by Jaymin Eve
His eyes met mine and I swallowed.
Violet stepped in beside me. “Ready?”
I turned around to see all four guards playing poker on the ground, looking confusedly at their cards.
“Ready,” I said.
Kade opened the door for all of us as we piled out of the building and into a deserted side alley. He took one look at his eagle and then nodded. Nix pushed off of his leather shoulder guard and her wings opened, taking flight.
She was beautiful. Violet, Calista, and I all gave an audible gasp at the sheer size of her wingspan. It must had been ten feet wide; she was nearly touching the walls of the alley as she flew higher and higher to the top of the city. Wow, a familiar with size to rival Finn. Luckily her bonded shifter was a giant. No one else would have been able to support the massive familiar on their shoulder. Finn, in his dog form, started barking and running in circles looking up at her.
“Finn! No time for playing,” I playfully scolded, and the king laughed, deep and husky, and … focus.
Gerald, who’d clearly been the lookout, crossed over to stand with our group. He gave me a deep bow. “Your Majesty. Thank you for the invitation into your territory.”
Always the diplomat. Though I liked that the bears’ lead war councilman had acknowledged that I had invited them into my territory. I smiled genuinely, unable to resist. Some people just gave off a first impression that stuck with you. I was comfortable around Gerald after his honesty at our first meeting and the respect he’d shown me.
I quickly introduced him to everyone and noticed his eyes lingered on Calista just a little longer than was necessary.
“Now, the woman we’re looking for has a lioness familiar disguised as a golden lab. I have some suspicions that she is either directly involved, or may know who was, with our late queen’s murder, so I want to find her and question her.”
Gerald tightened his grip on his hip where I assumed he had a weapon stashed. “How about Lady Calista and I walk ten paces behind you and the king. Violet can be across the street with Finn, giving us a wider vantage point. If she sees anything, she can communicate to you through Finn.”
Kade put his hands up. “Gerald, this isn’t our mission. Let’s see what the queen wants to do.”
I smiled. “No, no, that’s a good plan. Thank you.” It kept everyone safe but didn’t have us clustered together to scare her off.
Gerald gave me a slight bow. “Sorry, I’m used to being in charge of these things.”
No doubt two heads of the royal races had never gone on a mission together. I waved him off. “It’s quite alright. Let’s move out.”
The king stepped in beside me as Violet hooked Finn up to his leash and Calista stood awkwardly next to the hulking mass of muscle that made up Gerald. The moment we stepped out of the alleyway, Violet took off across the street with Finn, and Kade and I took a left, walking at a leisurely pace.
“I’ve never been to Queens,” he said, and it dawned on me that he had probably only ever been to Manhattan, and then only on official business.
“I’ve never been to Staten Island or Brooklyn.”
He slanted an amused glance in my direction. This was such an insane conversation. I wasn’t sure a bear king and wolf queen had ever had a conversation like ours. Or a friendship. “Well, you should come by sometime for a tour. Coney Island is a blast.”
“So I’ve heard,” was all I said. I couldn’t really just “come by for a tour,” it would need to be official business. People would talk.
The king gave me a side look. “Do you still draw?”
“Huh?” Then it dawned on me. When I was fifteen I had been into manga art. I tried desperately to draw like the illustrators did but I was awful. When he had met me at the Island I’d had a sketchbook with me.
I laughed. “No, that was a phase. Never stuck.”
I searched my mind for a memory of what he told me he used to like to do back then. I’d spent so much time trying to repress that day. Then I recalled a fact that had intrigued me at the time.
“Do you still play that drum?”
His whole face lit up, and for a second I had to remind myself to breathe – and that he was a bear. “The tabla. Yes, I do.”
Golden retriever, three o’clock, Finn reported.
I darted my eyes around until I spotted it. “Three o’clock,” I said to Kade.
The dog was alone, which was suspicious, as most dogs in the city were walked by owners, and strays were picked up by animal control. The dog was sitting at the entrance to Astoria Park across the street. Astoria Park was huge, like roughly sixty acres huge. They had a skate park, public pool, running track and more. It would be hard to find anyone in there unless they wanted to be found. When we were within five feet of the golden lab she turned and began to walk away, peering over her shoulder to make sure we were following.
The king and I shared a look. That wasn’t a normal dog. We followed her past the dozens of people playing sports or lounging on blankets reading in the afternoon light, until finally she crested the hill and began leading us to the water. Near the bridge. I looked behind me and was happy to see Calista and Gerald not far away. They were chatting and Calista looked slightly uncomfortable; this was probably her first conversation with a bear shifter. Focusing toward the bridge again, there was now a tall, lanky woman waiting just at the water’s edge, her blue gauzy dress billowing in the wind, as was her long black, silky hair. The dog trotted to her side.
Her expression was unreadable. As we neared, Kade seemed to take point, orienting himself so that he was slightly in front of me. I wasn’t sure if this was a bear custom, or just a Kade thing, but it was time for him to learn that wolves did not shelter their females. We were not defenseless.
In a smooth, quick movement I stepped around him and made my approach to the female.
