“I think he can,” I said. I got to my feet. It took a moment for me to catch my breath. The vista before me was dazzling. The willow trees were sparkling gray-green and I could see the veins in the leaves from where I stood. The wildflowers were pin-sharp points of bright color that were almost painful to look at.
The menagerie had grown. The four-legs were running through the trees, enjoying the fresh morning air. The two-legs had assembled around small tables or on the grass. Breakfast had been served, and there were beverages to sip and cakes to eat.
The chancellor led me back toward the Alder King’s table. Erin had disappeared.
When I looked upon the Alder King now, I could still feel his power drawing me in, but the effect was muted. I didn’t feel the same sense of blind loyalty that I had felt before. Something—maybe it was me—had changed.
The Alder King stood up from his seat and gazed upon me with a serious expression. “Thou hast not disappointed,” he said. “I am pleased to see thee in one piece.” He smiled for a moment. “It is my duty now to show thee the additional benefits that come with thy new station.”
It seemed appropriate to say something. “Thank you,” I said.
A hush dropped on the glade, and it was so quiet you could have heard a feather hit a pillow. The menagerie was listening. A dangerous gleam came instantly into the Alder King’s eye. He took a moment to compose his words carefully.
“It is ill-advised to utter any expression that would put thee in debt,” he said. “Take care that you do not create the need for a payment that could be most cruelly claimed. It very literally could mean your life.”
This was confusing, but I could see that the Alder King was extremely intent on teaching this lesson to me. “What should I say?”
“It is safest to acknowledge a gift with a nod. No words are needed,” the King replied. “And be wary of those who expect words from thee.”
I gave him a nod to let him know I understood.
We walked through the glade toward a stand of poplars. They rose straight and pointed like leafy arrows aimed at the heart of the sky.
“There may come a time when I will ask of thee a great task. Thou wilt perform it under my aegis, but thou wilt be expected to use all the might and power thou hast—and all the gifts given to thee, now or in the future—without hesitation. Dost thou understand?”
I nodded. I couldn’t imagine what sort of task the Alder King would require of me. I was certainly less capable than pretty much any of the people or creatures in the realm around me.
The King seemed pleased. “Now, one or two more bits of business.”
We proceeded past the poplars to a circle of elm trees. There were three creatures there. A cat, a raven, and what looked like a frog. The frog was enormous, at least two feet tall. It also had sharp claws, and when it yawned I saw a dozen sharp teeth in its cavernous mouth.
The cat was completely disinterested in everything going on around it. Typical cat. Then a dragonfly cruised past, and the cat opened its mouth to spit a thin stream of fire through the air. The dragonfly dropped to the ground and the cat pounced on it instantly. I wasn’t much of a cat person, but I could think of a Chihuahua or two I’d like to introduce to that cat.
The raven was methodically still, perched on top of a rock. It watched the other creatures, assessing everything around it.
“What a beautiful bird,” I said.
“Excellent,” said the King. “I was hoping one of these would appeal to thee.”
What?
The King went on. “This realm can be dangerous and one can easily become lost in its ways. When thou needest a guide, thou mayest call upon this magnificent creature to lead thee. What wilt thou name it?”
“Midnight Dreary,” I replied. I didn’t know if anyone from this realm was familiar with Poe, but the first lines of “The Raven” popped into my head as soon as the question was asked.
“As thou wishest,” said the King.
He addressed the bird, “Fiach Dubh! By thy Eternal name I call thee. From this time forward thou art bound to this man. Be his guide in all the Ways and come to him when he calls thee Midnight Dreary.”
Be my guide? Come when I call? Was this a twilight zone pet shop?
The bird croaked, harsh and loud, and flew to my shoulder. It sat there, surprisingly lightweight. It adjusted the glossy black feathers of its wings by shrugging its shoulders. I felt pretty awesome.
We left the circle of elms. The sun was climbing now and had just cleared the horizon. We crested a hill and before us was a vast forest. Rolling hills covered with trees extended as far as I could see. In the distance atop the hills there were conifers but the trees nearest were fruit trees and ornamentals. A cluster of stone towers huddled nearby, which I guessed belonged to the Alder King.
The next group of trees were cherry trees. It was a long time yet before spring, but these trees were blossoming. The ground was covered with petals like a layer of pale pink snow and the air was incredibly fragrant. Several women loitered among the trees.
The Alder King approached them with some relish, rubbing his hands together and strutting just a bit. Since he was short, he had a good view of some of their best features. “Gather round!” he said. “Present yourselves to the man of the hour.”
The women stood in a loose line of ten or twelve with the King off to the side. I suddenly felt like I’d been wrangled into judging an impromptu bikini contest. Except that none of the women wore bikinis and at least one of them wasn’t wearing much of anything at all.
The first woman in the line had an orange ribbon of Stain complementing a pair of red boots and was otherwise completely enveloped in her long blonde hair. It’s possible she had clothing on under the hair but I didn’t feel comfortable enough to look more closely to find out. I nodded to her and looked away.
