Curse And Craving

19

The enormity of my problems suddenly seemed overwhelming, sitting on my chest like a giant Irish blarney stone until I couldn’t properly breathe. “All right, sweetie,” she said with a note of sadness. “You just let me know. I'll talk to you soon. Love you.” “Love you, too,” I wheezed from constricted lungs. How had I not considered the impact of what was happening? I’d been scared for myself and Ashley, but what about others? Would the other people I loved be at risk if this problem worsened? The deeper entrenched I became, the more likely I would be to drag others into this mess. I wanted answers, but maybe the safest answer was to run like hell. Yes, I ended up with the necklace, but that didn’t mean the monsters were my problem to solve. My only real problem was getting myself out of danger, which needed to be my primary focus. Get the necklace off. Stay safe. Protect the people I loved. That was all that truly mattered. THAT EVENING, I sat at my computer searching for anything I could uncover about my necklace. I figured the majority of information I would find about magic jewelry would be Dungeons and Dragons–type lore that wouldn't mean crap for me, but there might be a nugget of truth to be uncovered. I had no idea how I would identify that nugget, but I certainly wouldn't find it if I didn't try. I used a hand mirror to examine the pendant. I wanted to see if I might have overlooked any defining characteristics that would help me research the piece. The chain was thin but not overly delicate. I had always assumed it was silver, but it never tarnished, so perhaps it was white gold or platinum. The stone itself was black with tiny glittering specs throughout. The surface was smooth, but there was a small carving that I had forgotten about on the back. As a child, I used to absently rub my thumb up and down across the indentations of the carving. I had assumed the artist had made the etching as a type of signature. Now that I was analyzing the necklace, I realized that it was odd that the carving didn't seem the least bit worn down after all these years. It was a tribal-like design with three crescent moons back-to-back and a solid circle in the middle between them. Three shaft designs also protruded outward between each moon. Turning back to my computer, I searched for black stones with carvings. No matter what I searched, the results were never quite right. The stones too shiny or opaque. The carvings too Indian or Asian. None of the information seemed connected to the pendant around my neck. When I exhausted my search options, I decided to look at what the internet could tell me about Draugs and the Fae. Information would be my best weapon until I could get myself out from under this mess. An abundance of information came up, but I had no way to verify what parts might be accurate and what was a fabrication. As best as I could tell, the Draug was linked to Norse mythology and sounded like a kind of zombie creature with a thing for treasure, which would explain his need to have my necklace. They were noted for rising from graves as wisps of smoke and having super strength—both of those facts were consistent with what I had witnessed. However, I also read that they stank badly, and I hadn’t noticed any particular stench aside from his rancid breath. None of the articles tied the Draug to the Fae, but otherwise, the descriptions seemed consistent. Turning to the Fae, I realized the name alone had a variety of spellings, and the etymology was diverse. I noted all the historical references, associated charms, and legends before I got to a section on the Tuatha De Dannan and the Aos sí. I took particular interest in the groups as they were both legends of Faeries originating from Ireland. I wasn't sure how much of the legends pertaining to each were true, but surely, some of the stories had been founded in truth. After a while, I started to feel like a dog chasing its tail. Sitting back, I processed what I’d learned and attempted to apply the information to my new reality. If the legends were right, the Fae had been around for eons. Lochlan had indicated he and his men acted as gatekeepers. When had their organization taken on that role? How had the Fae remained secret before that point? How had the group originated? So many questions circulated my mind that I decided to make one last inquiry to see what I could uncover about Lochlan and the men of the Huntsman. At first, all that came up were pictures of the club and articles I had seen previously. But when I entered Huntsman Fae, what came up made my palms tingle and my heart race in my chest. The Wild Huntsman Legends—the ruthless warriors of The Wild Hunt. Why hadn't it occurred to me before? I felt like an i***t. I might not have been as well-versed as Ashley, but it wasn't like I hadn't read books about Fae and heard of The Wild Hunt. I had studied at a liberal arts school and read a handful of books about the Fae, including a Midsummer Night’s Dream, which I had studied extensively. I was generally familiar with fairy tales and legends, but I had never entertained the possibility that they had any truth to them. Words escaped me. If Lochlan and Ronan and the other men who ran the Huntsman were actually members of The Wild Hunt, that meant they were Fae. They had to be if the two were truly one and the same. I lowered my head into my hands. Of course, they are. How naïve can you be? The Draug had called him hunter and had fled in fear. That wasn’t something that would have happened if Lochlan had been a human. Looking back now with a clear head, I knew the truth deep in my bones. I’d been surrounded by Fae and never had a clue. What was it Lochlan had said? We have ties to the government. I had assumed he meant our human government, but I doubted that was his intent. Just like in the myths, the Fae were master manipulators. He’d wanted me to believe he was human, and I’d gladly taken the bait. I was going to have to be more critical of everything from now on. At least my instincts to keep my necklace a secret from them had been accurate. If they decided to come after me, I didn’t know what I’d do. I wanted to run long and far, but they were my only source of information, and until I could get the necklace off, I needed them. I needed to maintain the ruse of friendship, no matter how terrifying the prospect.