by John Conroe
I nodded again, unsure of what to say. He gave me a bro hug then slipped out of the room.
“Declan, when things have quieted down a bit, maybe we could have a chat?” Gina asked.
“Sure Gina,” I said, wondering when quiet would ever come.
Aunt Ash stood watching me as Gina left. After a second or two, she came over and hugged me again.
“Declan me boy, I’m so very proud of ye. Personally, I think ye were bang on to protect yer girl here,” she said with a nod toward Stacia. “Ye’ve handled yer heritage with pride and honor. Did ye go a wee bit overboard? Yes. But that’s when yer girl protected you. Keep that in mind after I’ve left ye alone, right?”
“Yes ma’am,” I said.
“Hah. Ma’am is it? Yer a hell of a chancer, Declan O’Carroll, did ye know?” she asked, bending my head forward and planting a kiss on the crown of my head. “Right, then. I’m off. Come for dinner, eh? And be gentle with each other, ye hear? Don’t make me get out my love grimoire,” she said, shaking a finger at us. Then she slid over by Stacia, gave her a hug, and left the room.
The room was now empty except for Stacia and me.
Chapter 14
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey,” she said back. Her arms were crossed but it looked more like a self-hug than a defensive pose.
“Um, I, ah, well, kind of lost it. So you did what you had to,” I said.
She watched me with big green eyes, making me very nervous. “You almost lost it. Never quite got there,” she said. She pushed off the wall she was leaning against and moved over to sit next to me on the couch.
“You were protecting me from bullets. And you focused all your anger and betrayal on Krupp, mainly because she’s kind of a bitch,” Stacia said. She was close, maybe a finger’s width away from her body touching the side of mine. “But you never crossed the line. I told the others that the issue was when Chris started to break your magic or whatever. That’s when I got scared. What would happen if the two of you really got into it? You didn’t, by the way. You still played defensive. And he kept pushing, but that’s Grim. And Grim is Grim. If you two had thrown down, I’d have to side with you. And the two of us might still lose. Especially if ‘Sos got pulled into it. So I couldn’t. I couldn’t let any of that happen. So I used your trust in me and snuck up and choked you out. And now you will likely never trust me again.”
Her eyes were wet with moisture but her voice stayed firm. Her slim hand on her right knee trembled just ever so slightly. I reached for it. Pulled it up in my hand and turned it over. Her nails are long and very sharp, much stronger than a normal human’s. With a thought, they can become true claws, razor tipped. Sliding closer until our bodies touched, I took her hand and spread out her sharp-nailed fingers, then I lifted my chin and put her hand around my neck before taking my hand away.
“You told me that you would have my back, that you would help me keep myself in check. What part of today did you fail in that promise? When did that happen? Fighting the Hammer of God? Not a great idea. And who the hell knew he could chop through magic like a Ginsu knife?” I said, looking up at the ceiling.
She sat very still, her deadly hand at my throat, then she sucked in a quick hard breath and her arms were suddenly wrapped around me, pulling me tightly to her. Her face replaced her hand at my throat and she held me really, really tight. My own arms were around her and I could feel her drawing my scent in through her nose.
After a solid twenty or thirty seconds, she spoke. “I thought you would turn away from me. I choked you out in the middle of a fight and you would never, ever trust me near you again.”
“Please. What couple doesn’t engage in a little rear naked choking from time to time. Hey, wait… you really were naked, weren’t you? It actually was a rear naked choke,” I said.
She shook her head at me. “One track mind, O’Carroll. One track mind.”
“That just makes it easier to get me back on the line when I jump a rail,” I said, grinning.
She didn’t smile at my joke. “I never, ever, ever want to see you and Chris facing off again,” she said.
I sighed and leaned back, looking up, thinking about what had happened. “Every thing is so…”
“Fragile?” she suggested.
“Yeah. Fragile. Things that seem rock solid suddenly fall apart,” I said.
“And things that seem wispy as air become steel hard,” she said, snuggling closer.
I nodded. “Wait are you talking about us or…” I asked, breaking off to look down at my lap.
“Once a perv, always a perv,” she said, then suddenly stiffened as something occurred to her. “Your Aunt Darcy was right. You’ve got to keep a real low profile. Krupp will be gunning for you and the locals were scared out of their minds,” she said.
“I didn’t really do anything. Not really.”
“You bounced all of them a foot in the air, including their cars. Then there is the whole flaming hand and lightning fist thing,” she said.
“Sounds like some really cool style of Kung fu.”
“Declan, I’m serious. We need to keep you out of sight a bit,” she said, frowning beautifully.
“Hey, I know. I have a cute little city in the country—my country. We could hide out there,” I said.
“Your city—your country?” she asked, frown now a glower. “I might have to choke you again.”
“Well, I don’t own anything but I have sort of been elected chief steward of the realm—by the realm itself.”
