Queen of the Sylphs

by L. J. McDonald

  “She is. I was a little crazy when they gave me to her.” He shrank into himself. “I’m not, though. Crazy, I mean. Really.” He winced, feeling stupid.

  She laughed as they climbed the stairs and came out into a square behind a stable. “I know you’re not. I’d like to hope we can all be friends,” she added. “Me, you, and Rachel.”

  Claw beamed. “Of course!”

  Sala left him there at the top of the stairs, hurrying off to help Rachel set up for the day, but not before she gifted him with a final smile. Claw watched her until she was out of sight, his usual nervous turmoil eased. Someone other than his master seemed to like him just for being him.

  Though normally it didn’t matter apart from giving a heads-up as to when they were likely to be cranky, battle sylphs could tell when their mortal masters were fertile. Their scents changed in ways that were fascinating, and the battlers stayed close, despite the women’s moods. Heyou especially hated to leave Solie when she was fertile, particularly since she didn’t turn into a crazy person.

  This time, he did.

  “Hurry up!” he shouted through the door to Devon’s bedroom. “I don’t like leaving her alone!”

  “Why don’t you try leaving me alone?” the man shouted back. “I don’t do well under pressure!”

  Heyou snorted, pacing across the small apartment. Devon had never bothered to have an earth sylph make him a home aboveground, since he really only used the place to sleep.

  Hovering in the air by the window, Airi watched. You frighten him, she said. Heyou frightened her as well. If she had her way, she and Devon wouldn’t have anything to do with battlers.

  “So?” Heyou couldn’t think of anyone more perfect for this than her master.

  Galway had reminded him that there was only one thing that could make a woman pregnant, but he also pointed out that there was no rule stating the donor had to deliver the goods personally. Given Heyou’s ability to shapeshift, he just needed to get some male seed, and he could perform the conveyance himself. All he needed was a donor.

  Devon Chole. Young, healthy, even-tempered . . . and completely terrified of battlers, which meant he wouldn’t be sniffing around for any parental rights. Besides, he was leaving in a very short while, and if he was especially thoughtful, he’d never come back. Solie was going to have a baby, and Heyou fully intended to act as the father. He’d seen fathers with their children. They didn’t seem to do much, so how hard could it be?

  He might not be able to do this if you frighten him too much, Airi supplied.

  “What’s to be scared of? Hurry up!” Heyou shouted through the door.

  The air sylph sighed. Devon doesn’t want to be a father.

  “Perfect. He won’t be. I will.”

  Are you ready for that?

  “Sure. All fathers have to do is yell at their kids and bitch about how they don’t behave. Oh, and scare away any suitors who come after them. I’m looking forward to that part.”

  Oh, Airi said. There was more to it when Devon was a boy.

  Whatever. Heyou just wanted Solie to be happy. She wanted a baby, so he’d give one to her.

  Does the queen know you’re doing this? Airi asked.

  “No. She likes surprises.” Heyou grinned. “I can’t wait to see the look on her face.” The smile dropped. “How long does it take for women to figure out they’re pregnant?”

  Weeks? Maybe months?

  “But that’s forever!”

  An inarticulate sound came from the bedroom, and a minute later Devon opened the door. His hair was a mess and he looked exhausted. “Here,” he groused, handing over a clay mug.

  Heyou looked inside. “That’s it?”

  Devon slammed the door.

  Heyou shrugged and headed outside. He had what he wanted; now he just had to get to Solie and sweep her off her feet.

  Airi watched the sylph go, waiting until he was out of sight before going to console her master. Briefly she thought about warning the queen, but there was a simple rule both she and Devon tried to follow: never to get in the way of a battler that wanted something. It made life much easier.

  This also solved any last lingering doubt about going to Meridal. Suddenly, neither of them could wait to leave.

  Heyou burst into Solie’s garden to find her having biscuits and tea. Lizzy, Loren, and Shore were also there. Solie looked up and gave him her beautiful smile.

  “Hi!” Heyou said to her. He looked at the other two women. “Get out.”

