by N R Tucker
He watched her cut herbs and breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, he was going to ask a favor. He just had to figure out how to word it properly. “I found something.”
“Did you?” Saffron didn’t look up.
“Yes, when I was staying in Val’s quarters. We, Shawn and I, were admiring the… well, I found this.” He held the journal in his hand but didn’t offer it to her.
Saffron was pleased to know he was smart enough to not offer it to her. If he handed it to her, by fae law, it became her property until she gave it back, however long that was. “Did you find anything interesting therein?”
“That’s sort of my problem. I can’t read ancient fae. I only understand about one in ten words. Not effective.”
“Did Tempest refuse to help you?” Saffron arched an eyebrow in disbelief, looking more like her sister than usual.
“No, I didn’t show it to her. She is so closed mouthed about Val. I didn’t want to upset her.” Ryan paced around the garden, “And, of course, I know she will be upset when she finds out I had it and didn’t go to her first.” He dropped onto one of the stone benches, “You were there, in that time. Do you believe this diary will upset her regardless of what’s in it?”
She laid down her cuttings, wiped her hands on her apron and joined Ryan on the bench, “Tempest and Val were closer than any other siblings I’ve ever met. I know that many believe she has blinders where his memory is concerned, but I don’t. Show it to her. Ask her who should translate it for you. She may surprise you.”
Saffron returned to her cuttings and said over her shoulder, “There’s a chance she already knows what is in there. Val never could block her completely from his mind, and her mental shields never worked that well with him.”
*****
Ryan took a deep breath and knocked on Tempe’s new home office. The quads had moved to different rooms, and their nursery became Tempe’s office. The old office was now the main entrance to Calabozo without opening a gate. It had become grand central station.
“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here… for here there be dragons.” Despite the joking nature of her comment, Tempe’s voice sounded irritated
Ryan chuckled and opened the door, “There be dragons out here as well.”
“Spoil my fun,” Tempe muttered. “Be forewarned, I’ve spent the last couple of hours talking to fools who have raised my blood pressure.”
“I can come back later,” Ryan backed toward the door.
“No, I’m just grousing. What do you need?”
“A favor. Might be better if I come back.”
“Intriguing. You know I’m half fae, right?” Tempe leaned back and smiled.
Ryan snorted. “Of course, but you’ve never invoked the favor owed rule except with another fae.”
“Perhaps I’ll expand my horizons.” She smirked and waved her hand in dismissal. “Nah, I’m just cranky. What’s the favor?”
Ryan pulled out the journal and held it in one hand.
Tempe laughed. “You found Val’s journal. Saffron will be pleased. I’m sure she placed you in Val’s quarters for that reason.”
“It’s not doing me much good since I can’t read it.”
“Ancient fae is tricky,” Tempe agreed.
Ryan sighed. This wasn’t going the way he wanted.
Tempe grinned. “Val was short tempered. Mother suggested he keep a journal to help with that. Surprisingly enough, he tried it, and it helped. If you are looking for a translator, I recommend Jarvious.”
“Jarvious?”
“He will provide the most literal translation, and being a bard, he will understand Val’s writing better than most. Others might edit the content a little.”
“If the journal was an open secret, why didn’t anyone look for it?”
“Many fae did, Father included, but as far as I know, I’m the only person who knew about his hiding place and how to open the hidden drawer.”
“You’ve read it.” It wasn’t a question.
“I read it after he died, mourning his loss. I was never sure why I returned it to its hiding place, except that I couldn’t think of a safer place. I do think reading it would be of value to you. It might even help you understand the fae better,” Tempe shrugged.
“Why don’t you just tell me?”
“If I told you what was in the journal it would be my words. Val had a style of writing, and speaking, that reeled you into the story. He would have been a great bard, but Father crushed that dream, along with so many others.”
*****
“Interesting place to meet,” Jarvious commented as he joined Ryan on the rock overlooking the river outside of PAC HQ. It was the only outdoor area protected by the facility’s shield and the preferred meeting place for any private conversations. The area was shielded from external irritants, like the humans watching from a distance, as well as from telepaths and other preternaturals within the facility. The only entrance to this protected area was through a guarded door off the main hall. It was the only place in PAC HQ where no one – not even a telepath – could listen in and was available on a first come first served basis. One rule governed its use. If anyone was waiting for the area, you kept your conversation to no more than 15 minutes.
“Isn’t it?” Ryan kept his eyes on the river. “Cousin I’m going to ask a favor, and it’s a big one. What would you like in fair exchange?”
“By the five realms, surely Lady Tempest trained you better than this. Do you know how many fae would love to have you owe them a debt?”
“Yes, hence I’m discussing terms first.”
“Why me?”
“I need something translated. Something that’s written in ancient fae. Since the person who wrote it was a bard, you were suggested as the translator.”
“Ancient fae and a bard?” Jarvious cocked his head to one side. “You found Valiant’s journal. The Northern Realm has looked for that journal for three thousand years. My brothers and I spent many a visit to Lord Ellwood’s sneaking into that tree house to look for it. Most assume it details secrets of the northern realm or secrets about Lady Tempest and Lord Ellwood. You should take it to her.”
