All's Fair in Love and Lion

by Bethany Averie

  Thin peach carpet covers the floor. Near the back, four swivel chairs done in white cushions are set around a patio table. A large peach-and-white umbrella offers some shade from the afternoon sun streaming in from the screened-in windows. Beyond the windows there’s an unobscured view of their backyard. Gigantic rose bushes in full blossom border the yard. A few feet from the door leading out of the sun porch a tall oak tree spreads its thick branches out over the doormat. Another oak stands in the center of the yard with squirrels running through it. I can detect the scent of fresh cut grass mixed in with the roses.

  “Very nice,” I say.

  “I sit out there most days. Especially in the evening. We eat dinner here when the weather is nice. And, as you see, I have our refreshment set out, so why don’t you have a seat? We can chat about your trip.”

  We sit in the swivel chairs and Mel reaches across the table for a pitcher full of lemonade and pours it into two glasses.

  “A friend of Monroe’s has a place on a tropical island.”

  “Nice,” Mel says appreciatively. “The journey went well?”

  Holding my cup of lemonade, I make myself comfortable. “It was smooth. The island was lovely, too. There were lots of plants and flowers. Even a rainforest.”

  “Sounds like my cruise. Was it near the Caribbean?”

  My mouth goes dry in spite of the drink. “I think it’s further out. I’m not sure. I forgot to ask Monroe.”

  She leans in conspiringly. “If you forgot the location, you must’ve been otherwise occupied. Spill the details. What happened?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I know you can’t be a virgin still . . . not after such a trip.”

  I settle back against the chair cushion. “You’re too nosy, and yes, I’m still a virgin.”

  “You’re so old-fashioned.”

  “Monroe is, too.”

  She giggles. “All right, I get your point. You’re a perfect couple.”

  I half-smile. “Glad you noticed.”

  “You’ll be a bride soon.” A faraway look comes into her eyes. “It’ll be beautiful.”

  “I wanted to move it up, but the church was booked.”

  “Any reason you had to have St. Luke’s?”

  “My parents met there. They loved the church and the community.”

  She touches my arm. “I forgot. But you’ve accomplished a lot. Plus, you’re cool, calm, and collected while most brides would be scrambling with last-minute details.”

  I shrug. “Small weddings mean less to do.”

  “True enough. Not like me and Ted’s. My word, I was amazed it ever got planned.”

  My lips twitch. “You didn’t have to have six bridesmaids.”

  “I did need you as my maid of honor, and of course, all the girls from college. They would’ve been hurt if I hadn’t included them.”

  Flashbacks of the bickering flicker in my mind. “I think you could’ve told them to deal with it.”

  “Perhaps I could’ve had fewer attendants. Oh well. Your wedding will be less of a hassle than mine.”

  “Stop comparing.”

  “Those are the facts.”

  I sip my lemonade. “Doesn’t matter.”

  “I’m just excited for you. I’ve never seen you glow the way you do when you talk about Monroe.”

  I wipe the condensation from my glass. “I don’t glow.”

  “Sure you do. Your cheeks flush and your eyes sparkle. Teaching doesn’t even bring as much joy as Monroe does.”

  “I’m not marrying my job.”

  “For a while I thought you were.”

  I meet her gaze. “What do you mean?”

  Mel’s eyes get serious. “I saw the way you hid your feelings. While others got married and had families, you threw yourself into being super teacher. You used to stay late at least once or twice a week, sometimes more. You never said no when they asked you to chaperone. You acted like it was the only lifeline you had. You put your job ahead of me, romance, and even yourself.”

  I glance away. “Maybe it filled a hole in my heart.”

  “Monroe fulfills you in ways the school doesn’t. That was something I couldn’t ignore, despite the fact I hated you were keeping things from me.”

  “Thanks, Mel, for all your support.”

  “No problem. You’re my best friend.”

  Uncomfortable where the conversation might go, I search for a clock. “I don’t have my watch, do you know what time it is?”

  She gets up and looks through the glass doors into the living room. “The wall clock in there says it’s after four.”

