by B N Miles
He waved her apology away. “I’m used to it,” he said. “Normally I just hide the whole magic thing. Been a while since people knew what I was.”
“Do you ever miss it?” she asked, looking back at him.
He nodded once. “Every day.”
“Got anything to drink in here?” Cassie called from the kitchen. She began opening cabinets and rooting around. “I could use a drink. Wine or beer or whatever you got.”
Jessalene gave him a tight smile then got up. She brushed past Jared but he grabbed her wrist. Not hard, just enough to make her stop and turn to him with a quizzical look on her face. He held her for a moment, their bodies close, and he felt her aura lick up his arm, sending a chill down his spine.
“Don’t let her drink too much,” he said.
“I won’t.” She smiled. “Worried about her?”
“More worried about you.” He released her wrist. “I’m headed to bed.”
She nodded and drifted past, heading into the kitchen to help Cassie.
Jared turned and walked back down the hallway. “Where are you going?” Cassie called after him. “Where’s he going?” she asked Jessalene more quietly.
He didn’t hear the response. He grabbed his bathroom kit, got ready for bed, then crawled under the covers. The last thing he heard was laughter from the kitchen before he shut his eyes and tuned the world out.
25
Jared woke early the next morning. He stayed there for a long moment, not moving. Cassie was curled up in the bed next to him, her ass pressed against his side. He smiled and rolled toward her, putting an arm around her middle and pulling her close.
He stayed like that for a long moment, feeling her heat and her slow breathing. “Morning,” she whispered.
“Morning,” he grunted.
“Got time for a little—”
“No,” he said.
“Yeah. I didn’t think so.” She stretched, then rolled onto her back and sighed. “Jessa can drink.”
“I told her to take it easy with you.”
Cassie grinned. “She didn’t listen.”
“Let’s hope Dryads can hold their liquor then.”
“Oh, I think they can.” Cassie rolled to the side and got out of bed. She was wearing an old white t-shirt and nothing else. Her perky ass peeked out from under it as she walked around the bed. “Get up,” she said. “We have work to do.”
Jared watched her leave the room with a little smile on his face.
There was coffee in the kitchen and Jessalene was making breakfast. She seemed chipper and together as Jared came into the room. She nodded at the kitchen table and he sat. She brought over pancakes, syrup, and some coffee.
“You didn’t have to do this,” he said.
“What kind of host would I be if I didn’t offer my guests some food?” She grinned at him. “Besides, I make amazing pancakes and I like to show off.”
He frowned at the stack, took a bite, and let out a groan of pleasure. “Holy shit. You weren’t kidding.”
She waved her spatula at him. “I know. Now eat up. Where’s Cassie?”
“Showering,” he said.
She nodded and got back to cooking.
Breakfast was delicious and strangely normal. Jessa cooked some eggs and made toast, and by the time she was sitting down to eat, Cassie came out. They grinned at each other and Cassie kissed Jessa on the cheek, which made Jared wonder what the hell they talked about the night before. He didn’t ask though, because he really didn’t want to know.
Cassie sat down and dug in. Half way through her meal she leaned back and smiled at the two of them. “Look at us,” she said.
“What?” Jared asked.
“We’re sitting down eating this delicious meal together like a normal family.”
Jared made a face. “We’re not a family.”
“Definitely not a family,” Jessalene agreed.
“Oh come on, embrace the fantasy,” Cassie said. “It’s more fun that way. Besides, I thought you’d be into have two beautiful girlfriends, Jared?”
“One girlfriend is more than enough,” he grunted.
Cassie fluttered her eyelids at him and leaned closer. “Oh Jared, darling, are you talking about me?”
He glared at her. “No. I’m not.”
She gasped and leaned back, hands over her heart. “You hurt me, sir.”
“You’re a demon.” He waved his fork at her. “You seduced me. I’m just a vulnerable young man.”
Cassie laughed with delight and Jared grinned back.