She looked thoughtful. “Perhaps it would be a good idea to go back.”
“Huh? I thought we were going back in a week or so?” I asked.
“Yes, but now we’ve had a disruption to our team dynamics. Wouldn’t the queens expect us to do something rash and ill thought out? Like run away to Fairie?”
“And you think going along with the queens’ plans is helpful?” I asked.
She grinned. “Listen, if this thing has taught us anything, it’s that Fairie plots are intricate and long-term. They left hidden assets on Earth and then spent them for possibly the sole purpose of fracturing our team. What’s next? Wouldn’t they expect you to run away? You’re a kid in most people’s eyes, let alone those ancient hags.”
Hags? Ancient yes, but from what I’d seen (and that was quite a lot), the queens didn’t look like any hags I ever heard of.
“Come on, you know what I mean,” she said, reading my expression.
“Actually, yes. If I got all butt hurt, running to Fairie would be appealing. Then what? Contact from one of their agents in Idiria? Cookies and milk on the dark side?” I asked. “Then wham, bam, thank you Sam, we’ll just take these elementals and this realm off your hands?”
“That’s what I was thinking. According to your mumbo jumbo sources, they’ve used up the elementals of their realms. The Vorsook are increasing pressure and they need more firepower. Let’s trick that dumb but cute kid from Earth out of his new set of magical pals.”
“Loathe as I am to interrupt your bonding rituals, I agree with Stacia’s analysis of the queens’ actions and goals. I have calculated a number of possible scenarios from here. Are you interested in reviewing them?” Omega suddenly asked. “As soon as I am done I would, of course, leave you to consummate your, quote, make-up session.”
“I for one, would be very interested in hearing your plans as soon as possible, summarized of course,” I said. Stacia’s right eyebrow arched but she just nodded.
So he started talking, and the television on the wall lit up with detailed plans and pictures. And my day started to turn around.
Chapter 15
We stepped through to the cavern on Fairie, dropped off a few items to the cave’s cache, and then activated the gate to Idiria.
I went through first, one of Ashley Moore’s scarves in my hand. Instantly I was surrounded by flying teeth as Pancho and his crew reacted to my emergence. Next, while waving the Ashley-scented scarf, I held up my phone a
nd played a video that Ashley had made for her pucks. Only after Pancho had nodded and his clan had dispersed to fulfill Ashley’s requests did I toss a shotgun shell back through the open gate.
Immediately Stacia jumped through from the cavern, trying to look relaxed but failing as her eyes darted around, taking in all the flying furry activity. She held a rope in her left hand that stretched back through the portal into the cave. Her right was on the grip of her patrol slung DP-12 shotgun.
“They’re good?” she asked. With a sharp buzz, Pancho was suddenly hovering in front of her, his teeth bared in a horrible semblance of a smile. The pucks did not like either werewolves in general or just Stacia in particular. She pulled back for a second, then smiled back at him. It was more baring of teeth than any kind of warm greeting.
Pleasantries covered, he turned to me and held up a squirming object in his muscular little arms. The insect-like Tink twisted and turned, fighting to get its glistening stinger into any handy target.
“Fine, let that one go. Kill the rest,” I said. High-pitched squeals came from my phone as Omega translated. Pancho watched me with underwhelmed eyes before uttering a squeak of his own. Six husky pucks appeared, each throwing a crushed Tink to the floor at my feet. Pancho squeaked briefly before taking off with his living captive.
“The closest I can translate is ‘No shit,” Omega said.
“Yeah, somehow I got that one pretty clearly,” I said. Stacia meanwhile was pulling on her rope, hauling a heavily loaded utility wagon through the portal. As soon as the back wheel cleared the gate, I shut the doorway to the cavern and then set about making the Idiria side of the portal more permanent.
“Furry sons of bitches,” Stacia muttered as a puck zoomed a little too close to her head. There seemed to be quite a bit of fly-by activity going on around her.
We quickly organized our stuff into the same room that I’d had when we stayed here with Ashley and her dad not so very long ago. Then we cracked the door on the apartment and looked out into the hall leading to the rest of Idiria.
Six elves in head-to-toe white clothing stood, almost at attention.
“Lord Declan, welcome back,” the lead elf said. All six bowed simultaneously.
“Ah, thank you, Stocan. Ah how long have you all been out here—waiting?” I asked.
“Not much more than an hour, milord,” he said.
“You can just call me Declan,” I said.
“Of course, milord,” he said with a short bow and without a trace of sarcasm. “What do you require, milord?”
“Well, we were going to see if we could get some food somewhere in the city. We never got a chance to really eat anywhere but the apartment or that one night in the main hall,” I said.
“Certainly. We can either bring you food of your liking or lead you to one of several main dining facilities,” he offered.
I exchanged a glance with Stacia. “One of the dining places would be great,” I said. “Ah, how did you know we were here?”
