by Bonnie Lamer
Anger is the best cure in the world for fear. There is no way he is going to treat me like this. But, if I’m going to do anything, I’d better hurry. I think my face is turning blue. Pulling magic, more than I’ve pulled in a while, I let it shoot through me and into him. And I keep pulling. And I pull some more. I get to watch his face turn from anger, to confusion, to ‘oh my god, she actually can hurt me.’ Within seconds, I am on the ground gasping for breath. At least I’m not on the ground writhing in pain like Blondie. I’m pretty close, though.
The Giant that has ahold of Kallen is struggling against Kallen’s magic, but ultimately, Kallen wins just as I am about to help him. The red haired Giant lets him go and drops to his knees. He’s not in quite as much pain as Blondie, but he’s in enough pain to admit defeat.
“You are not a Witch,” a dark haired Giant says. He’s a lot shorter than the rest. He’s probably closer to nine feet tall, at the most. What he doesn’t have in height, though, he makes up for in muscle. He has really pretty blue eyes, too, by the way, but I digress. He’s also keeping his distance from both me and Kallen. Now that I think about it, he was hanging back and just observing when the other Giants were trying to be threatening.
“You’re right,” I say when I have enough oxygen back in my lungs to talk. “I’m not a Witch. I’m a Witch Fairy. There’s a huge difference.”
Looking down at his squirmy friends, he says, “So I can see. Release them so that we may have a more civil conversation than the last.”
I eye him for a moment until I decide he’s telling the truth. I probably shouldn’t, but for some reason, I trust him. And no, it’s not the blue eyes doing it.
I pull my magic back, and Blondie’s humongous frame stops acting like a snake on hot asphalt. With some reluctance, Kallen draws his back, as well. He gives me a ‘you better know what you’re doing look.’ I give him a reassuring nod, but he still doesn’t seem convinced.
“Are you truly the King’s daughter?” the Giant with blue eyes asks.
Okay, this is ridiculous. I can’t keep calling them by their distinguishing characteristics. “Yes, and my name is Xandra. What’s yours?”
He tilts his head. “You have the look of a Fairy, but not the tongue of one.”
For a minute, I think he’s talking about my actual tongue. Then, it hits me that this is another case of being called out by the grammar police. “Yeah, I know. I didn’t grow up here and we use contractions where I’m from.”
He nods. “That explains that. Now, perhaps you can explain to us why you are here, how you control spirits and why you chose to come upon us as you did.”
Wow, he’s pretty reasonable for a Giant. He doesn’t look angry or anything. More curious, really. “You still didn’t tell me who you are.”
He inclines his head again. “My apologies, I am Quinn, Chief of the Devas tribe.”
Ah, that’s why he’s a bit more diplomatic than his buddies. “Nice to meet you,” I say lamely. Kallen just nods. Maybe I should introduce him. “This is Kallen, the King’s nephew.”
Quinn chuckles. He doesn’t have the same donkey/cat laugh as Blondie did. “I did not realize our quest for help would become such a family affair.”
A strong wind chooses now to blow through, causing chills to run up and down my arms under my sweater. “Um, is there someplace warmer we can talk?” I ask, rubbing my arms against the sudden cold.
He hesitates for a few heart beats as he gives me an assessing look, and then says, “Of course. I assume we have a truce for the moment?”
It takes a minute for that to make sense. “Oh, you mean my magic? Yes, I’ll keep it in check.” I look over at Kallen who has the strangest look on his face. “You will, too, right?”
“Yes,” he says, his eyes trying to bore holes into Quinn. He’s taking the whole attempted strangulation by Giant thing a lot harder than I am. Another sentence I would never have thought I would utter in my life. Yet now, it seems like a perfectly normal thing to roll off my tongue.
Quinn’s mouth turns up in a smirk on one side. “Then I invite you to my home. My staff will provide you with something warm to drink.” The way he says that implies that he thinks we’re weak for being cold. Maybe if I had about a hundred gallons of warm blood in my body like him, I’d stay warmer, too. My ten pints gets chilly easily.
“Xandra, the appropriate protocol is to wait for the King,” Kallen says pointedly. I think he’s trying to remind me of what Dagda said about my diplomacy.
I sigh and look back at Quinn. “He’s right. We should wait for Dagda before we start talking about anything. I don’t tend to be very tactful.”
Quinn chuckles. “Honesty before tact has always been my motto. I have the impression that you are ever eager to have your honest opinion heard.”
Was I just insulted? I think I was, but I’m not sure enough to merit insulting him back. So, I go with, “Sometimes.”
“Xandra, you are charming. Come, we will discuss the weather until your father arrives.” He holds his hand out to me. His hand that could palm my head and still pick up a basketball. At best, I could wrap my hand around his finger.
“This is not wise,” Kallen says between clenched teeth. “The King will be angry.”
“Oh, please, like I ever care if Dagda’s angry or not.” Oops, my lips probably shouldn’t have let those words escape.
Quinn raises a brow. “You and your father often disagree?”