“You two are insane,” Jessalene sighed. “Come on, we’d better get moving. Mother called and said the council will see us at nine.”
Jared nodded, helped Jessa clear the table and do the dishes, then grabbed a quick shower while the girls talked. When he was clean and dressed, he met them back in the kitchen.
Cassie wore tight dark jeans and a low cut gray t-shirt with a leather jacket over top. She tilted her head at Jared when she noticed him looking at her body. “You like it?” she asked, flipping the jacket collar up. “Jessalene let me wear it.”
“Looks good,” he said.
Jessalene laughed. “It doesn’t fit me anymore.” She was wearing a pair of slacks and a button down navy shirt. She looked like she was going into the office while Cassie looked like she was going to a biker bar. Jared had split the difference in a crisp white button down and jeans.
“Oh I doubt that.” Cassie moved over to Jessalene and put her hands on the girl’s waist. “Look how skinny you are!”
“Cut it out,” Jessalene said.
“But good boobs.” Cassie reached her hands up and cupped them, grinning. “Jessalene! You didn’t tell me you were stacked.”
Jessalene turned bright red and wriggled away from Cassie, who hopped away laughing. Jared shook his head and checked the time on the stove. “We should get going,” he said.
“Right,” Jessalene agreed. “Just make sure your girlfriend doesn’t feel me up again.”
“If you think I have any control of her, you’re nuts,” he said.
Cassie beamed at them both. “You guys are no fun. I was just trying to compliment Jessalene on her beautiful body. I’m sure you’ve been thinking about it yourself, Jared.”
He sighed. He had been, of course. Jessa was slim with an athletic build, and he kept imagining her stripped down next to Cassie. He guessed Jessa had smaller breasts, not quite as stacked as Cassie said, but that made her no less incredible in his mind.
“Can we stop talking about me like that, please?” Jessalene asked.
“Yes,” Jared said. “No,” Cassie said at the same moment.
Jared couldn’t help but smile as Jessalene laughed.
“Come on,” Jessa said, motioning for them. “Jared’s right, we gotta go.”
They headed outside. Instead of getting into a car, they cut right and took a path that wound its way into the forest around Jessa’s little house.
It was a nice walk. The path was clear and flat. The trees were thick and large, and birds chirped and played in the branches. It took Jared a few minutes to realize that the forest was absolutely perfect because it sat on Dryad land and was maintained by Dryad magic, so of course it was in an ideal state.
That was what Dryads did, left to their own devices. Most Dryad clans had their own little patches of land scattered all over the world. They tended to their land, cultivated it, made the natural plants grow, fed the animals, made sure it was in balance. Jared could only imagine how the modern world had changed the Dryad way of life, and would keep doing so as nature gets pushed aside more and more.
They stepped out of the path and into another clearing. Ahead of them was a house, similar to Jessalene’s, but a little bit larger. She went right up the front steps and knocked on the door.
Elise answered. She was dressed just like her daughter, in formal business clothes. She didn’t invite them in, but stepped out onto the porch. “Good morning,” she said.
“Morning,” Jared spoke up. “Thank you for setting this meeting up. I appreciate it.”
She almost smiled and gave him a slight nod. “Of course. The council is very eager to speak with you, as it turns out.” She stepped down off the porch and they followed. She led them onto another path that wound its way through trees. As they walked, Jared noticed more paths branching off the one they were on, and he realized that the whole Dryad community was spread out in the forest.
It was so dense that he hadn’t noticed the other houses. But as he looked, he began to see snatches of buildings through the trees. Elise led them down a few different paths, never straying toward another building, until they walked beneath the canopy of some cherry trees and into a clearing. Ahead of them was a low pavilion, open on all sides, with curved benches set in a circle around a low stone pit.
Men and women were standing under the pavilion speaking with each other. Elise slowed and stopped. She turned back and looked at Jared. “The council is made up of blood Dorvahn,” she said. “They’re all elders of the clan. Do you know much about Dryads?” she asked.
