rogue shifter 07 - cut off

by parness, gayle

  Elizabeth agreed to speak to Simon directly, their conversation growing excited as they discussed spells and ingredients. I was shocked, but also grateful when she invited him to her house to put the spell together, offering to help however she could. Witches and sorcerers were not usually keen on working together. Simon drove over, saying he might have to work through the night.

  I paced in the kitchen, still antsy. What I needed was a chance to work off my tension.

  Rick answered the door. He gave me the once over, taking note of my harried expression and disheveled appearance. After spending several seconds gazing at the weapon I held in my right hand, he asked, "Did Sash or I do something to anger you?"

  "If you don't ask me inside, then yes. It's raining."

  He seemed to notice the weather for the first time. "Oh. Sorry. Come in." He pointed toward the couch, indicating that I should sit. "Would you like some tea?"

  "When have you ever seen me drink tea?" I put the weapon on the couch then began to pace back and forth in front of the fireplace.

  "With Aislin or Noriene?" I didn't answer. "Would you prefer Scotch?" he teased, knowing I never ventured into "Hard Liquor Land."

  I pointed toward the ancient sword. "You want to see me waving that baby around while I'm drunk?"

  Rick laughed long and hard. "Truly, no. May I?" he asked and I nodded. Rick pulled the sword out of its sheath, then held it up to get a good look. "This is a German bastard sword. Well made." He held it out then whisked it around a few times. "Good balance. Nice." He put it back in the sheath then looked at me curiously, waiting for more info.

  "Can you teach me?"

  "How to fight with a sword?"

  "Yes."

  "Jackie, you can eviscerate someone with magic. You have an arcane dagger that can change shape and obey your will. Why do you need a normal sword?"

  I had to admit, that was a good question. "All this waiting around is driving me nuts. Farrell had an extra one and I figured you could show me. It's German." I added.

  "Ja?" He teased with a grin. Rick was born in Bavaria. He put on this thickest German accent. "Unt zince I'm a cherman bastard, I can use a cherman bastard sword?" He was laughing full-out now.

  "Oh. So you're saying you don't know how?" I snatched the sword back and glared out my challenge.

  He shook his head and held out his hand. "If you hurt yourself, Garrett will be pissed. Please hand it over." I narrowed my eyes and complied grudgingly. "Sash and I can teach you to fight with a sword, but you should spar against a female closer to your height. Also you should start off using wooden practice swords." He thought for a few moments. "Ask Kellaine to help you out. She's only a couple of inches taller than you. Brina or Keara would turn you into sushi."

  "Please. I can't sit around anymore."

  I must have looked desperate, because Heinrich sighed in resignation. "Lets go to the gym downstairs. We've got a couple of practice swords in the cabinet."

  After an hour of "basics" I was sore and no less antsy. My frustration stemmed from the fact that all the important planning was going on in Cascade. I was cut off from anything to do with the decision-making. Everyone expected me to just sit around on my ass and wait for the queen to respond to our last letter. Ugh!

  I left the vamp villa and kicked a rock, watching it skitter across the lawn, scaring a squirrel in the process. I felt useless and helpless. Garrett was still a prisoner and I hadn't done a freakin' thing to get him back.

  I was shocked to see that one of Sinlae's males, Aymis, was working in the garden. He'd lit the area with fae light, so all the plants had a kind of pinkish glow.

  "Did Caelen allow you to come back?" He'd ordered all the fae to return to Cascade. Liam, Kellie and Farrell were the only ones too stubborn to obey.

  "The garden must be tended, lady. We have worked it for sixteen years and cannot see it whither because of the queen's folly. I stole away, but will return to Cascade in a few hours. No one will miss me, which is sometimes a great advantage."

  Our garden was quite large and although he had magic of his own, it was too much for one demi-fey. "Tell me what I can do to help."

  Because the rain had stopped, he had me deadheading roses and then weeding the small wildflower garden near Will's apple tree and Bridgett's orange tree. We took a break after two hours. Aymis perched himself on the back of the iron bench, his boots protecting him from the effects of the metal. I joined him there.