  “Oh crap, I need to get home. Monroe and I have dinner reservations and I’m not ready.”

  Her face falls. “Sure you can’t stay longer?”

  “I’m sorry. I promised.”

  “Okay. I guess I’ll walk you out.”

  We head back through the house and out the front door. Outside, she gives me a hug. “Good luck on Monday and give me a call, soon.”

  “Will do.” I get in my car and with another wave, I head back toward my apartment.

  At home, I set my keys on the kitchen counter and toss my purse onto a chair. A note on the table catches my eye.

  My darling Sasha,

  I’m afraid some urgent business has called me away. I’ll return as soon as I can.

  All my love,

  Monroe

  What does this mean? Monroe never cancels. I roam aimlessly around the living room listening to the mantel clock tick. When I can’t come up with an answer, I wander into my bathroom and get into the shower. Anxiety slithers down my spine and a cold sensation seeps into my bones. Something’s very wrong.

  Getting out of the shower, I grab my robe and go back into the living room. My heart freezes.

  A stainless steel butcher knife sticks menacingly out of the counter. With a sense of horror, I approach it. A single sheet of paper peeks out from under the knife. Beside it, the gold version of Monroe’s locket lays smashed beyond repair. Shredded pieces of his photo, along with our sample wedding invitation are scattered around the blade. My throat dries when I read the message.

  Don’t toy with me, little Firstling. Monroe is mine.

  Backing away, I let out a scream.

  Chapter 31: Monroe

  A cry pierces my consciousness. Sasha! I race out of the Council Hall, ignoring the stares of the other members, deaf to their shouts. Outside, I hastily close my eyes and travel home.

  I rip open the front doors and hurry down the hallway. Sasha’s voice echoes in my head. I burst into my den and charge through the rift into Sasha’s apartment.

  “Sasha? Sasha?” I call when I enter into the living room.

  “In here,” she answers faintly.

  I stride into the kitchen and find her huddled on the floor. “What happened? Are you all right?”

  “I’ve received an unwelcome gift.” She points to the counter.

  An ominous sensation coils in my stomach. Approaching the counter, the knot tightens. The gold locket I gave Sasha lays broken on the countertop, the picture torn to bits. Amid the paper, I can make out the sample invitation, ripped into pieces just big enough to identify it. Fragments of the chain are scattered around a huge knife. I peer at the note poking out from underneath the blade. Curses flood out of me. I kneel down beside her. “We’ll find her and take care of this, I promise. The Council will handle it. I’ll go alert the others. Meanwhile, do you have a safe place you can stay for a while?”

  She shakes her head. “If I go somewhere else, people will ask questions I can’t answer. I’ll stay here.”

  My heart lodges in my throat. “Are you sure?”

  “Go tell the Council. I’ll manage.” She smiles weakly.

  “I don’t want to leave you.”

  “Lily may have scared me, however I won’t let her drive me away.”

  “You don’t have to be brave.”

  Our gazes lock. “Yes, I do.”

>   Something in the clear blue depths brings me up short. “Does your determination have anything to do with what happened before? The situation you wouldn’t tell me about?”

  “We don’t have time for me to go into it. Remember, you said you’d trust me.”

  I get up slowly. Part of me shouts to stay and demand answers and the other side knows she’s right. Also, I didn’t even give any reason to the other Council members why I left so abruptly.

  She waves me off and, taking a breath, I run back through the rift.

  “If Lily is the one leaving the messages,” Loralyn says after I explain my sudden departure, “then we have our answer from Alveron.”

  “What do you mean ‘if’? Who else would it be?” I retort.

  Neru raps on the table. Since Delton didn’t appoint a General during the meeting I told Sasha about, the guidelines say the eldest Thirdling will serve as General. I don’t envy Neru. Based on Council bylaws, anytime things get chaotic he has to maintain the order. “Monroe, wait to be called on. I’m not waiving protocol simply because we’re in emergency mode.”

  Annoyed, I sit back in my chair. “Pardon me.”

