“Faeries should stick to arrows,” Jackson said. “Not that Evie-baby needs help. Her aim seems to have improved without instruction,” he added, likely thinking about Dain.
“You're right Jackson, whatever helps kitten grow her skills is the most important part of any instruction. I was able to observe her archery very recently and aim is not her problem. Judgement sounds like a bigger concern.”
I felt myself rile up like the cat Loren accused me of being as he disparaged my judgement. Yes, I may have made a questionable decision when I loosed my arrows on Dain, but there had been extenuating circumstances and the moments after a sexual act were not the time for rational thinking. Emotions were high, I reacted. Dain was the one that told me to rely on my instincts to make decisions.
“Don’t worry, Loren. I plan on acting with cool logic for the rest of this trip. Your swords are safe from my unpracticed fumbling. I won’t need further instruction as long as I get the hell out of Faerie as soon as I can,” I said. Away from the temptation of their bodies was left unsaid in front of my brothers.
“Planning on running again?” Loren said.
“We’ll protect you,” Matthew said so I didn’t have to answer.
“I plan on regrouping now that I have a better idea of what to expect in Faerie. This little side trip should be eye opening, at least,” I said.
“Maybe we can ask about your father while we’re at the pub?” Matthew suggested.
“Uh...” I said, hesitating. Loren had made it clear that searching for my father could be unsafe. I hadn’t known about the Dark Elf reputation before I started this trip, but now I would rather do any further looking on my own and not risk the safety of the twins. Loren had been unsure if he could help heal my mother, so I needed to keep my options open.
“No,” Kheelan said.
“We only came here for him,” Jackson said. Actually, they had come for me and I was the one leading a wild goose chase.
“My mother needs him,” I explained.
“No,” Kheelan repeated. “If you think Dain was angry about your kidnapping and Aeric, letting you chase after your Dark Elf sire would send him into a real rage.”
“What Dain doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” I said.
“I forbid it,” Kheelan said, tone final. “We will settle our business and then provide you escort back to the human realm where you will go immediately to your Marks and beg for their protection.”
Loren coughed, but didn’t say anything.
Jackson’s grip tightened in mine. “Do you not think we can protect our sister?”
“You are not her sworn Marks,” Kheelan retorted.
“In the human realm, I’m sure her Marks would appreciate your assistance in watching over Eve,” Loren said, sounding placating.
“Who do you think escorted Eve out of Faerie the first time?” Matthew said, and he was unusually angry, cutting off Loren before he could answer the question. “We are the only ones that were there to keep her safe while the rest of you threw our sister away after using her. She was a wreck and we’re not about to let her waste another moment over any of you, including Dain.”
I didn’t know the twins had been so upset about it, or that I had done such a poor job covering up my pain. It gave me courage to know they had my back. Power wasn’t everything, loyalty meant more to me than magic or physical prowess. Ai Lung had given me the strength to carry on all these difficult years with her words alone, and when that was gone, a simple look or touch that expressed her empathy.
“Loren, my brothers are more than enough to keep me safe. Nothing exciting happened since I left Faerie except I quit my job at the lab and I won a free coffee on a scratch card.” He already knew about the bathroom rendezvous and I wasn’t about to bring that up in front of my brothers, nor exactly what happened when I quit my job and Eloden helped me rewrite my resignation.
“We will have plenty of time to discuss this on the way back to the human realm,” Kheelan said. “Let’s review what you are supposed to be doing for your disguise before we get into town,” he said, changing subjects.
It was fine. I was done arguing with him anyway. Kheelan would learn the hard way that I didn’t trust him to help me make my decisions anymore. If Loren hadn’t offered to help me with my mother, I would have planned to escape during this side trip along with my brothers. Now, I was going to wait and see what opportunity presented itself.
I woke up this morning and realized how much over my head I had gotten myself with my Marks. It was hard to hold onto my anger when their touch softened me, made me want to hold them tight and never let go. It was the lust that drove my thoughts once they touched me.
