by N R Tucker
Ryan keyed in his passcode and used the fireman slide. It had been put in as a joke, but it was the fastest way down if speed was needed. And he definitely needed speed today. Ryan rushed through the next checkpoint and ran for the sovereign’s office. Upon arrival, Ryan took a moment to breathe deep. He quietly opened the door, praying he could sneak in late to the Alpha Cyn meeting. No one looked up as he closed the door and slid into the nearest seat while the Sovereign spoke.
“…it’s unanimous. Ryan will represent the shifters at the Summer Solstice Assembly, to be held in the Southern Realm.” Sage looked over and smiled.
“Huh? What?” Ryan’s forehead crinkled. “Tempe attends all the solstice crap with the fae since we became friendly.”
“The wielder of the Patron’s Sword was specifically requested, so I asked to be relieved of the duty.” Tempe turned bland eyes on him.
“You asked to be relieved? You’re going to leave me in court by myself! What if Asp and I get into it.”
“I suggest you don’t. Asp invited Sara, and she’ll be there.”
“Can I kill Asp if he gets too close to my cousin?” Ryan muttered.
“If you think you’re ready to take on Father Aldous, sure, try and kill his son, but Asp is rather impressive in a fight.” Tempe leaned in close and added, “You will be responsible for Sara on this visit, so perhaps you might want to think of ways to gain her cooperation.”
Ryan placed his head in his hands and sighed, “Is this my punishment for being late?”
“No, you would have gotten that assignment anyway.” Sage didn’t look up from her tablet. “Your punishment for being late is escorting Victoria to a series of meetings this coming week.”
“We agreed she wouldn’t leave Calabozo.” Ryan leaned back in the chair. This day was going from bad to worse.
“No. You demanded Victoria remain here, but I don’t bow to your demands. She needs to meet with various groups to keep the peace. All meetings will be at PAC HQ. Pick your team of six for support.” Sage left the meeting.
Joey followed the sovereign, giving Ryan’s shoulder a semi-apologetic bump of support as he passed. Serenity and Bliss each patted his shoulder on their way out.
The door shut, and Ryan glared at Tempe. “Come on. I have to go right back to PAC HQ and then turn around and leave for the solstice. And I guess I should ask, what is the Summer Solstice Assembly really about, and what am I supposed to do there?”
“Both the summer and winter solstice assemblies are parties for unmated, adult fae to meet, get to know each other, and build alliances. These gatherings are more free-form than anything you’ve attended so far. Since I married Bryce, I have been attending as a chaperone for the Northern Realm. Now that shifters are invited, you will be responsible for all shifters in attendance.”
“Please tell me this isn’t a keg party. How many shifters will I have to watch out for in this free-form gathering of unmated adults nightmare?”
“You’ll receive a list of the invitees from the Seen this afternoon. It’s the first year they’ve invited shifters. This needs to go well.” Tempe stood and patted his shoulder on the way out.
Ryan groaned.
Chapter 38
“Can I veto some of the invitees from the Seen?” Ryan marched into Tempe’s office without knocking since the door was open.
Tempe raised an eyebrow, “You have received a list of who was invited, but they have all received their invitations already. You are neither president nor king of the shifters to veto anything. Who do you think should not attend?”
“Have you seen the list?”
“No, once you were identified as our rep, all communication funneled to you. Is it that bad?”
“You tell me. Sara and Bridget. Shawn. Phoenix. And let’s not forget the one human on the list, Victoria. I also want assurances that I am not responsible for the invited wizards. Murdoch was invited, so he’s on the hook for them, right?”
“Wizards are a surprise and yes, if Murdoch is the highest rated wizard on the list, he has to supervise his own. Victoria changes things. She will need a full complement of guards with her, maybe the same six you use at PAC HQ. And, of course, you should let Ralliner know the human under her protection will be in the Farseen.”
Ryan plopped down into a chair and eyed his powerful aunt. “It occurs to me if I ask you to be one of the guards it will look like I don’t trust myself, or worse, the sovereign doesn’t trust me.”
