What to Expect When You Have a Fae Baby (The Immortality Curse Book 2)

by Peter Glenn

  LaLuna gasped. “You would... travel with me as my companion?” she said, her eyes full of wonder. “You do me too great an honor, Sir Damian.”

  To be honest, I couldn’t quite believe that I was offering my help, either. But there was just something about LaLuna that made me want to help her. Besides, who else was going to do it? Someone needed to help get everything sorted out. There was a baby’s life on the line.

  A baby. Grace. My giddy expression soured. “But what are we going to do about Grace?” I hadn’t realized I’d said it out loud until the words had already left my mouth and LaLuna was staring at me.

  “Whatever do you mean?” LaLuna asked. “We will take her with us, of course.”

  “No!” The shout came from several people all at once. Mei, Yuri, Sevin, and even Elden all seemed to be in agreement that that was a really bad idea.

  “I mean, I’m not sure that the fae realm is the best place for a small baby is all,” Mei clarified a moment later. “You must think of the child’s best interests.”

  Part of me was forced once again to try and figure out just what game Mei was playing today, but I had to admit she had a point. The small glimpse I’d seen of the fae realm had been incredibly dangerous. And everyone LaLuna had run into had tried to steal the baby. Not exactly the best environment to bring little Grace back into.

  And what was it her mother had said? Not to trust anyone? Certainly, she’d been talking about the fae in that instance.

  “She’s right, I’m afraid,” I said, agreeing with Mei. Regardless of anything else, I knew Mei wouldn’t want the baby to come to harm. “Your own mother told you not to trust the fae with baby Grace, remember?”

  LaLuna bit her lip again and grimaced, but eventually she relented. “You are right, Sir Damian.” She let out a long sigh. “It would be remiss of me to ignore my own mother’s dying wishes.” Her gaze went to Grace’s sleepy, contented face, then back up to meet my eyes. “But what should we do with her, then? I am hesitant to let her go.”

  “I know someone that could take her,” Elden offered, standing. He seemed just a little too eager for my liking.

  LaLuna opened her mouth to reply, but I cut her off. “No.” I shook my head. “I’m sure LaLuna would be thrilled by your offer, but you’re fae. We can’t leave her with any fae.”

  Elden seemed surprised by my abruptness, but he nodded. “I understand.” He sat back down on his stool.

  “I can take her back to my reservation,” Tacobeh said next. “The spirits can help watch over her better than any mortal.”

  “Are... are you sure?” LaLuna asked. She seemed both grateful and hesitant at the same time.

  “Of course, LaLuna,” Tacobeh’s face took on a very grave, serious look, and his eyes started to glow a strange white color. “It is as the Great Grizzly Spirit wishes. She has made this known to me.” When he finished talking, his eyes went back to normal.

  “Very well, Tacobeh,” LaLuna replied. “I... I accept your offer.”

  “I go with baby, too,” Yuri said, standing abruptly. “Watch little girl with Grizzly Spirit’s help.”

  Standing there near us, Yuri looked every bit as imposing and powerful as ever. I, for one, felt safer with his offer. I’d watched Yuri with the baby earlier. There was no way he’d let anything happen to her while he still lived.

  While he still lived. That was a chilling thought. Just how far would Grace’s enemies go to get her back, I wondered?

  My body shook a little, and I pushed the thought from my head. It would do no good to think like that. Just a quick jaunt into the fae realm and we’d have our answers. LaLuna was sure of it. Then we could go back to baby Grace. Just a day or two, max, was all.

  Besides, it wasn’t my decision, anyway. It was LaLuna’s. I was just a helper here.

  “You have my gratitude, Sir Yuri,” LaLuna said after a moment. She stood and handed the sleepy bundle over to him as gently as she could manage. “Your offer makes me feel safe and secure.”

  Yuri’s face split into the widest grin I’d ever seen, and he stared straight into Grace’s eyes. They opened ever so gently for just a moment to look up at him, then closed again just as gently. In the aftermath, I could see Grace’s tiny fingers curled around the tip of Yuri’s pinky finger.

