Fae Wars: Ice Boundaries

Chapter 4

Mason's POV

I knew what I was doing was wrong but with Ena this could be my once in a lifetime opportunity. She might never again agree to come home with me. The truth was I knew Ena didn't really even mean it now. It was her hormones talking not her. That mattered not, what mattered was that I knew I had to cease the moment and cast the spell. Our fate would be decided on my side of the veil. Either Ena would accept the true me and my world or she would reject us both.

I felt our bodies being pulled through the vortex. It was like a thousand knives slicing through my flesh and pulling my body in different directions. Despite the horrific pain, I forced myself to stay awake. I couldn't afford for Ena to regain consciousness on my side of the veil without me being there to help her. I was pelted over and over again by electromagnetic shocks as I cleared the veil and finally came to rest on my side.

Crossing the veil was both dangerous and torturous. In fact it was so awful that most people chose not to do so at all unless it was life and death. Crossing the veil was hardly ever done and for very good reasons. For someone like me who was born on this side of the veil crossing also meant leaving my real body behind. For someone like Ena it meant bringing her body but living in anguish that would take her days to overcome.

I managed to see through my fog of pain and evaluate Ena's condition. Her breathing was shallow but her heart rate was steady. I could tell by the frozen expression on her face that she was still in tremendous pain. I forced myself to my feet and called for my Grimoire. I looked for the spell that would keep her sleeping until the majority of the pain had past.

I lifted her from the floor and gently laid her on my bed to rest. I imagined the sounds of my arrival would have already alerted everyone in the village that I was back again. I'm sure it would be just a matter of time before someone knocked on my door. They would want to know if I had been successful. They all knew no matter what had brought me home, that this was the last time I would cross the veil.

Just as I expected, I no sooner covered Ena with a silk cloth when I heard banging on my front door accompanied by several voices calling to me.

"Mason, are you in there? We saw the lightning and assumed you crossed the veil. Open up so we can help you with your pain."

Then there was more banging before I heard my mother's voice

"Everyone get back. That is my son in there. Go home! I will take care of him."

Then my door blew open and my mother stood in the doorway. I stood swaying on my feet forcing myself to continue to stay awake. I wanted to see how she aged over the past eighteen years, so I allowed my eyes to roam slowly over her. I looked at her long flowing pure white hair and her solid black eyes and smiled. Then I noticed the new pinched lines round her mouth and her eyes. I wondered briefly if the years I'd been gone perhaps weren't that good to her. Then I pulled her into my arms and said as my voiced hitched with emotion

"I did it mom. I managed to bring Ena home with me."

I wanted to ask where my dad was and if my siblings were all well but I heard a loud buzzing in my head and I knew that I was out of time. I was going to pass out.

~*~

  When next I awoke I was surprised that I was no longer in my own home. I swung my head from side to side and immediately recognized the bright orange room as one of my mother's spare rooms. I also realized that Ena wasn't in the bed with me. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and was just about to call out when the bedroom door swung open. My mother had a look of weariness and disappointment on her face. I again noticed she looked so much older than the last time I'd seen her. Then I found myself blurting out.

"Where is she? Where is Ena?"

My mom took a deep breath and clasped her hands in front of her and slowly walked towards the bed. Then she placed her hands on my shoulder her and said.

"What did you think was going to happen when she awoke? Did you think Ena was going to see the real you and say something like 'oh wow'? Or maybe you thought she'd get weak knees and cry and carry on in fear? Perhaps you thought Ena would go into mental shock and run scared through the town? Did you consider she might feel threatened and try to kill and maim her way to safety? Well that's exactly what Ena did. She grabbed a knife and shoved it through your heart. Then she snuck through town trying to kill everyone and everything that she didn't understand. We had to lock her up for our own wellbeing."

My mother paused and took a deep breath. I heard her words and was trying to stutter out questions but my mouth was dry and all I managed to do was open and close my mouth without uttering a single sound. Not that my mother would have let me since she raised her hand in the air in a stop signal and continued

"Don't speak. Nothing you say is important at the moment. You need to hear the circumstances before you say a single word. You have been out for a very long time. It's been almost four months since you tricked Ena into crossing the veil. She's been awake for the past three months. We've had her imprisoned in the courthouse for the past two. It took us the better part of an entire month to capture her. She's one hell of fighter and not much on this side of the veil seems to harm her. She was impervious to our magic and even our sun seems to have no effect on her."

Moms face softened and she moved over and sat on the bed next to me. I had so many questions running through my mind. I needed to get to Ena and explain to her what happened. I knew this was my fault and I needed to help her. I was about to say that to my mother when she looked up at the ceiling and started talking again

"Thankfully, no one died or the council might have voted to kill Ena already without a proper hearing. As it is, they are uncertain of the best course of action. She is set to go to trial at the end of the month. I'm not sure if it will help but I will represent Ena to the council. Between your testimony and mine, I am sure we can make a clear case of short term dementia. It's just a matter of explaining how Ena was tricked into coming here and how she really was unprepared for the circumstances that she awoke to.

But you need to get her to calm down. Try to get her to see reason. Ena needs to start acting like a human being. Ever since we got her into custody she's been like a rabid animal. She's dangerous and very close to slipping into bloodlust. If what's left of her humanity scatters with blood lust she will need to be put down. You know the council will never allow that type of violence to continue."

My mom stopped talking for a minute then stared me directly in the eyes while she clasped her hands on my shoulders and said with a tone that sounded almost eerie

"You made a terrible mistake my son. You should have known better. You knew the kind of person Ena is. You told me the tales of her butchery and behaviors from the past. You know the violence and pain in her heart. You spent a lifetime with Ena on their side of the veil. Why would you ever consider bringing her here without proper preparation? She could have killed you or others, or she could have been killed before you even awoke. This is your mess and you need to help clean it up."

Then without another word my mother released my shoulders and abruptly left the room.