Satyr Play 02 Pt. 02

Henry lifted Tish and gently placed her on the middle bucket seat. He tilted it back slightly, belted her in, then noticed Dayshia and Sandy were on the back bench seat with Marisa between them. The mane of blonde hair was stretched out across all three like a blanket. He grinned at Marisa.

"Shut up," Marisa said and snuggled in between the two ladies.

Suddenly Sigrid and Meixiu rushed out of the hospital and jumped into the front seats.

"Sit down and buckle in, Henry!" Sigrid called back tersely as she started the truck.

"Where's Roger-"

"Now!"

Henry shut up and fastened his seatbelt as the truck pulled away from the building. They joined traffic on the main roads and headed for the expressway. "What happened to Roger?"

"He wasn't there when we returned to the room," Meixiu said.

Henry sat back and fretted about that. What did the man see? What happened to him? He recalled opening his eyes to see Roger included in the group of unconscious friends.

He was also an anarchist who believed the society needed a good kick in the ass. Now, he was out there with potentially some kind of physiological change, who knows what kind of abilities, and a head full of unexplainable images. Dammit! The situation was going from bad to worse.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

Sigrid glanced in the mirror. "Walter Zhao's house."

"What? Why there? He'll have left wards on the place! Powerful ones!" Marisa argued.

"It's secluded, and Meixiu lived in the house when Walter created the wards, so she's excluded from their effect. She believes she knows how Walter disabled them. She'll go in and shut them down. She's very brave!" Sigrid said with a proud smile for her housemate and received a grateful smile in return.

They drove on for a while then Sigrid could wait no longer. "Henry, what happened?"

He sighed. He had some explaining to do, and they had a little time.

A strand of hair stroked his cheek affectionately. He reached up to take it between his fingers and kissed it. "Did you know Sandy's hair almost died? I mean, before, it was only partially energized but it was alive then. Sandy told me she was attacked in the subway yesterday and in the attack, her hair became dull and lifeless. Dayshia was also attacked the day before that, but she wasn't injured. Today it was Tish's turn only this time they were successful."

"Who's they?" Sigrid asked though she had an idea.

"The Fae. Queen Mab wants something from me. She needed leverage, so she went after my friends," he said as he ground his teeth in frustrated rage.

"How did they change?" Marisa asked.

Henry looked at Marisa. "The usual way."

Marisa frowned. "But Tish was hurt, crippled I thought."

He looked away with a bleak expression on his face. "I know. Not a circumstance where sex should have been on anyone's mind. Tish was desperate from her injuries, and her behavior was anything but normal. She refused care and said I was the only one who could help. Her emotions were going off the rails when she saw me. She kissed me. When Dayshia and Sandy leaned against me to stop Tish, my pheromones exploded out." He shuddered with self-loathing. "I'd suppressed it for too long and when the three women triggered it, I... I couldn't stop it."

"How long have you been suppressing it?" Sigrid asked.

Henry thought about that. "Four or five days. Since the nightclub."

"Why didn't you release it earlier?" Marisa asked.

Henry shook his head sadly. "I didn't know how. I tried when it was safe to do as no one was around but it wouldn't... come out to play." He took a deep breath to calm himself. "This is all new to me but I've learned suppressing it is not the route to go."

Henry ached for sleep, so he leaned his temple against the window, and soon the motion rocked him to oblivion.

-=-

Keeping an eye on the blonde locks, Meixiu reached back to shake Henry's shoulder. He jolted awake.

"What?!?" he blurted.

"We're here," she said.

She addressed the group. "You should all stay in the truck until I ensure the house can be safely opened. I don't know what defenses Walter added to the wards. If he did change them after I escaped you could be caught in the blast."

"I'm going with you!" Sigrid insisted.

Meixiu smiled at her gratefully.

The two ladies stepped out and walked up to the large front door.

"I can feel the ward. There's a pressure. An impulse to leave. Unpleasant," Sigrid said quietly.

"Walter didn't like visitors. Especially when he wasn't home," Meixiu replied. She was feeling better with Sigrid's presence and being able to 'defang the dragon' by using her captor's first name. She'd always called him Master or Mr. Zhao. Sigrid taught her she no longer had to treat him with respect he didn't deserve. Doing this made her feel much better.

While she was terrified to step back inside this home, she knew it would help her break free from his control if she did it by her own free will. Anything she could do that he would not have approved of felt like a victory.