This had to be magic, although I wasn’t so sure anymore that it was as simple as a spell cast over me. Something from inside of me seemed to bind them back. Perhaps this was the geas magic, or there was some feminine part of the Mark and Claim magic that was of my own making, accidental or instinctual, a way to keep my Marks close. There wasn’t another female Fae we had come across that I could ask so far, and I refused to inquire about it to one of my Marks and let them know I felt so drawn to them.
Last time I asked Dain if he had used magic to force my feelings he had laughed in my face. The humiliation to me and the advantage it would provide any of them if they knew how I really felt was good reason to keep my feelings quiet. It wasn’t as if there was a cure for lovesickness.
“Eve is your Mistress? Jackson said with a hoot.
It pulled me out of my thoughts, more so because he was loud and obnoxious. I should have known Jackson would react with glee at the idea of me lording it over the Fae. I would have enjoyed it more too, if I didn’t also know this privilege came with a steep price.
“A female Light Fae would have servants to travel with her and provide protection if she wasn’t with her Marks or guardians,” Loren patiently explained. “We didn’t want to shackle Eve and bring her along as a slave.”
“Then what are we going to be?” Matthew asked. He wasn’t stupid. They were both completely human and so far, we had only seen one role for humans, and it involved shackles.
“Her pets,” Kheelan said. He derived pleasure from it, a smirk on his lips as I turned around to shoot him a warning look. Was he trying to start another fight?
“Like Orin?” said Jackson, sounding more confused than insulted. Luckily, he had liked Orin and didn’t see anything wrong with a ‘pet’ also being a man he respected.
Orin would have laughed and made an inappropriate joke. I just sighed relief.
“Twins are unusual in Faerie. Only a wealthy Mistress could afford the price of virile appearing young men to lay with when her Master is busy,” Loren said. “Of course, Kheelan and I will keep her busy enough in public, so you don’t have to play your role too well.”
Twincest! For once, Jackson seemed speechless. That made two of us.
“Uh, you don’t mean ‘pets’ like puppies?” Matthew said, sounding a little choked up with shock himself.
“Do you have a tail to wag? You could try rolling over and showing your belly,” Kheelan said. Oh, he was definitely spoiling for a fight.
“A disguise where my brothers get to stay by my side as pretend lovers while we laugh at the stupid Fae? Sounds perfect to me. It’s not as if we have to do anything more than let others use their imagination to come to the wrong conclusion,” I said, trying to save the argument before it really got started.
“You want to swindle them?” Jackson said, catching on.
“Precisely,” I said.
“You will need collars,” Loren said, ruining the fun.
“I think he literally meant pets, Evie-baby,” Matthew whined to me.
“I have to wear a dress,” I reminded him.
“The collars show your owned status, puppy,” Kheelan said. “And identify that you’ve been properly neutered, so you can be trusted to play with the ladies.”
That was it. I stopped, pivoted to Kheelan and too
k two steps to kick him in the shin. It wasn’t hard but I had made my point.
“You are mouthy for a servant,” I said. “Keep it up and I’ll let the puppies sleep in my bed and you’ll get the floor.”
Kheelan’s smirk dropped from his lips. “We can all sleep on the ground if you don’t wish me to make you a bed, princess. Rocks for your mattress are harder to rest upon.”
“What does a Mistress do to punish unruly servants?” I asked, turning my head towards Loren.
“I really don’t think that will be necessary for our disguises to work. We’ll not even be in town for an hour.”
“Then don’t mouth off,” I said, looking back at Kheelan. “I’ll be forced to make up a punishment on the spot and all I have to go on is what you have told me is done to discipline the opposite sex.” I turned back around and headed towards my brothers. “Thank goodness for equal rights,” I said with a wicked laugh of my own, picturing Kheelan on his knees before me.
“What do they do for punishment here?” Jackson whispered to me, snagging one of my hands. He sounded a bit subdued. The neutering bit may have been too much.
