The Returned

For “The Boot” and Dennis Morgan.

And for William Dehart, whose generous donation helped the Worldbuilders charity do some real good and earned him a character named after him: One, leader of the Legion of Solomon.

W
illiam Boulard was walking down a familiar street, but he couldn't remember how he got there. In fact, he couldn't remember much of anything, except darkness; he remembered darkness. Sure, he knew his name, that he was in New Orleans, and countless other details—but he couldn't remember anything about his past.

He kept walking, though he wasn't sure why or to where. Inside his head a voice whispered, almost too soft to hear.

“Go home,” it said.

Home? Yes, that's where he was going. He was going home. It was late, and he needed to go home. The realization brought him some peace and comfort, like he was fulfilling the very purpose of his existence.

The night was hot and muggy, but he wasn't sweating. Shouldn't he be sweating? He noticed then, for the first time, that he was wearing a suit. It seemed like, especially in a suit, he should be sweating right now.

Wait, why was he wearing a suit? Surely there must be some reason, but like everything else, it was lost in darkness. He tried to remember, but whenever a memory started to rise to the surface, that voice returned and the memory vanished like smoke on the wind.

“You lost, son?” an old man sitting on his porch asked.

“I have to go home,” William said and kept walking.

“You don't look so good,” the man said, following him.

“I have to go home,” William said again.

“I don't know what you're on,” the man said and put a hand on William's shoulder to stop him. “But it looks like it's got you all kinds of messed. Let me help—”

Anger, pure and undiluted, rose up in William. He couldn't be stopped! He had to get home! He spun and drove his fist into the man's stomach.

“I have to go home!” he yelled and hit the man again.

“No, please!” the man asked as he crumpled to the ground.

“I have to go home!” William yelled over and over, kicking the man with each shout. He was trying to stop William from getting home, stop him from doing what he had to do.

William paused, his leg drawn back for another kick.

Why was this what he had to do?

“You
need
to go home,” the voice said yet again.

Every word rang through William like it was spoken by God, resonating in his soul. It was the truth, absolute and indisputable. Nothing else mattered. In fact, there was nothing else. Why didn't matter. He
had
to go home.

William blinked and glanced down at the man on the ground in front of him. The man's face was bloody and broken, and a wet gurgle came from him as his chest rose and fell. William looked at his hands. They were covered in blood, the knuckles broken open.

The wounds slowly closed.

William turned and continued walking. Time had no meaning. Nothing had any meaning. There was just the voice, his purpose.

He arrived at his house and climbed the stairs to the porch. The door was locked and the lights were off, but he retrieved the key from its hiding spot and let himself inside.

“Get your gun,” the voice said.

William walked through the dark living room, avoiding the furniture by memory, though he couldn't really remember remembering. He pushed the door open to his room and looked around. Was this his room? It didn't quite look like his room. The furniture was there: a dresser, nightstand, a small bed. But they were all bare. No sheets on the bed, nothing on the walls, no stereo, no TV, nothing. Hadn't there been a TV and a stereo? There were boxes, a dozen of them, stacked around the room.

“You need to get your gun,” the voice said again, louder this time.

William went to the corner and pushed some boxes aside so he could get to the vent duct in the floor. He lifted the metal cover and reached inside until his fingers brushed cold metal. He pulled out his pistol, which was covered in dust. He wiped it clean and looked it over.

“You need to change your clothes,” the voice said.

William opened the drawers but found them empty, so he started tearing into boxes. When he found his clothes, he stripped off the suit and hard shoes. The suit was split up the back, so it was easy to take off.

He put on jeans, a shirt, and bright white sneakers. As he slipped them on, something about them struck a chord inside him. He remembered them, his mother taking him to buy them and how proud he was of them. On instinct, he reached down and wiped them clean.

“You need to go see the Royal Skeleton Brigade,” the voice said.

Again, everything else vanished and there was only the voice and his purpose. He turned, knocking over several boxes, and left his room.

In the hallway, a light came on.

“Who's there?” a woman's voice said.

It was familiar, like he should know it, but he knew it didn't matter.

