Sons (Book 2)

by Scott V. Duff

  Daybreak pushed out on the plane in front of me, bowing it out like a soap bubble and distending it to its closest dimensional neighbor. It shifted us a tiny step closer to the plane that resonated in my name but seemed so far away. Then I reached around and pushed that dimension just a little, moving it away from my bubble and expanding it a little further. I needed to go faster, though, or the dimensions I was trying to manipulate would snap back into place, severing the connections. I twisted this dimension slightly, to hold it in place while I crinkled that one to the left and fluffed another one up. Faster, I needed to go faster.

  There were hundreds of tiny, looped dimensions to use, as hooks and ties, hundreds more to turn back and push away. Thousands more that had to be bent and crinkled. Still that one plane that sang my name in Peter and Kieran’s voices was ahead of me. I needed to go faster. Furiously, I bent and crinkled and twisted at dimensional vertices, confident that I hadn’t disturbed any populated realms. The sound of my name was getting louder until finally, the brighter lighting of the dining room overtook the starry night and I was done.

  Fuller’s wards activated. I felt the pressure as if I was an invader. No, little guardian, I am invited, I thought, calming the excited little bit of magical intent. My realm flooded out into the bubble I’d created, mixing with natural space in the most peculiar way, becoming both yet dominated by mine only by my force of will. Ethan followed me up onto the dais, casting out feelers again to find the edges of the dimensional rift, like he had with the closet.

  The room was quiet as a tomb as the wizards and magicians looked into my world for the first time. Looking back over my shoulder, I could see the lake, the surface shimmering in the starlight, the forest on the other side dark and ominous, and roughly forty brownies romping drunkenly through the grass. Gasps to my right drew my attention where Kieran stood against the wall, just then breaking away from creating the resonance for me.

  Fuller, Peraza, Harris, everyone who sat on my right was looking up into my realm, far too high to be looking at the brownies. Shocked darkened their auras immediately, then intense curiosity lit them up brightly and the seekings started to push through.

  “I’m sorry, no,” I told them lightly, closing the plane off from outside magic. “My realm is in too much upheaval still to allow outside magics in just yet.” Pushing against that same plane again with just enough pressure to dampen the resonance, I let the forced connection fade from existence, immediately feeling the loss of my realm and regretting its dismissal. The wall reappeared immediately. Shrank dove off of Ethan’s shoulder, flying straight for Kieran chirping happily in the common tongue.

  “My Lord,” he said, bobbing in the air in front of Kieran. “Lord Daybreak has required that I take a break for the rest of the night.”

  “That was your realm?” Harris asked as the dais refilled, mostly in a circle around us.

  “Yes, Mr. Harris,” I said.

  “And that… that palace?” Fuller stuttered.

  “Yes, Mr. Fuller?” I asked, unsure of what he was asking me.

  “That’s yours, too?” Fuller finally managed to spit out.

  Looking to Kieran with arched eyebrows, he shrugged, laughing lightly, and said, “I would hope no one else has built something so large in your kingdom and you not know.”

  “I didn’t realize I’d made the perspective so wide,” I said. “If there is a next time, I will remember.”

  “That is your home?” Fuller asked wide-eyed.

  “What were those creatures?” Peraza asked in Spanish. “What were they doing?

  “The brownies were celebrating,” I told him, honoring his switch to Spanish and smiling broadly. “It’s not something they are used to doing. And while we’re on that subject, I have a gift for each council.”

  That got them centered quickly. Fuller and Peraza stood up straighter and mutually ushered me back to my chair at the dais. The rest of the room was still enraptured with me, making me wonder how far out my realm and the spell-laced space extruded here. Ethan and Peter sidled up behind me on either side. Kieran stood behind Fuller and Peraza. Shrank perched on his shoulder, watching each person attentively. Even a few moments with Kieran and away from responsibilities had perked him up significantly.

  Switching back to English, I announced to the room, “As Señor Peraza was asking, my brownies were celebrating along the lakeside. I asked them to make me two baskets or two boxes to carry some fruit we found. My expectations were very low considering it’s the middle of the night and I gave them ten minutes. Basically, I was thinking a quickly woven basket. What I got from them outshines the gift it holds and I am quite proud of them for it.”

