“And no one thought to figure this out? No questions were asked about the child, even after the years had gone by?” Don told him apparently not. “That is not only strange, but it seems a little cruel if you ask me. It’s akin to what happened to my daughter. Someone changed Lizzy against her will, and this child was left behind with no one to help her with her magic.” Fergus thought about it for a moment before speaking again. “You know, it must be hidden. Now that I think on it, I’ve never smelled magic on her.”
“Neither have I. You will now. When Melisandre was here earlier this morning, she made sure that anyone around them knew CJ has magic.” Fergus asked him about his portion of magic. “I’ve been marked.”
Standing up, the young man took off his shirt. He had been marked, and it looked as if he was still getting markings put to his skin. His entire right shoulder and arm were marked with symbols and sigils that Fergus had not seen for a very long time. Getting a closer look at them, he could tell that some of it was written in faerie.
“It says you are to be protected at all costs. You are…hang on. It’s been a while since I’ve had an opportunity to read this language. Let me see. You are the mate to the queen’s family. Any children born of you and your mate will be cherished.” Fergus looked at the next line of inked words. “I’m not sure, but it looks like this is telling me of the battles you’ve been in and how they turned out. Is CJ marked as well?”
“Yes. But apparently, she’s had this mark on her back since birth. It was thought they looked like wings, but no one paid it much mind. But now that she’s met me, she’s been inked up as well. She’s not all that happy about it either—the mate part bringing it out, not the markings.” Don laughed. “I don’t know if she’s aware of it or not, but she’s simply beautiful to me when she gets all pissy. It’s like her eyes shine, and her hair seems to take on a life of its own. It’s all I can do not to touch her.”
“I’d not if I were you.” Don asked him if he thought he was stupid. “No. But then men in love can do strange things when they find their other half. And you are in love with her, aren’t you?”
“Yes. She has a spirit about her that draws me in. Makes me want to be a better person. She is also smart and funny, even when she’s not trying to be.” Fergus envied the man for just a moment. Then he thought of his own daughter and his love for her. “But we should be working. The building has been sitting for some time now. There was at one time a greenhouse on the land. The workings of it are still there, but the greenhouse itself is long since gone. I had an idea that, in addition to the plants and such, I could make up different settings for different types of plants. Also, classes on how to make sure a garden is healthy. This isn’t my idea just so you know. It’s brilliant, but Melisandre wants us to put something in that will keep the faeries busy all the time. CJ came up with the rest of it. Also a training ground for new faeries. Sometimes in working in the spring, she told us, training isn’t possible. But with this and the greenhouse, it will be a good time to show them, and also to make it so that people plant more flowers in their yards. Something that we both know is needed.”
“I can do that.” Don told him he’d have a crew working with him. “Faeries, I’m assuming.”
“They’ll work in the evenings after the regular crew is gone. Mostly to plant the items that will sell. Also, they’ll work on large planters and the like. Putting them together so they will look good, as well as last much longer than ones a human would be able to put together at home. CJ told me they can do the clean-up as well but will stay hidden during the day in the event there might need a special project needed.” Fergus was excited about this job. It sounded like something that would keep him busy for a long time. “Some of the little people will be living in the greenhouse—again, out of sight. The greenhouse will be open to the public as well. The rooms in the building, as I said, will be used for different types of plants. Also offices, as well as storage.”
“It sounds like you have this all worked out. What happens if the building isn’t worth it? I’m sure you have a backup plan.” He nodded but didn’t seem to like plan two. “It can’t be all that bad, is it?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve been told all my life that faeries can do the work of a thousand men if given the chance. In this project, they want to go in and redo the entire building from basement to roof. I am against the idea. Not because of the faeries, but there are a great many men and women out of work right now. This would put a few more meals on the table that might not happen if there is no work for them.” Fergus’s respect for this young man doubled just then. Thinking of the people they were hoping to sell to and making sure they were all right as well. “I want to be able to help Melisandre, but not at the cost of putting people out of a job. Does that make sense?”
“Shifters would be able to do it as well and quickly. What if they worked together on this project? I know from speaking to some of the pack that roams the land hereabouts that they’re not working as much as they’d like to. I’m sure something can be worked out for all the people involved.” Don seemed to like that idea. “Put them in the same working area. Shifter with faerie. I know there are a great many other projects going on right now that can fulfill the needs of some of the humans without them being aware of the faeries.”
“I like that idea. And the school is far enough out that no one would notice it being taken care of too quickly.” He said that would work for him. “It will put more people to work, too. Thank you. That was really bothering me.”
“It’s all right. I know just how you feel when it comes to working with the humans as much as we can.” They agreed on a wage for Fergus. Not that he needed the money, but he could and would donate it back to the projects that were going on, as he’d been doing. “I need to find me a place to live. I know you’re working on that as well. So if you’d not mind finding me a home that I can live in, close to my daughter’s home, I’d appreciate that.”
