“When I decide you have told me all you know, I will release the stones.”
The spirit humphed. “What do you want to know, wizard. Hurry I am busy.”
“Really, busy with fairies?”
“No, the fairies haven’t called me for some time now.”
“Did you wonder why?” The spirits didn’t often keep up with the gossip in the world.
“No, but I assume you will tell me what you have now made me curious about.”
I brought Ezeral up to date and asked my question. “Is there a way we can make the fairies fertile so they will stop killing?”
“There may be a temporary fix.” The stones tumbled closer to the center of the circle but didn’t rise.
“That will be fine. It will buy us some time to reverse what Fionuir has done. Will you tell me what it is?’
“”I didn’t say I knew. You will have to ask Ranseed.”
Damn, I didn’t want to mend that fence. “If I call Ranseed, will you intercede for me?”
The sound of laughter rustled through the room. Ezeral rose in a cloud of dust and the laughter stopped. “Why is there a dead fairy on the couch?”
Ah, that was not good. “Not dead. I am trying to keep her alive until I can solve her problem.”
“Hmm, I am not sure I believe you, but we will let that lie for now. I will not come between you and Ranseed that is a wound you must heal yourself.”
“It will cost me.” And, I really didn’t have a lot to give for information. “Is it likely to work?”
“I am not an oracle. You must decide for yourself if effort is worth a reward.” He moved the two stones closer; one was topaz and the other obsidian. “I require my payment now.”
I lifted my hand and the stones soared into the air and fell, disappearing into an invisible hole, the sound of Ezeral’s laughter fading way with along with the sudden wind. I picked up the list again. There wasn’t a spirit for blocking the Sidhe, nothing about finding the amulet, nothing about miracles for saving the world.
I was going to have to get more rewards if I called Ranseed. And something stronger than chalk to keep the circle closed.
I put the list away, and then covered Princess with a second blanket so she wouldn’t be visible. I didn’t think Ranseed would be as ready to listen to my explanation as Ezeral was. When the room was prepared, I wiped the chalk away and replaced the stones with two eggs, an airplane bottle of vodka and a gold chain with three pearls hanging from the clasp. I took some red ink and closed the circle.
“I ask for Ranseed to come to the circle.” I waited. It took an hour; my bones were aching from sitting still so long. An image of swirling dust filled the circle but nothing moved. “Thank you for coming to my circle.”
“That will cost you these eggs.” The sound of his voice whispered through my head like leaves in autumn.
I released the eggs to his control. “You can have them. I have a request. The other items are to pay for that.”
“You have to pay for more than my attention.” The vodka bottle tipped over and rolled toward the edge of the circle. It bounced back from the power that held the spirit inside. “You owe me an apology.”
“I might give it as payment if your information helps me.” I know I wasn’t wrong, but apparently that wasn’t the point. “My apology and the rest of the objects in the circle.”
A rustle like wind in dry leaves flowed from the depths. “I wish the apology in writing.”
“I won’t break the circle.”
The rustling turned to the sound of rattling. An image of bones falling in a pile came to me. Ranseed spoke again. “I wish some form I can show to others.”
I didn’t know whether to just cave-in, or to make him work for it. I needed this and he had me by the family jewels. Well, time is long and eventually things come full circle.
“I agreed that if you give me the information I need, all the information, I will create a spell for the apology for you to show the entire spirit world.”
He laughed and I heard fire consuming a forest. “I hope I have what you need. The price will be worth it. What do you ask?”
I had already figured out my questions. “Have you heard about Fionuir’s interference with the fairies?”
“Yes, her little play for power. The Sidhe are like drunken teenagers. They only see what is in front of their face. I find it odd they have no concept of the long view given their lifespan.”
I couldn’t argue with his opinion. Even if I wanted to it was my opinion too. “I’m trying to stop her. I need to know how to make the fairies fertile again.”
“There is no way. Something is blocking the access to their spirits.”
“I heard there was a way to temporarily make fairies fertile.” Had Ezeral lied? Or was Ranseed trying to increase payment?
“There is something that will increase fertility temporarily. I created it to help recover the population after a plague three hundred years ago.”
Finally, progress. “Okay, that should do it.”
“It won’t. The spell needs the same access as the normal process. I said that is blocked. You have difficulty listening don’t you?”
I chose to rise above the bait. “Can you create another spell? One to make fairies fertile for the next few months. Something to give us some time?”
“Or, perhaps you can do something to convince the Sidhe to stop,” Ranseed said, sounding like steam escaping a kettle. “Something for leverage. Perhaps take away the Sidhe’s ability to breed.”
I didn’t care for the idea of escalating the conflict. “It will only make things worse. Besides, they only breed every few years. It’s likely they won’t even notice.”
The sound of leaves in the wind came again. I guessed that was him sighing. “Quinn, you sound so genuinely sad. I appreciate your concern for my fairies, but there is nothing. You will need to find another way. I have been trying to solve this since Fionuir started her little campaign. I only have one way to help them have children, the normal way. Fionuir has chosen an effective tool to carry out her power play.”
He used my name, which was promising. “I suppose you don’t know how to find the Gur amulet?”
“Is that what she used? Interesting. The Druids may have to come out of hiding. No, I have no way to help you there. I wish you luck, Quinn Larson. I think I will miss you if the Sidhe take you. Now my apology.”
“If I solve this problem, will you return my apology?”
“No. That is about the past. But if you succeed, I will owe you one favor.”
I released the necklace and vodka. Waited a minute until Ranseed swirled the dust again, then I laughed and scribed in the dust I am sorry I disagreed with you. You were right. I was wrong.
I dismissed Ranseed and cleared the circle.
Summoning spirits took a lot out of me, more now that I was directing energy to heal my injuries from last night. I mulled over what I could do next as I went upstairs to make a sandwich: tuna on rye with melted cheese.
As I popped the last bite in my mouth, Olan opened the door and landed on the table beside my plate. “Any more of that bread?”
I nodded and went to get the crusts. “You have a spell to open the door? What else have you been up to?”
He flapped his wings and settled his feathers before answering. “Just flying around searching for information. What have you been doing with your time?”
I told him what I had learned but I sensed that he wasn’t really listening because he pecked at the bread so loudly I thought there was a woodpecker in the room.
I finished with, “I don’t know where to go from here.”
He stopped eating and looked at me with his head cocked to one side. “I think we need a new plan. Something more active.”
That made me suspicious. “What kind of active?”
“We need to take the game to Fionuir. This time not just to ask questions. We need to raise the stakes, cause a bit of commotion.”
I tried to picture Olan as a chickadee causing commotion and had to stifle a laugh. “I don’t think we have enough people on our side for that. Look what happened last night.”
