rogue shifter 07 - cut off

by parness, gayle

  "Why keep searching?" I asked.

  "For you, bonehead." He threw an apple and I was able to duck out of the line of fire. Dilt, one of his goblin servants had appeared behind me, catching it and then biting down. "You know how I love a challenge." He winked.

  "I know how you love to piss off your mom." I said.

  "Ha. And you don't?" I refused to answer.

  An hour later I was in my room turning around in front of the full-length mirror, checking for mistakes. There were none that I could see, but I needed Isaiah's feedback, so I told the servant to ask his lord to visit me as soon as he had the time.

  Isaiah was in my room before the servant delivered the message. He looked me over from head to toe, taking in a lungful of my scent and then smiling. "A prodigious feat for a male so young." He touched behind his ear and bowed, showing me respect in the demon way. "You are now my excellent theory come to life, a true example of royal blood rising to the top."

  "What?"

  "Proof that even a being with only a small amount of the royal bloodline will seek to cause mischief. The chaos you provoke tonight will be the stuff of legends." He took a last look. "You just might be able to pull this off."

  I shrugged. "I have to believe I can. Dad's being tortured and Mom needs my protection."

  He stepped closer and grasped my shoulder. "You make me proud. Stay safe, young demon. I've enjoyed our time together."

  "One day I'll bring you Kennet's head."

  "I'd rather have the queen's" He winked.

  "You're a tough guy to satisfy." I laughed.

  "I have high expectations where my family is concerned." He messed my hair the way Dad always does, so I frowned and worked to smooth it again. "Send a message through Marie so I know you've survived." I started to laugh, but then saw he was serious. "I'd give much of my wealth to see everyone's shocked expressions."

  "They'll either kill me or hug me. Thanks for your help."

  Isaiah took down the blocks that had kept me on the compound so I could dissolve into the lines. I'd chosen my point of reentry very carefully. Everything was riding on whether or not I could get my long-time friend to agree to my plan. Because I knew exactly where he was, I'd decided to surprise him. Tonight I'd need to mine every shred of my limited resources to make this happen.

  But I'd get my way, one way or the other.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  When the six of us emerged from the flux of traveling the lines, we stood on a wide pathway that led into the forest. I hadn't expected this. Whenever I traveled to Cascade I'd arrive on their ceremonial field, smack in the center of things. I guess Fionna didn't want us popping in on her doorstep.

  Despite the bright moon and stars, the thick forest was creepy and dark. The trees were bent at odd angles, leafless and misshapen. Caelen's face grew concerned as he strode forward and placed his large hand on the bark of the closest oak. He closed his eyes, frowning. When he pulled his hand away, a patch of bark fell to the dry ground.

  "The forest is diseased. The ground is parched and the trees are starved for nutrients. Line magic usually keeps the woods flourishing, but if Fionna is restricting her people's use of magic then there is no surplus." He glanced around. "I remember times when the pathway was so overgrown with foliage, it was difficult to navigate."

  "I sense no wildlife, nor other seelie species," Aedus added.

  Lord Caelen sent out his orders. "Brina, take Farrell and go deeper into the woods. We need to know how widespread this malady is that envelopes the land." Brina tugged on Farrell's arm and they were gone.

  Even though I was anxious to get to Garrett, I understood why Caelen wanted this information. The more he knew about what Fionna had been up to, the better prepared he'd be to deal with her.

  "She's draining her own people?" I asked.

  Caelen sighed and sat on a tree stump. "The lines are fed when we use our magic, the magic that is created with each fae birth. Fionna uses her magic for frivolous entertainments and personal pleasures, needing more than she can create on her own. If she is draining magic from her own people, the lines will begin to starve. The last time I was here I noticed that many court fae looked undernourished. I did not know it had gone so far."

  "Could the fae die of starvation?"

  "They would weaken, become unable to defend themselves against a healthy fae. If civil war were declared, our Cascade Sidhe would be able to defeat them easily. But..."

  "You don't want to hurt your own people. None of us want to hurt them."

  He hesitated. "I am pleased to hear you say that."

