Book of the Hidden (9 page)

     
On cue, a small child appeared from behind him also covered in mud. His face was terror stricken, and it broke her heart. “He knows doesn’t he,” she asked, looking back up at Seth.

     
“Yeah…. He knows.”

     
Smiling, she bent down over the boy. “It’ll be okay. You’re safe now.”

     
Late in the afternoon Vivian, Seth, Flint, and Jean sat in the circular room, in two of the most comfortable couches in front of the large fire. Across the stone were carved pictures that told a story. Vivian and Jean told it lively to Seth, who was a great audience, listening intently.

     
“And Maeve built this place all by magic! Imagine how this place was by itself back in the 17
th
 
century!” Jean slapped her legs enthusiastically. She loved having people listening to her. “It’s so wonderful to have a place to go, and such a place as this! The Underground Palace!”

     
Vivian and Seth laughed politely, Jean giving them confused glances. Flint smiled proudly letting her rest against his chest.

     
“I think you had too much sugar, Jean.” Vivian picked up the plate of caramel directing it with her hand towards the kitchen.

     
“Spoil sport.” Jean stuck out her tongue draping her legs over the arms of the chair before turning to Seth. “So, what are you going to do with the rug rat?”

     
After cleaning up, Seth had tucked Jake into his bed where he slept all night, and still slept to where the sun was starting to sink lower into the sky the next day. None of them dared to wake him up. He had been through enough.

     
“Jean!” Vivian clenched her teeth. “They can stay here as long as they want. Even Jake.”

     
She rolled her eyes. “Viv, lets come back to reality, this is not a place for a human boy. He needs to go back to his own kind.”

     
“He needs to be with his brother!”

     
“His brother is a werewolf!”

     
Vivian sighed, “exactly, and we can settle that.”

     
Seth looked over at her surprisingly. “You mean the book?”

     
“Yes, it’s in the wrong hands as it is. We need to get it back sometime.”

     
He nodded his head agreeing, but looked into the fire.

     
Vivian had explained how she had tried to contact her family to no avail. But even trying did not place the book back in their hands. They had to have it, and soon. Jean had readily agreed to get a serious move on after she heard of Astrid.

     
Leaning forward watching the light dance across Seth’s face, Vivian had to ask, “you want to be human right?”

     
“It’s the best for Jake,” he didn’t bother to look at her when he said this.

     
Just then a flash of light - a fairy - passed between them stopping the conversation, and a high voice that was barely heard said, “she’s here, she’s here!”

     
Jean’s face darkened when she looked passed Seth and Vivian at the door. A cool breeze from the wind outside chilled them, and Vivian’s arm became prickly with goose bumps, and even more so when she peered behind her chair to see who it was.

     
“Astrid,” she breathed.

     
In human form, there stood Astrid. Long black hair that made her pale face stand out, fell over her narrow shoulders, and her yellow eyes much like a raven’s gave a cold stare at the three, until they zeroed in on Seth. A menacing smile curled about her lips, and she strode over.

     
“So, you’re alive,” she droned in a lazy low voice. It chilled Vivian more than the cold breeze.

     
“Yes…. Why shouldn’t I be?” Seth crinkled his brows confused.

     
Jean moved uncomfortably forward In her chair. “Go away Astrid, you’ve done enough damage as it is.”

     
Instead, Astrid lowered her face towards Seth. “It was really funny... How you didn’t remember me at first in that orphanage. It was very
cute
how you protected your brother. So sickeningly
cute
.”

     
Seth’s lips tightened to a thin white line, but he didn’t waver, or look away from her eyes.

     
Astrid chuckled. “This is funny. I’m the one who changed your life boy. I’m the one who made you what you are, and you didn’t have the courtesy to remember me? Then you tried to fight me? I’m hurt.” She pouted her lips.

     
“You’re crazy - you need help.” Seth stood and moved away from her. He finally tore his eyes away and glanced at Vivian for help with this psychopath.

     
Vivian jumped up and took place beside Seth. “Astrid, don’t be an idiot.” She clenched her fists. “You know when humans transform they don’t remember the person that changed them. Now go away. I’m surprised you even came back.”

     
A soft clunking sound echoed in the circular room as Astrid’s boots hit the floor. She walked towards them, and everyone stayed still and quiet, holding their breaths.

     
“This is unlike you Vivian.” She smiled not showing her teeth. “I wouldn’t have thought you would take on a human for a pet.” Her eyes glanced over at Seth. “But I guess he’s not human anymore, and you need a companion other than your sister. It gets lonely without any family doesn’t it Vivian?”

