Kheelan’s body shook behind me. “What are legos?” he finally asked.
He was laughing?
“Toy building blocks,” I said. My metaphor might have gotten away with me. “Falin did burn it all down,” I defended.
“It wasn't Selvyth's first defeat at the hands of Dark Fae, although it will be one he remembers because his sons were not at his sides. Aeric has never told Selvyth, but he refuses to go along with the life planned out for him,” Kheelan said. He leaned down behind me and gave his Mark a soft kiss. “You have made an enemy of Selvyth through no fault of your own. Do not fear that you will be made to face him without the cause of such strife at your back. I will create a distraction while you run to the protection of your better Marks if needed.”
“Selvyth isn't the reason that I came here,” I said. “I'm sorry that you have such incredible difficulties with your father. I don't think there's any way to fix them. He is scum. You and Aeric are better off without his presence in your life. Just as I have something to learn and see in Faerie, perhaps Aeric and you have something in the human realm waiting to be found.” I tried to turn to face him but his grip on my shoulders tightened. “Kheelan, don't you think you could make a life for yourself and your brother in the human realm? I could help you. What is tying you to Faerie other than misery?”
“What ties you to the human realm, mouse?” Kheelan whispered into my ear.
“Family,” I answered without needing thought.
“You just finished telling me that you have family you are searching for in Faerie as well,” he reminded me. “It isn't family that ties you to the human realm, nor is it familiarity or even fear of the unknown. It is a great sense of responsibility, a noble calling to heal and give hope. There is no shame in admitting you want to fight fate for others that have been cursed.”
“You think my mother’s illness is a curse?” I said, sounding bewildered. I had never thought of it in those terms before. It almost seemed to make sickness another kind of magic.
“A curse is a plague, a suffering you don’t cause yourself but is cast by outside forces,” Kheelan explained. “You are remarkable for fighting it so gallantly on your own all this time, but you don’t need to battle without help any longer. Rely on your Marks.”
“Do you really think my Marks can help my mother?” I said, not wanting the real meaning of Kheelan’s answer to be lost in pretty words and promises.
“Did you not already ask Loren and he answered you?”
This wasn’t another talkaround answer. He intended to give me hope. “I did and he said he would try,” I replied.
“Loren will accompany you back to the human realm and stay by your side. You may not be comfortable with your Darker Marks and I regret my role in that division, but I cannot claim I know them well enough to encourage you to give them another chance. The fewer Fae you trust the better. A loyal knight or two is worth more than a battalion of mercenaries.”
“Do you include yourself and Aeric in the group of untrustworthy Marks?” I asked, feeling as if Kheelan was throwing me away and using Loren to clean up the mess he had made in my life.
“Loren has ties to no one. Aeric is going to be the Light King one day, whether he runs from it or faces the challenge. I must be there to help him no matter his decision. Neither of us brothers can promise that you have our undivided loyalty. Both of us would fight every challenger to claim you anyway, unless you deny our Marks.”
I turned in Kheelan’s arms to look at him. “Kheelan, you’re not making any sense. Are you telling me you want me or that I should run away?”
“Both, princess. What to make of it is for you to decide.”
This was the opposite of what I was used to from the Fae. I didn’t think there was a trick and I couldn’t see the bargain in his words. Kheelan was telling me the unvarnished truth.
“My choice is to not make your choices for you, and I’m also not going to make it easier by accepting Loren’s help to assuage your guilt,” I said, stubbornly refusing to accept all the responsibility. If Aeric or Kheelan wanted me, they better be prepared to fight for it.
Stormy eyes locked on mine in challenge. Quicker than I could protest, Kheelan grabbed me up towards him, bending to meet my lips and swallow the shocked peep I started to make. One hand cupped behind my head, holding me firm for his kiss, a deep and hard exploration of my mouth that answered the question of his desire for me. His eyes were no less turbulent as he released me as suddenly as he had kissed me.
