The Choice Read online

  The Sidhe Series

  The Choice

  by Cindy Cipriano

  Copyright © Cindy Cipriano 2020

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any person or persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First published by Odyssey Books in 2015

  Published by Vulpine Press in the United Kingdom in 2020

  ISBN: 978-1-912701-71-1

  Cover by Claire Wood

  www.vulpine-press.com

  For Connor

  More, Most, Mostest

  And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

  – John 1:5

  Part 1

  Calum

  Prologue

  Almost Missed It

  “Are you sure you saw it?” Calum asked, running his hand through his light brown hair. “You saw the glowing?”

  “Yes,” Hagen huffed. “I’m positive, cuz.”

  “Kenzie, what’s taking so long?” Calum impatiently bounced on the balls of his feet in front of Siopa Leabhar.

  “I’m hurrying,” said Kenzie. She struggled with the lock on the heavy door to the only bookstore in Wander County. “It’s stuck.”

  “Forget the lock!” said Calum. “Pateface!” He tore into the bookstore, with Hagen close behind him. “Come on, Hagen. Show me!”

  Granddad, Calum raced to the back of the store. I need you. A tall man with copper-colored hair met him at the cash register.

  “What is it?” asked Uilleam. “Why did you call me here? What’s wrong?”

  “Hagen saw the glowing,” Calum said breathlessly.

  “I saw it just before Kenzie closed the door when we were leaving,” explained Hagen.

  “Are you sure it was meant for you?” asked Uilleam.

  “We were the only ones here,” said Calum. “It has to be the verse for Finley.” He raced erratically from stack to stack, pulling books from the shelves, exposing hundreds of lines of faerie verse. “Help me move the books so we can see them,” he urged.

  “Stop, Calum,” Uilleam said calmly. He raised his right arm and swept the air, causing the books to return to their places.

  Calum looked at his grandfather in disbelief. “But we have to find it,” he pleaded.

  “We will find it,” said Uilleam. “What was the last thing you were doing before you closed the bookshop?”

  Calum breathed deeply, trying to remember. “Hagen and I were going through those old books you gave me, looking for the translation of Brownshire’s verse. It was time to go home. Mom and Hagen waited at the front door while I put the books in here.”

  Calum walked to a glass display case labeled COLLECTIBLES. “Pateface,” he said, peering inside. “Wait a minute. That wasn’t there before.” The letters Wi had been carved into the wood hundreds of times, spilling down the front of the shelf, and stopping just above a thin green book with no title.

  “It has to be this one.” Calum pulled the book from the shelf. “But it can’t be.”

  “Why not?” asked Uilleam.

  “I already tried to read this book, but the words don’t make sense.” He passed the book to his grandfather.

  “I haven’t seen one of these in years,” said Uilleam, turning the volume over in his hands.

  “You know this?” asked Kenzie.

  “Yes,” said Uilleam, flipping through the pages. “Switch Verse. It’s very old, dark magic. Words are poured onto the page from a lepidolite cup, which protects the verse from being read.”

  “But you can read it, can’t you, Granddad?” Calum asked desperately.

  Uilleam smiled. He put the book on the checkout desk and opened to a random page in the middle. Passing his hand over the book, he said, “Oriri.” The book shook and clouds of dust wafted up from it.

  Calum watched as words made their way to the top of the page, rearranging themselves into coherent sentences. He felt Hagen edging closer to him, peering over his shoulder.

  “It looks like a dictionary,” said Hagen.

  “A book of faerie verse,” said Uilleam. “Probably in alphabetical order.”

  Calum turned the pages. Each was a jumbled mess of words, but within seconds, verses straightened themselves out on the yellowed pages. He turned several pages back. “Here it is!” That’s what Brownshire said: Fero tuti latum.” He read the description aloud. “A dark and destructive verse. Not intended for killing; however, the accursed will wish for death, for the existence of a…” Calum squinted. “I can’t make out the next word.”