“Yes, I will.” Don grinned, and he had to smile back at him. “I can tell CJ that I’m looking for you and ask her what she thinks of the house while we’re at it. She’s working today, setting up the system to help with the inventory at the pantry. The donations are going a long way in getting food to shut-ins, as well as anyone that just needs a boost. And the car service is going so much better than we thought it would. It looks as if people are making a lot of friends with it too.”
“Lizzy was telling me that the high school kids are getting involved with that part of it. They’re getting to use a car that has been purchased for their use as a companion for the elderly.” Don told him how the younger pups from the pack were visiting the shut-ins, too, to keep them company during the day. “That is brilliant. I think I could have used that a little when I was lonely. Just someone to talk to.”
“It’s the first time in my life that I’m enjoying working with humans. It had been so long since I trusted them not to stake me. It’s scary and refreshing as well.” Fergus told him it had taken him a long time to do that as well. “I still find myself keeping an eye out for trouble. I suppose that’s a good thing. But since I’ve met CJ, it’s a little less stressful.”
“You should talk to either your mate or Melisandre. I do believe that one of your perks for being mated to CJ will be something along the lines of you being able to withstand more trauma to your body. Stakes and the like might not be a factor in you being killed anymore.” Don asked him why he thought that. “Well, you sort of glow with this untapped magic. I’m not sure that’s the right term for it, but you look like you have this bubble around you, just waiting for someone to take you on. Like a protective shield. I noticed it around CJ too when I saw her today.”
“I’ll write that one down too. I have a list of things I’m going to ask Melisandre when we have our meeting tomorrow afternoon. If you’d like to come to the meeting with us, that would be fine with me. We’re meeting her in her castle. She said
she’d feel safer there with what she has to impart to us all. Bancroft and the others have been given magic as well. There is no reason for me to think you might not have gotten some of it.” Fergus told him he thought he’d like to do that. “Good. She’s sending a guard to pick us up at noon. I’m not entirely sure what that entails, but we’ll be transported to her kingdom from this house.”
“I’ll be here then.”
As he made his way to the building he was to look at, several faeries joined him on his walk. Sometimes he was a little afraid of the little creatures. Not that he’d ever been harmed by any of them, but they were so tiny he was terrified of hurting one of them. The one that was currently sitting on his shoulder began speaking as they were nearing the building.
“The building is very old, not in our years, but to the humans. It wasn’t torn down when it was replaced because they had plans to turn it into a hotel. That never happened, as I’m sure you’re aware. There was too much money to be sunk into it, so it was just abandoned. Another time it was thought to make a nice antique shop, with each room being for one of the renters. But that too fell through when it was discovered the building wasn’t up to code for as many people as it would need to hold.” Don asked him if he knew how bad of shape the building was in. “For its age, it’s held up well. We have been told we could take charge of the clean-up. It was very dusty inside, and some unwelcome animals had gotten in. We took care of the clean-up yesterday. I do believe it will be easier to ascertain what needs to be done to it with all the filth gone. By the way, I forgot to tell you my name. I am called Pin.”
“I’m Fergus. Nice to meet you, Pin. As for the cleaning up, I believe you’re right on that.” They entered the building in the front of the place. “I can see right now that it’s going to need new windows and doors. These wouldn’t keep a varmint out if he needed to get in out of the cold.”
“I am relaying the information to one of the faeries that are able to write. She is making the list of things you find while looking around.” Fergus thanked him. “We will make a good team, I think.”
It took them well over four hours to look the building over. It wasn’t really in bad shape, as Pin had told him, but it was going to need a great deal of work. As he moved out of doors to look at where the greenhouse was supposed to have been, he wasn’t the least bit surprised to find that someone had already installed it where he thought the old one had been. He asked Pin about it.
“Even as the building is being worked on, we can start on some of the trees that we’ll be able to sell. Mistress CJ said she didn’t care so long as we didn’t go overboard on the project. It was quite an undertaking to make sure that the others didn’t make the building too large. We have trouble with scale, you see.” Fergus laughed and said he’d done a fine job. It was perfect. “Thank you, my lord. Coming from you, that is quite a compliment. I shall tell the others that we did a good job.”
The rest of the day was spent going over the list of things that needed to be taken care of. The two of them worked on prioritizing the list into what needed to be fixed by a professional and ones that the faeries could work on now. The little creatures would just make it work by magic, and while it would be quicker, they did need to hire people for this project that needed an income. By five o’clock, he had a working list and was ready to go see the queen with the others tomorrow.
~*~
CJ had been to the castle before, of course. It was a place she would visit when she needed some downtime. That being said, this was a new experience for her, as there were others in the large room that she was sure were making her nervous. Or it could have been the fact that Don was there, asking her questions about her magic. She didn’t know half the things he was asking her about, but the faeries were more than happy to give him all he wanted to know.
“Do I make you upset?” She looked at Don and wasn’t sure how to answer him. “I can go back to the house should you want me to. I can learn what I need to know from one of the others.”
“It’s not you, but all of you. I know that sounds terrible, but I’m not really used to sharing space with people. Groups of them, anyway. When I work, I have my door locked, so I can be undisturbed. There is no phone in the room, nor a radio or television. I can work for hours in the quiet.” She looked around the opulent room they were in. “This room is made for a large gathering of people, but it echoes too. I’m just not used to being here when it’s so noisy.”