  "You were at court, Aymis, correct?" I asked.

  "Yes, I escaped the court thirty human years ago. If it were not for my lady Sinlae, I would not have survived, nor been admitted into Cascade."

  "Really? Would you tell me the story?"

  "My lady found me starving on the borderlands. I was surviving on insects and whatever I could steal from the gardens. Demi-fey are experts at remaining undetected by our larger cousins.

  "When I saw her hovering before me, her dagger unsheathed, I thought an angel had come to kill me. I was quite ready to die at her hand, but instead she fed me and hid me in her own home, a warm and comfortable paradise.

  "Her family found out and would only allow me to stay if I worked the rose gardens. They are the most dangerous for a demi-fey because of the large number of birds that feed on the insects there. They require round-the-clock care. I agreed without hesitation, roses being one of my passions as a gardener.

  My lady was also told she must take full responsibility for my actions. She agreed instantly, and so on that day I pledged my life to my angel warrior. When I found out she was coming to live with you, I despaired of ever seeing her again. There was no prouder day in my life than when she asked me to join her here." He glowed with pride and love, his tiny teal wings humming in the strangely silent night. Perhaps the night dwellers also listened to his tale.

  "We appreciate all that you've done here."

  "I thank you, Lady Jacqueline, for you and my lady have given me purpose and hope where there had been none. My time with you and your family has been well spent."

  I smiled, thinking of Garrett and the day we'd pledged our hearts and souls to each other. "I have an angel warrior of my own."

  "Yes, lady, and like me, he is a fortunate male."

  I looked at the moon, wondering if Garrett could see it from where they were keeping him. "What's it like there? At court?"

  "It was once the most beautiful place you could imagine. The seelie laughed daily and spent time admiring our gardens, offering us small gifts or an exotic tidbit in appreciation. We were respected, even loved by some of our larger cohabitants. In those times all were mindful of The Balance." Although his words spoke of beauty, his sad tone formed a knot in my heart.

  "When King Finvarra and Queen Aine left Faerie, Caelen became king. We were pleased because we found him to be a responsible and respectful soul who wanted Faerie to thrive above all else. However his sister, Fionna, was dark in her desires, and to avoid a confrontation that could have led to civil war, Caelen chose to found a new Sidhe. He left most of my people behind because he knew the court needed us to thrive. He never imagined what would happen."

  "Were you angry?"

  He looked out over the lovely garden he'd created with Sinlae and a dozen other demi-fey, some of them his own children. "Saddened. Then frightened." He glanced at me. "You've heard how they use us?"

  "Yes." They kept the demi-fey they could catch apart from the others, hung them from cages and used their blood for its strong protective power.

  "We lost thousands."

  I gasped. "I'm so sorry, Aymis. How did you escape?"

  "Not everyone at court loves Fionna. I made contact with a mongrel who had not yet been broken."

  "Mongrel?"

  "It is what the queen calls those seelie who have mixed blood."

  "But then why would she want Charlie at court?"

  "Because she is afraid. Of course she will not admit to her fear, but she is an intelligent female. She sees with her own eyes how her p
eople have weakened since she has taken the crown. The Prophesy has struck her soul with fear. She thinks if Charles is at court, he will protect her."

  "She's wrong. He'd fight against her, especially if she's hurt Garrett." I walked toward the woods, not wanting him to see my face. "Sometimes I'm afraid for Charlie. Afraid of his—his heritage." Charlie's powers were obvious now, although they needed refinement. "He'll be able to control someone's mind, the same way his father controlled mine when I was his prisoner." I shuddered and reached out an arm to support myself against an oak tree.

  "Lady Jacqueline." I turned as Aymis bowed low to me. "I have known your son his entire life. Because of his age, his reactions can be immature at times, but when he grows into his manhood, he will not use his power unjustly."

  "If you're wrong, no one will be able to stop him. He could become a mons...he could be like Kennet. Or worse." This was my greatest fear, one I rarely spoke of.

  "Like his half-sister, Fionna, Kennet enjoys the pain of others, even from an early age. Your son cried when we found a rabbit that had strangled itself in the garden fencing."

