by Kimbra Swain
I rolled my eyes because I had bought the ice cream for him. He kissed me on the cheek, then practically shoved me into the passenger seat. He took the ruined items and placed them in a trash bin just outside the Food Mart.
The drive out to the Santiago house didn’t take long. As in most of Shady Grove, things were only a few miles apart. We pulled into the drive of the ranch farmhouse. Behind the house, a large brown barn sat with its doors open. It seemed to be dark inside. The house overlooked two large unplanted fields. “Did he not plant his crops this year?” I asked.
“It seems there has been quite a bit of trouble here at the house. He had become increasingly violent with Juanita and the kids. He was drinking a lot and never planted the fields,” Dylan explained. “The community has chipped in to help them out.”
“Alright. Let’s do this,” I said feeling more nervous about facing Juanita Santiago, than I was with Mr. Schuyler.
I tapped lightly on the door. Inside a television played cartoons as the voice of children floated around the house. As the figure that I assumed to be Juanita approached the door, I felt Dylan’s warm hand on my back. She opened the door with a shocked look on her face.
“Miss Bryant. Sheriff Riggs. How may I help you?” she asked. I saw her hand tremble, and it cut through my emotions to the core. I’d killed this woman’s husband. No matter how abusive he had been to her, she feared me, because she knew I could do the same to her and her children.
“I would like to sit down and talk to you for a few minutes if you have time,” I said. “We can do it out here on the porch if you would like.”
“Nonsense. Forgive my manners. Won’t you please come in,” she said.
“Julio. Maria. Upstairs. It’s bath time,” she called out to the kids.
Groans filled the room. It reminded me so much of Winnie. I supposed all kids hated that routine before going to bed. Two children who looked to be around nine or ten bolted past their mother, rushing up the stairs.
“Please have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?” she asked.
“No, we are fine,” Dylan responded with one of his killer smiles. She seemed to lighten up with the kind tone of his voice. I decided I needed to take notes on how he handled people. It had always been well known from the moment that Dylan moved to Shady Grove that he was a kind and good man. I had never heard anyone speak an ill word of him. That’s a feat in itself in the South which is full of busybodies and gossips.
“I just wanted to talk to you about Diego,” I said. “It won’t take long, then we will be out of your hair.”
“You aren’t bothering me, Miss Bryant. You are welcome in my home any time,” she said.
“Thank you. That is very kind,” I said, pausing to clear my throat. She sat down in a chair across from Dylan and me in their living room. She picked up a remote from the table, then clicked off the television. The table was covered with various dolls, blocks, and army men. It looked like there had been a very fashionable war. “I would like to extend my sincere condolences. I know that I was the cause of your husband’s death, but I hated every moment of what happened. Is there anything I can do to help you and your family?”
She folded her hands in her lap, dropping her eyes to them. “Miss Bryant, you did me a favor that I could not have done myself. Diego had always been rough with me, but when he started hurting the children, I didn't know what to do or where to go. I should have asked for help, but I was afraid of him. My life has been easier with him gone. I hope you do not think less of me for saying it.”
“No one should have to live like that. In that case, I wish I had done it sooner. However, I try to follow the law. My offer to help stands. Even if your quality of life is better now, you are still short a member of the household. I noticed the fields aren’t planted,” I said.
“We will get by. We always do. Thank you though. I will let you know if we need anything,” she said.
Dylan stood up, taking my hand. He knew when it was time to go. She shook my hand and Dylan’s as we went out the front door. She closed it behind us with a simple, “Adios.”
Walking to the car, I wondered if it was too late to plant anything. Perhaps we could all scrounge up enough help to get the field planted, then help them harvest it in the fall. There were plenty of us around, plus I knew that the gypsies back when I roamed with them enjoyed working in the fields of the nearby farmers. I could speak to Fordele and get up a crew.
“What’s going through your head?” Dylan asked as we drove to pick Winnie.
“Is it too late to plant anything in those fields? I don’t know anything about farming,” I said.
“April and May’s planting season is about the same. Peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, squash, cucumber, beans, and melons can all be planted now. It’s not too late to make the best of it,” he said.
“Well, thank you, Farmer Dylan,” I said.
“Hey, I’ve lived here almost six years. You learn a few things along the way. You should call Deacon Giles. He’s a master farmer. He could help you pick out the right thing for the fields. We could muster a crew to plant it,” he said.
I smiled because I liked this part of being a queen. A ruler. Whatever the case may be. Father always said that it’s the people that give you the power to rule. You have to keep them happy.
“Yep,” I said standing at the end of the road of the trailer park.
“Yep,” Jenny said.
The water from the swamp had reached the back of her house, and in the distance, we could hear an approaching storm.
“I don’t get it,” I said. “What the hell? Swamp out of nowhere.”
“You know better than that,” she said. “I’m going to pack up my things.”
“No! Don’t leave,” I begged.
“I’ll just go stay in town. Finley said I could use his apartment while he was gone,” she said.
“Oh, did he?” I replied. “You miss him.”
“Nah.”
I lifted an eyebrow at her. Her green eyes glistened.