  “Logic demands we come to the conclusion that makes the most sense,” Neru continues. “Since there’s been no news of anyone else causing trouble, we can safely assume Lily left the note. We need to find both Lily and Alveron and question them.”

  Minuet raises her hand. “None of us have found them. Do you suppose he’s cloaking them?”

  Bast gets recognized and rises. “It kills me to say this, but I don’t think we should waste anymore effort on the search. Let them come to us.”

  My hand flies into the air. When Neru nods I leap to my feet. “Sasha is supposed to remain an open target? No protection whatsoever?”

  Neru nods to Loralyn. “Monroe, no one said she’d be unprotected. We can’t guard Miss Brighton and prepare for Lily and Alveron coming out into the open. Have you gotten a good look at everyone? At yourself? We’ve reached our limits. Any further and we’ll be the next ones attacked. Bast has children, as does Minuet. We can’t put them in such a position.”

  “Excuse me, Neru,” I say. He gestures for me to speak.

  I lower my voice. “I’m sorry. Everyone here has been incredibly supportive and I thank you. I can’t ask anymore of you.”

  “Monroe,” Neru says. “Perhaps there’s something you can do.”

  “What?”

  “Go with Brinda and get the potion.”

  “A little early for that, don’t you think?” Brinda says.

  Neru focuses his gaze on her. “I don’t see any other way, do you?”

  The expression on Neru’s face keeps me from protesting. “All right. I’ll get the potion.”

  When the meeting adjourns Bast catches up to me. “How do you feel about forcing Sasha’s hand?”

  “How do you think I feel?”

  “Like hell.”

  “Worse.”

  “I didn’t want to say this during the Council session,” he says slowly, “but have you considered maybe Lily’s cousin left Sasha those notes? After all, she and Lily fought over you.”

  I pause. “I haven’t seen or heard from Cara in ten years. Besides, it’s not her style.”

  Bast strokes his chin. “Alveron could use it for leverage.”

  “I tell you, it’s not her!”

  “I believe you. The question remains, will Alveron believe Lily left the message or will he think Cara did?”

  “I don’t know.” I haven’t wanted to consider the possibility. But, Bast has a point. Cara would be the perfect scapegoat. It would take Lily making a direct threat or signing her name on the note to prove it wasn’t her.

  “You ready to get the potion?”

  “I haven’t a choice.”

  Walking around the west side of the gleaming fairy palace, I step into a dimly lit cave. Tradition has always been important to the fairies. They can perform magic anywhere; yet, the actual concoctions are made by hand in the caves. I weave around the rainbow-colored stalactites and halt in front of a medium-sized worktable. Brinda steps from behind the table, regarding me with a hard stare. I shift uncomfortably, feeling as if she’s aware of everything in my heart.

  “Do you truly wish to go down this road, Monroe?” she asks.

  I clasp my hands behind my back in an attempt to hide how uneasy I am. “I know how Lily operates. She’ll keep up until she finds a weakness before she strikes. If Sasha becomes a lioness, she’ll be strong enough to stand against Lily.”

  Brinda steeples her fingers and rests them against her lips. Her green eyes turn almost silver in the glow of the sparkling brew on the table. “I’ll need something from you.”

  “What?”

  She wanders over to the far side of the spacious room, and stands on tiptoe in front of a shelf. Reaching up, she grabs a red vial and approaches me. She taps my shoulder. “May I?”

  I raise my right arm. She rolls up the sleeve of my black shirt and her finger stops just above my elbow. “You’ll be perfectly fine. I need a bit of your lion essence to mix with the potion so it’ll work on Sasha.”

  “My essence?”

  “Don’t worry. It won’t harm you.”

  I nod for her to go ahead.

  She begins murmuring in a language so old I don’t even know the words. One hand opens the vial and holds it against my arm. Her silver fingernails dig into my skin. Her face remains impassive and the initial pain disappears. Then a sharp sting emanates from where her hand squeezes my arm as her voice crescendos. Her brows press together in concentration. I brace myself for another wave of pain.