  “Aww, she likes you,” I interjected. I spun to face Elden. “And you’re in luck. Since I’m going to the fae realm anyway, I might as well see if I can find out anything about your missing person.” I flashed him a toothy grin.

  “Oh, no, it’s okay,” Elden replied. “You’ll have your work cut out for you already. I don’t want to add to your troubles.”

  I really didn’t get that guy. Earlier, he’d been all too eager for my help. Now he was refusing it. What was with him?

  “Nonsense!” I insisted. “It’ll be my pleasure. Look, if nothing comes of it, then you’ll owe me nothing. Sound fair?”

  Of course, the hope was I would find something. I could really use another payday. Plus he’d find his friend and all. And besides, the whole thing just seemed a little too coincidental. First, a fae approaches me about a missing person, then another fae drops into my lap? My brain told me the two were connected somehow.

  Elden rubbed his chin and looked thoughtful for a moment. “Very well, Damian,” he said. “I accept your offer.”

  “Great!” I clapped my hands together. “Give me whatever details you can about her appearance, and I’ll keep my eyes open while we’re there. Like I said, if nothing comes of it, then no harm done.”

  “Sure,” Elden said.

  He pulled a small piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to me. I glanced at the contents. It was a description of the girl. 5’ 6”—5’ 10”, young-looking, petite frame, blue eyes. All in all, it felt pretty vague, but descriptions could often be like that. Still, it was more to go off of than he’d told me earlier. No name, which was annoying. Last place seen was just listed as “fae realm.” It felt like he was intentionally dodging me a little, but I let it go. It would be a longshot to find her anyway.

  “Great!” I said, folding the paper and putting it in my jeans pocket. “Give me your cell number, and I’ll call you if I find anything.”

  “Of course.” Elden rattled off ten numbers, and I typed them into my phone as a new contact.

  “Well, that’s settled.” I turned to look at LaLuna. “Shall we get going?”

  She nodded. “Yes, Sir Damian. Let us go.”

  I was really going to have to break her of that habit at some point. I couldn’t have her going about calling me “Sir Damian” all the time. It didn’t give off the right vibe. Plus, if I was being honest with myself, I didn’t want our relationship to be that formal. I much preferred friendly relationships, especially when I was going to spend a lot of time with a person. Like I was with LaLuna.

  “Ooh, one minute,” I said, thinking of something else. I glanced down at my ragged clothes. Tall Guy’s fae blood had pretty much ruined my jeans, and there were a few splashes of the stuff on my Duran Duran shirt, too. At the very least, it would need a wash.

  Hopefully, I wouldn’t need to replace it again. The last time I’d had to do that, it had cost me nearly fifty bucks. The shirt wasn’t in print anymore, so it was more of a collector’s item. And I felt a little weird about buying someone else’s used clothes anyway. Something about that made me feel a little skeevy, even after multiple washes.

  Besides, I wasn’t exactly made of money. The landlord still expected rent every month, and my bank account wasn’t all that pretty.

  “What is it, Sir Damian?” LaLuna asked, looking tense.

  I looked back up at LaLuna and blushed. “I think I should probably get changed first.”

  Chapter Six

  THE FERRY BOAT’S WHISTLE blared, hurting my ears. It was about nine o’clock the following morning. LaLuna had spent most of the time texting Yuri’s cell number asking about how the baby was doing at the reservation and getting heartwarmin
g texts back.

  I’d seen the latest pic Yuri had sent. Grace had opened her eyes again for a moment and was giving the camera her best fishy face. Not that she probably had any idea what a fish was. Most likely, she’d had to poop or something. But either way, it was entirely too cute for words. I could hardly believe it, but here I was, gushing over a cute baby with a girl. What had happened to me?

  She was using my phone, of course, since she didn’t have one of her own, so I had little to do but wait around.

  That’s something we’d have to take care of in case we ever got separated—getting LaLuna a phone of her own—but that shouldn’t happen on this short of a trip. Of course, I wasn’t even sure the devices would work in the fae realm anyway. Interdimensional service wasn’t one of the options that came with my phone plan.

