Blood Lines: Kallen's Tale (Witch Fairy #3.5)

by Bonnie Lamer

  “I’m sorry,” Xandra says. She does look sorry. She is well aware of the fact that her mouth gets her into a disproportionable amount of trouble than other’s mouths do.

  Grandmother almost smiles. “Not as sorry as you will feel when you have spent time under this roof with that loathsome man.” There has been no love lost between the two since he went crazy over his daughter and her blood.

  “Maybe he won’t come.”

  She snorts. Grandmother never snorts. “Dagda is an ass, but he is not stupid.”

  I have a hard time not grinning. I believe I would get a smack in the back of the head from Grandmother. Maybe I will just stand here and block Tabitha’s access to the back of Xandra’s head. She has that look in her eyes that she gets right before she smacks me.

  “Tabitha, please,” Grandmother says quietly. The worried look on her face is enough for Tabitha to nod tersely and walk out of the kitchen. Presumably, to get the pink room ready for Dagda.

  Turning towards us again, Grandmother says to me, “Please call Kegan and let him know that his presence is required immediately. Also, tell him to get permission from his mother to stay here for an indefinite period of time. I would also appreciate it if he will stop by Alita’s and ask her to accompany him here.” Now I do grin. I get to burn off some of my pent up tension by sending Kallen an extra-long, meaning extra-painful, message.

  To Xandra, she says, “Your training will be fine-tuned to accommodate the new circumstances. It would be unwise to let Dagda know how little control you have over your magic. He will try to find a way to use that against you. I had originally hoped that you were farther along in your training. When I discovered you were not, I was intending to have you spend part of your time at the palace and part of your time here, training out of Dagda’s sight. But, that is no longer possible. Therefore, the fine tuning of your magic, and the offensive magic, will have to wait. You will need to focus on your self-defense using both magic and your body.”

  She shifts towards me again. “You and Tabitha will assist her with whatever she needs. You will clothe her, do her hair, anything that requires a delicacy she does not possess.”

  I nod but I am confused. “Dagda will be able to sense my magic. He will know Xandra is not doing it herself.”

  “Of course, that is why we will tell him that you are so love struck with Xandra that you cannot help but doting on her. From what I have seen, you should be able to provide enough evidence to prove that is the case.” I could deny it. It would be a lie. I do not miss the smug smile on Xandra’s face at the moment.

  Grandmother turns back to Xandra and she has a determined look on her face. Uh oh. “You will inform Dagda that you are planning to be hand-fasted with Kallen.”

  “But…” She sputters trying to protest but Grandmother holds a hand up to stop her. That is good. I do not think I wanted to hear her reasoning.

  “That will be the only plausible excuse for me to allow Kallen to devote so much time to you. Courting is quite different here than it is in your realm. You two have already had freedoms that could be considered a promise of hand-fasting. That does not mean that you will actually be hand-fasted. Providing your behavior is appropriate under the freedom you will be given,” she gives us both hard looks, “there will be no ceremony.”

  Xandra looks terrified. Not exactly complimentary towards me. “What if he asks why we are waiting?”

  “We will inform him that we are waiting for this mess to be cleaned up. It would not be fair to tarnish your hand-fasting with this nasty business surrounding him.”

  Xandra takes a deep breath. Then another one before she says, “Okay.”

  My god, she sounds like she was just told her parents died. Again. Having to admit that the thought of a hand-fasting right now is a little terrifying, I decide to tease her instead of being insulted. “My lovely bride to be, I can hardly wait until the ceremony.” I grin at her and she gives me a dirty look. “What a tortured soul you are, being forced to pretend you love me.”

  My stool begins to rock underneath me. I try to grab the counter in time to keep my balance, but to no avail. The stool goes flying and I find myself hitting the floor. To make matters worse, Grandmother is as amused as Xandra.

  I have to get revenge now. Xandra realizes that because she starts running in her long, pretty dress. I could catch her in the house but I decide to wait until she is outside. Then I make my move and grab her before she can get to the beach. I sling her over my shoulder as she laughs and beats on my back again.

  “Kallen, I’m fully dressed. I’ll drown if you throw me in the water.”

  I say the first thing that pops into my mind. Words and image. “Then perhaps I should make you sky-clad before I toss you into the sea.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.” She sounds worried.

  “You are sure of that?”

  She starts pounding a little harder on my back now. “Let me down. I’m sorry I tipped your stool over.”

  Am I hearing things? Did she actually apologize to me? I let her slide off my shoulder but not onto the sand yet. With arched brows, I say, “Can you repeat that?”

  “What, let me down?” she teases.

  I start to put her on my shoulder again but she winds her arms around my neck. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry.”

  I grin in satisfaction. “You say the words so infrequently. Perhaps you should say it again, so I can savor it.”

  Instead, she kisses me. Hard, deep and passionately. I groan as my whole body reacts. I pull her closer wishing that she did not have this slippery dress on. When she wraps her legs around my waist to keep from sliding, I am about to explode. Does she have any idea what she is doing to me? I do not care about anything else at the moment. All I want to do is carry her back into the house, walk up the stairs to her bedroom and lay her down on the bed and make love to her. All day. And all night. The way she is moving her body against mine may get things started sooner than I would like but I would not have her stop if my life depended on it. With a deep moan, I hold her even tighter.

