Glen met up with David who had Darla with him. Darla looked to be in shock at seeing her brother and father but was ready to go. The trio rode hard into the night, this was not the only pair of horses David had brought and the animals were scattered throughout every town he could find. Just that night alone the trio had changed horses thrice and Glen knew the plan was to change them six more times during the day. Darla had said nothing during this time but stayed silent, Glen could tell something had been taken from his little sister.
“We have to rest” David announced as Glen saw the place David had picked out on the way to rescue Darla. They had been travelling for a day now and Glen hated to admit he was ready to drop.
“I will be first watch” Glen said as he climbed off his horse.
“Are you sure?” David asked.
“I can see better in the dark than you can” Glen replied. “You get some sleep, I will wake you up when it is your time.”
“I can pull watch” Darla said. Her voice had shocked Glen as he had not heard his sister speak in a while.
“Maybe tomorrow” David said. “Me and Glen have been training for this.”
“He will come for me father” Darla said. “I think he was successful, I have not had my woman’s time.”
“Well then he will find a harder fight than he imagined” David said. “I know about the protectors, I also know we have opened up a sizable lead over him.”
“What of Tavin?” Darla asked.
“I couldn’t kill him” Glen said. “His wife was doing just enough to keep me off of him. Tavin is in hiding, I think he went running to his master.”
“Tavin was not a slave” Darla said.
“That man was still his master” Glen replied. “He betrayed you because of him.”
“You should have killed him” Darla said. “If I ever see him again I will try. I am not going back there Glen, if they catch up to us I will make them kill me.”
“Don’t talk like that” David said. “Just go and get some sleep.”
Glen kept watch all night, he was going to wake his father but decided not to. Glen roused them both before the sun came up and his father was angry but Glen ignored him as they got on their mounts and kept up the pace. It was on the fourth day that the trio was near the border, Glen had found a place to cross that was horrible to climb but had very little sentries. The horses were set free as the group started their climb. Glen thought things were going to easily and wished he hadn’t jinxed it, Darla let out a small scream as she pointed to the sky. Glen could see the Fae women were coming, they were easily spotted flying and from the distance up the terrain they were climbing Glen could see below them were riders, one in particular was going a lot faster than the rest.
“It’s him” Darla said then started climbing faster.
“Both of you keep going” David said. “I will fight off whatever that is coming our way.”
“They are Fae” Glen said. “I have met them before. You should go father, I am a better climber and if anything happens I stand the best chance of getting away.”
“I am going nowhere” David said. “Now get moving.”
“Darla keep climbing” Glen said.
“I’m not leaving without both of you” Darla said as she stopped climbing. “Protector Gregory is not going to kill me, at least until he gets what he wants.”
“This is ridiculous Glen” David snapped. “I have already lived my life and you both still have your entire lives in front of you.”
“Let’s all keep climbing and deal with it when it comes to deal with us” Darla said. “Now lets move.”
Glen continued climbing and was not surprised when the three Fae women caught up to him. Glen steeled himself for the conflict, near the bottom of his climb he could see Protector Gregory had ridden his horse far harder than the rest. Glen was about to say something when he remembered the man was at the pinnacle of powerful mages, he probably had some spell for his horse to keep going. Glen pulled out small stick, at the end of it was a metal spike and he had practiced in the few months he had been home and thought he was decent with this new weapon. Glen held them up as the Fae women landed.
“We do not mean you harm” Gilly the tallest and oldest of the Fae women said. “The humans are coming for you and they are strong.”
“You led them to us” David said angrily.
“If we did not, things would not have went well for us” Gilly said.
“Can you help us?” Glen asked. “We only have a little more to go but this climb is hard.”
“I can take your sister” Gilly said. “The other to will have to work together to take another. One of you is going to have to stay.”
“I’ll stay, I am...” David got out before Glen reversed his grip on his weapon and hit his father hard over the head with the wooden end. His father fell forward and would have tumbled down if Glen didn’t reach out and grab him.
“Take him” Glen said. “I’ll hold him off.”
“Glen he is stronger than you” Darla said. “Your power has to be gone by now and he uses strong magic.”
“I stand a better chance of making it into the kingdom than either of you now go” Glen said as he could see Protector Gregory was making good time in his climb.
Glen put everything he had into his climb as the Fae women took off with his family, knowing they would be safe would be worth whatever the Protector had planned for him. Glen tried to blank out his mind and focused on the climb, he was doing better than even he could have imagined but the Protector used a combination of strength, endurance and wind magic to propel himself. Glen could see he was twenty paces away if the ground was flat from reaching the top but also saw the Protector would catch up to him. Glen started throwing his weapons down at the man, one hit its target and made the man falter as Glen poured all of his strength into reaching the top. Just as Glen got there he felt a hand close around his ankle, Glen cast a small fireball and sent it out above him as he kicked down at the Protector. The man stabbed Glen in the calf with a knife and was going to use the knife to climb up Glen like a person would use a pick to climb up a mountain. Glen let his fireball come around and settle on the Protector’s neck. The man screamed and let go just as Glen reached the top. Glen had no time to think about the steep drop and big rocks below him, he just jumped.
