Chương 30: Damage Control and Disaster Reviews

The drive to the Sacred Grove took forty-five minutes through back roads I'd never known existed. While I had lived there for decades, I didn't make it a habit to drive on private roads. Also, and more importantly, I was a stay-at-home kind of guy. Shelly drove in tense silence, hands white-knuckled on the wheel. Tala perched on her shoulder, unusually quiet. Even her mental voice had gone still, which was more unnerving than her usual commentary. My smartwatch kept buzzing with notifications I was ignoring.

Text messages and calls. There were even social media mentions. The view counter on Raven's video passed a million and showed no signs of slowing. Every buzz felt like another thread pulling tight in Grandmother Spider's web.

"What do I say?" I asked finally, breaking the silence. I wasn't even sure what Kathy wanted. Afterall, I had nothing to do with Raven's actions.

"The truth," Shelly said.

"All of it. You're a victim here, Abe. They need to understand that."

"What if they don't see it that way?" I was actually worried about this. I'd lived long enough for my faith in humanity to… diminish quite a lot.

"Then I'll make them," she said, her voice carrying an edge I rarely heard.

"You didn't choose any of this." Tala stirred on her shoulder.

"The Council isn't unreasonable. They'll listen. They're just scared. Everyone is. Fear makes people look for someone to blame."

"Great. So I'm the convenient scapegoat." It made sense though. If I had to choose venting my anger at Raven or a new-born trickster with very little actual power, I certainly knew who I'd choose.

"Only if you let them make you one," Tala said firmly.

"Stand your ground. You're not at fault here."

"What's the worst that can happen?" I asked quietly. Shelly's hands tightened on the wheel.

"They can close every grove, circle, and sanctuary in North America to you. No druid will help you. No fae court will acknowledge you. You'll be outside supernatural law entirely."

"So I'd be by myself," I said, a little confused.

"With you guys being the exception, of course," I quickly added. I cared nothing for the fae court. The druids were… well, I hated to say it, almost useless so far. They didn't actually have much real supernatural power. At least not yet. As for the werewolves, I was pretty sure I could still count on friends, such as Luke. I just couldn't expect the pack to guard me. All in all, the worst didn't sound that bad.

"Yes," Shelly said, as if it was a bad thing, and I'd regret it if that happened. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why though.

"And with so many curious humans now searching for you, you won't last a week without supernatural protection," Tala added grimly. Frankly, I was pretty sure she was wrong. She was definitely exaggerating, probably to scare me into acting right. As for not surviving a week, I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, I'd survive. Still, a mass invasion of curious visitors would definitely be a nightmare.

"No pressure then," I muttered. The road narrowed, branches scraping Shelly's paint job. I winced at every screech. I felt a little guilty when Shelly picked me up, cradling me in her arms while Tala perched on her shoulder. Tala shot me a look that said she'd happily kick me out of my comfortable spot. Soon, we arrived in front of a group of ancient oaks that formed a perfect circle. Their branches intertwined overhead like a cathedral ceiling.

Stone markers stood between each tree, which were covered in symbols that seemed to shift when I wasn't looking directly at them. Real magic, I thought as I looked at them closely. Probably useless though. They'd already told me that the wards around my house were mostly just magical alarms instead of actually being able to do anything to intruders. In the center, thirteen druids waited. They weren't all human, which surprised me, a lot.

Some had features that were just slightly wrong, with eyes too large or skin with a faint green tint. Others looked even less human. About half of the druids were supernatural. The majority of them were female. A couple I wasn't too sure about. One of the druids stood out more than the others. She looked ancient. If I had to guess, she could have been my grandmother, from my old body. Her hair was as white and she was more wrinkled than a Shar-Pei. However, her eyes were sharp.

"Trickster," she said, and her voice carried across the clearing without rising above a conversational tone.

"Come. Sit in the center." It wasn't quite a command, but it wasn't a request either. Part of me bristled, but I tried to keep my cool and not let it show. Shelly set me down gently before retreating to stand outside the circle. Tala hopped off to join her, leaving me alone in the middle of thirteen supernatural beings whose expressions ranged from curious to hostile.

"We have seen the video," the old woman said.

"The one where your old face names you Noyasunai and reveals our existence to millions." I felt the weight of thirteen gazes pressing down on me. However, it hadn't been my fault and I wasn't about to take the blame for what someone else did.

"Before we proceed," she continued, "we need to establish the facts. What you knew, what you consented to, and what was done to you without your knowledge or permission." Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. The distinction in her phrasing 'done to you' made something loosen in my chest. Also, from the threads, I felt a sense of QUESTIONING instead of something like accusation.

"Did you know that Raven had taken possession of your corpse?" she asked.

"Not until a few days ago," I said.

"I just knew that it had disappeared." Murmurs rippled through the Council.

"And before that moment?" pressed a druid with bark-textured skin.

"You had no awareness that your corpse had been... possessed?"

"None." The word came out harder than I intended, edged with anger.

"I woke up as a raccoon kit. I buried my old body under rocks and moss and tried to move on. I had no idea Raven had dug it up and was wearing it like a suit." The image made several druids grimace. The old woman glared at the other druids before saying, "Did Raven ask your permission to possess your corpse?" the old woman asked.