  Sliding the first box down my arms and into my hands, both men were surprised to see it pop into existence as I handed it to Peraza. It took him a second to realize what was going on. The same motion to Fuller yielded a faster response. I tossed one of the extra Esteleum to Kieran who caught it deftly without crushing it. Then I handed one to Peter.

  “Ethan and I found these after Shrank showed us his concern,” I explained. “These are very close to Esteleum, even down to the genetic level, though there seems to be an issue with the seeds that I can’t explain immediately. Rather than risk any side effects that we couldn’t foresee, I decided to simply remove them completely.”

  “These were made in ten minutes?” Fuller whispered as he ran his fingers along the edges of the pristine box on the table before him. “What is this symbol?”

  “That is my realm,” I said with a smile. “Inside the lid is my name and on the drawers it’s written in English. They did all three beautifully!”

  “I agree,” muttered Fuller, lifting the lid and unlatching the drawers below. He peered into the lid at the complicated symbol embellished in platinum thread on the blue felt. Then lightly touched the penned English words on the drawer lid before lifting it, too. A rush of the scents of wildflowers permeated through the room as both Councils opened a drawer and let the smells of the field free. It packed a wallop for such innocuous flora.

  Each man lifted an oblong fruit out of a different drawer and compared them, virtually identical. They examined them carefully, turning them up in the air dramatically for everyone to see. Whispered conversation filled the air briefly.

  “From what Ethan and I can tell, there are three differences here,” I explained. “Coloration, taste, and potency. The coloration issue is related to the seed problem, and to a lesser degree, for the taste. This does not taste like dirt. And lastly, the potency of these could be due… well, there are a number of issues that would explain it. I have much to learn and I’ve only had a day.”

  “You’re doing fine, little brother,” Peter said, slapping my back and picking up a knife from the table. Stealing the plate from under the teacup at my setting, he cut the Esteleum in half, leaving half on the plate, and studied it in the light. It was a lighter green under the fluorescents than under natural light, solid throughout, still very reminiscent of a kiwi in texture and look.

  “This is good!” Mike exclaimed. While everyone was watching Peter, Kieran and Mike had progressed a little faster. He chewed on what appeared to be a quarter of a piece quite happily till the magic hit. Then the faint blue color that said Daybreak washed over him briefly. “Whoa! I gotta sit down!”

  Kieran tried a quarter, watching Mike grinning in his chair like a drunken sailor at a strip club waiting for his first lap dance. He grinned at me when the affects hit, groaning a little in appreciation. Kieran gave the other quarters to Harris and Phillips.

  “Damn, that is good!” exclaimed Peter with Peraza and Fuller watching. They couldn’t see the rush of vague excitement in them, just as Ethan had and more than likely I had. “Really sweet and tangy, like mango, banana, and strawberry all rolled together.”

  “Whew, you definitely don’t need a whole one,” Mike remarked as Peter passed by me, handing his plate to Fuller to pass out as samples on the dais.

  “This w
as all the ripe fruit the field had or we would have brought enough for everyone to try,” I announced to the room, apologetically. “But these should be enough to test and review against the purple variety you’re used to.”

  “It’s got quite a kick,” Fuller said, his eyes bright and eager as he rode the endorphin high. Nothing unusual happened with them as the fruit worked its magic, except the trace of my magic that floated through their auras, fading slowly, unused. Neither Harris’ nor Phillips’ was quite so unused, though, and they both had more of the fruit. Made me wonder what Phillips had been up to lately.

  “Esteemed guests and colleagues,” Fuller called to the room loudly. “Let us adjourn to the patio once more for coffee and cordials while I arrange for a proper display for Lord Daybreak’s gifts. When we return, please remember that there are far more of us than them. We will announce when the displays are ready and everyone can get a closer look. Thank you.” He hefted the box off the table, then, glancing over his shoulder, turned back to me and said, “Gentlemen, if you would follow me…”

  Fuller walked around Ethan, down the dais with Peraza in tow. Kieran motioned for me to fall in behind them. I motioned back, bowing slightly. He rolled his eyes and followed.

