by HC Playa
"I understand, but--" The commander drew up short when Finn stepped into the man's field of vision. His hand went to the phaser at his side, but Katarina’s sharp command halted the movement.
"No, Re’lool. He is family."
"How'd he get by the alarms?"
"In case you hadn't noticed, we aren't exactly standard issue humanoids," Katarina said with a wry smile.
Zane stood and saluted the commander, which focused the man's attention on Zane and cooled his desire. "Thank you for your help and also for tolerating my wife." Zane offered a smile meant to charm and soothe, and the man's aura cooled further. Finn watched his daughter's consort with interest, noting the cold assessing look in his eye which spelled death for the man if he proved a threat. She's chosen well.
"It’s been an honor, sir. As for your wife, well, she's a special woman."
"That she is."
Zane caught his eye as Katarina collected her belongings. "Poor guy. He's probably cursing whatever Goulal ancestor participated in a little interspecies mating with a human."
Finn winced in sympathy for the man. Unless he had a human parent, his Goulal rearing would not equip him to deal with his human urges, and worse, they probably came on him as suddenly as an allergic reaction. Zane's compassion and understanding added yet another measure of respect in Finn's eyes.
"What shall I tell General Xu?" the Commander asked Zane. He met Zane's gaze, despite the mottled flush on his cheeks.
Katarina joined them. "Just tell him the truth. We left and you couldn’t stop us."
"If he doesn’t believe you, inform Xu that she is half Danua and that should convince him," Zane added.
The man's eyes widened for a moment, but then he nodded. "Good luck to both of you." He glanced at Katarina for a moment and then said, "If you'll excuse me." He bowed, turned on his heel, and exited the room at a brisk pace.
When the sound of his retreating steps could no longer be heard, Katarina readjusted her satchel on her shoulder. "Well, that was awkward."
Finn coughed into his hand. So much for oblivious. "Shall we go?" Finn asked, not wishing to discuss the issue. Lessons in controlling pheromones and dimming the attraction humans felt could be saved for another day.
"Let’s go," Zane said.
"I’m shifting," Katarina said.
"No," Finn argued. He recalled Kieran's first few attempts at shifting space and shuddered. "Definitely not."
"I want to get Zane’s ship first. We may need it. Besides he spent weeks working on that thing."
Finn rolled his eyes. "Neither of us has been to Yopmar. It isn’t safe to simply shift space to someplace without knowing the layout first. It’s too dangerous."
Katarina waved a hand, dismissing his argument. "Zane’s been there."
While trying to figure out how that mattered, Katarina stepped forward. She took Zane’s hand and put a hand on his arm. They were shifting space before he could protest or stop her. "Katarina! "
Chapter 19
Rotvraoq stood behind Karglock on the ship’s bridge. He struggled to maintain a neutral expression while his stomach roiled in revulsion at the thought of the helpless beings on the beautiful blue planet.
"Attack formations!" Karglock barked. He grinned as he gazed on the magnified image on the viewing screen. "Earth will fall before our mighty fleet. Today our glorious Empire will be reborn!"
At the shouted proclamation, a roar of approval rose up around them. Rotvraoq thought about killing Karglock right then and there, but it wouldn’t stop the invasion. The only thing it would guarantee would be his death. He had to wait. An opportunity would present itself sooner or later, but his gut tightened in worry as the first wave of Kekkes ships shot off toward Earth.
***
Katarina, Zane, and Finn materialized in a metal hangar next to a large, sleek, black ship. "That was very foolish, daughter." Finn scowled at Katarina, but she ignored the look.
"Disarm the alarm, hon."
Zane went to the hangar door and went through the procedures to turn off some mechanical device.
Katarina glanced at Finn over her shoulder. "Stop stressing. I knew what I was doing." Then she walked over to the ship and stoop beside Zane.
"It’s beautiful, Zane."