“Maybe a little,” she said. “But I know once he finds that wife of his, I’ll be out of the picture.”
“I dunno. Most fairies have more than one partner,” I said.
“Like you, Dylan and Levi?” she asked.
I laughed because I knew Dylan would cringe at the implication. “Dylan did kiss Levi once, but it was a spell gone awry. Other than that, Levi is not a part of our relationship.”
“But he’s your servant. Your bard,” she said.
“I know, but beyond a kiss, before I was with Dylan, Levi and I are friends,” I said. “He’s probably my best friend, but yeah. Just friends.” She didn’t need to know about the other kiss that bound him to me permanently.
“That’s a shame and a waste of a good-looking man,” she said. I had to agree. Levi could make some fairy very satisfied, but I knew his heart. He would never settle. Dabble, yes. Settle, no.
“I have no idea what to do about this water. Have you seen the creature again?” I asked.
“No. The water has been quiet,” she said. “Too quiet.”
“I have no doubt now that it’s not naturally occurring. It would help if I had control over the water stone. I’m sure it would help me,” I said.
“Like the wind stone that the sylph wanted?” she asked.
“Yes,” I sighed. “Maybe I just need to break down and go talk to my father.”
“How is Oberon?” she asked.
“Dead,” I said.
She wheezed a laugh. “So crass, Grace,” she said as we stared at the rising water.
I shrugged. It was true. My father was deceased, but he still haunted me. Winnie was playing in the front yard with Dylan. I heard her squeal over my shoulder as he picked her up and threw her in the air. “He’s got to get to work. I’m sorry I haven’t stopped this,” I said.
“Grace, one thing you will learn is you don’t control everything. None of us do. It doesn’t matter what gif
ts you have, there are just some things that are out of our control,” Jenny said.
I gave her a strange look. She laughed. “I won’t tell anyone how wise you are. I know you have a reputation to keep,” I said.
“You do as well,” she said holding up her fist to me. I bumped it, then trudged back up the hill to my trailer.
“Looks bad,” Dylan said.
“Yeah, we might need to consider moving,” I said.
“Who are you, and what have you done with my Grace?” he asked.
“Get to work,” I said.
“There she is,” he smiled kissing me on the cheek. “I’m going by the motel, then I’ll be on duty. What are your plans?”
“It’s time to talk to Daddy,” I said. “I’ll take Winnie with me.”
“How are you going to explain that?” he asked.
“Who knows?” I said. “She’s here now. We can’t shelter her. Just protect her.”
“Love you. Call me if you need me,” he said jumping in the plain black cruiser.
“Love you!” I said waving to him.
“Bye, Daddy!” Winnie jumped up and down. “Where are we going?”
“To the forest,” I said.
“Is Uncle Levi coming to play for the animals?” she asked. My heart skipped a beat thinking about the first time he played his guitar calling the animals of the forest. Shit.
I bent down to hug her. “Not this time, sweetheart. Climb in the truck.”
As we drove out to the stone circle, I blasted the air conditioning. It had been raining for days, but today it was hotter than blue blazes. It was so hot the chickens were laying hard-boiled eggs. Winnie sang all her favorite songs. She was completely adorable all of the time. I was so blessed to have her as a part of my life. Every child needed a mother. I didn’t give birth to her, but she was mine. In fact, she was more mine than any of my subjects. Except maybe Levi. My thoughts drifted to my bard and my brother. I hoped they completed their mission soon, then returned home. I’d rather Finley deal with Tennyson. He was better at the politics than I was.
When we reached the end of the 8-mile road, I was pleased to see that the forest was cut away. The land had been flattened. As a being connected to trees, I knew that trees provided us with more than just ways in and out of the Otherworld. Speaking to them, many were happy to provide goods for humans. It was a life cycle which they understood better than I could as an immortal being. The trees that stood here would have a purpose after their deaths.
“Okay, Little Miss. It’s a pretty good walk from here,” I said.
“Momma, what are they building?” she asked, looking at the quiet equipment. I didn’t see any workers around, so I figured they were off today.
“It’s a surprise,” I said.
“I looooooove surprises,” she said.
“Come on. I’ve got something to show you,” I said.
She held my hand as we skipped through the forest. She twirled around, dancing and laughing the whole way. Any creature within a mile’s range could probably hear her. That was one thing I’d learned about having a child, it was never quiet.
In the distance, I heard a buzzing noise. Two sparkling trails of light darted toward us. The brownies had followed us. Sneaky little buggers.
“Bramble, what do you think you are doing?” Winnie asked with her hands on her hips.
He landed on a fallen log holding his hands in front of his body as if he were innocent. “We were excited to see the King,” he explained.
“We are going to see a king?” she asked looking at me.
I scowled at Bramble who eeped then ducked behind the log. Briar landed on the log, shaking her head at the cowardly pixie boy.
“He’s a wimp,” she said.
“The two of you should have stayed home. If you want to go with us somewhere, you should ask,” I said.
“I told him that, but you know men, they never listen,” Briar explained. There was some truth in there, but I figured I’d better not acknowledge it for Bramble’s sake. Briar might decide to skip their playtime.
