Lang reached out a hand to shake and Fallon clasped it readily. “I’ve already signed the paperwork your assistant had for me before you arrived. Everything looks good to me,” he told him.
“Thank you for staying to meet with me,” Fallon said, knowing he was late.
Lang nodded, then said, “I’m sorry to run off, but I’ve got a dance recital to get to.” He turned to face Leann and Strap, nodding to each in farewell. “Good evening to you all.” With that, he sailed out of the room, cell phone already in his hand, no doubt to message his driver to bring his car around to collect him.
Fallon turned to Joseph, clapped him on the shoulder and rested his hand there to give a small encouraging squeeze before dropping it. “Thank you for coming up, Joseph,” he said. The younger male nodded and left the room, knowing he’d been dismissed.
“Spit it out, Charles,” Fallon said and turned around to face the man.
Charlie just looked at him, chewing on what he wanted to say. Fallon waited him out. The boy had never been one to speak without fully thinking through each statement.
Leanne waited as well. The two had done enough business deals together over the last few years for them to have learned each other’s quirks.
Finally he spoke up, “Are you sure it’s not premature?”
Fallon didn’t have to ask what he spoke of, he already knew going public with their product would mean drawing unwanted attention from the king. The sort of attention that would warrant punishment. And not just a slap on the wrist sort of punishment either.
“The timing is just right,” Fallon replied, which caused both of them to lean forward, interest peeked to another matter entirely.
“Does that mean that you’ve found it?” Charlie asked excitedly.
Fallon glanced to Leanne to confirm that he only knew what whispers he’d heard around the compound, not something more that she may have let slip. At the subtle negative movement of her head, he understood that he was only referring to the murmurs and overheard gossip he caught from others. Though Fallon trusted him, Charlie was mortal. Involving him in the war, wasn’t something Fallon had anticipated.
Fallon left it alone, but didn’t deny it either, giving Charlie the impression that of confirmation that he had in fact found this weapon, as his people were calling it. If Jess could figure out her Seelie, then that was exactly what she’d be. A formidable force if wielded properly.
Which is exactly why he’d allowed her to go to Brianna. The fact that it had been her idea first- Goddess knows, he would have never come up with something so crazy- made him realize just how much she saw the means to the end. Her mind was in the right thinking. And judging from how hard it was for both of them to part from one another, her heart knew when it needed to take a back seat. The same way he did when he let her go. She would make a fine queen one day. One day soon, he hoped.
Fallon had always thought of Jessandra’s potential powers as the weapon that would bring them freedom. Until he’d laid eyes on her, that is. Complicating things rather unexpectedly.
“Fallon,” Charlie said, shaking Fallon out of his thoughts. He looked down at the man, realizing that he really couldn’t see him as the boy he once knew him to be. He’d grown and proven himself many times over. Fallon raised his brows to him in question.
“I want to help,” Charlie said strongly. Normally Fallon would have brushed off his words, as if coming from a young adolescent who wanted to join a professional’s game. The truth was, that he sometimes forgot how fast humans matured compared to his kind and the fae. When you lived for so long, nature took it’s time to catch up and set in. But not with Charlie.
Taking the offer for what it was, he regarded the man with respect, but before he could open his mouth to speak, Charlie spoke again.
“Now, don’t give me some bullshit about how it’s not my fight. Because it is,” he said, causing Fallon’s brows to raise again, this time in surprise. Which only made Charlie go on. “It is, because I’m making it mine.” He took a deep breath and licked his suddenly dry lips before saying the last bit. “We’re family, yours and I. In some weird and twisted way, we are. Don’t deny it.” His piercing gaze dared Fallon to do just that.
He couldn’t, though, because Fomorians hated lying to their family and friends. Their lives were so full of deceit already, they didn’t need any more of it from those they cared for.
Seeing that Charlie was done with his tirade, Fallon smiled at him and simply said, “Alright.”
Charlie gave him a toothy grin and glanced down to Leanne, who was smiling happily, if a little misty eyed.
Females, Fallon silently mused. Emotional over the oddest things sometimes.