  Even if it did, it’d probably be wildly expensive.

  Anyway, while she’d been busy checking on Grace, I’d secured tickets for the ferry to go to the San Juan Islands. According to Mei, there was a portal on a small island there that would lead us directly into the fae realm. I couldn’t remember the name of the island, but the ferry boat only had one stop, so it didn’t really matter.

  We were sitting on a bench near the side of the boat overlooking the ocean. LaLuna was facing west, and I sat across from her, staring at her as she typed something else into my phone. At this rate, I was worried the battery would run out well before I even got a chance to worry about cell service in Fairyland.

  LaLuna looked up from the phone, and her eyes met mine. The sun was behind her, illuminating her face in a bright, halo-like glow. The sight took my breath away in a way that nothing else ever had before.

  I grinned at her like an idiot. “How’s the baby?” It was the only thing I could think of to say at the moment, but I felt like a moron for saying it anyway. I finally have a cute girl to myself for a few minutes, and all I can think of to say is to ask about the baby?

  Slick, Damian. Real slick.

  LaLuna smiled back at me. “Grace is doing well, Damian. You are most gracious for asking about her wellbeing.”

  Her manner of speech was still way too formal, but at least I’d managed to break her of saying “sir” all the time. At least for the moment. It wouldn’t shock me if it came back at some point.

  She glanced out over the ocean waves that lapped up against the side of the boat. The sunlight glistened off those as well, making them appear golden instead of the usual blue.

  “It’s beautiful, don’t you think?” she asked.

  “For sure.” I nodded, and my smile broadened.

  To be honest, this was the first time I’d ever really looked at the ocean as anything other than an obstacle to be crossed. I wasn’t usually one to be caught up in how things looked. But with LaLuna here beside me, I was suddenly very aware of the beauty of all of it.

  A chilly breeze from the ocean wafted past us, and I saw LaLuna shiver a little.

  “Here,” I said. I took off my jacket and handed it to her. “Take this, it might help with the cold.”

  LaLuna’s face lit up. “You are too kind, Damian. I worry I will not be able to repay you in kind.”

  I chuckled and placed the jacket gently on her shoulders. She wrapped it around her nice and tight and nodded in thanks.

  “Don’t worry. It’s not that cold out here for me,” I lied. It actually was pretty cold. I was holding back a shiver myself. But I knew I could handle it. I was a tough guy and all that. And I didn’t want her to think she was putting me out or anything.

  “Once again, you are too kind,” she said, her eyes smiling lazily at me.

  Her gaze made my cheeks burn, and I started to feel hot in spite of the breeze.

  “So, do they have an ocean in your world?” I asked her, changing the subject.

  “Indeed.” LaLuna nodded. “There is a grand ocean in the fae realm, said to hold a thousand different species of water fae. It is said that those who gaze upon its gentle waters will never want to leave its welcome embrace.”

  The way she said it, I couldn’t quite tell if it was overwhelmingly beautiful, or dangerous. Probably a bit of both, I decided. I’d seen what a simple tree could do, given the encouragement. That memory still haunted me a little bit.

  “Alas, I have never been,” she continued. “Trainees are not allowed to visit much of the world at large.”

  “Trainees?” I scrunched my nose. “Ah yes, I remember something about you being a guardian in training or something. What was that like?”

  LaLuna’s eyes took on a distant look, and she let out a long sigh. “Exhausting, for the most part.” She looked out toward the ocean again. “It was hard work, day in and day out, for a hundred of your years.”

  “A hundred years?” I balked, and my eyes practically bulged out of my head. “That long just to learn how to do one job?”

  She turned back to face me, her eyes very serious. “Even longer, if you’d believe it.” Her eyes sparkled in the morning light. “I never got a chance to finish my training, remember? I was due to take my test next month, but even then, I would have only been a level one guardian. There are seven levels above that, each with additional requirements.”

  My mind reeled at the thought. “Wow. I couldn’t imagine doing any one thing for that long.”

  LaLuna gave me a confused look. “But you have been alive for three hundred years, have you not? That’s twice as long as I. Surely you spent those years doing something?”