The fall was rough, Glen banged his arm on a few big boulders and was sure he had broken a rib and threw his arm out of socket. Glen avoided most of the bigger boulders though and the damage they could bring as he fell down the steep decline. Glen looked up and could see Protector Gregory was there staring down at him, if the man was careful it would take him at least ten times as long to reach Glen. Glen turned to run and could see riders coming at him, they were men from the kingdom! As tough as the Protector was, he would not be so stupid to get involved in that fight.
~
“Now that’s a good boy” Glen said as he kissed his nephew David Jr. on the head. David was a year old and had a big appetite, the sign most mage parents look for.
“I swear he likes you better than me” Darla said as she sat on the couch. “All he does is spit up and cry whenever I hold him.”
“He comes to me for fun” Glen replied. “He goes to you when he is feeling ill. Mommy can fix anything and you are his mommy.”
“So you and father keep telling me” Darla said. “I am amazed to see you here so early, don’t you have work to do?”
“No” Glen replied with a smile. “I am finished for today. I can’t handle more than one anymore, it leaves me too filled with energy.”
“Your customer was a mage?” Darla asked surprised.
“Of course it was” Glen replied. “Mother sends them way out here for discretion along with any other rich people she can find. People say a lot of things but who doesn’t want to say they have slept with a Fae at least once? Me and the rest have way more money than we know what to do with now.”
“Even way out here next to the Dar
k Forest people still come” Darla said.
“If we were somewhere else I think they would still come” Glen said. “But Gilly and the others feel more relaxed way out here. To tell you the truth I do as well. Being in this small town means no one really cares what I am or what they are. We do plenty of work around here that doesn’t involve putting a smile on someone’s face. I just wish father would leave and find him someone.”
“You know he is not going to do that” Darla said. “I am amazed he left my mother, I her where we were going but she refused to be seen in the company of a bunch of Fae. Leaving her was the best thing I have ever did, do you know she suggested I should have stayed with that horrid man so she could have a nice place to stay now father doesn’t want her?”
“That was a lot of things talking” Glen replied. “Father has been working out and was already beautiful. Many women have asked about him and that incensed your mother. The letter she got from Tavin just made matters worse.”
“What letter?” Darla asked. “I wasn’t told of any letter.”
“Forget I said anything” Glen said backing away.
“I will not” Darla said.
“Right before we left your mother received a letter from Tavin” Glen replied. “Father told me not to tell you, you were under enough stress with little David inside of you.”
“Well what did it say?” Darla asked.
“Tavin wanted your mother to bring you back into Salsia” Glen replied. “Tavin said that all of you could be wealthy without depending on father and she wanted to do it. Your mother has always wanted to feel like some important mage, with me around it was hard for her to do so but in Salsia she could be a big deal. An elite mage that is parents to two elite mages, despite what father believes she probably could have another child if she tried hard enough.”
“And father told her off and brought us way out here” Darla said. “And I thought it was because of Gilly, Rexy and Jix.”
“It was partly” Glen replied. “Your mother made up his mind though. That is why he left her the house and took everything he owned and I grabbed all of my money as well.”
“Well if he wanted I am sure he could find someone” Darla said. “If it wasn’t for your line of work I know of two half fae women that would love to be with the both of you.”
“I doubt Jix cares about my line of work” Glen said with a smile. “Relationships would just mess up what we have right now. Right now I have over a thousand gold to my name and she is not that far behind. Maybe when I reach a hundred thousand or some other insane number I will settle down. As for father I know he hates what we do but if he asked Gilly to stop she would in a heartbeat and we will have to find someplace else to stay.”
“He wouldn’t kick us out of here” Darla said.
“He wouldn’t have to” Glen said. “Do you want to hear your father getting it on with Gilly? All decorum or inhibitions are tossed away when human meets fae.”
“That is disgusting” Darla said as the door burst open.
“We need to move now” David said as he locked the door. “I have been riding all night and I barely have a lead on them. That Protector is here and he has the king’s men with him.”
“Our king?” Glen asked.
“Yes” David said as he locked the door. “I was two towns over in Halex and saw a contingent of people flying the Royal Colors. That Protector is some kind of ambassador now from Salsia, he is looking for Darla and little David. Tavin and his mother are with her, we cannot fight them off.”
“In the hole” Glen said as he used his magic to remove a piece of the floor. Inside was a tunnel that led into the Dark Forest. They had rehearsed what they would do if trouble came and now they had to enact the plan.