They stood before the door and from Sigrid's expression she could tell the ward was working full force. She marveled at her friend's strength of will. Another reason to feel confident. Also, she felt none of the effects so this meant Walter hadn't alter the wards.

"No change," she sighed, and Sigrid gave her a cautious smile.

"The lock is keyed to my grip," she said and reached for the handle.

"Wait-" Sigrid warned but too late.

Electricity shot through Meixiu's body as the trap sprung. She could feel Walter's malignant intent permeating the spell he'd added to trap his errant slave should she return. It wasn't meant to kill, or she'd already be dead. She saw Sigrid reaching for her.

"No!" she spat through her clenched teeth, and Sigrid leaned back from the rage in her voice.

Meixiu noticed the trap spell was struggling to put her down on her knees and realized Walter's magic wasn't stronger than the Wild Magic coursing through her. She grit her teeth and pushed back, hard.

The trap spell was the first to fall with a loud snap. She kept up the pressure and let her senses spread out over the home. She attacked any magic that reacted aggressively to her presence and one by one they failed and burned out. The home's passive protections were still active, but they were no threat, so she left them alone.

When she was done, she sagged and released the doorknob. Sigrid caught her in her arms.

"Are you ok?" the Valkyrie gasped.

"Yes. It's safe now. The wards are gone. I've destroyed all of Walter's offensive magical protection on the building."

Sigrid looked at her in shock. "How?"

Meixiu gave her a tired but satisfied smile. "My magic is stronger than his!"

Sigrid grinned at her and pulled her into a quick hug.

When Sigrid released her, Meixiu reached out and opened the door with a push.

"Walter didn't lock the door with a key?" Sigrid asked.

"He didn't like to carry them, and he didn't need to," she said with a weary sigh.

"Are you going to be ok?" she asked.

"I will be fine." She turned to face the door. She stepped inside the threshold. "I will turn on the lights and get fresh sheets on the beds upstairs." She smiled back at Sigrid, feeling very pleased with herself that she'd defeated Walter's magic. She couldn't begin to say how grateful she was for Henry's gift of the Wild Magic! It gave her confidence and a new peace of mind. There was nothing left in this house for her to fear.

With a proud nod and smile, Sigrid went back to the truck and moved it right up next to the front door. The unloading process went smoothly with Henry cradling Tish in his arms, Sigrid doing the same for Dayshia, and Marisa guiding Sandy's hair as it carried Sandy. Meixiu had found the light switches, so the house was well lit as they made their way inside. They climbed the stairs to the second floor to find Meixiu had removed the dusty comforters. The sheets beneath were clean at least.

"I will find fresher blankets to place over the top sheet," she said before slipping away with the comforters.

Sigrid laid Dayshia down on the bed in the first room, pulled the sheet over her, then struggled with the window to get it open. She finally managed it and joined Marisa in the second room. "I'll get the windows open in their rooms. The air is stale in this house."

Marisa nodded. "Tomorrow we'll throw open all of the windows." She pulled the sheet up over Sandy and accepted a touch on her lips by a tendril of hair. She smiled and followed Sigrid to the third bedroom where Henry stood staring down at Tish. They saw his hands were shaking and they shared a troubled look. Sigrid moved to open the window then they gently guided Henry out and back down to the main floor. They went into a sitting room just to the left of the front door. Meixiu joined them there.

"Are you ok, Henry?" Sigrid asked.

He lifted his eyes from the floor to her and shook his head. He had a stricken expression. "No. No, I'm not. I've just ruined their lives! They would have been better off if they'd never met me."

"Henry! Don't say that!" Marisa exclaimed.

"It's true! Look what I did! They're no longer human! I did that! Me and this damn magic inside me! And what fucking good is having the ability to cause spontaneous orgies?!? Maybe it's a damn good thing the humans killed off the Satyr population if all we can do is make people fuck!" His breathing was coming in gulps. "Wild Magic is just a curse on top! Twisting and warping people into random shapes!" A sob tore through him. "You know, I was so caught up in my troubles that I didn't even realize how much of a monster I've become until I stopped to watch Tish sleeping. I turned her into a Satyr! I was admiring how lovely she looked, and that's when it sank in! I only saw what I wanted! Why the hell couldn't I see that?!?"

