Fae of Calaveras Trilogy Box Set

by Kristen S. Walker

  I looked around helplessly. Kai had his hand over his mouth as if he were trying not to laugh. Glen looked furious, but he stood rooted to the spot.

  To my relief, Count Duncan slipped into the middle of the circle and looked up at Duchess Auriana. “Is there a problem here?”

  The duchess used her fan to gesture at Heather. “Even if you’re tolerant enough to allow this kind of—of thing to live in your demesne, you shouldn’t let it come here. I will not stand for this kind of offense.”

  Count Duncan glanced at Heather. “Have you done something to give Her Grace offense?”

  Heather curtsied and shook her head. “No, my lord, not intentionally. I was just talking to her daughter.”

  The duchess fanned her face vigorously. “That thing reeks of blood. I do not think that it should be permitted to stay here and stink up the place.”

  Count Duncan turned on his heel and narrowed his eyes at the duchess. “While I would normally defer to you out of respect, this is my household, and it is my choice who is permitted here. It has always been my policy to allow everyone here during a time of celebration so long as they maintain the peace.”

  “I don’t believe that a bloodsucker is capable of maintaining the peace! And do not forget, Duncan, that regardless of this little piece of land the humans let you pretend to control, you have sworn an oath to protect my daughter. As long as she is your heir, you are beholden to me.” The duchess snapped her fan closed.

  The Count hesitated and glanced back at Heather. I caught my breath. Could the duchess really use Ashleigh to force him to ban Heather from the Court? I looked at Ashleigh. She was glaring at her mother.

  In the silence, Heather stepped forward. “You honor oaths, right?” Without giving the duchess a chance to respond, she turned and went down on one knee in front of Ashleigh, bowing her head. “Lady Ashleigh, I swear on my life to protect you. I will never harm you or any person who lives in your County.”

  Ashleigh stared down at Heather in surprise. Then she smiled a little and placed her right hand on Heather’s head. “I accept your oath of fealty, Heather. Henceforth, you will be accepted as a member of this Court and enjoy its protection. I also recognize you as one of my personal companions and protectors.”

  The room began to buzz with murmurs of surprise.

  Duchess Auriana turned up her nose. “I will be back to talk with you about this later.” With a swish of her full skirts, she left the room, with her entourage trailing behind.

  I saw a flash of concern cross Count Duncan’s face, and for that moment he looked very old and tired. Then he gathered himself and announced to the remainder of the guests, “I apologize for the interruption. Please enjoy the rest of the evening.”

  After Duchess Auriana left, the mood of the party slowly changed. People relaxed and began to enjoy themselves. A jazz band came up on the stage and started to play. Soon, couples were dancing, and I was eager to join them.

  After a few songs with Kai, I asked Glen for a chance to dance with Ashleigh. “Give Heather a turn, she’s all alone,” I said with a wink.

  Glen mumbled something under his breath and walked away. He was the only person who hadn’t relaxed tonight, but I had no time to worry about him. With Ashleigh on my arm, I went back onto the dance floor and proceeded to lead.

  Ashleigh looked down at me in surprise. “I didn’t know you could lead like this.”

  I grinned. “Kai never gives me the chance, but I’ve danced with enough different people at all of your parties to learn a few things. Besides, jazz is easy if you just follow the beat.” I swung her around and tried to pull off a dip, which was comical considering that she was half a foot taller than me.

  Ashleigh managed to glide through the dip without falling, and she came back up with a laugh. “Okay, but don’t do that again!”

  I settled down to a more basic dance step and guided her along the far side of the dance floor, because I wanted to talk to her alone. “By the way,” I said in a low voice, “what happened back there with Heather? Did you two plan that whole oath thing?”

  Ashleigh’s smile faded and she shook her head. “No, she surprised me with that. She must have been copying Glen’s oath from his knighting ceremony last year.” She shrugged one shoulder. “But I figured I might as well go along with it, if it would make my mother shut up. And she left.”

  I frowned. “But is it really okay for her to just swear an oath like that without talking about the consequences ahead of time? I mean, you just made her your personal protector. Only Glen holds that position.”

  Ashleigh looked away from me. “I don’t think Glen will mind. And Heather’s my friend. There are other ways to recognize that officially, but this one works just as well. I’m not going to call on her to fight for me.”

  “But what if she doesn’t stay friends with you?” I raised my eyebrows. “The duchess did kinda have a point: she’s not going to be human forever. What happens when she turns? Has a vampire ever been a sworn companion for a faeriekin before?”

  “I guess she’ll be the first.” Ashleigh tossed her hair back and glanced at me sidelong. “Why do you care so much? Are you jealous?”

  “I—” I closed my mouth over the protest and took a deep breath. I stopped dancing and turned away. “I never swore an oath to you or Glen personally, just the Court. There’s no official recognition for our friendship.”

  Ashleigh followed me off the dance floor, folding her arms. “Do you think you need that to stay friends? I thought we were pretty close without it.”

  I looked down at the ground. “Well, I did. But lately I feel like I’m drifting apart from everyone.” I chewed on my lip. “I guess I’m afraid that Heather could replace me.”

