by Amy Sumida
We all looked at him with shock and horror.
“For his mouth.” Trevor smirked.
Everyone laughed, including Lesya.
“I heard that!” Re called out.
Once they were presentable, Lesya included, we headed down to the tracing chamber and traced over to Faerie. We stepped out of the Aether to find Arach waiting for us in the turn about in front of the Great Tree; arms crossed as he leaned nonchalantly against our royal carriage. He perked up when he saw me.
“Here she is.” I held Lesya up to meet her uncle. “Lesya, this is your Uncle Arach.”
Arach's sharp, dragon features softened, and Lesya gave him one of her sweet giggles. He laughed with her, his eyes glowing in delight, and reached out to hold her. Lesya went into Arach's arms eagerly, but then the little lioness went suddenly still, staring up at the Dragon King as if she sensed the predator in him. Her eyes went wide–blink, blink–then she tapped him on the nose like a bird rapping on a windowpane–tap, tap. Arach laughed and looked up at me.
“I believe I've just been knighted,” he said.
“We've come to the conclusion that she's inherited Vervain's sense of humor,” Trevor noted dryly. “Everything is a joke.”
“She's lovely,” Arach announced, “a true beauty, just like her mother.”
“Aw, that's sweet,” I said. “Thank you.”
“I'm looking forward to when we have Samara,” Arach whispered. “How lovely it is to hold a little girl.”
“Cool your horses,” Trevor growled, “Kirill already jumped the line with Lesya. My son comes next.”
“Maybe I shouldn't have told all of you the order in which our children were born–will be born–whatever,” I huffed.
“I need no more children,” Kirill declared as he took Lesya back from Arach. “As ze J-man's people say; my cup runneth over.”
Arach gave Kirill a long look, then nodded slowly. “It does indeed, my friend. As does mine”–Arach smirked–“but for a dragon, that only means that we need to drink faster... or get a bigger cup.”
The men chuckled, Lesya giggled, and I scowled at them all.
“Oh, sure, easy for you guys to say,” I snapped, “you don't have to go through childbirth. And so far, both of my births have been exceptionally difficult.”
They looked properly chastised.
“Shall we return to Aithinne and introduce the siblings?” Arach offered. “I left Brevyn and Rian with Isleen; they were too excited to meet their sister, and I didn't want to deal with that exuberance in the carriage.”
“The boys can be a handful when they're eager,” I agreed. “They get that from their father.”
The men gave me an assortment of cynical and beleaguered expressions.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Cries of “Uncle Trev-or!”, “Uncle Key-ree!”, “Uncle Az-rel!”, “Uncle Oh-din!”, and “Re-Re-Re!” rang out in the nursery. The boys loved their uncles. And they weren't the only ones. Roarke had shown up with Hunter while we were gone, taking over for Isleen, and Hunter was just as thrilled to see our visitors.
“Why don't I get the title of 'uncle'?” Re asked Rian.
“It's more fun to say 'Re-Re-Re'!” Rian exclaimed.
“You are definitely your mother's son.” Re grimaced.
Dexter went over to Re and leaned against his leg. Re brightened, literally, and crouched down to pet my nurial.
“At least you love me,” he said to Dexter.
Dexter looked back at me to make sure that this was okay. When I nodded, he leaned his head into Re's hands, his large ears flopping under Re's fingers and his fox-like face shifting into an expression of adoration. Dex was very dog-like when it came to attention. Basically; if you showed him any, he loved you.
“Oh, she's a beauty, V,” Roarke said when the boys had settled down. “Maybe Anna and I should try for another kitten.”
Hunter hissed.
“Now, Son,” Roarke chided. “You do not get to be the center of attention forever.”
Hunter gave his father a disbelieving look and then rolled his eyes for good measure.
“Lay-lay!” Brevyn reached for his little sister.
Lesya's giggling turned into full out laughter, and she started to squirm. Odin, who was holding Brevyn, brought him over to us, and Brev laid his palms to his sister's cheeks. They stared at each other for a moment, and then both of them burst out laughing again.
“What's so funny, Brevyn?” I asked him.