  Something? That was an understatement. I didn’t even want to think about all the jobs I’d taken on, but they flooded my mind anyway.

  “Heh. A lot of things, really. Fighting wars, building a cross-country railroad, going to various schools to study different subjects. The disco years...” I suppressed a slight shudder at that memory. “Being a band roadie for a while. And then, of course, working as an occult investigator for the last twenty years or so. But I never spent a hundred years doing any one thing. That is hard to imagine.”

  LaLuna shrugged. “I suppose I can see what you mean. But make no mistake, there are plenty of different tasks that I’ve had to master as a guardian as well. It is not so easy as it may seem to guard the life of royal fae.”

  I bobbed my head. “That’s fair. Like what? Tell me. I’m dying to know more about you.”

  She cocked her head to the side. “I would not want to be the cause of your death. I am sorry if I caused you that level of concern.”

  “Huh?” I furrowed my brow. “Oh! It’s just an expression. I meant to say that I really want to know as much as I can about you. That’s all.”

  “Oh. Am I really all that interesting to you, Damian?” She looked amused and a little relieved.

  “Indeed.” I gave her a big grin.

  “Hmm.” She took her time responding. “Well... magic for one. These bracers grant me many powers that I am to use to protect my charges.” She clanged her wristbands together. The big, blue gems on her hands gleamed in response as light flared into them for just a moment. She sighed again. “Though I am not supposed to be using it outside of school. Not until I’m a full-fledged guardian. I should not have used it, even to protect the child.”

  Her eyes looked sullen and a little sad.

  I reached forward and nudged her chin so she was looking at me again. “Well, for what it’s worth, I think you’re a pretty good guardian already.”

  “Is that so, Sir Damian?” Her features perked up, and the gleam returned to her eyes. “Am I good enough for you?”

  Believe it or not, I could be a tad oblivious from time to time. Not exactly quick on the uptake. Especially around women. But I was pretty sure that was a come on.

  And I liked that.

  “Oh, for sure,” I said, grinning at her like an idiot once more.

  I wanted to mentally smack myself. “For sure?” That’s it? That’s all I could think of to say? Not exactly snappy, Mr. Slick. Where was my suave response? The swagger? The Asian charm? Why had it
forsaken me?

  Before I could say anything else, the ferry’s whistle blared again, and a voice came on over the loudspeaker.

  “Now approaching our final destination,” the captain’s tinny voice said. “Please remember to take all your belongings with you as you exit the ferry in an orderly fashion.”

  The disembodied voice was accompanied by a lurch as the boat slowed and pulled into the dock.

  My attempts at being debonair would have to wait. We were at our destination.

  “Well, shall we get going, LaLuna?” I held my hand out to her.

  She was staring down at my phone again, undoubtedly reading another text from Yuri. “What was that, Damian?”

  “We’re here,” I said. “We need to get going.”

  “Oh, of course.” LaLuna shot me a weak smile. “My apologies for not noticing sooner.”

  I waved a hand dismissively. The moment was well and truly shot. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just get going, shall we?”

  LaLuna nodded and took my offered hand. Together, we headed for the exit. It took about ten minutes for us to finally get off the ferry. There was a big line ahead of us, and the ferry crew were intent on keeping control and making sure no one rushed the ramp.

  We piled into the small town past the docks at the tail end of a rather large row of passengers, and I took a moment to take in the sights. Off in the distance to the left, I could see a tall lighthouse that had a strange pattern painted on it in red paint. The light at the top was glowing brightly, fighting against the fog that threatened to swallow it whole.

  To the right, I could barely see the slate roof of a large building that looked something like an old-school academy with a bell tower jutting out from the top of it. It stood out amongst its neighbors, both in sheer size and in design. All the other buildings surrounding it were built in a Victorian style.

  Meanwhile, in front of us, a row of shops and other small buildings sprawled out in a lazy pattern, filling my immediate view. I thought I spied an old bookstore sticking out amongst the more mundane shops, right near the coastline. It looked warm and inviting on this cold morning, but the “Closed” sign in front said otherwise.