Chapter 7: Capture

Chapter 7 of Variola

"I am so achy tired -- and my feet hurt", Tanya moaned.

The dance was over and they were collecting their wraps.

"Are you too tired for the after-dance party?", Connla asked.

Tanya was tired but she knew the others really wanted to go to the party.

"No, I'm fine. Let's go."

Connla put his arm around her, feeding her a little of his elvish energy. Tanya understood what he was doing as the warmth spread through her. She gave him a grateful look.

They were among the last ones to arrive at the dance. Biff had been forced to leave his parents' van in a dark corner of the parking lot, tucked behind the school's furnace room. The laughing and chatting teenagers had no concern for their safety as they approached the isolated car. Connla suddenly stopped! A look of alarm crossed his face.

"Faerie gate!', he whispered.

He whirled, an elf-silver knife Tanya had not realized he wore in his hand.

Tanya also whirled. The other four had time for a quick gasp of surprise before they slumped to the ground. Behind the two still standing teenagers was a glowing Faerie gate from which emerged four white-haired elf men. The Sidhe wore black clothes with no heraldic devices on them. They held shining elf-silver swords in gloved hands. Tanya recognized Lord Niall and Sir Fintan. She did not know the others but had seen them on her last visit to Castle Mac Aedh.

Connla lept in front of Tanya assuming a fighting stance. Four elf-silver swords were suddenly at his throat. No one noticed the glow of the ruby eyes in Tanya's snake pendant.

"Do not be foolish enough to fight us. We don't wish to harm the son of Lord Cormac. Don't force us to do so. We will not harm you or Tanya. We merely wish to take her into protective custody", Lord Niall said to the angry young elf.

The glowing ruby eyes of the pendant returned to normal.

Tanya noted Connla's wildly flaring hair.

'He'll get himself killed just to prove his manhood!'

"Connla, don't! Lord Niall will not harm me. You'll die for nothing and I'll -- I'll never forgive you if you do."

"Give me the knife, Connla, and come without undue fuss", Sir Neil Mac Hugh, Lord Niall's cousin, demanded.

"So, are you kidnapping me too?", Connla asked.

"Unfortunately we must. We can't have you running to your father and sounding the alarm", Lord Niall replied.

"Please, Connla", Tanya begged. "There is a time for being brave and a time for being smart."

It was Tanya's anxiety for his safety above her own that persuaded the angry Connla to comply with the unseelie elf's demands. He handed his weapon to Sir Neil then found himself grabbed, his hands bound in front with elf-silver manacles closed with a complex magic spell.

"What have you done to our friends?", Tanya asked as Lord Niall began to reopen the gate.

"They're just unconscious. In a little while they'll recover and undoubtedly call the police. But they will have no idea what happened or where you two have been taken. If I'm lucky the police will spend a long time trying to make sense of their confusing story before they inform Lord Cormac of your disappearance", Lord Niall replied.

They forced the teenagers through the gate. Tanya doubled over as the stomach-wrenching falling elevator sensation washed over her.

Then they were standing under the star jasmine trellis in a garden of evening primrose bordered by gold-leafed silver birches. Overhead the hues of twilight filled a sunless sky. Ahead was a white stone keep with a tower, surrounded by a broad white stone wall protected by more tall towers.

"Here we go again", Tanya moaned. "So, am I to be starved again, Lord Niall?"

"No. We've stocked your room with food from the Human World", the Sidh lord replied as they were to walk towards the arched entrance to the keep.

"This was all planned. It's related somehow to the terrorist attack they're planning", Connla said.

"Terrorist attack? Does it have something to do with Eric disappearing and the FBI nosing around?"

"Apparently you and your radical human pals have not been as circumspect in your activities as you thought", Sir Fintan said to Lord Niall.

Tanya did not miss the flaring white hair and glowing eyes that told her Sir Fintan was very angry about whatever was going on.

The four elves marched the captives down the long hall where marble statues of mythologicl creatures nested in cozy niches. Armed retainers passed them and bowed to Lord Niall. Everyone's expression was grim. Nowhere was there any elvish frivolity, laughter, or song.

They took Tanya to her old room at the end of a hallway that branched off from the main one. It still held the bed with a red and yellow flowered spread, the bookshelves stocked with books they thought she might like, and the old-fashioned dresser with a gilded mirror. A modern refrigerator and a microwave had been added to the room. The Mac Aedh elves dragged Connla out of the room.

"Where are you taking him?"

"Just across the hall. We have to lock him in. He could create a Faerie gate and escape otherwise", Sir Fintan told her.

"Can't he gate out of a locked room?"

"They will lock the room with spells and surround it with a confinement spell that will prevent my gating out of it", Connla told Tanya. "It's standard procedure for confining a captive Sidh."

"I see."

But she followed them out into the main hall to see where they confined Connla and to make sure they didn't hurt him. Once Connla was stowed in his comfortable prison Lord Niall turned towards Tanya.