Zane stroked his hand along the hull of the ship. "Fast, too. I took her for a spin to work out any malfunctions." He grinned. "There weren’t any."
Finn interrupted. "If you're done admiring the hunk of metal, stand back so I can get this thing out of here. We’re wasting time."
Katarina turned to Zane as they stepped away from the ship. "Is it me, or is he impatient for an immortal?"
Zane snickered and Finn shook his head. He was still trying to determine of his daughter was reckless or talented beyond belief. He preferred the latter, but reserved judgment for the moment. Before Katarina got any more ideas that might cause him to vote otherwise, he focused on transporting the massive waste of material through space-time. He closed his eyes, pictured where he wanted it to go and let energy channel through him and encompass the ship. He opened his eyes and it was gone, as he knew it would be.
Zane let out a low whistle. "Impressive."
"Now can we go?"
"I don't think you want me poking in your head, so shift away," Katarina said.
"And I thought Kieran was bad," Finn muttered as they dematerialized.
***
Katarina forgot her retort when the faerie dwelling appeared around her. She caught the last notes of a hypnotizing melody as the music faded into silence and then voices rose in a low murmur. Nothing in Katarina’s imagination compared with the wealth and beauty displayed. The walls shimmered with jewels and gold. Her eyes traveled the cavernous room taking in the sheer majesty. What struck her as most ironic was that the statuary, the paintings, all of the artwork was of human origin.
Zane’s arm hooked around her waist. Trusting Zane to assess the crowd, she gave in to the impulse to stand and gawk. What was it like to see something like this so many times it no longer produced the slightest awe? Finn didn't stop to stare. He stood, waiting for her to look her fill.
Finally, she transferred her attention to the faeries in the room. Most ceased what they were doing in favor of eying the newcomers, but a few in the shadowed recesses of the room remained oblivious. Her eyes widened when she noticed what they were doing, but she refrained from reacting in any other manner to the fornicating faeries.
No plastic surgeon could achieve the perfection of features gathered here. Their features drew the eye, but their cold eyes offered no welcome. The power concentrated in this one room took her breath away, but it didn't frighten her. With each step she took behind her father an inner awareness grew. Intellect, plus power, combined with her empathic skills allowed her to assess each faerie in the room. At least a hundred faeries occupied the cavernous room. Instinct she didn't even know she possessed kicked in and her mind laid out the location of each with a flames of various brightness denoting the power levels of each Fae. Each and every one could potentially pose a threat and something inside her realized that.
Her father glanced back at her. "Disconcerting, I know, but you'll get used to it. Maybe ten people in this room possess the ability to do what you just did. Another dozen may be what I think of as chameleons. They can mask their power signature and make it appear brighter or dimmer as they wish. With practice, you should be able to spot them as well."
Her father's signature dwarfed all but the queen's in brightness. She could not truly see her own flame, but she sensed she perhaps matched her father. Only the fact she did not yet understand the breadth of her abilities allowed the faeries in the room to pose a threat. She began to see why Fate cast her as the emissary. Humanity needed a powerful advocate.
They approached the queen’s dais. A lithe female separated from the crowd and paced her walk to Zane's. She licked her lips, as if she wanted to devour Zane bit by bit. The air tingled with the electric tingle of
magic as the female attempted to enchant Zane and draw him to her.
Zane eyed the woman, but kept walking.
Katarina stopped walking and Zane followed suit. "He's mine."
The female's musical laughter echoed, rebounding off the walls, so that it sounded as if there were many laughing. The others did not join in her laughter, but they watched the interaction play out.
"That's what you think." The female increased the power of the spell she wove and sidled in front of Zane, swaying her hips with skill that put a street walker to shame. Her white diaphanous gown left little to imagination. The woman was not a threat, but Katarina understood power plays. To gain respect, she couldn't walk away or lose. Besides, putting the little tramp in her place appeased the pettier part of Katarina which she rarely allowed to show.
