Aisling held her hand over her mouth and yawned. It was early morning and
she felt very worn out.
“M’ Lady you looked very tired we should go home,” Puck said as he sat on Aisling shoulder. She nodded and rubbed her eyes.
Emiko walked over to them, “Elle will be driving with us.” Both Aisling and Ryuu looked over at Emiko’s shoulder to the dark haired woman that was sitting in the back seat.
Ryuu was looking at Emiko frowning slightly, “Are you sure your alright?”
Emiko looked at him and said plainly, “I’m fine. I’m just really tired.”
Ryuu just nodded and he and Emiko went to prepare to leave. Aisling turned to Mari who was tickling Kaki under his chin. When he giggled Aisling smiled. “He’s really cute.” She said, “Can I hold him?”
Mari looked at Aisling and nodded, “Sure.” She handed Kaki and Aisling took him in her arms. She knew how to hold babies as she and her mother volunteered to in hospital to hold and nurture new born infants so they wouldn’t suffer FTT. After a moment of holding him he began to cry. Aisling tried to sooth him by rocking him but he wouldn’t calm down. She looked at Mari for help and Mari quickly took Kaki back in her arms. As soon as Mari was holding him he stopped crying. “Well, that was weird.” Mari commented and Aisling was sure that the baby preferred to be held by Mari.
The sun was rising and last traces of night sky were fading away. “Well, I guess I better get going.” Mari said after a moment.
“I guess,” Aisling said she remembers what Matsu said and that Mari would need help with the child. She was sure that Mari needed someone to contact if she faced demons again. One thing she knew was that once you tangled with demons they seemed to follow you and Mari hadn’t understood her powers to use against demons. Aisling took a tiny note pad and wrote down her cell phone number and tore the piece off the pad, “Here,” she said handing it to Mari. “It’s my phone number call me if you need anything.” Mari looked very surprised and took the piece of piece of paper with a smile, “Thank you.”
Aisling lightly flushed, “Your welcome.”
“Well, I’ll see you around!” Mari said waving as she walked away. Aisling smiled and waved back.
“I’m pretty sure the child is not a changeling now that I look at him.” Puck murmured he had his arms crossed behind his head. “But I wouldn’t go calling him human. Though for now I’m sure he has no ties to demons or devils.”
Aisling heard him and turned to the little fairy. “Puck, Brant thank you for your help.”
“Of course we swore our allegiance to you.” Puck said proud and serious. Brant who was standing close by silently nodded.
Aisling said, “And I appreciate it but I do not like how you treat my friend Ryuu.”
“But he smells like devils and it’s most likely that he is one. You have to stay away from him.”
“Be quiet!” Aisling said sharply glaring at him and Puck clamped his mouth shut. “He is my friend and I’m sensitive to evil or something close to it. I do not since neither and I know he’s a good person. So I want you and Brant to back off and treat him with respect GOT IT?” Puck and Brant nodded verdantly and Aisling sighed and rubbed her temples.
“It’s been a long day. How about you go back to being cards Brant can’t fit in the van.”
“As you wish M’ Lady.” The two spirit beings glowed and it looked like they were made of light and disappeared and Aisling felt them go back into the card case in her pocket.
“Aisling you ready?” Emiko called to her from the van in the parking lot.
“Yes,” Aisling said running to the van and climbed into the back seat.
As they drove out of the parking lot Aisling rested her head on the window and dozed off.
“Aisling.” A voiced called to the red head girl that was no older than four years old. Aisling looked up and saw a woman with dark red hair tied in a tight plat with gold and green thread laced around it. The woman’s eyes were very beautiful and alien like, emerald green iris and the pupil was gold and diamond shaped.
“Nana!” Aisling hurried over and hugged the woman around the middle tightly. The woman laughed merrily but there was somber in her voice. Aisling looked up at her confused. “What’s wrong?”
The woman knelt down and put her hands gently on Aisling’s shoulder. “Dear heart I’m sorry but I must leave you.”
Aisling blinked. “What do you mean?”
Her grandmother smiled sadly and stroked Aisling’s hair, “My time on earth has ended and it’s time I start my own journey in the other place.” Tears began to fall down Aisling’s face.
“Nana please don’t leave me! The shadows will get me!” Aisling begged clutching the silk dress her grandmother was wearing. The woman bend down kiss the little girl’s forehead.
“I’m sorry dear heart I don’t want to leave you but I don’t have any choice.” She said softly and gently wiped the tears away. “But don’t worry I have a gift for you.” She held her hand out and a silver card case appeared out of no where. “These are very special cards in here. They’re like the tarot cards your father showed you.” The woman handed the card case to Aisling. “Once you bonded with spirits inside them you won’t have to fear the shadows.” Aisling looked at the cards and nodded. “Now return home, your mother’s calling you.” They had one last hug and murmured good bye.
