Purging Evil: Fairy Life Vol. 2

Purging Evil

Fairy Life Vol. 2

CHARLES G. DYER

Copyright © 2015 Charles G. Dyer

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 9781311288158

Smashwords Edition

License

Thank you for purchasing this book. Names, characters and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. It remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to purchase their own copy at Smashwords.com, where they can also discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

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CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter_Twenty_Two

Chapter_Twenty_Three

Chapter_Twenty_Four

Chapter_Twenty_Five

Chapter_Twenty_Six

About The Author

Pronunciation Guide

Chapter One

It was a cold and frosty morning on the day after Christmas. The last leaves of the red maple were dotted about on the lawn. The perennial St. Augustine grass was the only green to be seen in the front garden of 3113 Pomeran drive, Spring Branch North.

Inside the house, Bruce Maclean ate the last of his omelette and wondered how to break the news gently. As yet, he had not even told his wife about his private investigator's report.

Lilith could sense that something was amiss. She poured her second cup of tea and surreptitiously cocked an eyebrow at Bruce. He glanced at Kerry and gave the briefest of headshakes.

Despite her Fae sense, Kerry was oblivious of the exchange. Funny that Melissa and her folks never called to wish us for Christmas. MG's been acting weird ever since she got her new human boyfriend. He's a car freak like her.

Lilith stirred her tea. Some Fae don't bother with human traditions. I never got around to asking Tally about that. Anyway, communication is a two-way street, my dear. Maybe she thinks it odd that you never called her.

I guess. Kerry buttered a piece of toast. Jessie sat next to her with her tail wagging in anticipation of a titbit.

Bruce said, Hank never mentioned his preferences to me either. Not that we had much in common anyway. He sipped his coffee.

Hey, Kerry said, you know all the talk about immortality and having to go back to school over and over to fit into the human world got me thinking. So, I did some research on the web.

I hope you do a heck of a lot of cross-checking, kid. The Internet can be useful, but it's also full of trash, Bruce said.

Yeah well, usually you can rely on official sites. Anyway, instead of going to ordinary school we could do home-schooling.

Bruce was full of sceptical arguments. And where would that get you? How do you think you'll get a college or university degree?

Kerry waved her toast at her foster parents. Y'all look like college kids even if you're like hundreds of years old, so that's no biggie. Getting a high school diploma isn't quite so easy if you look too old for ninth grade. With home-schooling, the SAT, ACT or PSAT tests can all still be done and used for admission to college.

Really? Lilith inclined her head. Don't you think that's interesting, Bruce? Next time we need new identities, it could save a lot of time and bother. Are you sure, Kerry dear?

Yep, Kerry nodded. There's even an association of home-schooling parents and it's all legally approved in Texas. I guess it's probably OK in other states too. Basically it's like a private school so you can even issue your own diploma.

Would you want to do that, Honey? Lilith asked.

Kerry swallowed some toast. Not this time around, Lil. I guess I should go through proper school at least once.

Well kid, Bruce leaned back on his chair, if it's all you say it's cracked up to be, it sounds like an option lots of Fae would be interested in. If you change your mind and want to skip school, just yell. I'm sure that between Lil and myself we could teach you well enough.

Lilith opened her mouth to say something then thought better of it. Kerry gave Jessie a crust of toast.

Thanks Bruce, but I guess I really do need to learn how to deal with humans first hand. School's not too bad. I like most of the teachers and especially Sister Hyacinth. I guess I ought to start mixing with some of the human kids too. Gee, Kerry sniggered, "I thought I was human until a few months ago."

Lilith said, Honey, your school idea gives me a good excuse to phone Tally and a few other Fae friends.

Oh, Kerry got up from the table, that reminds me. I saw that my report was in the post that we haven't opened yet.

She dashed out of the dining room and fetched the mail from the sideboard near the front door. She sorted through and found two letters for Lilith and four for Bruce. Kerry ripped the school envelope open.

A quick scan of her results made Kerry crumple her mouth. Dang! I was so sure I'd get straight As. She handed the report card to Lilith.

Gosh Honey, I'm so proud of you. In my day, anything over 80 was a distinction, so in my book you've got distinctions in every subject. Well done, dear. Lilith passed the card to Bruce.

