by HDA Roberts
I explained the situation. She started laughing.
I felt a mental tap and Hopkins opened up her mind to let Killian join the conversation.
What we thinking about? he asked, his mental voice light, Something dirty?
Just Mathew's upcoming bigamy, nothing serious, Hopkins replied.
Damn, Jen, be cool! I complained.
I occasionally slipped on her name when we talked that way. Generally I called her Miss Hopkins, because that's how I'd known her when we'd first met.
Killian chuckled as the Fairies came to their end of the table, where a whole new set of chairs had appeared out of nowhere to accommodate Adriata and her band of emo-twits.
"Shall we begin?" Elora said.
Kron nodded and everyone took their seats, including the Pixies, who sat on the table in front of me, where they mischievously attacked my fingers as the opening drivel took place. I smiled and played with them while Palmyra tried not to grin and Hopkins silently despaired.
They mentioned things about allowing our ambassadors back into Seelie and Unseelie, though, naturally, the Fae had never left our world. They talked about resuming trade (Fairy artefacts were colossally valuable and impossible to produce outside their realms). Naturally there were restrictions, but those had been in place forever anyway and were simply resumed with a few additions I didn't pay attention to.
Three hours of this later, they started talking about some sort of security arrangements. I was having trouble staying awake, and the Pixies had tuckered themselves out and were sleeping curled up in my arms. I'd caught Gwendolyn staring more than once; she'd smiled as she watched the Pixies playing with me, her expression was even warmer now that she could see that they trusted me enough to sleep on me. I knew that there weren't a lot of friendships like ours; Fairies and humans hadn't got on well, historically.
"Who would you recommend for the post? One of your S.C.A. lapdogs?" Adriata said. Kron had done the talking for our side; I didn't even know why the rest of us were there.
"Of course. They are the most experienced in dealing with problems like the one you had in Seelie last year. They are also the best Battle Mages we have available, experienced in a wide variety of supernatural crime."
"I will want someone not quite so inclined to burn first and ask questions of whatever's left," Adriata replied.
"Let me guess, you have someone in mind?" Kron said.
Jewel took that opportunity to let out an adorable little sneeze, which startled me, dislodged the other two, and forced me to whisper soothing things to put them back to sleep before they could wake up in a snit with me for disturbing them.
Everyone was suddenly looking at me.
"What?" I asked.
"The obvious answer to our current predicament would be to provide our friends with access to a Magician with a firm understanding of Fairies and their culture," Kron said, "Where do you think we could find someone like that, Lord Shadow?"
"Hm," I said, stroking Melody's hair as she stirred, settling her back down, "I can't imagine what poor idiot could possibly qualify, I mean, does any Magician have regular contact with Fairies? I mean other than me-"
My eyes went wide. I should have been paying attention. Hopkins couldn't help but snort and Palmyra looked like she was holding in the laughter only with a very great deal of effort.
"Oh no," I said, "Not after last time. And this time. And what's this about?"
"If you hadn't gotten involved before, where would they be now?" Elora said, looking at the sleeping Pixies.
I sagged, letting out a breath as the queens and princesses looked at me, more than one of them looking smug. Wretched guilt-tripping Sidhe...
"What was it that needed doing, exactly?" I asked, resigned.
"Nothing right now, but if something like the Crooked House ever came up again, we would come to you to fix that," Elora said.
"It was only sheer dumb luck that I managed to come out of there without anybody dying horribly," I said, "If that ever came up again, I'd recommend asking one of these four rather than me."
"Unacceptable," Adriata said, "For all your irritating personality quirks, we can trust your good intentions towards the People. These four are only concerned with humans."
"I'm also concerned with humans," I pointed out.
"But you make no distinction between our people and yours," Elora said, "To you, a person is a person, an innocent is an innocent. Guilty is guilty. I mean no offence when I say that your brother and sisters would not have allowed us to take that monster. They would have put the welfare of a fellow human ahead of justice for us. You did not."