Zane's hand traced a path along her arm. His love for her held true against the minx's spell. She leaned into his touch. Then she eyed her nemesis and conjured a large, baggy t-shirt which appeared on the female. It read, "Will Have Sex for Botox." The faerie shrieked and turned a venomous glare on Katarina. Her hands curved into claws, which reminded Katarina of a tyrannosaurus rex. The faerie pulled off the shirt, revealing another one that read "Dinosaurs R Us."
Finn and few others laughed as the woman pulled off that shirt to reveal one that said, "I saw the Big Bang". A tall regal woman with golden hair piled on her head in an intricate woven coronet stepped forward. "Enough! She has bested you, Ariel." She looked at Katarina expectantly.
Katarina kept a bored disinterested expression as she waved a hand. Ariel was once again clad only in her diaphanous gown. Her cheeks mottled red. Ariel sent Katarina a murderous look and then vanished.
The faerie queen watched Katarina and tried to probe the depth of her power, but Katarina's blocks repelled her.
"Your majesty," Katarina said in a neutral tone as she executed a quick curtsey, enough to show respect, but no more.
"Welcome child of the Tuatha De’ Danann. Torin has told me about you. I am Queen Grian. Come. Sit and rest while we discuss matters." She led them to a settee. Zane assisted Katarina in sitting on the low cushions.
When they were seated he mentally asked her, "What’s Botox?"
"An injectable chemical that temporarily gets rid of wrinkles and lines in the skin."
Zane coughed to cover the laugh that escaped. "You didn't really think she was a threat did you?"
"No, but she asked for it."
Beside her, Zane waged a silent battle to contain his laughter. She elbowed him and turned away before she started giggling. Seated on the settee with Zane’s arm around her, a wave of exhaustion washed over her. The last thing she wanted to do was sit here and play nice with the faerie queen. She longed to go back to bed and tell the universe to bugger off for a few hours, but settled for leaning against Zane’s strong, warm body.
Queen Grian took a seat across from them. She waved her hand and tables laden with sumptuous foods appeared. "Eat. Drink. We have much to discuss."
Keeping in mind the impression she wanted to make, Katarina willed a golden pear into her outstretched palm instead of reaching for it. The more she seemed like them, the more respect they would bequeath her. When Zane followed suit with a pastry, causing the queen’s eyes to widen in surprise, Katarina offered a serene smile.
"You catch on quick."
He leaned over and took a bite out of her pear. His eyes danced with merriment as they met hers. "I see the game you're playing and intend to help you win."
Not to be outdone, the queen also summoned food to her hand. Out of the corner of her eye Katarina caught sight of Finn edging out of the queen's line of sight.
"Will you be all right by yourself?"
"Yes."
"Grian is a bit annoyed with me. I'd best not hang around to remind her of that. I’ll go fetch Kieran and be back shortly."
Katarina kept her attention on the queen as Finn turned and walked through a doorway to some other part of the rath. She knew it was silly, but nerves made her suddenly queasy and the pear no longer held any appeal. It lay forgotten in her hand. Squaring off against a faerie queen didn’t scare her in the least, but the idea of meeting her twin brother made her throat go dry and her pulse race. She was thankful for the diversion when Queen Grian spoke.
"What did Finn tell you of the enchantment that bound human magic?"
"Nothing. He didn’t have to," Katarina said before Grian could chastise the absent Finn or launch into her own version of events. "I already know the basic history."
"Humans aren’t privy to that knowledge. How do you know anything of it?"
"We both know that isn’t quite true."
Grian narrowed her eyes. "Was your mother a Mage?"
"Not a trained Mage, no. However, she met quite a few in the course of her research. I’m sure the story has been, shall we say, distorted, over time, but I got the gist. The Tuatha De’ Danann came to Earth and lived among us for a time, but that didn’t last long. Our magic was wild, untamed, as were the people. Your ancestors placed an enchantment on humanity that bound our magic. It worked wonderfully except in a few unique individuals. Those few have kept the memory and knowledge of human magic alive along with a nasty hatred of the Fae."