Sigrid grabbed his shoulders to look him right in the eye, and he flinched at the compassion he saw there. "Because you're not a monster, Henry. None of what's happened is your fault-"

He pulled away. "No, I can't blame anyone but myself. I knew I wasn't human and I knew my life was complicated and had dangers they'd never comprehend. I was warned that I shouldn't make friends with humans, but I ignored all of that because I wanted them. My selfishness led to this."

"Henry, it's not wrong to want to have friends! You just weren't prepared to be what you are! That's Baba Yaga's fault! You're not a monster! You're a good man caught in a bad situation. You're still learning about what it means to be a Satyr!" Marisa insisted.

Henry slumped back against the cushions. "It doesn't matter... they'll never forgive me, and I don't blame them. They shouldn't forgive me. I've ruined everything."

Marisa knelt before him and placed her hands on his knees as she looked up into his eyes. "You haven't ruined anything. You've changed them. As you were changed, when you discovered you were a Satyr. Do you remember how lost you were; how reluctant you were to accept the change? But you had us to guide you. We bless the day you came into our lives! You've enriched them. You've changed us too. Will you run away from the responsibility of helping your friends through this transition? Or will you be there for them as we were for you?" She could see he was struggling with his self-loathing. "We know you're a good person. We know you'll help them any way you can. It's your nature to be kind, loving and supportive. It's who you are."

He looked down at his hands in his lap, and a tremor went through him.

Sigrid stood behind Marisa. "We should all try to get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day."

Henry lifted his eyes to look at them. "You go on up. I'm going to stay down here a while," he said quietly.

"You should come upstairs with us-" Marisa began.

"No, please. I just- I just need to be alone for a bit. I'll be fine." He gave them a weak smile, but no one believed it.

Short of carrying him upstairs they couldn't force him, so the three women nodded and left the room, looking back at him sadly.

He sat alone on the couch and listened to them climb the stairs. He let his exhausted mind go back to a point in the evening when he was lying on the floor, dazed after healing Tish. Ikehorn's words came back to haunt him.

"How will you protect your friends now in their changed state? How will you disguise them?"

Henry wasn't stupid. He knew what Ikehorn was after and he desperately wished he had an alternative. He could think of none. He had to right the wrong he'd done to his friends. He couldn't change them back, but he could get them glamors to disguise their new states. Which meant making a deal with the devil herself. The very monster who'd plotted to harm his friends. The injustice of turning to Mab for a solution burned within him. But his shame at what he'd done was stronger so he had no choice.

He sat quietly for a while just looking out the window into the darkness beyond. When he felt he'd waited long enough, he stood and walked to the door. He opened it and saw Ikehorn standing on the gravel drive a short distance from the door, as Henry suspected he would be. The Fae looked at Henry cautiously.

Henry gestured for him to enter then walked back to the sitting room and took a seat. Moments later Ikehorn appeared in the doorway and glanced nervously towards the stairs, but they were alone.

Gesturing to the chair before him, Henry fixed his eyes on the Fae. "I hate what you did. I hate what Mab ordered you to do. I hate what I'm now forced to do." Ikehorn now looked worried, and Henry stared at him. "What?"

"Queen Mab indicated to me that it was important that you repay the debt willingly," he said quietly, glancing to the doorway.

Henry stared at the Fae with a scowl.

"Is your friend healed?" Ikehorn asked suddenly, and Henry heard genuine concern in his voice. That threw him a little.

"Yes, her legs aren't limp anymore. I can feel their tone is back. She hasn't woken yet, so I don't know if her recovery is complete. There is also the matter that I turned her into A FUCKING SATYR!" Henry spat. Ikehorn watched him.

"How?"

Henry looked at him. He saw only honest curiosity and concern. A great weariness swept through him. "I don't know. Something to do with the Wild Magic I'm linked to. It's powerful, and humans can be affected by it. Randomly. I don't know why Sandy got sentient hair or why Dayshia's eyes changed or why Tish became like me-"

"I saw your hand on her stomach. Were you touching her throughout her change? Perhaps it used you as a template," Ikehorn suggested.

Henry blinked in surprise at him as he hadn't considered that. Suddenly the stupid idea of bringing back the Satyr race popped into his head. He closed his eyes tight and violently shook his head to rid himself of the ludicrous concept. Hadn't he just claimed how it was a good idea they were killed off? "Whatever. That's how it happens."

"So you are a wielder. You will the Wild Magic into their bodies," Ikehorn pushed.

Henry scowled at the man. "No! I don't control it! They have to ingest... something from me," he finished with burning cheeks. He looked away in embarrassment.