“Loren offers help of his own free will and you would be best to accept it. He is an unparalleled healer,” Kheelan calmly said, continuing our conversation as if he hadn’t just ravished my mouth. He turned me around, so I was facing the town and pressed up with my back against his front again. He nipped my left ear lobe and whispered against the abused appendage. “And Selvyth really misses Loren’s magic as well as his discretion. There are secrets that Loren has kept for centuries.”
They had referred to living longer lives than me, than other humans. I hadn’t realized until Kheelan so casually mentioned centuries that he had meant lifetimes longer. That would be quite a while to accumulate secrets. Suddenly, I could see the dual purpose in getting Loren away from Faerie. There was only one big problem with taking Loren with us.
“What about you?” I said. Kheelan would be alone in this perfect world in which he didn’t belong.
“A reckoning is coming, princess.”
Kheelan was trying to get rid of me, but not because he was disgusted or due to hate. I was being protected, just as he had said. He didn’t want me around for the showdown between him and his sire.
“Why?” I asked. “Aeric is safe and we fought Selvyth off. I don’t see why you need to start another fight.”
“Come to town and you will understand,” he softly answered. “Remember, what you observe today, I have been witness to for centuries. Your real question should be why it took so long for me to act, but that is a question better posed to Aeric.”
I swallowed my fear and told myself that Aeric had been the Light heir before I met him and I had no trouble treating him like a friend back then, so there wasn’t good reason to fear seeing Aeric and grilling him with questions now. I just wanted it to be later, much later.
“Does Aeric know what you are planning?” I said.
“No. It is better he doesn’t have to choose this path. The standoff against Selvyth during your rescue spoke plenty of his feelings.”
I noticed that Kheelan rarely referred to his father in familial terms. Their relationship sounded broken long before I came along, and I was curious how it had even endured all those centuries. Why now? What had happened to spur the brothers to stand against their father?
It was a question I figured Kheelan wouldn’t answer yet. He didn’t even speak his feelings for me out loud, kissing me until only a stupid fool couldn't figure it out. I had many faults but stupidity wasn’t one of them.
Loren and my brothers popped out of the forest edge below us. I shouted and only Loren turned his head, although he quickly tapped my brothers to look up.
“Wait a moment,” Kheelan said when I was about to start heading down the hill to them.
I shivered against his cool touch as his fingers brushed the hair back behind one of my ears and he fingered the Fae braids he had insisted on giving me this morning on the side of his Mark.
“This is a better translation charm, just in case,” he said, tying a little sack with a ribbon into my braids. “No headaches, per Loren.”
I rapidly closed the door on the memories of the last translation charm Kheelan had given me. One I hadn’t even known he had snuck in with my ‘don’t look here’ for my bow and arrows before he betrayed me. We were past that now.
“Are you ready?” Kheelan asked.
“For what?” I said.
Kheelan muffled any protest I could have made as he spun me around and snuggled me against his chest. “Hold your breath,” he
suggested a moment before his magic drenched us. This had gone from a refreshing spray to a hypothermic polar dip.
“Whoa,” Jackson said.
I blinked. My brothers were right in front of me.
“Neat trick,” Matthew said, reaching out to touch my cheek.
He caught a tear I didn’t remember shedding. His fingers felt like fire against my skin. I gasped and pulled back.
“Give her a moment,” Kheelan said. “It’s her first time being winked.”
“Was that teleportation?” asked Matthew, sounding curious.
“It was travelling very fast on lightning roads, not true windowing, as I assume you are referring,” Kheelan answered. “Such magic would cause too much notice.”
“Fast is accurate. I felt like we flew here,” I said. I reached up to pat my hair down but it was still a tangled mess, so the trip couldn’t have made things worse. My Fae braids and translation charm were still tucked behind my ear.
“Better?” Kheelan asked, turning me away from my brothers to face him. He looked me over.