  Ashleigh slipped her arm around my waist and the silky smooth fabric of her dress slid against mine. She tilted her head so it rested against mine. “You’re one of my best friends, Rosa. No one could replace you.”

  My jealousy melted away, and I realized how silly I’d been. I hugged Ashleigh back. “Thanks. I guess I just needed to hear it.”

  She laughed a little. “It’s okay, you’ve been through a lot lately. But don’t forget that we’re here for you.”

  The music stopped, and we pulled apart. “Dinner is starting soon.” Ashleigh pointed to a table. “We’re all sitting together over there. Are you hungry?”

  My stomach rumbled at the thought of decadent faerie food. “Of course!”

  17

  Travel to Faerie

  Rosamunde

  Our table only had five name cards, but there was a sixth person already seated at the table. “Hello, witchling,” my patron said with a smile. He looked to Ashleigh. “Do you mind if I join you?”

  Ashleigh recovered from her surprise faster than the rest of us, and she gave him a gracious smile. “Of course not.”

  I found my name at the place next to the Fae. Kai pulled out the chair for me, flashing me an unhappy look as I sat down, but I was happy to see my patron, so I ignored him.

  “I didn’t see you earlier,” I said to the Fae. “What name are you going by today?”

  He smiled and tilted his head to one side as if he were considering his options. “Well, I thought I’d play with the band, since I know you already have a dance partner.” He nodded at my boyfriend. “Is it presumptuous to call myself Louis Armstrong?”

  I raised an eyebrow at him. “Yes, but I could just call you Louis. I’m guessing that you’re playing the trumpet, then?”

  Kai’s head went up at that. He played the trumpet in the school orchestra—in fact, although he was only a junior, he was first in the trumpet section and played the most complicated solos. I put my hand on his arm before he could speak.

  Louis just smiled and shrugged. “I’m surprised you didn’t see my solo.”

  I leaned closer and lowered my voice. “By the way, how did you and the duchess get here tonight? I thought the full moon was two days away and the gate wouldn’t be open yet.�
�� After all, when the guardian had stopped me on my last visit, it had been only two days before the moon was full.

  Louis gave me his trademark wink, which meant that there were secrets he wouldn’t tell me. “It’s easier for those of us who know what we’re doing.” He smiled. “Maybe I’ll show you someday, witchling.”

  “If you won’t teach me now, then can you take me back with you?” I asked hopefully.

  His smile faded. “Why do you need to go?”

  “I—I need to know something about the Otherworld,” I said, looking down. “I can tell you more about it later. But I just need someone who I can trust, and I don’t think I can ask any of my friends.”

  His smile returned, and he nodded. “Of course. I’ll escort you tomorrow, but we won’t stay out late. I know it’s a school night.”

  “Yes, sir,” I said, sticking my tongue out at him. I didn’t need a Fae to tell me how late I could stay out.

  Kai saw us whispering and looked unhappy. “What are you talking about?” he asked when I sat up straight again.

  I shrugged. “Just planning an outing tomorrow.”

  I met with Louis early the next morning, already shivering from my flight up Quiggs Mountain. The only gate in the county was right there at the peak, past the faeries’ castle: the Grove, a simple clearing in a circle of rowan trees. In the dead of winter, the trees had lost their leaves and the birds had already eaten the last of the colorful berries, so there were only bare branches with a dusting of snow.

  I looked at the Fae nervously. “Is there something special we should do before we go?” When I went with Ashleigh and Glen, they had cast numerous spells and charms to ensure our safe return to the mortal realm.

  Louis shook his head and grinned. “You can trust me, Rosa. I’ve been doing this since long before you were born.” He took my hand and together we stepped into the circle of trees.

  I watched him closely, but he didn’t seem to do anything in particular. I did see that his features seemed to shift as we crossed through the Veil, becoming stranger, more Fae. It was as if the mask he wore to fit into the mortal world slipped away and revealed his true nature.

  The temperature went up as we stepped into the Otherworld. There was no more snow on the ground; some of the trees were bare, but others had new leaves, others were just starting to turn colors, and some were full of fruit, as if we were in all four seasons at once. The sun disappeared from the sky, and there was only the dim luminescence of twilight.

  Louis swept his hand out to include the many paths that led from this Grove. “Where did you want to go?”

  Here it came. I thought, if anyone, my patron would tell me the truth. “I want to see where the magikin live.” I folded my arms over my chest. “Not the Fae, the other ones. The kitsune, the pookhas, the dwarves and all the rest.”

  Louis took a step back and stared at me. “They—they live in your world,” he said, deliberately sidestepping the truth.

  “Yes, some of them,” I said, raising one eyebrow. “But I want to see where they came from.”

  He let out a sigh. “I’m not supposed to tell anyone about this. It’s against the rules.”

  “When do you follow the rules?”

  He put his hand to his breast. “There is more to me than you know, Rosa. I have a very important—” He stopped and shook his head. “Now, now, you won’t get me to reveal more. I suppose if you already know the truth, it won’t hurt to show you a little.”

  He held out his hand to me again, and I took it. We stepped onto a path going into the forest. We’d barely walked through the first stand of trees when we came to a curve in the path, and as we turned that corner, I saw another clearing up ahead.

