At Risk

by Gayle Parness

  “I have no doubts as to whom it is and I will not allow it.”

  “Father.” Lord Argon touched his shoulder. “Any of us would give our lives so that Faerie could enjoy an extended peace.”

  “I would not exchange any of you, but we all know Naberia wants Charles. He is not only one of us. Charles has a productive and happy life outside our world. And we cannot trust her. Once she has him, she will attack. Naberia has never been one to keep to her word when she has an advantage.”

  “You have two human weeks to decide.” The demon dropped the scroll at Fin’s feet. “I will return at that time to collect the male or to issue the ritual declaration of war.”

  The messenger disappeared and Aedus bent to pick up the scroll. Fin stopped him with a word in Fae I wasn’t familiar with.

  “Poison has been one of her weapons in the past.” Fin closed his eyes and whispered a spell. “It’s clean.” He held out his hand and the scroll appeared. Much to everyone’s surprise he disappeared before reading it.

  Dread iced my spine. I reached out to my son with my mind. “Charlie!”

  “Ma?”

  “Don’t come to the clearing. Naberia wants you in exchange for a thousand years of peace. Grab Brina and hide. The fae will have to turn you over in two weeks. Hide! Now!”

  “But they wouldn’t.”

  “Fin wouldn’t, but others would.”

  “But Ma…”

  “You will listen to me, Charles Liam William Cuvier. I will love you until the universe disintegrates, but please. Go now.” I started to pace, but Garrett pulled me against him.

  Charlie hesitated. “I love you too. And tell Dad…”

  “I’m here. We love you, son. Stay safe. We’re with you no matter where you are.”

  “I won’t tell you where I’m going.”

  “Better that way,” Garrett sent.

  “You stay safe too. Go home so the team can…”

  “Go now and stop worrying about us.”

  “Love ya!”

  His mental link dissolved a moment later. I leaned into Garrett’s arms as Fin appeared in front of me. “Where is he?”

  “Gone.”

  “Smart boy.” The king smiled approvingly. “Smart parents.”

  “We’ve been dodging bullets for twenty years,” Garrett said.

  “My people are not cruel or unreasonable, but Naberia struck a chord with that message. Most of them would step forward willingly to sacrifice themselves for Faerie and may not understand why Charlie does not feel the same.

  “That’s their concern, not ours.” Garrett said.

  “I would never send my grandchild or any of my citizens to the archdemon, but it would be helpful if he could return and speak to those who are troubled.”

  “He can’t lead an army against Naberia if he’s stewing in a dungeon. The moment Naberia has control over Charlie she will begin the war in earnest. You must know that’s her plan.” I bit my lip so I wouldn’t say something I couldn’t take back.

  “She may plan to kill him. Rid the world of the prophesied savior.” Garrett squeezed my hand. “She has to get past you, me, and the team first.”

  “Can you make a guess as to where he might have gone?” Fin asked.

  “No. And it’s better we don’t know,” I said. “To be honest, there’s a good chance she won’t be able to control him at all.”

  “She is my age and the ruler of a powerful realm.” Fin waved that idea away with a gesture.

  “Have you tried recently?”

  “I can think of no situation where it would be necessary for me to take control of his mind or body.”

  “Then you don’t know. And I’m not talking about physically stopping him from attacking. I’m talking mind control. The way Kennet…” I shook my head, unwilling to pull up that memory.

  “Charles has the same gift, it’s true. Passed down from me to both of them.”

  “The curse, you mean. It’s not a gift.”

  “If one of my fae subjects is troubled and has given consent, it can be a life-saving gift. Finding purpose in a life that lasts for thousands of years is not always the pleasure one might think. Please excuse me.” Fin nodded to both of us and teleported into the group of elders currently arguing about what the scroll must have said.

  I turned to Garrett. A male I hoped would share my life for thousands of years. “Were we wrong to send him away?”

  “You acted on instinct and a mother’s instinct is rarely wrong. I support you completely, no matter the consequences.”

  I sighed. “The elders will…”

  “Interrogate us.”