He turned, heading for the door before he stopped to look back at the both of them, saying, “Bring him to dinner soon, Leanne.”
All three of them knew the importance of the invitation that he’d offered. Outsiders were never present at meals in the Nead, for obvious reasons. To be invited and by the king himself, said that he not only approved of Charlie and was sure of his loyalty, but wanted to share that with his people as well. Not to mention revealing the secrets that he’d learned from it. He’d never dared enter the Barr. He wanted to earn that right, not take it.
As Fallon left he could hear Charlie give Leanne a celebratory, “Yes.” The boy – man – had earned it. He had an idea of how he could be useful but he’d know moe the next time he saw him. Right now, he had to go down to check things on Joshua’s end.
A roar of pain echoed in the dank dungeon as Bain stepped in, the guard holding the door open for him. He pressed his hands to his chest, being in the place always made him uneasy, he dared not touch anything.
Slowly descending the few steps to the main level, he walks down the narrow aisle separating two lines of cages. Ten on each side of this end, and every one was full, though not all with Fomorian daors, some were Seelie traitors or thieves. One man approached the bars of his cell when Bain walked by. Loosely gripping the iron, he watched. Bain didn’t make eye contact, but he saw from his peripheral that he was Seelie. His beard brushing his chest and hair, in hanks and clumps, touched his shoulders. The scowl on his face was aimed at Bain and had him picking up the pace. The male chuckled, the image of the great Seelie Prince scampering away from him an entertaining one.
Bain checked the cells when he approached the daors. When a particular foul stench caught his nose and had him breathing through his mouth he zeroed in on the cell it emanated from.
Inside he could make out the pacing male. His wings looked paper thin from neglect and the glow from his eyes told Bain that he was consumed by the Red Sickness already. He smirked with satisfaction.
“Daor!” He called to it.
The only indication that it heard him was a twitch of the wings.
Bain smiled knowingly. “What are you called?” He inquired, his tone not one to be disobeyed.
Before answering, it turned to face Bain and shuffled towards him, stopping at the bars. It’s gaze flicked up at him for a quick second before aiming back down to the brick floor. Bain waited him out.
“Warren,” it answered finally, it’s voice gravelly and animalistic. No, beastly.
“Well, Warren, you’re mine now,” he told him. “Is that understood, daor?”
The was a moment of quiet, as Warren stood still, gaze fixed on the floor. Then, he glanced up, peering over Bain’s shoulder as he answered, “Understood, Master.”
Satisfied, Bain waved the guard over to unlock the cell door. “Good,” he said.
As the guard opened the door and Warren slowly stepped out, he told him, “I have your first mission, already.”
Warren stood just outside his cage, waiting for orders, “What is it that you command, Master?”
“Find me the Daehgus,” he directed.
“As you wish, Master,” Warren said, bowing his head.
Chapter Eight
When the view in front of Jess’ vision relit it was
by a blinding light before her eyes could adjust. Once it did she could see that her and Cormac now stood in a sort of wide hallway, illuminated by more torches. She got the feeling that they were underground but nothing like the caverns in the Nead. There were a couple people walking down the hall in different directions, but all began to pause as they walked deeper into the hall, staring at them for a moment before beginning to whisper amongst each other. Cormac ignored them and just tilted his head to the left side of the hall, saying “Come,” in his charming voice.
They walked for a few minutes, each hall looking like the other, earthy walls and ceilings, torch lights aglow and only passing by a few people, all of which stared as they did. There was no doubt they were staring at her and not their prince though. Making the tiny hairs on the back of her neck raise, feeling the dagger stares watching her go.
Coming to hall finally that had a row of doors on either side, Cormac stopped at one a few down. Opening the door, he waved her in before him. “This is your room during your stay, my lady,” he said.
Entering, Jess could see it was obvious the Unseelie, though suffering from their divide from their Seelie cousins, were still living better than the Fomorians. Contrast to the clay brown in the hall outside, the bedroom had soft, rose colored walls. The queen bed had a silver satin coverlet atop it, with puffy clouds of fabric and fluff between intricate gatherings of material. The furniture: a dresser, nightstand and small table in the corner, were all a pale, bleached wood, with the natural grain showing through a glossy finish. Cormac stepped in behind her to place her bag on the bed.