“I called the police,” a woman said as she stepped around a corner at the end of the hall. She was holding a pistol in her shaking hands. “I've got a—” Her words died when she saw William.

He knew her, but he wasn't sure how.

“William?” she said. “Baby, is that you? How?” She walked toward him, a trembling hand held out in front of her. When she touched his chest, she fell back and put her hand over her mouth.

“You need to go see the Royal Skeleton Brigade,” the voice said.

But something didn't sound right.

“Mama?” William said.

“Oh, Jesus brought my baby back,” she said through tears and approached him again. “Thank you, Jesus, thank—” When she saw his eyes, she stopped and froze.

“You
need
to go,” the voice said.

“Who are you?” the woman asked, her voice shaking as much as her hands. “You're not my baby.” She shook her head over and over. “You're not my William! You're not my baby!” She lifted the gun and pointed it at him.

“You need to take the gun,” the voice said.

William reached out and took it.

The woman didn't fight. Instead she collapsed to the floor and began praying through sobs. The words of the prayer filled William's head with visions of going to church in uncomfortable clothes. It was hot, and he was sweating. His mother kept chiding him to behave. Then the singing began. He liked the singing.

“You need to go, now.”

“Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,” William sang as he turned and left his house.

As he walked, he continued to sing. No one stopped him this time or even spoke to him.

No one except the voice.

“You must avenge,” it said. “You must make them pay for what they've done.”

Memories rose up from the darkness, and it was like seeing God. William was riding in the back of Little M's car. They were watching the shoot-out between the Scarlet Enigmas and the Midnight Boys.

Four-Stroke gave the word, and everyone got out. All the Royal Skeleton Brigade was there.

Then they just started shooting.

Scarlets and Boys started dropping. A few ran for the factory the Midnight Boys used as a crash pad.

William kept shooting. He didn't even hide when they were shooting back at him, not even when the AK came out. He wasn't William then; he was Pit Bull. He was cold, hard, and one of the baddest gangsters in NOLA.

He remembered turning and seeing someone in a house across the street, watching. Pit Bull shot at the window, breaking the glass. The screams from inside the house made him smile.

“Vengeance and retribution,” the voice said. “A reckoning.”

That was his purpose. He felt the fear and anger and pain of those who'd witnessed that night: the loss of the survivors as they watched their loved ones die, the rage of those who wanted justice.

No, he didn't feel that. He was that. He was rage, he was fear. He was loss.

William looked up and saw the Royal Skeleton Brigade crash pad across the street. The house was boarded up, covered in tags marking it as an RSB house. Music thumped from inside, and he could hear voices singing and laughing.

He crossed the street and climbed the steps to the front door. When he reached out to open it, he remembered he was still holding the two guns. Those went into his pockets, and he opened the door. The smell of smoke, cigarette and weed, hit him almost as hard as the pounding music. No one noticed him as he walked inside, headed toward the living room.

The faces were all familiar, and he saw them again, laughing and smiling as they killed. But he was lying on the ground, watching as they set fire to the warehouse.

“Pit Bull?” someone asked.

He looked up and saw Four-Stroke staring at him with wide eyes.

“You need to kill them,” the voice said. “All of them.”

William pulled out the pistols, raised one, and shot Four-Stroke three times in the chest.

People started screaming; others dove or went for guns of their own.

William turned in a circle and just kept shooting. A sense of completeness filled him as every new body fell dead to the floor. Some only cried in pain as they grabbed at the wounds in their legs, shoulders, or chests. Those he shot again until they stopped.

Something smacked into his back, hard, and he stumbled forward. He turned and shot Killer-Magic in the face. Another shot hit his shoulder, and another in his back. William turned and kept shooting till his guns went empty.

He bent down to pick up another pistol when something hit the side of his head.

He fell to the ground, and once again, the darkness returned and took him away.

