The day was beautiful, warm and dry. Mason saw it as a perfect opportunity to go running, especially since his family was away for the week. He got into his running clothes and took off down the dirt trail near his house. Fall colors dominated his vision, denying the almost summer warmth of the day.

A smile broke across the young man’s face as he got farther from civilization, enjoying the feel of his body moving at a steady pace, reveling in the fluidity of motion. Only the forest sounds accompanied him on his journey. Distance melted away as Mason flowed down the trail, loving the feel of running. Thoughts wandered as he let his body work, figuring out the rest of his day.

A few miles later, the runner came to a clearing. Stopping, he looked around, not remembering this open area, which surprised him as it was so pretty. The whole thing felt domestic yet somehow wild and free.

Stepping off the trail, he wandered about. “Definitely have to come back here again, I like this spot,” Mason muttered as he continued to roam through it, eyes darting about, trying to take everything in.

Next thing Mason knew the sun had moved significantly, telling him that he had spent more time than intended checking out this pleasant surprise. Only then did the young man realize how tired he was, so he decided to just catch a quick catnap before heading back home.

When Mason awoke, he lifted his head and noticed that there were others in the clearing. A number of people filled the area. Well, perhaps people was the wrong word. They looked different. More lithe, almost ethereal. Nothing like the young man had ever seen.

A giggle caused him to snap his head around, coming face to face with one of them, hunched down so their eyes were level. Colorless eyes greeted him, penetrating and deep. Ageless, even. She continued to giggle as their eyes met, ignoring the look Mason was giving her.

“Well met, stranger,” she said, a odd lilt to her voice which Mason had never heard before. She offered him a hand, which he took after a moment’s hesitation. With a surprising amount of strength, she helped him to his feet, then stepped back as Mason brushed himself off.

Finally he met her gaze again and replied, “I’m sorry, did I stumble into a party I didn’t know about?” He tried to keep his voice calm, still more than a bit nervous about all the strangers. “I just saw this empty clearing and decided to take a break.”

She simply shrugged and waved a hand about. “This? It is a party of sorts, rather impromptu.” Her arm settled by her side again, and a dazzling smile broke out from her face. “I’m Shae.”

“I’m Mason,” he replied, trying to match her smile through his insecurity. He told himself that he did a decent job since she seemed to brighten a bit more before turning away to yell something to some of the others in some strange tongue. After they called out a reply, she nodded once then turned back to the young man. “Come with me,” she said as she took his shoulder and guided him along with her, over to a roaring fire.

A slight push and Mason found himself sitting on a log in front of the blaze, so hot his eyes watered. Then he felt something pressed into his hand. Looking down, Mason found a wooden cup filled with a dark liquid. A sip told him it was both alcoholic and tasty. He looked up to find Shae smiling down at him.

“You are my guest, so drink and enjoy.” Her smile fully in place, she waved him back to the cup, then with a nod, headed off to take care of whatever else she had to deal with.

Eyes still watering but not wanting to insult Shae by moving, Mason continued to drink from the cup. A buzz slowly filled him as he enjoyed the cup’s contents, leaving pleasant warmth flowing through his body. “Never had anything this good,” he muttered between sips, eyes drooping slightly. He saw another of Shae’s people walk by, so he tried to call out to them, hoping to get over his nervousness about the group. However all they did was smile and wave before heading off to dance again.

Somehow his cup never seemed to empty, and the heat of the fire became less bothersome the longer he sat there. The party continued unabated, with no one paying any attention to him. The young man considered trying to work his way into the party again, but something felt wrong about that idea. He discarded the thought, wondering when Shae would come talk to him again.

Finally she appeared, blocking the flame with her body. “Mm, yes I think you’re ready,” she muttered, taking his empty hand and lifting him to his feet. Mason felt like those words should have sent a shiver down his spine, but the rest of him pushed that thought aside as silly. How could Shae mean him any harm, after treating him so well?

