by Bonnie Lamer
Before we left them, Alonzo and Josh traded guns just in case something like this happened. That way, Liza wouldn’t have to explain why Josh’s firearm discharged when technically, he’s not supposed to be here. The report is going to read that Alonzo fired the shot.
“Good to see my aim has improved,” Alonzo grins as he approaches us after handcuffing the bad guys. Sobering, he says, “Walk me through it.” He and Josh move a few feet away to go over the details of the shooting. When they are done, Alonzo takes the wiped gun and fires it into the empty field away from the house.
“He needs gun powder residue on his hand,” Liza explains to Kallen and me.
“Got it,” I nod. I vaguely remember that from watching crime shows on television years ago.
Kallen leans down to say quietly in my ear, “We really need to be going now.”
We do. Getting Eliana and Jadyn’s attention, I tap my wrist where a watch would be. I’m not wearing one, but they get the idea. Liza notices my action, as well.
“Go,” Liza tells us. “You should be gone before back up arrives anyway.” She glances over at Josh and Alonzo. “Are you two all set?”
Josh rejoins us. “All set,” he confirms.
“Try to get them back sooner as opposed to later,” Liza drawls. “Obviously, we need them.”
Not as much as the universe does at the moment, despite what just happened here. I realize I muttered this aloud when Liza’s eyes narrow. She may be growling at me, too. This is a definitely a good time to leave. Holding my arms out for everyone to grab onto, I teleport Kallen, Josh, Eliana and Jadyn away with me. Liza is still growling as we disappear. The woman does not like me.
22 Chapter
“I don’t think your boss likes me very much,” I mutter sheepishly when we arrive in Colorado.
Jadyn laughs. “You may want to curb your muttering habit. You’d probably make more friends.”
“Yeah, I hear that a lot,” I admit.
Pulling me into a one-armed hug, Kallen kisses the top of my head. “You are perfect just the way you are.” Uh huh. Until the next time I mutter something he doesn’t like.
I’m going to take the compliment right now, though. I smile up at him. “Thank you.” Standing on my toes, I give him a long, lingering kiss.
Clearing her throat and rolling her eyes, Jadyn reminds us, “We’re in a hurry, remember?” Eliana giggles behind her.
I’m tempted to stick my tongue out at both of them, but I refrain. Instead, I herd us all inside my old house so I can create a passageway between realms. Relieved to be leaving a realm where child trafficking is a thing, I step through the passageway to the place that now feels like home to me.
We are greeted by a very grumpy Fairy King. “What took so long?” Dagda demands, even though barely any time would have passed in this realm while we were gone.
“Hello to you, too,” I grumble. “I thought you were gone for the day?”
Taking a more diplomatic approach, Kallen tells Dagda, “We were side tracked by a Cowan issue that had to be dealt with or children would have been severely harmed.”
That wipes the scowl from Dagda’s face. “What happened?” he asks, more curious than angry now.
Kallen begins telling him the story. Since I lived it, I don’t feel the need to listen. Instead, I lead the others into the house, ignoring the Giantess trying to get my attention as we go by. My adrenaline is still running a little high and I am definitely not as good as Kallen at diplomacy on the best of days. Best to leave whatever issue the Giants are having to someone who will care. I mean, who can better assist them.
In the kitchen, Tabitha is bustling around getting food ready for the growing crowd at the mansion. She turns from the stove where something that smells delicious is cooking and takes us in. Her eyes zoom in on Jadyn. “I’m fresh out of cat treats, so if you’re hungry, I suggest you change.” Jadyn may be able to fool Cowans, but Tabitha can see her soul. She knows exactly who the cat is.
As we watch, Jadyn transforms from cat to her normal self. At least, I’m pretty sure this is her normal self. I’ve never asked if the way she normally appears to us is the way she was born, or just another shapeshift. Who knows, she could be a giant blob until she decides what shape to take. It just seems rude to ask.
“I tried cat treats once,” Jadyn grins. “They paled in comparison to whatever is in that pan.”
Tabitha narrows her eyes. “I am happy to hear it,” she drawls.