The women were different in height and shape and Stain, but all were incredibly lovely. They seemed pleased by my appraisal and I nodded at each one in turn. It was still awkward. I was supposed to make some kind of determination, but I didn’t know what that was.
At the other end of the line, opposite the girl possibly covered by only her hair—whom I was studiously trying to avoid staring at again—was a dark-haired beauty with a golden Stain in a black gown that had no sleeves. The skirt went down to the ground and was tailored perfectly in a sheath that went all the way up to her neck. She had hazel eyes and flowing hair that cascaded down her back almost to her ankles. I’m pretty sure the raven was staring at her too.
A giggle came from somewhere behind me. The woman with the blue tiger stripes had reappeared. Oh, goody. She took a place next to the vixen in black. She looked down the line and got a sour look on her face. A few of the women took a step back, conceding territory.
“Majesty, we are missing the healer.” It was the dark-haired vixen in the black gown who had spoken. The blue tiger girl snapped her head around and I swear she actually hissed.
Erin stood next to the King. She hadn’t been there a moment ago, I was sure. “Not missing, Majesty.” She strolled to the end of the line. I noticed her dress for the first time. It was several shades of green in a leaf pattern, cut just below the knee. It clung to her body and moved attractively with every flexing muscle.
“Thou mayest choose an helpmeet,” said the King to me.
An helpmeet? What the great googly-moogly was that?
Erin appeared to be composed, but there was an undercurrent of stress. Where had she been while I was getting the grand tour from the King? I didn’t know what a helpmeet was, but she was always helpful. Right? I looked at her and she was giving me a little head motion. I looked at the other girls and back at Erin.
“Thou mayest wish to choose quickly,” the Alder King said to me. “If thou delayest, they may compete for thine attention and blood could be spilt.”
This all seemed greatly amusing to the King. And the girl in the blue tiger stripes, who extended a hand toward me as some kind of invitation. The Princess of Pain and Pleasure. Whatever she intended, it wasn’t going to happen.
“Her,” I said, pointing at Erin. “I choose her.” I didn’t know anything about these other women. Why would I want help from them?
“Well chosen,” said the King. He clapped me on the shoulder. He propelled me toward Erin who remained standing stiffly in her place.
Blue Tiger giggled again as I passed. “If thou wishest. Thou mayest. Make me. Thy courtesan,” she whispered. She was laughing but her eyes were hard and icy.
What? Courtesan?
The Alder King took Erin’s hand and placed it over mine. I wanted to ask what was happening, but before I could say a word Erin put her finger to her lips. She was afraid of something. Her green eyes were dark.
The King went on. He had not noticed our brief exchange.
“Be ye one,” said the King. “Ye have my blessing, and I wish ye long life and unending happiness.”
Realization settled over me like a burning blanket.
What had I just done?
Chapter Seven
Dangerous Females
“We’re married?” I shouted.
“Don’t yell!”
“I’m not yelling. I’m shouting. Because I’m confused.”
Erin and I had found a quiet place to talk. The raven had flown off my shoulder. Maybe it sensed the turmoil brewing inside me and wanted no part of it. I looked around because I didn’t want to look at Erin. There were lilacs growing over an arbor and little finches singing all around us and the whole beautiful thing was ticking me off.
“I didn’t know what was going on out there, Erin. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Call me Fáidh in this realm,” she insisted.
“Sorry. In my head you’re Erin.”
“Don’t say you’re sorry either! An apology is a hundred times worse than saying ‘thank you.’ Words like that have special power. One apology and you are indebted with a powerful burden that could leave you enslaved for a hundred years. Never apologize.””
“Fine! Whatever. Fáidh.”
She took the points with a nod and said, “I didn’t know myself. Not until it was too late. You don’t interrupt the Alder King unless you want a long and painful death.”
“Well, I figured that out at least.”
“When you first arrived I was so surprised to see you.”
“I was surprised to see you too,” I said. “Stunned. I guess you come here a lot.”
“This is my birthplace,” she replied. “Right now, in the mortal world, it’s my lunch hour. There was an announcement of a Quickening from the Alder King and all the Fae were invited. I decided to take a break from the lab to see what was going on.”
I sighed. So much weirdness. My head was killing me. “Heckuva party,” I smiled ruefully. “I don’t even know how I got here. That story about tripping over the furniture was a lie. Some huge lion-and-dog-hyena-thing just appeared inside my house and attacked me. How does that make any sense to a normal person? I guess you’ll believe me.”
“The creature is Madrasceartán,” she replied.
“Mad-who?”
That made Erin smile a little, which was a huge victory, I thought. For a moment we were back in the Medical Examiner’s office and Erin was just Erin. The moment didn’t last.
“Madrasceartán. The king’s beast. She serves as the king’s messenger and, when needed, assassin.”
“I can believe it. Wait a second, that enormous, vicious thing is female?”
“She is.”
“Wow. Okay. Why is it that the most dangerous things in the world are female?” The little smile grew.
“That is a fact you would do well to remember.”
Hmm.
I continued, “She drew some kind of symbol on my head with her claw. It was circular with some design in the middle. But after a while I couldn’t see it anymore and you couldn’t see it either.”
