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“I’m Eliana, Sadie’s daughter.”
“Why are you here?”
“Because you called.”
Oakley opened her mouth to refute that statement, but stopped. This was a dream. Let it go where it wanted. Maybe there was something to be learned.
“You’re wise, Oakley.” Sadie smiled and looked out over the land. “You know this must be saved, and know that you can’t do it alone. But there are those who will assist you in your quest, if asked.”
“Who?”
“Us.”
“Who is us?”
“The Fae,” Eliana said.
Oakley smiled. “I’m not sure my people believe in the Fae.”
“No?” Sadie smiled. “Interesting. I spent time in the Appalachian Mountains when I was young, fell in love with a Cherokee man, and learned about their beliefs from him and his father.
“As I learned it, the Nunnehi are an immortal race of spirit people in Cherokee mythology. In the Cherokee language, Nunnehi means “the People Who Live Anywhere”, but it’s commonly translated as “The People Who Live Forever”, or more simply, “the Immortals.”
“The Cherokee, I was told, believed the Nunnehi were a kind of supernatural human being. And I don’t mean a ghost or nature spirit. No, they are distinct from those supernatural creatures. They became known as “Little People” and if you learn about them, their ways, and their abilities, you realize they are the Cherokee equivalent of the Fae from European folklore.”
Oakley deferred to Sadie. “Well, I can’t argue with that. But why would a race of supernatural beings want to help me do something I have no clue how to do? “
Sadie’s smile was kind, not condescending or placating. Kind. It was a sensation as much as a visual expression, and Oakley felt momentarily bathed in it.
“You want to preserve them, to stop the extinction of this breed, and I suspect, if given the opportunity, many more. They can help.”
“How?”
Sadie looked out over the land, raised her right hand, and made a small wave, just one swipe. With the motion of her hand, all wildlife vanished.
Oakley’s heart leapt in her chest, fear jumping to the forefront, carrying on its back, anger. “What have you done? Bring them back!”
“Wow,” Eliana breathed, and when Sadie glanced at her, added. “She really is the alpha, isn’t she?”
“She is,” Sadie agreed and turned her attention to Oakley. “They’re not gone, Oakley. They're simply hidden. If you want to see them, then see through the veil. Call your children.”
“How?”
“That’s up to you, you’re the Alpha.”
This dream was taking a turn that was not just strange, but like something out of a fairytale or myth. Why was she dreaming this?
And what do you have to lose by playing along? Her inner self asked.
“Fine.” She looked out at the land. “Show yourself.”
For a split second, her breath caught in her throat, and her heart gave another lurch. There they were. She jerked her head around toward Sadie. “What kind of dream is this? What am I supposed to make of this? Is my mind giving me an impossible solution, one that gives me what I want, or –” she jolted to a stop and for a few seconds, just stood there.
Finally, she asked the question that hammered at her. “Am I dead?”
Both women laughed. “Far from it, Oakley. You’re here to lay claim to your name.”
“My name?”