“Come on. We are almost there,” I said.
“They are bad fairies,” Winnie said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“They play with the toys and forget to clean them up unless I make them,” Winnie explained. “I suppose that’s not too terrible.”
“No, it could be a lot worse,” I said.
“Maybe Bramble could be my elf on a shelf for Christmas,” she speculated.
The incarnation of a fairy doll to inspire children to behave before Christmas was laughable. At least they were depicted as mischievous creatures. If only humans knew how mischievous.
“Great Jehoshaphat!” Winnie exclaimed as we stepped into the green field with my stone circle. I laughed at her choice of expletive. At least she hadn’t picked up on some of the vulgar words that came out of my mouth. Granted, I toned it down a lot when I was around her.
“This is my stone circle,” I said. “It’s like a big garden with stones.”
“Can I run in it?” she asked.
I bent down to look at her. “Yes, you may, but before you start to play, I want you to know there is a man who I’m going to talk to at the center stone. His name is Oberon, and he is my father.”
“You have a daddy?” she asked.
“Yes, just like Dylan is your father. Oberon is mine,” I said.
“He’s your real daddy?” she asked.
“Yes. But Winnie, you know that Dylan is your real daddy, too. There will never be anyone that loves you as much as he does,” I said.
“That’s because I’m wonderful,” she said. At least she wasn’t lying. “Daddy tells me that all the time.” She flipped her hair back over her shoulder with a big grin.
“Would you like to meet my father?” I asked.
“Is he scary?” she asked.
“No, but he is a ghost,” I said.
“What?” she asked.
“He’s like a ghost, but he won’t hurt you. He glows a pretty blue color. Want to see? I promise that I would never let anything hurt you,” I said.
“Will you hold my hand?” she asked.
“Yes, of course,” I said, taking her hand. We walked into the circle. As I approached the stone, it started to glow a bright blue. The field turned cooler as a breeze swept through our legs.
“Hello, my child,” Oberon said as his body formed above the triquetra. “You have brought me a visitor.”
“I have. Oberon, this is Winnie. My daughter,” I said.
She looked at him in amazement. “His crown is awesome,” she cooed.
“Winnie should have a crown, Grace. She is the daughter of a queen,” he said, smiling at her. He waved his hand, and a tiny crystalline crown formed on his hand. He lowered it to her. She timidly took it from him. She looked up at me for approval.
“You can wear it,” I said as she slipped it on her head.
“Oh my,” she muttered. Bramble and Briar flew up next to her. They bowed while flying then swirled around Winnie as she twirled in the grass. “Let’s play!” The two pixies whooped with her, then started chasing her around the field.
I had always been wary of my father, so I double checked the crown with my sight. It had no magical residue on the crown other than its formation out of pure air.
“I’m insulted,” Oberon huffed.
“Oh, please. You taught me too skeptical,” I said.
“I suppose I did. She is adorable,” he said. I was surprised he would admire a human child like he did, but he watched her play with the two fairies for a moment before turning back to me. “How are you, Gloriana?”
“I’m okay, but I figured it was time we talked about a few things,” I said.
“As always, I’m here whether I want to be or not,” he smiled.
Starting with Jeremiah, Riley and the book, I explained to him why we were trying to cut off the city from the rest of the human population. He listened as I tal
ked about Finley and Levi going to the summer realm to retrieve the book. I told him about executing Diego Santiago, and a sadness crossed his eyes that I didn’t expect to see. However, when I spoke about his brother, Tennyson Schuyler, his fair lips curled into a scowl.
“I am proud of you for putting him in his place. He is my half-brother. A fiend. He was banished from the Otherworld for a reason. I hate that you have to deal with him, but there really is no other in this country that could supply your needs. Be very wary of him,” Father said.
“His reputation is dark,” I said. “Of course, if I keep executing fairies, mine might match his.”
“Gloriana, the bear betrayed you. It is a tough decision to extinguish a life, but it seems that his needed to be if his wife is telling the truth. Your job will never be easy, but your instincts won’t forsake you. Pay attention to them. I’d like to think you got that heightened intuition from me,” he said. “For example, you have not been feeling well.”
“No, I haven’t. I’m better today,” I said.
“Your body temperature is higher than normal,” he said.
“It’s sweltering out here,” I complained.
“It shouldn’t bother you. Are you sick again?” he asked.
“I hope not. It was a mess last time, and I don’t have time for it. Levi and Finley aren’t here to watch my back,” I said. “With Stephanie in town, I’m doing a lot of back watching.”
“She is lying about the boy. Don’t let Dylan fall for it,” he said.
“How do you know she is lying?” I asked.
“I just know,” he said.
I sighed watching Winnie lay in the grass talking to Bramble and Briar about the clouds floating by. When I met my father’s eyes, one of those rare moments where he radiated love flashed before me.
“Take care of yourself, Gloriana. It seems as though you are coming into your own as a ruler. I had no doubt. Well, maybe a few doubts, but you make me proud,” he said.
“Thank you, Daddy,” I said. “Oh, I forgot to tell you about the swamp monster.”
I explained about the water rising, the mysterious warded trailer, the monster, and Jenny.