by RM Walker
“She’s her own person. What she drinks is her responsibility, not yours. But I doubt we’ll see a repeat performance anyway.” He gave Nate the bill. “I’m going to say something that I know I don’t really need to say.”
“That made no sense,” Nate muttered, handing over the money.
“Well, let’s just be saying the skinny dipping and poker playing won’t be happening.”
Indignation made him slap the tip down hard. “We would never take advantage of her.”
Uncle Jimmy put the tip into the ashtray designated for it. “I know you wouldn’t. Which is why I don’t really need to say it. Look after her and make her drink this.” He handed him a water bottle and moved away to serve someone else.
Nate grabbed it, made sure they hadn’t left anything at the seats and went outside to find her.
She was running around the green, laughing delightedly as they tried to catch her. It was getting dark, but there was still enough light to see how happy she was. She spun in a circle with her hands out, and fire sprung up in front of her. His heart stopped, and he dropped the bottle as he raced towards hers. Matt got to her first and brought her hands down. The fire went out as Nate skidded to a stop beside them.
“Lily, sweetheart, you can’t do that,” Matt said.
“Why not?” She pouted, lifting her hands again.
He didn’t think, just bent forwards and upended her over his shoulder. He tightened his grip on the backs of her legs as she squealed in laughter.
“I’m upside down!” she called out and began to pat his butt cheeks. “Upside down. I’m upside dowwwn.”
“Did you have to do that? You’re gonna make her sick.” Josh caught her hands.
“Well, what did you want me to do? She’s fucking spell-casting in the bloody open?”
“Well, boys, here’s an idea you haven’t considered: how about not getting her drunk? Then none of this would have happened.”
Nate’s stomach flipped as he turned to see Drew walking towards them. His posture was casual, but Nate could see the banked fury on his face and it kick started his own.
“Iggy. Can I call you, Iggy?” Lily nuzzled her face into his lower back.
“No, you bloody well can’t.” He set her on her feet, holding her as she swayed.
Her face turned white, and she made a gagging noise, slapping her hand over her mouth. She took a deep breath and waved her hand in the air. “I’m fine! I’m fine!”
She turned and squealed so loudly it hurt his ears. She ripped away from him and he watched in horror as she ran towards Drew.
“Daddy!” She jumped up, winding her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck, and kissed him hard on the cheek.
He staggered back, just managing to keep his feet.
“Can I call you, Daddy?” she pleaded.
Nate would have laughed at Drew’s shock if it hadn’t been caused by her koala bear impression.
“Well, that was unexpected.” Drew untangled her, setting her down on her feet. “I think you’re too old to call me Daddy, but Dad would be fine.”
“Dad, these are my boyfriends: Ignatius, but I call him Iggy, Matthe—”
Drew pressed his fingers against her lips, humour edging past the anger. “I already know them.”
“Oh good. That’s good. That’s really—” She stopped, took two deep breaths and threw up, splattering vomit all over his shoes.
“Guys. If you ever get her drunk again, I will kill you. Slowly,” he snarled.
Nate was stuck in limbo with no idea what to do.
“I don’t feel so good.” She buckled, and Nate just managed to catch her around the waist, hauling her back from the mess on the ground. She slumped over his arms, and he took her full weight.
Drew waved his hand and the vomit disappeared, along with the acrid smell.
Nate’s stomach sank, they were buggered; Drew knew what they were.
“How the fuck did you do that?” Josh tried hard to sound amazed, but it wasn’t convincing, neither of them could lie to save their lives.
“It’s pointless, at this point, to play games.” He folded his arms. “What did she drink and how many?”
“Sick!” She jerked in Nate’s hold but she only dry-heaved. He pulled her up, but she slumped back over, moaning.
“How many and what?” Drew snapped.
“She had the bootlegger brine. It’s just rum, peach schnapps, and lemonade.” Matt said. “We didn’t let her mix her drinks.”
“How many?”
