They loved our wings.
The blonde stewardess had even stroked mine before she’d asked me to confine them for the duration of the flight. Once upon a time, I’d have taken her up on the offer inherent in that touch. Now? I just wanted to wash the scent of her palm sweat off of my feathers.
Call me crazy, but even though my wings were still contained, I could scent her on me.
And what that said about how the Virgo bond was changing me had me grunting as I dipped my chin at her and ignored the smiles from the other crew members.
As we made it out the door, I released a sigh of relief. Because we weren’t connected to the terminal, a bus was waiting to transport us over to the airport proper, which meant the second we were on the tarmac, we could fly.
Which was exactly what we did.
Wings finally free, we took off on the final phase of our journey.
I heard the humans gasp as the three of us soared in a sharp ascent, but my concentration was fixed on following the path we’d mapped out during the first hour of the plane journey, and using our magic, we stuck true to the path we’d set.
Humans weren’t all that used to the Fae. We rubbed shoulders, but not as much as we did with the witches and Conclave. Of course, that was because of how we did business. Riel would have scoffed at my use of that word for she still seemed to think the Fae stole magic from the witches, even though we’d told her that wasn’t how it worked, that it was a transaction like anything else.
They gave us magic, we gave the Conclave more power and safety than it would have if it functioned alone. The humans out-populated the witches two to one, the Fae were the only dominant species with four of us for every human. With our might, we kept things in check, especially since the humans seemed to cause the most trouble with their wars—both of the bloody variety and the trade.
Shrugging off those thoughts, I focused on the journey ahead of us. Because of our current location, we remained below five hundred feet. With aircraft coming in and out of the airport, we’d have been stupid not to abide by the low flying rules, but the second we were free and clear, we used the air flurries to speed up and to reduce the strain on our wings. Though we were capable of flying long distances, it was only through gliding and using the wind currents. To outright fly for hours on end would decimate our reserves.
As it stood, we needed twice the amount of food the other species did just to maintain our stamina, and even though the crew had fed us well, I was already feeling the effects of not having eaten enough for just under two days.
Matthew, in the front as was his due as our leader, swooped down so his cell could ping one of the towers and he could track our journey. It was a testament to our exhaustion that we were relying on human tech and not our magic, but our fatigue was growing in time with our impatience to reach Riel.
“It’s over by the east point,” he called out, when he ascended to our height once more.
I scanned ahead, and spying a kind of peninsula that jutted out into the ocean, I nodded. “He lives on there?”
Daniel whistled. “Sol, he retired well, didn’t he?”
He wasn’t kidding. The peninsula was a long, thin track of land from this height, but up close? It would be a solid belt, and from here, it was evident there was only the one sprawling house. Sure, there were other smaller roofs, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out they weren’t residences, but outhouses and garages.
Palm trees covered most of the space, as well as other trees that gave the place a kind of unkempt, tropical jungle feel. Whether that was an attempt to hide out or because my father’s troupe brother had a green thumb, I wouldn’t know until I met him.
As we descended, we crossed the path of another troupe who was heading in the other direction. At least, that was what I figured.
“Are you the vil der Luir runt?” one of them hollered, making me grimace.
Sol, I hated it when they called us runts.
This troupe was a set of six—an unusual number, but sometimes, troupes were brought together to manage a bigger terrain. It was odd, but not odd enough to make me forget his insult.
“Yeah, I am,” I called out, braking to a halt even though I didn’t want to.
It was common courtesy when crossing paths with another troupe to check in and ascertain if extra aid was needed—even if, officially, we weren’t a troupe yet. But in this instance, it was clear that these guys served the local Assembly and wanted to make sure we weren’t barging in on their territory. That, I determined, from the way they were posturing like goddamn peacocks—Sol, if they stuck their chests out anymore, it would make their wings cave in.
“There a reason you’ve come to our territory?” the leader inquired, hands fisted at his sides with an aggression that didn’t befit the situation. We definitely posed no threat, but you’d never have figured that from the way this dick was reacting.
It was unusual for me to speak when Matthew was our leader, but as they’d called for me by name, it wasn’t like I had much of a choice.
Even if it did break protocol.
“Yes,” was all I said, not giving shit away.
He scowled. “What reason might that be?”
“My father will have explained—”
“He explained jack. Just put in a polite request that his son’s troupe be allowed into our terrain without conflict. And everyone fucking knows that if Noa vil der Luir tells you to suck someone’s cock, you do it. Doesn’t matter if you’re straight, gay, or in between.”
My jaw flexed at that. Even though I’d used my father’s power to our gain tonight, I didn’t like being reminded of it. Especially not when it was in the middle of a dick-measuring contest when I hadn’t whacked mine out yet.
“He told you everything you needed to know,” Matthew stated firmly, taking control, and I was glad for it.
If he handled this, then I wouldn’t blow my top, and even though a few short weeks ago, I’d been renowned for my cool, that had been before Riel.