"That's only because what we would have done to him wouldn't have hurt enough," I said, looking down at the sleeping Pixies in my arms. He'd taken their wings. I'd rebuilt them, but he'd still been willing and able to do it. Damnation wasn't a bad enough fate for that man.
"And that's our point. To most Magicians, he would have been worthy of protection because he was like them, and we are not," Elora said, "Am I wrong, honoured Archons?"
"I would have made the same choice as my brother," Palmyra said, looking at the Pixies, "But I would have insisted on a trial first."
"We all would, I see your point," Kron said.
"Wait, you're telling me I was supposed to go against two fairy queens, find a way to drag that idiot back here for a trial before somebody else dragged him right back to Seelie?" I asked.
The others looked shifty.
"Well...," Palmyra said.
"It's a legal grey area," Hopkins said, "but technically every Magician is supposed to have the right to a trial before their Conclave."
"Even when he isn't on the planet?" I asked.
"Again, grey area," Hopkins said.
"I'm just a terrible Archon, aren't I?" I asked.
"Yes, but your heart's in the right place," Hopkins said with a smile, patting my arm.
I shook my head.
I regretted nothing. That man deserved exactly what he got, and then some.
"Knowing then what you do now, would you have done anything differently?" Elora asked.
"No," I replied instantly, looking down again.
"He'll do," Adriata said in a tone that implied the conversation was over.
"Alright," I said, "I'll do my best."
Crap. I just knew that was going to cut into my napping time.
"Of course, we reserve the right to send representatives to talk to our... security liaison," Adriata said, her eyes alight with cunning again. I'd have found it attractive if it didn't mean trouble for me in the near future.
And then it hit me. They didn't want an official liaison. They didn't even need it, they knew damn well that if anything like that ever came up again, all they'd have to do was ask and I'd do what was necessary (after a considerable amount of whining and / or complaining, but I'd still do it). They just wanted official permission to periodically drop a princess in my lap.
"What sort of representatives?" Kron asked suspiciously.
"Whoever we wish, that's our business," Adriata replied brusquely, confirming my theory.
"The usual diplomatic terms?"
"Of course. We're not savages."
Kron nodded, "Accepted. Any other business?"
I could have expressed my concerns, but truth be told, I wasn't even that worried, and I didn't want to slow them down now that it looked like we were finally getting to the end.
Nobody spoke up.
"Good," Kron said before standing, "a pleasure doing business with you."
Chapter 5
A wide table covered with food appeared out of nowhere as we all stood up. The Pixies immediately awoke and flew towards it with every sign of glee on their faces; for such tiny creatures, they could really pack away the food...
There were fruits of every description, bread, honey, raw vegetables, fresh milk and cream as well as freshly squeezed fruit juices (no meat, though, many Sidhe didn't eat it on principle). I knew that L
unson and the rest of the Grotto's inhabitants had worked hard on that spread, and the effort really showed. Hopkins had explained that the post-negotiation meal was one of the most important parts of the process. The meeting was where the official things happened, but it was lunches like ours that created the real understanding in a less formal setting.
I nibbled on fruit and drank some of the milk. I wasn't really that hungry, but I didn't want to be rude to Lunson. I was just desperate to get back to the house and switch off after what had been a complicated morning. And I could still feel their eyes on me. Gwendolyn and Evi. I could even tell you where they were, and I couldn't do that before. Both were close, Gwendolyn coming closer. I actually felt her trip again and turned on instinct to catch her before she could fall.
The feeling of calm started to come over me again as our eyes met.
"We have to stop meeting like this," I said as I straightened her up. She blushed.
"Thank you, Lord Shadow," she said in a small voice, looking away as she got back to her feet.
"Mathew," I said.
She looked up, smiling again.
"I'm sorry I said I was scared of you," she said, "I only just realised that you must have understood me when I said that, and it wasn't fair of me."
"It's alright. I'm used to it; a lot of people are scared of Shadowborn."
