Her Danse Macbre

Chapter 6

Heather sat in the middle of reaching for a short bread cookie when those words were uttered. A million things came to mind though he must have told her this many times, in many different ways. He must of. Though she wasn’t so sure as she sat there.

“Let me elaborate.” Fionn continued with a smile. “This is a case of reincarnation. Choose to believe it if you want, or don’t. Heather was once a dear friend of mine. He and I had a deal that I would protect him in the life he first lived and throughout time.” The prince sipped his tea giving a moment for his words to sink in then went on. “I take it in all of your years of study you have come across the legend of the Guild of Thieves who acquire items of great supernatural significance. Am I right?” he asked raising his eyebrows. Aldraven nodded his head slowly. “Yes, of course.” He murmured. “Then you have heard of Kel Evercrest and his theft of the item belonging to the god, Esus.”

Without another word. Aldraven stood up and exited the room quickly. Heather wasn’t they were talking about and how it involved her. It went over her head as she stared at Fionn sipping his tea, seeming undisturbed by their host leaving the room abruptly. The older man came back a few moments later with a large item wrapped in a red cloth. Placing it down carefully on the coffee table he undid the string around it before sitting down. The cloth fell away revealing a wooden box with symbols burned into the grain. “This is said to be the box that holds the item that Kel Evercrest stole. I paid quite a bit about it, but I have to admit that I have been unable to open it.”

“You bought this box and haven’t been able to get it open? Why? How do you know it’s not a fraud?” Jemma asked her father with an expression of shock. Her father gave her an almost embarrassed look. “The wood itself is old and precious. I don’t have the skill to break it open without destroying the historical integrity”

Heather found herself scooting forward in her chair to look at it closer. The feeling of déjà vu ran through her and her vision started to blur. Bringing her fingers to the bridge of her nose she leaned forward a bit trying to overcome the dizziness. Opening her eyes she found Fionn smiling at her. Placing the cup down again he leaned back in his chair.

“The reason the box cannot be opened is because only someone with the skills to pick the lock can get to what lies within. A master thief. That would go to you Heather.”

“ME?! I am not a thief of any kind? I would have no way of knowing how to get that box open” She objected angrily. The things Fionn was telling her were piecing together in her head. She just couldn’t bring herself to believe that she, Heather is the reincarnation of this guy, a thief that stole from a god. It was almost too much for her to take.

“If you want proof I can easily give it to you.” The fae prince stood up and reached into his suit coat and pulled out wrapped leather. Heather took them slowly and un-wrapped it revealing a set of lockpicks in pristine condition. That sense of displacement ran through her again making her swallow hard. It felt so familiar as she pulled two of the tools, one was straight with a slight edge on the end. The other was long and slender with two pieces held together in the middle. The end of it had a thumb pad on it that caused the two prongs to expand and contrast.

“You can at least give it a try.” Curtis said his eyes fixed on the box quietly. His expression was grasped with almost an obsession. His green eyes were staring at the symbols on the box, tilting forward on the couch. Heather held the picks in her hand and felt her fingertips trembling. Her hands seem to move at her own volition as she stuck the two picks into the hole in the lock. The metal scraped the insides of the lock. Her fingertips grasped both of them as a vibration ran up her arms, to her hands, and into her fingertips. The lock clicked as they rotated and finally opened. Gasping Heather reached out, dropping the picks and lifted the top of the box. Inside the box on a wooden holder laid a ball. It was black with swirling mist inside of it. A glow imminated from it that lit up the box. The fabled Onxy Eye.

“IT’S MINE!!!” Curtis cried suddenly and leaned forward to grab it, knocking the nearby table over. Aldraven grabbed his son from around the waist and they both went crashing to the carpet. Heather leapt forward and quickly closed the lid. Curtis still struggled pinned under his father’s weight growling like a wild animal. Aldraven held him down and suddenly with his thumb and forefinger pressed on his son’s neck hitting a pressure point. The boy’s shoulder’s slumped as he was knocked out. Jemma was curled on the couch with her hands over her ears shaking. Heather moved over to her slowly. “Are you okay?” she asked frowning deeply, her brow knit in worry. “Y..Yeah. I don’t know what happened.” Jemma replied softly. She was trembling as she sat there curled in a ball. Aldraven got up and looked at Fionn who was sipping his tea obliviously and then to Heather.

“You should take it for now far from this place. You opened the box that tells me you are more then what you seem. It is dangerous.” He said frowning deeply, clearly uneasy by this. Reluctantly Heather looked back to the ball in the box. The voice in the back of her mind told her that this is a really strange dream. If it is reality then she should turn and run as fast as she could. Instead she reached out and opened the box a few inches and slipped her hand in and pulled the ball out and pocketed it in her bag.