“Oh, the usual,” I vaguely replied, giving Jackson’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Do you think I should take away Kheelan’s sword or bow when I ground him?”
“I vote for corner time,” Matthew said with a laugh, grabbing my other hand as we walked.
Kheelan followed, snapping a stick behind us and I just barely stopped myself from jumping. My brothers were out of the fire but I had leapt right back into it.
“You might be best not to talk at all,” Loren suggested, breaking the tense silence that followed as we walked and Kheelan’s stare burned through my back.
“You want me to be a mute Mistress? Will I use hand signals?”
“We will secure you private rooms at the inn and you may wait for us to conclude our business without more exposure to other Fae than necessary. Your brothers can stay with you for your security,” Loren explained.
It was a good plan. I barely knew anything about Fae culture. It would also give me time to discuss things with my brothers while Kheelan and Loren were unable to listen in.
“Fine,” I agreed.
“You will go straight to the room and lock the door. Do not open it for anyone but us,” Kheelan said, delivering the strict command with more steel than even his usual.
“Hide in my burrow and wait for spring. Got it,” I snarked back. He made me sound like a helpless idiot. Just wait. I was going to listen and learn so I didn’t have to rely on any other Fae to help me.
“Kitten, pubs are dangerous places,” Loren said.
“Alcohol, males and sharp weapons?” I retorted. “It’s an eyeball waiting to be poked out. Don’t worry, I’ll rest on a real bed and catch up on my beauty sleep.”
“Your brothers are armed and they treasure you, princess. Unless you really want to see somebody lose a limb in a fight, I suggest you behave yourself with utmost decorum,” Kheelan said.
Now he sounded like a royal ass. I didn’t have a polite bone in my body and if there was one hiding, I would be sure to break it rather than be a princess for Kheelan. Honey attracted the flies.
“Only one of us is needed to slice off limbs. The other can cover Evie-baby’s eyes so I don’t see any problem here,” Jackson retorted.
Yep, Kheelan had pointed out the concern I had missed. I needed to hide up in my rented room to keep my brothers out of trouble, not myself.
“Bar fights are messy. I might get something on my new dress and I’ve been warned to keep it clean,” I said. “We need to talk anyway,” I told Jackson pointedly. It wasn’t as if Kheelan could say anything about it when he was insisting on locking us away for our own good.
“Don’t be seen or heard. I can’t wait for us to get back home,” Matthew muttered.
I agreed. Faerie wasn’t all that the stories promised.
“We will need to collar you both,” Loren said. “Take a break while I fix the glamour for them,” he added, stopping and bending to grab some leaves off the ground. Did they make everything out of whatever was lying around?
The twins weren’t happy about collars, I’m sure, but they did look curious about magic. I caught both of them eyeing Loren’s handful of dirty leaves and twigs with less trepeditian than I had, although neither shared my fear of creepy bugs.
“Come with me,” Kheelan said, walking ahead on the path.
I followed, having seen Loren’s song and dance before and Kheelan hadn’t really made it a request with his tone. I supposed it was better to have a talk now when there wasn’t enough time to dwell on any consequences. I still felt like a naughty student being called in by the teacher.
“I’ve been thinking about last night,” I said, looking down at my feet so I didn’t trip while trying to talk. Honestly, I felt too clumsy to manage doing what everyone else seemed to do just fine like walking and talking. It had to be the adjustment to my new longer Fae legs still. I refused to admit it might be more that talking to Kheelan alone made me nervous.
We had fucked. Big deal. Kheelan had probably notched his bedpost and moved on already. He hadn’t said anything about it since last night, only Loren still making comments laced with sexual innuendo. All Kheelan wanted to repeat was spanking my ass.
“You think too much,” Kheelan said, unaware of my inner turmoil. He dismissed me, sounding almost bored, definitely distracted with something else. I scowled as he veered off from the path and deeper into the woods.
I followed him, ducking branches that he held for me and told him my problem was that I didn’t think enough before I acted.