Turning to face her, he had his shit eating grin on his face once again. Well, at least he wasn’t letting Alyss’ rejection bother him any longer, Jess mused.
“Someone will come to collect you in a bit,” he said. Obviously she worried a little on what he could be so damned happy about, but she ignored it.
“Alright,” she replied.
“Please don’t…go exploring, on your own,” he warned. She nodded.
Seeing his mission completed, he tipped his head slightly and took his leave.
With nothing better to do while she waited, Jess decided to unpack her things. It didn’t take too long, as she’d only packed for a few days, but it was perfect timing that just as she slipped the empty duffle bag under the bed, a knock came at the door. Walking across the room, she opened it, revealing a beautiful woman with brown wavy hair that flowed vibrantly to just below her shoulders and whiskey colored eyes that caught the lamplight in the most luminescent way. Her skin looked flawless, which tipped Jess off to her faerie heritage right away. Something about her face was familiar to Jess, though she couldn’t put her finger on it. The smile that she beamed at her told Jess that she was friend and not foe. At least for the moment. Everything was different – culturally, politically, socially – with the fae and Fomorians, she’d learned.
“Hello!” The other woman said cheerfully. Her full bowed lips were pink with a hint of gloss on them and the eye makeup looked fresh, as if she’d just applied it, and classically light, not heavily done. The woman obviously just used make-up as an enhancement and not as a mask. The pretty dress, dark blue with swirls of pinks and purples, worn over tight black leggings, completed the look of pretty-casual.
Jess returned the smile and replied, “Hello,” then waited for the woman to explain what it was she was doing outside her room.
“I’m Beth,” she supplied, holding a hand out to her. Jess took it without hesitation and they shook briefly before simultaneously letting go.
“Her majesty has asked that I show you around,” she said.
“Oh, that would be great,” Jess exclaimed, excited at the idea. When Beth indicated for her to step out, she did, starting to pull the door closed.
“Oh, you’re going to want a sweater,” Beth stopped her, which made Jess frown. She caught the hint of an accent in the sentence. It sounded like the way her mother would sometimes speak. But whenever her and Alyss had asked about it, she would laugh it off and call the idea of her voice sounding any different from theirs, ridiculous. Jess wondered as she reentered the room and opened the middle dresser drawer, pulling out a gray, wool knitted, button down sweater with a hood. It kept her warm during the chilly Spring and Fall evenings when it wasn’t cold enough out for her bulky jacket. Folding it over one arm, she stepped out again into the hallway with Beth, shutting the door.
“Where are we?” She asked, and even though her voice was only slightly louder than a whisper, it echoed in the deafeningly quiet of the hall as it bounced on the walls. All other conversations seized the moment she it did.
“Threigean,” Beth answered proudly, turning left when the hall came to a T. The word or words that came from her mouth had Jess’ brain fumbling.
They came to a stop outside of the first door that broke up this part of the halls. Though door wouldn’t be what Jess would call it. Two large, iron gates, latched together and intricately crafted in loops and curves. On the other side, Jess could clearly see a lush garden growing wildly within Beth reached for the latch that met the two hinged gates and pulled it up, opening it with only the hint of a creak on the old metal. Holding it open, she ushered Jess in ahead of her, closing the gate behind them as they entered. Inside, the humidity from the moist soil permeated the air. Jess could even feel her hair start to take on a slight wave. It didn’t bother her but the telltale smell of fertilizer did, making her nose itch. She did her best to breath through her mouth and not look like a freaking fish out of water.
Beth took one look at her and broke out in a chortle, saying, “It’s ok. It does reek in here.”
Relieved that she wasn’t going to offend Beth, Jess lifted a hand to her nose, hoping to stop the stench from entering her nostrils, laughing with Beth for a moment.
“Holy god, is that everyday?” She asked, the look of disgust still plain on her face.
