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This time when Tabatha woke up, she wasn’t restrained any more. Her eyes and ears were still bandaged though. Pushing herself up into a sitting position, she felt something soft, silky and smooth fall away from her body.
“Ah, I see our patient is awake.” The voice had the same lilting accent that Tabatha remembered from the last time she woke up and came from her right.
“Was I ill?” her hands raised automatically to the bandages.
“In a way. Your Human parents had set a spell on you when you were small, to stop your true nature showing. We merely removed it.” The voice was neither male nor female.
Tabatha’s hands dropped into her lap again. “Human parents? What are you talking about?”
“All will become clear in time, Little One.” The female voice from before said, approaching from the left. “Altra, please inform Ard-Chomhairleoir that the Ó Fhionnuisce has awoken.”
“As you will, Ceann Maoirseoir.” The other voice said.
A chair on her left scraped back and footsteps hurried away, a swishing noise suggested something like a door closing. Tabatha began to fiddle with the bandage on her eyes, but a hand from her right stopped her.
“Don’t touch them yet. The human spell altered your face and eyesight, you may experience some significant problems if you remove the bandages before your face and eyes have finished changing back.” The female voice said.
“What do you mean? Why did you kidnap me?” Tabatha said dropping her hands into her lap again.
“That is not my tale to tell, Little One. We have yet to contact your Mother for her permission to speak to you about it.”
The girl raised her hands and smacked them down against the mattress, either side of her legs, “My father and mother are in England. Where are my Aunt and Uncle? They were supposed to be meeting me in Te Ling.”
“We weren’t aware that your adoptive parents had relatives in this country. This may cause a problem.” The female voice sounded worried, “I had best speak to the Banríona about this. You rest here, Little One.”
“What am I supposed to do without my eyes?” Tabatha said. I have no idea where I am, but if they leave me alone, I might be able to get out of here...
“I won’t go until Altra returns. I would not wish to upset your Father or Mother by allowing you to wander unaccompanied; you could hurt yourself.” The hand patted hers, “The Altra can take you out into the garden for a walk.”
Damn. Tabatha sighed.
“Don’t worry, the bandages can come off soon and once they have, we will start on your training.” The hand patted her again.
The swishing noise happened again, and footsteps came toward Tabatha.
“Ah, Altra. I have need to speak to the Banríona. Help the Ó Fhionnuisce to dress and take her out into the garden for a walk. I have no doubt that the Ard-Chomhairle na hOllscoile will want to speak with you soon, Little One.”
“Of course, Ceann Maoirseoir.” The footsteps stopped on Tabatha’s left and a hand touched her shoulder, “Come Ó Fhionnuisce, let’s get you out of that nightgown and into a warm bath.”
Tabatha felt scared, “I’d prefer it if you just let me bathe myself. I might be effectively blind, but I’ve been doing it since I was ten years old and don’t need any one to help me.”
“Altra allow Ó Fhionnuisce to do as much as she can for herself. It won’t be long until the bandages are removed, so just keep her safe.” The Ceann Maoirseoir said.
“Of course, Ceann Maoirseoir.”
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KAI ARRIVED BACK AT her building in style, a chauffeured limousine. Lucy was on the lobby desk with another young woman, clearly showing her the ropes.
“Good Afternoon, Miss Riordan. I’m glad to see that you are well, it was very disconcerting to have the ambulance crew rush through and up to your loft without hearing from you first.” Lucy smiled and Kai could tell that it was a genuine one for a change.
Well that explains how they got into my loft and me out again without any comment. Discreet of them. Kai smiled back, “Thank you Lucy.”
“They had to break the locks to get in to help you, so here are the new keys for the replacements.” She held out a small bunch of keys, “And here’s the post from the last two days.” A small pile of envelopes and parcels were placed on the countertop by the new receptionist.
Kai walked over and took them, “Thank you again.”
“This is Mi Lah. She’ll be taking my slot from next Monday onwards.” Lucy gestured to the young Chinese woman, who bowed.
Kai bowed back, “Welcome Mi Lah. I take it that you got that job you went for then, Lucy?”
She nodded, “Yes, thank you.”
“Congratulations and good luck with it.” Kai gathered up her post and the new keys and took the lift to the top floor. She wasn’t sure what to expect when she got inside her loft, but the entire place had obviously been cleaned and tidied.
Probably a few bugs been planted. One way to find out though. She hung her jacket up and stripped her gloves off. Then using the new keys, she locked the loft door. The usual image of Lucy was followed by a Chinese man with a scar down his cheek. Probably the locksmith.
Kai walked around the loft touching anything that looked out of place or wasn’t exactly where she’d left it. Each thing she touched brought a flash of two different women, one Chinese and wearing what looked like a maid’s outfit, the other white with blue eyes and blonde hair wearing casual clothes. Hmm. I wonder who the second woman is or at least who employs her. She checked each item over carefully and by the time she’d finished one circuit of the whole loft, she’d found ten bugs.
The bugs, tiny black plastic encased bits of electronics gave Kai the same image when she touched them, that of the white woman. So, she took the small pile out onto her balcony and crushed them, one by one, with her favourite hammer. Then she buried them in the pot of spring flowers that had already lost all its flowers.