“I understand that. I have been alone for a very long time myself. The only time I would enjoy company was when I came to be with Bancroft and his grandmother. Gwyneth used to welcome us all to her home with open arms. Sometimes it would be just too much for her, too, I believe. Vampires, for the most part, are solitary beings. However, we like a good party as well.” He laughed when she frowned at him. “If we can get us a house that is just far enough away from the others that they can’t just drop in, yet close enough that if we needed them, they’re there for us, would that be the way to go?”
“I don’t know anything about buying a house. I did have one when I was first out on my own. But I didn’t really spend a great deal of time there. Just to work, for the most part, and sleep. I was with Pfeiffer and her family most of the time. More so when Robert died.”
He asked her what sort of things she wanted in one, like a pool or even a large kitchen.
“I’m assuming you don’t cook.” He said he didn’t, but like Bancroft, he did have staff when he was at his other home. “You have a home then. Wherever it is that you came from.”
“Several, as a matter of fact. Property as well. I kept my eye on markets—it’s something all of us do when we’re starting out. Most vampires that are made have no money set aside. Nothing they can fall back on. But as a born vampire, I have invested well and buy up things I can foresee making a profit at some point if I wish to sell it off. It doesn’t always work out, but enough so that I have a lot of ready cash, as well as things I can sell off for more.” She nodded as she wandered around the room. Melisandre had been called away, and they were all waiting for her to return. “What’s really bothering you? By the way, Fergus told me that you glow with magic. I never noticed it before he mentioned it. I couldn’t see past your beauty.”
“Yeah, sure.” She moved to one of the walls covered in a map of the realm they were in. “I wonder what a human would think if they knew this was just a portal in the world’s distance away from them. And that some of the animals they think aren’t real are living here and having families of their own. The first time I was here, I nearly lost it when I was approached by a unicorn. He was my escort, and I spent a great deal of time looking around instead of paying attention to where he was taking me.”
“Have you been here a great deal?” CJ told him only when she was summoned. “I bet that doesn’t go over well with you. Someone having you come to them.”
“Not really. But it was nice to come here to relax. I think Melisandre can feel when I’m stressing, and she’ll call me here to do something for her and have me wait around longer than necessary. I never realized she was doing that until recently.” She turned and looked at him. “I’ve known all my life that I was different than the others. I think there were times when Pfeiffer did as well, but she never said anything to me. Her parents never knew about me not being their child. Mom, what I did call her, was pregnant when they left on their travels, but she lost the child one night in a terrible storm. Melisandre switched me with their stillborn child, and they never knew the difference.”
“I did wonder about that—how you were raised by them. It seems sort of deceitful a little. Don’t you think so?” CJ told him of the things that were done for them. Things that they never knew about. “So they were compensated for taking care of you by having their finances taken care of. That was nice.”
“It couldn’t be too much. I mean, not millions of dollars, or someone would have figured out who
I was—then worse, where I was.” Don said that too was a good thing. “Yes. I suppose. As I said, it’s been something I’ve been keeping to myself since I was old enough to realize things.”
“Will you ever tell Pfeiffer?” CJ told him that was what was bothering her so much. She was afraid she’d be mad at her. “Doubtful she’d hold the circumstances of your birth against you. It’s not like you had anything to do with it.”
“Yes, but I’ve known. And I still said nothing.” She moved around the room more. Then she and Don ended up in the receiving hall. “May I show you something? It’s nothing huge, but it’s a place I have come to love more than anything on the human side of my world.”
“I’d love to see it.” She took his hand into hers and led him to the back portion of the castle. When they slipped out a door she used to get to her special place, CJ made sure it was locked so no one would be able to follow them. “This is beautiful.”
“Thank you. I created it when I was here. Just for me.” There was a large pond that had a fountain in the middle of it. The fountain had no form other than it took on whatever popped into her head when she was out here. She wasn’t surprised to see it become Don, with his body naked but for a loin cloth. “You can see your markings here. They’re finished for now. However, they’ll change when you or I do something that needs to be written down. I’ve had mine hidden away by magic for so long that I was surprised a little to see them appear. It means to my kind that we are truly mates.”
“So you doubted it.” She told him it was more like she had hopes of it being wrong. “You dislike the idea of being mated to me that much?”
“No. It’s not that at all.” She looked at the statue of him and then back at the man himself. “I’m not sure I can explain this well enough that it doesn’t make me sound stupid, but we’re different, you and I. I don’t mean the fact that we’re vampire to faerie. Not even the age of us. But you are a man of the world. I’m nothing more than a person who has lived in the same area, including here, all my life. I don’t have any friends that aren’t related to me. You have friends that would gladly lay down their lives for you. I know the women of your family, but we’re not close. They have only accepted me because of you.”
Donald: Dalton’s Kiss: Vampire Paranormal Romance (Dalton's Kiss Book 3) Page 4