  "He was ten."

  "At ten, Kennet had already killed half a dozen demi-fey and mounted them like butterflies on his wall. When Fionna saw them for the first time, she told him they were lovely and that she'd help him catch more."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Strumming my guitar, I sat on a hand carved wooden bench at the edge of Isaiah's large patio, the full moon just peeking over the rugged mountains in the distance. My mom had told me that if you looked closely you could see caves, and if you were lucky, you might notice a shadow moving across the barren surfaces, the shapes familiar and yet surreal. Isaiah said that the winged creatures allowed no one to look at their true forms, only their shadows, and so far that was all I'd caught a glimpse of. Still it was up there on my list of "coolest things I'd ever seen," and I'd definitely seen more cool shit than most guys my age.

  I strummed a few minor chords, the darker sound bringing my mind back to what was going on at home. My dad was alone and imprisoned, maybe even being tortured. I knew for sure that he wasn't thinking about himself. He was worried about me and Mom while we sat around worrying about him. I stopped playing and slumped, my stomach in a knot. There had to be something I could do to help.

  I felt her energy before she materialized beside me on the bench. "Hey, Marie. Do you have news about Dad?"

  She spoke in her old fashioned formal way, which I'd always thought was kinda cool. "Your mother sends her warmest greetings. Your father is still held prisoner by the foul queen, but Lord Caelen, your mother, and several other fae will be journeying to court within the next days to negotiate a peace."

  "She can't go there." I stood, clutching the neck of the guitar. "Fionna will throw her in a cell." Who'd protect her?

  She took my hand and eased me back to the bench. Her skin was cool and dry but never creepy cold like you might think. "Their party will arrive at court under the auspices of a binding truce. Fionna will fear to harm them, risking Lord Caelen's wrath and perhaps even the wrath of The Balance itself."

  "Are you saying the fae religion is alive?"

  "It is not a religion as you might think of one, but it is the root of their magic and their lives. When The Balance shifts, the fae may fall ill."

  "It's a balance-of-nature thing?" I asked.

  "It's not just about nature, you know." Isaiah had appeared in the chair across from us.

  I scowled. "My conversation could have been private."

  "My house. My rules." He shrugged. "I can hear you anywhere on my property no matter where I am."

  "Great." I frowned. By now I should be used to living inside a glass house, but true privacy was something I'd be willing to sacrifice a lot for.

  Isaiah continued. "It's balance in all things and it applies to my people as well. As much as we demons enjoy chaotic adrenalin surges, the intelligent among us also see the benefit of down time. Clarity brings balance, even to us.

  I was still puzzling out his arrival. "You didn't travel the lines just now. There was no flux."

  "I walked through the usual door." He nodded in that direction.

  "I can see the terrace door. You didn't come that way." He gave me one of his annoying smirks as I put the guitar in its case, then twisted when a surprising idea slammed me. "Wait. You can make yourself invisible?" I sat up a little straighter.

  "Not truly. I believe Marie could sense me." He gestured in her direction.

  "Yes, but I did not see you, Lord Isaiah." She smiled and nodded.

  Isaiah leaned back, resting his ankle on the opposite knee. "I shadowstalk, or if you like, blend into shadows. It's similar to blending into your surroundings when you first learn to travel the lines, only you remain in solid form. The fae are creatures of light, so it is not one of their particular gifts. Ancient vampires are able to shadowstalk if it is in their bloodline. Among my people, few are gifted with this skill."

  Flashing on a super idea. I jumped up, my heart pounding with excitement. "If you teach me to shadowstalk, I can go with Mom to the court to get Dad back. I'd be safe. No one would see me."

  Isaiah cleared his throat, gave me a look that meant later, then turned toward Marie. "Are you well, my dear?"

  She returned his smile. "Oui. Merci." Isaiah had found her at Eleanor's old villa, locked away with a spell that Garrett had ordered cast. He'd been able to encourage my mom to free her and then to make her a familiar. Since then, she and Isaiah had become friends.

