Faery Tail

by Deborah McNemar

  Star didn't like that idea but she couldn't find any flaws in the logic. Luna only did things that benefited herself. So how did using Centauri to turn her over to Ankou benefit Luna? She couldn't stand King Finnbara and the Tuatha de'.

  The troll's club whistling down. Centauri slamming into a tree. The sickening sound of shattering bone.

  The images flashed across her mind with sharp clarity through the lens of hindsight. Star reeled at the implications. “Holy flea-bitten bugaboo butts,” she whispered. “It was a double cross of a double cross."

  "Would you care to explain that a little clearer, please?"

  Stella was watching her with that edged amusement again, but Star really didn't care if her sister thought she was a joke. She needed another mind to bounce the idea off of and Stella was more current with the events in the Fae Realm.

  "I've already eaten, but I wouldn't mind something with coffee in it, on it, around it or frozen to it. It might take a while to see if you make of this what I do and it's going to take a bit of talking."

  "I might if you stop looking like you're going to bolt the second I turn my back.” Stella pointed an imperious finger at the conversation pit. “Sit."

  Feeling just a tad bit grungy in the immaculate whiteness of the suite, Star tugged on her laces and toed her boots off. Then, just a bit embarrassed, she tugged off her socks and stuck them as deep into the boot-toes as they would go. There was no point in offending Stella with her au de’ gym bouquet. Padding across the expanse of carpet to the pit, Star tried not to be obvious as she dug her bare toes into the thick pile.

  Stella was talking quietly on the phone. She nodded several times and then clarified something before hanging up. With that loose-limbed saunter that seemed so natural to her, she joined Star in the pit.

  "Do you want to jump right in or do you want to wait for your coffee?” Emerald green eyes gleamed at her across the fireplace. “You can even take a bubble bath. You can fit five people in that tub and that's before any application of alcohol."

  Star blushed and tried desperately not to think of just how Stella had found out that particular bit of information because she had the oddest feeling that whipped cream had fit into the picture somewhere as a personal lubricant.

  "It's a long story and I'm going to need you to chime in as I go.” She shook her head, still bemused by the implications. She took a deep breath, bludgeoned her thoughts into order and began.

  Luna bringing Centauri to the bookstore and the imps in the park. The trip through the Meanduraug. Star was careful to use Centauri's exact words whenever possible. Oaths were tricky things that would tie a skilled lawyer's brain into knots. They were binding down to the last tiny syllable but, sometimes, the magic listened to the heart as well.

  The coffee arrived just as Star reached the part of the story she was dreading. She really didn't want to admit to what Stella had probably already guessed. Her night with Centauri was private. Personal. A stupid mistake.

  Stella nibbled strawberries dipped in chocolate and sipped champagne as Star drank iced coffee and did her best to dance around the fact that she'd actually did a double dance with Centauri. With an amused slash of her eyes, Stella actually let the topic slide without a single word.

  But the berries were set aside along with any semblance of humor as Star told her of Centauri's strange actions the following morning and then the troll's attack. Ankou's threats brought a narrowed, lethal look to her face that made Star glad that it wasn't directed at her.

  "Let me get this straight,” she interrupted for the first time since Star had begun the tale. “Ankou treated you well. No beatings. He provided food and water and the like. But Sol was beaten?"

  "That's what it looked like to me. He was bruised and he could hardly walk.” Star took another long drink of the iced coffee and shivered as the caffeine stroked her nerves like a drug. It was good to feel numb once a while.

  "But that doesn't make sense.” Stella rose to pace the circle of the pit. Star tucked her feet under her and watched her sister think.

  "It does if you take into consideration how much Luna loves power,” Star shrugged. “If, like you say, Centauri and Sol are King Finnbara's sons, they would be a good way to strike at Finnbara without getting her hands dirty. I think the only reason Ankou didn't kill us all that night was because he could use me as leverage with Arawn, assuming he wasn't lying, and that he's still too pissed with Luna to do her any favors by killing them for her."

