Resistance (23 page)

We reach the house and I collapse back on the bottom
bunk in Aodhan’s room, still fully clothed. I know there’s no way
I’ll be able to sleep yet, and I know in that special way of mine
that Fi, in whatever condition, will be back before sunrise. So as
soon as they’re back I’m out of here, which is no reflection on how
much I enjoy spending time with my cousins, aunt and uncle. I want
two things: to know my sister is all right, and my bed — in that
order. My bed is two king-sized mattresses and box springs pushed
side by side. My sister told my parents she would help me fix it
when my mother balked at my ‘monstrous contraption’ as she called
it. Uncle Seamus custom made me a frame and headboard for my
birthday the year before last so my mother would stop ranting about
how awful it was. Fi has been true to her word; every couple months
tailoring sheets for ‘The Monster’, as it is now affectionately
known.

I’m still thinking longingly of my bed a couple hours
later as I lay with half of my legs hanging over the edge of the
mattress when I hear someone knock on the back door. Low voices
whisper from the other room and I vault out of the bed so fast I
come precariously close to cracking my skull on the top bunk. I
hear Aodhan mutter, “What’s going on?” as I pull my sneakers back
on and shush him; trying to hear what’s being said.

I see Aodhan pull his blanket over his head and roll
over onto his side; facing away from me and muttering something I
don’t make out. I stand inside his bedroom door and strain to
ascertain who is talking in the living room. I know if I go out
there now I’ll only be in the way, so I pace back and forth in the
bedroom and wait for someone to come get me. I come close to
barging out there a few times while I listen to the back door open
and close a few more times, and my aunt’s voice joins the mix of
male ones conversing in quiet tones. I’m so caught up in trying to
discern words from the jumble of voices that I almost jump out of
my skin when the doorknob turns and my uncle sticks his head into
the room.

He sees me start and grins at me, saying quietly,
“Easy there, lad. Fi’s back and everyone is okay. They’re
downstairs next door with the princess, waiting for her to wake up.
I figured you’d want to head home and check in with her.”

I surprise us both by hugging him. “Thank you.” He
pats my back and makes a comforting noise.

“It’s all right, Eir. Go on now; she’ll be glad to
see you. I know it was hard for her to refrain from asking how you
were.”

I grin and try to hide the tears of relief standing
in my eyes. “I’ll see you later, Sea—thank you again for looking
after me.”

He snorts and stands back to let me out of the room
ahead of him. I try to be quiet so I don’t wake the kids as I leave
the house, but I barely feel my feet hit the floor. I fly through
my back door and hear Fi talking quietly to Flint downstairs. If I
know my sister they probably haven’t eaten in hours, so I set to
making sandwiches for everyone, calling out, “Are you hungry down
there? I’m going to make some sandwiches.”

I finish building peanut butter and strawberry
preserves sandwiches for everyone and take off down the steps;
eager not only to see my sister and Flint, but to get a glimpse at
this faery princess they’ve kidnapped. I’m halfway down the
basement steps when I see a petite girl with white-blonde hair
lying on the mattress in the iron cage, and I feel the bottom drop
out of my stomach. I can’t tear my eyes away — the alabaster skin,
the fine, pale curtain of hair hanging down her back. Her tiny feet
are grimy and bare and she’s wearing a long-sleeved nightgown, but
it’s definitely the girl from my dream.

I’ve been dreaming of a Winter princess, a freaking
faery princess for over a year and I have no idea why. I can’t tear
my eyes away from her prone form; my mouth gaping open. I swallow
but there’s no moisture left in my mouth. My heart is hammering
with adrenaline and I remind myself to act normal. There’s no need
to upset Fi when I don’t have any idea of what the hell is even
going on. She doesn’t need to know that I feel like the world has
flipped itself upside down and there’s nothing but disbelief and
shock floating around inside my head right now.

Chapter 16—Fi

July 2102

I follow Sean back to the wagon and make sure his
wound is clean for now, doing my best not to speak to him if I
don’t have to. I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry before in my
life. I hear a slight rustling from behind me and see Flint come
through the edge of the forest carrying the Winter princess. With a
hard look at my cousin I go around and assist Flint as he gets in
the back with the girl. We have a mattress set up for her to rest
on during the return journey. The effects of the sleeping draught I
gave her should last well through our arrival back in the city.

Looking at Flint’s face I can guess he won’t be
leaving the princess’s side, and I can’t say I blame him. I’d
rather he was back here keeping watch over her than up front
suffering my cousin’s idiocy as I will have to be. I have no desire
to spend the next few hours in my cousin’s company, but he cannot
be trusted to be left to his own devices; that much is beyond clear
now. Once Lumi is settled and Flint is comfortable, I climb back
out and take the reins from my cousin. When Sean glowers at me I
stare right back at him; silently daring him to make a fuss. He’s
done more than enough damage for one day, in my opinion.

The road we are on is only partially paved. It
doesn’t get used very often and every noise seems magnified a
thousand times. I am eager to put as much distance between us and
the Winter Court as quickly as possible. There shouldn’t be any
guards nearby, but I don’t want more complications arising on the
way back home. Sean seems to have recovered his good sense to an
extent, because he doesn’t try to engage me in conversation. I keep
the horses moving and seethe silently as we pass the city limits
sign for Quebec City. I cannot get the image of Lumi’s terrified
face out of my mind. Sean is so much bigger than her; I can’t
believe he had the audacity to claim she attacked him.

We stick to back roads and less traveled places, and
the scenery is beautiful but lonely. Abandoned cities and unending
forests are our constant companions and I find myself wishing we’d
been able to take one of the solar powered cars we keep in the
garage at home. They might be loads louder than the horses and
wagon we’re in, but they’re so much faster we could have been back
within the protection of the city walls by now. Unfortunately the
cars are made with iron and Flint and Lumi would never have been
able to handle the journey.