No smile touched her lips, but her eyes twinkled, “Indeed.”
“I was afraid of that.”
He didn’t say anything else, and Tempe shifted gears, asking, “Would you like the translated journal?”
“Not now. I go back to PAC HQ tomorrow for three days and then to the Southern Realm for what sounds like two nights of frat parties where I will be too busy watching my cousins to enjoy myself. I think I’ll leave it with you until I return.” He pulled the belt and sword from his hip and laid it on the table. “I need to know more about this sword, and I don’t have time to research.”
Tempe stretched and got comfortable. “When we were just past our teens, Val frequently ran through the woods in his wolf form. He heard a cry. He moved toward the sound and peered between the underbrush. A thin, whelp-sized green dragon was under attack from three adult river dragons. Without asking for any details, Val shifted and attacked the adults. He had understandable issues with adults preying on the young. Val and I had the same base powers, but, of course, his presented differently. He enchanted the river dragons, something unheard of and never repeated to my knowledge, and took the green whelp to a cave we used as our sanctuary when we wanted to escape court life or our family. Once the whelp recovered, he returned to his flock, and Val returned to the residence. He didn’t mention his adventure. Father would not have approved of helping the weak.”
“A few weeks later, when the three moons were in various stages of waxing, a guard entered the evening repast to announce Tulvir, the green supreme matriarch, waited at the steps to the main Northern Realm entrance to speak with Valiant the Bold. All eating stopped. As you know, the supreme matriarchs normally send for a ruling fae, they don’t show up at a residence asking to speak to someone. There was only one Valiant in the room, and all eyes turned to him. Father demanded to know what was going on.” Tempe sang,
The feasting hall grew still and silent
The green supreme matriarch waited.
She demanded to meet a fae of the realm
Valiant the Bold, she had indicated.
Valiant shrugged his shoulders and left the hall,
To meet the dragon matriarch.
Those in the feasting hall followed, too,
Even the Northern Realm’s patriarch.
Silently waiting, the crowd looked on,
Valiant spoke for all to behold,
“Valiant is my name, ’tis true,
But none have called me bold.”
The dragon smiled with sword in hand,
“Valiant the Bold, I call you thus.
Three river dragons you fought alone
And defeated them with no fuss.
River dragons for my son you fought
They singled him out, you knew not why.
You rushed to his aid against great odds.
My son is dual born, I cannot deny.
You stood as his patron, no fear for yourself
This sword I present you, forged by my fire.
Keep yourself worthy and pure of motive
And it will defend you when times are dire.
The Patron’s Sword I have crafted
For one with others to protect.
It will fight for you, my friend
Unless you offend it with willful neglect.
Regardless of who wields this sword
It holds its faith to you.
Be a patron for the underdog,
And it will ever be true.”
Valiant the Bold accepted the swor
d
And bowed to the dragon with flourish.
He wielded the sword with bravery and honor
And never lost a skirmish.
Ryan’s eyes cut to Tempe, “So that’s why dual-born fae sought out the favor of Rayna and Ellwood’s children. Val’s sword.”
“It helped, and we embraced the calling as siblings. Our gift to those who weren’t as lucky as we were.”
“Lucky?” Ryan’s eyebrow rose in a fair imitation of Tempe’s favorite expression.
She grinned, “Compared to the dual-born lesser fae, yes, we were lucky. Father was hard on us, but no one else was. Our powers were stronger as a result of our dual-born status. That is rarely true for the lesser fae.”
Ryan nodded, “I get that. So, I’m to protect those born of dual heritage?”
“Not exactly. You’ve protected others your whole life, and that is the true purpose of the sword. That is why the sword chose you.”
“And why must I wear it on the sovereign’s business?”
“For now, you need to wear it all the time. At this point, most preternaturals have heard the story. If you are seen without it, many will think it has deserted you as quickly as it has everyone who’s held it since Val’s death.”
“He had it until he died?”
