“That tree never did you any harm,” Greenleaf said dryly.
“Never did me any good, either,” Brendan retorted.
“Oh, but it does do you good. It is part of a massive interconnected system that provides you with the air you breathe and the food you drink,” Greenleaf said, stroking the bark of the huge tree lovingly. “You are a part of this tree. We all are. Kicking it is like kicking yourself.”
“If I could kick myself, I would,”^ 21 Brendan said, slumping to the ground. “I just can’t seem to do anything,” he groaned. “I can feel the bird’s thoughts like an itch in my brain, but I can’t get inside them.”
Greenleaf studied him for a long moment, a thoughtful expression on his face. He pushed himself away from the tree trunk and stood in front of Brendan. “You lack motivation, that’s all,” Greenleaf said. “You were under duress, fearing for your life at the time. The terror focused your mind. You have to learn to do these things without any threat.”
“Maybe it was a fluke. Maybe I haven’t got any power of Compulsion. Maybe whatever gift I had got burned up or something… or worn out. Have you ever thought of that?”
“Interesting theory. Very interesting indeed.” The tutor pushed away from the tree and stood erect. The corner of his mouth turned up into a sneer. “That would mean you are utterly defenceless…” His pale grey eyes narrowed.
Brendan took a step backwards. The look on Greenleaf’s face was one he’d never seen before. It was dark and predatory. Greenleaf took a step toward Brendan. Brendan backed away, bumping into the tree stump with the back of his legs. “I… I guess so.”
“And no one knows you’re here,” Greenleaf hissed. “What a foolish, trusting child you are, Breandan! You let me lead you out here into the woods alone where no one could help you. Not even that annoying Ki-Mata can save you now.”
“What?” Brendan was confused. For the first time, he realized how strange it was that Kim hadn’t come along. She usually didn’t let Brendan out of her sight for long. When Brendan had questioned her absence at the beginning of the session, Greenleaf had said she was busy, and he’d taken that for granted. “What are you talking about, Greenleaf?”
“Now you will pay for what you did to me!” As Brendan watched in horror, Greenleaf’s face flowed and swam until the handsome features were transformed into the leering face of Orcadia Morn.
“Whoa!” BLT cried. “You get away!” The Lesser Faerie reared back and hurled the remainder of her pineapple slice, hitting Orcadia in the side of the face. Orcadia snarled and sent a lancet of purple energy at BLT, striking her from her perch. She fell motionless into a drift of leaves.
“BLT!” Brendan cried, stricken.
Titi rose from the branch, transforming before Brendan’s eyes into a spiky little bat creature with a wet, snuffling muzzle and talons for hands. She fluttered to Orcadia’s shoulder and perched there, watching Brendan with glassy black eyes.
“She’s gone! Worry about yourself,” cackled Orcadia.
“No! No! This isn’t real,” Brendan stammered. “You’ve gone to the Other Side. My father sent you there.”
“Fool.” She waved an arm and the whole of her body was transformed. She was Orcadia Morn, beautiful and terrible. Her wild white-blond hair crackled and snapped with energy. She raised her hands, holding them slightly apart. Brendan watched, mouth agape, as a ball of energy gathered between her palms. “This time you won’t escape.”
“This can’t be happening… ” Brendan gasped. “Greenleaf… ”
“That simpering dandy was no match for me. I took his place, concealed by glamours. Now I will have my revenge.” She leapt forward. “You followed me to your doom, like a lamb to the slaughter.”
She was right: no one knew where he was. He couldn’t even cry for Human help, concealed as he was within the glamour surrounding the ravine. Kim didn’t know where he and Greenleaf had gone. He was utterly alone. If he was going to survive, he had to do it without any outside help.
Brendan scrambled backwards, falling over the stump to escape her attack. The air rushed out of his lungs as he slammed onto his back on the hard ground. Gasping for breath, he scrabbled through the carpet of dead leaves as Orcadia came on, igniting the dry grass where she stepped.
“I will!” she cackled. “There won’t be enough of you left to sing a song over!” Orcadia raised her hands. Between her palms, a fierce light collected as she drew energy from the surrounding air. He watched in fascination with his acute Faerie Sight as tiny motes of light swirled into a ball. He smelled ozone and felt his hair begin to stand on end from the static electricity. “Breandan Morn! Prepare to DIE!”
^ 18 The three-piece suit has become a mainstay in men’s tailoring: pants, jacket, and vest. It’s much more classy than the one-piece suit (also known as overalls) and less unwieldy than the eight- piece suit (basically a three-piece suit with two scarves, a hood, one glove, and pantyhose).
^ 19 Please do not mention “my cousin Dave.”
^ 20 Yorkville is a part of Toronto where rich people buy expensive things. They aren’t necessarily nice things, but if they are expensive, rich people feel obliged to buy them to prove that they are rich. It’s a sad, endless cycle of spending. I wish I had that problem.
^ 21 People often use the expression “I could have kicked myself
… “ I don’t think it’s possible. I was part of a scientific research group that attempted to study the act of kicking oneself. Despite extensive trials and the waste of a lot of government grant money, only one of us managed to kick himself, and that was after his leg was severed in an automobile accident.
TALENT
Brendan’s mind flooded with panic. His heart was racing. He couldn’t get enough air into his lungs. Do something! his mind screamed.
“You can’t escape,” Orcadia cackled. “And no one can help you. It’s just you and me!”
Brendan’s back came up against the rough bark of the tree trunk. He could flee no farther without turning his back to the threat. His chest heaving, he pressed himself into the tree, wishing he could disappear. His eyes searched for a way out, and he almost failed to see the crackling orb sailing at his head. He ducked and rolled, coming to his feet as the tree erupted in flames.
How had Orcadia managed to fool everyone? How had she escaped from the Other Side? His father had said she couldn’t come back!
“You can’t be here!” he said suddenly. “This isn’t real.”
“It’s real, weakling.” Orcadia raised her arms and purple fire erupted above her. The flames fanned outward and ignited the dry, dead branches of the winter trees. Instantly, the forest above Brendan was ablaze.
“Stop it!” Brendan cried. He was terrified, not only for himself, but for the Humans who might see the flames and come to investigate. He knew Orcadia had no compunction about revealing herself to Humans and wouldn’t hesitate to harm any who came near.
Brendan pushed himself up onto his toes in a fighting stance as ash and cinders began to rain down. Sparks ignited tiny fires in the dry leaves on the ground around him. “Go back to the Other Side, Orcadia. You can’t do this here.”
“Why don’t you cry for your Human mother, weakling?” Orcadia laughed. “Don’t worry! She won’t survive long after you’re gone. Neither will your father or your sister.”
Brendan gritted his teeth. The thought of his Human family in danger awakened something within him. “You will not touch them,” he said coldly.
“Or else what?” Orcadia sneered.
“GO!” he shouted as powerfully as he could, putting all his anger and fear behind that one word.
Orcadia shuddered. Battling against the Compulsion, she clawed the air for purchase. Brendan’s heart soared.