We were all gathered around the children, smiling at their contagious joy.
“Lay-lay is a birdie!” Brevyn declared.
All of us adults looked at each other in perplexed surprise. Where the hell had that come from?
“She's a kitty,” I corrected him, “but close.”
“Close?” Kirill laughed.
“He's a child, and he's trying, just go with it,” I muttered under my breath.
“No, she's a birdie,” Brevyn insisted.
Lesya giggled more.
“Okay, then,” I said indulgently, “she can be a birdie.”
“But Uncle Key-ree is a kitty,” Brevyn said for clarification.
Kirill gave me an annoyed look for starting the “kitty” thing. I just shrugged.
“I am a lion,” Kirill corrected Brevyn gently.
“Lion!” Hunter roared.
“His name is 'Uncle Kirill'; Key-rill,” Rian sounded it out for his brother, in the way that people do when a foreigner can't understand their language. “And our sister's name is Lay-sha.”
“Key-ree and Lay-lay!” Brevyn exclaimed.
Rian rolled his eyes, and Hunter laughed.
“It's like watching you and Arach together,” Roarke noted with a smirk.
“Or Odin and me,” I added.
“I'd like to think that I'm a bit more laid back than Arach,” Odin huffed.
“I can lay back.” Arach scowled. “What's so hard about that?”
Roarke snickered until Arach glowered him into silence.
“He means that he's more casual about things, less uptight,” I explained.
“I am not up tight,” Arach declared. “I don't believe I know what that means either, but I'm certain that I don't like the sound of it.”
We chuckled, and Arach's face shifted into the same expression that Rian wore. Since Arach was holding Rian, this was especially evident. I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing harder. Neither of them would appreciate my humor.
“I want to hold Lesya!” Rian announced and held his arms out toward her imperiously.
Yep, he was his father's son.
“Okay, but you have to let Mommy help you,” I said reasonably.
I went to sit in the rocking chair, and Arach put Rian on my lap. He shifted eagerly as I moved Lesya into his arms. Rian's little hands touched Lesya's face, and she cocked her head at him, blue eyes blinking up at him.
“She smells strange,” Rian announced.
“That's her lion smell,” I explained. “It's called 'musk.' You have a smell similar to it.”
“I don't like it. It doesn't smell like lion.” Rian scowled in confusion. “Or dragon.”
“Sure she does,” I insisted.
Hunter, who had crept up beside us, in the way of cats, took a deep whiff and hissed.
“Hunter!” Roarke declared, but his son was already running out of the room. “Sorry, V, I don't know what got into him.”
Roarke went running after his son, and I watched him go with a horrible sinking feeling. I was having deja vu.
Slowly, I bent my head and took a long sniff of Lesya. The unmistakable scent of feathers hit my nose. I pulled away in surprise, my nose wrinkling at the unexpected odor.
“How strange,” I said. “Her scent has shifted. I swear, she didn't smell like this before.”
“Vhat do you mean 'shifted?'” Kirill crouched before us and sniffed Lesya. He scowled deeply and looked up to meet my stare. “Zat is odd. She smells
fowl.”
“That's a horrid thing to say about your daughter,” Re huffed.
“No, fowl–like bird,” Kirill growled. “Lesya's scent is of feathers instead of fur.”
“Maybe she has a little of me in here,” Azrael suggested hopefully.
“A child with multiple fathers?” Arach scoffed.
“Why not?” I looked pointedly at our sons. “We have sons with multiple souls.”
“All right, point taken,” Arach huffed. “I but I still don't think it's plausible.”
Lesya giggled.
“Me, now!” Brevyn held his arms out.
“I think that you may be a little too–” Arach started, but I cut him off with a look. “Oh, all right then.”
“I'm not done,” Rian said.
“Rian!” Brevyn cried.
“Okay.” Rian sighed in a put-out manner. “I'll share her with you. Come here, Brev.”
I met Odin's gaze above the children's heads, and we shared a laughing look. He brought Brevyn over and helped sit him on my other knee, angling Lesya so that she was across both of their laps. Kirill came up behind me to supervise, laying his hands on my shoulders. I had a moment of pure bliss as I stared down at my children; all together in my arms.