  “Rather us than him. This way no one will find Charlie until he chooses to be found.” I sighed and snaked a hand around Garrett’s waist. “The war may begin without him.”

  “He’d feel he failed.” My mate grunted and raked at his thick hair. “None of this is his doing.”

  I drew him closer for a heated kiss and he complied with passion. I needed this branding, this proof of our commitment. We were vulnerable, two supernatural creatures in a realm not our own. If Faerie viewed us as enemies, we might be cast out. Or worse.

  Aedus appeared before us. “Where is Charles?” His tone sent icy fingers crawling down my spine.

  “He disappeared over an hour ago with Brina.” I smiled pleasantly. “Garrett and I haven’t heard a peep since he left.” Aedus would be able to tell if Garrett lied, but my stronger demon magic kept everyone but Fin out of my head. Fin would not mind rape me, even if his people turned against us.

  Aedus’s tone grew cold. “I no longer feel his presence in Faerie. It’s important he return immediately.”

  Garrett stepped forward, blocking me slightly. Vampires were incredibly protective and territorial. Today I appreciated the gesture. “Charlie’s location is not your concern or ours. I’m sure he’ll pop back in his own time. Did the king announce whose name was mentioned as the sacrifice to Naberia?”

  “The obvious one. We do not know if she means to harm your son. She may wish to parlay.”

  “If it is our son she wants, she means to do him harm,” Garrett said.

  Aedus straightened. “The archdemon wants Charlie to come to her in exchange for the safety of my people. Grandfather told you this already, did he not? Did the king send Charlie away?”

  “Our son goes where he chooses. If Naberia takes Charlie Faerie won’t have the benefit of his magic or his leadership,” Garrett said.

  “He’s not even a full-grown male. My people have fought against warriors of the demon realm for millennium.”

  “Not against what she’s bringing with her this time.”

  “What do you mean? Have you withheld information?”

  “Charlie has described her training fields. The number of magic users.”

  “Are you thinking of encouraging your citizens to hand him over?” Garrett demanded.

  “No.” Not now hung in the air. “But he should return today and attend the council meeting.”

  “I don’t believe he was invited to attend.”

  “The situation has changed.”

  “And have you informed him mind to mind?”

  “I cannot reach him. Is Brina with him?” Aedus glanced around.

  “I assume they’re together, but I have no way of knowing that for certain,” I said.

  “Kaera will know.”

  “Do sisters tell each other every little thing?” I asked sweetly. “Charlie and Brina may be somewhere very private.”

  “Kaera will be hones. Unlike some.” Aedus and Garrett glared at each other.

  I clenched my jaw, my words tight and angry. “Are you insinuating we’re lying?”

  He aimed his angry gaze at me. “You will attend the council meeting. We will hear the truth.”

  “Lord Aedus.” My mate was done listening to this unreasonable jerk. “You’ve overstepped a boundary I feel necessary to force you back over. When you address Jacqueline, you will do so wit
h respect and courtesy.”

  “Will either of you tell me where Charles is?”

  “We don’t know where he is,” Garrett said. And it was true.

  I turned toward the school. “I have work to do. Work I’ve been ignoring for too long. Attending the council meeting won’t be possible this evening.”

  Garrett took my hand and we moved away. If Fin asked us to be there we would come, but Garrett and I were not about to follow any of Aedus' tyrannical demands.

  4

  Charlie

  My three companions and I trudged down a dirt road in the DR that needed asphalt in the worst way. As dust and grit stung my eyes, ankle-twisting ruts appeared out of nowhere. Magically immune underbrush fought against our swords as we tried to cut a path, our group moving only fifty yards in what seemed like hours. The closer we got to our goal, the more difficult the obstacles.

  The creatures we hunted weren’t exactly sociable.

  I wiped sweat from my forehead as I imagined Mom and Dad facing off against the council when the elders found out I’d left on an unnamed errand. What if Fin thought I’d taken off for good? Scared away by the news Naberia was willing to trade me for the safety of Cascade and the court? Maybe I should have turned myself over. Saved thousands of lives. I could have insisted on a blood oath from my great grandmother, made her swear to keep to her bargain.

