GFP 021: Fey Eyes

Isaac tore his reading glasses off and glared at Evelyn.

“You knew. You knew, and you still did it,” he said, the hot words released in slow, lava rage. “Why?”

Evelyn stared at her shoes, her hands clasped behind her, her long hair covering up one eye like she was a twelve-year-old girl again.

It wasn’t shame, Isaac could tell. She had no remorse for destroying his life. She wanted to hurt him. But in his physical presence, she reacted the only way she knew how her entire life. Like his darling daughter. His favorite.

She glanced upward for a brief moment, then looked away again.

“Daddy…” was all she could muster after a long silence.

“Well, I suppose you think I’m going to clean up this mess for you?” Isaac asked. “That I’d wield my influence with the council and beg them for forgiveness? Ask them to overlook my one and only one blood’s mistake?”

“It’s not like that!” Evelyn cried. “I only spoke with the boy for a minute or so, he will have forgotten all about me by now. They’re humans. Their memory is about as long as one fluttering of our wings.

“He won’t remember me, he won’t, he doesn’t…” Her voice trailed off doubtfully.

Isaac watched in disbelief. How could this creature, this foolish, naïve girl be his progeny? After decades of brokering power with the Fey Council, climbing up their crooked ladder, it would all be lost in one night.

“Have you forgotten who you are?” Isaac simmered. “What you are? Just one glimpse is all it takes. The human boy is now head-over-heels in love with you. Infatuated, in lust, in terrible agony.”

Isaac closed the tome he had been studying in bed, threw his svelte legs over and stood up. He wanted to slap Evelyn, but thought better of it. He paced the room, one of many hollows inside an elm tree in the Cuaruii forest. A good solid house, one he had carved out himself over a millennia ago for Sarii and himself.

If Sarii were here, what would she say? What would she think? She’d be cool-headed about this, she would, Isaac thought. Evelyn wasn’t her favorite. She was hard on her. Always was even on her deathbed. Evelyn reminded Sarii too much of herself when she was younger.

Isaac stared out the window. He saw endless elm trunks dressed in lichen, moss and fungi. The timeless permanence of it all.

I’ll survive this, like I have through many other crucibles, Isaac announced silently to himself.

He turned to face Evelyn.

“Tell me exactly what happened. I want you to start at the moment you left our borders and crossed over. I want every detail of your journey and this boy. If he has a scar above his right eye where the brow grows funny, I want to hear about it. If one of his teeth is slightly crooked, I want to know. If he talks with a faded accent from a distant past, you will tell me. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Evelyn nodded.

“We need to find him and take care of him and prove to the Council that we are loyal, apologetic and willing to fix our mistakes,” Isaac continued, “Do you understand what that means, Evie?”

A single tear welled up and streamed down her left cheek. “Yes, daddy. I know what must be done.”

“Good,” Isaac said resolutely. “Let’s begin.” ☣