“The city and the land quieted several days ago, indicating you had returned somewhere in the realm. When you arrived here, today, there was a noticeable change in Idiria. Also, I surmised you would return to the place in the city you knew best, and so we’ve been keeping an eye on the Speaker’s apartments as well as providing food for the Speaker’s pucks. Today’s watcher noticed a sudden flurry of activity among the clan.”
“So it’s noticeable, here, when I’m here?” I asked, wincing at my own awkward phrasing.
“Very,” he said, turning and leading us down the white stone hallway.
The other five fell in behind us and a couple of pucks flew overhead circuits around us like the combat air patrol around a Navy battle group. White-clad elves stopped and made the same short bows in our direction everywhere he led us. When we arrived at an outdoor café of a sort, the elves already there either bowed if they were standing or inclined their heads if they were sitting.
Stocan led us right to a small table smack dab in the middle of the café. Two of our escort moved around us and ahead, pulling out our chairs like Queen Elizabeth’s Buckingham staff. Once we were seated, they all took two steps back and waited in place.
“You don’t have to wait on us, Stocan. Now that you’ve shown us this place, I’m sure we’re fine,” I said, not liking the attention we were getting. Elven expressions are more staid and stoic in general than humans but I could still read fear, anger, and curiosity among the faces that surrounded us.
“Of course, Lord Declan,” he said with a nod. He must have made some sign or gesture that I missed because suddenly all our attendants backed away. A new elf wearing two bands of white on his left arm approached Stocan to confer at a whisper in Elvish.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and when I pulled it out, I saw a message from Omega. The day’s menu is being discussed. I showed it to Stacia and sipped water from a crystal goblet that was full before we sat down.
“Milord, is braised aurochs with mushrooms over a bed of wild rice acceptable?” Stocan asked.
I hardly needed to glance at Stacia to know her answer. Aurochs were extinct on Earth but had very healthy populations here on Fairie. Giant wild cows that were a favorite of the dragons. “Absolutely. Medium rare for myself and very rare for Stacia,” I said.
“Very good, sir. I’ll be nearby if you need me,” he said, backing away.
“Ah, Stocan, would you join us for a moment? We were wondering if we could ask you some questions,” I asked, looking around for a free chair that we could drag over to our table.
A new elf with a single white armband appeared, carrying one of the lightweight, blonde wood chairs from seemingly out of nowhere and placing it at our table.
“Of course, Lord Declan,” Stocan said, bowing again before sitting in the chair.
I leaned close to him and lowered my voice. “We don’t need all the formality and stuff,” I said.
“So I have surmised. However, it is still necessary, if only for the inhabitants of your Realm,” he said.
I didn’t know where to begin with that, but Stacia jumped in. “I think, Declan, it’s rather like when a new Alpha takes over as pack leader. Things are very formal for quite a while until the pack members get used to the Alpha and learn where they stand,” she said.
“I suspect, not knowing werefolk myself, that you have found a singularly accurate analogy, Miss Stacia,” Stocan said. “We are, milord, in relatively unprecedented territory. There has not been a new Realm Holder in millennia. The Middle Realm has, to our knowledge, never had a Holder. The city’s residents have no idea of their status, placement in your hierarchy, or even safety.”
“Safety?” I asked.
“The only two Realm Holders they know are highly dangerous and prone to acts of cruelty at the slightest whim. Actually, Realm Holders are always dangerous, as you hold the power of the land at your merest thought. Your previous short time among us demonstrated that you were capable of fending off both queens, a dragon, and the Black Frost at the same time.”
“I had a lot of help,” I said.
“But less than they did. The point is that the city walks an emotional knife’s edge while they wait to learn your ways,” Stocan said.
“So, pretty much everybody here is judging us?” I asked, glancing around. No one met my eyes but the diners and staff all seemed very subdued.
“Of course. Elves and humans have many differences but we both have a strong survival instinct. Being here, now, with the only new Realm Holder in thousands of years demands a sharp focus on you if they wish to survive.”
Two wait staff appeared with polished wooden plates of flowers, fruits, and greens, setting one in front of me and a second in front of Stacia.
“It is a pre-meal designed to enhance the tastes of the main meal. Every bit of it is edible, including the flowers,” Stocan said.
I picked up a bright yellow bloom with a red center, looking at it dubiously. Stacia sniffed the flower and shrugged.
She didn’t smell anything off. Then I got a feeling—the innate knowledge of the realm type of feeling. It was safe. I took a bite. Sweet. I ate the whole thing in one bite. Sweet with a hint of sharpness. Stacia picked up a blue and violet blossom, sniffed it, and looked my way with raised brow. I got another feeling. “It’s safe,” I said. Surprise flashed over her face. The rest of the flower disappeared. Stocan was watching me, clearly aware of my sudden confidence.
“Stocan, there are still people here associated with either Court, right?” I asked, taking a bite of a tart fruit that was like the love child of a lime and a mango.