by Rhavensfyre
“Yes, why?”
“Nothing really. Just an old saying—If you dream of a horse you were sure to meet a MacLeod.” Kaleigh turned back to face Alex. “I do find it ironic that the heart of one of the biggest names in the horse industry has been captured by a Mere. Does she know what you are?”
“If you are asking if I told her, no.”
“But, I did not ask if you told her. I asked if she knows.”
“To tell you the truth, GranMere, I do not know. Her mind, it refuses to see things as they are, as they should be. Her grasp on reality is questionable. Whatever she has trouble understanding, she ascribes it to a dream, or a nightmare,” Alex said, furrowing her brow. “I told you about her cousin and her grandmother. How can she be so ignorant of her heritage when they are not? It is like she has blocked that part of herself away and refuses to acknowledge it.”
“That is disturbing. I have to say that without knowing more about her, I am hesitant to expose ourselves to her. If she is as powerful as you say, how do I know she is not a threat to the life we have built here?”
Alex laughed, sounding loud and harsh in the otherwise quiet room. “GranMere. Aunt, I cannot leave this be. If we have any chance at all of being elevated back to who we used to be, what we should be, how can I ignore this?”
“Alexandria, the veil was closed for a reason, and we chose to stay here for the same reason. That this woman holds so much Fae magic?” Kaleigh paused and shook her head. “There shouldn’t be that much magic in this world, Alexandria. What if she has the power to open the veil?”
The sobering thought turned into an unsettled silence. Even the air felt heavy inside the stillness. Alex hadn’t been alive when the worlds were still one, but she had grown up hearing the stories. As one of the lesser Fae, the Mere tribes had not been treated kindly. The Greater Fae held most of the magic, and they used it without consequence or conscience. When given the choice, it had not been a hard decision for the Meres to choose to stay and deal with humanity, not when the alternative was servitude.
Alex bowed her head. “I understand. But I cannot just walk away from this, Aunt. As you so astutely noted, this is a matter of the heart. Not just hers, but mine as well.”
“What? I can understand a human falling in love with you. It is a part of who we are, but you? Alexandria, you know how I feel about forming attachments to humans.”
Alex felt her aunt’s disapproval blow through her like a cold wind. As she had expected, the conversation had circled around to a place where she would not bend. Alex held up her hand to forestall the familiar lecture. “You and I will always disagree on this. I understand why you believe as you do, but I will not give up Rohanna for your rules. Dangerous or not, I did my duty to you by coming here. I only ask your leave to tell her about me. I will not mention that there are others, but she will find out what I am, sooner or later.”
“It is cruel, Alexandria…to fall in love with a human, to watch them wither and die while you live on. You complain about my rules, but I have had centuries of experience dealing with this. We lost too many during the burning times. A wife who does not age was easily called a witch, and without the protection of places like this, a lone Mere was easy game.”
“Then I must be cruel, Aunt, because I cannot see myself giving up Rohanna so easily.”
“I can see that.” Kaleigh’s expression turned inward, processing everything she had heard before speaking again. “You say that her grasp on reality is weak?”
“Yes, her dreams and the real world have become tangled like a wild vine. I’m not sure how or why, only that she experiences her dreams to a depth I have never seen before.”
“This is good, then.” Kaleigh closed her eyes for a moment, then gazed down at Alex. This time, when she spoke, it was as her sworn leader. “As long as she believes what she saw was just another strange dream, she won’t seek answers. See to it that this is how it stays until I can think upon this some more. She’s awakened your abilities. It shouldn’t be hard to manipulate her dreams, if it comes down to it.”
“I won’t hurt her GranMere. I won’t bring terror down on her simply to hide myself.”
Kaleigh shook her head and looked at her as if she was an errant child. “Tsk, Alex. You have a knack for bringing trouble with you. Let us hope this strange attraction you have for this woman is not the death of us all.”
“That’s not my intent, GranMere.”
