by T K Eldridge
“I have been seeing a fae guard for a couple of years, but he’s really been putting on the pressure to marry me and I’m just not there. I don’t want to break his heart, but no matter how many times I tell Timon I’m not interested, he keeps asking.”
“Tell him you’ve found your Chosen. That will shut him down fast.”
“I suppose it would,” I said and lay my head on his shoulder. “I’ll be honest, too. I’m glad we found each other, and you’re not in a rush. We can take our time, and be friends first, right?”
“That’s exactly right,” Drake said and for the first time in a very long time, I relaxed.
Chapter Six
Sin
Things settled into a pattern. Mornings I helped with the kids then headed to work. In the evenings, I got home and took my turn with the kids, spent some time with Mira, then slept, got up, and did it all again. At work we spent time answering calls. Then, every few days, we coordinated a supply run for the palace. The Commander had called for a parlay with Roisin and her second to meet with Maggie and Fionn and see if they could come to some kind of agreement. Roisin refused because, as she put it, “The man responsible for my sister’s death is not an appropriate candidate for mediator.” He tried to get her to accept Grizzell, and she said that the griffins were “mediocre excuses for beings and inept at diplomacy”. Finally, she agreed to let Grizz’s friend, Drake Eldhress, act as mediator. Drake was okay enough, but he was just a cadet at the Academy. When I said as much to Grizz, he turned on me as if I were a rare steak and he were a starving guard dog.
“Don’t you ever let me hear you disparage Drake Eldhress again. He is a brilliant man with a heart of gold and I would not be here if not for him. Little do you realize, you arrogant twit, that Drake was the developer, owner, and CEO of AlphaTech. He sold the company because he had to change his persona to hide his supernatural longevity from the humans.”
“I’m sorry,” I said and turned to look out the window as we drove through downtown. I wasn’t sorry, though. I was annoyed.
“Have you been to see your sister, yet?” Grizz asked.
“Nope,” I replied.
“Are you going to go see her?”
“Why do you care? No, I’m not going to go see her. Drop it, will ya?”
“What you have, a twin sister like that? I would do everything in my power to make sure we stayed close. That’s a rare thing and you’re treating her as if she personally went out of her way to do this and make sure it bothered you the most.”
“It’s none of your business, Grizzell. Let it go.”
“Uh huh,” Grizz grumbled.
We headed towards the docks. I had had the brilliant idea to start searching known instigators to make sure they weren’t carrying weapons over to Faery Isle. The Commander had agreed to it as one tactic to try and dissuade people from joining the siege. Grizz wasn’t a fan of the idea.
“We’re going to be doing a stop and frisk on people based on a profile that I find personally offensive,” Grizz said. “Elementals present as shifters, so basically anyone that reads as a shifter, you’re going to stop and search?”
“Do you have any better ideas?” I asked.
“Just watch and see who acts skeezy, then check them out,” Grizz said.
“And how do you decide who is acting skeezy and who isn’t?”
“Watch and learn, youngling,” Grizz said.
We leaned against the front of the rig, the sun warm enough to counter the cool ocean breezes. I watched as a pack of about ten shifters got out of a van and headed towards the docks. They had rolled up flags on poles and duffel bags that bulged suspiciously.
“Is that skeezy enough for you?” I asked Grizz and pushed off the rig to intercept them before they got on the gangway. “Hold up. Where are you headed?” I asked.
I could hear Grizz cursing me as he moved to my side.
“Over to the islands,” one of them said.
“And what do you plan on doing over there?” Grizz asked.
“Sightseeing, getting some lunch, stuff like that,” another said.
“What’s in the bags?” I asked the two largest men in the group who carried the oversized, oddly bulging duffels.
“Just our stuff,” one said.
“Open it up and show me,” I replied.
“You got a warrant?”
“I don’t need one. Suspicion of malicious intent. Open the bags.”
“Hell no, we’re not opening our bags,” the other guy said. “Come on, let’s go.” He started towards the gangway and I stepped in front of him. “You’re not getting on the docks unless you show me what’s in those bags. Otherwise, get back in the van and drive away.”
“Come on, Jerry, let’s just go. We don’t need this hassle,” one of the girls said.
“Yeah, come on Jerry,” I said. “Don’t be stupid.”
Some of the group near the back turned around and headed towards the van. Jerry, the guy in front of me, wasn’t one of them.
“I’m getting on that ferry and you’re not stopping me,” he said.
“Would you like to place a wager on that?” I smiled and unsnapped the safety on my holster.
Grizz gave a low growl and the other guy with the duffel yelped as he stumbled back and jogged for the van. Soon, it was just Jerry and me, while Grizz kept an eye on the van and its riders.
“Be smart, Jerry. Go get in the van and drive away. You can always try to get on the ferry another time when there aren’t SPD agents guarding the gangway. You don’t want to get wrapped up in Roisin Murphy’s insanity anyway. She’s in enough trouble, you don’t need to get her into more.”
“Roisin is our new leader. She’s going to make it so we’re not second class citizens any longer,” Jerry said.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, kid,” Grizz spoke from behind me. “But the only one who has ever called us second class – is Roisin herself. The Royals have called us equals for years now. She’s lying to you.”