  Kenzie leaned in, reading the passage. “Oh no,” she gasped. “Finley’s been turned into a—”

  “A what?” Calum sputtered. “What’s happened to him?” The look in Kenzie’s eyes told him he didn’t want to know, that he couldn’t handle knowing. But another fear gripped Calum. If he couldn’t handle knowing the truth, how would Finley survive it?

  Chapter One

  Sparks

  Calum Ranson stared at the slick black coffin. He wondered how many coats of varnish had been applied to make the surface so glossy. Did they still make them by hand? Someone had definitely worked hard on this coffin. Yes, this one was impressive. Black and inescapable.

  Calum cast his eyes around the cemetery. Sunlight glinted off the grave markers as if repelled by the cold reminders of lives now gone. He wondered again why the funeral was being held here in Emerald Lake.

  I will not cry, thought Calum. Not now. Not ever.

  He searched the rows of people standing before the grave until he found her. Laurel Werner leaned heavily on her twin, Daniel, her head resting on his chest. She cried tears that broke Calum’s heart. Her long blonde hair covered her face, giving her some privacy in her grief. Laurel clutched her brother’s hand as if she was afraid she’d slip into the grave herself.

  Hagen Dunbar was suddenly beside Calum. His black hair and dark eyes rivaled the darkness of the coffin. “Come on. It’s time to go.”

  Calum looked at Hagen, struggling to understand him. The words were simple enough, but they seemed to come from far away or from deep under water. Go? What does the word even mean?

  Hagen stared back, a tortured look on his face.

  I will not cry. Calum looked at the coffin again and wondered how long it would stay glossy and black once it was put into the cold, hard earth.

  Calum awoke with a start from the recurring nightmare that had haunted him for far too long. Seven years had passed since his cousin Finley was abducted by the dark Hobayeth clan, but a few months ago, he and Laurel had accidentally found Finley while rescuing Daniel from Devil’s Peak Mound. Calum’s happiness at finding Finley was short-lived when a brownie’s curse caused Finley to vanish before his eyes. He felt it impossible to escape the internal finger pointing, blaming him for Finley’s permanent disappearance. Calum was a prisoner to his guilt for a loss he could never get past.

  I should have known what Brownshire was doing. I could have saved him. Calum rolled over and found himself face-to-face with his tuxedo cat, Buster. He stared at the upside-down black triangle on the cat’s chest and scratched him behind his ears. Buster purred in response.

  “Might as well get up,” said Calum. When he stood, his light brown hair stood up as well. Calum had what his mother called a roaming cowlick, one that settled on his head depending on the way he’d slept. He dragged himself to the ba
throom and came out a few minutes later with a damp head of hair that was now behaving.

  Calum walked downstairs and into the bright yellow kitchen. His dad stood behind his mom, arms wrapped around her waist as she turned bacon slices in a frying pan.

  Kenzie Ranson was the strongest person Calum had ever known, but his father treated her as if she were made of glass. Calum cleared his throat loudly.

  “Good morning, Kenzie, Gus,” said Calum, sitting at their oversized kitchen table.

  Gus Ranson stood taller at the mention of his name. “That does take some getting used to,” he said.

  Calum and Kenzie were born Sidhe from the Aessea clan. Gus had recently received Sidhe talents and was still getting accustomed to their ways. One of which was the calling of Sidhe by their first or true name to strengthen their talents. For Calum and his clan, this practice worked when any Sidhe called them by their first name.

  This tradition worked quite the opposite for dark Sidhe. Only members of their clan called them by their first name. Otherwise, the practice weakened them to the point of losing their talents completely. As such, dark Sidhe only used their true names inside their own mounds.

  Gus opened the back door and their large black dog, Wrecks, barreled into the kitchen. He took his usual spot on the floor beside Calum’s feet, resting his head on his massive paws.

  “How’d you sleep?” asked Kenzie.

