Ebony
The last couple of weeks had passed without incident and the supernaturals visiting Charlene had begun to peter out. Soon I would be able to move back home, which was fantastic as I’d be able to spend a lot more time with Henry. We’d been out every single night for the last fortnight but I nearly always returned to my room at the farm. I just had a niggling feeling that something was going to happen. Things were going so well between me and Henry though. I was quietly optimistic about the future.
Today’s visitor was the leader of the Faeries of Withernsea. Mathilde was fair-haired, green-eyed, and arrived the size of a human, although it was known that when among their own, the faeries returned to their usual extremely small size and had gossamer wings.
She held Charlie in her hands and looked down at her in awe. “She is so very beautiful.”
The visit passed without incident. The gift of a small golden statue of a fairy was given to Charlie.
“We faeries welcome you into our kingdom, Charlene Landry.”
I noted Mathilde didn’t pledge her servitude or assistance but that was the thing with faeries. They were wily creatures who liked to make deals. They weren’t going to offer to help without seeing what they could get out of it.
Mathilde left and Shelley looked at me.
“It should be a crime to be that beautiful.”
“Yes, but they’re nowhere near as beautiful on the inside.” I warned.
An hour later I was fixing lunch when my vision went dark. I saw Charlie’s crib but the baby in it wasn’t her.
My blood ran cold.
What the hell did I do?
The only thing I could do. I warned her mother.
Shelley went into a blind panic, asking me to repeat every detail of what I’d seen.
“That was it. I was given the image of the crib, but it wasn’t Charlie in it. The baby was different.” I sat with my head in my hands. “That’s why I hate these visions. They give me part info that’s not much use to anyone.”
Shelley reached for my hand. “That’s not true, Ebony. You’ve warned me of potential danger and now we shall be more ready than ever. Do you have any idea when it’s going to take place?”
I shook my head sadly. “I don’t know anything else. God, I feel so useless.”
Charlie. Do you know anything? Can you tell me?
Only that what’s meant to be, will be. I’m sorry, Ebony. Fate makes the ultimate choices.
I remembered the vision she’d shown me days ago. Recalling it, gave me faith that everything would work out okay in the end.
Wards were strengthened.
Darius put police protection over the farmhouse.
Shelley moved the crib into her and Theo’s room. We all said we’d take it in turns to look after Charlene.
All we could do was wait.
* * *
Two days later we found that when someone had a dastardly plan and was determined enough, they’d find a way.
Shelley had left Charlie in her crib in the living room while she went to answer the door. I got there at the same time as her. On opening it we found there was no one there.
“That’s weird. Must be some kind of electrical fault.” Shelley said and she closed the door.
I followed her back into the living room and looked in the crib, to find it wasn’t Charlene in there.
I screamed. Shelley followed my gaze and let out a heart wrenching guttural pain. “Noooooo. My baby.”
Theo was downstairs in seconds. Panic ensued. The supernatural policeman was in the house just a minute later.
“How can it have happened? I only went to the door. There’s been no forced entry. I just don’t understand it. Who in their right mind abandons their baby and takes someone else’s?”
And then it all clicked. “It’s a faerie baby.” I announced. “That’s what it is. It’s a changeling.” I looked around the room. “Where’s the gift they gave you? The statue?”
Shelley looked around frantically for it. “It’s not here.”
“It was a trick. The golden statue. It was a faerie. We had a faerie in the house all along. The wards wouldn’t work because they were already here. I believe Mathilde has Charlene.”
“Where does she live?” I took one look at Shelley’s face and thanked the Lord I wasn’t Mathilde de la Rey.
Shelley held onto me. “Sorry, Ebs, but I need you with me.”
Then we traveled at a speed my body couldn’t comprehend.
Outside Mathilde’s large detached house Shelley stood staring at the outside walls.
“Where do you think she’ll be?” She asked Theo, then she turned to me. “Ebony, any idea?”
“I don’t know, Shelley. She’s not even necessarily at home.” Then I thought about it. “Give me a second.”
Charlie. Can you hear me? We’re outside Mathilde’s. Are you there?
Yes. Second floor. She’s standing with me at the window. I can see a large Oak tree. The woman is a crazy bitch. She keeps going on about how pretty I am and how she’s going to add me to a collection. Bloody damn baby body. Help me, Ebs. Do not tell my mother you can talk to me. She’d not understand why it couldn’t be her.