When I see the walls of the city getting closer I
begin to relax a bit. Once we get back home I will at least feel
safe again. I’m finding that I don’t care for being outside of the
city as much as I once thought I would. When I drive the horses
into our paddock just outside the city limits, I sigh with relief.
Turning to my cousin I tell him, “Make sure the horses are taken
care of. I’ll help Flint,” and climb down without waiting for him
to respond.

The silence between my companions as we head towards
my house on foot is thick with tension and dislike. Flint is still
carrying the Winter princess and I keep seeing Sean glare daggers
at the pair of them. The whole situation has my teeth grinding
together in silent irritation. I cannot wait to be rid of my
cousin. I was warned and yet still let him get ahead of us, and my
brother was right. Sean was able to terrorize that poor girl
because I screwed up. My house comes into view finally and I expel
a sigh of relief.

Before we reach the backyard I turn to Sean with a
calm voice and say, “You need to go get cleaned up. Have someone
look at that cut.” He looks angry but nods and goes to leave, but I
hold up my hand and continue. “Sean — I’m not done. Do not come
back here for any reason. You disobeyed orders and obviously I
can’t have you around the princess. I’ll send your schedule with
Seamus tomorrow.”

For a minute I think he may say something, but he
simply shakes his head and storms away and Flint and I continue on
to the backyard. I motion to the guard on duty to get Seamus. I
lean against the picnic table, weary all the way in my bones as we
wait, but Flint stays upright, holding Lumi; looking calm and
alert. We are silent but it’s a tranquil silence; there’s no anger
clouding the air between us. When Seamus comes out I go to meet him
and he pulls me into a quick, hard hug. “Ah lass, I’m glad to see
you. You’re all right?”

I smile at him and nod. “I’m fine. Can you please
bring Lumi into the basement? I don’t want Flint to have to be near
that cage.” He nods and moves forward, but I put my hand on his arm
to stop him. “You should know we had some trouble with Sean. I
don’t want him around here anymore. From now on, if he shows up
he’s to be escorted away. And could you send Aodhan over after you
get Lumi situated? I’d like him to guard her if that’s okay with
both of you.” He nods again with a tired smile.

“I’ll see to it and I’ll let Eirnin know you’re back.
He’s been going crazy waiting for your return.” He crosses to where
Flint is standing with Lumi and I watch the two men exchange words
before Flint carefully hands the Winter princess over to my uncle.
I hold the back door open and let Seamus pass through, and when I
turn to ask Flint if he needs anything he’s right behind me.

“You don’t have to come downstairs, you know,” I
trail off, knowing there’s really no point in trying to keep him
away. He gives me a tired version of his usual smirk and gestures
me forward. A half hour later he and I are sitting on the floor,
leaning up against the wall next to each other across from the cage
waiting for Lumi to wake up. I glance over and notice that his
normally animated face is pale and drawn, and I know the iron is
affecting him.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait upstairs? This
can't be good for you," I try, worried about what the iron can do
to him if he’s down here for too long.

He shakes his head and smiles, even though I can tell
he’s uncomfortable. “I’m okay, love, don’t worry.”

I frown; worrying despite him telling me not to.
"You're NOT okay though, damn it!" I blow out an exasperated
raspberry and try to focus on something else. "I told Seamus to
send Aodhan over to be Lumi's guard. We can trust him."

Flint surprises me by laughing out loud, covering his
mouth for a moment as though trying to hide it. “Oh my God — Relax.
I’m still coherent, right?”

“Define coherent and I'll let you be,” I mumble at
him, annoyed.

Flint smirks. “You’re cute when you fuss over me.” I
have to wonder if this is friend appropriate behavior.

"I am not cute.” I say; feeling heat spread over my
cheeks and looking away from him. “And I’m merely concerned for
your safety." I trail off when I hear the noise of someone moving
around above our heads.

Flint chuckles and says, “I think you’re cute.”

“Are you hungry down there? I’m going to make some
sandwiches!” my brother yells down from the kitchen, which saves me
from having to respond to Flint. Before I can open my mouth to
respond to Eir, he is barreling down the stairs with a plate of
sandwiches in one hand and a stack of cloth napkins in the other. I
look and see that he not only made sandwiches for Flint and me, but
he made one for Lumi as well. I love this kid. He comes over and
hands me a sandwich while smiling hugely at me. “I’m glad you made
it back in one piece.” He turns to Flint with his plate of
sandwiches.

Flint looks up at him. “Hey kid.”

"If you're like Fi, you'll eat half of this and say
it's too much. But I thought you guys might be hungry," Eir says,
offering Flint a sandwich and a napkin. I see Flint glance my way
and I tear off a huge piece of the monstrous sandwich and stuff it
in my mouth.

Flint laughs and says, “She seems to be handling it
just fine. Thanks.” He catches me glancing at him again and winks,
smirking of course, before leaning back on the wall and taking a
bite of his sandwich. “How were things while we were gone?”

"Quiet, honestly,” my brother says around a mouthful
of sandwich. “You took the big mouth with you. It's been downright
boring here. You guys run into any trouble?" His attention seems to
be drawn to the girl in the cage; curiosity obviously getting the
better of him. I keep chewing my huge sandwich, deciding to let
Flint answer Eir’s questions.

“Sean got a little rough with her, but otherwise we
were pretty calm,” Flint says with a shake of his head.

Eir looks furious and turns on me with a look of
horror on his face. “Fi! How could you let him near her after what
I told you?”

“He went ahead of us — Fi didn’t know,” Flint says,
watching him calmly.