He looked at it and said, Good work, kid. Not everyone's an artist or a linguist anyway. If you keep at this level, you'll have no problem getting into any university of your choice.

Thanks guys. Kerry ran her finger around the rim of her teacup. "But I still reckon I should've cracked it in all my courses."

Bruce sighed and decided to enlighten his little family. Kerry, remember you asked me about that Foley kid?

Yeah? she drawled warily.

Unfortunately, your instincts were right. Not only is young Basil Foley bad news, his father, Ronald is even worse. He has criminal records all over the world, and my source says he's almost certainly Unseelie.

Great! Kerry said. So what can I do about it?

For now, don't do anything. Bruce took a deep breath and rolled his eyes at Lilith. That's not the worst of it. The Foleys and the Kellys have been feuding for centuries. I don't know the details about the original quarrel. Sorry kid, it seems as though the accident that killed Conor and Clare was in fact a deliberate assassination. The truck driver was none other than Ronald Foley.

The colour drained from Kerry's face. She felt nauseous, limp and incapable of speech. Lilith was almost equally astounded by the news.

Who told you, Bruce? Lilith spoke so quietly that her words barely made it across the table. It was Joe Clancey, wasn't it?

Yeah, Bruce grimaced. "I wouldn't trust anyone else. It's almost certain now that Foley's spawn was stalking Kerry, and he or his father was the one that was asking about her in the village. If they know enough to do that, then they must know about us and where we live. I want both of you armed all the time. No more leaving any door unlocked."

Lilith nodded. Is Joe following through with the investigation?

Yes he is. Bruce sipped his coffee. I don't want to make any plans until I get all the details from him. In the meanwhile, we'll all train and be vigilant. I'll get a security firm to upgrade the home security. From now until this issue is resolved, I'll work from home.

Do you think Kerry will be safe at school? Lilith asked.

He pressed his lips together. Probably safer there than here. Cowards like Foley don't like spectators. The school offers safety in numbers. Once I know what's what, I must enlist the help of Joe and his friends, if we need it.

Lilith squeezed Kerry' arm. Don't worry, Honey. We won't let anything happen to you.

Yeah, Bruce said, and we'll avenge your folks' deaths too.

Kerry's eyes glistened with tears and her mouth was so dry that she had to drink some tea before she could speak. Even then, she struggled to get the words out. "Mom and Dad were murdered! Can't the police do anything about it?"

Bruce shook his head grimly. 'Fraid not, Kerry. It's too late now to reopen the case. I saw the accident report and it looked legit. However Foley managed to stage the wreck, he did a good enough job of it to rule out foul play. It's possible that he rigged an explosive to a front tyre, but there isn't a hope in Hell of proving that now.

***

True to his word, Bruce began preparing Kerry for any eventuality. The cars were taken out and the garage was once more a target practice range. He wanted her to become proficient in the use of her throwing knives for both throwing and dagger use.

What about archery? Kerry asked.

We'll get to that, he said. "Knives are a priority because they're the easiest for you to conceal. The sword and bow can only really be of use in Tir Dúchas where there are no laws. Frankly, you'd be in trouble if the nuns found a knife in your possession, but we'll have to risk that."

He insisted that she practice with both hands. Numerous techniques were taught ranging from overhand through underhand to flinging the knife directly from the horizontal sheath at the back of her waistband.

When she tired of throwing, he tackled her with a wooden sword and showed her how to use the dagger to parry against a superior weapon. Her protests were in vain.

"I want you to be the best, kid. You need to be the best if we're to scourge our worlds of this abominable family. Not only have the Foleys been a blight in this world, they've got away with too many crimes in Tir Dúchas as well. It's time we put a stop to them for once and for all. Conor and Clare will rest easier and so will we when there are no more Foleys."

Why are you doing this, Bruce? I mean like it's not your fight. Kerry sighed. I sure do want to put Mom and Dad's killer behind bars, but…

He cut in. "Forget about prison, Kerry. These scum have to be killed… no arguments. Your parents were my friends, and Lil's. I was suckered into believing it was an accident. You're my responsibility now, my family. Your enemies are our enemies. We will avenge Conor and Clare the Fae way. Human laws are too good for the likes of the Foleys. We can't risk having the likes of him let out on parole ever."

OK, Kerry drawled as she parried another blow, I do want justice, but I'm not a killer.