“Lady Tempest is the one who suggested you as the translator. She read it after Valiant died and put it back where he hid it. I found it during my last visit to the Farseen.” Ryan pulled the journal out of his back pocket.
“Are you nuts? Put that away!” His eyes darted around looking for anyone who might have seen the book, even though it should have been impossible. “I’ll translate it since Grandmother recommended me for the task, but I’ll do it at Beryl Lane. If anyone suspected I had it, they would tear apart my quarters, and possibly me, to get to the book. Keep it in her home, and I’ll plan to visit a couple of times a week. It will take a while, but I’ll get it done.”
“And what do you want in return? I may be a shifter, but there’s no agreement until I know what you want. No open-ended bargains.”
Jarvious smiled, “I rather hoped you wouldn’t remember that. To be honest, I know exactly what I want in exchange, full rights to write songs from any entry in the journal. Any bard would require that to translate the journal for you.”
Ryan pursed his lips.
“Cousin, if Grandmother told you to have a bard translate it, she understood that would be the price. If, as you said, she has already read it, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
Ryan grinned, “Agreed.”
“Our bargain is struck with no out clause.” Jarvious smiled. “Val’s songs will give me something every bard wants, a legacy of new songs. I’m surprised she didn’t just translate it herself.”
Ryan shrugged. “She said a bard would translate his words better than she could.”
Chapter 21
Destin held the door open to the café for Victoria. “How are you settling in?”
“Pretty well.” She grabbed utensils and a tray and headed for the breakfast sandwich line with Destin. “Fred’s been a great help. I�
��m still amazed that this huge facility is on the other side of that guarded door in our lab, and I’ve only seen a small part of it.”
Once they had their food and grabbed a table, she took a bite of her sandwich before continuing. “Is there anyone else who can transport me out of the facility if needed? I know you and Fred have agreed to escort duty, but what if you’re both busy?”
“You will need an escort anywhere you go on the outside. You already agreed to this.”
“Yes, but who do I contact if it’s an emergency? I’m a planner. I have to know what the procedures are.”
“Probably so she knows when she’s ignoring them,” Fred commented as he sat his tray down beside Victoria.
“Not fair. I wouldn’t… okay, I obviously would, but I do need to know what to do.”
Fred laid a cell phone between them on the table. “Here’s your new phone. Contacts are already loaded. Speed dial one is for emergencies and will get you immediate attention. Don’t use it to order pizza.”
“Funny. You’re a funny man.” Victoria grinned. “I do need an escort to Uncle Theo’s bar tonight after work. Tempe set up a dinner with my family. I haven’t seen them since the kidnapping.”
“Yep, it’s on my calendar,” Fred replied.
*****
Victoria opened the door at the heavy knock and discovered Fred had an entourage. She eyed all the muscle. “We need four bodyguards?”
“No, you need four bodyguards, in addition to the guards already in place at Harmony.”
She closed the door and walked beside Fred as they headed for the transport room. The same van she used to get to and from work when she lived in the outside world. Two guards walked in front of them and two behind. They loaded into the van, and she relaxed into the seat. “Will someone explain how this works?”
The guard who was driving twitched his lips but didn’t speak.
Fred shrugged, “Not until we’re sure you stay.”
Victoria watched as the van was suddenly bathed in light, something that had never happened before. The van pulled out of the garage and made its way through the parking lot and turned onto the main road, just like she was driving home. “Understandable, but a little disappointing. There’s so much to learn.”
“And you’re the person doing most of the teaching right now.” The other guard in the front seat turned to look at her. “The fae, witches, and vampires are demanding equal time with you, the human government is demanding that you be returned to them, the AIB and a host of other groups have a bounty on your head, alive if possible, but dead if it means no one else gets your brain.”
“What? But I’m just me. I’m not worth all the bother.” Victoria unconsciously moved closer to Fred, who put an arm around her.
The guard chuckled. “You’ve discovered a lot of the science behind the magic. Lots of folks are unhappy about that or want the info contained.
“Shawn, you’re not helping,” Fred rubbed the back of his neck and turned to Victoria. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you out of my sight.”
“I don’t want anyone hurt because of me.” Victoria chewed her bottom lip.
Fred didn’t know how to ease her mind, so he changed the subject. “The guard who can’t keep his mouth shut is Shawn, a descendant of the Alpha Clan line. The driver is Kaleb, called the ice shifter by the reporters.”
Victoria turned to get a better look at the driver. “I heard about you and saw the news footage from Tennessee and Texas. Impressive.”
Kaleb grinned in the rear-view mirror.
Pointing to the back, Fred added, “You already know Ryan and Sam is another alpha. We’ll protect you.”
She eyed the guards warily before speaking to Ryan. “I never got a chance to thank you for rescuing me from the AIB, thanks. This all seems a bit much just for me to have dinner with my family. I’m not sure I’m worth all the bother.”
“You are,” Fred said as they pulled into the parking lot at the Harmony Bar. He hopped out and held the door open for her.
By the time she scooted over and exited the van, her guards surrounded them. She sighed, “I look like one of those ridiculous stars with staff hovering around all the time.”