“Well, we thought it was only three, but it got a bit confusing. It was four in the end,” Jake admitted.
“She’s ok. She’s not dying, just a little drunk,” Nate snapped. “Have you never got drunk?”
“I’m not eighteen and alone with four hormonal—” His head snapped back and Nate realised Matt had punched him.
“That was for suggesting we’d hurt Lily,” Matt snarled and punched him again. “And that was for scaring Lily and wrecking my fucking home!”
The twins flanked Matt, but Drew shook his head, fingering his jaw carefully. “Okay, you get those two. But you ever hit me again and it’s fair game.”
Nate wished he could punch him, but watching Matt do it was satisfying. Lily giggled, mumbling something about earthworms, and he was glad she was out of it.
“I know what you are, you know what I am and we all know what Lily is. I’m not here to hurt her, we got off on the wrong foot. Why don’t we forget everything and go from here, for her sake?”
“Her sake?” Jake scoffed. “You scared the shit out of her!”
“I didn’t want her around you,” Drew snapped. “Look, this is not the place, but I know you’re in a weird sharing relationship with her—”
“That is none of your fucking business,” Jake spat.
“I’m her father! If it’s not my business, who the hell’s is it?”
“I am your father, Iggy. May the dark side be with us.” She straightened, slid her hand behind his neck and into his hair. She kissed his throat and heat flooded his cheeks. Could this get any worse?
“She needs to be sobered up.” Drew didn’t look impressed.
“She needs to go dancing in the moonlight.” She pulled herself away from Nate and began to sing out of key. She caught Jake’s hand and dragged him with her. “Dance with me, Jacob.”
Drew put his hands in his pockets and sighed heavily. “Look, boys, I’ve waited for her for so long. I didn’t expect to walk into her life smoothly. I knew Lynda had been lying to her, but I didn’t expect to find her involved with four boys. Four fae to be exact. She’s innocent, and I worried you were going to...” Drew hesitated.
“Going to what?” Nate demanded.
“You want blunt? I’ll give you blunt.” Drew looked straight at Nate. “I thought you were manipulating her into sex. You clicked on what she is, and I thought you would use that connection to make her do things sexually. Lily is blind to her powers and vulnerable to you using it against her.”
“We’d never do that to Lily.” Josh glared at him.
“I didn’t know you from Adam. You’re all infatuated with her, riddled with lust. I wasn’t going to chance you using her. She’s gone from no friends to you four all over her, it’s bound to turn her head.”
“Lily! No, baby, no, not here, sweetheart.” Jake’s horrified shout caught their attention.
“Oh, shit,” Josh muttered.
Lily’s jacket lay on the grass, and she was trying to lift her blouse over her head. Jake was frantically trying to pull it back down and she was getting angry with him.
“I’m hot, I need to cool off.” She slapped at his hands, tripped and crashed into him, taking them both down heavily. Josh grunted in response to Jake’s pain.
They went over to her, but she was passed out, crumpled on Jake. He was winded and struggling to keep her hair out of his face. Matt and Josh pushed past Drew and managed to haul her up between them, her head down.
“You can’t take her to Lynda like this,” Drew insisted.
“She’s coming back to mine,” Matt said.
“And how are you going to explain it to your parents?” Drew demanded. “I can sober her up.”
“She’s not staying with you.” Nate clenched his fists. No way was he letting that happen.
“I didn’t say that. I said I can take it away. Lynda won’t know.”
“You won’t tell Lynda?” Matt asked suspiciously.
Drew stared at Matt as if he was stupid. “I thought Lily told you what Lynda did. Why would I willingly put her in more harm from that woman?”
“You think Lynda would hurt her?” Jake questioned.
“Not physically,” Drew replied. “But she isn’t going to be happy with you lot. She’ll put pressure on Lily to stop seeing Matt. She doesn’t know what you are, does she?”
A sense of dead crept into his mind. Drew held it over them and Nate knew he wouldn’t hesitate to use it.