“Not without magic,” Erin nodded. This was a common thing, apparently. “She put the instructions in your mind with that sigil and also gave you some of her power so that you could open the gate. It also made you think that it would be a really good idea to complete your task. You could have stopped at any time if you really wanted to. Did you have the feeling that you were doing something important? Something right?”
I remembered. “Yeah. Even though I didn’t even know what I was doing or why.”
“That was her sigil working on your mind. If you hadn’t finished the job, you would have felt disappointed about it for the rest of your life. Although they probably would have taken more direct action. But if the Fae don’t have to, they won’t. The more they can get people to do things willingly, the better. She also gave you some power because you didn’t have any of your own. Not before the Quickening.”
“What’s a Quickening?”
Erin sat down on the grass, spreading her gown away from her long legs. I stayed on my feet, pacing.
“A Quickening is when you receive your powers,” Erin replied. “You and I are both Halflings. Part Human, part Fae. We have powers and they are different for everybody. I’ve always had mine. Yours have been dormant. The Quickening is a ceremony that awakens the powers inside you. It traditionally takes place on the morning of your ten-thousandth dawn.”
I thought about the ordeal. “Is it supposed to be dangerous?” I asked.
Erin shook her head. “No. It’s symbolic. The binding and the knife represent your soul as a mere mortal, trapped without power and vulnerable. When you accept your power, you become free from your mundane prison. But the ceremony shouldn’t hurt you.”
“My power tried to strangle me.”
“That’s what was happening?”
I nodded.
“Someone was interfering. When I saw it was taking too long and you were lying so still on the ground I got worried. As a healer, the King gave me permission to check on you so I put my hand on your forehead. I didn’t get permission to speak to your mind and it’s lucky I didn’t get caught.”
“People can do that?”
“Eternals—the Fae—and some Halflings can. Anyway, a formal Quickening happens infrequently, maybe once in a decade, and the King does not often attend. Even when he does, he doesn’t make gifts afterward. Today he was a congenial host. This is not historically common. The Alder King is ruthless and arrogant. He’s been known to kill for sport and if you offend him, he will not forget. Ever.”
“He’s standing right behind you,” I said. Lying.
Erin’s eyes flashed green. “Don’t be an imbecile. What I’m trying to tell you is that the Alder King has taken a special interest in you and that has me worried. What I found out, while you were talking with the Alder King, is that you might be his son.”
Something clicked into place with that. “I think he probably pays for my house,” I said. “And my caretaker and housemaid.”
Erin’s thoughts came tumbling out now. “If it’s true, he would also be interested in you having children. That ‘impromptu’ wedding was probably planned.”
“Look, I didn’t know there was going to be a wedding. He said choose a helpmeet. I thought he meant a helper.”
“Helpmeet means wife. It’s archaic but—didn’t you ever read the Bible?”
“Well, yeah. The Mama . . .” I snapped my fingers. “That’s where I heard it before.”
Erin shook her head. “Above all, you have to remember that the Fae love their deceptions. They have raised gamesmanship to an art form. They love to play tricks on humans almost as much as they love to play tricks on each other. The one thing the Eternals cannot do is lie. And they always know when someone else is lying.”
�
��Okay,” I said.
“So they strategize. They brought you here and it’s all new to you. The King wanted you to get your powers. The thing that concerns me is that you were attacked while you were in the ceremony. Later, we’ll have to figure out why. After you were Quickened, the King gave gifts to you. At the end he said you may choose someone and made it sound like just another favor. You weren’t forced into it. They made you think you were just getting another servant.”
“We didn’t say ‘I do,’” I said. I felt the need to point that out.
“Doesn’t matter,” Erin replied. “The mortal realm has made some great strides in equality and choice. But the Faerie world hasn’t changed for centuries. If the Alder King says we’re married, we are. I have less right to object than you do.”
We didn’t kiss either.
I looked at the ground. My head was killing me. “I’m sorry . . .”
“NO! No you are not!” Ow! Now who was shouting?
“Yes, ma’am,” I said. I almost said I was sorry again because I wanted to make her laugh, but it seemed important to her that I was taking this seriously.
Long moments of silence followed then in which I pondered the situation and tried not to look at Erin. After a while, she broke the silence.
“Any one of those girls would have been happy to be your mate. A chance to bear the grandson of the Alder King? Quite an honor.”
“An honor? It’s a mess,” I said.
“So you’re unhappy?”
“Picture the Hindenburg falling onto the Titanic, carrying the Black Plague.”
“I see.” It took me a half-second too long to notice Erin’s voice growing cool. “Well, I guess the day is just filled with disappointment,” she said.
Mayday.
“No,” I replied. “I just assumed we were both feeling . . .”
“What, Luck? Feeling what?”
This was going badly and I didn’t know where the conversation had gotten off the tracks.
Erin’s eyes were emeralds. Emeralds on fire. She folded her arms tightly under her breasts and crossed her legs, closing herself off. “So if I hadn’t shown up, who would you have picked? Which of those girls would you have chosen?”
Got Luck Page 6