“Yes, and no one ever bested him with a sword, not while he wielded the Patron’s Sword.”
“But Ellwood killed him with a sword, right?”
“Yes, and only Father can sing of that battle. The Patron’s Sword was not with Val when I found him. Until you walked into Ellwood’s chambers wearing the sword, I had not seen it since Val left to face Father.”
“You didn’t look for it?”
“I didn’t care. For a while, I blamed the sword for making Val cocky in battle, but that wasn’t true. By the time I accepted Val’s death I had made sure I wasn’t welcome in any court.” Tempe stretched in her chair, “Anything else you want to ask?”
Ryan huffed, “You know there is. In Val’s tree house there were carvings of him and a long, thin, green dragon. Was that the dragon he saved? Why did the river dragons attack the young green?”
“Val and Kulvir shared many quests. They remained friends until the day Val died. I have not seen Kulvir since the day we spoke of Val’s death. Kulvir is, or was, part green dragon and part river dragon. That’s why the others attacked. The fae do not like different unless different is strong enough to kick serious butt.”
Ryan nodded and left her office. Just once he would like to hear that someone in the Farseen lived happily ever after. Guess the fairy tales were wrong about that.
Chapter 39
Victoria opened her door and growled at the shifters. “No. There’s no way I need six guards, plus Ryan.”
“Do you remember what happened after dinner with your family?” Ryan’s lips twitched. “You had four guards then. Now you have six, plus me, as you stated.”
“I have Ralliner’s ring. Isn’t that protection enough?”
“We’re in the Seen. The reds will not protect you here.” Ryan headed down the hallway.
“Well crap,” she muttered, twirling the ring on her right index finger. In place of a stone sat a silver dragonhead with rubies for eyes. Twin bands made up the feet and hands on the sides of the double banded ring with scales engraved on the bands. All in all, a Goth looking ring. She wasn’t sure how it worked but the ring self-adjusted to her finger as soon as she put it on, and that sucker was going nowhere. Not even she could take it off. Good thing Tempe had warned her to pick the finger for the ring carefully. She eyed the guards. The alpha Serenity was the only female, so Victoria suspected she now had a bathroom buddy. She smiled at Fred, pleased he was one of her guards. Kaleb, the ice shifter, and Shawn, of the previous sovereign’s line, were back. Quill and Jes, both male alphas, and Gerbold, also of the old sovereign’s line, rounded out the guards.
Victoria shrugged, at least she could do some research, “Gerbold, I understand you control electronics. Let’s talk about that.” She grabbed his arm and moved down the hall behind Ryan, tossing questions at Gerbold.
Fred growled and rushed to catch up. The rest followed.
On the gate platform, at the appointed time, Ryan opened a gate and led them into PAC HQ. Once verified, they moved quickly to one of the glass conference rooms. Victoria still didn’t know how it worked. The two glass conference rooms were set up so that everyone could see inside, but no one outside could hear what was said in the room, and somehow lips shadowed so no one outside the room could read lips. She didn’t know if the magic was fae, wizard, shifter, or vampire, but she wanted details. As with tracking gates in the Farseen, Destin wasn’t interested, meaning he already knew how it worked. He was as curious as she. There was so much to learn. She needed the shifters to trust her enough to give her all of their data. She took her seat between Ryan and Fred and waited.
Aubrey Ewing walked in as if she owned the place. Her aides followed, with Tad and Rhett Nelson in tow. Victoria stared at her brothers, and both offered up weak smiles. She glanced over at Ryan, his face was a mask, but he nodded to both of them, and they replied in kind. He wasn’t surprised they were here. She fumed. Now he was keeping secrets about her family. That must stop.
“Aubrey, we see so much of each other now, I think we should use first names, don’t you?” she asked sweetly.
Aubrey Ewing faltered before she placed a smile on her face and agreed, “Indeed, Victoria, there’s no need for formality here.”
Tad shook his head slightly, but Victoria ignored him. She stood and laid her hands flat on the conference table. “Excellent. Well, Aubrey, why the hell are my brothers here?”