  Suddenly she relaxes and pats my arm. “The potion is ready. Mix it with a full glass of wine. The wine relaxes the body, so it doesn’t reject the change. Generally, these kinds of potions are taken after the marriage takes place, before consummation.” Her gaze pierces me. “The side effects are different for each person, but we do know increased desire is one of them.”

  My mouth goes dry. “If there was another way. If I could become human and the opening sealed . . .”

  “Alveron could make a new entrance. He’s powerful enough.”

  “Hence, my predicament.”

  She places the vial into a dark velvet pouch and hands it to me. As I reach to take the pouch from her she grasps my hand in both of hers. “I cannot tell you how strong her reaction will be.” The urgency in her tone heightens my panic. “Prepare yourselves for whatever might happen. Also, you must be quite certain you will go through with the wedding ceremony.”

  Despite how convinced I am I’ll go through with the marriage, my nerves prick with agitation. “I will. Thank you, Brinda.” Her warning makes me wonder exactly what the side effects are. But, I’m too anxious to get this over with to ask.

  When I arrive home, Ayres corners me in my den. “You can’t take the choice away from her, sir. She must make the decision for herself.”

  I slump in a chair. How did he know? Then again, sprites such as himself always had a way of finding things out. “What else can I do? Lily will strike when we least expect. What if no one is around to protect Sasha?”

  He shuffles around the room. “Lily hasn’t struck in months. Perhaps Alveron talked sense into her.”

  Shaking my head, I get to my feet. “He won’t.” The back of my mind prickles with Clarine’s revelation. It would be like Lily’s relative to use one family member for the revenge of another. They had done it for years, since my great-grandparents’ time.

  Ayres grabs my arm. “Sir, I urge you, don’t force Miss Brighton’s hand.”

  “You think I want to? I don’t have a choice. She must become a lioness.”

  “The potion might not work if it’s not what she wants.”

  My fingers curl into a fist. “Damn it, Ayres, I wish there was another way. The Council agrees with my plan.” I pull out the pouch and run my fingers over the fabric.

  “What if she refuses?”

/>   “I don’t know.”

  “May the Creator preserve us,” he whispers.

  “Amen.”

  Squaring my shoulders, I eye the faint shimmer in the middle of my den. I break through the rift and enter Sasha’s apartment.

  “Oh!” Sasha exclaims, as she looks up from her place at her kitchen table. “You startled me, Monroe.”

  “I’m sorry.” My hand in my pocket, I grasp the pouch. Creator, I hope this is what Sasha wants. If not . . . No, don’t go there.

  She lowers her pen. “What’s wrong?”

  I sit beside her. “I’ve tried coming up with another plan. Heaven help me, there’s no other way.”

  “What do you mean? What did the Council say?”

  I grasp her hands in mine. “The Council has unanimously decided we can’t wait until the wedding for your decision.”

  She shrinks back. “You’re talking in riddles. What’s going on?”

  “Sasha, the only choice we have is for you to become a lioness.” I take a deep breath. “Right now.”

  “You mean this very moment?” A cloud comes over her face. “You told me we had to wait. You also said I had to decide.”

  May the Creator have mercy on me. “It’s not safe for you to remain human.”

  “Why not?”

  “The moment Alveron freed Lily, he changed everything.” I gather Sasha into my arms. “I tried everything else. I considered every possible scenario.”

  She pushes out of my embrace. “You knew he would free her. Why didn’t I drink it before? Besides, aren’t I safer in the First Realm? She can’t transform here.”

  “Even without transforming, Lily will be stronger than you.”

  “How could she get in?”

  “Same way she does anything. Alveron would help her.”

  “Why can’t I handle Lily in my own way? Why don’t you have faith in me?”

  “I never said I didn’t.”

  “You said it was important I make this decision on my own. You never told me the rules could change.”

  I rub her shoulders. “I thought we had time.”

  She shrugs me off. “You didn’t say anything about the decision not being mine before the trip.”