zooming away while rolling over to flight position. As she reached the edge of normal vision in the darkness, she winked out of sight. Shadow, who had stopped a few dozen yards up the path, watched her zoom past, barked once and ran after her. A few seconds later her presence slipped away as the distance between them widened.

Noah followed Shadow’s lead, reciting every prayer for protection he could think of as he ran. He took a chance on the flashlight and lit his way, slowing when he reached the slick rock surface of the ravine. As he ran up the slope at the south end, he began to sense Willow’s emotions: anger, excitement, and fear.

A gunshot shattered the silence of the night. Noah stopped and switched off the light.

That was a thirty aught six.

Shadow burst into angry barking and ran ahead through the darkness. Willow’s emotions flooded through Noah. “Willow? Are you okay?”

NOT NOW!

Noah started moving again, feeling his way in the dark. He had to be getting close. A second shot rang out, followed shortly by a third.

To hell with being careful
.

He switched on the flashlight and pounded down the path. He passed Shadow standing motionless on the path, yammering, eager to proceed but held back by Willow’s command.

Soon Noah saw a flashlight beam dancing among the trees. He got his bearings and switched his light off. Another shot sounded, accompanied by muzzle flash and indistinct swearing. Moving carefully, Noah approached the scene. He found a good vantage point behind a forked tree, perhaps a hundred feet from Jones, who was standing just outside the cemetery fence, holding a rifle in firing position.

Willow’s buzzing filled the air and her voice echoed through the woods. She threw taunts and insults at the angry Jones, who remained just as invisible behind his flashlight as the darting fairy. The light beam jerked wildly as he tried to follow her movements.

The light grew still; its ray lowered to the forest floor. Noah could make out the gun barrel, raised high and slowly swinging back and forth.

He’s tracking her by sound.

Willow continued her mobile tirade, until another shot rang out. Pain shot down Noah’s back at the same moment Willow’s buzzing faltered. Amid fluttering, a soft thud sounded in the dark, and then silence.

No!

“Got you!” Jones shouted. The clank of the rifle’s bolt action filled the silence. Jones’s shadowy figure moved forward, sweeping the trees with his flashlight.

Noah stepped from behind the tree, flipped on his flashlight and shined it towards Jones. “Over here, Chester! I’m who you really want. Let Willow go.”

Jones turned and squinted at the light, his face quickly turning demonic. He raised the rifle to his left shoulder. “You’re making this too easy.”

Noah stood still, staring at the barrel of the rifle. He lowered his flashlight, but Jones’s beam was trained on his chest.

I hope I’m right.

“Promise me you’ll leave Willow alone.”

“Like that will mean anything,” Jones said.

“We stupid Wiccans believe in reincarnation, you know. I could haunt you.”

Jones chortled. “You’re even dumber than I thought, Noah. Better pray to your Goddess.”

Just a little longer.

“I’ll say a prayer for you, too.”

“Don’t waste your time. You have very little left.”

The beam from Jones’s flashlight shimmered like a mirage. Noah let a smile creep across his features. The rifle moved slightly as Jones lowered his head to fire.

“Kiss your ass goodbye, Noah.”

A flash of silver gleamed and struck the rifle barrel with a metallic clang, throwing the weapon from Jones’s hands. In an instant Willow appeared, lunged at Jones and grabbed him by the windpipe with her left hand. She raised the knife to his neck with her right. Her wings arched high above her head, twitching violently.

Surprise painted Jones’s face, but morphed into terror.

“Feels different when the knife’s at your throat, doesn’t it, Chester?” Willow said.

Noah casually walked forward.

The fairy conquers the ogre.

Noah smiled at the amusing image of tiny Willow holding the comparative giant at her mercy. Her wings had settled; a quarter-sized hole marred the upper right one. Jones’s eyes flicked to Noah and he tried to speak, but Willow tightened her grip.

“You’ll speak when I allow it.” She tilted her head to one side, and then released his neck and fumbled inside his collar. “What’s this?” She pulled out a small amulet hanging around Jones’s neck. A quick jerk snapped the cord and pulled his head toward the knife. He gasped. Willow held a finger to her lips. “Shhh! Here, Noah, check this out.” She tossed the amulet in an arc over her head, and regained her grip on the big man’s throat.

Noah caught the amulet and examined it in the beam of his flashlight. “I bet you don’t need the knife anymore.”

Willow let go of Jones and lowered the knife. Her energy surged through the air. She began to glow, beginning with her face and spreading over her body. Jones looked confused, but seemed to be regaining some confidence now that he’d been released. When Willow spoke, her voice boomed across the forest.

“On your knees!”

Jones fell to his knees so hard that Noah wondered if Willow had somehow made his legs disappear. The big man gasped for air, his face bewildered. Willow brandished the knife at his neck again. His head was slightly below her eye level.

“Lean your head back,” she roared.

Jones’s head snapped back, exposing his neck. Willow drew her arm back and held the knife high where Jones could see it. His eyes grew huge and round, and he began to quiver.

Her dark side emerges.

“P-please … please don’t kill me.”

Willow flashed the knife down in an arc, barely clearing his throat. Jones descended into sobs, his body heaving. Willow released her spell and allowed him to fall forward to his hands and knees. She patted his back.

“I’m not going to kill you, Chester. Fairies and Wiccans don’t do that. Besides, I want you to live with the knowledge that down inside, you’re nothing but a coward. Oh, and an asshole.” She turned her back on Jones and hugged Noah, then stepped back and gave him an admiring look. “You were willing to take a bullet for me.”

“I would take a bullet for you anytime, darlin’. But in this case, I didn’t need to worry.” He stepped away, picked up the rifle and aimed it at Jones, who had remained on his hands and knees. He cringed and started sobbing again. Noah pulled the trigger.

Click.

Noah held the gun out toward Willow. “Winchester Model 70 thirty aught six, just like my dad’s. I saw it in Chester’s gun safe the night we visited, in the front, where a guy keeps his favorite weapon.” He operated the bolt-action. “Nice rifle. It has a five shot magazine. The fifth shot made that hole in your wing. Which really hurt for a second, by the way.”