“You get in the hole” David said.
“Father I am topped off with magic and have been practicing harder than I ever have” Glen replied. “You can protect David and get far away from here before anyone knows what is happening. I will tell Gilly to find you once everyone has left.”
“Listen to him father” Darla said. “We aren’t kids anymore and my magic is stronger than yours is and we both know all of your tricks.”
Glen heard a knock at the door. David grabbed the baby and jumped in the tunnel and took off as Glen shut the secret door. Glen and Darla looked at each other as another knock rang out on the door. Glen opened the door and could see Tavin was there along with Protector Gregory, Darla’s mother Martha and ten well armed soldiers. Glen stood as Tavin tried pushing his way into the house, Glen grabbed him by his head and bashed it into the door frame then into his knee as he tossed the man back outside. Martha already had a spell going but was blasted by Darla and was laying on the ground next to her son.
“You want a little bit as well?” Glen asked Gregory.
“I am come for my wife and son” Protector Gregory said.
“I am not your wife” Darla snapped.
“You are my wife” Protector Gregory said. “Why would you leave your nice home to come way out here in the dirt? I gave you everything, slaves, good food, nice clothes and anything else I woman could want.”
“You raped me and called it love” Darla said. “I hate you and I am not going back to you.”
“It is your duty as a woman and I was as gentle as could be expected” Protector Gregory said. “Now end this and come back home, you can’t be happy out here.”
“I am home now what do you want?” Darla said.
“I told you it is the Fae” Tavin said angrily. “He has changed her.”
“I was told you were not happy because you were not my first wife or my only wife” Protector Gregory replied. “You were however treated far nicer than many other women, I took you to plays and nice places to eat with important people. I never chose my other wife over you, so your attitude is pointless.”
“You paraded around your conquest like a hunter with a fine kill” Darla replied. “I don’t need slaves, whatever the things you think I should want or anything else. I was rich before I knew you and I am rich now.”
“I can’t believe you attacked me” Martha said as she got up angry. “You will get your things and leave with me this instant. Now where is your child?”
“My child is my own business” Darla said. “And anyone trying to force their way into this house will find a hard fight waiting for them.”
“This is pointless” Protector Gregory said. “You are coming with me, I have already worked it out with your king. Your father is a big deal in this kingdom for killing Protectors and senators so concessions had to be made. You will live here in this kingdom with me for the ten years I am ambassador in the home I have already secured in your capital. In return I owe your parents a sum of ten thousand gold, five of which has already been paid to your mother and your father’s part is already loaded in my carriage. If your brother tries anything I will him and your kingdom cares about Fae just as much as mine does.”
“Then its settled” Glen said as he went into his strongest spell, ball lightning.
Gregory threw himself backwards as the ball appeared and lurched forward, it was slow moving and shot off lightning strikes in the front and sides of it. Martha put up a shield that was instantly broken and she was thrown along with the rest. The guards were smart enough to just run once they saw what was happening. Glen was practically drained of his magic but went after Gregory, his staff sang through the air with a hum as it collided with Protector Gregory’s magic shield. Another strike and Glen broke through it, his enemy had his sword out now. Glen was faster but Gregory was faster, Glen was strong but Gregory was stronger. What Glen had going for him though was that he had reach, precision and knew how to use it. Gregory tried using his magic to even things up but Glen would score every time he went into a spell. Glen was picking him apart, his balance let him strike from unconventional angles and Gregory knew he was in trouble. Glen backed the man up and put him on his behind, Glen let his staff sit a few inches from his face.
>
“Leave this place, or you will die” Glen said.
“You are skilled” Gregory said as he looked up shocked. “I haven’t been bested in ten years. I thought you were weak, that spell was ball lightning.”
“I am more skilled than you are” Glen replied. “And I will not have you touch my sister again.”
“Your sister had a good life with me” Gregory said.
“She didn’t think so” Glen replied. “And she hates her mother and brother.”
“So it seems” Protector Gregory said. “I made the bargain with the wrong brother.”
“I would not have given my sister’s freedom away” Glen said as he withdrew his staff. “And I have my own money, I am not able to be bought.”
“You know I will come back with more men” Protector Gregory said.
“And we will be long gone by the time that happens” Glen said. “You should take your life and leave. If I see you again you will die, my family is everything to me.”
“I could love your sister” Protector Gregory said. “I only took her until I was certain she was with child. After that I made a vow not to touch her unless she wanted it. That vow still stands, all I want is my son and perhaps one more child. She wouldn’t have to worry about me touching her anymore after that.”
“And she would still be with a man she thinks of as a monster” Glen replied.
“You wouldn’t be on the run” Protector Gregory replied.
The Fae Mage Page 16