by HDA Roberts
"Sunday."
"As in the day after tomorrow? That's a little soon to make preparations for a royal visit."
"Elora will take care of the details, as soon as she has permission, she won't go anywhere near the place without it. Nobody will. You wouldn't believe how well that place is protected. It's a true merging of Fairy and Human Magic. I've never seen anything like it. How did you manage that, by the way? I've been meaning to ask."
"I didn't, all I did was tell them they could move in," I replied truthfully, "a Centaur called Lunson did the actual work."
"Fairy Magic," she said with a disgusted expression, "You never can tell what's going to work spectacularly and what's going to fizzle."
"Beats me, that's for sure," I agreed.
Kron rolled her eyes, "What doesn't?"
I smiled at my curmudgeonly sister. I knew she was better disposed towards me when the insults started flowing again.
We chatted a little more and then I walked her out, promising to call after I'd spoken to Lunson, who ran the Grotto, for all intents and purposes. She patted my shoulder, giving me a tight smile, and vanished into a Teleportation Spell.
I sighed, relieved that things were better, but now far more worried about Sutton than ever. If she was smart enough to fool Kron for centuries, then she was even more dangerous than I'd feared. Lady Time was, by no means, an idiot.
"Feeling better?" Tethys said, coming up beside me and leaning her head against my shoulder. She'd certainly been listening to the whole thing. She did that a lot.
"Much. Except now I have four hours in the car with an uncomfortable conversation in the middle."
"You're never happy are you?" she asked, nudging me gently.
I snorted. I guess she has a point.
Chapter 4
In the two days before that wretched conference, Tethys and Kandi moved into Blackhold, and as far as I could tell, changed everything. I could only imagine the sheer amount of money Tethys spent to have it all done so quickly! I have to say that she did do a fantastic job. She managed to combine more modern comforts and technology with the older fixtures and fittings in a way that was impressively elegant.
She turned my library into a nirvana for someone with my particular passions (in other words, she filled it with technology, comfortable seats and a very discreet fridge); and she took over one of the larger reception rooms as her office. She redecorated her own suite in a way that Kandi described as 'delightfully naughty' and brought in half a dozen men and women (mostly women) to run a small office space. She told me that she was planning to open up the West Wing in a few weeks and put the South back as a pure residence, but she wanted to take her time with that, find her feet and sort out what she'd need.
My conversation with Lunson had been brief. The idea of having his Queen visit the Grotto had sent him into a near fit of activity before I'd even finished asking him if it was alright.
My three favourite Fairies, the Pixies Melody, Jewel and Meadow, were perched on my shoulders and head during this conversation, after what had been a very enthusiastic hello. I'd missed those three a lot while I was away.
I wasn't there long, but even after so short a time, leaving them was a wrench. They bawled like nobody else I'd ever seen, which always made me cry, despite my best efforts to preserve some semblance of manliness (which some might argue had been a lost cause even before the arrival of Fairies into my life). Said manly tears then made them cry even more in a vicious cycle of tears, wailing and snot that left all parties a wreck at the end, and my dignity in horrific tatters.
I really hated those partings, and always felt that it was a shame that they didn't do well in the city, or I'd have brought them with me to Blackhold. Alas, they needed greenery and the Magic of Home or they'd get sick after a short while.
When Sunday came around, I was at home, my real home, not Blackhold. I was alone, as my parents were off in Central America again. They had intended to spend the holidays at home with me, but they'd made the mistake of leaving their dig site in the care of their research assistant and (long story short) a ziggurat had fallen down. Naturally the Mexican authorities were not happy, and my parents had been forced to do some pretty fast talking and grovelling to avoid their entire team, and anyone even remotely associated with them, being violently hurled from the country and banned for life.