“I know, child.” Kaleigh sighed. “I will think on this and let you know what I decide. That’s all I can give you.”
“It’s enough for now.” Alex kissed her aunt goodbye.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Alex awoke to the sound of the phone ringing. The high-pitched trill managed to abuse her ears all the way from the kitchen. Normally she would ignore such an early wake up call, but she forced herself up and out of the warm nest. Rohanna said she might call and check in this morning after she made it to this weekend’s show.
Groaning in protest, she struggled to untangle her long legs from sheets that seemed intent on snatching her feet out from under her and rolled out of a comfortably warm bed that still carried Rohanna’s scent.
“Let go!” Alex cursed, hopping awkwardly on one foot toward the practically antique wall phone after stubbing her toe. I have really got to get a new phone, she thought, even though she hated having the thing at all. Until she met Rohanna, its only job had been to connect her to her customers and buyers. If she had neither, the phone would have been gone long ago. If it weren’t for Rohanna, she wouldn’t be hobbling across the floor, eager to answer it.
Anticipating Rohanna on the other end, she answered the phone more enthusiastically than usual, despite having to massage her throbbing toe with one hand while balancing the phone with the other.
“Hello?”
“Yes, I am looking for Alex Strider,” a haughty voice said. “The farrier?”
Damn, Alex thought, a customer. A delightfully colorful string of curses danced on the tip of her tongue. Only propriety held the well-justified words at bay, but they still begged for release. It was too damn early for customers to start calling. Even Alex understood that little bit of phone etiquette.
Now she had to deal with some rich old biddy who sounded like the world revolved around her and her own personal timetable. That was enough right there to turn Alex off. Already disinterested, she shoveled coffee grounds into the coffee maker, the phone tucked under her chin as she moved about the small kitchen.
“Yes, this is she,” Alex said, automatically emphasizing the often-made correction. The long pause following her announcement wasn’t entirely unexpected. It happened about half the time. She waited for the woman to make some excuse and hang-up, unwilling to believe a woman farrier could do the job. Alex really didn’t care either way. She had enough farrier business to keep the place running. The funny thing was, she was stronger than most of the men out there doing the same work, if anyone ever paid enough attention to notice.
“I see,” the woman said. “I have several dozen horses that need work. Can you do warmbloods?”
Her snide tone implied that it took some special skill to deal with the large animals, a skill she seemed to doubt Alex possessed. Still, a few dozen horses in one barn call was easy money, and the woman sounded like she had money.
Reassuring the woman that she could indeed handle her needs, she pulled out her schedule book and found an opening she could squeeze a new customer in.
“I can fit you in next Friday.”
“That won’t do. I need it done this weekend.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t work the weekends.” Alex frowned at the phone. After making an exception, the woman was going to be difficult.
“I’ll pay double your standard fee.”
Holy Hells, that’s a lot of money. Alex chewed on her pen cap and weighed her options. Deal with a woman she was already starting to dislike versus earning quick money. Doing this job would let her take more
time off later in the month and buy some much needed supplies, besides, she could still finish her masterpiece on time even if she lost a day
“Fine. I’ll rearrange my schedule. Can I get your name and address?” Alex asked, readying her pen to write the information down.
“Of course,” the woman said. “I look forward to meeting you.”
The standard polite response, spoken in a tone cold enough to frost the line between them, made the courtesy a lie. Reconsidering her decision, Alex was about to cancel the appointment when the woman spoke again.
“My name is Belinda MacLeod.”
Alex clenched her teeth, now doubly sorry she had answered the phone.
Damn it, Ro’s stepmother. I wonder what the hell she’s up to. Rapidly scribbling down the address and directions on autopilot, she schooled her voice to absolute blandness. After hanging up the phone, Alex sat and drank her coffee while contemplating the possible motives behind Belinda’s request.