Ikehorn leaned back in surprise. "Oh? OH!"

"What does Mab want?" Henry said to change the subject.

Ikehorn shook his head. "You will need to ask her. She just wanted you to ask for something only we can supply. Healing or glamors for your friends, both are significant requests which will require equally significant compensation."

"Your inability to appreciate the value of doing a good deed for its own sake is what diminishes your race in the eyes of others."

Ikehorn leaned back stiffly. "We are not unique in our insistence on fair balance-"

"No... don't speak to me about fairness. You have no concept," he snarled then sucked in a few deep breaths as he settled his mind. "Tell Mab I'll be coming to see her to ask a favor."

The Fae relaxed for the first time all day and actually smiled gratefully. He stood and handed Henry a card. "This has my number and the address of the building where the Queen is staying. It will also get you into the underground parking lot's lowest level where you'll find the roof service elevator. I'll let her know you're coming. Please, make it soon." He paused as a conflicted look of discomfort crossed his face. "I'm terribly sorry your friend was hurt, and for the role I played in that. I- I serve the Queen," he finished awkwardly.

Henry waved his hand to gesture for the Fae to leave and dropped his head into his other hand.

Completely unsettled by his need to apologize and the discomfort he felt at the Satyr's distress, Ikehorn walked to the doorway where he came face to face with the Asian girl. He nodded to her then left the house.

Meixiu locked the door behind him and looked in on Henry. He was curled up on the couch, and she thought she heard him crying softly. Not knowing what to do she backed away and slipped upstairs to her room.

She'd speak to Sigrid about this in the morning.

Chapter 38

Sandy woke feeling better than she'd ever felt in her entire life. Her body was tingling with energy. She stretched and felt the blankets pulled down, so she opened her eyes to see who the impertinent culprit was. Maybe she wasn't finished sleeping! Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw her hair pulling the blankets back over her. She quickly reached up and slid her fingers into her hair. Tingles rippled down through her body from her scalp, and she cooed involuntarily. Eyes snapping open again, she sat up suddenly and reached out to gather her hair back from the blankets. It came willingly to pool in her lap. That's when she noticed its length and the strength she felt in it. This was far more hair than she'd had... last night? Her time sense failed her.

She looked around and didn't recognize anything. The bedroom was filled with beautiful antiques. The window was open, and fresh air swept into the room. There was an open door to the left, and she could see a hallway. A faint mustiness lingered in the air like she was in an old, rarely visited museum. She began to worry but calmed when her hair rose up to stroke her cheek. She felt its affection, and she couldn't feel any fear for this strange new phenomenon as her hair's intent came through their link clearly. Sandy knew her hair was a 'she' but she had no idea how it came to be. An image of a horned Satyr flashed in her mind, and Sandy squeaked in surprise.

Movement in the doorway caught her attention, and she looked to see Marisa smiling in at her.

"Marisa! Thank god! Someone familiar! I woke up, and everything is different!" Sandy gasped.

Marisa's smile wobbled a little as she approached the bed. "May I sit?"

Sandy's hair straightened out the sheets on the edge of the bed as they both watched.

Sandy's eyes went to Marisa and saw she wasn't shocked or frightened or displaying any sign that she found this the least bit odd. "You know what's happened to my hair," she said quietly.

Marisa nodded. "The world's a lot more complicated and wonderful than you previously knew. There's an entire underlayer that was hidden from you and for a very good reason. I'll get to that reason shortly. Stanley called it energy and, it is that, but we call it magic."

"Magic's real?!?" Sandy gasped excitedly.

Marisa held up her hands for calm. "As I said, some complications and dangers must be understood. Everything you know about magic probably came from the fiction you've read or watched on TV. Most of that is wrong. You're going to have to learn about it from scratch." Sandy nodded eagerly.

"Some people are linked to this magic, and it affects them in different ways. People who can tap into the magic and bend it to their will, to affect the world around them are called wielders. People who have the magic in them and are changed in strange and wonderful ways, sometimes gaining new abilities, are conduits. The people who are immune to the magic are Humans. They may not be immune to what wielders do, or to the abilities of conduits but the magic itself passes through them unfelt." She looked to Sandy and saw she was following her so far. Marisa took a deep breath as the next part could get tricky. She picked up the scent of the Wild Magic saturating Sandy. Much, much stronger now. "You were Human. Now, you're a conduit."