C
aitlin got out of her car, self-consciously pulling her hair down to cover her ears. Then she reminded herself that mortals couldn't see the pointy tips, which, of course, reminded her that she wasn't a mortal, after all. She was still getting used to the fact that she was a changeling. Shifting back to more mundane thoughts, she made her way up the walk, knocked on the heavy wooden door, and mentally ran through her options for dinner. Neither she nor Eddy had gone to the store this week, which meant slim pickings. They had to have sauce and pasta in the pantry, right? Spaghetti it was.

A bespectacled woman with dark hair opened the door and smiled. “Hey—”

“Sorry I'm late, Heather,” Caitlin said. “I won't go into details, but work was less than pleasant and Eddy had a last-minute consult with a patient.”

Heather shrugged and laughed as she opened the door to let Caitlin in. “No worries, honey. Come on in. Fiona and Carleigh finished their homework and are playing out back.”

“Thanks.” Caitlin stepped inside. “Have I mentioned this week how much I appreciate you watching Fiona after school?”

Heather laughed again and led the way through the large living room. Toys and books were scattered in small collections.

“This week?” Heather asked. “Only a dozen times or so.”

“Call it lucky number thirteen, then,” Caitlin said. “I still wish you'd let us pay you something.”

“No chance. Fiona is a fantastic kid, and I love that she and Carleigh get so much time together. I think they're a good influence on each other.”

“You'll let me know when your canonization comes through, right?” Caitlin joked and made a mental note to get Heather and Harry something nice as a thank-you.

“You'll be the first to know,” Heather said with a chuckle.

Caitlin walked to the sliding glass door that opened onto a massive fenced-in yard and smiled when she spotted Fiona, marveling again at how fast she was growing. She was only six and a half, but she was one of the tallest girls in her class. Caitlin watched the two girls play. She had no idea what the game was, but it was something involving a sword fight, apparently to rescue Paddy Bear, who sat at the top of the slide.

She couldn't help but wonder how much was just make-believe and how much was Fiona remembering her kidnapping and rescue from Tír na nÓg. At least the worry was a faint twinge, not the obsessive worry she'd had for the first year or so after getting Fiona back. It had taken months for her to come to terms with the truth of her—and Fiona's—heritage. Caitlin had gone her entire life not knowing her father had been a faerie in the Dawn Court. She only wished she'd learned the truth in a less abrupt way; on the way into Tír na nÓg to rescue her child from dark faeries was less than ideal. She hadn't had time to process the information then. The real shock had come a couple of months later, when Caitlin had noticed the changes to her physical appearance. She wondered if Fiona, whose biological father had turned out not to be a mortal, but rather the king of the Dusk Court, would one day undergo the same thing . . .

“You okay?” Heather asked.

“Huh?” Caitlin asked, coming back to herself. “Yeah, sorry. It's been a long day.”

“I understand—”

“Mommy!” Fiona shouted when she spotted Caitlin and ran to the door.

Caitlin opened it and knelt down, wrapping Fiona in a tight hug. “Hi, peanut.”

“Hi, Mrs. Huntington,” Carleigh said shyly.

“Hi, Carleigh.” Caitlin turned to Fiona. “Go get your things.”

“Okay.” Fiona rushed over to her backpack and started packing it up, Carleigh at her side. The two girls shared some whispered chatter as Fiona put Paddy Bear in her bag and zipped it up so only his head poked out.

“You know,” Heather said, “if you ever need us to, Fiona is more than welcome to stay the night. Or, you know, longer.”

Caitlin blinked. “Oh, well thanks.” She eyed Heather for a moment.

“I'm ready, Mommy,” Fiona said and rushed over.

“You want to drive?” Caitlin asked Fiona, holding out the key fob.

“You're silly, Mommy,” Fiona said with a laugh, then turned to her friend, who had taken her spot next to and just behind her mom. “Bye, Carleigh.”

Carleigh waved.

The four of them walked to the front door, and as Heather opened it, she leaned in. “Remember what I said. Anytime, we're happy to have Fiona over.” She gave Caitlin a conspiratorial smile.

Caitlin furrowed her brow. She was clearly missing something, but it had been a long day, and she didn't have the brainpower left to figure it out.

“I will, thanks.”