  “The same,” said Calum, knowing full well she already knew the answer. All Sidhe had the ability to gather intentions—to read the thoughts of others. It was one talent Calum hadn’t yet mastered when he and Laurel had gone looking for Daniel. But Hagen had been quite gifted in this way—yet another reason for Calum’s guilt. It had been his decision to leave Hagen behind the day they’d found Finley.

  Hagen could have read Brownshire’s thoughts.

  “Even if Hagen had gone with you, there wouldn’t have been enough time for him to react to what Brownshire did,” said Kenzie. She plucked the bacon from the pan and put it on a paper plate to catch the grease. Next, she whisked eggs in a glass bowl and poured the mixture into the still hot skillet.

  “She’s right,” said Gus. “You really need to start looking at this the other way around. After all, you did bring Daniel home.” He poured three glasses of orange juice and set them on the faded yellow table.

  “I know,” said Calum. To change the subject, he asked, “What are we gonna do today?”

  Kenzie laughed. “Well, your father and I will do what we do every day. Go to work.”

  “As for you,” said Gus, “this summer we thought you might like a little more time to yourself.”

  Calum could not believe his ears. He had spent all day, every day, every summer at Siopa Leabhar—the family’s bookstore—since he was a baby. It was getting to be a little embarrassing. It was about time they finally allowed him to stay home alone. A big grin spread across his face.

  “Whoa,” said Gus. “Not all day. You’ll still need to go to Siopa before the lunch rush and help your mom.”

  “And, you have new responsibilities with this new freedom,” said Kenzie. “You’re on kitchen duty this summer. Plus, you’ll need to feed Wrecks before you come to Siopa.”

  The dog sat up at the mention of his name. His tail thumped wildly on the wooden floor.

  Kenzie set a plate of bacon and eggs before Calum. He took a piece of bacon and passed it to Wrecks. “We’re going to have a good summer,” he said to the dog, who noisily gulped the bacon without seeming to chew it at all. Calum imagined a lazy morning with the house all to himself. Yes, this was going to be a great summer.

  After breakfast, Kenzie and Gus headed for work, leaving Calum with a sink full of dishes, including the greasy frying pan. He scrubbed the pan and rinsed the dishes before loading everything into the dishwasher. Fifteen minutes into cleaning the mess, Calum wondered if he’d gotten the worse end of the deal, but decided his freedom was worth it. He fed Wrecks then ran upstairs to play video games before taking a shower.

  Calum heard the ringing phone as he stepped out of the bathroom. He grabbed his cell from his desk. “Hello.”

  “Hey,” said a voice that brought a smile to his lips.

  “Hey, Laurel.”

  “Just calling to see if you want to hang out today.”

  “I’m on my way to the bookstore right now,” said Calum. He glanced at the clock on the wall: 10:30. He needed to get a move on. The locals showed up early for lunch to avoid the tourist rush.

  “Maybe after?” asked Laurel.

  “Sure. What’s up?”

  “Um…I was hoping…well, Daniel and I were hoping you’d give us some lessons.”

  This was how Laurel described the time she’d spent with Calum and Hagen learning about the Sidhe. It had been necessary for her to learn as much as she could before she traveled to the Otherworld with Calum to find Daniel.

  “Why?” asked Calum. “Daniel’s home now.”

  “He is,” said Laurel.

  Calum knew she was talking about Finley, and he wasn’t up to having this conversation. Still, he wanted to see her. He always wanted to see her. “You guys can come over after supper if you want,” he offered.

  “We’ll be there,” Laurel said brightly.

  Calum clicked off his phone and dressed quickly. Wrecks followed his every step, accidentally bumping into a bookshelf and causing small metal cars to roll off the edge and onto the carpet. Buster crouched low to the floor, his thin black tail twitching from side to side. He glared at the dog as if he were a crazy beetle he wanted to pounce on and eat.

  “Be nice, Buster,” said Calum. He walked to the kitchen to get Wrecks’ leash and was not surprised to see his cousin sitting at the table.