Jerry looked past me to Grizz and it was obvious when he realized who the other officer was. “Aerie Leader,” he whispered. “I’ll be going. Sorry to have bothered you.”
Jerry scurried over to the van and started it up, then carefully drove out of the lot. Every window had a face pressed to it, to watch Grizz as they drove away.
“Were they griffins?” I asked.
“Three of them were, but I haven’t seen them at the aerie yet. The rest were dryads, nymphs, and a couple of sylphs.”
“Glad you stepped in. I’m pretty sure those bags held bats and tire irons, among other things.”
“I’m pretty sure they did, too. But you need to learn some diplomacy, Sin. You were gonna be a doctor, right?”
“Yeah, and I still might some day.”
“Then consider this the same as needing a good bedside manner. You learn diplomacy, and get that fucking chip off your shoulder, or you can find yourself a new partner.”
Grizz went and got into the rig and started it up. I waited a minute so I could calm myself, then got in and buckled up.
“We’re going to go get some food and you’re going to meet a friend of mine who teaches international relations and governmental diplomacy at the state university. I’ll give you a start, but you need to follow through or, I’m not joking, we’re done as partners.”
“Yes, sir,” I said.
* * *
Grizz called the Commander and said we had to follow up on a complaint and would be off book for a few hours. We stopped at a drive thru and got food, then got on the highway and headed toward the city. It was a couple of hours but I spent the time listening to the tunes Grizz played on the radio and watched the scenery flow by. About an hour outside the city was the campus of the state university. We pulled in behind an old brick building, our guns locked in the console safe in the rig, then headed inside. Down a long corridor and up a flight of stairs, we stopped outside of a polished wood door with “Prof. Everly Rosemont”
on a brass plaque. Grizz knocked, then opened the door after we heard a ‘come in’.
“Grizzy,” the woman behind the desk said when she saw Grizz. “Oh, dear one, how are you faring?” The woman was tall, as tall as I was, with dark blue hair cut short and wild. Her eyes were dark blue and her skin was so pale, she looked translucent.
“I’m good, Everly. How are you?” Grizz replied.
“Loving what I do, my friend.” She peered past Grizz to look at me. “What is this you’ve brought me?”
“Sinclair Boudreau, ma’am,” I replied with a polite nod.
“Ahh, one of the Prophetic Twins,” the professor replied. “Come in, both of you. Would you like some coffee? Water?”
“Coffee for us both would be good,” Grizz said and we sat in two wing chairs that faced another pair of matching chairs around a low table decorated with crystals, shiny stones, and small glass figurines.
“So, why did you bring me this young man?” the professor asked Grizz.
“He needs to learn diplomacy before he gets us both killed,” Grizz stated and his blunt comment brought me to my feet.
“Sit, Sinclair,” the professor said. “You will quickly learn that I prefer blunt speech between myself and my friends. Diplomacy is as much the art of knowing what to say and when to say it, as it is using pretty phrases to tell someone to go fuck themselves.”
When I heard her put it that way, I chuckled, then sat my butt back down.
“It’s not meant to be humorous.” Dr. Rosemont handed each of us a mug of coffee, then got hers from her desk and sat down with us. “You can call me Dr. Rosemont or professor,” she told me. “What do you prefer to be called?”
“You can call me Sin,” I said. “Agent Boudreau still has me looking for my father.”
“Ah, yes. Dr. Aaron Boudreau, once Agent of the SPD and now Director of the Belle Cove Supernatural Police Academy. Your mother was also an Agent at one point, was she not?”
“She was. Now, she and my wife run Boudreau Botanicals.”
“They have some of the most effective potions and salves. I’ve used your mother’s products for a few years now, but since your wife joined, they’ve only become more improved. Now, what about your twin sister, Sidonie?”
“What about her?” I asked.
“She’s also with SPD, am I right? An agent that works in the Intelligence branch?”
“Yes.”
“Sidonie is particularly gifted with her research skills. I hope to speak to her someday and see if she’s willing to go for a doctorate degree in Intelligence.”
“Whatever,” I grumbled and took a sip of my coffee. Grizz just drank his coffee in silence as he watched the two of us.
“That’s a rude way to comment in regards to your sister,” Dr. Rosemont said.
“She doesn’t deserve anything but rudeness these days,” I said.
“Why? Because her words were twisted by an intrepid newscaster? Because her work was hacked and spread across the internet without her permission – a violation of her intellectual rights and her personal privacy? Or because she had the unmitigated gall to do something on her own, independent of you?”
Her words struck home with deadly precision, and my anger flared.
“You know nothing about us. You know nothing about Sid. She wrote the Op Ed piece to try and defend her actions, then let that reporter prove how messed up Sid was, and caused chaos. A mess, by the way, that we’re still trying to clean up while she sits at home and hides. She always has to go one step further and now it’s come back to bite all of us on the ass.” I put my mug down. “As for doing things independent of me? She’s been busy fucking anyone that looks at her sideways and has given enough rides to be called the town’s bicycle. While some of us are busy getting married and having a family and continuing the family legacy.”