“I’m fine. More warning next time would be appreciated,” I said. “What exactly are lightning roads?”
“Magic lines,” Loren said.
“Like ley lines?” Matthew said. His geek was really coming out.
“Those are only in the human realm,” Loren said. “To travel distances you can see and reach across with your magic, one tosses a thread of it and pulls hard.”
“And that is not impressive enough to draw notice?” I said. We could have walked down the hill, although Kheelan’s express ride had been considerably quicker.
“All Fae can wink, although the distances one can achieve and carrying another with you are variations in magic strength,” Loren said. “Kheelan was showing off when he winked you with him.”
Kheelan coughed but he didn’t say anything.
“Then I can wink?” I said.
“First, we would have to discover your magic type, kitten.”
“That is Mistress to you,” I reminded him.
“We can play a few magic games to sort it out later on, Mistress,” Loren said with a wink.
If I could take the twins with me when I winked, then it would be well worth learning. “Would it work to get me out of a cage?” I asked.
“Not one with metal, although with your Halfling strengths and none of the weakness inherent to Fae against iron, perhaps, it would be possible,” Kheelan said. “That reminds me, don't touch any metal if someone threatens you with it. Act afraid. Halflings with tolerance to metal and that have Light magic are extremely rare. Such a valuable Lady would not travel alone in only the company of servants and treasured pets. Her Master would keep her on a short leash.”
“This is really something we should have bargained over,” I complained. “It doesn't seem fair that we’re helping you when really all you did for us is take advantage of our escape to make more trouble for Selvyth and blame everything on the Dark Elves. I'll consider lessons on winking suitable compensation from Kheelan and lessons in swordplay for both of my brothers from Loren.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and looked at the new collars the twins now sported as I waited for a response. They were leather and thin, clearly ornamental. I bet they itched. At least Loren hadn’t made them ostentatious like my gown and he had been quick about it. We were just outside the town's borders and Kheelan had to be chomping at the bit to get going. Timing could be very important in bargaining as I had already learned.
“Advanced techniques in magic are not going to do you any good without the basics,” Kheelan said.
Of course, they would parry my first offer. Bargaining never was easy, even with time on my side.
“I would be honored to spar with your brother, although swords are not my preferred weapon,” Loren said. “Apart from, I have a fair hand at archery and the speed and reach for daggers.”
“Daggers,” Jackson said.
“Archery,” Matthew said.
“You really ought to offer me another favor if you want me to teach them both,” Loren said.
“Your Mark was never paid for,” I pointed out.
“Marks are freely given and received, kitten.”
“Aeric taught her strange ideas. I blame it on the inadequate food in the human realm. The sugar and caffeine were particularly problematic for a clear, focused mind.”
Tying Loren to me using a favor owed wasn't such a bad idea. He would have to be around me in order to collect.
“I’ll accept the offer to teach daggers to Jackson as I am not familiar with using them or close hand combat. The other favor we can bargain for later after I review your skill in archery. You've never shown me your aim.”
It had to be good enough. I wasn’t going to agree to a favour without conditions, even to keep Loren tied to me.
“Let’s go before night falls,” Kheelan said, annoyance bleeding through that suggestion.
I stuck my tongue out at him and held out my hands for the twins to grab.
Jackson gave my hand a squeeze as he took it and then trailed his fingers along my palm. I knew that squeeze. It said he was going to tickle me until I gave up the goods and this was my only warning. Matthew took my other hand and gave it the special squeeze, too. Our talk in town once we were alone was going to be a challenge.
“We will lead,” Kheelan said, walking ahead. Loren followed, and then me and the twins.
“No speaking,” Loren reminded me.
“No breathing. No thinking,” I muttered.
“It doesn’t look dangerous,” Jackson whispered to me.
“I would say that looks can be deceiving but Jack is right, this place looks so perfect that it's boring. Do you think it's all illusion?” Matthew said. “Loren said our collars were only glamour. We can’t even feel them.”
