Through Time-Frankie (8 page)

Chapter Ten

FRANKIE SHIFTED HOME and took to frenzied pacing in front of her window. She took a long drag of air and stopped to look out at the view of the mountain range. Humans would see only the dark rolling shapes, in Scotland’s evening summer light, but she… she wasn’t human, was she? No and she wasn’t all light and goodness either. The dark in the pit of her soul wanted out. It took so much when she was distressed to hold it in.

She turned at a sound in the hall outside her door, knowing it was Jazz who must have sensed her return. This time Jazz didn’t bother knocking but flung the door open and with great concern demanded, “What’s wrong?”

She dove into Jazz’s arms and told her that she loved Graely with all her heart and that he had threatened to stay away from her and refused to see what they were to each other.

Jazz said nothing to this and Frankie felt a feather of irritation tickle her into standing back and asking,
“Well
? Have ye no words of wisdom for me?”

“Hey, don’t be mad at me because he is turning out to be a very fine gentleman,” Jazz answered with a half smile.

Frankie’s lips twitched and her glittering eyes smiled, “He
is
a gentleman, more than ye could ever know. Jazz, he doesn’t think he is good enough for me. But, he is, we were always meant to be together. I feel it, I know and I know he wants me…I know just know it.”

“And you want him even though you know that your father will never accept such a thing?”  Jazz touched her face and dropped her hand.

“It has naught to do with m’da. I will never understand why a father, any father, for it isn’t just mine, thinks he can choose a mate for his child. It is archaic and barbaric. In the end, Da must accept who I choose to be with and I choose Graely.”

“I can see and agree with your point, Frankie.  But the reality is
I
don’t have the same prejudice that your father and Trevor have. They think this is a youthful crush and you will get over it, because they hate the Dark Princes and have lumped Graely in with all of them.” Jazz sighed, “I know you are so much older than your years and you have always had a mind of your own, and well, I do think, what you feel is real.” Jazz shook her head. “Why don’t you just give it time? See where your feelings—
his
feelings take you. Let whatever you feel, happen naturally. Don’t rush it and don’t force it.”

“No, but Jazz, he won’t let what ye call the natural thing happen,” Frankie complained forcefully. All at once, Frankie grabbed Jazz’s hand and plopped on her bed. She squeezed Jazz’s fingers with her super strength as something frayed and played her nerves. “Do ye feel it?”

“Ouch,” Jazz objected. “How could I not?”

“No, no, Jazz…don’t ye feel it?” Frankie murmured.

“I sure do, and it hurts,” Jazz frowned at her, as she shook her hand free and grinned.

“Sorry, it came on me so suddenly,” Frankie explained.

“What did?”

“Something…something. I felt harsh vibrations—such as the kind a portal makes when it opens wide and spits out—spits out something it shouldn’t.” She held her stomach as a sharp stabbing pain shot through her, and then gave way to a fluttery motion inside her stomach. She had the old sensation of butterfly wings flapping around inside. She felt goose bumps rush up her arms and her body began to shake uncontrollably.

Jazz put an arm around her, “Frankie…?”

“’Tis a portal, Jazz…open and gushing with creatures…bad, so very bad.”

“Are you sure, Frankie—a portal? Where has it opened?” Jazz asked on a note of concern.

Frankie didn’t speak, just shook her head.

“Frankie, you are usually right on the mark, so look with your mind. Where is the portal? Where has it opened?”

“I don’t know, Jazz…that’s just it. I can’t find it in m’mind. I have looked hard, but I can’t find it, and I don’t think this is a vision. It isn’t happening in the future, but right now, right this minute.”

“Do you think it is near us…near here? From where? That is even more important, from where, Frankie?” Jazz pressed her.

“It isn’t near…not here, anyway. It feels like the portal’s mouth is further away than Scotland,” Frankie shook her head, and then it hit her with a horrific slap across the face, “Jazz…
its Dublin
, it has opened into Dublin, but I don’t know from where?”

“Pestale? Has Pestale escaped?” Jazz tried to keep the horror from her tone.

“No,” Frankie shook her head. “I don’t feel him, and I would if he had. I don’t know how that is, but it is. I could feel these things…streaking blue…so many charging out of the portal, but I don’t know what they are. This is something Otherworldly, but I don’t know what.”

“Unseelie?” Jazz asked, dread in her tone.

“Not Unseelie, Jazz. They give off a different vibe, but I can’t tell you what these things are. And there are many of them…
many.”

“We have to tell Trevor!” Jazz turned toward the open door.

Trevor however, was already standing in the doorway.

Frankie looked at his dear, handsome face. He had picked up on his mate’s distress, and as he took Jazz into his arms, and held Frankie’s hand, he said, “Time to visit with the Queen Aaibhe, and get word to yer father.”

* * *

Sventer stood near the Liffey River. It was dark, but the night lights gave off the aura of life, a land filled and teaming with life.

One day, he and his kind would find a way to take all that they wanted and live apart from Pestale and his brother.

One day, he was going to kill Pestale.

He would do it when the Dark Prince least expected. He would find enough of the Danu Dust and coat his sword and shift in and slice off the Dark Prince’s head, severing it from his wicked body.

For now, he had to be content with the dream.

For now, he had to bide his time. He stared up at the bridge full with vehicles, their lights giving everything a celebratory effect, welcoming him and his warriors.

Ha,
soon, all that traffic, all the noise and the bustle of the night life would belong to them.

He and his warriors could not be seen, as they were cloaked with demon invisibility, very different than the Féth Fiada of the Fae. A Fae could remain invisible indefinitely, a Blue Demon, only for an hour at a time with a needed fifteen minute interval before he could invoke invisibility again. However, a redeeming facet of demon invisibility was the fact that Fae could not see through it.