“Who are you and why have you been following my … dog?”
I decided it best not to use the word familiar until she admitted that she was a magical being.
She made a fist with her left hand and held it lightly to her chest, bowing her head. “Your Majesty, I meant no disrespect, but I saw no other way to get your attention.”
Your Majesty … she knew of our world but wasn’t a wolf. I could tell that immediately. She also didn’t scent as bear, or magic born. Plus, magic born were lacking in skin and hair pigmentation and she was clearly filled with color. Her skin pink with the flush of vitality, hair rich and vibrant, depthless almost, despite the black coloring.
There was an odd energy about her, and yet I didn’t feel a threat. I decided to cut straight to the point.
“You still didn’t tell me who you are.” I narrowed my eyes at her. Violet had taken a walk down the sandy beach and now stood about twenty feet to my right, watching, waiting. Calista and Gerald were behind us and well within earshot.
She sighed, as if this conversation was already paining her.
Buckle up, lady, I’m only just getting started.
“I am what you suspect and I don’t have much time here.”
Her dog whined and she silenced it with a look.
Kade cut in: “You’re a fae?”
I’d been avoiding saying that directly. Probably because once it was confirmed I’d not be able to lie to myself any longer about the possibility of their return.
She nodded. “I am. And my world is…” Her voice faltered and I noticed her appearance change. Her ears grew to pointy tips and her nose slightly more upturned. Her eyes went from an uninteresting dull blue to this wash of greens and blues that would have made the ocean jealous. Through these colors were sparkling streams of light, unnaturally illuminating her eyes. The humanness she’d been exuding was gone, and in its place was a being of such ethereal beauty that I almost couldn’t look directly at her.
“I’m not very powerful and I cannot hold an illusion for long. I was sent here to warn you. There is a problem with the Livestia … the mecca. It is the magical force u
pon which both of our worlds are built and sustained and it is weakening on our side. Our world is dying and the dark queen blames you. You and your kind. There is talk of war, of the fae returning to the world of humans.”
My chest tightened as the truth of her words hit me. “I don’t understand. The mecca is the energy of Earth, and it’s mine, the same way it was the Red Queen’s before me, and so on. The fae left this world centuries ago.”
Her blue billowy dress began to shimmer and I saw it flashing from the dress into black leather pants, a silver metal corset and sword, then back to the dress.
“The mecca isn’t yours, it’s all of ours. We share it,” she said with just the slightest bite to her tone.
I didn’t like that one bit. Sharing anything with the fae seemed dangerous.
Kade’s features were dark now. A feralness moved within his gaze and I was actually a little taken aback by the scary he was exuding. “Who sent you here? If the fae are planning on destroying us, why warn us? You are fae, so you must want your mecca energy back too.” Those low, husky tones had bumps sprouting across my skin, the hair on my neck standing as it did when I was in my wolf form.
She turned her eerie, but stunning eyes on him. “Not all fae are your enemy. Some think there should be another way. We are warring within our own world too, which might be the only thing to buy you some time. You need to figure out what is going on with the mecca. Fix it before the fae decide to leave the Otherworld. We have power beyond your ken and you would not survive a full attack.”
More of her battle gear appeared and she glanced down at her figure. “I must go. Revealing my kind to humans is not advisable for many reasons.”
She began to back up into the water. “How can we find you again if we have more questions?” I asked her when she was knee deep in the water. Fixing the mecca sounded like a great plan, except I had no idea how to do that.
Her expression turned sorrowful, and I suddenly felt like crying. “We don’t know what happened to affect the mecca. We don’t know why fae attacked your people. We don’t even know how the Red Queen died, but we do know that much of this is tied to the dark fae, the ones on the other side of our war. We want to work together with you, but now is not the time. You do need to look into your queen though. Figure out how she died. This is information we all need, because rumor is she was working with the dark fae. I’ll find you again if we have any more news. Prepare your people for war. We’re doing all we can to stop it, but if we fail then there are none other to stand before the dark ones.”
By now she was chest deep in the water, and her words had morphed into a musical language I had never heard but somehow understood. Suddenly she fell backward into the water, along with her familiar, and she was gone. A sizzle and a popping noise let me know that she had somehow just traveled in the water like we traveled the vortex.
The Red Queen had been working with the dark fae?
I turned to the king, my mouth open in shock.
“I need a drink,” he said.
“Make that two.”
She’d said war was coming from the dark fae. Clearly I was either going to be the queen who saved us all, or the queen who led the shifters to their final destruction.
Chapter Twelve
The dead tell tall tales.
We were silent on the way back to the vortex. I don’t think any of us knew what to say. One thing was for sure, the fae had given me a lot to think about, and as a newly crowned queen I did not need any more on my plate.
Kade was the first to break the silence. “It worries me that she didn’t know who killed the Red Queen. She confirms that it may be linked to the dark fae in origin, but somehow knows nothing else.”
I faced him fully. “She was clearly here to make first contact with us. What is the opposite of the dark fae? Do you know?” I was hoping there were some light happy fae who didn’t like killing.
