Lost and Found: A Tale of the Tylwyth Teg

Chapter 27: One Spell to Fool Them All

Chapter 27 – One Spell to Fool Them All

3:00 p.m. Our drawing room - in addition to various magical beings sitting on lampshades, in the now-quiet fireplace, on and under the coffee table, or zipping through the air from room to room - was now also occupied by Rita, Fay, Nettle Tansy and – surprisingly – Anna Lucia Tambini. Annie came in from the kitchen, bearing a tray laden with leftovers from her already herculean baking efforts from this morning. Abe followed her with a steaming hot teapot, and Emily (in her human form) carried a tray of spoons, teacups, sugar, milk and cream.

I took a deep breath. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice. Thank you, Rita, for getting the word out so quickly about the stay-inside warning."

She waved her hand. "Happy to help. This town is used to spreading news fast – this is California, you know – fires, earthquakes, mudslides, floods – you name a natural disaster, chances are we've had one. But, Lils! This, and them...what's going on?"

"Oh, you mean the fairy folk?" I said, nonchalantly.

"We prefer to be called 'the Sidhe' if you don't mind," said Nettle, devouring the last of the morning's muffins.

It took me 7 or 8 minutes to give them the short version. It was Anna Lucia who laughed. "A Sidhe colony? Right here in Cambria? I knew magic worked a bit too easily here. Oh, don't look so shocked, Fay Buynite – didn't you know most good bakers are also good witches? If we're good with a recipe for marzipan, we're good with recipes for spells, too!"

"I'd never thought of it that way!' chuckled Nettle. "But my recipes have some very different ingredients." She pushed her spectacles down her nose. "I'm assuming you want us to form a coven, to fight Mab and her army?"

And this is where I had to be careful. My strategy depended upon how things were perceived, by both Mab's and Gwyn's forces. Somewhere, way back in time, a decision was made that led the Sidhe to this insane crossroad. I had no doubt that it was a mistake, one that was no one's fault.

"No," I pleaded, "I mean, yes – I want us to form a coven. But not to fight Mab and her army. I want us to protect Gwyn and his army, and all the Sidhe and humans who are not a part of the struggle between Auberon and Mab, all the innocent animals and children. We don't want to kill; we want to protect. We need to buy time, to distract Mab's attention. One spell, with several targets, each witch reinforcing the other. If we can do this, we might succeed."

"Tell us about this spell," Fay said. She turned to Emily. "Who are you? You look vaguely familiar?" Emily held up her necklace, or more accurately her collar, and showed her caretaker the tags dangling from it.

"No," countered Rita, "Tell us about this strategy!"

"I'll call the War Council then." I sent Eddie the Crow to inform the prince and Alwyn. I called Niall, and then on an impulse called the half-Chumash sculptor Howard Nimble Hands. I asked him if he knew anything about Star, Olivia's daughter. She was, amazingly, still alive. And living in Cambria, with him. Star was his mother. I managed to explain the situation in under 6 minutes. "Would she be willing to lend us her knowledge and advice?"

A beautiful voice said, "I will help you, if it will help my people and this town put an end to Gwyneth's cruelty." Star, it turned out, had been listening in on another line. Howard agreed to bring her to House Draconis.

"Hey, Major General Lils! We could use some help in the kitchen!"

At that moment, the sound of sacred bells shook the house from basement to beveled attic window. Kirin had returned, with Ryo and 7 monks, magical creature reinforcements, and the 20 bells he'd promised a while back – along with 30 smaller bells.