"No," trying to ignore the growing resentment I was feeling. I wasn't a big fan of people in general, and being judged by people I didn't know was starting to grate on my nerves. Especially with people who questioned me, didn't address me by name, and who didn't bother to introduce themselves to me.

"Did he ask permission to make videos using your face and credibility?" This was from one of the few men among the group.

"No." Again, I kept my answer short and direct. I was treating them like the police. Say as little as possible. Also, I was afraid if I started saying more, I might say something snarky that I would regret.

"Did he ask permission to name you publicly before millions of witnesses?" This time it came from one of the … dryad druids?

"No," I said in a toneless voice. My voice had taken on a quiet calm as I started gazing at the group of men, women, and whatever who were treating me like an enemy. The clearing went silent. Apparently, I must not have been able to hide my… unhappiness with the situation.

"You're angry," the old woman said.

"Of course I'm angry," I snapped.

"Wouldn't you be? Someone stole my corpse, puppeted it around making videos, outed the entire supernatural community, and then…" I trailed off here, disappointed with my outburst. A woman with flowers growing from her hair spoke up, her voice gentler.

"Peace. No one here is accusing you of anything," she said. I almost laughed at that. However, I managed not to say anything more, although I did think, Yeah, not accusations, just 'questions.'

"He's a victim here," Shelly said sharply from outside the circle, unable to stay silent any longer.

"Not a co-conspirator." All eyes turned to her. The old woman's expression was unreadable.

"You defend him strongly, Shelly Richardson."

"Because he deserves it," Shelly said, stepping closer to the circle's edge.

"He's being questioned for something a god did to him, and that's not fair." The bark-skinned druid scowled.

"Fair or not, the damage is done. The video has been viewed by a million people. Government agencies are mobilizing. Cryptid hunters are heading to Arkansas. The Veil is tearing because of him."

"Because of Raven," Shelly corrected sharply.

"Not Abe."

"The distinction may not matter to the humans hunting him," one of the other druids said.

"It matters to us," Shelly shot back.

"Or it should." The old woman raised a hand, and silence fell immediately.

"Peace. Shelly Richardson speaks truth. Intent matters, even when outcomes are catastrophic." She turned those green eyes back to me.

"You did not choose this. But you are, nonetheless, at the center of it. The question before this Council is not whether to punish you, but how to protect both you and the communities Raven has endangered." The shift in framing made my shoulders sag with relief. I gave myself a mental pat on the back for keeping my cool.

"The name Raven gave you carries power and obligation," the old woman continued.

"Noyasunai, the Eternal Trickster. Whether you accept it or not, you are that now. The naming bound you to it before witnesses, and such bindings cannot be undone."

"Can't I just... refuse it?" I asked desperately.

"Ignore the name, ignore the power?"

"No more than you can refuse your own heartbeat," she said quietly.

"The naming is permanent. Raven didn't just give you a title, he altered your fundamental nature." I felt sick. I hated the feeling of someone else controlling my fate. That was one reason I'd lived the life I did.

"However," the old woman said, "we can help you learn to live with it. To control the power rather than letting it control you." I wasn't sure what she meant by that. What does she mean by the power controlling me? And I'm not about to let them control me either. Finally, I couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by controlling me?" While it was true I didn't have a complete control of my powers, they certainly weren't controlling me.

"You've been given a new name. With that name comes new… constraints." She paused there as if to give me time to think about what she was saying before continuing.

"Think of it like a job title. With a new job title, you get new powers and responsibilities." I tried to consider the implications of what she was saying, but I couldn't really figure out what she meant.

"So, uh, what does that mean? Perhaps sensing my confusion, she continued, "Consider what would have happened if Death said you were a new Grim Reaper." I cocked my head to the side and considered what she had said, "He called me the Eternal Trickster. What could that possibly mean?" Curious, I looked at the old woman to see what she would say. The old woman's expression shifted, something between pity and resignation. It was hard to tell with all the wrinkles.

"It means," she said slowly, "that your nature is now bound to disruption. To chaos. Forcing change whether you want to or not. The universe will use you as a tool to break stagnation."

"That sounds terrible," I said. Considering what the universe had already done to me, I wasn't looking forward to being screwed around with, maybe forever. She didn't stop though, but instead continued, "Basically, you're like a force of nature, such as a tornado that comes in and tears up the landscape whenever something becomes too stable."

"But I'm not a force of nature. I have freewill," I objected.

"The tornado doesn't choose where it will go or what happens once it appears. However, the destruction still occurs. That's how it will go with you. Whether you will it or not, your very presence will instigate change and chaos. Which is why we need to teach you control. Before the role consumes you entirely." The words hung in the air like a threat. I looked at Shelly. Then at Tala. And finally, at the thirteen druids watching to see how I'd respond.

I resisted the impulse to ask how exactly they thought they'd be able to teach me anything, much less how to control my power. Idiots, I thought. Helpful and well meaning idiots, but still idiots. Still, they looked serious, as if they really thought they could teach me something. Maybe controlling my actions instead of my powers? That was my first thought. However, if that's the case, I can just watch a few TED Talk videos on self control. What exactly can they possibly teach me?

I really had no idea what they could be talking about otherwise. Fudge me, I thought. Do I have to go back to school and take some remedial chaos classes? Do I even have time? I mean, I'm sure my forest is going to get invaded any day now. And judging by the looks on these thirteen faces, they were about to tell me exactly how bad it was going to get.