  "I don't blame anyone but Fionna. Well...and Kennet."

  "I would not be surprised at all to find that he is behind much of this. Fionna is powerful, but when she believes someone is loyal to her, she is easily swayed by that person. She is alone except for her daughter, Zerian, and Kennet." He sighed and rubbed his temples. "She's never been able to think beyond her own immediate needs."

  "Father, the road ahead is clear." Aedus had gone ahead and checked, since Farrell and Brina were still out of sight. Seeing Caelen's distress, Aedus put a hand on his father's shoulder. "I will take care of Fionna, Father, if it is necessary."

  Caelen stood, brushing himself off. "I appreciate your assistance, Aedus, but..."

  I interrupted. "She's your sister. You love her. It's something you don't get over, trust me. Let Aedus help you if he can." There'd been early mornings when I couldn't find sleep, along with nights filled with countless nightmares, all because I'd killed my sister, Bridgett. The fact that I hadn't struck the actual death blow made little difference.

  "I do care for her. I'm partly responsible for what she has become."

  I sat on a nearby fallen tree limb and Aedus joined me there. He took my hand and squeezed it in support, once again surprising me with his compassion.

  I glanced between the two males. "Can we talk about Liam?"

  "No." Caelen's voice was firm.

  "Yes." Aedus' was hopeful. "Father, Jackie is his friend. She has insight we do not possess." Aedus wanted his dad and Liam to get over their disagreement and for things to get back to normal.

  I bit my lip. "He'd be mad at me if he knew I was talking about him."

  "He confides in you. Please." Aedus said.

  "He's half human. You two keep forgetting that fact."

  "He grew up with us in Faerie."

  "He loves the people of Cascade, especially his family."

  "If this is true, why won't he return home?" Caelen grumbled.

  "He has two homes. If you'd welcome him whenever he shows up in Cascade instead of criticizing him, he'd come more often. Then he'd invite you to his."

  "You think it is that simple?" Caelen asked.

  "It would be a start." I shrugged. "He wants your respect as much as you want his. Even though Lady Erin is human, she's been in Faerie so long that she might as well be fae. Sometimes he just needs to talk to a friend who understands what it means to be different. I guess I fit that bill, right? I'm a mutt."

  "A mutt?" Caelen frowned in confusion.

  "A mixed breed." I laughed.

  Aedus' eyes crinkled at the corners. "You are not fae, yet I find you every bit as elegant."

  I laughed. "Elegant? You're definitely talking about someone else. Philly, maybe."

  Aedus shook his head. "You mistake me. Elegance is not only physical grace and style. Your grace is born of compassion, a healer's heart, but also the flame of passion. Your aura glows like an emerald star when you heal, then turns to wildfire when you protect your own. I've been on the receiving end of both and will not soon forget either experience."

  I nodded at my friend and he nodded back. All was forgiven.

  "You and Liam are certainly equals when it comes to stubborn willfulness." Caelen added with a frown. Pot-kettle, I thought, choosing not to speak that little gem out loud. "We have lived in this way for millennia. Liam will follow my advice—or not—as he wishes, but..." He kicked a
t a stray acorn lying on the ground by his feet. It hit a tree, and a scraggly creature resembling a possum ran down the trunk to grab the treasure. Aedus smiled. "His mother is distressed by his behavior. She misses him. As do I."

  He'd revealed the deeper truth. "He misses you, too." I shrugged, catching the hint of a smile from Aedus. He loved his brother and wanted him happy. He was only annoyed because he felt Liam didn't show their father the respect he'd earned.

  I hadn't really thought too much about how this was affecting Lady Erin. If Charlie ever went off somewhere and never came home for visits, I'd be crushed. "I'll talk to him, but the next time he comes to Cascade, can you try not to tell him that he's behaving like a child? That stuff doesn't really help."

  Caelen laughed. "I'm sure you never tell Charles that he's behaving like a child."

  "At least twice a week. It doesn't help."

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  This glamour thing was off-the-charts crazy.