  The trees here were different: cherry trees, some with tiny red fruit hanging in bunches, others with delicate pink blossoms. Again I got the sense of all time and no time existing together. As we stepped into the center of them, I didn’t see anything that looked like houses, though. There was grass on the ground between the trees and a few small bushes.

  Then I heard a faint yipping sound near the ground. Louis put a finger to his lips and beckoned me closer to a little hole underneath the roots of a cherry tree.

  We knelt down beside it. The Fae let out a three-note whistle.

  A little black nose poked up out of the den, sniffing the air, and then a second smaller one. A red mother fox and her kit crept slowly out into the open.

  At first, I was puzzled as I watched the little family. Why had we come here to see animals? Then I saw three tails on the mother.

  I remembered the conversation I’d had with Kai’s mother Yumi weeks before: kitsune traditionally raised their young in fox form.

  I looked up at the Fae, and he smiled back. “I thought you’d want to see your boyfriend’s people.”

  I reached out my hand and the little kit came forward to sniff my fingers. She sneezed so hard that she tumbled back and bumped into her mother.

  The mother fox watched me with a cautious eye, her tails swishing back and forth and her ears twitching. But she made no move to intervene.

  I lost track of time as the little kit and I played, her in animal form and me a clumsy human. I was surprised when Louis nudged my arm.

  “We need to head back now,” he said. “Are you satisfied with what you’ve seen?”

  I nodded and stood up, brushing dirt off my jeans. “Yes. Thank you.” I looked down at the kitsune. “Can you thank them for me, too?”

  He looked down at the mother, and I heard nothing pass between them, but she looked back up at me and her mouth opened, her tongue flopping out. I’d seen Kai make that face often enough to know it for a foxy smile.

  Louis took me by the hand again and led me back to the rowan grove. I was glad for him guiding me, because I couldn’t tell one path from the next, and when I tried to peer back through the trees I couldn’t see any signs of another clearing. Yet we barely walked at all before we were at the gate where we’d started.

  When we stepped back through again into the freezing mountain winter, I glanced at my watch. It was already late afternoon, and I remembered with some regret that I still had homework to finish for school on Monday.

  My broom lay where I’d left it from flying up the mountain that morning. I reached for it, but Louis put his hand on my arm and stopped me.

  “I have to ask, Rosa, if you’ve learned anything new about the theft of that item I told you about,” he said in a solemn tone, looking down at me.

  I’d rarely seen the Fae so serious before in my life, but I had to shake my head. I’d all but forgotten his search. “I’m sorry, but I have no idea who would even be capable of such a thing,” I said truthfully. “I wish that I could help but I don’t know how.”

  Louis gave a faint smile and a shrug. “Well, keep an eye out if you can. It’s very important that I find it again. And, of course, I’ll look for signs of your mother where I can. You’ll be the first to know if I learn of anything.”

  He said good-bye and then stepped back into the Grove, disappearing through the Veil. I picked up my broom and flew home, thinking about the implications of what I’d seen. I would have to tell Zil that I knew she spoke the truth.

  18

  Break the Code

  Rosmerta

  It’d been nearly two weeks since I’d promised the other Unseelie that I would find a way to open a gate to the Otherworld, but I was no closer to decoding the secrets in the stolen book. Every time that I thought I was starting to understand the sorcerer’s theory, I hit a wall. His methods were so unlike any kind of magic I’d studied before, witchcraft or sorcery, that I couldn’t find the key that would unlock its madness.

  Mary had done her part to make copies of the documents in the book and distribute them to our allies, but one by one, everyone who tried to crack it came back with an apology.

  “Are you sure it’s human magic?” asked a dryad. “Something about this diagram looks strange.”

  I frowned
. “Yes, that’s one of the parts that I couldn’t understand.” I shuffled through the papers and pointed to other sections. “But these runes here are clearly sorcery, and the list of herbs he used suggests that there’s a little witchcraft in his background as well. He must have blended different types of magic to suit his purposes. That would explain why no one else has been able to crack the secret of the gates before. Few people know how to do more than one type of magic.”

  The dryad frowned. “Then there may be other types of magic in here that come from magikin?”

  I shook my head. “I thought of the same thing, so I flipped through the court documents again. By all accounts, Byrnes was working alone. He wouldn’t have been able to use any other races’ magic.”

  Akasha cleared her throat. “I thought the name sounded familiar, so I looked up Charles Byrnes online. He was the brother of Count Duncan, so he’s at least part Fae. Could it be faerie magic?”

  I flipped through the book, seeing the complicated spells in a new light. Sure enough, this was the key that I had been missing, and now the pieces fell into place. “He used human and faerie magic at the same time. He made himself into a bridge between the two worlds—through the two magics of his ancestry. Of course! That was how he meant to create the connection, linking both sides of the Veil together.”

  I grabbed a pen and the blown-up copies, and began scribbling directly onto the diagrams. Now that I knew what Byrnes had meant to do, I could see the gaps he’d deliberately left in his own notes, critical pieces that I could fill in with my own knowledge. I could complete the spell now. If his formula worked, then I knew how to create a gate into the Otherworld.