Aisling walked away holding the card case to her chest. When she looked back her grandmother was gone. Aisling went back home and she learned her grandmother had died in her sleep last night.
Aisling jolted awake when she felt someone shaking her shoulder, “Aisling we’re here.” Aisling looked around and notice that Ryuu was gone he must be at his house. She looked outside and they were at her house. She glanced at Elle that had been sitting next to her in the back seat and was ignoring her. She wasn’t sure she liked her after seeing how she treated Emiko and they’re supposed to be family. Aisling got out and said to Emiko, “Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
Emiko nodded, “I will be.” She sounded sincere and Aisling said good bye and the van drove away.
Aisling looked at her house which was custom made built to look like a Gothic castle. She looked at the large turret on the side of the house and that’s where her room was at. She couldn’t wait to lie down in her hammock and go to sleep. She walked up to her house and a large gray Irish wolfhound came at her and almost knocked her off her feet. “Hi Baron.” Aisling said laughing as the great dog licked her face.
“Baron come here!” Aisling heard her grandfather’s voice and she looked up and saw him coming over to them on his wheelchair.
“Welcome back girseach*.” Her grandfather Patrick O’ Connor said smiling as Baron stood beside him, his large red tongue hanging from his mouth as he panted. “My dear heart you look tired.” The pet name made Aisling think back to the dream she had and smiled at her grandfather. “Exorcised a lot of ghosts last night?”
“No granddad,” Aisling said. She followed him to the house with Baron walking beside them.
“I’m back,” Aisling called out as she entered the foyer. She was a flash of dark hair and felt arms circled around her and squeezed her in a suffocating hug.
“Oh sweet heart I’m so happy your back!” Her mother cooed in Aisling’s ear. “I got worried since you were out all night and I kept checking the bean sidhe* almost every minute. I’m so glad you’re home and safe!”
“Can’t…breathe…” Aisling chocked out and her mother finally let go of her. Aisling gasped and rubbed her sides.
“I’m sorry sweetie,” Molly Alvey said apologetically. “Are you hungry? Do you want me to prepare a bath for you?”
“Oh I would like some hot chocolate but I can make that myself.” Aisling said. Her mother hooked arms with her and lead her into the kitchen. “Mum I only want to sleep I’m really tired.”
“Okay dear but a bath would do you good.”
“What do I smell?”
Molly pushed the doors open and dragged her reluctant daughter into the kitchen made her sat at the kitchen island. Aisling sighed and gave in to her over bearing mother. She rested her head on the black granite surface while her mother made her hot chocolate. “Here you go sweetie.” She handed Aisling her favorite Jessica Galeberth coffee mug and kissed her on the top of her head. “I’ll prepare your bath.”
“Okay,” Aisling said yawning and blew the steam emitting from the mug. Her mother left and it was just her and granddad. “I had a dream about nana.” Aisling said suddenly. She glanced at her granddad he had turned on the TV monitor. “Ah that’s nice. I dream about her sometimes too though I think this is the first time you said you dreamed about her. Was it precognition?”
“No,” Aisling said slowly watching his granddad and he was behaving normally to her disappointment. “It was more like a dream from the past.” She saw him stiffen and then composed himself quickly. “You better take that,” He said and Aisling blinked at him. “What?”
Her cell phone rang and it was playing her favorite song “Live like We’re Dying” by The Script. She stared at her granddad but his back was turned to her as he pay attention to the news forecast. She pulled her cell phone out and Aisling answered it. “Hello this is Aisling.”
“Aisling it’s me.” Aisling eyes widen. “Mari? Wow I didn’t expect you to call so soon. Did you make it home alright?”
“Yeah um I feel bad asking you this but I don’t know what else to do.” Mari sounded hesitate.
“What is it? You can tell me.”
“Well I was evicted from my apartment and me and Kaki have no where else to go…” Mari trailed off and Aisling’s eyes widen again.
“I’m sorry to here that. You can crash here for the night or longer until we figured something.”
“You sure your parents won’t mind.”
“Are you kidding? Mum’s been bugging me to hold a sleep over party but I couldn’t cause the only people I could invite over are Emiko and Ryuu. Emiko is a little old for that kind of thing and da wouldn’t want Ryuu staying over cause he’s a boy.” Aisling laughed. “Where are you at?”
Mari told her location and Aisling nodded. “That’s not to far from here.” She looked at her granddad who was watching her with a raised eyebrow. “Up for a road trip?”