  Stella was nodding distractedly, still lost in thought. Finally, she turned her contemplative gaze on Star. “You do realize, then, that Centauri changed his mind. You can't blame him for being a pawn in one of Luna's games."

  The coffee went dry and tasteless in her mouth and Star set the cup aside. “I blame him only for what he himself did,” she said at last. “Luna and Ankou's plots aside, what he did was bad enough."

  Stella sank down on the couch beside Star. “You fell in love with him, didn't you?"

  "It doesn't matter, Stella.” Star forced aside the ache that clenched around her heart. “It wasn't about me. None of it was. He did what he did and now I'll do what I have to do."

  "Are you going to sit there and tell me that Centauri trying to help his brother is no different than Ankou or Luna bartering you off for favors?"

  Star met Stella's disbelieving gaze squarely. She shrugged. “The view was better?"

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Twenty

  Star juggled her new carry-on bag into a more comfortable position and took the third step she'd been able to take in the past fifteen minutes. Airport security was insane these days. She'd had to take off her shoes, empty her pockets and allow that guy with the paddle to pretend he was just stroking the air around her body with it. The fat, donut sucking perv.

  The lady in front of her jostled her fussy infant higher on her shoulder. The baby was teething, drooling and crying, leaving both of them miserable. Star made a face at the baby who stuck a thumb in her mouth to chew on, watching Star with wide, watery blue eyes but she stopped wailing. Star crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. A grin crept out around the drool-coated hand.

  Star was just glad that she had talked Stella out of buying her new shoes on top of it all. At least her old boots were comfortable. After arguing about methods of blame placing until the sun melted over the eastern mountains, Stella had done her best to buy out her favorite boutique to stuff into the new set of luggage she had insisted Star needed. Star would have been happy with clean underwear and a bubble bath but she had still wound up with a whole new wardrobe. She really had to learn to say no and make people believe she meant it.

  The baby kicked her feet against her mother's hold, bouncing enthusiastically as Star continued to make faces. The little minx blew spit bubbles and gurgled but at least she had stopped crying. They took another step forward.

  Star looked around her. At least here, she was safe. If anyone Fae were looking for her, they wouldn't be looking in an airport. They would have expected her to use the rings to go home, not take a plane. With her shields firmly in place, she was invisible to magical senses. Stella had verified that Centauri had taught her well. At least he hadn't lied about that.

  Finally, Star was through the checkpoint. Clutching her baggage claim ticket, she scanned the crowd as she wove through the mess, dodging families, college kids and commuters. There he was! Damien was leaning against the wall, scanning the herds as they trundled past him.

  He shook his head and checked his watch again. He looked frazzled, his dark hair tousled and his shirt untucked. He caught sight of her and relief spread across his features, brightening his blue eyes to a neon shine. He shoved away from the wall and headed for her purposefully. Star grinned as he broke into a jog.

  He was within a few yards of her when Star felt the tingle of magic fluttering over her skin like pixie wings. With a quick glance, she scanned the crowd around her but couldn't find the source. No Unsee
lie would be caught dead in the airport in broad daylight, the Sidhe wouldn't bother to disguise themselves and there was no reason for the Tuatha de’ to be following her. Her eyes swung back to Damien, her carry-on sliding from her shoulder to land with a thud on the carpet. He opened his arms to welcome her home.

  Her fist slammed into his nose and he reared back with a yelp of surprise. Star calmly picked up her bag and headed for the glass doors that led to the street.

  It was her month for being wrong about everyone, she fumed silently as she dodged taxi drivers and inbound passengers. Stella wasn't as bad as she had thought, Centauri was a liar and Damien was Fae. Well, it just proved that even hanging out with Lady Luck wasn't enough to change her fortune.

  "What the hell was that for?” Damien spun her around with a hand on her arm, still holding his nose. He looked confused and just a bit angry.

  Star didn't care. “Just tell me you're not the one who told Luna where to find me."

  "Luna? Your mom?” His shook his head looking even more bewildered. “Why would I tell her anything? I didn't even meet her until after you pulled your vanishing trick."

