Shadow Play

23

“Not yet. What I do know, is that creature was ready to chop my head off to get his hands on my necklace. He yanked on the chain so hard I thought my head was going to come off, but you just saw my neck, it’s not even bruised.” Her anxious eyes bore into mine. “There's no telling how and why all that happened. What if you had a protection spell put on you or it's all just a coincidence and the little monster just liked to collect pretty things?” “I have no idea, but I feel like I need to figure it out. Asking questions is hard though, when I’m not willing to chance telling anyone else about the necklace until I know more. Lochlan wasn't there yet to see the creature grab for it so I didn't tell him that the necklace was what it was after. I'm just not sure who to trust and since this thing isn't coming off my neck, I figured I'd keep its potential magical properties to myself.” “I'm not convinced it wasn't a coincidence, but just to be safe, I think that's a good idea. Man, Becca, this is some crazy shit.” “No kidding.” “There’s nothing that will convince you to leave this place?” My head slowly shook side to side, my features apologetic. “Well, I suppose my job then is to help where I can. Were you able to learn anything from that Lochlan guy?” “I didn't get to talk to him for long last night, but he did say that the creature that attacked us was called a draug. I haven't had a chance to Google it and other than that he didn't tell me anything about it that I didn't already know.” “Oh man, I think I've heard of that!” I was so startled that I stood up off the bed. “Are you kidding?” “No, but I'm having trouble pinpointing where I remember it from.” She squeezed her eyes shut and scrunched up her nose. “Give me my k****e,” she demanded, reaching for the bag I’d brought her. Ash was a voracious reader. It was no wonder she sought a career in publishing. She turned on the reader and began searching frantically through her library while I patiently waited. “Ah-ha! I knew that I had heard the term—this book that I read not too long ago had a draug in it and it was a type of Fae or Faery.” She handed me the device and I skimmed the pages. In the book, the draug was a Faerie that used people's own desires to lure them to remote locations to kill them. That's not what had happened in this instance, but it wasn't entirely off base. At least it was somewhere to start. “All the creatures you have seen could definitely be categorized as Fae. At least we have a good idea what we're dealing with, to some extent.” We sat in silence for a moment as we both processed the fact that there was a mythical race of people living here in Ireland. She wasn’t happy about my refusal to leave, but Ash would support me in something that I was so passionate about. She only had a few days left on her trip, and my guess was she would resist leaving me there alone. A nurse entered the room and informed us that it was time for Ashley's pain medicine. The meds made her super groggy so she insisted that I head back home instead of watching her 'drool all over herself.' I sat at my computer that evening and recalled what I had learned after my visit to the hospital. Despite initially intending to head home after my visit with Ash, my legs took me of their own accord to the Huntsman. The building wasn't nearly as impressive now as it had been the previous night. In stark contrast to the night before, the dark elevator lobby was entirely empty, and my footsteps echoed off the worn marble floors. The elevator took me to the top floor and opened to an eerie version of the club that had been so vibrant and alive the night before. The cavernous room was completely deserted and silent aside from the distant drone of the heating system. The heavily tinted windows and thick drapes kept out all but a soft glow from the sun. “You shouldn't be here.” I let out a startled gasp at the unexpected voice. Seated in shadow against a far wall was Ronan's quiet friend, Michael. Although he had been present most of the night while we all danced and laughed, he had been more of an observer rather than a participant. He seemed more at home here in the dark by himself than in the middle of the crowded dance floor. He wore jeans and a t-shirt and sat back in an assessing manner. He had papers in front of him on the table and was smoking a cigarette, the red embers visible at a distance when he inhaled. “You're probably right, but I'm here anyway. I'd like to talk to Lochlan.” “That's it kitty, keep chasing your curiosity,” he drew out with an unimpressed smirk. Crossing my arms, I took a few steps in his direction. “You suggesting I'm going to end up dead?” “Or worse.” Emphasizing his point, he stubbed out the cigarette in a black plastic ashtray. His words both frightened me and angered me. “I know I'm in over my head, but it seems I don't have much of a choice—it's not like I want these Faerie creatures to keep coming after me.” As I spoke, my voice rose with my frustrations and I clenched my fists at my sides. As soon as I said the word ‘Faerie’, his eyes shot to mine and all nonchalance evaporated leaving in its place menacing intensity. “Be very careful, Rebecca, the creature in that alley is not even remotely the most dangerous thing out there.” Duly noted. His hand slowly lifted to point toward the back hallway. “He's in the office.” With narrowed eyes and a growing agitation, I made my way to the open office doorway and stepped inside without bothering to knock. “I need some answers, and before you tell me to look inside myself, I need answers from you. About the Fae.” I helped myself to one of the two chairs in front of the desk and sat back with my arms crossed. He’d been typing on a laptop when I walked in and upon my interruption, he purposefully shut the screen and leaned back in his chair. “Do you think answers are going to change anything?” His question made me think for a moment—would anything change? The Fae would still be out there and I was still going to be a weak human compared to them. However, knowing what they could do, how to avoid them, and other information like whether more creatures would be after me would help keep me alive. I finally spoke. “I do, actually. Haven't you ever heard the term 'armed with information'? Just knowing for certain that these creatures are Faeries would be a great start.”