Jadyn laughs and gives the older Fairy a hug. One that Tabitha is not too annoyed to return. “It is good to see you.”
“You, too,” Tabitha agrees, her annoyance completely gone now. If it wasn’t, Jadyn would have received a good smack to the back of her head for her pertness.
The kitchen door opens and Garren walks in. To no one in particular, he says, “I set up a tent about a hundred yards down the beach for the goblins. We shouldn’t be able to smell them even if the wind changes direction later.”
“Won’t they think that’s rude?” Eliana asks me quietly.
I shake my head. “They’re aware that every other race in the universe besides the Dragons think they stink.”
As if on cue, the stench of goblin swamps the kitchen. My gag reflex is not the only one activating. Eliana and Josh slap hands over their noses and mouths. “I thought they weren’t coming until tomorrow,” I complain.
“The goblins came ahead to make sure proper accommodations are made for the Dragons,” Isla informs me as she enters the kitchen. I notice she is not breathing through her nose. “Garren, will you please reassure them that everything is prepared and escort them to the tent you set up. And strongly encourage them to stay there,” Isla adds, ignoring the glare from Tabitha. Again, why Tabitha has a soft spot for the stinky little guys none of us will ever understand.
Garren nods and gives his wife a kiss on the cheek. Shaking his head, he tells her, “You know, at one time I had gotten used to their scent. Either that time has passed, or they smell worse than they once did.”
“They have stopped wearing any type of camouflaging scent so they can collect their sweat to rub on the cows,” I remind him. They used to try to hide from the dragons by covering their scent with other less appealing ones. Less appealing to Dragons, anyway. I note that both Eliana and Josh simultaneously look grossed out and intrigued by what I said. The distinct green tint to their skin tells me which one is winning out.
Once Garren is gone, Isla questions us about our trip back to the Cowan realm. I let Josh explain to her what happened. When he is finished, Isla asks, “What will happen to these men once they have been questioned?”
“They will go to prison,” Eliana tells her. Clearly, other possible ideas for punishment are running through her mind, though.
Isla shakes her head. “They deserve much worse.”
I agree. But, we aren’t the ones who can or should decide those things even though I almost did. I push that thought to the back of my mind. I was right, I would feel guilty now if I had done what I was thinking at the time. Wanting to change the subject, I ask, “Do you know what the Giants want to talk to me about?”
A tiny smile tugs at Isla’s lips. “Oh, yes.” Back at the stove, Tabitha snickers.
I groan loudly. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”
Isla’s eyes slip from me to Eliana and on to Josh. “It is not you, Xandra, who will not appreciate the Chieftain’s request.”
A splash of red covers Eliana’s cheeks. “I know I am not going to like this.”
Isla, in a rare show of mirth, laughs. “No, you will not.” She finally explains. “It seems the Giants found out about the reverence the Dragons showed you. Now, Quinn is more determined than ever to win Eliana’s hand in marriage. Much to Eistla’s chagrin,” Isla adds. It appears I was right about Eistla’s unrequited love for Quinn.
Eliana gasps in outrage, too angry to speak. So, I do it for her. Cocking my head to the side, I ask, “What do you mean,
win her hand?”
“He wants to battle Josh for it,” Tabitha chuckles.
“I assume he was told that is not going to happen. That would not be a fair fight,” I insist
Josh scowls, offended by the implication that he is not able to take on the Giant. “I will fight him.”
Eliana glares at her love. “No, you will not. Whether you would win or not is not the issue. I am not a toy to be fought over.” Turning back to Isla, she asks, “Would it be harmful to Fairy/Giant relations if I throw the Chieftain in the ocean? Far, far out into the ocean.”
Isla doesn’t get a chance to respond. Dagda and Kallen enter the kitchen just as Eliana finishes speaking. “As much as I would like to see that,” Dagda says sincerely, “I am afraid that would not help with the problem at hand. I have spoken to Quinn, though, and reminded him that Fairies do not barter or battle for wives. Either a woman chooses us or she does not. We must accept the latter with grace and dignity.”
