Read Online The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney - Free Book Online Page A

would be entirely happy to remain ignorant of for the rest of her life. She gazed at Navin, waiting for him to say something.
    He finally spoke. “If they’re wood elves, where do they live? There’s not much of the old Ironwood left now—it’s not even really a forest at all, is it?”
    “No, and even what’s left is under threat. If the Order had its way, it would’ve been pulled down and built over long ago. But environmental do-gooders have managed to block that, so far.” Although the Ironwood was still a protected area, Donna knew that the Order hadn’t given up. Aunt Paige was working quietly through her position in the mayor’s office, and the Order was making the case— through various politicians—that much-needed housing should be built on the site.
    Navin looked thoughtful. “I was always on the side of those do-gooders … ”
    “Yeah, well, now you know what’s out there.” Donna picked at a loose thread on the purple throw they were sitting on.
    “So, they live out there in what’s left of the woods? That’s—”
    “Crazy?”
    He laughed, but it came out sounding strained. “I guess.” He leaned back against the wall and scrubbed at his face with his hands. “But then, this whole thing is crazy.”
    Donna nodded sympathetically, trying to hide her growing trepidation. She couldn’t help it; she was analyzing every move Navin made, looking for signs that this was all too much for him. That she was going to lose him. So far he seemed to be taking things pretty well—maybe too well.
    “Anyway,” she continued, “the wood elves got left behind, so, yes, they mainly stayed in the forests and woodland. But then the progress of humans began to push them out of their natural habitat.”
    “Of course.” Navin nodded. “Tearing down forests, building over them, that sort of thing.”
    “The Iron Age,” Donna said darkly. “Ironbridge has expanded so much over the years—from village to town, and then to the small city it is today. Think of the land it encompasses now, compared to what it used to cover. Some people are actually living on top of what used to be a settlement belonging to faeries. At one time, the woodland extended much farther; that’s why the iron bridge was built in the first place, back when this was only a village. It was supposed to keep the elves out. We’re living over the center of the old Elflands.”
    “Man, I bet they were pissed off about losing their home.”
    “And losing it more than once. First they get kicked out of Faerie—their own realm, then they start getting uprooted from their natural environment in the human world .”
    Navin suddenly looked worried. “So what’s to stop them from overrunning the place, like that one in Maker’s workshop?”
    Donna shook her head. “You saw what happened to it when it fell in the tub. They can’t stand being near iron—not for too long, anyway. And it always hurts them to come into actual contact with it. They get sort of thin and stretched; their magic doesn’t work properly. Of course … ”
    The look of relief that had momentarily crossed Navin’s face was wiped away. “What?”
    “Well, they’ve adapted, to some extent. Among all the beings of Faerie, the dark elves have a unique kind of magic. They’re shape-changers.”
    “Great, now they can ‘walk among us.’ ” Navin made spooky Twilight Zone sounds.
    Donna glared at him. “They really can. They can change their shape and wear another form. It’s called their ‘ elfskin .’ It’s like the ultimate disguise.”
    “How do we know they’re not taking over Ironbridge, then?”
    “Because the Order has magic of its own that can find them. Sniff out the ones who do try to come here. And don’t forget the iron—cities are half built of the stuff. Even wearing a glamour, elves couldn’t survive here. Sure, they might be able to withstand the iron for a while, but not for any length of time, and not unless they have some additional