I didn’t even see it coming when Grizz reached out and slapped me in the back of the head. My body rocked forward and my ears rang for a moment.
“What the hell?” I yelled.
“The only one who has a right to call your sister a whore, is your sister. And even then, I’d ask her what’s so wrong with enjoying oneself as long as everyone involved understands the situation,” Grizz said. “You ever disparage your sister like that again in front of me, I’ll punch you in the mouth.”
“Let me try and explain something to you, Sinclair. Your sister being hacked and her work stolen like that? It is as personal a violation as having someone slut shame you to people you know. She probably feels raw and fragile right now, and here you sit – calling her a whore. Adding insult to injury. Instead of helping people understand the truth of the situation, you’re making things worse,” Dr. Rosemont said.
“I have to take care of my wife and kids before I worry about anyone else,” I said.
“And that’s all good, but isn’t your family made up of others? Your parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, and so on? Your baby brother – and your twin sister?” Dr. Rosemont asked.
“Yes, but my first responsibility is to Mira and my four kids. Right now? I’ve got enough to handle, with them and my job. Anything extra gets set aside until I finish with my family’s needs. That includes my sister. Which, if she spent more time focused on the family and not on herself, she’d understand.”
“I’m sorry, Grizzell. I can’t help him right now. He’s not mature enough to understand the finer arts of diplomacy at this stage in his development. I’d suggest you get a different partner for risky tasks and drag this one around to train him when you’re doing less dangerous tasks,” Dr. Rosemont said.
“Appreciate your time, Everly. Glenda sends her best, but she’s not getting out much these days. Come visit soon, will you?” Grizz said as he got to his feet.
“Hey, what the hell?” I said and Grizz literally growled at me. I shut up fast, got to my feet, and offered a polite – if not insincere – ‘thank you’ to the professor, and left the room. I knew the way back to the rig, so I started walking. Part of me wondered if maybe some of the professor’s words weren’t correct.
“Naw, she doesn’t know us,” I muttered and got into the vehicle. About five minutes later, Grizz came out and got behind the wheel. He didn’t say a word as he started it up and headed back to the highway.
It wasn’t until we were most of the way back to the station that he finally spoke. “I’m not going to ask for a new partner, but I am going to put you on notice. You need to stop acting and start listening. Learn. You’re still very new at this, and you keep making the same damned mistakes. I’m not dying because you’re flying off the handle over something insignificant. Understood?”
“I’m not that new at this,” I started to say, when Grizz jerked the rig over to the side of the road and stopped.
He turned to look at me and leaned in. “I’ve been with the SPD for over seventy years. You have been with them what, maybe five? You’re a fucking toddler when it comes to experience as a cop and you dare try to tell me what to do? Back the hell up, boy. Just because your grandfather is the Commander, does not give you say over what I do, or how I do it. I’m your superior officer and it’s time you realized that.”
“You don’t know…” I started again and Grizz just put up a hand, palm out near my face.
“I’m trying to speak here,” I said. Grizz turned up the volume on the music so any conversation would have to be shouted. I gave up on trying to talk, but I was definitely going to have words with the Commander over this, and soon.
Chapter Seven
Sid
The siege was nearly two weeks old and life had settled into a new routine. Drake came by every other day or so and we would do things together. One day, he brought two copies of his favorite book and we sat on the screen porch with cold tea and sandwiches and read together. Every once in a while he’d read a passage to me and tell me why he liked those particular words. That had been the most romantic afternoon I’d ever spent in my whole life. A man in bed who knew w
hat to do? That was hot. A man who let me see his intellect and humor? That was even sexier than sex.
We knew we couldn’t sleep together without sealing the Chosen bond, so we found other ways to explore each other. Kissing until we both had puffy, sore lips while sprawled on the big sofa after having shared a meal and wine was one way. Laughing so hard we cried while playing strip poker was another.
Working from home meant I worked when I was awake, if Drake wasn’t around. I was working on maybe ten percent new cases and ninety percent cold cases after getting so many done in a short amount of time. Timon called once to tell me he was on a tight rotation for guard duty so he wouldn’t be able to come by, but he hoped I was okay. I listened to the voicemail and felt guilty for not having told him about Drake yet. I knew I should go visit Grandma Maggie and Grampa Fionn, but I was only now feeling a little less raw over everything and the Queen had a way of flaying the skin off of a person with very few words. I really didn’t need to be tortured again so soon.
That’s why I was so surprised to receive a letter, delivered by courier, from the Royals. He stood on the porch and said that I was to read it and give him an answer before he could return. When I invited him inside, he said no, he’d wait on the porch. A little confused, I closed the door, broke the wax seal on the letter, and began to read.
Dearest Sidonie,
Your presence is requested for a dinner at our Exile House. Fionn and I both miss your presence and we want you to know that we do not hold you even the slightest bit responsible. I will say it took me a few days to find out just how badly you were violated and how this incident has upended both your life and ours. I have heard that Drake is a frequent visitor, and I would ask you to see if he would be willing to safely transport you here, and join us for dinner as well.
I miss you, granddaughter, and I want you to know we both love you.
HRH Margaret MacCumhaill