"I must go. I've urgent business this night. Make yourself at home, Tanya. You will not come to any harm if you remain here in safety."

The unseelie Sidh strode down the hall heading towards the garden portal. His white hair flowed angrily about his head like a wild mane.

Tanya walked into her room and explored it. She looked at the refrigerator that seemed to be working just fine in spite of a lack of electrical outlets.

"Guess it's powered by magic", Tanya said out loud.

It was stocked to capacity with eggs, cheese, milk, fresh fruit, carrots and celery. Cheese pizzas were stacked on one shelf. Veggie burgers and frozen rice and vegetable bowls were in the freezer. A large bag of trail mix and another of oatmeal cookies were sitting on top of the refrigerator.

'He must be planning to keep me here a long time if he's put this much food in the refrigerator. My poor parents. They'll be frantic.'

Tanya closed the refrigerator door and checked out the contents of the dresser. There was, as before, an assortment of jeans and tee shirts in black and electric blue that fit her. There was also warm blue socks and a pair of black sneakers. Tanya's feet were sore from too much dancing and she could not move quietly in her formal gown. She pulled off her homecoming clothes and put on more practical ones. The contents of her gold purse -- some tissues, a change purse full of money, and her cell phone -- were stuffed into her jeans' pockets. Once she was more comfortable she went back into the hall.

'At least he's not locking me in my room -- which just means he doesn't think I can do anything to stop him.'

There was no one in sight so Tanya walked over to the room Connla was confined in.

"Connla. Can you hear me?"

There was a moments delay then the reassuring sound of Connla's voice came through the heavy door.

"I hear you just fine. You're not confined?"

"Nope. He thinks I'm helpless."

"Try to find out what he is up to. We know the sons of Gaea and Lord Niall are planning a biological terrorist attack. We don't know what kind or where."

"He's given me enough human food to last for weeks. If I'm in protective custody then everyone in the Central City-Crystal City area must be in danger."

"Everyone human. A biological weapon won't affect elves."

"God! -- Connla, I think he's trying to get revenge on the whole human race. I'll try to find Sir Fintan. He might tell me something."

Tanya headed down the hall towards the computer room. She was not surprised to find Sir Fintan sitting in front of a computer screen. He was not doing anything, just sitting with a glum expression on his face. No one else was in the room.

'Perfect'

"Well, hello again, Miss Tanya. Does all this seem like a reprise to you?", he said without his usual warm smile.

"Not really. The last time there were smiles, laughter, and music, even in this unseelie place. Now I see only fear and grimness. What's he up to? Why am I here and why is everyone afraid?"

"It won't make you feel better to know."

"I already know there's some kind of terrorist attack planned. -- an elf working with human terrorists. That is beyond unseelie."

"Yes, it is."

"What kind of attack?", Tanya demanded.

"Smallpox -- a modified strain resistant to vaccines -- a strain so potent it may have a 100% fatality rate. Our computer analysis shows that maybe as much as 90% of the human race will die."

Tanya stared at the elf, speechless.

"I told you it wouldn't make you feel better to know", Fintan said, a look of anguish on his face.

"Ev--Everyone! -- my parents! -- my friends! Our civilization would collapse", Tanya whispered.

"His hatred has driven him as close to insane as a Sidh can become. I think he would kill us if we betrayed him."

"He will kill all of my people if you do not. And what will the other Sidhe do? Will they just sit back and let him do this?"

"No. There'll be war. This may bring about the end of the Mac Aedh Clan, but his desire for revenge is such that he no longer cares."

"What about the children? I thought you Sidhe could not harm children."

A look of physical illness came over Fintan's face.

"He -- I think he has blocked out all thoughts of the children who will die. He must have or he could not do this. Lady Arlene has taken to her bed. The thought of all those tormented children is making her physically ill. I think she will die if he goes through with this", Fintan said.

"You must get me out of here. Or let me use the computer. I have to warn Lord Cormac. We must stop him!"

"I don't dare."

"You don't dare! You've just admitted your clan is doomed and that Lady Arlene will die if Lord Niall goes through with his plan. Send me to where he is. I might be able to stop him."

"He's at a lab in his Central City wine warehouse. But you will just expose yourself to danger and probably for nothing."

"Do you think I would want to linger here in Faerie if all my people are dead? What if humans were trying to exterminate elves and those of us who care about elves did nothing to stop it out of cowardice?", Tanya yelled.

Sir Fintan's green eyes answered hers with a bright glow. His fine white hair flared out and Tanya held her breath, wondering if she had pushed him too far.

"OK. --- I will take young Connla something to eat and forget to relock the door to his room. Once he's free of the room he can gate out of here. Waste no time leaving for once he's free you two are on your own."

"Thank you, Sir Fintan. I won't forget this."

A tear slid down her cheek.