  "Really?"

  Anger flared brighter in Damien's eyes but his voice was remarkably calm. “Really. Star, I've never given you any reason to doubt me. Why am I suddenly a liar?"

  "Why did you never bother to mention that you're Fae?"

  Star threw the challenge at him, wishing her voice didn't crack like that. Tears were not far away and she wasn't even sure if it was anger or misery that made her want to cry.

  Damien's expression underwent a subtle change. He lowered his voice to a murmur, moving closer so only she could hear him. Around them, the tide of people pulsed past in a dull clamor of sound.

  "When I first met you, I thought you knew, just like I knew it about you, but that, being a trooper, you were being nice to the solitary. It took me a year to figure out that you didn't know and, since you never said anything about it, I wasn't even sure what you knew. By then, it was just easier to ignore it. We're friends, Star, no matter what other labels get slapped on us."

  Star looked away, the tears pressing harder against the back of her eyeballs. Damien leaned closer, his breath brushing her cheek.

  "Star, I've been to the realms exactly twice in my life. Once when I was a small child and then again two days ago.” Star's eyes flew up to meet his and he nodded solemnly. “I bit an ogre for you, Star. Do you have any idea of how bad that tastes? I can't get the taste of it out of my mouth. Mints don't help and I tried an entire bottle of mouthwash. That's just the nastiest thing I think I've ever tasted in my life.” He bumped her forehead with his. “How many friends you got that are willing to bite ogres for you? Hmmm?"

  A chuckle escaped her, a soggy bubble of relief disguised as mirth. “Griffin?"

  "Did I mention that feathers itch?"

  She giggled again, unable to help herself. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hoping she didn't simply explode with relief. Damien was still her friend. At least there was something good in her life that this horrible week hadn't ruined.

  He held her tight, resting his cheek against the top of her head. “Forgiven?” he asked finally.

  She nodded, not sure she could get the words past the lump in her throat.

  "If I buy you a latte, is there any way I could convince you to scratch my back? I wasn't joking. Feathers itch like crazy and there's this spot right between my shoulders that I can't reach.” He reached down and snagged the baggage claim ticket out of her hand. “You do realize that we have to claim these, right? They don't ship them to you."

  She pulled back feeling foolish for ever doubting him. “I'm sorry I hit you,” she offered.

  Damien tucked her under his arm and steered her back toward the terminal and the baggage claim area. “Forgiven. Just how bad was this past week, anyway?"

  "Can I go to hell for a vacation now?"

  Star felt a sad sort of peace settling over the jagged shards of her heart as Damien's laugh rang out. He started whistling “Twinkle Little Star” and even her elbow in his ribs only made him grin. She would heal and he would remind her how to laugh again. She would go on.

  * * * *

  Tir Nan Og was the reigning power of the Earth Realm so it was logical that it lay under a fairy mound. Its exact position in the Human Realm was difficult to pinpoint but in the Fae Realms, it lay as close to center as was possible in a place that changed its topography without notice. It wasn't a cave or barrow but a realm in itself, full of sunlight and gardens and the sweet scents of honey and jasmine. Low stone walls divided gardens from wandering walks and the tinkling sound of fountains wafted on the warm afternoon breeze.

  The leggy red head that wandered the outer paths today was a sight that had never been seen in this place before. The white denim jeans fit her slender body like a lover's hand and her halter-top seemed to be constructed completely from white silk scarves that draped and flowed about her in a whispering game of peek-a-boo. A narrow, white ribbon graced her elegant neck as a choker, a single crystal star brushing her skin. Her feet, however, were incongruously bare.

  Stella roamed the garden paths in seeming careless fashion, stopping to smell a spray of wisteria or watch a pair of hummingbirds dining on a fall of morning glories. She trailed her fingers through the falling water of a fountain and admired the naked physique of the merman statue. And still, she picked her way toward the palace of gleaming gold at the very center of the gardens.