Post-Riel Joseph was a whole different kind of beast, one that even I didn’t fully understand.
“He told us shit,” the other leader scoffed, his wings lazily fluttering as he kept himself at our height.
“It’s on a need to know basis.”
“And we need to fucking know because this is our territory,” the male snarled, his temper apparently stung.
I didn’t flinch from it, not even when he surged forward in an aggressive move. He didn’t withdraw his sword, however, so I just held my place as he came toward me, not stopping until there was only a foot of air between us.
At my side, I felt the air shift and heard feathers rustle. Knowing that Daniel was only being held back by Matthew added to my confidence. In response, a male with red-tinged blond hair surged forward before coming to an abrupt halt as Daniel fucking snarled at him. Sol, I even heard him snap his goddamn teeth like a dog!
These men were hardened troupe brothers, but they weren’t Virgo who desperately sought their mate. That made us mad, bad, and dangerous to know, and they were getting in our fucking way—seemed like they knew it too. Probably thought Daniel had rabies or something.
“You need to know shit,” I spat at him, that restless feeling overtaking me again as I was being kept from my original intent.
That Riel was so close and yet so fucking far away had my body in a state. This fucker was getting in the way of me and my woman, Sol, us and our woman. Daniel was even likelier to beat the shit out of him than I was, and I was on edge like you wouldn’t believe.
The male hissed, “You come into my territory and—"
I shoved my hands against his shoulders and snarled, “It’s my father’s personal business.” Not a lie, but a half truth. My business was my father’s business, as it affected the line. “And if you want more answers, talk to the Assembly liaison who passed the message down to you,” I retorted, letting him know that, in the grand scheme of things, whether our troupe was official or not,
I was still higher up the hierarchy than this idiot.
He gritted his teeth, his white blond hair flowing about his shoulders as he snapped, “See to it that you leave as quickly as your business allows. We’ve no need for your aid.”
“We’re not here for you,” Matthew snarled, his own temper riled. “Let us be on our way and we can get the fuck out of Honolulu.”
The leader sneered at him, but he let his wings stop moving so he could drop away from us and use the momentum to find flurries beneath him.
With the rest of the troupe doing the same, we were suddenly facing open air once more and, of course, Linford’s property was thankfully in sight again.
“What the Sol was that about?” Matthew rasped, twisting around to stare at the retreating troupe. “And why so many of them? It’s not like Honolulu is a hot bed for—”
“I don’t give a shit why they’re here. Let’s get Riel,” I interrupted, bursting forward before he could posit a theory.
It didn’t matter why the Assembly thought the region required a troupe that size, and neither did it matter why that troupe thought we were a threat, all that mattered was Riel.
My control had finally burst a gasket, and the next fucker who got in my way?
He wouldn’t be flying away without blood having been spilled.
❖
Matthew
I liked to think I was a logical person. Having been raised in my household, it came as par for the course. My grandfather, with his effortless wisdom and life experience, had played a large part in my teachings and as a result, I had an older head on my shoulders than most Fae my age.
With my uncle’s shame and the way we’d all been shunned, my mother had grown bitter, my father hadn’t truly been affected as head of the line, but he was still busy, and for myself and my brothers, we’d been shunted along to my father’s father… something I’d always be thankful for, even if it had come at the cost of my family name.
Still, even my limits were breached by the other troupe’s defiant ways and bad attitude. Seph’s control had finally ruptured, and Daniel—Sol, I was surprised he hadn’t launched himself at them more than once throughout that interaction. He’d allowed me to hold him off, even if I’d strained to achieve that feat.
Though even my rationale was under strain thanks to the time and distance apart from Riel—I was still feeling, keenly, each hour of the eleven-hour flight and each mile of the five thousand that had parted us—I knew what had just happened was important.
There was a reason why we’d been approached, a reason why Honolulu had a troupe so large. The details would have to wait until later though. We were nobody, not even a real troupe in the eyes of the Assembly, so it wasn’t like it even affected us but… as logical as I was, I knew to listen to my gut. Said gut was bleating like a lost lamb in the middle of a hurricane.
And what it was telling me?
To get Riel off this island.
Blowing out a breath as we surged into the currents, we soared high before swooping low as we finally, finally approached the house.
It was early morning, still dark enough to make visibility for humans hard, but there was a low-lit path in the garden of the property that reminded me of a runway.
“I think that’s a hint on where to land,” Seph hollered, sounding amused.
Daniel didn’t even grunt, if anything, he increased his speed to the point that I knew he’d be aching tomorrow and would be eating for three as soon as he processed Riel was with us once more.
As we glided into a descent, we were greeted by the tropical garden we’d been promised from above. It was a personal jungle, that much was clear. As our feet connected with soft grass, we swerved around to take it all in. Everything from heavy palms to huge ferns that swayed in a gentle breeze, which had a set of windchimes playing a song for us too, spoke of a tropical paradise. There were hundreds of flowers, more green than I’d seen in Kew Gardens, and a lush ripeness to the air that came from the dew on the foliage.