  “I may have made the worst mistake of my life.” I realized too late I said that out loud.

  “Stop whining,” Isaiah said. “This is just another job like all the others.”

  “I agree with the demon. It’s irritating,” Brina said.

  “Yeah, Char,” Jay said. “You keep saying the same thing.”

  My face tight with anger, I passed over each face until I landed on Jay’s. It was easier to win the argument with him and not the hundred-year-old fae female or the four-thousand-plus-year-old demon. “I didn’t have to bring you.”

  “Okay, okay, I’ll lay off. But why do you think you made a mistake?”

  “I left Mom and Dad holding the bag. What if the council turns on them? Everyone is going to be asking for answers.”

  Isaiah snorted a laugh. “Jackie and Garrett have been handling dangerous situations together for more than twenty years. They’ll be fine.”

  “You think Faerie is dangerous to my parents?” I stopped walking.

  “Faerie must be unsettled at the moment. That’s all I meant. The king will probably question them.” Isaiah sounded so certain, but Fin’s people came before everything else.

  “Jacqueline practically ordered you to leave, or so you’ve said. You made the right decision.” Brina placed her hand in mine. I squeezed back in appreciation. “Queen Aine…” she began again.

  “Queen Aine!” Isaiah butted in. “Don’t get me started on her. Thank the stars she’s locked away in Tir Na NOg.”

  Brina’s narrowed eyes focused on Isaiah. “It’s rumored the former queen is-”

  “In her daughter Fionna’s case, the apple sure as shit didn’t fall far from the tree.”

  I winced. Brina hated to be interrupted. Her amethyst eyes popped with golden sparkles. Never a good sign.

  “Aine was the queen when my father and mother were born. The queen of all the fae before Finvarra challenged and killed her suitors so she would take him as mate and make him the king. Legend says Finvarra was beautiful beyond words, as powerful as the heavens. His smile broke Aine’s heart with joy and made her weak.”

  “I like romantic stories.” Jay sighed.

  Isaiah ignored him. “Weak? She wasn’t’ weak at all. Queen Aine murdered every female Finvarra seduced, including your great grandmother. Aine rode beside the king during each battle.” Isaiah grinned. “Bet she doesn’t know about Finvarra’s relationship with Mommy Dearest or the blessed day when I made my entrance. Think I should run over to TNN and announce the news?”

  “T…N…N?” Like most fae, Brina spoke in full sentences and never got the point of abbreviating words or using anagrams.

  “Tir—”

  “You are the most ridiculous creature I have ever encountered.” Brina turned away in a huff, taking down our next barrier, a wall of ice the height of the Carmel villa, by borrowing a little of my power. I gave her free access to my magic while we were in the DR. Being full-blood fae, she could only access enough on her own for the most basic tasks.

  Jay stepped up and helped by clearing the major chunks out of our way. He was the only member or our group without magic, yet he found ways to make himself useful without any awkwardness. Jay had a kind of confidence in who he was and what he could do that I envied. Not much frightened or fazed him and since we’d worked out our differences, the trust between us was stronger than ever.

  “Thank you for the compliment, my lady.” Isaiah bowed, his hand over his heart. “I strive to be the comic relief on every adventure.”

  “Yeah, he’s particularly ridiculous during training sessions,” I grumbled, sending a boulder sized piece of ice flying across a field ringed by thorny shrubs. Those ugly bushes looked anxious to draw blood from any available patch of uncovered flesh. I felt like I was outside Sleeping Beauty’s castle, only it wasn’t a princess we were here to find.

  This trip had better pay off.

  Isaiah spread his hands. “The training is necessary. You are still a work in progress, Charles.”

  “He’d better not grow any more. I already have to crane my neck to look at him.” Jay was built like a football lineman, and despite the complaint about looking up at me, he was at least six foot three. I only had about four inches on him. Maybe five.

