by Kimbra Swain
“We will find a way to make him whole again,” I said. “He saved my life. When you talk to the wolves, you tell them. He sacrificed himself for me which means he did it for them too. Without me in charge here, I doubt the shifters would be allowed to stay.”
“I’ll try,” he said. “I need to go see my family.”
“They are upstairs with Winnie. Please keep them up there,” I said, as Tabitha turned down the hallway carrying a backpack. Levi followed close behind her. Troy slipped into the room with Dominick.
“What are the centaurs doing?” he asked, pointing at the front door.
Tennyson had been leaning on the side wall of the hallway listening to our conversation. “Marshall was my inside guy. When Rhiannon came through the rift, she decided she was going to go after your children. Marshall and his men backed off. She was pretty pissed when she left, but she left alone.”
“That leaves her vulnerable,” I said.
“Very,” he said with a devious grin very unbecoming of such a noble knight. I loved it.
“She’s the key to freeing Shady Grove. Stephanie was right when she taunted me. My father never lifted my banishment. It was given by a joint council. They would have to vote me back in,” I said.
“Then we stack the councils in our favor,” he suggested.
“I like how you think,” I admitted.
“We aren’t so different, Grace,” he smiled.
A groan from the bedroom brought me back to the dire situation at hand.
“We have to find a way to help him,” I said.
“I’ll start looking. We owe him that much for taking the hit for you,” Levi said. “Go check on him. You might be the only one that can keep him sane and calm through this.”
I tilted my head sideways, because it was a generous offer for Levi who didn’t like Nick.
“Yeah, whatever. I’m a good guy. Blah, blah,” he said.
“You are the best,” I replied just before entering the room with Dominick writhing on the bed in pain.
“Levi, we could use a song,” I suggested. He didn’t come into the room, but from the hallway, he played a soothing tune from the hallway.
“You should have left me. Damn it. I’m useless now,” Dominick growled at Troy who was trying to calm him down.
“Troy, go to your family,” I said. The statement was laced with power which he clearly felt since his eyes bulged widely.
“Um, you sure?” he asked. I nodded. He rushed past me to get out of the room. I could imagine he was feeling cagey and vulnerable. It could have happened to him.
My eyes landed on Dominick who stared at the window. The curtains were pulled shut, so he was just refusing to look at me. Tabitha moved around the room laying out crystals to cage in healing power. His naked body laid under the sheets with his left arm on top.
“Nick,” I said, but it came out not much louder than a whisper.
“Please leave me alone. I want to go home,” he said.
I sat down on the edge of the bed. Leaning down over him, I placed a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Dominick. I swear to you that we will fix this.”
“It can’t be fixed,” he said.
“And a girl in a trailer park can’t be a fairy queen. I’m all about disproving the can’ts in this world. Yours is next,” I said.
His deep green eyes met mine. “If it were anyone else, I would tell them they were insane. You would do it to spite me.”
“Yes, I would,” I said with a smile. I saw a hint of light in his eyes for a moment, then it was gone.
“Where is she?” I asked.
“Finley has been keeping an eye on her down at the jail. I saw to it that the security there was increased since Mable escaped,” Tennyson said.
We sat inside the office in my trailer. Levi leaned on the desk, listening to the conversation.
“Thank you for taking the risk to get us out,” I said.
“I should have gone with you. Grace, I’ve lived a very long life. The curse of the Forsaken doesn’t scare me anymore. Perhaps I’m due that punishment for what I did to your father,” he said.
“No, I won’t allow it. It’s time to move on from those old ways. Seeing Brockton in Winter made me sick. The way he talked and treated people, and the truth is, most of the fairies I used to know acted the same way. I’m not like that, neither are you.”
“Thank you, Grace. What do you want us to do with Stephanie?” he asked.
“I want her dead, but she swears if we take off the helmet something crazy will happen. I think she is lying,” I said.
“Actually, I was reading in some of the texts that Tennyson acquired about the helmet. I think you either have to claim your throne to take it and use it. Even if you kill her to get it, you wouldn’t be able to use it. I’m concerned that because she technically owns it right now, taking it might cause it to lose it’s magic,” Levi explained.
I thought for a moment. Was I willing to sacrifice the helmet to kill Stephanie? There were so many people in town on edge that she was still alive and in town. I knew that Brockton wouldn’t come after her. Not even for the helmet.
“Maybe we don’t need it,” I said.
“Let’s not make any rash decisions. With its power tied to the veil between worlds, we need to be careful with how we handle this. We don’t want to provide Brockton with what he wants,” Tennyson warned.
“Do you think that it could happen? That the helmet is not just what helps you see the veil and manipulate it, but it is the power that holds the veil in place?” I asked.
“It would make sense. He wanted you to kill her,” Levi said.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” I muttered.
“I’ll see what else I can find out. In the meantime, we need to keep plenty of security on Stephanie. I’ll be providing some of my private contractors to help Troy. I suggest that one of the knights be there at all times as well,” Tennyson said.
“I’ll get with everyone and set up a rotation schedule,” Levi said.
“Aren’t you just a team leader?” I joked.
Levi shrugged, “And here I thought I was the king.”
