Faytes of the Otherworld: Fayted

“’Scuse me. ’Scuse me.” Pete pushed past people, trying to get to the front of the commune.

“Everyone needs to make a path; we need to get through.” Evan tried to politely strong-arm people out of the way as Dani trailed behind him.

“Everyone is so nosy. Does this always happen when new people arrive?” Dani spoke in hushed tones as she kept her pace with Evan.

“It’s been a while. You were an exception because we brought you in and no one seemed to bat an eye at Tam Lyn.” Evan brushed by a short stout man and apologized for almost stepping on his foot.

The front of the crowd was almost in view and the three pushed through the rest till they came to the giant Oak.

Wren, Wesley, and Tam Lyn were playing security, keeping people back at a safe distance.

Dani caught Cassia in the crowd and forced a weak smile in the awkward situation.

Liam was crouched down on the ground, another small group of people surrounding him. There were a few new faces, but Dani recognized the same doctors from the night she had saved Evan.

Wesley signaled to Liam that the rest of his militia was there to help keep everyone back.

“I’m glad you’re here. People are quite concerned about this.” Liam looked a little flustered as he rolled up his sleeves.

“What happened?” Pete looked around Liam, but he couldn’t see anything past the small wall of people gathered around the woman lying on the ground.

“Someone heard something out by the gates; a woman sobbing. When they went to investigate, she was just laying up against the gate unconscious. She looked pretty beaten up, but mostly from the elements and dehydration. We’ve roused her, but she’s looking a little weak. I’m going to get her down to the infirmary and have her checked out.” Liam nodded for Pete and Evan to take their posts while Dani just stared on.

“We may need your help.” Liam whispered to her after everyone had gone off to their duties.

“What kind of help?” Dani thought she knew.

“I may need you to help me heal her. I didn’t mention it, but she has a rather nasty gash on her leg that looks like it may be infected.” Liam hated to ask, but she was the only way.

“I can try.” Dani agreed. She couldn’t let anyone stay injured when she could make it better—possibly.

(*)

“How is she?” Liam was waiting outside a drawn curtain when Dani appeared.

“She’s going to be ok. I couldn’t heal the wound completely, but there isn’t any infection now. She needs to be stitched and bandaged though.” Dani looked a little worse for wear.

“It takes a lot out of you, doesn’t it? I’m sorry I asked you to do this.” Liam felt terrible that to heal one, another had to feel ill.

“I honestly wasn’t aware that I was capable of it until that night with Evan. I’m just not used to it, I guess.” Dani sat down in a wooden chair and leaned her head back.

“You can go rest. I asked Evan and Pete to come down here and keep an eye on her so Wren and Wes can have a break. We try to monitor anyone that comes in injured because we obviously can’t test them right away.” Liam looked down at his watch.

“Speaking of testing, I wonder how Anessa was able to slide under the radar.” He mused out loud.

“About that…” Dani wasn’t ready to tell Liam about Anessa, but she knew she had to. If Anessa could sneak into the commune, so could others of her kind. They’d have to figure out what their weaknesses were, because clearly they were different from regular fae.

“Knock, knock.” Pete rapped his knuckles on the door to the infirmary.

“Pete. Come in.” Liam gestured for him to step inside.

“Evan’s coming. He had to stop by the caravan for something.” Pete took a seat by Dani. She knew exactly what he was doing.

“Good. I need a break myself. What did you want to talk to me about?” Liam turned to Dani, remembering that she had started a conversation before Pete had entered the room.

“Oh, um—can we talk outside?” Dani pointed her thumb towards the door.

As the two made their exit, Dani met Evan at the door, sweaty and out of breath.

“Hey, is the woman alright?” Evan brushed past her. She smiled at his scent; it was becoming easier to pick up on.

“She should be fine. Dani set her up, right as rain.” Liam nodded.

“Good. Guessing Pete is in there already.” Evan nodded at them and passed through to the inside.

Liam nodded in return as he directed Dani out the door of the infirmary.