  “Heyou!” Solie protested, but her friends hurried away, sniggering. Heyou’s words clearly hadn’t offended them. “What’s got into . . . ?”

  He pounced.

  Five minutes later, Solie stared at the ceiling in her bedroom and frowned. That had been very . . . short. Heyou lay lower down on her, his ear pressed against her belly. It was strange.

  “Heyou . . .” she began.

  “Shh. I’m listening.”

  Solie lifted her head and looked down past her bare breasts at him. “To what?”

  He blinked and winced. “Um, it’s a surprise.”

  Solie stared. What possible surprise could involve her stomach and such a crazed libido? The possible answer came a few seconds later.

  “HEYOU!”

  Solie stood in her living room, her shirt pulled up to expose her stomach. She could barely breathe as Luck ran soft hands over her skin.

  Despite their best efforts, Luck was the only healer sylph in the Valley, and she belonged to the most neurotic hypochondriac Solie had ever met. Zem fascinated Luck. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t put him right. Apparently, that was an attractive trait for a healer sylph’s master and there was no doubt that Zem loved her desperately. In every way but the physical, Luck was his wife.

  “Am I pregnant?”

  Luck straightened. For whatever reason, she had the shape of a softened wax image of a woman. Her features were barely defined, and she glimmered translucently even out of the light. Her voice was clear as she answered her queen’s question. “Yes.”

  “And the baby’s healthy?”

  “She is.”

  Solie’s breath caught. Her eyes filled with tears. “She? She’s a girl?” She turned and beamed at Heyou, who sat on the edge of the dresser against the wall. He returned her smile, and she felt a wave of happiness and love for him that made him croon. He didn’t have the faintest notion of what he’d done; she had no doubt about that. He didn’t exactly think long-term. But just the fact that he’d done it for her and that she’d have a baby of her own when she’d already given up all hope . . .

  She ran forward to hug him, and he dropped to the floor just in time to catch her in his arms. He hugged her tightly as she pressed herself against him and sobbed, “I love you, thank you, I love you!”

  She’d have to have a nursery built, knit some clothes. She’d need to send a message to her parents and aunt as well. None of them could read, but she’d have one of the drovers deliver a message as he went through. She hadn’t seen them in years, and none of them had accepted her invitation to move here, but she received word and harvest presents from them each year. Maybe if he knew that she was going to be a mother, her father would forgive her for running off with a battle sylph.

  She’d have to tell Leon and Galway about the baby, too, and make sure they could take on more of the workload as she got close to giving birth—and when the baby was born. Ril would be able to keep most people away; he’d only been on the job for a few days, and already the foreign ambassadors were terrified—actually, she needed to speak to him about that . . . She’d talk to Rachel and Iyala as well; both of them had been mothers and could tell her most of what she’d need to know.

  Behind her, Luck turned and half walked, half floated to the door, her feet hard to see beneath a sweeping floor-length dress that was actually part of the form she’d chosen. She found her master waiting nervously in the hall. His energy was skewed, warped and abnormal, and she reached out, putt
ing a hand against his cheek and focusing. His energy smoothed out, the turmoil fading, but once she drew her hand back, it started to twist again. The experience was fascinating.

  “That took longer than I thought,” Zem whined. “What about me? Do you have enough left to heal me?”

  “Always,” she assured him.

  Zem sighed, fidgeting as he ostensibly led the way back down into the underground complex. In actuality, he followed her. “I hope she thanked you. You don’t have time to spend on just anyone. They don’t appreciate us here. Not the way they should. I mean, you’re unique. There are hardly any healers anywhere, so you should get paid lots for what you do.” He frowned. “We should be rich.”

  Luck didn’t say anything. Zem liked to rant and wail about his lot in life nearly as much as he liked to complain about his health. She couldn’t fix that any more than she could his body. It fascinated her, though, and she partially followed but mostly led him toward home without saying anything in response. Zem didn’t mind, just going on despite that. He was used to it. Only a few would listen to Zem’s constant complaints, and of those, only one person actually agreed with them. Luck sensed her ahead, waiting with a constant, unwavering placidity that Luck couldn’t affect any more than she could her own master’s illness. She was waiting for them.