“You are to me,” Tennyson said.
Levi had been joking, but Tennyson was serious.
“Thanks,” Levi said.
“Have a good evening. I will be in touch soon,” Tennyson said, then exited the office.
“Wow,” Levi muttered.
“You’ve earned your place,” I said.
“You see it the same way?” he asked.
“Of course,” I said.
Levi’s phone rang before he could answer. “Hello.”
The voice on the other end sounded like my brother.
“Yes, she is right here. Hang on,” Levi said, handing me the phone. “Where is your phone?”
“Left it at home,” I said.
“Grace,” he scolded. I brushed him off and took the phone from him.
“Hello, Finley.”
“Hey, Glory. I wanted to ask a favor,” he said.
“Aren’t you with Stephanie?” I asked.
“I was, but Astor came to relieve me for a little bit,” he explained.
“Oh, okay,” I replied. “What do you need?”
“I know you invited me to the family dinner tomorrow, but does that mean Riley is invited too?” he asked. This day was coming no matter how much I dreaded it. Levi nodded.
“Yes, Riley is welcome to come,” I replied.
“Wow. I didn’t expect that,” he said.
“What would you have done if I said no?” I asked.
“I would have told you to fuck off,” he replied.
“Love you, too,” I responded quickly.
“Thank you, Grace. She’s different. I swear it,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter. It’s who you have chosen. I have no say in it,” I replied. “But you are still my brother and I love you. It’s not about accepting her. It’s about loving you.”
“See yo
u tomorrow,” he said with an excitement in his voice I hadn’t heard in a while.
“Bye,” I replied, then hung up. “You sure?”
“What you said is true. He’s family,” Levi replied.
“Just give me a sign! Anything,” I begged, looking up to the trees swaying above me. Their bare branches had prepared for winter. Only a few last holdouts hung precariously shifting in the breeze. It was abnormally warm for November, and I’d gotten lost thinking about the war. I found myself here. Our place. I would have liked to call it that, but we had only been here once.
I kicked at the water in frustration. “Dylan! Is it worth it?” I asked, waiting for a sign. I couldn’t go to the stone anymore for fear of running into the Brownie BDSM harem or worse, Lilith. I doubted that he could hear me anyway.
After reflecting on our short jaunt into the Otherworld, we came out of it virtually unscathed. Except for Dominick. His life would never be the same. How many people would die the next time? How many injuries beyond repair? Was this war worth it?
Perhaps my best option was just to protect Shady Grove and my children. Let the Otherworld go into ruin. Let Brockton destroy the veil. We would stay safe here. I could control this.
“You were always here to tell me what to do!” I screamed.
Standing in the center of the creek, where Dylan and I had our last picnic together, I had hoped to find answers. Something to guide me. I felt the urge to right the wrongs. Forgive the forsaken. Restore the exiles. But at what cost?
Who would be next? Whose leg? Arm? Heart? Life?
I buried my face in my hands and pleaded for help. “Just show me the way,” I mumbled. The water rushed between my legs with a cool urgency. It wasn’t as cold as I expected it to be. However, my frustration had my heart rate up and pounded. I started to cry out again, but then he spoke.
“Grace?”
Levi.
His feet hit the water in a rush splashing it in different directions. I refused to look up at him, but his arms encircled me.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked.
“Standing in the creek,” I mumbled.
“Who were you talking to?” The concern dripped from his voice. His fingers flexed into my back as if they were massaging the answers out of me.
“Him.”
“Dylan.”
“Yes.”
“Did he answer you?”
“Hell no,” I muttered. He let out a light laugh. “You didn’t take off your shoes,” I said still looking down.
“I didn’t know what you were doing. They will dry out. Talk to me,” he said lifting my chin.
My eyes met his deep blues. “Levi, you are in the water,” I said.
“Um, yeah,” he said.
“No, you don’t understand. It didn’t matter how connected I was to Dylan. I could never get him to lighten up and get in this creek with me. He always had an excuse not to jump in. They were legitimate, but he never took that step. But here you stand,” I laughed.
He shook his head. “Grace, I’d follow you anywhere. In the water. To the darkest parts of the Otherworld. Hell, I’d go to war with you.”
My breath caught in my throat, and I didn’t think. I pressed my lips to his which parted slightly allowing me access. His fingers dug into my back pressing me closer to him, but his lips barely moved. A light caress of his against mine. A vibrating tingle launched through my body like a warm blanket stretching to my toes.
“Grace,” he gasped. I withdrew from his mouth, but he held me close, staring into my eyes.
“I got my answer,” I said.
“Um, hang on a minute. I’m processing,” he said.
I giggled. “Sorry.”
“Hell no. Don’t be sorry! Ugh! Please, don’t be sorry,” he said. “Can I do it again?”
“No,” I said.
“Why?” he moaned like a lost puppy. I laughed.
“No,” I repeated with a smirk. Then pulling the power of the wind stone I throttled that power into my hand, shoving him into the creek. I ran for the bank while his head found the surface of the water.
“Grace Ann Bryant!” he exclaimed. “You are a fucking tease!” He rose up out of the water soaked to the core, then darted out after me.
