The Endless Series Book Three: The Gatekeeper

Eight: Louisa Endless

Chapter Eight:

Louisa Endless

I was relieved that my brother was back. I was grateful that he had his memories again. But in the years that he had been gone, and Adelaide had been gone, it was Nia and me that had guarded her. We’d been her mothers, raising her when no one else had. Watching Bradley with his daughter was heartwarming. But it also brought out a mama bear in me.

Tatiana was my niece, but I felt as though she were my daughter.

I didn’t want her going into faerie. But I knew that now that Bradley knew she existed, there was no way that he was going to stay away from her even for a minute.With Quests, it was important to pack.

My siblings and I had learned the hard way that you never knew how long a journey in faerie could take. You wanted to be as prepared as you possibly could. Which was why I was in Tatiana’s room,  picking out clothes and things for her to wear.

“Aunty, are you worried?” she asked.

I turned around to face her. She was sitting on the floor, playing with her dolls. I walked over and I sat down across from her. “You have to understand, Tatiana, these fairy’s aren’t like the story books we read or the movies that you’ve seen. They’re dangerous. They will trick you into things for fun. They can’t lie, but they can manipulate, and leave things out. They’re part fallen angel, part human, only they’ve lost their humanity along the way. And they’re not particularly fond of humans. It’s dangerous.”

“But Mum went there,” she said.

“Yes, and think of how long it’s been since she’s been back,” I said. “There are curses. There are tricksters. You have to be careful.”

“I’ll be with Daddy,” she reminded me.

I clenched my jaw. “I know you’re excited to have your Father back, Tatiana. But the thing is that your father….is a complicated man. He’s done complicated things. And there are plenty of people in fairy that would want to hurt you because of things that he’s done in the past.”

“Does that make him bad?” Tatiana asked.

I bit my lip. “It doesn’t make him bad.It means that you have to be careful, alright? I won’t be able to go with you.”

“Why won’t you be able to go with me?” Tatiana said. “You’re always with me.”

“Well, I’m The Gatekeeper. I have to protect the entry to faerie to keep our world and theirs safe. Nia will be there, and so will your father, and Clark. But you’re going to have to be careful.”

“What about Hook?” Tatiana asked.

I sighed. “Hook is your Aunt Emma’s soulmate. But, he’s a pirate. He’s used to thinking only of himself. He’s changed in a lot of ways but you need to be careful.”

“Do you think I’ll get to see my Mum again?”

“I hope so,” I told her. I reached out and squeezed her little shoulder. I had never thought that I would be a Mum, not in the traditional sense of the word. But taking care of Tatiana for the past several years, I had gotten a glimpse into a life I didn’t think I would ever have. And I loved Tatiana as if she were my own child, even if she was just my niece. I wanted only good things for her.

But I had hoped that the day would never come when she went to faerie. It was a complicated place. One that wasn’t meant for humans. But our family was tied to it in ways that we could never be done with.So we would exist along side faerie, even if it meant the chance that we’d have to give up something for them.

That was how our world worked.

I could only hope that Tatiana wouldn’t have to end up being one of the Endlesses that did have to give something up. I got up, and went to her bed where I’d packed her purple backpack full of things she might need.

“I put protection potions in your bag,” I told her, holding the backpack up for her. “One of them is an invisibility potion.”

Tatiana gasped. “Really?”

I nodded. “Yes, really. But you must only use it in case of emergency, alright. What do we say in this house?”

“Magic is not a toy,” Tatiana said, repeating the phrase that I’d taught her since she was a child.

“That’s right,” I said, “I also put in your favorite snacks too. Make sure you pace yourself, okay? You don’t know how long this could take.”

“Are you going to be okay, Aunty?”

I smiled, despite being absolutely terrified because I didn’t want her to see me scared. “I’ll be fine, Tatiana. And so will you.”