Last night was a prime example of that thoughtless action, although I could blame it partly on them as well. It was clear they had planned some of what had happened since Loren had prepared the switches, and I felt that I had been tricked into getting into trouble for their pleasure. The worst thing was I had enjoyed it too much for real regrets, just worries.
“Regrets?” Kheelan softly queried as I ducked another branch he held back. It caught me by surprise and I glanced up at him before I could shutter my reaction from my eyes. Was he reading my mind?
“You said you were thinking about last night,” Kheelan said to my silence. “Regrets?”
I breathed again. He was not reading my mind.
“More like I learned a valuable lesson,” I replied, walking straight past Kheelan without waiting. “Isn’t that what you planned?” I added, finally hinting that I knew he and Loren had set me up last night.
There was a soft chuckle that followed me. “Lessons need reinforcement or they’re quickly forgotten,” Kheelan retorted, snapping a stick that slowed down my angry march. He passed me without another word.
“Where are we going?” I asked once we had walked another couple minutes in silence except for my breaths. Why wasn’t Kheelan breathing heavy from the exertion? We were well out of sight of the others already with the pace he was setting.
“Just a little further, over the hill. I want you to see something,” Kheelan said. He held another branch for me and gestured me to go in front of him as I climbed a steep, rocky incline.
“You made me come all the way out here to see the sights?” I complained.
“Your first view of of the town should not be from below,” Kheelan said.
I don't know why he thought that was so important, but I couldn't hold back a gasp is I finally got my first glimpse of the quaint town we were supposed to visit. It was postcard perfect. My only impression of Faerie so far had been one cage or another, and even the picturesque lagoon had been ruined for me in the end. This valley of fertile and flowering earth next to a sparkling clear lake with majestic mountains in the background was as far from my grey apartment and paddy wagons as a peacock from a sparrow. I blinked and the illusion didn’t break.
“Is it magic?” I asked, awestruck.
Kheelan came up behind me, wrapping his hands around my shoulders and pulling
me back against his solid presence as I stared. He was real and this was his incredible reality. No wonder he thought me a dull mouse.
“Selvyth won’t tolerate imperfection,” Kheelan said.
“Your father?” I clarified.
“My sire,” he said.
Kheelan told me so much in that short declaration. It pained me as I continued to look down at the perfect town that Kheelan would never fit into with his tainted human half like mine. Dain told me once that the Light Fae used beauty and perfection to trick foolish humans into believing they were offering a sweeter deal when bargaining. I had been warned to look deeper.
“And what happens if you're less than perfect?” I asked. “Are you banished from the town? Do you need to hide under a glamour in order to be accepted?”
I thought about my brothers entering the town and wondered how dangerous it might be for them as humans. We had barely escaped our last encounter with Fae that thought themselves superior to us. Were a couple collars and my new glamour going to make a huge difference?
“Outcasts do not enter the towns unless they are glamoured or imprisoned. Selvyth has many soldiers to maintain his order and most of the noble amongst the Light Fae agree with his stringent conditions. They would not dirty their hands to shake with the unworthy, some of the more ignorant even fearing that inferiority could be catching. Many of the Fae with physical imperfections are banished to the Dark Fae realms, or they're lost in the Wild Woods, buried in the dark caverns of the Black Caves or swim to the unseen depths of the Bottomless Ocean. Few break the rules, for those that do carry a price for themselves and any they contact so Selvyth might wipe their radical ideals from his kingdom.”
The lake didn’t sparkle any less bright knowing this terrifying perfection was enforced by Kheelan's mad father. With the sun at its zenith, I could see the entire tiny town in its utmost glory and it still took my breath away, but now my chest tightened in response.
“So, you're sneaking in a half breed traitor and a couple mutts as well as the Halfling that caused your sire to lose face when his encampment was trashed like a bunch of lego blocks knocked down and torn apart and melted into a puddle of rainbow sludge?”
Falling Into Faerie After Page 24