  She stretched out her hand and he leaned forward, clasping it in both of his. "I apologize, but I cannot stay to converse, although I would like to. Jacqueline is expecting me back with news of how Charles is getting on."

  "He's doing great, right kid?"

  I rolled my eyes at Isaiah, rubbing my bruised ribs. "Tell her I'm fine and that I miss her."

  Isaiah added. "You may visit at any time, Madame." He kissed her hand in an old fashioned way, which she seemed to like a lot. When she disappeared, he directed his gaze toward me.

  "I will not teach you to shadowstalk."

  "Why?"

  "It's traditionally a self-taught skill, one you earn through hard work."

  "How long did it take you?"

  "Once I knew I had the ability, two weeks to perfect."

  Why couldn't he see how important this was? "I don't have two weeks. You've advanced me faster than I would have on my own. Just give me a push in that direction."

  "No. You're not ready." I opened my mouth to complain, but he lifted a finger. "At least it's learnable. Some skills are even more rare."

  "Like what?" I grumbled.

  "True glamour. I can disguise your look, your scent and your aura, as well as my own. Brina has also inherited the gift, although she's only able to glamour her own body. With time she'll be able to glamour others as I can."

  "Grady told me Finvarra..."

  "Never say that name in the DR. Mother will roast your gonads on a spit and feed them to the dogs while you watch."

  I cringed. "Why?"

  "Long story."

  "He's gone." I pointed out.

  "But not dead." He lifted a finger.

  "As good as..." I never understood the purpose of holding onto a stupid feud. Wouldn't they live more productive lives if they just let go of those old grudges?

  He shrugged. "Let's hope that's true." Isaiah conjured a barbeque grill and a minute later a goblin, carrying a platter, showed up to cook for us. "Steak?" Isaiah asked.

  I shook my head and laughed. "What shifter ever says no to a steak? Or two. Or three?"

  "Shifters are lightweights compared to goblins, especially the royal family. Those kids can eat!"

  A plan formed in my head as I watched Isaiah sip his wine out of a golden goblet. Somehow I had to get him to teach me what I needed to learn so I could go to court and protect Mom. I decided to try something I'd been working on privately, allowing my voice to turn silky
smooth, my mind focusing intently on his. "You can teach me to shadowstalk when we finish dinner."

  A deep line formed between Isaiah's brows. He put down the goblet very carefully, his eyes going all glassy. "Whatever you want, Master."

  His tone was kinda cartoon robotic. Too weird. Wasn't he supposed to just agree and then...? I scratched my chin while he sat there like a statue. "Umm...okay..."

  The next second I was hanging upside down over the pond and Isaiah had his dagger out and pointed in my direction. "You little shit! Kennet worked with you on mind control, didn't he?" I didn't answer because it was stupid to deny it. "I should drown you." he snarled.

  "Isaiah..." My hair was dangling into the pond. Some of the fish were nibbling on it.

  He raged on. "Jackie will ground you till you're forty and Liam will make you dig a path to China, but what I dream up for you today will make those punishments look like a jaunt through Disneyland." He was pacing back and forth. From my upside down position I thought I saw a hint of fang. Holy crap.

  "Put me down." He glanced at the grill and raised an eyebrow. "Not onto the grill." I was flipped right side up then dropped into the pond, startling the fish, my shorts, socks and sneakers soaked through. "Gee, thanks." I scrambled up the bank and tried to wring out my hair. Now I was pissed too.

  "You deserve a beating, especially after what I told you about your mom. Fucking with someone's mind in that way is rape." I was happy to see he'd sheathed his dagger.

  "Jeez, calm down. It didn't work. Anyway, you play mind games," I shouted back. I didn't see why he was blowing a gasket over this.

  Isaiah hesitated, clenching and unclenching his fists. His voice had grown softer and lower, which made me very nervous. "It's true that I'll break through someone's shields to communicate or to get information, but never, NEVER will I rip through the personal shield of someone I respect and take away their will. Do you think I don't share Kennet's gift? I do, as does Naberia, but have I ever used it on you? Or Jackie? Or even Caelen?"