  Following behind Brina, I rolled my shoulders in an attempt to feel more comfortable inside this alien body. I hadn't imagined it would be so tough, since I'd spent time with Farrell every single day of my life. I learned pretty fast that observing him from the outside was totally different than experiencing his body from the inside.

  The good news was that my magic was working great. Thanks to drawn-out negotiations held inside my head, my inner triumvirate were sharpening their claws, excited to get to work.

  The real Farrell was hanging out with his uber hot werewolf girlfriend this evening, trying to get his mind off the fact that he'd be thrown in prison or banished to an icy cave if my little experiment didn't go so well. Since he'd agreed to my plan, my death or capture would put him in the hot seat, even though it was Isaiah who'd taught me this impersonation skill.

  When I'd first shown up at Farrell's door looking like his not-so-evil twin, he'd stared at me like I was nuts. Then his eyes started to go all sparkly gold. It wasn't the reaction I was hoping for.

  "What the fuck are you doing, Charlie?" He grabbed me by the arm and yanked me inside, checking the hallway, then slamming the door. Farrell had this really nice top floor apartment in a new mid-rise building near the ocean. He liked spending down-time in my world. Like Liam, he enjoyed hanging out with other species, especially one particular female werewolf.

  "How'd you know it was me?" I asked, with a surprised squeak. He'd pushed me hard onto the couch, my knee banging into the coffee table. Even when I'd pissed him off royally, he'd never punched me. Let's hope he wouldn't start now.

  "Brina can use glamour, but she's already going to court disguised as you, so—hmmm—who else might have the same gift and also be willing to risk ALL OF OUR LIVES to be there?" He was fuming, hovering over me like a vulture ready to poke out my eyes.

  I straightened my body and relaxed back into the cushions of the couch. It was important to seem confident. "I'm going instead of you..."

  He interrupted, even though I kept right on talking. "No. You're not. I'm sending you back to Isaiah, even if I have to take you there myself."

  "...so I can protect Mom while everyone else deals with getting Dad back."

  He looked even angrier. "You think I'm not capable of protecting your mother?"

  His left fist was clenched tight. I knew all the signs of an angry Farrell, and this was not good. "She's my mom. I can't take any chances."

  "This is crazy. You're new at this magic. You can't hold onto this level of glamour for hours. You'll change back in the middle of negotiations and then Brina's cover will be blown and we'll all be in deep shit. Plus you'll give your mom a heart attack."

  We stared at each other intently as I took a minute to plan my attack. Farrell was smart and level headed. If my argument was sound, he would be persuaded to go along with my plan. I couldn't allow myself to doubt.

  I talked non-stop, first begging for him to listen, and then reasoning with him, occasionally annoying him to the point of imminent violence. At one point he'd shaken me hard enough to make my dagger fall out of its sheath, but I wasn't giving up.

  At first, his responses were along the lines of: no, absolutely not, it will never work, etc...

  After fifteen minutes of getting nowhere fast, I blurted out in frustration, "You're full blood fae!"

  He answered me like I was mentally deficient. "Yes, Charlie. I'm full-blood fae." Having paced the room for most of this discussion, Farrell finally lowered himself into a chair.

  "You're the queen's subject." He nodded. "You have to do what she says. She's your alpha." His eyes became slits, but he nodded again. "She can force you to do what she wants. She can control you, even against your will."

  "She can, but she won't."

  "Where have you been the last few days?"

  "We come before her under a flag of truce. She is our queen and is blood sworn to protect all of her people and to honor the laws of Faerie." He smiled at me. "You are also one of her people."

  "I can't be controlled by her."

  "Why do you think that is so?"

  "Because of my mixed blood. My demon will turn my shields to iron against her."

  "But you'll have no demon magic in Faerie."

  "My fae magic will be at its strongest at court. I'll use it to fuel my demon magic. They work together now."

  "Isaiah taught you this blending?"

  "He told me it was possible. I did the rest."

  "Your time with him has changed you, in good ways, yet I still hesitate to agree to your scheme. Fionna knows that if she does anything to hurt your mom, you won't cooperate. Jackie will be safe with me beside her, and Brina risks her own life to keep you out of danger."

