Chapter 22: Discussions and pizza.

“Are you sure dat we’re safe here?” asked Shannon as she picked at her pizza slice with a frown.
“For now” said Tanner with a nod.
“Well, that’s reassuring” stated Shannon sarcastically.
“I need a beer” said Rayne getting to his feet and limping into the kitchen.
“He should never have taken the stairs today” said Wynter as she watched him disappear out of the room.
“Why are we staying here?” asked Shannon her eyes locked on Wynter.
“Can you think of somewhere else we can go?” Wynter countered and Shannon pouted but said nothing more.
“So you’re telling me that all of the wards I have placed are useless?” asked Wynter, picking up the conversation where it had been before Shannon interrupted.
“Yes” said Tanner simply “Iron hurts us...as you know; it can even kill us but in order for it to work it needs to come in direct contact with our skin. The kitten is cute but it only works against pixies...So, yeah there is very little you can do to keep us out if we want to get in...” he trailed off as the weight of his words sunk in.
“So what you’re saying is that we’re fucked?” asked Rayne bluntly as he took a pull from his beer.
“In a manner of speaking; yes” agreed Tanner. “However I think that there is something else that is keeping them away-for the moment anyways” he didn’t elaborate any further as Shannon interrupted him again.
“Something else? And why are they attacking us? I mean none us did a ting to them!” she said angerly.
“Well the condensed version is that your ancestors were somehow involved with the fey...a betrayal occured and a kind of war broke out. In the end, what turned out to be a few rogue fairies were responsible and taken care of. Your family were left in charge of keeping those fey imprisioned...”explained Tanner, his gaze steady on Wynter as she reached for the pizza box and took a slice from inside it.
“...and now they’re free” finished Wynter as she mopped up the grease from her slice of pizza with a paper towel.
“ Yes” said Tanner with a nod of his head.
“Exactly how many are a ‘few’” asked Rayne cocking his head to the side.
“The exact number is not known...according to the records it would be at least seven....” replied Tanner.
“Seven?” Shannon shireked while grabbing Rayne’s hand at the same time. “I thought it was just one that was doing the killing...”
Nobody said anything for a few minutes.
“You’re so called records are wrong...fairies killed my parents twenty years ago and people have been dissapearing for years now...They must have escaped long before Neil fell in that cave” said Rayne, lifting his chin as if expecting Tanner to challenge him.
Tanner frowned at him. “You are certain?” Rayne raised his eyebrows at him and Tanner sighed while leaning back in the chair. “Well...that changes every thing....I have to go and check somethign out. You guys stay here and I’ll be back as soon as I can”.
“No” said Rayne getting to his feet at the same time as Tanner and Wynter. “No more of the secrecy. Tell us what’s going on!”
“I don’t know!” exclaimed Tanner in frustration “What you’ve told me ..it shouldn’t be possible! I have to go into the West Lands and find out what I can...and none of you and I mean none of you can go with me!”
“Dat’s fine with me!” said Shannon but no one was paying any attention to her.
“Wait a minute!” demanded Wynter but Rayne drowned her out.
“I’m going! This is my town and it was my parents who were killed, I deserve to know who’s responsible!”
The shouting match between the threesome came to a grinding halt when Shannon let out a blood curdling scream. With a shaking hand she pointed to the mirror “A face! I saw a face in the mirror!”
“Sure it weren’t your own?” asked Rayne and got a slap on the chest for it.
“Yes! It looked...evil” she shivered and buried her face into Raynes shoulder. “I want to leave here” she all but sobbed.
Wynter recalled the face she had seen in the bathroom mirror and barely supressed her own shiver. Crossing her arms over her chest she glanced up at Tanner who was staring at her. He jerked his head towards the hallway and she nodded in silent understanding. They left together while Rayne was comforting Shannon.
“What is it?” asked Tanner the moment they were alone.
“I’ve seen that face before...Or at least I think I have...” said Wynter.
“When? What did it look like?” he demanded.
Wynter relayed the story to him and then proceeded to explain her parents dissapearance and what she had seen through Rayne all those years ago. When she finished she saw that Tanners jaw was set in a rigid line and that he had gone pale. “What is it?” she asked and reached out ot him but he backed away from her.
“Cover all the mirrors...I’ll be back as soon as I can. Stay out of those woods; do you hear me? No matter what stay away from them! Promise me!”
Startled by his sudden fervour Wynter nodded her head “I promise” she said and watched as he darted out of the door and into the darkness.
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