The air was a bit chillier than earlier, but the briskness felt good on Dani’s hot skin. Healing really did take it out of her.

“What about Anessa now?” Liam pulled a rolled cigar from his pocket and lit it.

“She’s not a regular fae.” Dani began, watching as Liam puffed smoke rings from his lips.

“I figured after all of that she was some sort of Unseelie.” Liam waited for her to explain.

“No. She’s what they call a Fomorian.” Dani wished that she had just waited to tell everyone at one time; repeating herself was beginning to get a bit annoying.

“Never heard of them.” Liam took another puff.

“The Tuath Dé was already in Ireland when the monstrous beasts came from the sea. They were ruthless beings likened to giants and hideously ugly to boot.” Dani gave him a simple explanation.

“The Tuath Dé? You’re speaking a foreign language to me, Dani. I have never even heard that name before either.” Liam eyed her.

“I should have said something before. That book that leapt out at me when we were at Whitmore was titled The Tuatha Dé Danann. I didn’t think anything of it at the time; I thought it was just a coincidence. That is until Nissa found it in my bag and told me about them and the Fomorians. I have no idea how I even ended up with it.” That last thought really bothered Dani.

“But who are they? The Tuath Dé?” Liam thought the whole thing to be quite odd.

“The first Gods and Goddesses of Ireland; the parents of the Fae. I have the book back in my tent if you want to look at it.” Dani thought it easier to just have him read it so she didn’t have to.

“I would like to see it. This whole thing just keeps getting more and more unbelievable.” Liam snubbed out his cigar and sat down on a wooden bench in front of the infirmary building.

“I’ll go get it now if you don’t mind waiting.” Dani began backing away towards the trail to the tents.

“I’ll wait. It will give me some reading material while I relax later.” Liam responded as Dani turned heel and hoofed it back to her tent.

(*)

After some searching through her makeshift hovel, Dani found the book and quickly made her way back to where Liam was waiting.

She had just come around a bend in the trail when she could hear someone talking hysterically. The closer she got, the more she recognized the voice, and the more it made her rush to the sound.

“I can’t. This—this can’t be happening.” Evan was pacing in front of the infirmary, a cigarette in one hand as he waved the other one wildly about.

“Calm down, man. Just take a deep breath and breathe!” Pete was trying to ease his friend, but it didn’t seem to be working.

Liam was no longer outside, and Dani wondered where he had gone off to.

“What are the odds? I mean what are the fucking odds that she ends up here? Now?” Evan stopped in front of Pete and dropped his arms to his sides.

“Evan, what’s wrong?” Dani rushed up to the men, out of breath from her run to and from her tent.

Evan spun around to face her just as Liam appeared in the doorway.

“You won’t believe this, Dani. I don’t believe it. After all these years…” Evan trailed off, staring at the ground.

Pete’s face was almost just as surprised as his, but Liam kept a stoic expression. He came off the stairs and straight over to Dani.

“He’s having a hard time adjusting.” Liam tried to steer Dani away, but she pushed past him and over to Evan.

“Adjusting to what? What the hell is going on?” The energy that was building up around them was starting to addle her.

“The woman in that bed…” Liam began, hoping to take some of the shock away of Evan.

“The woman in the bed, Dani. Do you want to know who she is?” Evan seemed a little maddened as he stared wild-eyed at her.

“You know her?” Dani wasn’t sure what was going on.

“I do. I do know her.” Evan just kept nodding his head.

“Well, who is she then?” Dani couldn’t take the suspense any longer.

“An old flame.” Pete’s tone was grating with sarcasm.

“She survived. I don’t know how she made it here all by herself or where she has been this whole time, but what are the odds?” Evan’s face was a twisted mix of emotions. Dani could feel his confliction rolling off of him.

“Who, Evan? Just tell me who.” Dani had to know who was eating him up like this.

Evan took a shaky breath, eyes averted to the ground before slowly lifting them to meet Dani’s gaze.

“LeAnna.”