Tabitha snorts. “Like you would have accepted a refusal from Tana with grace and dignity.”
Standing a little taller, Dagda refuses to acknowledge she is right. “Fortunately, I was not tested in such a way.”
“Except when she left you for all those years,” I remind him. “From what I hear, you did not handle it with grace and dignity.”
Dagda would probably have more to say on the subject, primarily words that would make my ears bleed, but we are interrupted yet again by the stench of goblin. It chokes the words right out of my father’s throat. This time, it is growing stronger by the second. One of them is in the house and is coming toward the kitchen. Lord, it would suck to always have your stench announce your arrival. Though, I see it would be useful in preventing friction between Dagda and me. Nothing stops an argument faster than a stench that brings to mind a thousand decaying rat carcasses covered in feces and then smeared in orange marmalade. I have no idea where the citrusy undertone is coming from. Nor do my offended senses care. I just want to get out of here before the stench gets worse.
“I think I’ll show our guests around.” Grabbing Kallen’s hand, I say over my quickly retreating shoulder to my friends, “Let’s go find Sam and Jenna.” There is no hesitation in either Eliana’s or Josh’s forward momentum. In fact, Kallen and I must pick up our pace so they don’t knock us down in their attempt to get out of the room. Jadyn attempts to follow, but Isla stops her with a question. She gives us a longing glance before turning her attention back to Isla and Dagda. I feel badly for her, but not badly enough to let my senses get any more bombarded with Goblin funk than they already have today.
After leaving the kitchen, we can’t find our friends, and it takes us a little while to discover where Sam and Jenna have disappeared to. Kegan, who we find reading to Keelan in the library, finally informs us that Tana and Alita brought them to the palace. “Are you heading there?” he asks, setting down the book on a side table and scooping up his son. “We’ll join you. The goblin stench is starting to make its way up here. Keelan is already teething. He does not need another reason to be grumpy.” The words are said with a loving glance in his son’s direction. Kegan doesn’t mind if his son is a bit grumpy from time to time. In fact, he’s remarkably laid back about most things that come up with the baby. Much more so than Kallen and I were with the Elf baby. Then again, Kegan wasn’t particularly calm around the Elf baby, either. Maybe it will be different for Kallen and me, too, when it’s our own child. I sure hope so.
Tapping my chin, I pretend to mull over our options. “Hmm, stay here with the Goblins or go to the palace?”
“It would be cool to see a real palace,” Eliana muses.
“Then off to the palace we go,” I say with a grin. I hold my arms out, ready to teleport everyone.
Kallen gives me a pointed look. “Perhaps our guests would like to ride to the palace.” He has that ‘why don’t you conserve your magic’ look on his face. I narrow my eyes in his direction but don’t say anything.
“Ride? Do you mean on horses?” Josh asks.
Kallen chuckles. “No, we have vehicles here just as you do in your realm.”
Oh, I get it. Kallen also wants to show them some differences between living in a magical vs. a non-magical realm. “Do you think Isla will mind if we take the carriage?” I ask.
“Carriage? Really?” Eliana asks, obviously amused by the old-fashioned mode of transportation.
“Yeah, the Fairies aren’t big on air pollution,” I tell her, not ready to spoil the secret as to how the carriages move.
“Carriages, palaces, this is really starting to sound like a Fairy tale,” Josh teases.
Eliana rolls her eyes. “Like they haven’t heard that before.”
“A few times,” Kallen assures her, but he doesn’t mind the teasing. “Shall we?” He gestures toward the library door.
We take the back stairs, hoping to avoid as much of the Goblin stench as possible. We avoid the kitchen area altogether, assuming that the Goblin was in search of Tabitha. The Goblins love their one true defender. Circling the house, we make our way to the garage, which is large enough to fit several cars, or carriages, as the case may be.
Kallen slips in to speak to the driver who is on duty. Isla doesn’t keep a full time driver, but when things get crazy, she doesn’t want to hassle with driving the carriage herself, so she has one on call. This counts as one of those crazy times. After a moment, the large garage door opens, and the carriage pulls out into the driveway.