“Yes, I am,” I said, then skipped home.
He was right on my heels as I rushed into the house laughing and running. I burst through the front door causing Aydan and Callum to jump to their feet.
“Mom!” Aydan exclaimed.
Before I could answer, Levi came barreling into the room dripping water everywhere.
“He’s chasing me!” I screamed, running around the room trying to stay away from him.
Aydan and Callum started laughing. Winnie cheered for Levi. The little traitor.
“Get her, Uncle Levi,” she yelled.
“Oh, I’m going to get her alright!” Levi grinned.
I squealed as he launched himself toward me, but I ran around the couch. We circled the couch while I protested.
“You are getting the floor, the rug, and everything else soaking wet!” I said.
“Everything?” he asked.
“Not everything,” I retorted.
“You sure?” he asked, darting around the corner and grabbing my arm. He jerked back hard enough to make me stumble. He caught me, but wrapped me up with his drenched clothes.
“Damn it! I’ve got to change my clothes now, Levi!” I said.
The kids were laughing as he made an extra effort to rub as much as the water on me as possible.
“That’s what you get for shoving me into the creek!” he said.
“You shoved him in the creek?” Aydan asked.
“Maybe,” I said.
“That wasn’t very nice, Mommy,” Winnie said.
“He deserved it,” I protested.
“Why? What did he do?” Aydan asked.
Levi and I froze.
“I kissed her,” Levi said in my head. I gasped for a moment thinking he said it out loud. “Gotcha!”
He thought himself quite the comic because he guffawed at the joke.
“Not funny,” I muttered. “I’m going to change.” I grinned at him, because he couldn’t quit laughing.
“But what did he do?” Winnie persisted.
“He was very naughty,” I said, stomping off to change my clothes.
“Might want to change your panties while you are at it,” he said.
“Very, very naughty!” I continued.
He continued to laugh as I made my way to the bedroom. Once inside, I shut the door, then leaned on the back of it. “Holy shit,” I muttered. “What did I just do?”
“I don’t know, but you are going to do it again. Soon!” he said.
“Get out of my head!” I protested.
“I meant it, Grace. Kiss or no kiss. I’d follow you anywhere,” he said.
If this was Dylan’s version of an answer, it was definitely twisted. I could almost hear him laughing. I’m sure there was an “I told you so” somewhere in there.
Aydan and I sat on the front porch drinking lemonade after I’d changed into dry clothes while Callum in wolf form chased Winnie through the yard. Rufus stood at the window inside barking at them.
“Hush, Rufus! I’ll let Callum eat you,” I said.
“Mom, you never talked to me about what happened with Atohi,” he said.
“I’ve been kinda busy,” I replied. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I just know that I felt inside of me the need to make it right again. It was my responsibility,” he explained.
“Your father felt the same way about things sometimes,” I said.
“So, it’s the Thunderbird in me,” he surmised.
“Yes. I’m proud of you for sticking up for Callum,” I said.
“It’s nice to have a friend. After we talked about what happened with
Atohi, I knew I would help him in whatever way I could,” he said.
“Did he tel
l you what happened in the ring with Athoi?” I asked.
“Yep. He said that he had always done what Atohi said because they were both Native American, and Atohi was his elder. He didn’t know that Atohi wanted to kill him,” he said.
I kissed him on the cheek. “I’m proud of you, Aydan. Dylan would be proud of you too,” I said.
“Thanks, Mom,” he said as he watched Callum chasing Winnie.
Winnie took to Callum very quickly. I supposed it was her friendship with Mark which made her accept him into the household. I’d gained another child. At least Callum was grown. Well, mostly.
Later today, we would take Dominick back home. He lived alone in a small farmhouse just down the road from Troy and Amanda. We were only waiting on the final vote from the werewolves on whether he would be accepted back into the pack. His mental state wavered over the last few days. The impending vote would determine whether he recovered fully or not.
“Where’s Uncle Levi?” Aydan asked.
“He went to town for something. He’s up to no good,” I said.
“Mom.” His voice was quiet, but not a whisper.
Looking down at him, his bright blue eyes met mine. “What is it?”
“I’m sorry I grew up so fast,” he said.
I grinned. “Aydan, that wasn’t your fault. You have no reason to apologize. I love you all the same. You are the part of Dylan that I got to keep. That and your sister’s fiery explosions.”
He smiled at that. “She’s a hot mess,” he said.
“Well put!”
“I wish I could have known him,” he said.
“He was the best thing that ever happened to me, but now you are,” I said. “So, I have to be thankful for what I have instead of the years that were never meant to be. Besides, you will always be my baby boy.”
“I love you, Mom,” he said, hugging me from the side.
I wrapped my arms around him and kissed the crown of his head.
“Go chase the wolf and phoenix. I’m going to check on Nick,” I said.
After putting our empty glasses in the sink, I made my way down to the room where Nick stayed. I could never convince him to come out even just to watch television with us. The door was open, but I knocked.
“Come in, Grace,” he said.
He sat across the room in a soft velvet wing chair. He was wearing a green and black plaid shirt and jeans. I sat down on the bed with my legs folded under me.