     
Vivian swallowed the lodge in her throat. “We are all here for the same reason. None of us have a family anymore. We’re each other’s family, except you Astrid. You can go now, back to the humans.”

     
“What?” Astrid’s eyes showed a flicker of fear, and she took a step back.

     
“You think you rule this place Astrid, and you don’t. You know what I am, and you know my powers. But you may forget sometimes my power within this family. The one that Maeve left me with.” She took a deep breath and in a louder voice, “by show of hands, who wants Astrid gone?”

     
Around the circular room all the hands raised. The centaurs, vampires, fairies, elves, dwarfs, werewolves, and all. Even the brownies, holding large trays of food had their hands raised.

In a softer tone Vivian spoke to Astrid, “majority rules. Go."

     
Astrid’s face scrunched up in anger. “You are tempting the wrong person Vivian. You know where the book is right? With your family, your
blood
family. Right now as we speak they are coming up with something to bring you and your sister back to your human form, or to kill you. As for myself, I hope they settle for the latter, and I’m going to help them to achieve that.” Turning on her heel she left slamming the door behind her. Dust fell from the ceiling, but nobody cared to dust themselves off. No one spoke.

     
Vivian let out a breath falling back into her chair. “She’s helping them….”

     
“No, our family wouldn’t kill us.” Jean let her legs fall from the arm of the chair, and sat up straighter. “This is just like Astrid, she would want to ruin her own kind, starting with the leader. But don’t worry, we’ll get back the book.”

     
“Leader?” Seth finally spoke.

     
Vivian was afraid to look beside her at Seth. Was he angry? Or was he confused? She didn’t know, and she looked at Jean for some answers, but all that was on her face was a disapproving stare. She didn’t know what to say, and before anyone else spoke, Vivian ran out of the room, and into the hall where she locked herself in her room.

     
How could I not tell him?! What is he going to say?
Many thoughts ran through Vivian’s mind that moment. But she would rather listen to them than the continuous knocking on her door.

     
The light from her room was now disappearing, and she ran opening the window with great difficulty. It must have been ages since the window had been opened, or maybe it has never been opened. But it was that time, and she jumped through it, but before she could go anywhere there was Jean waiting for her.

     
“What do you think you’re doing?” Jean crossed her arms over her chest.

     
Vivian rolled her eyes. “Taking a walk. Do you mind?”

     
“Yes I do mind. You have to tell Seth about this, you can’t leave him confused.”

     
“There’s so much he doesn’t know…. And if he still wants to change back, none of what I said to him will matter. The less he knows the better.”

     
Jean sighed sympathetically. “It may mean more than you know. And he needs to know now.”

     
"How?"

     
"He's already entered our world," she rolled her eyes irately. "And I don't care what you say, you've gotten close to him."

     
Vivian nodded in defeat. She turned back to the window climbing through it once again. But when she went back to the hallway, only a ball of light was floating there.

“Avery, where’s Seth?” Vivian asked.

     
The tiny ball of light dimmed to show it was a fairy with straight brown hair to her waist, and she wore a soft blue dress made of flower. She was one of the most beautiful fairies in the underground. She was known as the messenger.

     
“He went to his room,” answered the fairy in a high, squeaky voice.

     
"Thanks," she said shortly. She took a sharp turn right, and softly knocked on the door with her knuckles, and opened it.

     
Seth sat on his bed, staring at his left hand he changed into a paw then transforming it back to a hand. He looked up at Vivian standing in the doorway, and cracked a smile.

     
"You're getting pretty good at that," she closed the door behind her.

     
"It doesn't hurt as much now, but still does, mind you."

     
Vivian nodded. "Seth, I think I owe you an explanation."

     
"There's none needed," he said simply.

     
"Yes, there is. I never told you I was leader of the Underground, and I guess I should have told you."

     
Seth nodded his head too, indicating agreement.

     
"I'm sorry. I didn't think it mattered."

     
"It doesn't, but you still should have told me."

     
Vivian sat next to him. “You know the story that Jean told you about Maeve, and how she started the Underground?”

     
“Yes.”

     
“It was a long time ago. But that field was where Jean and I were at when it happened. I don’t know who shot us. I didn’t see their face. All I remember is looking up into two silver eyes. Maeve saved us from death, but because she did, we received powers. We turned into a witch, like her. We didn’t want it though, not at first. We wanted to go home back to our family, but they hated, and still do, the thought of us being what we are. Our parents accept us, but we didn't want to complicate their life so we left, and found Maeve in the field, and she took us into the Underground. It was safe from our family, and it was safer for our parents. They are protected now with a spell Maeve casted.”