Fiona opened the back door of Caitlin's car and climbed into her booster seat. Caitlin checked to make sure Fiona was buckled in, remembering like it was yesterday when she was still in a car seat.

Before long she
would
be driving.

“Ugh, not ready to think about that,” she said as she got behind the wheel.

“Ready for what?” Fiona asked.

“Nothing, peanut,” Caitlin said. “What did you learn in school today?”

“A
nd I got the highest score!” Fiona said.

“Good for you,” Caitlin said as she pulled into their drive and hit the button to open the garage.

She was more than a little surprised when she saw Edward's car already there. It wasn't like him to say he was working late when he wasn't. After parking the car, she checked her phone to see if she'd missed a call. She hadn't.

Fiona unfastened herself and leapt out of the car.

Caitlin ignored the twinge of concern and followed Fiona in.

She hung her keys up and headed down the hall. “I thought you were—”

“Surprise,” Edward said. He was standing with a bottle of wine in one hand and a corkscrew in the other. Behind him, the table was set and candles were burning.

“What's this?” Caitlin asked.

Edward smiled. “Things have been so hectic at work, I wanted to do something nice for you.”

Caitlin was speechless.

“I made your favorite,” he said. “Scallops and vegetables over angel hair with garlic butter sauce.” He looked at the bottle in his hand. “Oh, and a bottle of Riesling.”

Caitlin stepped forward and gave him a long, slow kiss. When it ended, she whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he said through a smile.

Caitlin turned to Fiona. “Go put your bag away, then wash your hands and come down for dinner.”

“I made your favorite too,” Edward said to Fiona. “Broccoli mac and cheese.”

“Yay!” Fiona shouted as she ran upstairs to her room.

“No running in the house,” Caitlin called after her. It did as much good as it ever did.

“Let me take this,” Edward said, pulling Caitlin's bag off her shoulder. “You sit, have some wine, and relax. Uh, you do have to open the bottle though. You got here a little sooner than I expected.”

Caitlin took the bottle and corkscrew and went to the table. She glanced into the kitchen and wasn't the least bit surprised to see all the dishes were washed, dried, and put away. Sometimes Edward being a neat freak bothered her. Other times, like this, it was freaking awesome. She opened the bottle and filled a couple of glasses. Edward came over just in time to be handed his glass.

“Thank you,” Caitlin said. “This is very sweet.”

Edward shrugged and smiled. “No big deal. I just wanted to do something nice.”

Caitlin's heart felt full near to bursting. “Well, it means a lot to me.”

They clinked glasses and took a drink as they sat.

“So,” Edward said. “How was—?”

“Broccoli mac and cheeeeeessssssseeeeeee!” Fiona shouted as she came barreling down the stairs to the table, Paddy Bear in tow.

“Slow down,” Caitlin said.

Fiona stopped dead in her tracks, then began walking incredibly slowly.

“Oh, I bet you think you're funny, don't you?” Caitlin asked.

Fiona laughed and climbed up into her chair. Paddy Bear was set in his usual spot: in a booster seat of his own next to Fiona's.

Caitlin took a bite of a scallop. It was perfect, and so was the pasta. Actually, everything was perfect. They ate in silence for a few minutes, and Caitlin just enjoyed the feeling of her family together. She was still getting used to the idea of having a family, not just her and Fiona.

Then a thought occurred to her. She narrowed her eyes at Edward. “You lied to me.”

“What?” Edward asked, his fork stopping midway to his mouth.

“You lied to me,” she said again. “You said you had a patient coming in late.”

“Oooh, Daddy, you're in trouble,” Fiona said through a mouthful of food.

“I think you're right,” Edward said in a faux whisper to Fiona but kept his eyes on Caitlin. “Good thing I picked up Cherry Garcia ice cream.”

Fiona nodded sagely. “Smart.”

“You dodged a bullet,” Caitlin said, unable to keep from smiling.

Dinner passed in easy conversation, mostly filled with Fiona telling Edward about her score on the spelling test. After the ice cream bribe was doled out, Edward collected the bowls and set to washing them and the dishes from dinner.