“Some,” he said. “I don’t have extensive experience though.”
“Dryads live a long time,” she said. “And these Dryads… well.” She frowned and looked back toward them. “I’m young at one hundred and twelve. Some of them are twice my age.”
Jared was surprised. It was an interesting warning, and he wasn’t sure why she was telling him… until he thought about the dates.
Over two hundred years ago, the Magi families had been brutal and aggressive. Despite the Accords, or maybe because of them, the Magi families took any opportunity to enslave and destroy the Meta races as they saw fit.
Things changed, of course. Now, the Magi families were still brutal and horrible, but they weren’t enslaving anyone and they weren’t openly killing Metas.
Jared hoped the council had very bad memories.
Elise led them to the group without another word. The men and women standing beneath the pavilion all turned and looked in their direction. They looked like older humans in their fifties, none of them wrinkled or stooped. Some of the men had gray in their hair, but they were all strong and healthy looking, with the same greenish cast to their skin.
One man stepped forward. He had long hair pulled back at the top to form a small knot on the back of his head. He wore simple khaki trousers and a plaid button-down shirt tucked in. He spread his hands and smiled at Elise.
“You brought guests,” he said.
“Yes, Malcolm,” she said. “This is Marshal Jared Bechtold and his partner, Cassie Grim.”
Jared stepped forward. “Thank you for meeting with me, councilman.”
Malcolm smiled at him, but Jared could see the tension in the others behind him. They all recognized his name, and Elise hadn’t prepared them for that. Jared was used to people reacting that way to his family’s name, which was why he kept it a secret as long as he could in most cases.
“We’re told you’re here to discuss Ferric.”
Jared nodded. “He escaped MetaDept custody a few days ago, as I know you’re all aware.”
His smile didn’t waver. “I had no clue,” he said.
Jared forced himself not to react. This was going to be frustrating.
“I was present when he made his escape,” Jared said. “I was the Marshal tasked with escorting him to Max. He was broken out by other Dryads, allegedly some kind of gang called the Blossom Sword. They attempted to murder me and my partner, and now I’m here to ask for your help in bringing him back to justice.”
Malcolm’s smile wavered at the last part. He nodded his head and gestured. “Come. We’ll speak.”
Jared followed Elise and Jessalene. The council assembled itself on the crowded benches. There were eleven councillors in total, five men and six women. Jared, Cassie, Jessalene, and Elise all sat on the benches opposite the council. The pit in the center of the circle was darkened and had ash at the bottom, which Jared guessed meant it was used as some kind of fire pit.
Their aura lashed against Jared, unabashed and unabated. He forced his mind to ignore all the sensations that lingered along his skin, but he couldn’t filter them all out: the smell of new dirt, dust from a cracked stone landing on skin, the taste of fresh-cut flowers, the sound of a seedling pushing up from the earth.
Malcolm sat in the center of the group and spread his hands. “I want to thank you for coming to us, Marshal,” he said. “In years past, the MetaDept hasn’t always been so… kind about these matters.”
Jared inclined his head. “I don’t know how past agents have handled their investigations, councillor, but I have no desire to make your lives more difficult if I can avoid it.”
He nodded. “That’s much appreciated. However, I don’t know how we can truly help you, Marshal.”
Jared frowned. “No?”
“We don’t know where Ferric is.”
He glanced at Jessalene, who was frowning in confusion, then looked back at Malcolm. “That’s okay, councillor,” he said. “Instead, may I ask a few questions?”
He inclined his head. “Please, ask.”
“Why is a Magi family buying your sacred land?”
The question seemed to surprise Malcolm and everyone on the council. They stared at Jared, some of them with open hate etched into their expressions. Malcolm recovered quickly. “I see you’ve been researching our problem.”