To say Eliana and Josh are shocked is an understatement. “Um, how is this possible?” Josh asks.
Silly question. “Magic, of course,” I tell him. “I told you, Fairies don’t like air pollution.”
“Bad for the lungs,” Kegan agrees as he climbs into the carriage with his son. Poking his head back out, he asks our friends, “Are you coming?”
“You’re sure this is safe, right?” Eliana asks hesitantly.
Nodding toward the driver, Kallen reassures her, “He’s the best driver around. I believe he’s only crashed ten carriages. Twenty at most.”
I swat at my teasing husband’s arm. “Not funny.” Turning to Eliana, I tell her, “His magic is more than sufficient to keep the carriage afloat and on course to the palace. There’s nothing to worry about. It will be a nice, relaxing ride.” Fairy carriages do not have wheels, and they are not pulled by horses. They hover above the ground, which provides for the smoothest ride, and run solely on magic.
More reassured by my words than Kallen’s, Eliana and Josh climb into the carriage. Running a hand over the brand new and super soft royal blue leather, Eliana is impressed. “Wow, this is nice. Much more comfortable than car seats.”
“Grandmother just had the carriage redone,” Kallen tells her. His eyes travel in my direction and I groan. I know what’s coming next. “It was a necessity after I tried again to give Xandra a driving lesson.” The corners of his mouth are trying hard to curve up into a grin despite my glowering in his direction. Yup, there it is.
“Didn’t go well?” Josh asks.
With an exasperated sigh, I admit, “I used a bit too much magic.” Under my breath, I add, “It’s a good thing I can teleport.”
“The carriage got stuck at the top of a tree,” Kallen feels the need to explain. You wouldn’t think he’d be able to speak through all the laughing he’s doing. Pointing out the window, he indicates a particular tree about a hundred yards away. “That one.”
Shocked and impressed, Josh exclaims, “That has to be at least forty feet high!”
“Forty-five,” Kallen nods. “It got tangled in the upper branches with several of the stronger ones breaking through the windows. The old leather was completely destroyed.”
“It was due for an overhaul anyway,” I grumble.
“Yes, I believe those were the exact words Grandmother used when she had to retrieve the carriage from the top of the tree. Right after, ‘Xandra is never to drive the carriage again.’”
Surpri
sed and curious, Eliana asks him, “Were you not able to do it? Get it down, I mean.” She knows how strong Kallen’s magic is.
“He was laughing too hard,” I inform her.
“I was watching from our bedroom balcony. It really was funny,” Kegan pipes in. “Of course, I made sure Alita and Keelan were well away from the site of inevitable disaster beforehand. Alita brought him to visit her mother about a mile down the beach. You can’t be too careful when Xandra tries to do delicate magic.”
“You know, you won’t be holding your son forever,” I tell him in my sweetest, I’m going to get you later, voice.
Kegan waves me off. “You’re too busy for revenge right now. So, I have to get all my fun in while I can.” Unfortunately, he has a point. Then again, it’s said that revenge is a dish best served cold. If the universe survives, I’ll have to find out if that’s true.
“Even in our realm, the first time you try driving it can be difficult,” Eliana says in an attempt to soothe my injured pride.
With a sigh, I admit, “It was not my first time. Or my second. Or my third.”
Not sure what to say about that, Eliana decides to change the subject. I like her even more for it. “How far away is the palace?” she asks.
Kallen points to the window next her. “When we go around this next bend, it will come into sight.”
Josh and Eliana turn their heads eagerly to get their first glimpse of the palace. Kallen takes advantage of their distraction and attempts to kiss away the teasing he has been doing. Okay, I admit it. I am defenseless against his kisses. After just a moment, I don’t even remember he was teasing me. All I can think about is the feel of his full lips pressed against mine, and the love he is pouring into this kiss.
“You know,” Kegan says dryly, “there are some things I would prefer Keelan not learn about until he is much older.”
Oh, yeah. I forgot he was here. Instead of admitting that, I stick my tongue out at him. “Consider this step one of my revenge.”
Kegan shrugs. “It’s a lot less painful than having my stool pulled out from under me.”