I woke up in my own bed, three Pixies curled up in a small heap up against my chest, snoring quietly. They were all of a type, about two feet tall and heavier than you'd think, with beautiful, delicate features, ears slightly pointed and big, expressive eyes that can give you the kind of guilt treatment a whole litter of puppies couldn't pull off. They wore little sleeping clothes my mother had sown for them herself; each had a whole wardrobe of such things in bright colours, all safely stored in one of my drawers (they considered my room their personal domain).
I stirred and slid out of bed, tucking the duvet around them. I smiled as I pulled a stack of clothes from the chair and headed for the bathroom. It was early enough that Burglar (my colossal Newfoundland not-a-guard dog) and Grommit (the red and horned Warp-cat that now rules the household with a slightly disinterested fist) hadn't woken up yet.
I ran a bath and looked in the mirror, something I normally avoided, but I didn't want to look scruffy for the meeting. I looked as pale as ever, my hair slightly darker than it had been the last time I'd looked at my reflection; there was a certain amount of facial hair- enough that I'd need to shave. My eyes were as horrific as always, a dark red sclera with a deep black pupil (magical accident) and the scars in the shape of a shaky pentagram on my left cheek hadn't faded any. I snorted disgustedly, it wasn't a pretty picture. I had good bone structure and a strong chin, and might have passed for moderately attractive at one time, before the eyes and the scars. Cathy said I looked dangerous, I thought I looked like an Ebola victim who'd stuck his cheek into a bear trap.
Another reason I avoided mirrors was that looking in them reminded me of Desmond; now an inmate at the Farm's Wing for the Criminally Insane, where he wasn't getting any better. My Magic broke his mind, and his using the Black squished the pieces. All he wanted to do now was kill, and hurt people (especially me). I shaved quickly and brushed my teeth before hopping into the warm water. I leant back and relaxed, closing my eyes, allowing myself to drift off a little.
I woke up to whoops of joy followed by splashes as Pixies hit water. I had given specific instructions regarding the sacrosanct nature of my bath time, or just about anything involving the bathroom, but they just ignored me. It was a nightmare even getting them to let do my business in peace. Thankfully their noses were too sensitive to let them intrude on that too often.
Bath time, though... that, they'd happily interrupt. They started splashing each other, giggling and squealing happily. Completely naked, by the way, they had no modesty around people they liked. I put a flannel over my bits and just left them to it, it was the easiest way. There was no getting rid of them without ending up on the receiving end of a full blast of their puppy-dog eyes, and I didn't want to embarrass myself that early in the morning.
At that point, it occurred to me just how much power the women in my life had over me, and I thanked God that they were all people I could trust. I shook my head with a smile and leant back again as they made a ruckus and got water everywhere.
Eventually I felt them slide up onto my chest and fall back to sleep, half in the water. Cathy walked in on us like this once and she thought it was the cutest thing she'd ever seen... until she realised that there were three naked and very attractive women sleeping on me, at which point the internal conflict between cute and outrageous seemed to send her into a spiral.
She solved the conflict by hopping into the tub with us, just so you know. That made the Fairies fly away pretty fast, let me tell you. Even they had a line.
"Girls, I've got to go," I said.
"Ten more minutes," Meadow said sleepily.
"I already gave you t
en more minutes," I replied, tickling her ear, which made her swat at my finger even as she giggled.
They took off, their butterfly-like wings appearing out of nowhere and allowing them to dart away and disappear. I stretched and dressed, fed the dog, the cat and the Pixies and put on comfortable outdoor clothes, along with a light jacket and wellington boots. Wearing the full suit-robe-hood combination in the woods seemed ridiculous to me. I did wear my signet ring, though I generally did in those days, so I couldn't claim credit for making an effort to appear official.
I took a last look in the mirror and headed out towards the Grotto. The Pixies came along, Meadow and Jewel on my shoulders and Melody sitting perched on my head, her feet just above my eyebrows.
"You three look nice today," I said. Their dresses were freshly made of young leaves and they had tiny wildflowers in their hair.
They smiled and blushed at the compliment.