I shrug as my cheeks turn a bright pink. “We didn’t get off to the best start.”
Out of the blue, he asks, “Are you truly from another realm?”
I nod. “I’m from what you guys call the Cowan realm. I haven’t been here for very long.”
Surprise washes over his face, but he masks it quickly. “Then your opinions have not been molded with bias. A rare quality. You also seem comfortable with having an opinion that differs from the King. I believe that you would make an excellent arbitrator during our discussions.”
Arbitrator? Me? “Um, remember what I said about not being very tactful? I wasn’t kidding. Sometimes, inappropriate words jump out of my mouth like my tongue is a diving board and the conversation is a swimming pool. I’m often rude and sarcastic.” Wow, I’m creating quite the resume for myself. I should just shorten it to ‘me no speak good.’
“And honest.” Quinn stares at me and Kallen for a moment. Finally, he says, “It is decided. Under our charter with the King, we are allowed to ask for an arbitrator and I am officially requesting you.”
My mouth drops open. Does he want his world to collapse? “I’m pretty sure that my mouth would take it upon itself to say any number of things that could incite civil war between the tribes. You do not want me to do that, do you?”
He chuckles again. “That is not the goal that has been set forth, no.” His face sobers now. “Trust me when I say there is nothing you can do to make the civil unrest worse.”
“Wanna bet,” I grumble under my breath.
Looking Quinn in the eye, Kallen says, “She speaks the truth that diplomacy is not a trait she can call her own.”
My brows slam together. It’s one thing if I say that, but it’s something completely different when he says it. “I can be diplomatic,” I argue nonsensically. I really can’t.
Quinn’s face is hard when he says to Kallen, “Your concerns regarding Xandra’s ability to act as arbitrator are noted. Forgive me if I choose not to heed the advice of a Fairy raised to think of Giants as an inferior race. I find her honesty refreshing. I would appreciate it if you would send an official notice to the King that I have invoked this right under the Charter of Uluru.” Then, with a healthy dose of snarky in his voice, he says, “I am assuming you are a strong enough Fairy to have the ability to communicate over great distances?”
“Your request has already been sent.” Kallen looks pissed. Is he mad at me, or Quinn? Probably both. I’m amazed at my ability to get myself into these things.
I sigh in accep
tance. “I think you’re going to regret this.”
“Anything is possible.”
I’ve noticed that the other Giants have been silent. As I scan my eyes around, I can see that they don’t look any happier than Kallen. Great. “What am I supposed to do now?”
“As arbitrator, you will hear the facts as put forth by each tribal Chief, and then you will make a recommendation to the King.”
“And he can choose not to take my advice?”
Quinn nods once. “If he feels your advice is detrimental to the realm, he may. If your recommendation is reasonable, and will bring about peace, then he is obligated to agree to your recommendation.”
Dagda’s going to love that. I wonder if I can teleport into the past. I think really hard about going back to half an hour ago. Nothing. Time travel isn’t possible through teleporting, apparently. “Do we have to start tonight?” I ask. I’m tired and I want to go back to bed. It is the middle of the night, after all.
“The King has already pushed back the discussions. Time is of the essence in this situation.” In other words, no, I don’t get to go back to bed. I shake my head. I hope he likes snippy, tired, sarcasm.
Kallen must be reading my mind. “Xandra has had little rest. In the interest of giving her all to arbitration, a good night’s sleep will go far.”
“I am tired,” I say.
I don’t think he’s going to agree, but finally, he acquiesces. With the slightest of bows, he says, “Forgive my impatience. Of course you should have the opportunity to rest. If you will be ready at sunrise, I will send an escort for you.”
“I will be escorting Xandra,” Kallen says. She’s mine came through loud and clear in that sentence.
Quinn cocks his head and the smallest smile touches his lips. “You are protective of your cousin.”
“Oh, he’s not my cousin,” I say quickly.
Now, Quinn looks confused. “Your father is his uncle. In our tribes, that would make him your cousin.”
“True, but we’re not blood related. His aunt is married to Dagda.” I wonder where his wife is?
“I see. Then his protectiveness is of a more personal nature?”
“We’re left hand-fasted,” I explain.
I didn’t expect him to laugh. “So, you have not made up your mind as to whether he is the one to spend your life with.”
From the look on Kallen’s face, I can tell this is about to get ugly. “We are only left hand-fasted because my parents feel I’m too young to be right hand-fasted.” So do I, but at the moment, I think it’s more important to save face for Kallen’s sake. “As soon as they say okay, we go ahead with it.” Or as soon as we have sex. It’s kind of looking like that’s going to happen sooner as opposed to later.
Quinn’s face sobers some. “I see.” With another small bow, he says, “Until sunrise.” Then he turns and walks away.
Chapter 11
When Quinn walks away, the other Giants continue to glare at us. Looking up at Kallen’s face, I almost hesitate to ask him what we do now. I don’t have to. He grabs my hand and starts pulling me in the direction he wants to go. I have to take two steps to his one because he’s using his long legs to walk as fast as he can.
