Kelpie (Come Love a Fey) (25 page)

“Yeah,”
I snapped.  I wasn’t in the mood for this crap right now.

“Ada,”
my Mom’s voice was weak and tearful.  I stood immediately, dropping the scrap
of pixie silk.  I watched it flutter and dance across the yard and into the
parking lot in a detached sort of way as I absorbed my mom’s words.

“You
father had a heart attack.  Ada, I’m so scared.  Will you come to the
hospital?”

I
don’t know what I said.  My mind went numb.  The next thing I knew I was in the
hospital parking lot getting out of my car.  I had thrown on a sweatshirt
somewhere along the way, and Una was perched on my shoulder.  I opened my purse
and shooed her in.  Other humans wouldn’t be able to see past her glamour, but
they would still see me carrying around a bird.  That wasn’t going to fly. 
Pun
intended.

I
found mom in the waiting area outside the operating room.  “They’re
transferring him to intensive care,” she said in greeting.  “They said it will
be touch and go all night.”

I
nodded.  “I’m here Mom.  I’m sure he’ll be okay; he’s a tough-guy, remember?”

I
kept up a good front, staying calm, reassuring my mom- the words flowing from
me automatically through the numbness.  I knew my parents loved each other.  I
hadn’t really stopped to think about how much.  They had been together for
thirty-five years.  I couldn’t recall one single time in my entire life that
they had been apart.  My mom, who always seemed to have an inner light in her,
looked frail and dull.  I tried to imagine myself in her position, but I knew I
fell short.  I had known Leith for only a short time, thought of him as mine
for even less, but I knew that if it were him in there clinging to life, I
would do absolutely anything to save him.  At that thought, something shifted
inside me.

There
was nothing we could do for Dad.  Nothing but sit in that sterile white room
and wait.  They brought him out on a hospital bed and it took four people to
manage all of the devices hooked to him.  We followed to his room in intensive
care.  It was the longest night of my life.

By
morning, Dad was awake, though he was still a little out of it.  By afternoon,
he seemed like his old self.  The doctor came and spoke with us, and the nurses
unhooked many of the monitors and the I.V. drip.

I
left early that evening.  They said Dad would be home within the week.  He had
a blockage in one of his arteries and they were planning to do a balloon
angioplasty to open it up.  When I left he was resting comfortably, cracking
jokes with the nurses and generally back to his old self.  Mom looked like she
had aged about ten years, but her color had come back the minute he started
making jokes about her messy hair.

When
I got home, I took a quick, hot shower and pulled on a long t-shirt and some underwear. 
Una had promised to stay near Dad for a while, so she was hiding at the
hospital.  The house was locked up, but she had her ways of getting in.  I sat
on the edge of the bed, feeling very alone. 

I
pulled open the drawer of my nightstand and reached inside.  The Kelpie’s gem
was still there.  It seemed warmer than usual, and my hand curled around it
instinctively.  I slipped the necklace over my head and tucked it under my
shirt, feeling soothed by the warm second heart.  I wondered where Leith was as
I collapsed into bed.  My eyelids settled closed.  It was only seven o’clock at
night, but I hadn’t slept since the day before yesterday and I was exhausted. 
I muttered a brief prayer for Mom and Dad. 

Dark,
compelling blue eyes floated somewhere in the back of my mind.  P
lease let
him be safe
, I prayed.  Then I drifted off to sleep.

I
woke in darkness. 
I was on my hands and knees, and I crawled forward catching my fingers and bare
toes on something rough and unyielding.  There was a soft flutter of wings, and
Una landed on my shoulder.  Something hot brushed my chest, swaying between my
breasts, and I recognized the comforting weight of the Kelpie’s Gem.

“Keep
moving,” the little sprite warbled.  Her voice sounded strange.  Something
wasn’t right.  There was a dim glow up ahead, and I headed for it on my hands
and knees.  I could feel earth beneath my hands, and tiny pebbles dug into the
flesh of my palms and knees.

“Where
are we?”  I whispered, confused.  My voice was muffled by the close dirt walls.