She blushed even harder and her lip started to tremble.
"That's even worse!" she said, "You don't deserve that from anyone, and I did it too!"
"Really, it's alright," I said, almost desperately. I did not want her to cry, and that lip was wobbling dangerously.
"No, it's not. My mother told me about you. She told me what you did for our people. I can feel your connection to this place, to our power, and still I let my own prejudice hurt you. I'm sorry Mathew."
"Oh relax," Evelina said, sidling up to us, "He understands, already, stop gushing and try to act like a Sidhe, for Goddess' sake."
Gwendolyn looked away, tears filling her eyes. I put my hand on her shoulder, just a gentle squeeze.
"Look, I don't begrudge people their first impressions. Even I know that I don't have the most comforting appearance, and my Magic doesn't look that friendly, either. It's only a problem if your first impression is the only one you keep, and I'm sure you won't do that, will you?"
"Oh no, I promise!" she said, perking up immediately, "I already know how wrong I was. I saw you with the Pixies, you see. They're a great judge of character, and they obviously love you. I didn't want you to think that I thought badly of you just because you have Dark Magic."
I smiled back, "It's really alright."
She stood there, looking bashful and adorable while Evelina stood right next to me, cool and slightly aloof. They were such a contrast; completely different women, yet both strong in their individual ways, and each with a certain vulnerability that made me instantly protective of them both, though more so of Gwendolyn, who was so utterly sweet and sincere. I just wanted to wrap her up in a hug and not let her go. I had similar ideas regarding Evelina, but with far less wholesome desires behind them...
It was like being trapped between a soothing rain and a burning dessert, but in that two-way tug I felt a looming satisfaction that was hard to put aside.
"May I... may I ask about this?" Gwendolyn said, touching my left cheek gently, "Does it mean something?"
Evelina snorted, "It means he's easily fooled. He heard the cries of a damsel in distress and let his manhood drag him straight into a trap. Idiot."
Gwendolyn looked at me, worry on her face.
"I wouldn't have put it quite like that," I said, glaring at the Unseelie, who just grinned back, "but that's essentially correct. I heard a girl crying, went to have a look, and it turns out that she was the bait in a trap laid by fanatics. They jumped me and cut this into my face."
Gwendolyn burst into tears.
"Please don't cry!" I said, panicking, "Everything turned out just fine."
"I'm sorry," she said, still weeping openly.
Okay, no more sad stories, the good Fairy can't take them.
"Bloody hells, if she reacts like this to that, what's she going to be like when she hears about your brother?" Evelina said nastily.
"What happened to your brother?" Gwendolyn asked in a voice that was suddenly very high and trembling.
"Nothing, nothing at all," I said, glaring at Evelina again who just kept up that evil (and slightly sexy) smile.
Gwendolyn kept crying, I had no idea what to do, so I moved across and pulled her into a hug.
"Oh, that crafty bitch!" Evelina muttered, looking on.
Gwendolyn slowly calmed down, leaning her head on my shoulder. Having her in my arms... it felt good, right. She smelled of wild flowers and the forest after a storm. It relaxed me. She stopped crying at last and I offered her a hanky, which she used to dry her tears.
"Sorry," she said.
"Please, she did that on purpose," Evelina said, "She's manipulating you!"
Which was a bit rich, coming from her, but one problem at a time...
Gwendolyn's eyes flashed with anger, and she was suddenly glaring hard at Evelina.
"That's a lie!" she said, "Why do you have to ruin everything!"
"Because he's mine, and you're trying to take him from me!" Evelina hissed.
Oh, bloody hell. I stepped away from Gwendolyn, looking around. The conversations had stopped and everyone was looking in our direction.
"You think I chose this?" Gwendolyn replied, just as acidly, "Do you think I wanted to find my Beloved, only to discover that, not only is he already taken, but if he ever is free to love me then I have to share him with you?"