  "But what if mom's in danger from my birth dad? What if the queen commands you to step away and then Kennet comes over and...and kidnaps her again?"

  His expression turned grim. "I hadn't thought about Kennet's presence."

  "I can reason with him better than you can. I know what to say. My demon shields will protect me, and I have this." I pulled out my dagger, the one Kennet had given me on my fifth birthday. "We may be forced to leave all of our weapons with the guards before we can enter the throne room, but I can mask this one."

  He looked thoughtful. Like most fae, Farrell, would usually take the time to organize his thoughts before he spoke. I was impatient for his response, but I forced myself to keep still. "Your argument may have merit."

  Gotcha, I thought. After another few minutes of discussion, and a couple of forced promises to be careful, he'd finally agreed. In the end, what brought him over was my solid argument that Fionna would have no control over my demon/cheetah/fae magical combo and neither would Kennet. I kept my mental fingers crossed in the hopes that my deductions were correct.

  His parting words were harsh. "Don't fuck up. Keep her safe. She's important to me, and so are you."

  "Thanks, Farrell. I know what I'm doing."

  He crossed his arms over his chest. "That's up for debate. You've put both of our asses on the line. If you aren't killed or taken hostage, be prepared for some hurt on the training field."

  "You'll be waiting in line."

  So here I was, pushing aside branches and rushing to keep Brina in sight, I focused my mind on what I needed to do and tried to behave as much like Farrell as I could. In court, I'd stick close to Mom and not get involved in anything else. I'd leave instantly if there was any serious trouble, like I'd promised Isaiah.

  Lost in thought and not paying attention to where I was walking, I stumbled over a tree root, and banged into Brina's shoulder. "Shit."

  "Shush." Brina gave me a stern look then continued on.

  This was much tougher than it looked. My brain and body had to adjust to a slightly higher muscle mass and center of gravity plus longer arms and legs. Farrell's ability to move silently was equal to my own shifter skills, so that part was cool, as long as I started paying attention to where I was walking.

  Even though I was pretty sure that no one was g
onna be fighting for real, I was hopeful that my personal fighting skills would work out okay with the sword that was currently strapped to my back. I wouldn't want to end up chopping off my foot. The sword I usually trained with was shorter and lighter. Farrell had warned me off bringing my sword instead of his, because Aedus and Brina would notice the difference instantly and then I'd be busted and sent back.

  The evening was warm and humid. Farrell's thicker reddish brown hair weighed more heavily against my neck. I was dying to lift it up so the breeze would cool my overheated skin, but I didn't think I'd ever seen Farrell bothered by the weight of his hair. I figured it was best just to leave it alone and not draw attention to myself.

  The heavy tunic didn't help either. I was sweating. Did fae sweat? They did now. The arcane dagger hidden in my boot tingled in response to my nerves, always in tune with my energy. I could only use it in an emergency. The minute I pulled it out, it would glow with my aura, like I was wearing a neon sign saying "Here's Charlie."

  I tried my best to stay out of Brina's line of vision. I hadn't counted on being sent off with just one of them, and she was probably the worst of the bunch when it came to figuring out my little secret. She'd grown up with Farrell. To make matters worse, she kept glancing back at me as if I'd done something weird, but then she'd scowl and shake her head and continue on.

  Brina had stopped and was looking at me strangely. She was glamoured to look like me, but Isaiah was pretty sure she couldn't tell if someone else was using glamour the same way. I mentally crossed my fingers

  She whispered, "Should I be worried? You haven't responded."

  "You spoke?" This was the big glitch in my genius idea. Speaking to me mind-to-mind had to be on a very superficial level, because they'd know it was me if I let down my outer shields. They'd see right away, that all my thoughts were in English—not Seelie Fae—and that I was busy translating everything. Also I had to make sure that I used fae-like words and not American expressions."

  I came up with a quick explanation. "I have kept myself locked up tight for security. Being the youngest, I am the most vulnerable to attack. I apologize."