She went back inside and did a more careful sweep. Now that she knew what she was looking for, it was easier just to stand in one spot at a time and extend her senses outward, in the same way that she did when she was connecting with a Divinatory client. She found another ten bugs and dealt with them in the same way as the first lot.
Kai yawned. I didn’t think doing this would be so tiring, but I must make sure that the loft is clear. She went through the process a third time and found nothing else. Good. Now I have a job to do.
In her office, she sat down and pulled out the T-shirt that Mr & Mrs Smith had given her. The smell was stronger now and it gave her flashes of emotion; fear, surprise and shock being dominant. With a deep breath, Kai laid both hands palm down on the t-shirt and as the image formed in her mind, instead of just watching it passively, she reached out and slipped herself into Tabatha’s mind...
I’m so fed up with not being able to see. The thought echoed in Kai’s mind.
“Where are you?” Kai asked the girl gently, trying not to scare her.
I don’t know. They won’t tell me. Came the reply, followed by a giggle, I must have gone mad now, I’m talking to myself!
“Are you well?” Kai used the same gentle voice.
No one has harmed me. They say that they rescued me from my parents, they keep calling them my Human Parents... Mummy, I’m scared, I want to come home, but they won’t let me. Tabatha began to cry.
Kai sent a wave of reassurance to her, “Your parents are in Te Ling. They are here and won’t leave without you. They love you.”
Tabatha seemed to realise that Kai wasn’t her own mind talking to her, “Who are you?” there was an odd echo that suggested that the girl had spoken out loud as well as to Kai.
“A Friend. Your Parents asked me to find you for them.” Kai said, “I need to know where you are so that we can rescue you.”
The girl began to cry again. “They said that they’d taken a spell off me and it changed my face and eyes. I’m bandaged up until it’s finished healing and I can’t see anything.”
“What can you hear? Or smell? Have you been left in one room, or have you been allowed out?” Kai asked, extending her own senses a little more, trying to find the answers for herself.
“The Altra has taken me out to walk in the garden and has been reading to me from a book that she says will explain everything about my people... what does that even mean? I can smell the flowers in the room I sleep in and the garden smells like any other garden, all grassy and flowery.”
Kai could feel the panic building up in Tabatha again and projected more reassurance. “Steady. Focus on one thing at a time and stay calm. What is the book called?”
“Leabhar na Fae. It sounds like a book of fairy tales to me, lots of stories about heroes and battles, but it’s talking about the second world war as well. It’s very confusing.” Tabatha said.
Kai made a mental note of the book title so she could look it up. “So, you’re safe and well, even though you don’t know where you are?”
“Yes. The Ceann Maoirseoir keeps saying that everything will be explained to me in time and that they will deal with any problems.” Tabatha paused, “Can you come and get me? I want to go home to England.”
“I’ll do my best to locate you and then come and find you. I promise...” Kai was suddenly aware of another presence near to Tabatha. “...I have to go. Don’t tell anyone you were talking to me.”
“No... don’t go yet... please!” the girl’s pleading tore Kai’s heart in two, but she pulled herself away with a final sending of calm and reassurance.
Opening her eyes, Kai took her hands away from the t-shirt and put her gloves back on. Then she put the t-shirt back into its bag and began writing up her notes from the conversation. Several of the words seemed to be in a language that she was familiar with seeing but didn’t understand... and then one phrase on her page of notes stood out like a flashing beacon: Leabhar na Fae.
Kai blinked, “Fae. She’s being held by the Fae.” She said aloud, “But why? It sounds like they’re looking after her and she’s in no immediate danger.”
Taking a deep breath, she analysed her notes and then a part of the conversation with the White Tiger that morning resurfaced in her mind:
“...The young woman who has gone missing has a very important birth father and her adoptive uncle is connected to the difficulties that Derwin-Hepler is experiencing.”
Kai pulled out the police file that the White Tiger had given her, flipping through the pages until she came to the one about Tabatha. “She’s adopted. Why didn’t the Smiths tell me that?”
She flipped through her notebook to the interview with the Smiths, “Nope, nothing there to even imply that the girl isn’t human.”
Kai closed the notebooks and files and stood up, looking out the office window. It was getting dark outside and the strings of multicoloured and white lights that were hung from the trees in the park had been lit. A few tourists and locals were still in there, taking pictures of what was, admittedly a very pretty scene.
“Looks like I need to pay a visit to Derwin-Hepler after all.” She muttered.
As she turned back to the loft, the small file about the Jade Cat caught her attention, “Well it wouldn’t hurt to look at the information.”
An hour later she closed the file and sat back, pushing the file away from her.
So, until Death do us part isn’t just a part of conservative wedding vows. It’s also a part of the Treaty. She licked her lips, But the perks are significant, and I’d be completely autonomous. It’s a lot to take in.
Her stomach grumbled, “I’d better go find some food.” She tidied the files into one of the drawers in her desk and locked it before grabbing her keys, wallet and jacket and leaving.