I looked over to Arach and jerked my head, indicating that he should join us. He smiled brightly and came over to stand beside us, one of his hands coming to rest on Rian's back. The rest of the men circled our front, Dexter easing around our feet, and my happiness went up even further. Ah, if only Vidar and Vali were there, then all of my children and all of their fathers would be together.
My magical moment was ruined by the High King of Faerie.
“My King and Queen,” Isleen said as she came into the nursery. “The High King is mirroring you.”
“I'll handle it,” Arach offered as he headed out of the room.
I watched him depart with curiosity and a little concern, but then my babies started laughing and bouncing, and I had to grab hold of them before we had utter chaos.
See? You didn't need your star to find her.
“Faerie,” I growled.
Rian and Brevyn both exclaimed, “Faerie!”
Your daughter is safe and also quite lovely, Faerie said. Don't be angry with me; I didn't make the rules. And hello, my darling princes, you're both looking handsome today.
The boys laughed at her praise.
“Then who made these stupid rules?” I asked her.
The magic, it's always the magic, Vervain.
“Of course it is.” I rolled my eyes.
You cannot rely on the star to fix all of your problems, she chided. You have other magics you should be using for that. The star is a last resort.
“As it turns out, no, I didn't have other magics for that,” I muttered.
You absolutely did; in the form of your lovers and your friends. Recall, if you will, how all of your men have been led to you for a reason. Everything is as it should be. Rejoice in that... find peace in it.
“I do, but it was no thanks to you,” I snapped.
My children started frowning, so I gentled my tone.
“Now, why don't you buzz off, Faerie?”
“Buzzzzz!” Brevyn cried in delight. “Lay-lay's a birdie, Uncel Key-ree's a kitty, and Faerie's a bee! Buzzzz buzzz.”
Then you don't want to know why the High King is mirroring the King of Fire? And I am not a bee, Brevyn, she said patiently.
“I'm sure that Arach will tell me when he returns.”
Will he, now? Faerie sounded smug. We shall see about that.
“You know, you can be a real B-I-T-C-H, Faerie,” I said calmly.
“Bee!” Rian took up his brother's cause. “Faerie's a bee.”
“Yep, that's right,” I said to Rian. “Faerie is a capital B.”
Trevor, Odin, and Azrael nearly hurt themselves laughing so damn hard. Kirill just smirked.
That was very petty, Vervain. Then she said to my boys, Children, do not repeat the things that your mother says.
“B!” Brevyn shouted. “Cap'tal B!”
“Nice try, B.” I smirked.
Arach came into the room before Faerie could respond. He looked a little tense, but his expression was carefully blank. I narrowed my stare on him as he walked over.
“What did the High King want?” I asked him casually.
“Nothing that I'm willing to give him,” Arach said vaguely.
“Elaborate.”
“Never mind, A Thaisce,” Arach evaded, “just enjoy your time with our children.”
“Is everything all right?” Odin asked.
“It's fine,” Arach stated firmly. “It's faerie business, and it has been handled.”
“My King,” Isleen was at the door again. “Since we are not adding our numbers, I wish to go on my own. May I have your permission?”
Arach sent her a scathing look, and she flinched.
“Go where, Isleen?” I asked her innocently. “What numbers?”
Isleen looked from Arach to me, and back, obviously conflicted.
“Then go!” Arach snapped at her.
Isleen ran off.
“Take Lesya, please,” I said to Kirill.
He took her carefully from me.
“Odin.” I handed him Brevyn and then slid Rian down to the floor.
“Mommy,” Rian tugged on my skirt, looking back and forth between Arach and me in concern.
“Hold on, honey,” I said to Rian as I kept my stare on his father. “I need to talk to Daddy for a second.”
“We're not going,” Arach said resolutely.
“Going where?” I asked sweetly. “You wanna start with that?”
Told you.
“Shut up, Faerie!”
Arach groaned. “Please stay out of this, Faerie.”