“No,” Beth answered, the amusement leeching from her expression, replaced by a sadness that nearly had Jess reaching out to her in comfort. “We don’t usually need outside assistance to keep the roses thriving,” she explained, then walked over to one of the rose bushes that climbed over a statue of a weeping cherub that reached her chest. The vines and stalks that grew past it’s support curved out under their own weight, looking like a bouquet of wilting, cut flowers. The pink roses wrapped on the stone didn’t exactly look sick or dying but they weren’t exactly the cream of the crop. Jess would expect florists to choose others if they could. Their color looked less vibrant than what they probably could have been. She wasn’t a botanist but she did recall roses that grew in Central Park and how their rainbows of colors popped against the greenery.
“What’s wrong with them?” She asked, watching as a few people with pruning shears walked between the vines and bushes, snipping the dead or sick looking buds and stalks as they moved through. They wore large aprons that sported smears of dirt and who knows what else. They were all women, she noticed. And none spoke to them or with each other as they worked.
“They are the queen’s ladies in waiting. Only those who are closest to the goddess are permitted to touch them. The queen does not wish to upset our Mother,” Beth explained, seeing the silent question atop her first. “All faerie are sick,” she added, a little more cryptic than Jess would have expected.
“What do you mean?” Jess asked needing more than the vague answer she supplied.
“I’m sure King Fallon and Queen Brianna have already explained that the Unseelie have been separated from our transcendent monarch for much too long and—“ Beth hesitated and looked up to pin Jess with her gaze. “The rest of faerie is feeling the repercussions of this loss as well.”
Jess didn’t ask her to go into detail, she was too afraid of what the answer she may get. This was all going by so fast. From the moment Fallon found her in that dark alley, it had barely been a week. And she had just picked up and left for a world she could barely begin to understand. She hasn�
��t done any looking back, either. Yet she emerged within it. If she tried to swim up to the surface to escape it all and go back to her old boring life, she wouldn’t know up from down. Right now she was suspended without a way to break through in one way or the other.
Jess could feel the anxiety beginning to consume her. In effort to tamp down on it, she moved on to something easy.
“Where are we?” She asked Beth, licking suddenly dry lips. Her tongue felt sticky from lack of moisture too. Water. I’m going to need a glass of water before I choke.
Beth looked perplexed as she started to slowly reply, as if speaking to a child, “Trei—“
“No, no. I mean,” Jess shook her head, smiling a little to ease the sting of cutting her off. “Where in the city are we?” The second she finished asking, another thought crossed her mind. What if they weren’t on earth? But Beth answered before new panic could take root.
“Oh,” she smiled brightly. “Relatively speaking we are in Ireland. In the Boggeragh Mountains in Cork County.”
For a moment, Jess’ brain accepted the answer, causing her to nod for a split second before it processed the information completely. Wait, what? Ireland?” She silently yelled, only slightly freaking out. “What do you mean, relatively?” She asked.
“Technically, we aren’t anywhere really,” Beth chimed. “It’s called The Fold.” She took a moment as Jess looked around them. It certainly looked like normal roses. Except for the whole sickly appearance.
“I’m going to need a science lesson to understand all of this, aren’t I?” Jess mumbled, only half joking.
Beth only smiled kindly before turning to walk out of the garden’s gates. Jess hung back for a second. The scent around her, of the flowers and the moist soil. The underlying aroma of fertilizer seemed to help ease the heaviness that seemed to take residence on her chest with all the information that Beth had given her in so little words. Relatively and technically in and out of Ireland. But definitely no longer in Connecticut An ocean away from the U.S. Nothing strange about any of that. After a moment or two, she forced her feet to move, meeting Beth in the hallway. After Beth secured the gates, they started down the hall again, looking at Jess and giving her a soft smile. It was the smile that told Jess that the other woman understood what was racing through her head and trying desperately to grab hold of it to stay sane. She had barely just grasped the existence of a whole other world with two different races – which, when she thought of it, really wasn’t entirely true either; there were more than that if what Fallon said about the Unseelie was true – with wings and magical mirrors, glowing skin, matings. She stopped the hysterical thoughts before they got away from her.
Ascending Into Light (Descending Series Book 2) Page 10