Okay, we’re coming for you.
I did the only thing I could do. I faked a vision. I couldn’t make my eyes roll in my head so instead I acted like intense pain had hit my temples and I dropped face down on the grass.
“Ebony. Ebony are you okay?”
“Second floor, Shelley. Looking out of the window at the Oak tree.”
Shelley whizzed faster than I could see. The next thing I knew there was a blue light at the window of the house and then all the glass shattered outwards. A faerie flew out of the window dangling on a web. Mathilde reduced down to faerie size but she couldn’t escape Shelley’s blue tendrils. If Shelley let it go, Mathilde would be able to fly away and escape. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me to just underneath the window.
“Shelley! Shelley!”
Shelley stood looking down at Mathilde, her face a mask of sheer hatred, fangs extended. Charlene was clutched in her arms surrounded by protective blue webs. The feral vampire was here.
“You dare take my child for your own, Mathilde de la Rey? Why should I not let my webs tear you to pieces and scatter your body parts across the land?”
“Help me. Help me please.”
“Why?” Shelley yelled.
“I keep pretty things. Look at my house. It is full of them. Charlene is the prettiest thing I have ever seen. I couldn’t resist.”
I looked up at Shelley. “There’s another way to hurt her. Think of it. Don’t do something that takes you away from your daughter.”
I saw when the penny dropped, and then so did Mathilde. She hit the grass on a soft landing as blue webs broke her fall. Mathilde’s eyes were wide as she desperately tried to unfurl her gossamer wings. Shelley and Charlie appeared next to me. And then the sound of smashing and tinkling started.
Mathilde began to wail. “Please, no. Anything but that.”
A blue sheet of what looked like a laser light passed through the whole house and I knew that it destroyed every single thing that Mathilde held dear.
“I shall be in touch with the faerie council immediately to have you removed from your position. Your punishment from me is concluded.” Shelley eyes flashed red. “You come near my daughter again and I will gut you like a fish.”
Mathilde ran away back towards her house.
I saw Shelley slump. Theo grabbed hold of her.
“Come on. Let’s go home.”
When we returned it was clear that Theo and Shelley just wanted to be alone with Charlene. Mary had sensed something wrong with her son and had rushed back. Security informed us that the changeling had been collected by two faeries while we were on our way home, and that they couldn’t apologise enough, saying Mathilde would be dealt with in accordance with faerie policies.
“I’m going to go home and leave you guys to it. I’ll be back in the morning.”
Shelley passed Charlie to Theo and embraced me.
“Thank you. If it wasn’t for you we might never have got her back.”
Me and Charlie, I thought. We made quite the team.
And now you are beginning to understand your role in all this a little more, my dear Aunt Ebs. Now go call Henry for a booty call. Let him strip more than just wallpaper.
It took a few days to get back to our normal. Shelley and Theo decided no more visitors were coming to the house and that instead they would hold a christening ceremony for Charlene. The supernaturals of Withernsea would be invited and anyone who still wished to pledge and hadn’t yet, could do so there, where the spells would be iron cast and the security tighter than a Dita von Teese corset.
Henry had stayed at my house overnight and was on his way to a decorating job elsewhere. I was going to get the boutique ready for opening again, and get some more stock on the website which I’d tentatively started.
“So I was thinking.” Henry grabbed his coat shrugging his arms into it. “Why don’t we pop to the coffee shop tonight and tell Jax about us? Together. I reckon she’ll be made up that I’m with you, and horrified that you’ve chosen me.”
“Don’t be stupid. Yes, sounds good. After stocktaking; a coffee and a bun from your sister’s coffee shop sounds just the thing. Wonder if I’ll get an even bigger discount now I’m dating her brother.” I winked.
He gave me a lingering kiss in the doorway. “Oh do I really have to go to work?”
“Yes. You certainly do. My body needs a rest and I need to get to the shop.”
“I love your body.” He said. “I love every bit of it.”
My heart palpitated loudly at him throwing the love word around, even though it was in terms of my body. I could feel a charge in the air.
“Well you can love it some more tonight.”
“I will.” He said, looking at me just a beat too long. He turned and headed down the driveway and into his van.