Join the new world

Chapter XVIII: The voice returns, choices are made, and your humble storyteller sneaks in a quick cameo from a short bit that came a very long time ago.

Sonja’s voice whipped out of the box and swirled about her; white waves of sound built themselves to a mighty storm of noise and fury. Andrew clamped his hands over his ears as the high howling began to grow in strength. His head began throb.

The cacophony coalesced around Sonja’s body forming a white gown similar to those worn by the silent woman, of whom, the queen has stated, she led. All others in attendance seemed unaffected by the noise which was growing louder and higher in pitch as each moment past. Andrew’s eyes were starting to water as he tried to keep them focused on Sonja as she became wrapped in the white glow.


Sonja’s wings reached out from her back, only they were not the wings he had seen her with before. Now they were wings of purest white and thin enough to see through. She turned towards him, her face full of beauty and rage. Her eyes still green but they burned with raw wildness from a dark primeval time. Andrew’s knees gave out and as he tumbled to the ground, he was certain his ears would start bleeding any at any moment.

The ringing in his ears was so intense he didn’t notice when everything fell still and silent around him. The only sound was his soft moaning which he himself could not hear. Sonja came over and knelt down next to him. She said something, but Andrew only shook his head in frustration.

“I ONLY HEAR RINGING!” he shouted to her.

The members of the court laughed. Sonja twisted to motion at a small furry man who leaned close by against a tree. He darted over and placed his hands on the side of Andrew’s head. His pain and the ringing left him. Andrew blinked. The little man had fixed it.

“What the hell was that?” Andrew asked, his voice still too loud.

Sonja stood up tall and tossed her head back laughing. “That felt great. Been a bit of a while since I really had a good scream.”

“A good scream? You know,” Andrew said, catching a wave of frustration, “why don’t you just assume I am never going to know what you are talking about. Just start with the explanations instead of waiting for me to go ‘huh?’”

The Queen stood up and stepped forward. “She is one of our Screaming Ones. Once, she decided she had lived that life enough. We took her scream and placed it away and sent her off to the shifting borders to consider things.”

The Queen smiled then added, “We were a bit cranky that day.”

“You’re a banshee?” Andrew asked.

“Yes,” The Queen answered for her. “She is now, once again and so she shall stay, but our question to her is will she resume the place of honor at the head of our legion.”

Sonja dropped down to her knee again. “Mistress? Must it be my answer given first?”

The Queen looked down at her banshee. “While that would be the far more amusing way to see this unfold, we suppose that we will be less cruel as the pair of you have provided such distraction this day. So be it.” The Queen turned towards Andrew and pointed at him sharply and in a voice that commanded armies in battles long since forgotten and battles still to come she asked, “Do you, human descendant of Amergin, from the land above, both green and free, wish your bride returned to you as is right and proper by the treaty signed between yours and mine at Tailtiu?”

Andrew blinked at her blankly.

Raven landed on his shoulder. “She wants to know you want you wife back.”

He looked over at Colleen who just stared at him. He could see the distress pulling at the corner of her eyes.

“This is your test,” the Queen said. “Do you wish her to be your bride again? We can undo it all and put her back just as it was. Here”

Andrew’s mind spun. Turning over the recent events in his mind and placing his history with Colleen on the plates of a mental scale. He looked at Colleen and the nervousness that was drawing lines across her face. He glanced at Sonja and those green eyes.

He turned his back to Colleen and faced Sonja. “No,” he replied. “I don’t. Leave her be. I love someone else.”

Andrew heard Gaghar mutter under his breath, “By the Goddess, he’s loving a Banshee. Stupid mush. That isn’t ever anything but trouble.”

The Queen lowered her hand and turned to Colleen. “Go, daughter. Get you back about your new life.”

Colleen flashed a last smile at Andrew, quickly mouthed a single word. “Thanks” and she vanished into the background. T

The Queen said, “We would guess that his choice affects yours, child?”

“It does, Mistress,” Sonja answered.

“And who should we have lead these women?”

Sonja turned and scanned the group until she saw the veiled face she was looking for. She took the woman’s hand and brought her before the Queen. “This one shall do, she has overcome her past troubles I think, mistress.”


The Queen nodded. “The Legion of the Banshees is yours, Edana.” Sonja’s friend bowed to the queen and then to her former leader. Beneath the white veil, she smiled and then spun and gave a nod to her new command. As one they spread their wings and the white clad women burst to the air.

Raven landed on his shoulder.

“Look at that. Things turned out okay,” he chirped. “You got the lady. Exactly what you wanted.”

Andrew nodded as Sonja took his hand in hers. “So, what comes next, mush?” she asked.

“You know, I would think being able to turn into a raven at will would mean I wasn’t a mush anymore.”

She leaned up and kissed him. “Nope. Does not really work that way.”

The black bird cawed. “Who cares how it works?”

“We have the future to see how it works,” Sonja replied.

“Yeah,” Andrew beamed. “And I guess we are gonna get to see exactly how that turns out.”