The Endless Series Book Three: The Gatekeeper

Fourteen: Louisa Endless

Fourteen

Louisa Endless

            When Nia went back to Faerie on the Quest with the others, it was as if I had lost a limb. Going back to the human world, there was an ache inside of me that was so unbearable I’d never felt anything like it before. Inside, the large estate was far too quiet for my liking. Tatiana was gone. Nia was gone. Even the pixies that generally made our lives miserable seemed to have fled the premises.

            It was a lot like those days when Emma was in college, and everyone was away. Then, I’d focused everything on my work just to numb the pain. I’d just gotten almost everyone back. Now, there was no one there to distract me.

            I went to my grandfather’s old study. His booze was still there, on a cart, mostly untouched. It was strange being in there without him. It had been many years since I had set foot in this place. His books lined the walls, as did his old typewriter. He’d never made the transition over to a computer though I’d tried convincing him to get one for years and years to make his work easier. He was old fashioned.

            “Real writers use typewriters,” he’d always say dismissively, before returning back to whatever book he was working on.

            He’d written thirteen books in his lifetime. The most famous of which was The Endless Series, about children that got lost in a Faerie realm. He’d used Faerie itself as the inspiration. According to Emma, he’d gotten those stories in exchange for helping children flee England in World War Two to keep them safe.

            Then, he bargained away his daughter to a Faerie king for our family fortune. When our mother got sick, he bargained me. And then when my mom realized my sexuality would make me miserable as a Faerie Queen, her and my father tricked Oberon into settling for Emma who my father had had after having an affair with the goddess Aphrodite.

            All because my grandfather had wanted money.

            Sometimes, I wondered what would have happened if my siblings and I had been brave enough to give up our home. To give up our inheritance. Emma had been the only one brave enough to do it. When she’d turned eighteen, she’d donated the whole of her fortune to charities wanting nothing to do with what she called Grandfather’s blood money.

            If we had, we could have kept our sister safe. I shook my head. It didn’t matter now. We’d been foolish, selfish children.

            I went to the drink cart, and I poured myself a class of grandfather’s scotch. As I was about to take a drink, I heard the sound of something rattling. It was coming from one of the bookshelves.

            Frowning, I walked over, searching for the sound. Then, I saw it. An old copy of Peter Pan was shaking fiercely. Hesitantly, I grabbed it from the bookshelf only to have the book open itself up.

            Inside, there was a piece of yellowed, rolled up parchment that was glowing. It was tied together with a piece of glowing, silver thread. Underneath that, there was a handwritten note from my Grandfather.

            My dearest family:

            As a young man, I watched entire country roads destroyed by German bombers. I thought the world was ending. I did rash things to save my family. I made choices that weren’t mine to make. I went through a lot of trouble to get this. I know that wealth can give safety and security. But it can also take things away. Like choices when one feels obligated to do what they must to keep it.

            The estate was never the family home. The family home was a farm in Dale that no longer exists. The estate isn’t what makes the family. Nor is money. Family makes family. There are other ways to take care of people, and showing them love. If you feel that you can’t keep the bargain with Oberon, this is the original bargain.

            Included is an original spell that will return what was taken from Faerie back to it.

            Remember, family isn’t about money. Family is about love. As long as you have that you’re as rich as you’ll need to be.

            Love,

            Grandfather

            I stared at the note in shock. Grandfather hadn’t cared whether or not we kept the estate. He hadn’t cared about the money. He’d had an out here, hiding, this whole time. Yet he’d never told us about it. What did that mean?

            And did that mean that we could save everyone without a quest?

            There was just one problem.

            I couldn’t leave the Gate unprotected. And I had no one to get the information to them.

            Well f**k.