"Yes, that sums it up well." Grian watched Katarina intently as she said, "I don’t understand their hatred. We protected them. We even drove away those hideous creatures that invaded."
From what she knew of Mage history, Katarina didn't buy Grian's act or the claim that they cast out the Goloths. However, Katarina could only deal with one war at a time. The current situation forced her to agree rather than dredge up a subject best discussed another time. Katarina chose instead to focus on the immediate issue. "Those same creatures are invading again. We aren’t the helpless uncivilized beings we once were, but the Goloths have the advantage of thousands of years of technological progress and space warfare."
"Show us that you are ready to be allies and not mere pets we must protect from every little danger. Then if you still require our help, it will be yours for the asking."
Katarina’s temper soared to a dangerous level at the queen’s insult, but nothing showed in her eyes or face. She offered a rigid smile. "In that case, I suggest the Fae remain in this realm while we deal with the Goloths. Humans are rather jumpy right now, what with magic suddenly all around and aliens dropping out of the sky. Someone might blast first, and ask questions later." The woman’s superior attitude made Katarina itch to take her down a notch, but she checked the urge. Even if the Fae didn’t help, she had to ensure they didn’t interfere either.
If Grian recognized the implied threat, she chose to ignore it. "I’ll ask my subjects to give the human realm a wide berth for now, not that many of us bother with that place. In the meantime, it will be your responsibility to teach humans the rules of magic. As your father, it will be Finn’s duty to instruct you in whatever you do not already know."
Katarina gave a slight nod.
"Our realm is forbidden to all but those of our blood unless invited by one of us. I will not tolerate humans popping in and out at will."
Katarina bit back a retort on what she could do with her precious realm and instead gave a nod of acknowledgment.
"We will punish those who abuse magic."
"No," Katarina interrupted.
"You dare defy me?"
"Yes," Katarina paused, "and no. Humans should judge each other. If you sweep in like avenging gods to punish those you deem guilty, resentment and hate will spread like a deadly virus. I think it best if we create a council and follow similar rules as our current legal system. Our courts aren’t perfect, but we do aim to serve justice."
Grian stared at Katarina for a full minute. "Fine, but you will be the final judge in all cases. You will execute those who take lives with magic. If you are so eager for humanity to take this responsibility then it will sit on your shoulders."
"No," Zane interjected.
"Excu
se me?" Grian looked down her nose at Zane, as if by speaking he had committed a sin.
"Katarina can be the judge, but she will not be the executioner. I won’t have you do that to her."
"You dare to argue, human?"
"Zane."
"Trust me."
Katarina remained silent, granting Zane the trust he asked for. He squeezed her hand as he challenged the queen. "Yes, I dare. You want an executioner? I volunteer."
Katarina's heart turned over at his offer. He understood that as an empath, even if she managed to kill someone, in the end it would either steal her sanity or kill her. Despite his years of fighting and even taking lives, he would not be unaffected.
"Partners . Remember?"
Katarina covered Zane's hand with hers to show she did indeed remember.
There was no compassion or understanding in the queen’s face. It made Katarina more determined not to place human lives in Fae hands. The queen possessed no understanding of life in the real, that messy place with emotions and complicated decisions. She could do nothing less than accept the queen’s ultimatum and Zane’s sacrifice.
"Fine," the queen said. "If you so wish it, you will be the executioner then."
Katarina pictured her former life in her head and bid it a quiet farewell. She could not fathom what her future held, but she knew everything changed as soon as she accepted the role of emissary. Katarina squared her shoulders and accepted that future. "Your terms are acceptable, provided my decisions are binding. You will not question my rulings." Zane's hand held hers in a firm grip. Whatever the queen thought, she would not be alone.
"I’ll cede that." Queen Grian rose and with a look, the remaining food and the table disappeared.
Grian peered down at her. "One more thing, child."