I thought I could feel a tiny seed of rage buried in the back of Shosha's head. My initial thought was to tell Colin to take it all away. I don't think he would have, even for me. He had given his word as a Fae. They are not as ambiguous as cats. I really do wonder how they survive so long.
"Can we go back now?" I asked. I was annoyed that he'd picked up Shosha and left me to limp after them. Maybe Luna would hold me.
Then Collin pushed Shosha into a pocket -- much to her dismay -- and picked me up. His hand soothed wounds, but his hug cured more.
"I am sorry I couldn't find you sooner," he admitted. "That was a brilliant solution to yell for me. I didn't think you had that much magic."
Shosha mumbled something from the pocket.
Colin grinned at me, but he patted her head. She might have said something more, but we were transitioning between realms.
I don't know what went wrong.
We did not end up back with Luna and the others. The world seemed to tilt, the colors changed, and I fell.
I landed in mud up to my stomach. Foul-smelling mud overlain with a layer of bugs that immediately started swarming me. Huge birds took to the air, their wings darkening the sky as they screeched in angry protest.
"Colin!"
A shape came toward me, wings draped across the chest, plumes high above the head. The mud world went silent around us as the strange being approached.
Wings unfurled, and the body bowed, green eyes staring down at me.
"Colin," I whispered.
"My, what an odd little creature to find lost in my bog."
I blinked and found myself looking into a perfectly normal human face. The wings were actually a cape made of feathers, and she had more feathers in her hair. She also had the feel of something timeless and untouched by the world through which she walked. While the mud stuck to my fur and the insects buzzed at my eyes and ears, nothing touched her. It annoyed me.
"What do you want?" I demanded.
"I rather think that should be my question since you came to me."
"That was not my intention," I snapped. Her eyes widened and sparkled with uncanny power. That stopped me from saying anything more. I was not in a good mood, and judging this person in my current state was unwise.
How long would it take Colin to find me this time? Did I dare call for him?
"Well, what are you doing here?" she demanded as she stood straighter and looked around. Maybe she expected elephants. "How did you even get here since you have so little magic?"
"Both answers are related. I was traveling with my fae friend. He was trying to get us at least closer to home."
"Fae," she repeated and I wasn't certain she knew what I meant. "Is he here?"
"I am here," Colin said and stepped out of nowhere to stand with me. "I assume you are the keeper of this realm?"
She nodded and looked Colin over as if uncertain what he might be. When Shosha peeked out, the woman only nodded.
"Will you leave now?" she asked, making it not quite a demand. "You have unsettled things here."
I was ready to tell her what I thought of her realm and see how much I could really unsettle things --
Was I influenced by Shosha's rage still? Or was I simply tired and ready to return to any reality where something wasn't trying to bite me?
"I have to make some calculations first," Colin admitted. "I don't know why we came here. Unless? Do you know a witch named Maude?"
I had expected the same bland retort as the rest of the conversation. Instead, she made such a sound of disgust that the insects fled in fear. I stayed very still.
"I am glad to say that the pretentious, weak woman is no longer among the living. I will never have to deal with her attacks again. What has she got to do with you being here?"
"I suspect we are cleaning up some of her work," Colin answered.
"That's not fair!" I protested. "I tripped her to be done with Maude and be free of her!"
"You killed her."
I looked at the bird woman and wondered if I had done something objectionable despite her dislike of the witch.
There was no use denying it; an obvious lie would not improve the situation. I thought Colin would do or say something to help me, but he stared off into the distance, and even the fluff ball disappeared into her pocket.
"I tripped her," I said.
She stared at me.
Then she laughed.
The sound went out in waves, brushing away mud, dead plants, and noisome insects. Flowers blossomed, but the mud tried to come back.
"Oh no," she said. "Enough of the despair."
With a wave of her arm -- or perhaps a lift of her wing -- she banished the mud and everything dark with it.
"Rage. Despair," Colin spoke at last. "There will be others. Now that she's dead and gone --"
"Dead does not always mean gone," Bird Woman replied.
I winced at that thought, but I should have considered it long before now. The look I gave Colin was one of despair, and I hadn't caught that feeling from the mud, either.
"I have found no sign of her in any form, my friend," Colin said. "I would have told you."
"But you never mentioned --"
"Until our encounter with Shosha, it didn't occur to me that she might have held some string to the world yet."
"Not a string, a web," I replied. "And I think we are caught in it."
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