Tad rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache. Rhett donned his expressionless lawyer face, something all lawyers seem to acquire before they take the bar.
Aubrey smiled, “You believe the shifters can offer you so much more than we mere mortals can. I thought you should be reminded of your human family.”
Ryan cleared his throat to speak. Victoria glared, and he remained quiet, although his lips twitched. Turning back to Aubrey Victoria smiled, “As a veiled threat to harm my family, you’ve done well. Rhett and Ted are dear to me. Unfortunately, you’ve made a grave error.”
“Have I?” Aubrey didn’t look concerned.
“Yes, I feel threatened by you, and by extension, the United Nations, and other mere mortals. If humans plan to use my family to force me to do their bidding, then the best thing for me to do is talk to the fae.” She held up her right forefinger with Ralliner’s ring on it. “You see, in the Farseen I have the full protection of Ralliner, supreme matriarch of the red dragons. In the Farseen, I’m safe from threats from humans as well as fae. Our meeting is at an end. I will recommend that any new discoveries made in the shifter labs not be shared with humans. It is, of course, up to the sovereign. She will do as it pleases her. And Aubrey, if any of my family are harmed or meet any type of accident, I will go to Ralliner in the Farseen and offer her whatever she wants in exchange for her entering the Seen and hunting you – specifically you – down.” Victoria retook her seat and drank a sip of water.
“As threats go, I believe Victoria’s was superior,” Ryan stood. “Ambassador Ewing, your meeting with Victoria Nelson is at an end. Fred will send the transcript to the human leadership on the agreed to distro. Thank you for your time.”
“What?”
Tad grinned, “I warned you, Ms. Ewing. Our baby sister has never been one to give into peer pressure or threats.”
“You’ll never work again, Doctor Nelson. Neither of you will.”
“Good day, ambassador.” Fred was already at the door holding it open for her.
She stormed out of the room, with her aides following behind her. Tad and Rhett remained.
Victoria’s heart dropped. What had she done? Tad was a biotech researcher with the U.S. government, and Rhett was a state lawyer. “You both knew you would lose your jobs if I didn’
t agree to whatever she wanted, didn’t you? Why didn’t you tell me?” She jumped up and took a swing at Ryan. She landed a solid hit, but he showed no outward sign that she had hit his massive chest. “And why didn’t you? You knew this would happen.”
Fred put his arms around her to prevent Victoria from hitting anyone else. Lucky for him, in that position she couldn’t see his smile.
Ryan did a better job of hiding his amusement. “We weren’t sure what she would do, but we suspected. I met with your family ahead of time, and they said they didn’t want you pressured. We, your family, and some of the Alpha Clan, decided to let this play out and perhaps we would get a feel for their plans. You moved into the offensive a bit faster than we anticipated.”
Victoria stomped on Fred’s foot. His grip loosened, and she turned to face him. “Did you know?”
“No, absolutely not. I was in the dark. I’ve only seen your brothers once. The night we took you to meet your family for dinner.”
“How about the rest of my guards?”
Ryan let his smile show this time, “I’m the only one in this room, besides your brothers, with prior notice.”
“Well, okay then. I guess the rest of you are in the clear.”
Shawn grinned, “On the plus side, once the other representatives hear what happened, and you know they will, it should cut down on the posturing.”
Ryan looked down at the incoming text. “That didn’t take long. The Northern Realm has asked that their meeting be rescheduled to now since the humans are done. I said yes since we have this room for the day.”
“Let the games begin,” Gerbold leaned back and smiled. He loved a battle of intellect with a worthy opponent.
Within five minutes Lady Saffron, Ridge, and Salix walked in alone. Victoria looked up in surprise. No aides, just senior members of the Northern Realm court. How interesting.
Lady Saffron sat and faced the shifters with a smile. “The Northern Realm is satisfied with the reports the sovereign sends out on scientific progress. Our request is for training in your sciences, and we expect Victoria to teach at least forty percent of the time.”