  We continued on. After a battle with the thorn bushes where none of us came out completely unscathed, Isaiah and I doused a wall of fire with a surge of smothering magic. It felt good to stretch my demon magic muscles, even though the creatures we searched for were making it clear they didn’t want us intruding into their territory. Tough. I needed their help more than ever now that Naberia was demanding my surrender.

  “I should have… Ow!” I spun around to face Brina. “What was that pinch for?”

  “I warned you not to play that whiny game, did I not? You made the right decision.” Her tone gentled. “Have faith in yourself.”

  As usual, Brina’s words rang true. I’d struggled with self-confidence since I’d come into my powers and learned who and what my birth father was. Kennet was gone now, but prickles of doubt still burrowed deep.

  Isaiah and his mentorship had helped. Fin’s too. The Rogues Team. Mom and Dad. Mostly I’d grown out of it as each adventure honed my skills as a magic user, but also as a leader. I’d never believed I could pick up the mantle the prophecy spoke of until I’d done it.

  And the most surprising thing… It felt right.

  Brina kissed my cheek and I impulsively pulled her closer, needing the contact more than I’d admit to out loud, especially with everyone else around. “There’s my warrior,” she said. “I thought you’d gone into hiding and let your inner whiny cousin take control.”

  She tried to keep her expression serious, but I made it impossible by tickling her earlobe. “I haven’t seen your sunny side make an appearance either.”

  “It is my stormy nature you enjoy the most.”

  I allowed my lips to linger on her neck. She was so right.

  “Aww.” Jay nudged me with an elbow. “You two are cute together.”

  “Cute?” Brina’s expression turned to stone.

  “Well, you are.” He shrugged, taking a step back and scooting over toward Isaiah. Brina had a ferocity even a grizzly could appreciate. “Um… Isaiah… Why didn’t we take the lines all the way to the mountain range?” Jay asked, giving Brina another wary glance before turning toward my demonic trainer.

  “I had to be certain Mother hadn’t set any traps. Taking the lines could have triggered all of them. Mother is after my skin, my blood, and perhaps even my bones. I’d rather not be dangling upside down from the ceiling again. It’s
bad enough watching her laugh at my pain when I’m right side up.”

  “Can’t she sense all this magic we’re using?” Jay asked.

  “I’ve surrounded us with a protective bubble.”

  “You have?” Jay stuck out his index fingers and poked the air around him as if to burst the shield.

  “Uch!” Brina grunted and shook her head. “It is not a soapy bubble.”

  Jay shrugged. The hot afternoon affected him the most. This was nap time for a grizzly, unless a stream was nearby. Our heavy tunics and leggings weren’t the best attire for a long walk in the heat and Jay had topped off his look with a pair of cowboy boots instead of the soft corvo leather the rest of us preferred. Corvo were similar to cattle and the main livestock in the DR. Also the main protein at most meals. I was not a fan. They had an odd flavor that reminded me of asparagus.

  Jay glanced around, wiping sweat from his neck with a small cloth. “Don’t suppose there’s a lake close by.”

  “Shush.” Brina turned to me as we began walking toward the forest. It was way too dark for the middle of the day. “Why did we bring him again?”

  “He’s my closest friend, my second in command, and he follows orders without giving me a hard time.”

  Brina narrowed her eyes. “He has no magic.”

  I stopped in my tracks and swept my hand in Jay’s direction. “Grizzly bear.”

  “And…”

  “Have you seen a grizzly bear hunting or stalking prey? Do you even have a clue how strong he is?”

  “Standing right here, by the way.” Jay lifted a hand. I conjured a water skin and tossed it to him. He caught it easily and smiled with gratitude, then dumped half of it over his head.

  “His aura is off,” Isaiah said, passing us and striding east on a path that had suddenly appeared. Magic was at work in this territory. Magic outside of Naberia’s spells.

  “What’s wrong with it?” I asked.

  “Yeah, what’s wrong with it?” Jay asked.

  “You have never noticed?” Brina asked me.

  “His aura looks the same as always.” I concentrated on the energy surrounding Jay’s body. “Kind of a neon purple with some silver strands around the rim.”