  Ouch. Damn it all. I rip my lips from Xandra and set her abruptly on the ground. I feel badly about that. But not as badly as I want to make Kegan feel at the moment. A splat on my chest makes me even madder. A slingshot appears in my hand and it takes only a second to aim. He tries to jump over the terrace wall to escape but I get him in the shoulder. He takes off around the house and I follow.

  If he wants to play this game then I am going to play it. I use my magic to retrieve one of my special concoctions. He rounds the corner that will lead him back to the beach just as I have what I need. Good, there will be an audience for his downfall. I take aim as I am running and right after he passes Xandra and Alita, who has somehow joined her in the last minute, I let the slingshot go. An audible splat and green goo spreads all over Kegan as he falls face first into the sand with the impact.

  Xandra wrinkles her nose. “Please tell me that isn’t snot.”

  Walking to her side, I say, “It is a combination of seaweed, squid ink and snail slime.” I laugh at the face she makes. “And it is quite difficult to get off. Even with magic.”

  “You actually collected snail slime to make a disgusting weapon?” she asks horrified at the thought.

  I grin because it is so worth it to see Kegan covered in green slime. “You never know when snail slime will be needed. I like to keep some on hand for just these occasions.”

  Kegan has picked himself up and he is trying to get his shirt off without letting any of the goo touch his skin. His voice muffled because his head is covered, he says, “You are a bloody bastard. I will repay you for this.”

  I laugh because I know he is telling the truth but I do not care at the moment. “I am sure you will, cousin.”

  Xandra and Alita are trying not to laugh as Kegan continues to struggle with his shirt. They are having little success. Finally, Alita takes pity on him and decides to help him out. I knew she would cave long before Xandra.


  With his shirt finally off, Kegan runs his hands through his hair to make sure it’s goo free. “I thought you had used all of that up.”

  Nope. I have three more hidden inside the house. “That is what I wanted you to believe.”

  We’re saved from hearing Kegan’s reply when Tabitha’s voice calls out from the terrace. “Our company has arrived. You lot need to make yourselves presentable and then meet Grandmother in the east parlor in twenty minutes. And Kegan, if you bring that shirt anywhere near this house, you will be scrubbing the entire place from top to bottom with your toothbrush.” Considering how hard it was to get out of the furniture and carpeting last time, I believe she means it. Kegan lets the magic holding his shirt go and the green slime plops onto the sand. Xandra wrinkles her nose at it. It does look nasty lying there.

  The time for fun is over. I do not imagine any of us will be laughing in the foreseeable future. I grab Xandra’s hand and squeeze it in reassurance as we walk up the terrace steps and into the house. I think she would rather be covered in the green snail slime than speak to Dagda again.

  At the top of the stairs, we go our separate ways. Kegan and I turn left as the room he uses is next to mine. We both need a shower after our little run in. Xandra and Alita turn the other way.

  Tabitha knocks on my door as I am combing my wet hair. “Isla would like you to go directly to the sitting room. She wants to make sure Dagda’s guards do not get any bright ideas. Ruddy bastards.”

  I chuckle at her description but I am not pleased. I was planning to show a united front with Xandra and walk in together. But Grandmother is right. It is probably more important to scope the situation out before she arrives. “Alright. I will be right there.”

  “Good luck to you,” Tabitha says. “I am off to get that girlfriend of yours ready. Personally, I hope she blows them all up.” I do not think she means that. But she might.

  The first thing I think when I walk through the door is how pissed Xandra is going to be. Grandmother does not seem all that pleased herself. Dagda is sitting on one of the sofas and he has five guards standing behind him. That is as insulting to Grandmother as it is to Xandra. Grandmother guaranteed him protection in her home and him bringing these guards along says that he does not believe she can do it. Not smart on his part.

  I take a seat in a winged back chair next to Grandmother. Dagda barely acknowledges my entrance but his guards do. I feel them pull magic. As if I could not take them all without magic let alone with it. Idiots.

  It is only a moment before the door opens again and Kegan enters with Xandra and Alita. Bringing Alita must have been Xandra’s idea. I do not care that Dagda does not like her because of her blood lines, but I do care that Alita is terrified of him. And she looks it at the moment. Grandmother gestures to a small settee and the three of them sit.

  Grandmother turns to Xandra. “I was just explaining to Dagda how surprised I am that he felt the need to bring his own bodyguards.” I must have come in right after that.

  Xandra’s voice is impressively even when she says, “That’s ridiculous. Any of these five men could turn against him any minute.” That is true.

  Five glowering Fairies turn their eyes to Xandra but it is Dagda who speaks. “It would be more ridiculous for me to assume that you genuinely care if I live or die. These men have been my loyal guards for a very long time. I trust them to do what you may not.”