The night rushed by after that point, dance and song and wonderment blowing past so fast the intoxicated man simply could not keep up. Then, after a sweet kiss from Shae, she asked him a question, an expectant look on her face. What the question was, Mason could not remember, so he simply nodded his head in reply.

“Is that a yes?” the words somehow got past the fuzziness that filled him, breaking through the sensory overload.

He nodded again, wishing to please her. “Yes,” he choked out the word. A bigger smile broke out across her face, and she stepped into him, lips pressing hard against his. And the sensations flooded through him again, washing away all thought, all senses, leaving him drowning.

The rest of the night was a blur, filled with Shae’s beauty, her soft touch, and the sounds she made. Mason doubted any other night of his life would match the wonderment he felt as he stared up at the stars with Shae by his side, hand entangled with hers. Contentment leached through him and weighed the young man’s eyes down until they finally closed.

A raging headache greeted Mason when he awoke with the dawn. He scrambled to his feet as best as his aching head would allow. Had last night been real, the young man wondered, or had he slammed his head into something while sleeping? No rocks were near, yet that night was so strange, so unreal, and there were no signs left of any massive fire, of the party, or of Shae.

Finally getting his wits back, Mason slowly walked home, glad his parents were out of town so he would not have to explain why had vanished for however long, or why he looked like he had taken a tumble in the dryer.

Once home he checked a computer. Only one day had passed since he’d gone out for the run. So whatever else had happened, not much time had gone by.

He turned off the monitor and began to turn away, but something about the reflection he saw made him stop. His face looked strange, wrong somehow, but the monitor was a poor mirror. Scared now, he rushed to the bathroom, wanting a better look at himself.

Crossing the doorway, a shock filled him when eyes met the mirror. Swirling marks covered his face, an array of colors and symbols. Amazing symmetry, beautiful forms, but nothing like he’d ever seen.

“What the hell,” he blurted out, confusion ruling now. Last night must have been real, but at no point did he remember being beaten about the face, or being tattooed. His back pressed against the wall as he tried to back away from the image of his own face reflected back at him.

“I see you’ve discovered your new gift,” a familiar voice came from outside the bathroom.

“Shae,” he shrieked, terrified now of his nightmare-made-real showing herself. “What did you do to me?”

“Only what you agreed to, dear boy,” she replied, voice silky smooth. “You had to agree before I could mark you as my own.” She stepped into the bathroom, which caused Mason to curl into a ball on the floor.

“My face! what did you d-” he began before being cut off.

“You are marked as mine, a servant,” she snapped. “Scion in the mortal worlds, here to fulfill my needs where I cannot go as easily.”

“Why would I do that?” he asked, finding himself too scared to move.

“Stand up,” she snapped, a strange tone ringing through her voice. At those words, Mason found himself beginning to stand. No matter what he tried, he could not resist her. “You are mine, Mason. My commands are to be followed whether you like it or not. But you have also been blessed with the power to see them through, Sidhe magick.” Those last words came out with a slight purr. Then she cupped his face with her right hand and smiled.

“Now I must teach you what it takes to serve me in the mortal realm.” She looked him in the eyes, then chuckled. “I feel you wondering how you can do anything for me marked as a freak. Fear not, doing that would be silly. Only those with the eyes of a Mystic can see my mark. Even from them you can hide the mark for brief periods.”

The rest of the day was spent with Mason being granted knowledge, not through words but with thoughts and ideas poured into him as though he were simply a vessel to be filled. Finally she nodded her head, turned, and began to leave. At the door Shae paused and looked back over her shoulder, meeting Mason’s eyes. “Remember, you are mine, now and forever.” That smile he had found so amazing just a day ago seared him.

That night Mason lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He was basically a puppet now, an extension of Shae’s will. Worse, he did not even know what she would require of him.

Amazing how one little word held so much power. Just that one ‘yes’ had bound him to a life of an unspeakable obligation.

—

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Patrick Sullivan is a Software Developer in Denver, Colorado.  He’s passionate about creative ventures, both writing and technical in nature.  When not writing in his preferred genre of fantasy, he’s studying programming ideas and languages as well as usability issues.