“It’s connected to Ferric’s return, so it has forced me to delve into issues that go beyond my specific case,” he said. “I’m still curious, councillor.”
“I don’t know the reason,” Malcolm said. “They haven’t exactly told us, Marshal.”
“And how are they buying it in the first place?”
He shook his head. “Another mystery.”
“You don’t know who owns your land?”
He hesitated. “Of course we do.”
“Then you can ask why they’re selling.”
“It isn’t as simple as you make it seem.”
“I see.” Jared watched him. “I’m trying to understand this situation, councillor. The more information I have, the better I’ll be able to do my job.”
Malcolm studied Jared for a long moment before speaking. “Most Dryad clans hold their land in a trust that’s controlled by a company they run. That way, they don’t directly own it and aren’t breaking any sacred rules. But we found a different solution a very long time ago.” He hesitated and glanced to the side then looked back.
“About one hundred and fifty years ago, not long after the founding of this country, we entered into an agreement with an elf. He purchased the land in exchange for being allowed to live here for as long as he wished. He holds the rights to our land, and our deal has kept us safe for a long time. However, in recent months, he’s gone missing.”
Jared leaned back and frowned. “That’s a lot of trust,” he said.
“Yes,” Malcolm agreed. “But the elf in question had married and fathered children with a member of our clan a couple thousand years ago. His wife died long ago, but his children’s children still live today. We considered him a part of us, if not a true member of the clan.”
Jared kept his face steady. He had no clue Dryads and elves could intermingle and produce offspring. He was willing to bet that bit of information was purposefully held from the Magi families.
“Do you suspect something bad has happened to him?” Jared asked.
“We don’t know.” Malcolm shook his head. “But if he’s selling our land to a Magi family…” He trailed off and barely concealed his fury. “Well, something bad must have happened for him to betray us like this.”
Jared took that in for a long moment. “May I ask another question?”
“Yes,” Malcolm said.
“The artifact. Do you know where it’s hidden?”
He didn’t answer right away. He looked down at the ashes scattered in the fire pit then back up. “No,” he said
Jared frowned. He got the feeling that Malcolm wasn’t being honest with him. “And what are Ferric’s plans if he gets the artifact?”
Malcolm gave him a sad smile. “That, I can tell you. He plans on using its magic to destroy the Medlar family and all of its associates.”
“Destroy it?” Jared asked, incredulous. “That’s an entire Magi family, and one of the nine. You don’t just… destroy them.”
Malcolm spread his hands. “I agree. But that’s his plan. There’s more power involved here than I think even you realize, Marshal.”
Jared was quiet for a long moment. “Why?” he asked.
“Why, what?”
“Why would Ferric want to destroy an entire family? I understand wanting to defend your land. But destroying an entire family would bring the wrath of all the Magi families down on your clan, not just the nine.”
Malcolm shook his head. “I agree with you, but I don’t know what that boy’s thinking.”
“Yes you do,” said one of the councillors, an older woman wearing a simple sweater and jeans. Her voice surprised Jared. He had assumed the others weren’t going to speak. “Marshal, that Ferric has his head in the clouds. He believes in revolution and the right to rule.”
“Right to rule?”
“Meta rights nonsense,” she said. “Thinks Metas are more important than humans just because we’re direct descendants of gods. It’s absurd, and no better than the sort of tripe the Magi families spout. And yet he believes it.”
“He considers himself a freedom fighter,” Malcolm added and glanced at the woman who spoke. She leaned back in her seat and folded her hands in her lap, composing herself. Malcolm looked back. “That makes him especially dangerous, Marshal. It means he’s fighting for more than just himself. Belief is a powerful drug, if you know how to use it.”
Jared nodded. “Thank you for your help,” he said. “If anything else comes up that might help me, please, send it along. Despite how you all may feel about me and the MetaDept, I am trying to help you. Getting Ferric back into custody will be best for all of us before he has a chance to spark some great war.”