Rohanna. Her thoughts immediately strayed back towards the enigmatic woman. The passion they had ignited their first night together had not lagged. In fact, it had become an almost addicting force that constantly distracted Alex, not enough to put her behind schedule on completing her sculptures, but enough to make her lose more sleep than she was used to.
Fortunately, there hadn’t been a repeat of that first night’s performance, not after speaking with her aunt and being given a few hints on how to keep her NightMere under control. The one time she had mentioned it, Rohanna acted as if she had already forgotten the strange experience, chalking it up to a weirdly vivid dream. Since Alex had not been given permission to speak freely in front of Rohanna, it was somewhat frustrating. It would be so much easier if Rohanna would just remember.
Since their first night together, Rohanna had found every excuse to slip away and be with Alex. They always met at Alex’s place and she never stayed for long. The one time she had suggested dropping by Rohanna’s farm, she had completely freaked out on her. It had almost spawned the one and only argument between them. It was only after she managed to calm Rohanna down that she had acquired even a minimal explanation. Rohanna told her that Belinda was something of a despot. She seemed scared to death that her stepmother would find out about the two of them and begged Alex not to call her on the farm’s home line, and never to come visit her there.
And now this woman is calling me and asking me for farrier work, and on a day she knows Rohanna is gone and far away from home.
Alarms sounded a warning to beware of this supposedly coincidental call. She knew very little about Rohanna’s stepmother.
Whatever hold Belinda had on Rohanna went deep into her psyche. Belinda was a complete blank in Rohanna’s dreams which, considering the obvious hatred she felt for the woman, shouldn’t be possible. Usually, the object of such strong emotions made them sure visitors within the nightmare world. Not so with Rohanna’s stepmother. Any images or conversations with Belinda were hidden from Alex’s sight, existing only as unpassable walls inside Rohanna’s mind that fractured her memories and forced her to skittle around corners and change direction to avoid them. Rohanna’s mind was a maze, and everywhere Belinda existed inside it, there was a false hedge blocking her path.
Alex let her curiosity win out over her instincts. Maybe Ro gave her my business card. There’s no reason she should know about us, just that I was recommended as a farrier. Alex snorted. There was no way Rohanna would have done that, not after making her promise never to visit unexpectedly. No, there was something odd about the request and the only way she’d find out what was afoot, was to go and see for herself.
The longer she thought about it, the more she wanted to meet this woman and find out if she was as horrible as Rohanna said she was. If the older MacLeod woman did have an ulterior motive for inviting her up to the farm, well then, Alex had a few surprises of her own.
Alex stretched her long limbs, enjoying the sensation of tight muscles straining against themselves, reveling in the strength of her bones as her back popped loudly. The adrenaline rush she felt coursing through her veins had nothing to do with the coffee she drank and barely tasted.
“Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day.” Alex grinned, flashing white teeth at the empty room. “An interesting day, indeed.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Alex pulled her farrier rig up to the main barn at the MacLeod Farm. It hadn’t been hard to miss; she had been able to spot the huge white building all the way from the main road. It sat proudly along the expanse of a flattened hilltop, dwarfing the older buildings hidden behind it that held the grace and solidity of age. If she had to choose between the chestnut beams and rough cut wood barns of the turn of the century buildings or the newer metal monstrosity, Alex would have gladly avoided the steel building. It had no soul.
The entire place was impressive. The grounds were extensive, dotted with well-bred horses grazing on green expanses that rolled along seemingly endless hills. In the distance, the forest was cut well back from the immaculate white fence that crisscrossed through the picture perfect pastures. The familiar smell of horse and thick green grass greeted Alex’s sensitive nose like an old friend. The entire effect was pleasing to the eye and reminded her of her clan’s own lands, except there was something wrong with the place she just couldn’t put her finger on. She rubbed at her forearm through the leather bracer. It felt like her tattoo was shifting, the blue ink undulating like an angry serpent beneath her skin; a decidedly unpleasant itching sensation that made her want to rip off her bracer and scratch the hell out of her forearm.