After saying goodbyes, Heather stepped out of the manor and stood on the porch with Fionn following behind her. Exhaling a deep breath and inhaling the cold air the shock of what just happened started to wear off a bit. In its place the creeping realization that she was grounded and that it had gotten late sent a rush of fear to run through her. “OH NO I’M GROUNDED. I AM SO DEAD!” she cried feeling frantic.

“You have no need to worry. I swore on my name that I would protect you.” Fionn said and suddenly slid a strong arm around her waist and leapt into the air. He landed on the roof of a nearby hood of a Ford with deft precision. She would of objected to being carried around like a rag doll once again she felt herself easing into his arms. The scent of roses comforted her, telling her that she was safe. Laying her head against his chest she let herself be taken home, Fionn moving tree to tree till they landed on the overhang of her house. The fae prince slowly released her and reached up brushing a strand of fallen hair from her face. “Now they won’t even know that you have been gone. Take good care of that relic. You went through the trouble of stealing it.” He commented very softly.

“Am I really the reincarnation of a friend of yours that was a thief?” Her voice was soft and tired.

“Yes you are. I am sorry that it’s causing you such grief, but I am here for you and always will be…till the very end” he said softly, looking into her eyes. Standing up he jumped off the roof. It was how he seemed to come and go was his incredible speed and agility. Turning she slid open the window and climbed through it, entering her room. She paused to listen for her mother. Hearing nothing she crept to her bed, removing her clothing as she went. Finally she sat on her bed and noticed something strange. A folded piece of parchment lay in the center of her comforter. She held it in her fingertips and with the other she slid the Onyx Eye into her night table. Picking up the parchment she noticed the wax seal keeping it together. With her thumb she broke open the seal and unfolded the letter.

“To the Thief,

I have your friends Sean and Maryanne in the gymnasium of the school. Bring the thing you stole tonight or they will both suffer a horrible end”

It wasn’t signed, but from everything Fionn said that she could put together the pieces of who it was from. Her best friend and guy she liked were in danger, but there was nothing she could do right now. It was in the middle of the night. Getting into bed she tried her best to get some rest. She wanted to run out and save them from those who hold them, but she was grounded and she couldn’t go back to Jemma and Curtis for help after what happened. Heather thought she would be able to rest peacefully but the dreams came upon her in her helplessness. She tossed and turned the whole night

The next morning she felt groggy, the sleep clinging to her eyes and face. It was the weekend which meant no school, though the dance was tonight. Disoriented she went to the closet and got dressed. Seeing the letter lying silently on the table was the reminder of what she needed to do. There wasn’t any time left. Grabbing her bag she went to the bedside table and noticed the wrapped picks laid out next to her lamp. Things around her seemed to be out of her control lately. Picking them up placed them in her bag and removed the Onyx Eye. Hiding it away she clamored downstairs quickly.

Her mother was standing in the kitchen pouring herself some coffee. Surprisingly she smiled when Heather walked in.

“Heather, I realized that perhaps I have been too hard on you. I decided that you are going to live with your grandmother. I think you’re going through something that I cannot understand. Your therapist thinks it would be for the best”

Heather would of argued with her mom till she was horsed at the idea of living with her grandmother out in Cape Cod. The freezing winters it was enough to make her shiver, but she had other things on her mind. “Okay, Mom we will talk when I get back” she told her and hurried outside. The sky was dark though it was early in the morning. Looking at her watch she confirmed that it was eight in the morning. It wasn’t nature; she could feel it in her bones. Fixing her bag on her shoulder she hurried to the school. The townspeople were closing umbrellas and bringing things inside thinking that it was just a really bad storm. Her shoes smacked the sidewalk as she mentally prepared herself for what she might find.

As she approached the school Ms. Pond ran toward her, her blond hair whipping behind her as she stopped in front of her student.

“Heather. I have been trying to talk to you.” She cried.

“I can’t talk right now, Ms. Pond. I need to get into the school!” Heather argued.

“I know you have to stop Esus.” Ms. Pond responded placing a hand on her shoulder gently.

“How-?” The teenager asked in a voice of confusion and awe. Footsteps clicked behind her and another hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back a bit. “Because she isn’t human, but why she is here makes me wonder.” The voice and hand belonged to Fionn.

“My Prince. I have been trying to help you keep your promise. Also I care about this girl.” Ms. Pond replied her voice breathy and excited. Heather was confused as she looked at Ms. Pond then to Fionn. “You two know eachother?”

“Yes…Yes she is my fiancée. Lady Lillian is fae as well. We don’t really have time for these things. Esus has been brought back by someone and is clearly seeking the Onyx Eye. This is a trap.” Fionn cried impatiently. This information swirled in Heather’s mind, making her head ache. “I don’t have time!”she cried feeling suddenly angry. She pushed past them to the doors of the school and wrapped her fingers the handles and pulled the double doors open.