  At Leon’s request, the Racing Dawn, the air ship upon which he and the others had returned from Meridal, had postponed its departure. Its air sylph Ocean Breeze and her master Kadmiel were now waiting to see who they might be taking back to Meridal.

  Devon rubbed his arms, standing by his luggage. The bags were filled with his clothes, and also with something more precious: a copy of the treaty Leon drafted before he left Meridal. He’d brought two back with Eapha’s signature. One was returning with Solie’s.

  It’ll be okay, Airi whispered, though Devon could feel her nervousness like his own. It was time to leave. A week’s flight to Meridal and he’d start his new life. He took a deep breath. It wasn’t a new life. It was just a year or so.

  “You’re not thinking of coming back, are you?”

  Devon jumped at the voice, and Airi shrieked silently in his mind. He spun and nearly ran when he saw it was Heyou standing only a few feet away, grinning. Every terror he had about battle sylphs rushed through him, and he had a panicked second to think that his heart might just stop, followed by another when he was afraid it would never stop. Heyou’s grin widened.

  “Devon!” From behind the battler Solie hurried forward, beaming. She put a hand on Heyou’s arm, and the sylph stepped aside with a worried look. She didn’t notice. Devon was her whole focus, her entire being aglow. He swallowed, a little bit afraid of what her battler might do to him.

  “Ma’am,” he managed.

  “Oh, don’t you ma’am me!” she cried, and she threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. Her soft breasts pressed against him, and Devon tried to feel nothing. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much. Heyou told me it was you.”

  Probably not willingly, Devon thought. If the battler had been given a choice, he never would have told anyone. Not how he’d made Solie pregnant. She would have insisted, though, and she seemed so happy.

  Devon sighed and put his arms around her, careful to place his hands on her shoulders. “You’re welcome,” he told her honestly. He hadn’t been given a choice in the matter, and having a child he couldn’t ever acknowledge if he didn’t want to become a pile of ash had never been in his plans. He wasn’t really even sure he’d ever wanted a child. But seeing her happy made this meaningful, if not quite worth the terror.

  “You’re welcome,” he told her again, patting her shoulder awkwardly.

  Solie giggled and squeezed him for a long moment. Then she let go, stepping back to smile up at him. Tears sparkled in her eyes. “I’ll never forget this,” she said. “You’ve given me a gift I can’t ever repay.”

  Devon managed to return her smile. “I’m just glad you’re happy.” And, he was. Solie was a kind woman, and she deserved every good thing. His smile widened. “I really am.”

  “Good,” she said. She stroked his cheek, her eyes damp and shiny. “Be safe, Devon. Promise me that, will you?”

  “I promise.”

  She looked over his shoulder. “And you, Airi. You be safe as well.”

  Oh yes, my queen. I will.

  Solie smiled again at both of them. “I should let Leon talk to you. I think he has a few more instructions.” She wiped her eyes. “Thank you both for everything!” Then she turned and ran away, going to Heyou and pressing her face against his chest. He took her greedily into his arms.

  I don’t understand why she’s crying if she’s so happy, Airi said.

  “I think I do,” Devon whispered. Turning, he found a somewhat bemused Leon.

  Rachel stirred the soup in the big pot while Claw set the table behind her. He didn’t eat food the way she did, but he sat with her for meals whenever his schedule allowed. For him, she’d discovered, her willing presence was the greatest indication she could give of her love. She enjoyed his company, so it was easy. And when they were alone, he wasn’t nearly so nervous.

  Carefully ladling soup for herself, she turned and carried it to the table. Claw held her chair out, and once she sat with the bowl, he helped push the chair in. Grabbing the big bread knife on the counter, he started to carve the loaf of bread that Sala brought earlier. It was still fresh enough that steam rose from its insides, and he spread butter on top just the way Rachel liked.