Interesting about the collars. I guess they didn’t itch, then. “Doubt the perfect town is an illusion,” I replied. “Kheelan said that Selvyth doesn't tolerate anything less than perfection.”
“He’s a colour in the lines kind of fellow?” Jackson said.
“I think he's more the insane dude that stabs some guy a thousand times with a spork because he used the wrong shade of yellow to color the sun,” I said, not wanting them to underestimate the danger.
The boys both gave my hands a squeeze but there was no tickling my palms this time. We descended further into the valley where the town was situated, walking through a field of wildflowers and hearing the sound of birds tweeting a merry song. I could see how humans would be easily tricked by the Light Fae if this was the kind of beauty they used to fool the unwary.
The reddest apples were the poisoned ones. Don’t say fairytales didn’t teach me anything.
Chapter 14:
“Quiet now,” Loren reminded us. “We’re going to walk straight to the pub and enter together. You three should hang just behind us while we find appropriate resting quarters for you to wait.”
“Yes Master,” I said, knowing we probably were still out of hearing of the townsfolk.
“Mistress, we will be keeping track of any mistakes you make for your lessons tonight. Some reinforcement is needed,” Kheelan said as subservial as a prince.
“What lessons did you have last night?” Jackson whispered.
“Can’t talk,” I said, grateful now for the silencing order.
As we got closer to the town I noticed that everything was quite neat and uncluttered. The architecture was all clean lines, white stucco walls that looked like they had just been painted, they were so blindingly pure, and a pathway that weaved through the town made of stone that actually sparkled as the sunlight glinted against the speckled rock. It seemed to be diamond with such a glittering shine, but that would be crazy.
The residents of the town moved quickly about their business with purpose, no one simply milling about the street. There was little curiosity for our entrance, a few quick glances so fleeting as to be mistaken as simply looking a
round at the foot traffic while walking to avoid a collision.
“There is something wrong,” Loren whispered, stopping.
Every hair stood up on my arms and the rest of us stopped except for Kheelan.
“We can’t delay any longer,” Kheelan said. “Guard her.”
Loren dropped back to stand behind us. “Let go of her hands and draw your swords,” he ordered my brothers. “Eve, bow and arrow at the ready. Aim at anything your instincts dislike. No hesitation.”
Loren’s instructions weren’t that far off from those Eloden had once given me in a Faerie field, but we had been escaping a battle and surrounded by enemies. Were we walking onto another enemy field now?
A high-pitched, crystalline bell sounded as Kheelan took his first step onto rocky patch.
“Greetings Lady and Sirs, please stop,” ordered a blonde cherub of a boy. He looked to be seven or eight, enough chubbiness in his cheeks to get away with even younger if he was shorter.
“We are on our way to the pub to seek refreshment and to rest,” Kheelan said, although he stopped walking forward. The pub seemed further away than earlier, hazier in my sight. All my focus was on the huge fountain I hadn’t noticed during my view from above the town.
It was like a giant bird bath, made of white marble that gleamed in the sunlight with only the faintest blue veins lining it. The whole thing looked like it had been carved from one giant piece but that would be impossible, the weight alone too tremendous for the horse and buggy technology in Faerie.
The centerpiece of the fountain spouted water in cascading, open ledges that spiraled around and were staggered with tiny, linked houses, complete with glassless windows to let the inhabitants go freely in and out. The bell that we had heard earlier mounted the top of the fountain and it really looked to be made of crystal, swaying gently in the breeze like a windchime.
The boy that greeted us ignored Kheelan, instead turning towards the fountain and reaching on tiptoes to grasp a golden, jewel-encrusted chalice that had been hanging from a single hook at the fountain’s center. He dipped the golden vessel into the fountain waters and filled it, then turned back to us, walking pass Kheelan to stand in front of me and offer me a drink.
Falling Into Faerie After Page 25