  “Boo,” said Hagen. His black eyes widened with mock drama.

  “You’ll have to try harder,” said Calum. “I knew you were down here when Laurel called.”

  Although Calum and Hagen were from different Sidhe clans, they were especially attuned to each other. Calum’s mother and Hagen’s father were cousins and Calum and Hagen were as close as brothers.

  “I’ve got to get to work. Wanna hang out at Siopa for a while?”

  “Go to a bookstore? I made a promise to my brain to avoid books at all costs for as long as I possibly can,” said Hagen. “I’ll come back later when Laurel and Daniel get here.”

  Calum was impressed by Hagen’s use of what the Sidhe called an “intermediary.” Hagen had used him as an intermediary to gather Laurel’s intentions, just by listening to a small corner of Calum’s mind when he spoke with Laurel on the phone.

  “Your talent is getting better,” he said.

  “I know,” said Hagen. “I’m just so awesome.”

  “Awesomely stupid,” said Calum as he worked to attach the leash to a dancing and jumping Wrecks.

  “I’ll thank you to respect your elders,” said Hagen, who was all of one month older than Calum. He flicked his left wrist and Calum’s house key jumped off the peg where it was kept. It sailed across the kitchen dangerously close to Calum’s nose. He effortlessly plucked the key from the air.

  “Man, work on your aim. And lock up when you go.”

  Calum and Wrecks walked through the back door, leaving Hagen behind to enjoy a few minutes of peace away from his younger sister, Brytes, an eleven-year-old know-it-all, and his baby brother, Will, who was still in diapers. He often used Calum’s house as a hideout whenever the big brother role got to be a bit too much.

  Calum thought about how quickly Hagen seemed to be adding talents. But so was Calum. One talent in particular troubled him. He had just mastered using intermediaries when he began having strange premonitions. Calum called them sparks. When they first started they were just feelings, as if he could tell something good was about to happen. Over time, the sparks became more defined, but they were limited to insignificant events. Like the time Calum had a feeling that a blue butterfly with iridescent wings would cross his path as he walke
d to Siopa Leabhar. And then one did. Or today, when he knew what T-shirt Hagen would be wearing even though Calum hadn’t seen it before.

  Last summer, Calum was on the verge of losing his talents; this summer he seemed to be some kind of super Sidhe. But as hard as he tried, he couldn’t control the premonitions or use them to make any beneficial predictions. He began to wonder if he had been thinking the events into existence and hoped he was wrong. He thought back to the blue butterfly. It had flapped its wings only a few times before quietly floating to the ground. Dead. None of this made sense to Calum and he felt it was best not to tell anyone about this new talent.

  Wrecks eagerly led Calum down the sidewalk, stopping along the way to sniff a patch of grass or slurp up a too slow insect.

  “Ugh, Wrecks,” said Calum, as he watched the dog munch a stink bug just outside the entrance to the oldest building in Emerald Lake. As much as Calum complained about having to spend every summer working there, if he were to be honest, really honest, he’d have to admit Siopa Leabhar was like a second home to him. The bookstore had even become a hangout for Calum’s friends.

  The scent of cinnamon laced with sassafras tea greeted Calum when he opened the door to Siopa Leabhar. The bookstore held all kinds of secrets. Some Calum had already learned, others awaited his discovery. Out of habit, his eyes swept the room, scanning the lines of faerie verse carved into every surface. The carvings had been spoken into existence by the Foletti clan several decades before. Siopa Leabhar attracted many Sidhe who searched the shelves for specific verses. When they approached the verse they needed, the carvings glowed like a beacon drawing the visitor in.

  Hagen had seen the glowing once since they’d lost Finley. He’d said it was coming off one of the stacks, but no one had seen it again. Kenzie insisted it was all a mistake. She claimed only a handful of Sidhe knew the verse Brownshire had used on Hagen. It was so dark she doubted it would ever be found in any of the carvings in the bookstore. She refused to discuss the matter, saying it was a waste of their time and energy.