Lily stirred, groaning loudly and Drew put his hand on her head. She quietened straight away.
“What did you do?” Nate demanded.
“Wow. What happened?” Lily was disorientated and confused as she looked around her.
“You were—”
“You’re fine,” Drew cut in. “They got you drunk. I sobered you up because you were casting magic and about to strip.”
“I got drunk?” She looked at Matt for confirmation and something shifted inside Nate.
Josh stepped in front of her, Jake shadowing him. Nate tried to move in, but they were crowded around her. It wasn’t done deliberately to cut him out, but it still rankled. She was his as much as she was theirs.
“And you think it’s hard now?”
“What?” Nate hadn’t seen Drew move in behind him, he couldn’t lose focus again.
“Sharing her. Or at least trying too.”
“I don’t know what you’re on about,” Nate muttered.
“You will,” Drew said. “If you don’t already, that is.”
“Look, just mind your own—” He stopped as Lily came over.
“Nate, I am so sorry. I really messed up.” Her face was chalk white, her eyes dark with worry.
“It’s not your—”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Drew insisted. “No harm, no foul.”
“I put us all in danger. You know, don’t you?” She swallowed as she eyed Drew.
Nate took her hands, trying to get her attention. “No one else—”
“I made sure there’s no one else around,” Drew cut in again.
Nate took a deep breath, his anger notching higher. He was deliberately pushing Nate out, or trying too. Tears welled up in her eyes, and he pulled her into him. She clung to him, her arms around his neck, and his anger seeped out as her scent filled his senses.
“It was only a matter of time,” he said into her hair, his hands rubbing up and down her back. “It’s my fault; I promised to look after you, and I let you down.”
“You didn’t force me to drink, Nate. It was my fault.”
“We should have been watching how many you had.” Matt and the twins had moved closer to her and Nate stamped on the urge to turn her away from them.
“I should have been more careful, this is no one’s fault but my own.” She sobbed.
Tears dropped onto his neck and he stroked her hair. “No, babe, it’s not your fault.”
“Okay, okay. Let’s stop the guilt trip you lot are on before someone recommends self-flagellation,” Drew drawled. “If it’s any consolation I already knew what you all are.”
“You did? But I didn’t tell you.” Lily pulled from Nate, and he reluctantly let her go.
“I found out by chance,” he replied. “I knew you were talking to someone by the doubts, questions, and your sheer lack of response to spells.”
“I messed that up too.” Her shoulders slumped.
“No, you didn’t. Look, come back to mine, we can talk more freely.”
It wasn’t a suggestion and anger slammed back into Nate. He opened his mouth to refuse, but Lily was already looking at Matt.
“That’ll be all right, won’t it?”
“No.” Nate tried to catch Matt’s eye.
“Well, I think we should,” Lily disagreed, looking at him.
“No. I really think we shouldn’t.” He wasn’t budging on this.
“I think Lily’s right,” Matt said. “I think we need to talk this through.”
“Yeah, we agree too,” said Josh.
“C’mon, then. We can have some tea,” Drew said, indicating for them to lead the way.
Nate was rooted to the spot as Matt took Lily’s hand, and with the twins, they began to walk away.
“It’s not just the sharing it would seem,” Drew said. “There’s your new leader, Nate. You’re going to have to give up your crown.”
“Shut up,” Nate snarled. “You’re talking crap.”
“She overruled you, and they didn’t think twice about it. You’re going to have to realise ordering them around and having their complete obedience is a thing of the past.”
“You don’t know a fucking thing. I do not order them around.” He clenched his fists at his sides.
“Of course, you do.”
“Nate? Aren’t you coming?” Lily called.
“Yeah.” Nate lifted his hand, dragging up a smile for her.
“The times, they are a-changin’. Move with them, Nate, or get left behind.” Drew passed him and caught up with the others.