It was a sunny day out, but Alex shivered despite the warmth. The closer she came to the main house, the more it felt like something was sucking the heat right out the native Earth. Alex was certain that without Rohanna’s presence, even the sun would feel unwelcome here.
Scanning around for a tie out, Alex drove at a snail’s pace until she found something or someone to tell her where she should set up. She didn’t have long to wait. A lean older man emerged from the barn, waving at her to pull over near the large double doors she had just passed.
“Park‘er here and get set up. I’ll bring out the first horse when you’re ready.”
“Am I hot or cold-shoeing?”
“Neither. It’s just the broodmares today. Trims only. You okay with that?” The man’s gruff voice turned challenging, almost daring her to object.
Alex felt her temper flare, but pushed it down immediately. The amount of money she was going to make today was just cut in half. Arguing with him wouldn’t help. He wasn’t worth it and she had bigger things to worry about. She had yet to meet Rohanna’s stepmother and find out if she was as fearsome as Rohanna made her out to be. Until she knew what was going on, she wouldn’t ask, either. She needed to know how Mrs. MacLeod got her number and what she was up to.
“Fine. Just bring the first one out to me. I’ll get set up while you’re doing that.”
For the next hour, Alex was busy doing her job, trimming several mares before she finally found the answers she was looking for.
The groom hadn’t been any help. He remained rude and circumspect, content to deliver each mare in turn and disappear into the dark interior until she was ready for the next one. Her attempts to learn anything were met with a flat look and a well-timed sneer followed by a disgusting gob of tobacco hitting the worn dirt.
Alex turned to talking to the horses after the last time. He was getting way to accurate with that tobacco, and she didn’t need to bring that smell home with her. Disgusting habit.
“Now this is an interesting turn of events.”
Alex was working on a particularly fractious mare. The nervous horse kept wanting to dance away from her, and the small filly at her side was making the situation even worse. The mare would turn her head to check the filly’s location, shifting her weight onto Alex whenever she got her into position to nip the last bit of overgrown heel.
With single-minded determinatio
n, she caught the bit of hoof between her nippers and squeezed, evening off what was left nicely. Grunting in appreciation, Alex stood up and untangled herself from the mare’s leg, patting her rump affectionately before nodding to the groom to take her away. It was only then that she turned towards the voice.
“Excuse me?” Alex asked. A regal looking woman with flaming red hair stood several feet away, staring down her nose at Alex. For the first time in a very long while, Alex was confronted with a woman as tall as she was, a woman whose entire demeanor radiated superiority. It was pretty obvious that she thought she was better than Alex.
“Can I help you?” Alex asked casually, tossing her nippers and rasp into the back of her truck and grabbing a small towel to wipe her face and hands. If the expression on the other woman’s face was any indication, she was done for the day. This must be Rohanna’s stepmother.
“No, I don’t think so, Alexandria Strider.”
Alex bristled, not at the dismissive tone alone, but the fact the woman used her full name. She never told anybody her full first name, which meant someone had been doing some digging. Drawing herself up to her full height, she was oddly gratified by the fact that she was a fraction taller than the other woman.
“Your broodmares are done. If you will wait a moment, I’ll get the bill ready for you.” Alex turned away from Ro’s stepmother. Whatever she was trying to accomplish, Alex wasn’t about to rise to the bait. Then she spoke again and all of Alex’s good intentions fell apart.
“I know who you are, Alexandria Strider.” Belinda sniffed the air, then grimaced as if something foul had wafted by. “Merefolk. I didn’t realize your people were here, but it does give me a great deal to think about.”
“What are you talking about, Mrs. MacLeod?” Alex asked, carefully keeping her expression blank. How does she know about my people?
“Don’t play coy with me, Alexandria. You and I both know that there is more to Rohanna than meets the eye.” Belinda smiled evilly, her eyes narrowing to snake like slits. “And you, Alexandria? You surprise me. A Fae handling cold iron? How bold of you.”