by JR Thomas
put.
"He's doing me a favor," Liam replied.
"A favor?" Helen was appalled. "He is rubbish, a second class abuser who wouldn't think twice at calling us Mistrunners or worse."
"I rather like the moniker," Liam mused.
"Please," Helen spit. "We are the Children of Danu, the chosen race of the mother goddess herself, not some supernatural surfboarders." She flung her hands. "It doesn't matter. He is a proven criminal. To consort with him is in direct opposition of the law. We must apprehend him at once."
"Bell is to be my successor," Liam said, as though it was the answer to some unspoken question.
"Bell is a baseline human. There is no evidence of Danu's influence in his blood," Helen said.
"But there is," he answered.
"No," Helen shook her head. "We would have seen it. We would have known at his birth."
"Not if I hid it," Liam answered, looking away.
"Do not say such things! People have been excommunicated for far less. You have done nothing!" Helen yelled.
"I did," Liam looked at her again. "I wanted the boy to have a life, a real life. So I called in some favors, used the greatest magics. I bound his powers and hid him from all of you."
Helen blinked hard and looked at the man for a long time. "And you wish to undo this now? There is no reason for this. You have a successor in line. What of that girl?" Helen asked.
"Aisley? If I remember correctly, you referred to her as 'a corn-fed ing?nue who still had honeysuckle on her breath'."
"Well, at least she's had training," Helen rebutted. "This boy knows nothing of our world, nothing of who he is. To do this would put at risk everything you have spent your life building, to speak nothing of what it would do to the boy himself."
"I had no idea Bell's wellbeing was of such importance to you," Liam said.
"It isn't, but I assume that you hold it in some regard, otherwise we would not be in this situation."
"Helen, there are other factors at play here," Liam said sighing.
"What factors could possibly justify you gambling with the future of your people in this way?"
Liam leaned close to Helen, closer to her than he had been in years, and told her a secret that he had been keeping for twenty years.
Helen's face grew white, her eyes wide, as she took in Liam's words. Pulling away, she gasped. "Impossible."
"I wish it were," Liam said. "You have no idea how much I wish it were. Now though, I hope you understand why it must be Bell that succeeds me. If there is a war on the horizon, you see that he will be our greatest asset."
"We must take him immediately. If what you say is true, then the boy's life will be difficult whether he is to be High King or not. We must train him," Helen began pacing.
"There isn't time," Liam said.
"I agree. It would have been better had we got to him at birth, but this is where we are now. We'll have to make it work."
"I saw the banshee," Liam said quietly. "She's coming for me."
Helen's head whipped around as though it had been struck. "We must stop it," she said breathlessly. "We must- we must delay."
"For what?" Liam asked gently. "I've lived a good life. If my people are to be believed, I've been a good king. I've seen the world. I've experienced everything, fear, joy, love." He looked at the woman. "Why should this not be the end of my story? It's the will of the world, and it's quite a nice ending."
"So you've come to say goodbye then?" Helen asked and, if Liam didn't know better, he would swear that there were tears in the English woman's eyes.
"And to ask a favor of you. When Bell is called to replace me, it will be a shock for him. I need you to help him. Give him some of your irreplaceable charm. You'll see to him, won't you Helen? For me."
"You're a stubborn old fool to put me in this situation Liam, to hold your secrets, to guide your progeny." She looked up at him, the years melting away for an instant. "Of course I'll do it."
"Good," he replied. "Now there's only one thing left to attend to." Liam lifted his finger and the warlock rose from the table.
"What is he doing?" Helen asked as he made his way over to Bell and Kara.
"I told you, a favor. When I die, my token will pass directly to Bell. But I don't want him finding out like that. I don't want him to be an immediate target. Victar is simply going to charm him so that does not happen. As soon as Victar touches him, the spell will quiet the token until Bell finds it himself. Only then will it awaken."
"Liam, you can't trust a warlock with this. You just told me how important this boy is. Do you really want his wellbeing to be in the hands of this trash? What if he sets Bell on fire with a touch?"
"My dear Helen," he said, as Victar walked up, brushed Bell on the shoulder, and walked away, leaving him harmlessly. "You really must learn to have faith in people. They will always surprise you."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liam banged away at his typewriter once more. The moon had long since risen in the sky, dotting the stars with its' soft glow. The spell had taken affect. Helen was gone, and Aisley had retired to bed. The old man sat, staring at his typewriter and the slip of paper that hung from its' ribbon. It was the final page, the last words of the last book that he would ever write. But how could he say goodbye? How could he leave a world that had been so painstakingly created? What were the perfect words?
"There you are," Cessily, his wife, said from the doorway. "You're going to work yourself down to the nub. Come to bed sweetheart. It's late. Whatever you're looking for, the morning will find it."
"Of course," Liam said smiling. "I'm sure it will."