Well, I think we can all agree that I'd thoroughly bungled that. Don't hug one princess while the other's within shouting distance, good tip. Should have figured that out earlier, but we're not dwelling...
"Please stop this," I said.
"And you!" Evelina said, rounding on me, "I don't even know why I'm mad at you, but I am. This is all your fault, somehow!"
Yes, right on schedule, the crap thoroughly hits the fan.
"You know what? I just realised something," I said.
"And what would that be?" Evelina asked in a biting tone.
"I can leave! It was nice to meet you, Gwendolyn," I said, bowing to both princesses.
Gwendolyn offered me a little smile, while Evelina glared even harder. I vanished under a glamour and moved quickly into the woods. I heard Hopkins and Palmyra sniggering.
I'm getting out of here before I start a riot, I sent to Hopkins, if any of you are interested, I have soup and things with refined sugars and caffeine when you're done.
Oh, bless you! We'll be along in a bit. I can already feel Lucille itching for something a little less organic, she sent back.
I'll have it ready.
I called my Shadows and they carried me home at some speed.
I let Burglar out and he darted off into the woods (in the opposite direction to the conference) to do his business before trotting back for a belly rub and some dog biscuits. After making sure that the house was still in one piece (one never can be too careful with Magicians in the vicinity), I put a couple of pots of my father's home-made soup on the stove, switched on the coffee maker, boiled the kettle, and put out the various cakes and snacks I'd bought yesterday.
An hour later, Palmyra and Hopkins walked through my back door to the barks of Burglar and the indifference of Grommit, the warp-cat, who hadn't moved from his basket since I'd fed him.
Palmyra made a fuss of the dog while Hopkins came in and poured herself a big black coffee, throwing two donuts down her gullet before she spoke.
"Well, that was a mess and a half, Kron and Killian send their regrets, by the way, they had to get home." she said.
"You don't chuckle," Palmyra replied, "both princesses are now in a state. Both wanted to come after you, but their mothers forbade it, which led to a row, magic was readied, harsh words exchange
d and now those princesses are in trouble not only for causing a rift between two dimensions but also between themselves and one of the five Archons."
I sighed and offered them soup, which they accepted and both ate a great quantity of while we went over what had happened. Burglar knew Palmyra to be an easy mark from her previous visits and wasn't disappointed this time as she surreptitiously dropped bits of meat for him.
"Anyway, when we left, the two queens were deep in negotiations, and I'm fairly certain it was about you," Hopkins said after polishing off her fifth bowl and half a loaf of bread.
"Oh joy," I said sarcastically, rubbing my aching forehead.
"Most men would be rather flattered to have the attention of a Fairy princess, much less two," Palmyra teased.
"Most men don't have a girlfriend that's already had to put up with a lot of their crap without adding another bucketful," I replied.
Palmyra snorted and went back to the hob for more soup.
"What do you think Adriata meant about that whole 'break your heart' thing?" Hopkins asked.
"No idea, probably just messing with my head," I said (hopefully).
"Maybe," Hopkins replied, tapping her lip.
They finished up and left with reassurances that everything would be fine. I didn't believe them, but it was nice of them to lie. I cleared up and spent the rest of the day relaxing. I Skyped Cathy and told her what had happened; she laughed her arse off for a solid ten minutes. She really was great, and knew me well enough to realise that I was immensely uncomfortable with the whole mess.
Knowing that Cathy wasn't bothered let me relax, and even start to forget about the whole thing; I went to bed that night in as good a state as I could expect, with the Pixies asleep next to me.
Naturally I couldn't get off that easily...
I woke up in a sea of darkness.
Sort of.
My Leviathan was there, I could feel him in the Shadows below me, a comforting presence.
Welcome, I heard him say into my mind. Like every other Elemental, he didn't speak with words, but with a complex combination of emotion and intent. Generally, it took an affinity with the Element in question, or some pretty powerful Empathy, to make heads or tails of anything one of them 'said' (I had both).
