The Fae Worlds

The Unexpected

An Unexpected Visitor

With Eleanor by her side Willow stepped into a little room off the main lab, and turned to look at her. “How are you here?”
“Magic?” Eleanor shrugged. “I don’t know how much I can tell you. I don’t know how much is going to affect the reason I’m here. Talking to you, as you aren’t Megan or Scott, probably isn’t as bad, but I don’t know.”
“Lovely, start from the beginning. You’re older. I can see that in your eyes. You aren’t the same girl I left three hours ago, working out how she was going to tell her father than she planned on becoming an exorcist.”
“No, I’m not.” Eleanor looked up at the ceiling, as though it was going to give her answers to some of her questions, and it was then Willow knew exactly what had happened. “That was ten years ago for me, Willow.”
“They brought you here.” Willow raked a hand through her hair. “I heard you mention Meriel. Can you think of three women who might like to meddle in the affairs of the fae, now they have a chance? The three of them being together once more… I should have expected it. We’re the last of the races they created still in existence, so I don’t doubt for a moment they’re going to be doing what they can to help us. I suspected they’d done things before, but I’ve never been certain, until now.”
“You think Meriel, Lorea, and Roza brought me here?”
“Right now that’s the most likely explanation. They have the power to be able to pull someone through time. Had they known we knew each other they might have made a different choice.”
Eleanor shook her head. “I don’t think they would have done. From what they said I get the feeling I was their only choice.” Her eyes met with Willow’s. “You didn’t tell me anything about the lab when you sent me to help Megan, so I’m in the dark right now.”
“About three years ago I set up the lab to have someone look into the magics we lost. Getting the fae to do anything was impossible, but I found Megan first. She’s part fae, although I’m pretty sure she doesn’t know it yet, and there’s a chance she might never learn the truth. The magic in her blood is minimal. Being here should probably have drawn it out by now, if it was going to. As it hasn’t I can’t help thinking it never will. I just can’t assume that’s the case, so I make sure I check in regularly. Scott, I think, is fully human.”
“For now, at least.”
“I don’t know if I believe it’s possible, Lea. I wouldn’t have let him work here if I truly thought he was going to leave with any magic, but if it does happen… well, it proves a theory.”
“How about Jenna?”
“More fae than Megan, and that’s probably why she ran for the hills when she realised what Megan and Scott were trying to do.”
“The West magic, technically, isn’t that dangerous.”
“No, it’s not, but we all know the last of the Wests.”
“You shouldn’t have agreed to let him move here.”
“Any one of the fae was welcome to make the journey with us, and he’s more loyal to me than some people, including your father.”
“Which doesn’t change the fact he’s dangerous.”
“So are a lot of people, Lea, but I trust him not to do anything stupid, and he is willing to help. If I sent him here…”
“They believe the West line died out.”
“Technically it did.”
“Willow…”
“Okay, I shouldn’t have lied to them, but they had no reason to know the whole truth. The West line is dead. He’s never going to pass on the magics of his family. However that doesn’t mean there aren’t those out there who have it, and…” Willow sighed. “There are a lot of reasons I thought the lab was a good idea. Esra agreed with me learning more about the magics the half bloods might have is important… including the West magics.”
“From what he said there’s no reason for us to think any West came to Earth before we all made the journey.”
“Maybe there isn’t a reason to think that. I accept he believes none of the Wests did come to Earth, but I can’t be certain he knows everything. Considering what I know about the Wests I think it is possible they made the journey. If they did then there might be people out there with the West magics.”
“I should help them?”
“You were sent here to do just that.”
“According to the women who sent me here Megan’s death wasn’t something that was meant to happen. I’m here to stop it. Only I don’t know enough about how she died in the first place to be able to stop it. Or when it happened,”
“Which might be for the best. If you don’t know how it happened you aren’t waiting for the moment to come. Instead you can just live your life, and then, if something comes up, you know there’s a chance it might lead to Megan’s death.” Willow shrugged. “Tell Megan and Scott the story of the Wests, and Adriana. I’ll talk to Brennan. He’ll help, if I ask him to, but I need to know it’s okay to send him here.”
“Brennan and I have never got on.”
“Younger Lea never got on with Brennan. You’re older now, Lea, and I believe you’ve gained some skills with diplomacy in the last ten years.”
“Some.”
“Just promise me you’ll do you best not to make things here any harder than they already are.”
“I promise, Willow.” Eleanor almost smiled. “At least someone knows the truth about all of this. I don’t know how I’m going to do what they want me to.”
“Neither do I, but one thing I know about you is that you’re not the sort of person who’s going to let your lack of knowledge get in the way.”

An Explanation

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