"You look exactly the same as you always do when you go for a walk, you could have put in the effort," Jewel replied. I reached up and tickled her until she squealed.
"Who wears a suit in the woods?" I asked.
As it turned out, everybody else.
The Grotto was a circular area of enchanted woodland, about a mile in diameter, centred on an island in the middle of a small lake. There were over thirty Fairy creatures living within that border; gnomes, centaurs, sprites, water nymphs, talking otters, Pixies of course, and even a pair of strange acid-puking frogs I was quite fond of. There was a wide, steep hill to the east where the centaurs had built their home right into the hillside.
Inside the circle, it was always summer, the flowers and trees in full leaf and bloom. It was always warm and the water in the lake was always the perfect temperature for swimming. I spent as much time there as I could; it was a place where I could feel completely relaxed and at peace.
As Kron mentioned, it was my Place of Power. These are generally Magical areas with which a Magician has managed to establish a link or bond, capable of providing safety and power to the Magician. My family's land wasn't especially Magical to start with, but it had been my home since birth and I loved it enough to attach me to it in a vague sort of way. The Fairies showing up and creating their colony had changed the very nature of the place. Given enough time and exposure to me, it likely would have changed on its own into a true Place of Power, but Lunson was able to greatly speed the process along, blending my Magic with the inherent power of the Fae to create a Sanctuary.
Lunson had prepared a meeting area close to the house, in a decently sized clearing. A large wooden table had been placed in the centre with wooden chairs on either side, each was simple, but looked strangely comfortable (even without cushions). Flowers had been strung around the clearing, making it look festive.
The other four Archons where already there (an hour early, I might add). They each had a clutch of people with them. Kron's entourage was the largest, and I recognised her features amongst them, a chin here, her eyes there, parts of her extended family, perhaps? Killian had three beautiful women with him, each tall and severely attractive with dark hair and piercing eyes, all armed with swords and guns, wearing heavily enchanted, form-hugging leather armour.
Hopkins had a studious looking fellow with her in addition to two burly bodyguards. Their forms bulged with 'concealed' weaponry. Palmyra was surrounded by hooded nun-looking women, all of whom were tall and strong. Everyone there was a Magician of some sort, ranging in strength from weak acolytes to strong Sorcerers. The three women with Killian were the most dangerous, Sorceresses and Death Mages all, but nobody there looked like a slouch. Everyone was dressed immaculately and looked impressive, a credit to their masters and their Conclave.
And then there was me... dressed in a cotton shirt and fleece with wellington boots on my feet and three Pixies as my escort. Cassandra had told me that she'd wanted to come but I'd waved her off. She'd have been bored to tears, and I saw no reason to inflict that on both of us. Still, maybe I should have brought her? I looked rather out of place.
No, I was my own sort of Archon, and that was my home. I didn't have anything to prove.
"Morning," I said cheerfully, moving out of the woods.
One of Killian's women had a sword out and swinging for my neck so fast I didn't have a chance to react. It didn't help her much, mind. The steel didn't get within a foot of me before there was a whine, a flash of light, and she was flung back and up, spinning as she flew over the others and into a tree with a great crunch and a greater deal of swearing.
I was too stunned to do anything more than stand there like a lemon as the other two drew weapons and came right at me, all this over the course of less than a second. The Pixies were suddenly behind my back, cowering like sensible people. I'd have done that too, but there wasn't a convenient back within diving distance.
"Stand down!" Killian barked as the women got within a step of a still-stunned me.
Their obedience was instant. They halted, staring at me, their weapons poised to continue the strike. I saw over their shoulders that the other bodyguards were in the process of getting ready to kill me too.
I tried to remain calm, but I was fairly pissed off. If it wasn't for (what I was assuming were) the protections built into those woods, I would even now be missing a head, and even I can't fix that!
"What the hell?!" I shouted, glaring at the women.
"Get back from the Lord Shadow," Killian growled. The women obeyed, sheathing their weapons as they stepped away from me, their eyes boring into me as they retreated.