  “Age before beauty,” I murmured as he passed me.

  “The stench before the turd,” he muttered in retort, which shocked me. I barked out a laugh in surprise at the comment. Shrank laughed, too, uncontrollably. He lost his grip on Kieran’s silk jacket and rolled down his back. I caught the pixie at waist level, cupping him in both hands, and let him finish his fit, still grinning at the unexpected joke.

  “You could have picked a better metaphor,” I whispered hoarsely to Kieran, still grinning as the pixie started to wind down. By the time we made it to the hall, he’d collected himself enough to leap out of my hands with a cheerful “thank you.” He changed almost immediately, switching on the amazing pixie power of camouflage and turning nearly invisible to those around him. Except, now he wasn’t nearly as clear, as un-seeable, as he was before. He rose up in front of Mike, changing his coloration again to be seen.

  “Hello, Mr. Ferrin,” Shrank squealed. “I see they talked you into taking the position. I was unsure this morning. Congratulations!”

  “Thank you,” Mike replied, eyeing the pixie uneasily. He hadn’t spent much time around Shrank at all and barely knew his counterpart’s name.

  Our die pattern reformed in the hall, Ethan beside Kieran in front of me and Mike beside Peter behind me as we trooped past the ballroom, through the foyer and around the sweeping staircase. Fuller ended the journey by turning left into the library.

  “Seward, so nice of you to finally join us,” Fuller said to the security chief as he rose from his chair. Fuller’s tone was casual and light in timbre, but his aura showed his aggravation. “There is a glass display case in the back hallway on the third floor. Have it cleared out and moved to the dining room immediately.”

  “Yes, sir,” Seward answered curtly and left the room again. Fuller moved us farther back in the room and set his box on a table, Peraza following suit and sitting on the same couch at the other end. They split into camps, examining the boxes and the fruit. We took the opposite couch with Peter and Kieran taking a keener interest in the boxes as they’d not seen them as closely as Ethan and I. The scents of wildflowers and fresh grasses wafted through the room when Fuller lifted his lid, sliding the bottom drawer completely open and releasing the middle one.

  “This is amazing work, Seth,” Kieran remarked.

  “I thought so, too,” I said quietly, watching the two different groups interact. Though everyone seemed amicable, the only interface was between the presidents.

  “Since Shrank is here, I assume all is well at home,” Kieran said, but it was more of a question. I assumed it was directed at me even though Shrank cooed in his ear, too.

  “Yes and no. There are enough… questions to move that month deadline up a bit,” I said, catching Peter’s attention without alarming the North American council members he was schmoozing.

  “Would you excuse us for a moment, gentlemen?” Peter asked standing. “We need to talk privately for just a few minutes.” Then he herded the four of us into another corner of the library. I called on the Stone to wrap the five of us in soundproofing barriers and then blurred the scene around us somewhat.

  “Why do you need to move that deadline? Is the geas failing?” Kieran asked immediately.

  “It doesn’t appear to be,” I said, “but there are several cases where they are changing. Shrank called to show me two water-nymphs, naiads I think they’re called, that were then playing in a stream.”

  “What’s odd about that?” Peter asked.

  “We didn’t bring any nymphs with us,” I said, laughing a little. “They stand about a foot taller than the brownies. I’m pretty sure we would have noticed them. That and they were born there the day before. Their parents are half their size and aren’t nymphs at all.”

  “They’re changing on you?” Peter asked, his eyes wide and circular. “And you aren’t worried about that?”

  “Of course I’m worried! I just don’t see what’s wrong. Neither does Shrank or Ethan. Everything feels right. Everyone is happy and fed from what I can see. And it’s not just these two. Y’all saw the brownies in the field. Didn’t they look taller to you?” They paused to think briefly then nodded in agreement.

  “Why’d you bring the pixie back, then, if you were worried about yours?” Mike asked.

  “This is not to be repeated, ever,” I said, my tone serious. “Shrank is under Kieran’s geas. He doesn’t bear the original geas. And Fae magic has an ebb and flow that is nature-based. In my realm, Shrank has full access to everything he needs, food, clothing, that sort of thing. He can draw in and use the magic of the realm, but it’s not his magic so he’s not getting quite everything he needs.”

