Isle of the Faeries

The Sands Run Through, Flip the Glass

Kean

      I freeze in my struggle when Ciná goes flying toward the fire as if he was shoved. My eyes roam the tree line trying to find the cause of Ciná's sudden movement. My gaze lands on an irate looking Dunkin stepping out of the forest.

      The Elf's eyes are glowing green and fury radiates from his body to the point where it is almost tangible. When he speaks his voice booms deep and powerful across the clearing, "What do you think you are doing Cináed?"

      Ciná rights himself and brushes dead leaves from his clothing, "That is my business Elf, these concerns are none of yours."

      Dunkin bares his teeth, "When you began torturing my sister they became my concerns," his voice is positively venomous and his face murderous.

      Ciná on the other hand looks fearful for the first time, "What?" is all he manages staring at Dunkin.

      Dunkin glances over at me and flicks his hand at the Sidhe holding me back, "Release him," he says and the hands retract immediately.

      Without a second thought I scramble to my feet and run to where Breena still lies on the ground bloody and injured. I kneel at her side and pull her into my lap, she takes a deep shuddering breath and wraps her bloody arms around me. She is shaking and I'm pretty sure she is going into shock. I ignore the two fighting Sidhe because for once there is nothing I can do to stop them and I don't want to leave Breena now that she is relatively safe. Instead I talk to her trying to talk her down from her panic attack and keep her with me.

      When a hand touches my shoulder I flinch and hunch over Breena's crumpled form. I look up to see it is Dunkin; Ciná is nowhere to be seen. Dunkin looks like he is trying to stamp down his anger, I'm not surprised he is angry at me but now is not the time. He seems to feel the same way because he says, "We need to get off this island, Fiona is waiting on the boat."

      I nod and lift Bree up as I stand she hisses in pain and tightens her arms around me but doesn't respond otherwise. "I think she's going into shock."

      Dunkin's jaw twitches, "I'm pretty sure she is but we need to get her back to the boats so I can examine her better."

      The walk to the beach goes smoothly and silently, Dunkin is emitting an aura of suppressed rage that seemed to scare away anything that might want to bother us. Once the beach comes into view I can see the two small boats and the hunched figure sitting between them. When Fiona sees her sister her face pales further and her eyes well up with tears but she seems to know better than to ask questions.

      I lay Breena out on the boat we came in on and Dunkin climbs in after me. He runs his hands up and down her body just a centimeter from touching her. The space between his fingers and her body begins to glow with a green light and Dunkin's face screws up in concentration. She gasps and it takes everything I have to stop myself from tearing him away from her. Much to my surprise the blisters and cuts on her skin begin to close and heal.

      Dunkin sits back on his heels and sways looking exhausted, "That's the best I can do, I can't stop the scarring. She's a lot more difficult to heal because she's not an Elf or a human, she's a bit of each." He looks down at her where she is passed out on the boat.

      "So she really is your sister?" I ask stroking her hair back out of her face.

      "Yeah, it's long story that we don't have time for right now," he tells me and looks over his shoulder at Fiona. "I'll take Fiona back on the other boat, you take Bree on this one."

      I nod and he climbs out of the boat heading over to Fiona and the other boat. I jump out to push the boat into the water and rev the engine; we start back out onto the inky water. The boat cuts through the water unhindered, Dunkin and Fiona's boat is just to the right of us. Bree sleeps through the entire trip.

      When we get back to Teelin and the boat wash up onto the rocky shore the sky to the east is beginning to pale. I scoop Breena up as Dunkin's boat washes up beside mine; silent and stooped we start for the cliff path with our feet dragging. I focus solely on putting one foot in front of the other as we start up the narrow path, the last thing I want to do is trip.

      My foot reaches the top and I feel ready to collapse, my muscles are shaking and I'm covered in sweat and blood – at some point during the climb the gash on my arm reopened. I don't think I've ever been or ever will be more excited to see Allard's truck than I am right now. I fish the keys out of my pocket hand them to Dunkin who pops the door open and flips the passenger seat down so Fiona can climb into the back. I lay Breena in the back as well, a hand lands on my shoulder as I start for the driver's side, "I don't think you should drive," Dunkin tells me.

      I don't answer, I just get into the passenger seat and let him get behind the wheel. The drive is eerily quiet, questions weigh heavily on the air but now is not the time for their answers. We pull into the Rowans' driveway and a panicked Declan runs out of the barn into the yard; the smoldering remains of the house still smoking and glowing.

      Dunkin and I are the first out of the truck and Declan looks at us with fear in his eyes and runs his hand through his mussed hair, "Please tell me they're with you," he calls desperation in his voice.

      "They are," Dunkin reassures him, "but they're in rough shape."

      Even in the dim light of the windows Declan visibly pales, "What happened?"

      "Let's get them somewhere safe and then we'll sort everything out," I suggest wanting to get the girls inside.

      Declan nods, "My parent's converted the hayloft into an apartment a few years ago, it's not much but there's a bed and some stairs." I flip the seat forward so Fiona can jump out and I can lift Breena out. Fiona runs over to Declan and throws her arms around his waist, he picks her up and I can see her shoulders shaking as she cries. He throws a worried look in our direction but I can do nothing to reassure him as I carry his unconscious sister to the house.