“Now you know how they feel,” Fred murmured.
“Serenity opened the back door for us. Let’s go.” Ryan motioned for Sam to go first and he brought up the rear.
*****
“That was fun. Thanks, everyone, for giving up your evening so I could have dinner with my family.” Victoria was happy, even with guards surrounding her for the return trip to the car. Sam was once again in the lead with Ryan bringing up the rear.
“Hey, Ryan…” His head turned toward the voice, and the world exploded.
Shawn, Kaleb, and Fred were Tasered and hit the ground, unmoving. Sam also dropped with three darts in his body. The attackers carried an unconscious Victoria through a way.
Ryan threw wind in the direction his name was called, set his shield as he ran, and followed Victoria into the gate. His shield protected him from the fire the fae used to block the gate opening. Once the flames dissipated, he could see he had walked into real trouble.
Non-aligned fae surrounded him. The one carrying Victoria spoke, “Drop your shield and surrender, or I’ll kill her.”
“You brought her to the Farseen just to kill her? You could have done that in the Seen.” Ryan clenched his jaw and ran through his options. There weren’t many.
“Indeed, she’s worth more alive, but dead will net us a good fee for one hour of work. If you don’t surrender, I’ll kill her, just so we can focus on you. Your death will bring us both prestige and additional compensation.”
Ryan wanted to wipe that smug smirk off the fae’s face, but that would get Victoria killed. He dropped his shield and fell under a barrage of element manipulation and powers. No one noticed the butterfly that flew, grass high, away from Ryan. The butterfly swooped up and landed on Victoria’s shoulder under her collar.
Ryan regained consciousness with a dry mouth and pounding headache. He didn’t move or open his eyes. Perhaps he could gather information if the fae thought he was still unconscious. Once he determined there was no one in the room with him and he was on the floor, he cracked open his eyes. Dungeon. No windows, one door, broken wooden box, dirt floor, and one small vent about the size of his fist, probably for air.
He spat out dirt and sat up as best he could with his hands and feet in manacles. One tiny pull of wind and Ryan was able to confirm that the cuffs blocked magic. What realm was he in? Or was he with unaligned fae in one of the wastelands? Time to prepare for round two. Hopefully, his actions would be more impressive this time.
Chapter 22
Victoria groaned and sat up. The room was nice enough, large comfortable bed, some type of desk and windows. She checked her phone, but there was no signal. Guess that’s why they let her keep it. She ran to the windows, opening them easily, and looked down. Good grief. Rapunzel didn’t have hair long enough for this tower. No escape out the windows unless she grew wings. Victoria checked out the terrain, looking for a hint of where she was. Low mountains that didn’t go above the tree line surrounded her, so there was a chance she was still in the southeastern United States somewhere in the Smokies. Except she was pretty sure such a huge castle looking building would be well documented in the States. An average looking river ran directly in front of the fortress, not helpful.
She looked up. Okay, she was in the Farseen. The dragons off in the distance and three moons cresting over the horizon gave it away. Another look at the river revealed some odd creatures, including some type of jellyfish that was at home in and out of the water. How peculiar?
She had studied everything she could on the Farseen, trying to map the area and determine where gates opened here. Victoria was sure Destin could already do that as he wasn’t interested in the project. The scant information she was able to gather was not useful. She suspected that was precisely what the preternaturals wanted. Ot
her than naming the five realms, no information was available.
And that brought her to another sad reality. Most humans who entered the Farseen were never heard from again. From what Victoria understood, a human in the Farseen was the property of the fae (ruling or lesser) who held her. At least if she were with the ruling fae, they would want her alive and working for them. She hoped. The lesser fae would consider her lunch. With a sob, Victoria sat down on the window seat. Tempe had warned her, but she hadn’t believed it would happen. The fae had kidnapped her, and left her guards wounded or dead. Hopefully, her family had remained safe in the bar.
Victoria jumped when she heard footsteps. She wiped her tears away and faced the door.
“I told you I could do it, Balen.”
“Shut up! No names.” A whack accompanied the order.
“Sorry.” The person not Balen didn’t sound sorry, he seemed bitter.
The door opened, but Victoria had already schooled her features into a bored mask. Tempe would be proud.
“Ah, you’re awake. Good. I brought you a repast.” The voice of Balen belonged to a tall man with striped brown hair and grey eyes. Of course, he was handsome – all preternaturals were, but he was on the slim side. No bulky muscles for him.
Apparently, repast meant food. Balen lifted a cover off a platter to reveal a wide variety of produce and some type of fish. Her stomach gurgled, but she ignored it. “Why have you brought me here?”
“Come, little human, you aren’t that foolish. You know why you’re here. You work for us now. Behave, do your work, and you will remain here in comfortable quarters. Cause us any trouble and you’ll be in the dungeon with scraps to eat. If you need motivation, we can bring some of your family here.”
“No! The shifters will protect them.”
“As they protected you? How nice.”
Balen grabbed her arm. “You aren’t the only one we captured. Do as I say, and none will suffer.”
“Who? Who else do you have?” Victoria’s voice trembled.