Granddad’s personal driver took him and Aisling to the pick up Mari and Kaki. After a five minute drive Aisling looked over and saw the familiar blond haired girl. “That’s her stop here.” Aisling told the driver named Danny. He drove up to the curb at the side of the street where Mari was sitting on bench with a teenage boy with blond hair. Aisling got out of the car and waved, “Mari!”
Mari looked over at Aisling and relief flowed in her tired features. “Aisling!” Mari went over and she stopped to pick up her suit case. She walked over to her and Aisling saw Mari was holding the blond boy’s hand and she wondered if they were siblings or a couple.
“Hey I’m so glad you’re here.” Mari said gratefully. “Are you sure it’s alright. I don’t want you to get in trouble with your parents.”
“I told it’s fine when I told mum she was practically bouncing of the walls and she’s also looking forward to see Kaki.” Aisling looked around. “Where is Kaki?”
Mari said nothing but shifted her feet and glanced at the boy next to her. “Uh this is Kaki.”
Aisling stared at Mari and then at the boy she had addressed as Kaki. “Huh?”
Mari rubbed the back of her neck, “It’s a little hard to explain and we talk while we go to your house.” She looked at Aisling apprehensively like she was worried Aisling would turn them away.
Aisling looked at Mari and then at Kaki again. Was this really the baby named Kaki? Aisling could sense a familiar spiritual pressure that was a lot like the baby Kaki and Aisling finally decided that this was really Kaki. “Okay come on.” She led them to the mini van and introduced her grandfather and his driver. Aisling noted that Mari was surprised that her grandfather had his own personal driver and Aisling was sure this was leading to the notion that her family was rich and she inwardly cringed of how Mari might be seeing her in a new light.
Granddad Patrick was very kind and pleasant to both Mari and Kaki. Kaki the baby miraculous turned sixteen year old was very she and quite and wouldn’t say hello until Mari pressed him to say something nice. They drove back to the house along the way Mari told Aisling what happened.
“Wow talk about a growth spurge,” Aisling commented awed. “Now that I look at you two you could pass off as siblings or something.”
Mari looked at Kaki who was watching the landscapes go by with wide eyed fascination it looked this was his first car ride. “Yeah maybe your folks will fell for that.”
“Oh don’t bother with cover ups.” Granddad said from the passenger seat. “Better tell them now they’ll eventually find out.” Mari looked at granddad in surprise and then at Aisling.
“He’s right. They will be okay with it although mom will be disappointed. She was looking forward to having a baby in the house. I bet she’s even getting a little nursery prepared,” Aisling paused. “I better call her and save her the trouble.”
They reached the house and Mari stared at the house in awe. “THAT’S your house!?” Mari said as they got out Danny took Mari’s luggage and brought them in the house. “It’s a castle.”
Aisling looked down at the ground, “Yeah, mum and da are history fanatics and they love medieval history.” She was really embarrassed to bring people over. Her parents were loving and friendly people but very unusual. But she was somehow sure that Mari and Kaki could get along with them.
Molly was waiting for them at the foyer and to Aisling relief didn’t smother them with bone crushing hugs. “Hello you must be Mari-san and Kaki-san.” Her mother said warmly she held out her hand and Mari took it and they shook hands. “Welcome to our home.”
“Thank you for letting us stay here,” Mari said politely. “I promise we won’t stay here too long and try not to get in your way.”
“Oh no don’t think like that my dear.” Molly laughed whole heartedly. “Would separate guess rooms be alright?”
Kaki widen his eyes and shook his head hard. He moved closer to Mari and Aisling watched them and couldn’t help but think how cute they looked together and her mother was on the same subject.
“Aw don’t you two look absolutely adorable.” Molly gushed. “Are you two hungry?”
Mari and Kaki looked at each other and nodded. “Well let’s see what we can cook up then.” She took their hands and dragged them to the kitchen. “Come come come come.” She said in a happy sing song voice. “Aisling dear you should go ahead and take your bath. I’ll take over from here.” Aisling knew her mother wouldn’t want her argue with her and she was too tired to try.
Aisling took a bath and afterwards went to the kitchen to check on her friends but didn’t find them there. “They’re waiting for you in your tower Rapunzel.” Her granddad told her.
“Thanks,” She said and went to the turret room. She found sitting on the futons on the floor, her mother must have put them there. They were both a sleep and Aisling looked at them, “Aww…,” she said softly and smiled. She went over to her hammock and lie down. Soon she fell asleep.
~*~
Hope you guys enjoyed that. I made Aisling’s room into my dream room. I want to have a tower for my bedroom.
Girseach*-means ‘girl’ in Irish.
Bean sidhe*- also known as banshee.