“He
must have called you here,” she said quietly.  Her voice was fading.  “There’s
an enchantment….I can’t….”  Her little body tumbled off my shoulder into the
darkness.  I hesitated, afraid to search for her in the dark, lest I crush her
delicate little body.  There was a distant metallic clang, and a shout from
somewhere up ahead.  I began to get my bearings, but I couldn’t believe what my
senses were telling me.  I was underground.

“Una,”
I whispered urgently, my voice muffled in the close dark.  There was no reply.  I
steeled myself and gently felt about on the ground in front of me.  My
searching fingers encountered the little sprite and I scooped her up, cradling
her in one hand as I awkwardly crawled along.

 I
was breathing hard from the crawl, and the smell of damp earth came to me with
every breath.  The cave gradually lightened as I moved along, and I realized I
could actually see now.  I tumbled into an open area that was lit with a soft
glow.  My eyes traced the intricate pattern of tree roots that made up the
floor and the arched ceiling.  Underhill.  I was in freaking Underhill.

The
jewel at my chest was burning.  I silently took in the scene in front of me. 
Leith knelt on one knee in the center of the room, deflecting Adhene’s sword
with his staff.  He seemed to be unable to stand.  They were both covered in
bruises and nicks, but it was obvious that Ahnene was winning.  The beautiful
elf had shed his human disguise, and I saw him in all his glory, understanding
at once the difference between my kind and this graceful, ethereal creature. 
His long, golden hair swirled about him as he danced around Leith like a
ballerina, his movements almost too fast to follow.  Leith had a hint of this
grace as well, but it was tempered by something slower and more solid- his
tainted human blood.

I
gently laid Una on a flat rock just outside the tunnel.  She was still
breathing, slow and regular.  It looked as though she were asleep.  The fight
in front of me continued as I slowly pushed myself to my feet.  Neither man
seemed to notice my presence.

“You
should have slumbered on for another hundred years,” Adhene jeered.  “You could
have awakened to a whole new world.  I am truly sorry that you must die.”  Leith
was silent.  His movements as he defended himself were just a beat too slow.  He
was tired, and he seemed to be in pain.  He made no move to stand.  I thought
his leg might be broken.

“Your
people have all abandoned you.”  Adhene tried for an opening under Leith’s
staff, slashing at his heart, but his stroke was blocked at the last moment.

“Even
your little human girl cast you off.  Creatures that fickle and faithless have
no value to our kind.  Humans are worthless beings.”

 His
blade sliced across Leith’s shoulder, drawing blood.  I pushed myself forward,
but hesitated, not wanting to distract Leith at a critical moment.  I had to do
something.  It was obvious he would lose.

I
crept around the edge of the room, staying to the shadows cast by the torches
flickering in their sconces.  If Adhene hadn’t been concentrating on Leith, he
would have sensed me immediately.  I held my breath as I slowly inched forward.
 Dark blood was flowing freely from Leith’s shoulder and the myriad nicks on
his arms and torso.  Something was keeping him from healing.  Where the hell
were his people?  Had he really been abandoned?  I clenched my teeth at the
thought.  Using my anger to propel me forward, I rushed at Adhene’s back.  I
threw myself at him, intending to distract him long enough for Leith to gain
some sort of advantage.

I
hit some sort of invisible barrier and was flung to the ground.  Blood trickled
from my split lip, and my cheek throbbed as I glared up at Adhene.  He hadn’t
even reacted to my presence.  He continued to hack at Leith like a maniac.

His
victim finally spoke.  “Not so faithless then.”  He said grimly.

Adhene
laughed.  “It’s just a nuisance.  A mosquito.”

I
gritted my teeth.  How could I help Leith if I couldn’t even get close?  He
took another hit and dark blood dripped from a gash along his cheek.  His eyes
met mine for a second, and then flickered toward the ceiling over my head.

“Don’t
fret cousin, I will send her to meet you when we are done here,” Adhene
taunted.

I
planted my hands on the ground and let my hair fall forward, covering my face.  Peering
out from the curtain of my hair, I scanned the ceiling.  Sure enough, there was
a shimmery spot on the earthen dome, just to the right of where I crouched.  I
concentrated and the glamour fell away to reveal a tiny gnarled man clinging to
one of the larger tree roots.