He was wrong, leadership wasn’t Nate’s problem. It had nothing to do with them not listening to him. It was because they’d be on Drew’s ground, and he didn’t trust him at all.
Drew was right on one thing though; Lily was their queen. She was his queen, but he was still their bodyguard, and it was his job to protect them. They were set on going, and he wasn’t going to let them go without him.
The Reformation
Jake pressed against Josh as they rested against the back door. Nate and Matt sat at the table and Drew leant against the kitchen counter. He projected a relaxed look with his ankles crossed and his hands in his pockets, but Jake wasn’t convinced.
Lily was upstairs in the bathroom. They hadn’t wanted her to go up by herself, but she’d laughed and told them they were funny. Jake didn’t feel funny. He didn’t trust Drew farther than he could throw him.
Josh fidgeted against him, tugging his thumb nail between his teeth. Jake slung his arm around his neck and the contact eased them both.
“Would you like a drink? Tea? Coffee?” Drew tilted his head to the kettle, a sardonic smile on his lips.
“No, we don’t.” Nate shifted, his chair creaked under him.
“Okay, I’ll do you a deal, an answer for an answer.” Drew moved to fill the kettle with water.
He’s playing with us.
Nate will do all the talking, we watch Drew’s reactions. Jake tightened his hold on Josh’s shoulder.
“We get first question, and we reserve the right to not answer any of yours,” said Nate.
“I’m not sure that will work in my favour, but I’ll humour you. Okay, ask away.”
“What do you want with Lily?” asked Nate.
“She asked the same thing, and I’ll tell you what I told her. Time. I want time to get to know my daughter.”
“Why wait eighteen years?” Nate demanded.
“Answer for an answer, remember?” Drew reminded him. “Who taught you how to control your abilities?”
It was not the question Jake was expecting, but Nate answered without missing a beat.
“We relied on each other. Control wasn’t the issue; understanding why we could do weird things was.”
“And who taught you that?”
“Answer for an answer, remember?” Matt fingers tapped his thigh.
“Touché.” Drew grinned at Matt, but there was no humour in his eyes.
“Why wait so lo
ng? You were watching her, you could have contacted her at any time.” Nate demanded.
“You already know. I’d bet my last penny she’s told you.”
“Humour us,” Nate drawled.
“I was bound. If I contacted her before she was eighteen I would have been killed. Once she was eighteen she’s an adult and the binds broke. I also have no doubt that she told you why I was bound.”
“I’ll take that as your question. Yes, she told us what you’d said. There are no secrets between us.”
If Drew made anything of it, he didn’t say. He was so nonchalant about the whole thing, and it was irritating Jake. They were dancing around the real subject and he didn’t understand why Nate wasn’t pushing him for the answers they really wanted.
“Did you kill her mother?” Matt asked.
“No. I didn’t.” He kept eye contact with Matt as he spoke. “I loved her mother. I will always love her.”
“Who bound you over?” Nate asked.
“My turn.” Drew smiled at him. “How many other magical people do you know?”
“Only us,” Nate lied.
Drew snorted. “Okay, keep your secrets for now, but let me tell you this: don’t trust whoever’s been talking to you. They’ve told Lily things which aren’t true.”
“What things?” Matt asked.
“Magic is not leaving this world and it never will.”
“There aren’t many of us left.” Nate pushed his glasses up his nose.
“There are plenty of us left. You’re very sheltered here. I want to say naïve, but that’s not quite the right term.”
“You killed people.” Jake was unable to hold his tongue anymore. “You ripped their souls from them, you didn’t even let them have an afterlife.”
The first emotion other than humour showed on Drew’s face, and it was regret. He brought a hand from his pocket and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know. It’s something I will have to deal with for the rest of my life. I know what I did better than most.” He was agitated now, his arms folded in front of his chest. He shook his head, his eyes closed, and he took a deep breath, before looking straight at Jake. “Have you never made a mistake you deeply regret, Jake?
“Of course, we have. But we’ve never killed anyone,” Josh snapped.