  “Think of it as a profound vitamin-D deficiency and Kieran is his sun,” Peter said, grinning at Kieran.

  “That’s actually a good analogy,” I said. “But it may have been a problem only because my realm is trying to change everyone. I just don’t want to take chances with their lives at stake.”

  “I agree,” Kieran said, “Especially when it is unnecessary. Let’s go ahead and amend our schedules then. We’ll need to confirm things with Gordon and Enid regarding Thursday’s timetable.”

  “I have a tentative schedule for Thursday here,” Mike said, pulling a small notebook out of his jacket pocket, happily surprising me that he’d begun taking his new job seriously so quickly. I really hadn’t expected him too until after Thursday and we all got more settled in. He popped the binder open and separated Thursday’s itinerary, then flipped the book back to show a weekly view including today. Appointments littered the week, some literally penciled in versus inked. I’d always thought that a figure of speech.

  “We are… amazingly free and available on Thursday,” Kieran said, reading through the schedule, surprised and happy about it.

  “Not as much as it looks,” Mike responded. “I thought so, too, until Gordon pointed out a few things. Seth is amazingly free and available. We will be constantly called on for favors, at least Peter and I will. You and Ethan, not so much, but you will probably have to act like parents at a five-year-old’s birthday party, tending to squabbles and bruised egos. I’m not sure which of us will have the easier day, truth.”

  “What do you think, Seth? Before or after the meeting with the emissaries?” Kieran asked me.

  “Honestly, I don’t really know if it’s going to matter, but I feel like I want to get them taken care of as soon as possible. My first inclination is before,” I said.

  “Okay, then,” he said without argument, switching to the weekly calendar. “Let’s say Wednesday just before dusk. Plan on using all of Tuesday for preparations there. That’ll give us tomorrow and Monday to finish up in the States. Looks like we’ll have to split up some. Tomorrow morning, after Seth get
s Ian, we’ll go to Alabama and check on the house and check in with Richard. Ethan and I can get Mike setup with the attorneys on Sunday morning while you and Peter handle the morning interviews. We’ll join you for the last and if you like one or both of the first two, keep them around and we’ll talk to them then. Mike, where are these appointments?” Kieran pointed out the three mid-afternoon appointments on Monday.

  “At a hotel in Huntsville,” Mike said. “I rented a suite specifically for that purpose on the day.” He shrugged and continued, “I assumed Seth didn’t want to use his house for that purpose and I didn’t know the address anyway. We can adjust and reschedule as necessary, though.”

  “It’s tight, but it’ll work,” Kieran said, standing. “Start putting serious thought into what you want put into the geas and you and I will work on it Tuesday. It’s not much time, but if you aren’t satisfied with it, we can delay it.”

  “Okay,” I agreed. For some reason, though, I was still uneasy. I couldn’t quite lay tongue to groove on why, and that bothered me more than being uneasy did.

  “Don’t worry, Seth,” Ethan said, putting his arm across my shoulders. “We’ll get you there. You’re just really overwhelmed. It’ll happen. It’s only been a day.”

  “Yeah, it is a lot, isn’t it?” I said, glancing over at him. “Let’s get back to the party.”

  Dismissing the Stone’s soundproofing, we rejoined the councilmen just as Seward returned. “The display case is ready, Mr. Fuller,” he said then retreated a few steps back and waited.

  “Shall we return to the party, then, Darius,” Peraza asked Fuller as he carefully closed up the gift box.

  “If we must,” Fuller responded ruefully. “Remind me of this moment, Carlos, the next time I say, ‘No, Let’s throw a big party!’ Like there will be another time for this.”

  A low chuckle ran through the room as the train reformed and we headed out again for the dining room. Completely empty now, the room looked bigger than before and still had the faint aroma of wildflowers that cut through the food smells admirably. The display case sat in the center of the room on an oval green rug with black suited men on either end. We stood by watching as Fuller and Peraza fiddled with their boxes, arranging the gifts to maximize the effects to show each of the three symbols of the case as well as the fruits and packing inside.