I
shifted my hands, searching for a projectile.  “Adhene, how could you do this
to your own family?”  

He
ignored me.  Leith scored a hit on his leg and I heard a sickening crunch.  That
would certainly stop his dancing around.  I glanced at them to see that Adhene still
had the upper hand.  Leith was exhausted.

“Don’t
you dare ignore me, you bastard,” I shouted, keeping my gaze trained on Adhene.
I hoped the ugly little man wasn’t moving around up there.  My searching
fingers located a large rock.  Perfect.  I scrabbled to dig it out of the
ground.  It ended up being bigger than I thought.  I hefted it in both hands.  No
good.  Throwing it aside I headed for a medium sized protrusion to the left.  My
fingertips were raw and my nails torn back to the quick by the time I got it
out.  I brushed absently at my eyes with the back of my hand.  I hadn’t
realized I was crying.  This was taking too long.

I
unearthed the rock.  Perfect.  “Adhene!”  I surged to my feet and threw the
rock as hard as I could, feinting before hefting it straight up at the ceiling.
 It missed the gremlin, but I did manage to disturb his perch.  He hit the
ground in front of me.  I rushed Adhene again and smacked into that damned wall. 
But I had gotten closer this time.  I was sure the wall was coming from the
gremlin, or whatever he was.  I spun and kicked at the little man, catching him
off guard.  He threw up his shield just in time and my bare foot smacked into
something unyielding.

“Ow!”
 I danced back on one foot.  He had to concentrate to get the shield up in
time.  Could he protect himself and Adhene at the same time?  I grabbed the
rock I had discarded earlier.  My arms strained under the weight and I had to
duck walk with it.  I started toward Adhene with the thing.  “You are really
going to regret ignoring me!”

I
spun to pick up momentum to launch the rock.  This time I was watching for the
wall to come up.  I saw the slight shimmer of fey magic near Adhene and I
released the rock with a grunt, sending it flying in the opposite direction.  It
hit the gremlin like a bowling ball.  He went down and stayed down.

 I
paced to Adhene, mindful of the wicked looking blade he was wielding.  “Please,”
I said softly.  “Please.  You’ve obviously won.  Just stop.”

Leith
kept his eyes trained on his elven cousin.  “Ada get out of here,” he panted.  “Start
running and don’t stop until you see daylight.  This is no place for your kind.”

I
ignored him.  He wouldn’t survive this fight.  I rushed forward and grabbed
Adhene’s arm, halting his constant onslaught.  “Stop!”

“Parasite!”
 He tried to shake me loose.  Failing that, he used the butt of his sword to
knock me in the head.  I fell to the ground and grasped my head in my hands as
the sharp, blinding pain flashed through my skull.  Blackness crowded the edges
of my vision and I fought to stay conscious.  I rolled to my hands and knees
and prepared to stand, but I was too late.  Leith had regained his feet while Adhene
was distracted with me.  I glanced up in time to see Adhene bury his sword in
Leith’s chest. 

Time
stopped for a heartbeat and a roaring sound filled my ears, blotting out my
world.  The jewel at my chest flared to life, searing me with its urgency. 
Then it went out like a snuffed candle.  Adhene jerked his sword back with a
grunt and Leith crumpled to the ground in a spray of blood.  It welled up
endlessly from his broad chest like a river.

I
found my feet and flew at Adhene in a screaming rage, swinging my bare hands at
his face, wanting to claw those sparkling green eyes from their sockets.  He
batted my hands away with ease, laughing at my weakness and fury.  He shoved me
aside and headed toward Leith.  Lifting his sword high, he prepared to take his
cousin’s head.  I struck at him again, pounding on his back, my blows
completely ignored.  On the third strike, the rusty dagger appeared in my hand
at the last possible moment, and I buried it between his shoulder blades.

Adhene
screamed and spun, trying to reach the knife lodged in his back.  It flared a
bright, hot red and he fell to his knees.  His face crumpled in on itself and
his wide green eyes met mine in surprise.  I looked into his eyes unflinchingly
as he toppled forward, his skin taking on a green tinge.  I felt nothing.