  Happy. Claw felt happy. Rachel sensed his emotions refreshingly clearly, and he hummed under his breath a lullaby she had sometimes sung to him when he first came to her. That had been back in the days when he was too terrified to even come to her bed for fear she’d hurt him. She’d had troubles herself. Being able to share emotions with him had been hard, but no harder than she was sure it had been for him; and by forcing herself to project emotions that wouldn’t make him cringe, she’d made it so that she started feeling those emotions for real. In healing Claw, Rachel found she conquered many of the demons arising from her husband’s death and the betrayal of her children.

  She smiled at him and accepted the bread he offered. “I gather you had a good day?”

  He nodded and sank into a chair. He’d taken off his jacket when he came home, and his hair was shockingly blue against the white of his shirt. “Sala came to visit me.”

  Rachel beamed. “She told me. I was so pleased.”

  It was good to see Claw making a friend. The battle sylphs were closely knit, but Claw had few human connections. Those who could get past the fact that he was a battler were often frightened by the belief that he was crazy, and Claw’s strong reactions to negative emotions didn’t help. Sala had been able to see through that, and Rachel reached out to grasp her battler’s hand.

  “I’m so glad you have a friend,” she said, picking up her spoon.

  “Me, too,” he admitted, ducking his head. “Do you mind at all?”

  “Of course not.” Rachel swept her wrinkled hand across the table to indicate the soup and bread and steaming tea. “She came by and brought all this food. Said she couldn’t imagine leaving someone who reminds her so much of her own grandmother to cook for herself.” Rachel laughed. “Silly girl. Her grandmother! Still, her heart’s in the right place.”

  She took a sip of the soup. It had a bitterness that she didn’t quite like, but she wasn’t one to turn down a free meal. She’d just have to find out what particular spice that was and ask Sala to use a little bit less.

  “Are you all right?” Claw asked, sensing her dismay.

  “Of course, love. Be a dear and pour me some tea.”

  He did so, and Rachel finished her soup. She started on the tea next, which had the same odd taste, but a dollop of fresh honey took care of the bitterness and she settled back in her seat with a contented sigh. “Yes, her heart’s in the right place, even if her cooking isn’t.”

  Though he still coul
dn’t voice it, a flicker of Claw’s need came to her. She extended an arm. “Come here.”

  He immediately shuffled his chair closer. Leaning forward, he laid his head against her breast. She wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes, listening to his breathing change to long, deep inhalations and exhalations. There was hardly ever a pause.

  He was feeding; she knew that. She couldn’t feel him draw off her excess energy, but they had formalized the process and she was always aware when he did. Most of the other battlers preferred to go to their masters for energy several times a day, but Claw came to her only once, drawing everything he would need. It generally left her sleepy, which was convenient given her chronic insomnia.

  Claw finished and shifted his arms around her, slipping out of his chair and lifting Rachel in his arms. Knowing her usual reaction, she’d put on her nightdress, and he carried her into the bedroom now and settled her on the bed.

  “Sweet boy,” she murmured, reaching up to cup his cheek. Then she pulled him down for the last of their nightly traditions.

  “I love you, Claw,” she murmured a while later, worn out but sated. She dozed off in his naked arms, nestled in the warmth of the many blankets.

  Feeling that she was asleep, Claw kissed Rachel’s forehead and settled down beside her. She hadn’t heard his answering words of adoration. Though he didn’t need sleep, he had no intention of being anywhere else for the night. He didn’t have to leave until the next morning.

  There came a distant crash and far-off screams of pain. Stiffening, Claw felt both the terror and pain of others. Roars followed, battlers being summoned, and he felt them moving, their rage washing over everything.

  Claw glanced down at Rachel. She was still asleep, her wrinkled hand lax on the pillow beside her equally wrinkled face. He swallowed. He had to go; the hive was in danger.

  Gently he leaned down and kissed his master, feeling so much love that he didn’t want to leave. But the others needed him. That was absolute. The hive needed him.

  He kissed Rachel one more time and slid out of bed. Scooping up his clothes, he flashed into the shape of a lightning-streaked cloud, his uniform inside his mantle, and flew out of the cottage toward the threat.