Kerry, horrible as this may seem to you. We're all savages at heart. Humans and Fae alike have simply suppressed their killer instincts. When push comes to crunch, we will fight hammer and tongs to defend what is ours. In your case, the first foul blow has already been struck. It's time to hit back. You once said that you had killed a rat. Why?

Kerry shrugged. It's a dirty plague-carrying pest.

Exactly. Bruce tapped her hip with his sword. Pay attention. Think of the Foleys as rats. In fact, they're worse than rats. Rats are simply doing what comes naturally and trying to survive. The Foleys go out of their way to destroy and plunder.

How the heck did he get admitted to the school? Kerry asked as she rubbed her hip and held up a hand in surrender.

Beats me. Bruce shrugged. Probably with forged papers. Hell, I'm not even sure if the boy is still a youngster. He could be my age for all we know. Clancey will clarify everything soon.

Lilith came to Kerry's rescue with an offer of tea and a story to tell. They left the weapons and sat in the lounge where Christmas mince pies and tea awaited them.

What's up, Lil? Kerry flopped onto the sofa.

Jessie was anxiously waiting for a share of the delicacies. Kerry rubbed the black Labrador's head. Wait girl.

I phoned Tally Grant and told her about your idea, Lilith said. She laughed and said they were going to home-school Melissa anyway.

What? Kerry gasped. Why? I mean, I know I said we're not on such good terms as we were to start with.

Hmm, Lilith passed the plate of pies to Bruce. I'm glad it turned out this way because that girl could've become a bad influence for you, Sweetie. You said she was spending more time with her boyfriend than with her books. Well, that sort of behaviour often comes with a price, especially for foolish girls.

Kerry pulled her chin back and frowned. What's that supposed to mean?

Lilith said, Melissa won't be going back to St Agnes because the silly girl is pregnant. The father is that human boy you told me about.

Oh wow, Kerry gaped. "I had no idea she'd gone that far. I thought they were just both wild about cars. So is she going to marry him?"

"Most likely he'll never know that he's the father. He's human, Kerry dear. We Fae cannot risk having any casual human acquaintance knowing what we are. Tally was rather ashamed to admit Melissa's folly in the first place. She didn't say much more than I've told you." Lilith poured the tea.

Bruce said, "Chances are that Melissa will spend her confinement in Tir Dúchas with friends or a relative. Her child will have to be assessed and monitored to see if it has any Fae potential. If not, it'll be raised as purely human, and it'll never be told anything about its heritage."

Gee, that's awful. Kerry bit her pie.

Jessie's tail swishing became more agitated and progressed to a more urgent drumming on the carpet. Kerry absently broke off a piece of pie and gave it to her dog.

Bruce picked pie crumbs off his lap. One of the advantages of being Fae is there's no ageing penalty for failure. If you botch up your life, you can start over whenever you please and still look the same age as you did when you started.

That's so weird. Kerry shook her head and mused over the changes in her life since her parents were killed.

There were still so many aspects about being Fae and Fae life that were alien to her. Portals between worlds, a world with magic, immortality or at least extreme longevity and creatures that she only ever believed were fantasies. Now she was one of them and she could fly and perform magic.

To her, everything was weird even though she was adapting and accepting her new role in life. Kerry's pacifist leanings were rapidly being whittled away by awful necessity. If she was to survive and punish the perpetrators of her parents' deaths, she had to become a warrior.

Lilith interrupted her thoughts. Tally blames Hank for, as she put it, 'ruining her little girl and making her think and act like a man.' She's as mad as a snake with both of them.

Bruce pulled a face. Guess that we can rule them out as house friends, huh?

"Are we ever going to see them in Tir Dúchas?" Kerry asked.

Probably not. Bruce raised a shoulder. "I reckon they'll be using the portal near Lake Livingston. That's about 150 miles from the portal we use on the Colorado River. That brings me to something else you need to understand, kid. That's the distance here in Domhan Duine. The distance between portals in Tir Dúchas is not the same as it is here."

Kerry slumped back on the sofa. Will I ever get my head around all this stuff?

Lilith said, "Honey, think about how different the terrain is when you go through a portal to that above ground. They're two completely different realms. We're not even sure if the worlds are in the same dimension. The school portal and the one we use are about sixty miles apart here, but there could be as much as 200 miles between them in Tir Dúchas."