“She’ll be glad you’re here.” The voice came out of the darkness, and I swerved to find the source.
The male, dressed in a loose kaftan, was leaning against a tree that soared ten feet above his six feet. The branches were spread wide and apart, and the leaves weren’t busy, didn’t cling to the branches like a regular tree, but lay flat as though they were a tray and the branch was an arm that was holding it out. At his feet, there were these weird little flowers that were a dull gold. At least, I figured they were flowers. They looked like dangling mushrooms, well, if that was even possible.
“Are you Linford of troupe Glas?” I asked by way of greeting—everyone knew Noa vil der Luir’s troupe name, even if it was long forgotten that other warriors had served in it who weren’t from that family line.
The male, his hair a bright silver and his face a stony mask, dipped his chin. “You’re the vil der Luir fledgling troupe.”
Respectfully, I dipped my chin too. “I’m the leader. I’m vil der Soe.”
Interest flared in the other male’s eyes, an interest that I knew was spawned from my uncle’s perfidy. It had been a long while since a Fae had been punished as badly as my kin had. “Truly?”
“Why would I lie?” I inquired, spreading my arms wide. “It’s not like I’d admit to it, is it?”
“You’re not wrong.” He moved, all so he could wag his finger at me. “That’s integrity for you. Never be ashamed of your family name, even if the Assembly wants you to be.”
“Uncle committed—”
Linford waved a hand. “We’re soldiers. Death is our language. Unfortunately. Politics decides which death is just and which is wrong. Your uncle was a fool in siding against the Assembly. As for the rest… it’s a lesson to always go where the wind of politics takes you.”
“Until that wind changes and turns more liberal,” Seph said dryly, before tacking on, “or more conservative.”
“True, but the Assembly takes a century to change. If you can’t discern that in time and make amends in other ways, you’re a fool and deserve the punishment.”
“Look, where’s Riel?” Dan snapped, making my lips twitch as his shoulders bunched and he stormed forward toward the other, older male.
I had to admit, for someone seething with impatience, he’d been surprisingly tolerant thus far.
“She’s sleeping still. Portals knock it out of you,” Linford informed us.
Having never been through one, I couldn’t say if he was lying or not, but he didn’t give off a bad vibe. Not like the troupe we’d just clashed with had.
“Come with me and I’ll take you to her.”
He turned his back on us and began to walk through the wilds of his garden. Because my instincts weren’t on red alert, I decided to follow him. At first, I thought he was taking us along a path of his own making, but upon closer inspection, I saw we were walking down a marked plot. The long, thin corridor of tiny, white pebbles was only as wide as two feet, and obviously designed so as to not encroach upon the garden.
Daniel was at the head of the line as we followed Linford through a garden that was even lusher than I’d imagined. Everything from trees with spiky bark to overflowing bushes of what looked like succulents. They had huge, bulbous flowers on them, so large and red that they looked like grapes.
When a house appeared in the near distance, it caught my attention. Low slung, it was larger than the bird’s eye view indicated, but because it was one story, not as expansive.
The white stucco walls belonged on a beach somewhere, and the decking was set with several kinds of swinging chairs. Anything from a hammock that drifted languidly in the breeze under a large palm umbrella to clusters of sun loungers that were aerial.
The sight wasn’t that unusual. We preferred to be airborne as a rule, and that kind of seat was something an aging Fae would prefer. I could already tell from his bowed back and his drooping wings that hung low to the ground that Linford was not as young as he appeared.
We’d known each other such a short time, and yet, my whole world was suddenly shifting, morphing into one that had her at its epicenter. But I didn’t know her. How could she mean so much and still be a stranger to me?
I felt the lack like a hole in the heart, and knew that, even if this bond confused the Sol out of me, what mattered most was coming to know her. Something I intended to get started on the second she was awake and functioning.
When we’d finally crossed the garden and were on the decking, Linford led us around the side of the house. When I saw a small building, it didn’t come as a surprise considering I’d seen there were several roofs as we’d descended, but it was cute nonetheless. Thatched with straw, the walls weren’t straight, if anything, they were skewed. There was a set of French doors that were open and some white linen curtains swung in and out, drifting on the wind.
He waved an arm and murmured, “These are her… your quarters during your stay here.”
“Thank you,” Daniel rasped, taking me and the older man aback by grabbing Linford’s hand and pumping it. “Thank you for keeping her safe for us.”
The somber lines on the man’s face eased up at that. “It’s my duty. You don’t have to thank me for it.”
“Duty needn’t always be thankless,” Daniel countered, and before Linford could argue, he twisted around and stalked between the doors.
I dipped my chin in farewell, as did Seph, and we parted ways in silence.
Seph moved inside first and I hesitated outside the doors for just a handful of seconds. It was strange, knowing your life was going to change, and knowing exactly when and how.
The Ascended: The Eight Wings Collection Page 29