He nodded. “The light, of course. But from my readings light and dark don’t necessarily mean good and evil. Nothing is that clear cut in the Otherworld. Both sides have different motives, but both are capable of mass destruction.”
Great.
“We need to examine the bodies of the ones who attacked us the night of the queen’s death,” I said, thoughts rushing through my head. “They’re the only evidence we have of the fae. That light fae wants us to figure out why our queen was killed and all the heirs attacked. This is the only place I can think of to start.”
Violet spoke up then: “I examined the body, and I went to the vortex to check the attack site. I dug deeply, and, well, I used magic not known to most, and that body was still human. But … I can’t shake the feeling that we are missing something. We have to suspect they are fae, after seeing her use a human illusion, but I can’t prove it.”
“Our magic born says the same,” said Gerald. “Human. Nothing to dispute it.”
I had a thought. “Should we bring the bodies to the same place and have both of our magic born examine them together? I’d like to be there too. Now that I’ve joined with the mecca, maybe I will see more than a normal shifter.”
Kade agreed. “That’s a good idea. All of us together may be able to confirm it was truly fae that attacked us that day.”
Calista looked extremely uncomfortable but said nothing.
I remembered then that I hadn’t mentioned the weird thing which had happened in the vortex. I slowed my steps. We were a few hundred yards from the vortex now and I wanted to talk about it outside of the direct power source. Everyone paused around me, facing my direction.
“When we traveled here via the disc, did any of you hear whispered words? Your name being called?”
Eyes narrowed, and heads shook to tell me that I was the only one on that particularly crazy ride.
“I swear I heard my name from within the mecca, and it sounded familiar. At first I thought it was my late mother, but … it wasn’t. I’m sure of that now. Is the mecca a living entity, one with a consciousness? I thought it was just power, pure power, which could be good or bad, depending on who wielded it.”
Kade was tense, and then in a flash he thrust his arm to the side, and all of us jumped as a huge screech signaled the return of his familiar. Nix landed on him and folded those massive wings back in. “The mecca is unstable,” the king finally said. “It was not this way when I received the crown. It has happened recently, and it’s rapidly growing worse. If that fae is to be believed, it’s due to the balance being thrown off.”
I nodded. “Yes, if what she says is true, the mecca sustains two worlds, Earth and the Otherworld, which is the mirror of ours. What happens if too much energy is funneled to Earth? She said her world would die, but what about ours? The mecca is not going to be able to be controlled.”
Kade stared off thoughtfully, his lips creased, dimple just visible through his dark facial hair. “There is a good chance this could destroy both of our worlds. We must make this our top priority. I think your idea is a good one, Arianna. We should examine both bodies together and see if any clues are there. Can you meet me tomorrow night at my palace in Staten Island?”
I was glad that he’d agreed to my plan. I definitely felt there was a huge piece of evidence we were missing with these dead. A part of me was also intrigued to see his palace. I had only heard rumors of its opulence.
Calista cleared her throat. “Will her royal guard be welcome to attend as well?”
A flash of something dark crossed the king’s face. His next words were low, and almost without inflection. “We’re allies, and I will do everything in my power to prevent harm befalling her in my territory. However, should you feel the need to bring her royal guards, then I will not object. I want the queen to feel safe in my home.” He said those last words directly to me, wisps of emotion bleeding into them.
I wasn’t sure if I should be upset by Calista’s insinuation or not. Maybe I was too trusting of Kade. Despite our newly formed friendship and his promises, he was still the king of
people who had tried many times over the centuries to take our boroughs and kill our people. As queen, I needed to be responsible for my safety, which Calista was very aware of. This was the reason she was my advisor. She had a level head and didn’t make decisions based on emotions or gut feelings.
I nodded. “We’ll be there. Thank you for your assistance and hospitality in this matter.”
When in doubt, fall back on protocol.
I wouldn’t bring my entire royal guard, but it wouldn’t hurt to bring my strongest five. Calista and Violet walked Finn inside while I lingered behind with the king. Gerald kept his distance, still looking out for any trouble.
We were semi-alone now, and I struggled with my next words, wanting to remain formal, but somehow they still came out with a strong emotional resonance. “Thank you for being here today.”
Kade’s eyes darkened as he stared at me. “You can always call on me, Ari. Always.” And the air charged with electricity. I wasn’t sure if it was the use of my shortened name, which only close friends and family used, or the way our energies mingled together, but a potent and tangible bond was forming between us, and I didn’t like it one bit. It could only end in disaster. His expression lightened then as he took a step back. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
Just like that the barriers were back between us, and I was relieved they were. Definitely relieved. I cleared my throat. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Turning on my heels I walked as fast as I could away from that damn bear.
The next day I was distracted through my morning queenly duties. My body hummed with anticipation of our task this evening. I would be seeing the bears’ territory. The royal home. My curiosity couldn’t be abated.
We had come back yesterday to a confused royal guard, but no one had asked questions. I had ordered the frozen body of our human intruder to be transferred to Staten Island ahead of our arrival today. Now I was preparing myself for one final task before I could leave.