She has a right to know, Fire King.
“She's my wife, and I'll protect her as I see fit,” Arach snarled. “Do not interfere in our marriage, Faerie!”
“If this is about protecting Vervain,” Azrael inserted, “then you can count all of us in, Arach.”
“Excellent,” Arach noted. He stared at my other men, and then finally added, “There is a war happening in the God Realm, one that our wife does not need to be a part of. She will remain out of it. I've had enough of her fighting other people's wars for them. Not this time.”
“A war?” I growled. “Where?”
“Mommy,” Brevyn whispered in fear.
Dexter whimpered.
My heart stuttered, and I looked at my son in horror. Brevyn's tone sounded so much like Lesya's had in the Dream Realm, that it gave me the shivers.
“What's wrong, Brev? What's going to happen?” I asked him.
“Bad things,” Brevyn said. “Bad things happen now.”
“See?” Arach waved a hand toward Brevyn. “Our psychic son is telling you not to go.”
“I think I'd like to know where it is that I'm not going,” I growled at Arach.
“Don't fight!” Rian shouted.
“We're not fighting,” I said soothingly. “I'm just trying to get your father to tell me a secret.” I shifted my glare to Arach. “Which he had better do–right now.”
“Tara,” Arach said grudgingly. “All right? They're fighting in Tara. But you're not going, Vervain. I'm putting my fist down!”
“'Foot,' man,” Trevor whispered to Arach. “The saying is 'I'm putting my foot down.'”
“Fist makes more sense,” Arach argued.
“Yeah, maybe,” Trevor agreed. “Doesn't change the saying, though.”
Arach sighed. “Why must English be so difficult?”
“They like it that way,” Odin said.
Arach made an expression of morose agreement; no doubt lamenting our language.
“If you're all quite done bashing the English language, I'd like to know why this war in Tara concerns the High King,” I growled at Arach and settled an intense stare on him. “Was Lugh able to get his mother to safety
?”
“He was not.” Arach sighed. “Lugh went to Tara in an attempt to convince Ethniu to leave, and the Tuatha dé Danann attacked before he could trace her away. Ethniu refuses to leave her people during a war, and Lugh refuses to leave his mother. Instead, he mirrored King Cian to request assistance.”
“And King Cian mirrored you to ask for our assistance,” I added.
“And I refused,” Arach confirmed.
“You can do that?” I asked. “Refuse the order of the High King?”
“It wasn't an order,” Arach explained. “King Cian said that you made a bargain with Lugh. Something about you trying to negotiate with the Tuatha dé Danann on Lugh's behalf. Lugh promised that if you agreed to speak to the Tuatha, neither you nor the Fire Kingdom, would be commanded to participate in any war that followed.”
“Right,” I whispered. “He did make me that promise.”
“That was very wise of you, A Thaisce,” Arach said approvingly. “The High King is honoring Lugh's bargain, and I expect you to abide by it as well. There is no sense in making such a deal if you don't intend to benefit from it.”
“Then why did King Cian mirror you?” I asked. “If he's honoring this bargain, why did he ask us to join?”
“Because even though Lugh promised that you wouldn't be commanded to fight, you can override the vow if you agree to join the battle of your own volition,” Arach muttered.
“So, King Cian can still ask,” I noted.
“And I can still refuse.” Arach nodded.
“Told you.” Trevor smirked.
My face went slack as I realized what Trevor was referring to. We had pondered this very situation, and here was our answer.
“Love can stop a dragon from fighting,” I whispered in wonder as I stared at my dragon king. “Wow.”
“Of course it can!” Arach exclaimed. “I've learned my lesson from that bleak future you altered. I will never put you or our children in jeopardy again. Not merely to assuage my dragon's desire for domination. That's foolish and selfish.”
“But it's Lugh,” I reasoned. “The High King's long lost son. Don't you want to help him?”
“No,” Arach said firmly. “Because I have my own sons to think about now and their mother. I love all of you too much; more than blood, or victory, or even loyalty to the High King of Faerie. I won't risk you for Lugh, not in a war that has nothing to do with you.”