“Time to put your jammies on,” Caitlin said to Fiona and walked to the sink. When she got there, she wrapped her arms around Edward and nuzzled her cheek to his shoulder. “Thank you again. That was a really nice surprise.”

“Well, I do sort of have one more surprise,” Edward said.

“I don't know how you can top that dinner,” Caitlin said and moved to start drying the bowls.

Edward just smiled and kept washing.

After the dishes were put away, he set to wiping down the counters, the stove top, the microwave, and the table. Caitlin just watched him work, smiling as she drank the last of her glass of wine.

When he finally finished, she stepped close. “Have I said how sexy it is when a man cleans?”

“Sexy!” Fiona said from the living room, decked out in her favorite dinosaur pajamas. Paddy Bear was dressed in a miniature version of them.

“Don't you dare laugh,” Caitlin whispered. “She'll never stop saying it.”

Edward stifled a laugh. “Well, I can't hide this kind of—”

Caitlin elbowed him in the ribs lovingly, then turned to Fiona. “Come on, Miss Fiona-saurus-rex, I'll tuck you in and read you a story.”

“
Goodnight Moon
?” Fiona asked.

“Again?” Caitlin asked in mock exasperation.

“I know,” Fiona said, matching her mother's tone. “But it's Paddy's favorite.”

“Well, okay then.”

Caitlin led Fiona up to her room and got her settled into bed. She hadn't made it halfway through the book before Fiona was asleep, Paddy Bear held in a tight embrace.

“Goodnight,” Caitlin whispered and kissed Fiona's forehead. Then she turned off the light and closed the door, leaving it open just a crack, and went silently back downstairs.

“She out?” Edward asked when Caitlin returned, handing her a fresh glass of wine.

“She is.”

Together they moved to the couch and settled in, Caitlin curling up close under his arm. It didn't happen as often anymore, but sometimes Caitlin couldn't help but think how much she liked this house. All the magical eccentricities had taken some getting used to—Edward still hadn't figured out how to get the fire in the study to go out. Others, though, were comforting. It being larger on the inside than out was fantastic, and nothing brought a sense of security like magical wards on every door and window. Edward had been studying and beefing them up even more. The fact he did it without being asked or saying a word about it just made Caitlin love him all the more. It had been more than two years since Fiona had been kidnapped by the fae, and although it didn't haunt Caitlin's every thought like it once had, she never really stopped thinking about Fiona's safety. True, the queen of the Dawn Court fae had said Fiona would be hidden from all but Dawn Court fae until she was an adult, but Caitlin liked the extra insurance.

“So,” Edward said. “About that surprise.”

“Oh, I'd almost forgotten,” Caitlin said and sat up a little more.

Edward pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her.

Caitlin took it and read it over. It was confirmation information for two first-class tickets to New Orleans and five days in a honeymoon suite at a hotel in the French Quarter.

Caitlin just stared at the paper for a long moment.

“Surprise?” Edward said. “We can go somewhere else, but Henry and Hannah really wanted us to come and visit—”

Caitlin put her fingertips over his lips. “It's not the destination.” She let out a long sigh. “I just don't know if the timing is right.”

Edward took her hand. “If we wait for the timing to be right, we'll never go. You deserve this.” He squeezed her hand. “We deserve this. It's not even for a full week. Heather said she and Harry would be happy to—”

“That's what she was on about,” Caitlin said. “Wait, you told them?”

“I wanted to make sure they'd be okay watching Fiona for a few days. I didn't tell them anything specifically.”

Caitlin leaned her head against Edward's shoulder and loved that he drew her a little closer. She looked over the paper again. It did sound nice—better than nice, actually. The thought of her and Edward alone together, exploring a fun city like New Orleans, even having dinner with Henry—Edward's best friend from med school—and his wife, Hannah, sounded like fun. But her heart ached at the idea of leaving Fiona; the only time they'd been apart overnight had been when Fiona had been taken by the oíche. That had been more than two years ago now, but . . .

“I don't know if I can get the time off,” she said. “You know how crazy busy the hospital has been.”