  I expect her to tear him apart either verbally or with her magic. She goes another route. She starts laughing as if he just told the funniest joke she has ever heard. The more she laughs of course the angrier Dagda gets. Her laugh is infectious and I cannot keep a smile off my face. Grandmother is struggling to hide hers.

  “What exactly is it that you find so amusing?” Dagda practically growls.

  It takes Xandra a moment to get her breath under control. She fans her face in an attempt to get more oxygen into her mouth. Her cheeks are cherry red. Finally, she says, “What’s funny is that you still don’t get that everyone around you is suspect. You have some strange confidence in the idea that your fellow Pooka still respect you and care if you live or die.” The more she talks, the more uncomfortable the guards get behind the very angry king. Their magic is ready to explode. “You’ve already proven that you can’t accomplish what they want. Any one of these guys probably wouldn’t hesitate to stab you in your sleep. And what’s even funnier? The idea that you think they could protect you from me.”

  Two of the most furious of his body guards start walking towards Xandra. She does not even bother to rise from the settee. She simply raises her brows in challenge. Oh, these guys are stupid because they keep walking. They are saved by Dagda raising his hand to stop them.

  Looking at Xandra, he asks, “How am I to know that you will not ‘stab me in my sleep?’”

  Well, I can prove this one to be true. A crossbow forms in my hand and I pull the trigger. The arrow is pointed right at Dagda and I will admit to having some degree of satisfaction that there is fear in his eyes even if it is just for one second.

  He never had anything to worry about. Before the arrow even left the crossbow, Xandra had thrown up a wall protecting him and his guards from harm. Unfortunately, the only one in the room amused by my actions is me. Oh well. I can live with that.

  Apparently, Dagda’s guards cannot. They come around his chair in one motion with eyes only for me. Except they cannot get to me because they are surrounded by a wall of magic. One of them does not realize this and walks right into it. Ouch. That had to of hurt. There is a little bit of blood dribble from his nose and his eyes are watering just a tiny bit.

  Smug smile firmly in place, I say, “As you can see, her reflexes are lightning fast. If she wanted you dead, she would not need to stab you in the back.”

  Dagda’s eyes are riveted on me. “That was a risky display of her talent. Are you that sure of her, or are you the traitor I once thought?”

  My smile falls from my face as I growl. “I am loyal to this realm.”

  Grandmother has remained quiet during these exchanges. Her watchful eyes are taking everything in, but I think she’s curious to see how Xandra handles the situation. From what I can tell she is satisfied thus far. She does not even seem upset with me for the crossbow stunt. That helps calm my temper down.

  With a sigh, Xandra says, “Fine, keep two.” Is she serious? I cannot believe she compromised. I think I am a little disappointed in her for caving. Whichever two he keeps, one of them could be the traitor he likes to accuse me of being.

  “Two?” Dagda says.

  Xandra rolls her eyes as if he asked something inane. “Two guards. They can do twelve hour shifts apiece pretending they could do anything if I really wanted to kill you.”

  Okay, that brightens my mood again and even Kegan cannot hold back a snicker. Mine is louder. That brings Dagda’s attention back to me. But he must be tired of sparring with me. His eyes continue on and land on Alita. If he tries to hurt her, I will stop him. She is one of my oldest friends and he knows that.

  Disdain oozes from his lips as he says, “I know that you lived among Cowans, Xandra. But it is really too much to bring some home.”

  Uh oh. Xandra’s cockles are up now. Even Grandmother sits forward in her chair in preparation for Xandra’s response. An act that does not go unnoticed by Dagda.

  With a considerable amount of restraint, Xandra simply takes his voice away. “Good lord, if all you are going to do is pick, pick, pick, then write me a memo. Because I don’t want to hear it.”

  He tries to say something, but he can’t. In a rage, he stands and rushes towards Xandra. Now it is his nose bleeding. Much more profusely than the guard’s. It has started to drip onto his clothes and the bridge of his nose is already turning purple. No doubt about it. It is definitely broken.

  At the sight of the blood, the guards start throwing their magic at the wall holding them back. They are kicking and shouting. Much of what they are saying is not for the faint of hea
rt. Dagda has pulled his own magic and is pushing with all his might to free himself but to no avail. Xandra is the stronger of the two.

  Ignoring the Fairies who are now calling for her arrest and trial, all except Dagda because he is not stupid, Xandra rises to her feet. Turning to Grandmother, she says, “I’m going to go do a perimeter check. Make sure no one followed him here.” She looks around at the rest of us. “Who wants to come with me?”

  “Would love to,” Kegan says right away.

  Alita is too shy to say anything, but she nods her head. I give Grandmother a questioning look and she nods her head once. Rising from her own chair, she says, “Dagda, you should not push someone whose temper is as short as your own. As they say, like father, like daughter and all that. Once you cool down, I am reasonably sure that Xandra will release you from her hold.” And then she follows us out the door. I believe she is taking great satisfaction in Xandra’s actions. She and Dagda have bickered for years but as High Chancellor, she has to maintain a diplomatic air about her. Xandra does not have that restriction and probably would not hold back even if she did. Politics is definitely out as a career option for her.