When I can no longer see the Giants behind us, I pull my hand out of his. This makes him stop. And glare at me.
“What’s your problem?” I ask.
He crosses his arms over his chest and says, “I have no idea what you are talking about. But, I would like to get at least a few hours of rest before you begin arbitration with the Giants.”
I sigh. “I didn’t mean to become a part of that. I’m sorry.” It’s Dagda I should apologize to, but I’m too tired to argue.
Kallen runs a hand through his hair and takes a deep breath. “I know.”
“Then why are you acting like this?”
“Because I am worried for you.”
“Why?”
“You have seen how strong the giants are. You successfully took on one, but you will be among many. You will be in danger.”
I narrow my eyes at him. I think there’s something in there that I’m supposed to read between the lines, but I don’t know what it is. And frankly, I’m too tired to try to wriggle it out of him. I’ll leave it for the morning. “Are we close to Dagda’s?”
He nods. “It is about a mile in that direction,” he says, pointing north.
“Are there a lot of trees?”
He gives me a strange look. “No.”
“Good.” I take his hand in mine and I close my eyes, imagining us a mile to the north. When I open them again, I can see a large stone mansion that must have belonged to Giants at some time, because all the doors and windows are positioned proportionately to their height as opposed to that of a Fairy. Or Dagda simply accommodated them in its design. Nah, that doesn’t seem like something he’d do.
Kallen smiles down at me. Putting both hands on my cheeks, he leans down and kisses me. A sweet, soft kiss. “Thank you,” he murmurs against my lips. Leaning his forehead against mine, he adds, “I am ready to drop and am happy to have avoided that walk.”
“Me, too.”
“You know I love you, right?”
My brows draw together. That was an odd way to say it. “Yes. Do you think I have doubts?”
He grins as he stands up. “Well, if you did, I could have a lot of fun convincing you.”
I snake my arms around his neck. “It never hurts to have affirmation.” I stand on tiptoes to kiss him. Not a soft, gentle kiss this time. A kiss that tells him that I have no doubt in my mind that he wants me as much as I want him.
He groans from deep within his throat. “I want to be lying next to you in a warm bed as I was not that long ago. Though, I do find that I am not nearly as tired as I was a moment ago.”
My turn to grin. “Me, either.”
Stepping out of my embrace, he laces his fingers with mine. “Then I suggest we hurry inside.” I am definitely with him on that.
The door to the mansion is huge; tall enough for a Giant. I can’t even reach the knocker. Good thing Kallen can. It doesn’t take long for the door to open, and we’re greeted by an ancient looking Giant who is so bent over, he’s no taller than Kallen. Good lord, I can’t believe the man’s still walking let alone working.
“Dad, you know you are not supposed to answer the door,” a very harassed looking, stocky Giant woman says from behind him. “You go on back to bed. I will see to the door.” The old man grumbles something under his breath that I can’t make out, but he shuffles off to somewhere really, really slowly.
As for us, the woman looks us up and down. She’s quite a bit taller than Kallen, but not as tall as Quinn. She has bright red hair and piercing blue eyes that have not dulled as she edges past middle age. It’s obvious that when she was young, she was beautiful. Her face is beginning to line, and her skin probably isn’t as taut as it used to be, but she is still very pretty. “Kallen, you have grown since the last time you were here.” She doesn’t say anything to me.
“Hello, Breena. I am assuming you received my communication.”
“Yes, and it is still ringing in my ears.”
Oh, no wonder she’s such a sourpuss. Kallen sent her one of his painful telepathic messages. “Hi, I’m Xandra,” I say, holding my hand out to her.
She takes my hand indifferently. “I am pleased to meet you, Princess.” I wonder if she would sound more enthused if it wasn’t the middle of the night and she didn’t have a Kallen induced headache. On the other hand, I don’t think I want to know.
“If you tell us where our room is, we’ll get out of your hair,” I tell her with a sympathetic smile.
She blinks a few times. “As in a room that you will be sharing?”
Okay, here comes the blood to my cheeks again. I keep forgetting how big of a deal things like this are in the Fairy realm. In all fairness, for someone my age, it’s a big deal in my realm, too. “We’re left hand-fasted,” I explain.
&nbs
p; “Huh.” She turns around and starts walking away.
I assume we’re supposed to follow her. Kallen closes the heavy door behind us and we hurry to catch up to her. She leads us through the large marble foyer, decorated in brown veined marble, to the broad staircase leading to the second floor. There are a couple of doors and a hallway that shoot off from the foyer, but the doors are closed and the hallway is long, so I don’t get a feel for the house at all. At the top of the stairs that dead end into a hallway, she turns left and walks to the end. Several portraits line the walls. I stop at one of Dagda and a gorgeous Fairy woman. This must be his wife. Wow, he cheated on her? He must not have been thinking clearly. On the other hand, if he hadn’t, I wouldn’t be standing here thinking this. Kallen puts a hand at the small of my back to move me along the hallway to the very end.