Aedan Calahan and the Silver Hand

Chapter 5

"Mum?" Aedan cried, as he shook her. "Mum, please wake up. Please. Please. Please."

An empty bottle rested guiltily beside her that wasn't there last time he was home.

Aedan needed to leave this tenement. It wasn't safe, but what could he do? He couldn't leave his mum, not when the Devil had his scent. He balled his right hand into a fist and slammed it into the moldy plaster, creating a hole a few inches deep. He did it again. And again. He did it into his breath ran from him. At least he could say his home was holier now.

He still had the invitation letter in his pocket. He took it out and read it many times over because he was barely comprehending the words, his mind preoccupied with a disabling concoction of fiery rage, helplessness, loss, and sadness.

The opening line contained the word "Druid," but no explanation as to what it was. The demon said his magic was Druidry. Is this what this letter was, an invitation to the Otherworld, where monsters like him roamed?

It was the fourth read through that the postscript registered.

The letter is enchanted so that you may ask it any three questions you choose. A fair warning to you: the letter will disintegrate after the third question, but will remain perfectly in order until then. A bit of hope pulsed through him.

He thought carefully of what his questions should be. He bumped his head against the wall in rhythm to help him think. What did he need most right now, in this moment? What was the most pressing concern?

Saving his mum was number one, followed closely by saving himself. To do that, he needed to know where to escape to. He considered Saint Mary's, but he quickly thought otherwise. The demon should have burst into flames the moment he walked through the church door. But he didn't.

Father Andrews greeted the one-eyed man as an acquaintance. How could that be? Aedan refused to even consider such horrible thoughts of the man who used to provide him with leftover bread every Sunday for years. Father Andrews might know the one-eyed man, but he did not know the demon.

The Church was no safe haven. The only other option was to skip town, head inland, far from the sea. But how would they be able to get there? His mom's body and mind were failing her and they only had a silver coin. That would get them a ride from one town to the next and one night's stay and a meal at an inn. That wasn't nearly enough.

Aedan slammed his fists into the ground. "What do I do? Where do I go?"

The letter emitted the sound of a scribbling quill. Aedan's eyes bulged with surprise. He flipped the paper over. On the back there was a freshly-written message.

Take the chest of Druim Cettas and go to the Rowan Tree immediately (Response to "What do I do?" First question. No response permitted to "Where do I go?" due to redundancy. Two questions remain.)

Aedan impulsively responded with another question. "What about my mum? I can't leave her."

The invisible quill began scribbling an answer before had time to take the question back, if that was even possible.

Leave her, as there is nothing you can do for her now. (Response to "What about my mum?" Second question. No response permitted to "I can't leave her." as it was not a question. One question remains.)

"You're wrong! She can be saved, I can save her!" A few moments passed before Aedan realized he had just been yelling at a paper. He took a deep breath, but the rage and frustration would not go away. The letter told him where to go, yet it was useless until it instructed him on how to save his mum.