Killian and the others came forward, "God, Kid, I'm sorry," he said, "You alright?"
"No, I need new underwear!" I replied, which made Palmyra snigger and Kron glare at my outfit now that I'd drawn attention to it.
"They reacted that way because we couldn't sense you coming. How did you do that, by the way?" Killian asked.
"I didn't do anything," I replied, "I was just walking!"
Kron's eyebrow inched up and she shared a look with Hopkins.
"What?" I asked the pair.
Kron shrugged.
"The part of the enchantment that keeps the Fae out of sight in these woods shouldn't work on a human," Hopkins answered, "It never has before, anyway."
"Meaning?" I asked.
"That you're away with the Fairies like I always said you were," Hopkins replied with an evil grin.
"Very droll," I said as the Pixies resumed their spots, glaring at the Death-Amazons. The third one of them had finally managed to fall out of the tree she'd been flung into and was looking a little dazed, but still seemed quite prepared to follow the other two's example and glare at me.
"Well, exhibits A through C sitting on you as we speak," Hopkins said.
"He's comfy," Jewel said in a small voice, hiding her face behind my ear.
"So the Succubae tell us," Palmyra muttered.
"I heard that," I said.
She stuck her tongue out at me.
"I swear, Graves turns up and you people lose IQ points," Kron said, stomping back towards the table.
"Hey!" I complained; the Pixies just giggled happily.
I walked past the various bodyguards, following behind Hopkins and Palmyra, who introduced me to their various hangers-on. Killian did the same with his three lunatics; Demise, Scarlet and Raven, all of whom continued giving me the stink-eye (and no, that's not a typo, her name was actually Demise, with an 'm'. As in 'he suffered a tragic demise', as in death). The Archons went back to chatting about this and that, but I tuned it out, making my way towards the woods where I saw Lunson.
"Everything alright?" I asked him.
"Yes, Lo- Mathew," he said with a grin. It had been a nightmare getting these people to use my name instead of a title, and they still slipped from time to time, "Her Majesty should be quite comfortable."
"Hey! Who are you talking to?" I turned to see Demise standing next to me, her hand resting lazily on the pommel of her sword (it was she who'd ended u
p kissing tree).
You really shouldn't feed me open ended questions like that. It makes me want to be mischievous. However, she'd already tried to kill me once, so it was better not to annoy her too much.
"A friend of mine," I replied evenly.
"She can't see me, Mathew," Lunson said.
Oh. Well, in that case I probably looked insane (well, more insane than usual).
"Where?" she asked acidly, "Who?"
I sighed and cast an Illusion, making myself and the Pixies invisible. She drew her sword and backed away, her eyes darting to and fro.
"You do something with your Magic, Matty?" Meadow asked, "It doesn't smell as bad as usual."
"Thanks?" I said.
"Are you still there?" Lunson asked.
I adjusted the Illusion so it was open at the end pointing towards the centaur.
"Ah!" he said, "Her Majesty should be here shortly, do you need anything?"
"No thanks," I replied, "I just wanted to say thanks for letting us use the space, I know it must be an inconvenience."
"That is the most ridiculous thing I've heard you say, and you've come up with a few good ones. We're still laughing about that time you said the world was a great big spinning ball of rock! But this is your home, Lord. You must be willing to treat it as such."
"It's your home too," I replied.
He smiled, "You really are a very peculiar human."
"Strangely enough, that's the nicest thing anyone's said to me today," I said, which made the Pixies titter.
Lunson snorted and cocked his head for a moment. His eyes went wide.
"You didn't tell me she was coming!" he said, his voice suddenly high and worried.
"Who?" I asked, dropping my Glamour (the technical term. I didn't like it).
Lunson was looking over my shoulder at someone or something, fear crossing his features as he bowed low. I turned.
"Me," said Adriata. Queen Adriata of the Unseelie.