Lil, did Tally say what grades Melissa got? Bruce asked.

Not in detail, Lilith said, but she flunked English and got mostly Ds. Her highest grade was C for Geography.

You know… Kerry was about to say something about Melissa, then she changed her mind. I was wondering about possible portal locations, so I looked up caves. Can you believe it, there are over 9000 caves in Texas?

There are very few caves around the world that actually have portals. The who and when of how the portals were made is lost in the winds of time. I don't know of any Fae that can make a new portal. Bruce was silent for a moment of contemplation. The school portal must have been made relatively recently, but I don't know who did it or if they're still alive.

You could ask your mentor, Kerry dear, Lilith said.

~##~

Chapter Two

Phew! Kerry bent over and braced her hands on her knees. You're killing me, Bruce.

Here. He handed her a jump rope. Use this when you get bored with throwing knives.

You're kidding, right? Kerry panted. Gee, I stopped skipping in fifth grade.

He said, It's a darned good exercise and it's a lot safer doing it in the garage than jogging in the street. Boxers and professional athletes use them all the time. Ten minutes with the rope is a good as running a mile. Take it with you when you go back to school and use it for at least a quarter of an hour every day.

The week between Christmas and New Year's Day was no fun. Lilith taught Kerry how to use a spear and a quarterstaff. She was just as unforgiving as Bruce was. Kerry tried using her magic shield and received a dressing down for her trouble.

Honey, Lilith said, "it's better to learn through suffering than putting less effort into it because you know it won't hurt if you fail. I don't know how much Sister Hyacinth has taught you, but you need to know that you cannot use magic continuously in Domhan Duine."

Oh? Why's that?

Not sure exactly why, dear. Lilith shrugged. Our magic is limited here, and it's a lot weaker. If you kept a shield up all day, you'd be worn out long before sunset, and you'd have the worst headache ever. She leaned on her quarterstaff. There is one exception though, one that you should get into the habit of using all the time. The mind block is invaluable. We don't know if any of the Foleys can read minds or not, but there are people that can. Such an ability might be used against you.

OK, Kerry drawled. So, can you teach it to me, Lil?

Sure Sweetie, Lilith smiled. "The words are, coisc m'intinn, and you need to be in the same frame of mind to apply it as you are for any other magic spell. Get into the habit of using it every day the moment you wake up."

Kerry mulled over what she had been told. "You could have a shield all the time in Tir Dúchas, right Lil?"

Lilith said, Yes. Now let's get in some archery practice before I make supper.

Bruce and Lilith took turns in teaching Kerry the finer points of archery, sword-fighting, knife-throwing as well as the use of spears and the quarterstaff, and anything else that might serve as a handy weapon. They often sparred with each other to hone their skills as well as to demonstrate to Kerry. All of them had their fair share of bruises.

Kerry marvelled at how devoted the Macleans were to her training. Dang, I never ever spent so much time together with Mom and Dad. And they never taught me anything. It's kinda amazing that Lil and Bruce still love each other after all these decades together. I guess they must really love me too.

***

The Christmas break was almost over by the time Joseph Clancey completed his report on the Foleys. Bruce read the email several times and made notes.

After careful consideration, he called the family together in the lounge. Jessie sensed that something serious was going on. She lay on the rug with her chin on her paws and her eyes switching between Bruce, Lilith and Kerry on their respective chairs.

OK, Bruce waved a few sheets of paper. Here's what we're up against. Fortunately, we only have to contend with three of them. There's Basil who is an elf of unknown strengths and weaknesses, but let's not underestimate him. Our prime concern is Ronald who is an elf with hunter training and as such he'll be a master of deception. Whether or not he'll resort to human weapons like guns is not certain. None of his brushes with the law show anything more than knives.

That doesn't rule out spear guns, bows and arrows or dart guns, Lilith said.

No, it doesn't. Bruce grimaced. The bow is the weapon of choice for hunters. We also cannot rule out the possibility that he's got wise to the availability of plastic guns, and, Goddess forbid, the use of Fae metal to make firearms.

Are there any other Foleys? Lilith asked.

Hmm, Joe only came up with one more, thank the Goddess. Bruce looked up briefly. "Bronwen is wife and mother to our charming foes. She's a slán siog, and apparently not a threat to us. From what Joe was able to find out, she's