Pestale would never see him coming—when he finally made his dream come true.

Enough of that. They had work to do.

He contemplated the rush of trucks and cars and people with a sigh, thinking this a very strange world, much in need of conquering and guidance.

Why was everyone in such a hurry? What was it all about? These humans were unfathomable creatures. They built vehicles that could cause bodily harm to their mortal bodies. They ran around from place to place, always putting their lives at risk at every turn. Why? To what end? Why not use their minds and discover the science of ‘shifting’?

He looked at his soldiers and saw that they too were watching the humans in their vehicles and looking perplexed. He said with a grimace, “Don’t try understanding them.” He shrugged. “Humans are no more than savages. Be careful if and when we find we have to interact with them in the future.  They are low-level
thinking creatures
and can be dangerous.” He saw that they all agreed with this philosophy and he added, “Very well then. It is time to shift into the catacombs.”

Their style of locomotion which was similar to Fae shifting was slower, less agile, but it took them where they needed to go—to the historic Customs House. Once there, they looked around with mild interest and then shifted below its historic foundation into the catacombs beneath.

The walls of these interconnecting dungeons seemed to be bolstered with stone and aged thick dark beams. Torches unused in a century hung in various places along their way and Sventer used a bit of magic to get them lighted. He had to conserve his magical energy for the job ahead. However, even with the light from the burning torches, the tunnels were dark, dank and raging with rats scurrying about making his men grimace and curse.

Once again, Sventer used his magic to diminish the population of rats within their close proximity.

“So then, my worthies,” he said in a tone to bolster their morale and purpose, “We will make our way down these corridors and find the catacombs that lie beneath Trinity Campus. There, you will find the Hallows and get to work to create a diversion.” He paused, and sneered, “Humans revere the Book of Kells, and will at this time of year be at the Ancient Library in numbers. Tourist season, and what we do today will impact the world.” He shook his head, “I shouldn’t be more than a few moments, and by then, it will be daylight and by the time we are ready, the campus will be full of students as well. That is when we will strike.”

“We will have to keep hidden for a time until we can use our invisibility to get the iron…” one of his soldiers mumbled.

“Aye, now let’s get started,” Sventer said idly and shrugged.

“Why does he hate the humans so much?” another asked. “They shouldn’t matter. They are naught.”

“It isn’t humans he hates, but his father. Hurting humans would hurt the Dark King’s consort and what hurts her would affect the Dark King.” Sventer shook his head and said, “All that has naught to do with us. All we need know is that we will conquer this universe and take what we will.”

“I don’t like the air…it is harder to breathe here than in Conglam,” said another.

“We will adjust, as we did when we first arrived in Conglam. Now, enough talk, we must stay on schedule.”

“Aye, but do we have enough time to get it all done?” another asked.

“Indeed, I see no reason why our time line won’t work. If we keep to our plan, everything should run smoothly,” Sventer answered. “Now—as you know, we must hurry.”

They shifted and arrived at the intersecting tunnels beneath Trinity’s main entrance.

Sventer looked up at the damp stone ceiling and said quietly, “Some will die today, some will be maimed. We are warriors and though we mean to conquer, we must pause and think of the innocents—the children.
My brothers
, this is war, and you will see death and destruction today. You will see babes and females harmed. It is not what most of us wish, but it is unavoidable. It is the casualties of war that the innocents often suffer.” He looked at his two fiercest warriors and said, “Now, who will volunteer to go above when it is time, and set things in motion?”

“I will,” one of his men answered.

“Be careful and do not use up your magic.  Every single time we use any of our most potent spells it diminishes our strength here in this realm. We must preserve most of our magic for unexpected events,” Sventer answered and then waved himself off as he shifted to the library.

He stood for a moment and looked at all the leather bound manuscripts, many of them behind glass. They had no such library in Conglam though many of his colony had brought books with them. It was a shame that this was the building Pestale had chosen to destroy. What was here could never be replaced.

This certainly was not the time to think of such things. In a few hours, the humans would get a taste of horror, because their first job was to create a frenzied distraction and so it would begin.

* * *

Prince Worley met with the group of male Fae who had sworn their allegiance to him. Queen Mab was out of touch with her race, they had all agreed. They were the Daoine, protectors of nature and it was their job to do just that—
protect
the earth from
the human’s neglect
.

Prince Worley knew that because they shared the Human Realm with humans, it was vital to their own peace. They had created Daoine along a parallel dimension and what affected Earth, also affected Daoine.

He used this argument to win their loyalty.

He told them that something had to be done. The humans were destroying the planet with war and neglect, just as the Daoine under Queen Mab and the Seelie under Queen Bridget had destroyed Danu. “Are we to see a repeat of history—or learn from it?”

He had their ears, and he watched them with satisfaction as they nodded to one another and agreed on these points.

He hated Queen Mab, as did his royal family. She had too often snubbed their ideas and opinions.

She was, beyond powerful, and they voiced this to him now, and several voices were raised in argument over this problem.

As of now, these hundred male Fae, none of them save himself, were of royal blood. They wished more power, and he had promised it to them.

They did not truly believe they could overthrow her and he saw they were not ready to make the attempt. Her Royal Warriors were superior beings and even now, Worley was sure they were aware that he was holding a meeting.

However, what he needed at the moment was simply to enable the Dark Prince Pestale. What he needed was to cause havoc in the human world. He had stirred up these male Fae and although they would not cause serious bodily harm, they were very willing to play pranks on a large number of humans.