  Nearer the palace, people were going about their lives. Warriors, lovers and poets all mingling in an eclectic mix. Stella noted them with cynical emerald eyes, her lips curved in a faint smile. Deliberately, she took a path that led around the main courtyard and away from the throngs.

  The gazebo was a decadent wonder of delicate artistry set in a secluded part of the gardens. Curving lattice shaped erotic forms tangled in ivy and petals. Overhead, magnolia trees spread wide leaves and fragrant white blossoms to shadow lawn and the path of broken stone. Stella stepped off the path, reveling in the feel of cool grass under her feet. Voices drifted to her from the gazebo.

  "I can only say I'm sorry so many times.” The voice was male, a voice as warm as summer sun and as rich as bourbon.

  Stella stopped and cocked her head to listen.

  "Apologies won't change anything.” Another man but this one's voice was dark with tones that reminded her moonlight and chocolate. “What's done is done and I'm not the one you owe your apologies to."

  "Well, that's a useless suggestion and you know it.” The first man sounded put out and a tad petulant. “You need to stop brooding and start healing. She's just a woman."

  "Just a woman.” The second man repeated the words carefully. There was no anger in his voice, no surprise. No emotion. “Only you would say that. You've never met her, talked with her. You don't know a thing about her. Because of you, she's in danger and all you can say is that she just a woman."

  Padding through thick grass, Stella tiptoed up the stone walk. Humming a ditty under her breath, she danced up the steps and leaned against the frame, savoring the male surprise that arrowed her way.

  "She's in New York, actually,” she corrected them with a smile.

  The fair-haired man sitting to the right of the door was staring as if she were an apparition. The dark haired man who stood, leaning against the far railing, straightened, hissing as the movement pained his ribs. He was badly bruised and favored his left shoulder. He was probably supposed to be wearing the sling that was tossed onto the bench beside him. She turned her smile on the blond.

  "Oh, let me guess. She was a pretty blond airhead wearing gossamer nothing lost in the big, bad forest and just so grateful for your strong manly help?” She let her voice drift into a mocking falsetto and was gratified to see the flush rising under his skin. “Classic. Just classic. You really need to learn to start thinking with something above your belt."

  His flush darkened with anger and he started
up but the dark haired man called him down with a single word.

  "Don't."

  "But she has no right..."

  "She's your equal."

  The blond was blatantly disbelieving and Stella made her most graceful formal curtsey. "Prionsa Sola." She turned her eyes on the dark haired man. “Prionsa Centauri."

  He flinched from the title but his gaze never wavered. “Banphrionsa,” he returned, naming her Princess.

  "Astrid is all safe and sound and is probably tucked into her bed right now getting some much needed sleep."

  "You've seen her?” Centauri asked the question softly but there was no mistaking the worry behind the gentle tone.

  "Spent the day with her. She's all in one piece with not even a scratch on her. I put her on a plane back to New York this morning.” She paused and then added. “She doesn't know I'm here."

  "Why are you here?” Sol was watching her with a belligerent, closed expression.

  Stella's smirk widened. “Well, it isn't to bask in the glow of your charming personality or partake of your scintillating wit.” She laughed at his angry growl and turned back to Centauri. “Astrid knows it was all a set up. She's hurt and she's angry but she's hasn't put all the pieces together yet. Odds are good that she will, though. She's a clever girl."

  "I'm listening."

  She turned a mocking eye on Sol. “Don't be so hard on yourself, Prionsa. Nine chances in ten, that girl was hand picked by Luna to be just the type you couldn't resist. Luna has been hand in glove with Ankou for centuries."

  "You're saying the Moon Queen had something to do with all this?” Sol was clearly skeptical.

  Stella shrugged. “Up to her diamond dangle earbobs. She owes Ankou a Princess, you see. That was deal for him letting her sample his court for breeding material. I don't know how much Astrid knows since she's been too busy dodging Luna since she was twelve to pay much attention. And Luna likes to hedge her bets. Ankou got Astrid and Luna got the two of you killed, or at least maimed, without ruining her manicure."