by Kimbra Swain
“Go ahead, Grace,” Levi said encouraging me quietly. Levi spoke up at just the right time. I wasn’t alone. My bard had my back.
“This will be a civil discussion. The moment it isn't, we will adjourn and trouble makers will be dealt with accordingly. Secondly, if you have something to say, you may approach the podium to speak, however, if you speak out of turn, you will be removed,” I said. I looked at Levi who nodded. I supposed he would be the enforcer. “Today's topics will be how many council seats, election rules, and election date. Now, one by one, please speak your opinion.”
First to the microphone was peg leg Lamar, the eldest of the Yule Lads. “My Queen, I know my brothers and I want to thank you for your tolerance, considering we caused a lot of trouble here. My suggestion is that we have a census to make sure all fairy factions are represented equally,” he said as the crowd began to murmur.
“I'm not sure that is feasible, Lamar. Many of our kind came here to hide. Not to have their identities recorded,” I rebuffed. I knew I didn't want my name recorded anywhere. “I think it is safe to say that we only have four groups of supernatural. Those are Seelie, Unseelie, Lycan and what I'd call miscellaneous.”
The murmur of the crowd rose as people discussed my distinctions. Lamar sat down as Betty from the diner stood up. “Technically many of us fall under the unseelie category. We could have more representation than the other groups, plus just because we are Unseelie doesn't mean we are wild like some,” she said defiantly.
“No one said anything about being wild,” I replied. “However, I don't see us having more than four seats. No group should be held higher than another, but all groups should be represented.” I felt the tension growing in the room. It was up to me to control it.
Before I could speak again, Deacon Giles joined Betty at the microphone. “This is just another way to alienate those of us who were banished versus those who chose to leave the Otherworld,” he said.
“Some of us don't go smashing witches with our hooves,” the feisty older lady replied referring to an incident on the Winter Solstice where Deacon Giles transformed into Krampus, his monstrous fairy side. He subsequently smashed a human witch that I had frozen solid with his hoof.
“One at a time please. Betty are you finished with your remarks?” I asked calmly. She crossed her arms, sneering at me. It hurt, because I loved Betty and Luther. He looked at her from his seat trying to get her to sit down.
“This ain't over,” she said plopping down next to Luther. Her frustration surprised me. She and I had always been friends. Even before I realized that she was a fairy. My fairy detection skills had developed with the acceptance of my role here in Shady Grove, but I still had issues determining the exact variations. There wasn't a handbook; I asked.
Betty’s frustration was only the tip of the mountain. As they got up and spoke, the crowd became unruly. At one point, Troy Maynard stood up and shushed the crowd, to which an unseen voice yelled, “Sit down, dog!”
At that moment, the back door of the room opened, and Dylan appeared. I hoped the look I gave him made him melt inside. However, relief spread over me that he was here and safe. As the room descended into chaos, he mouthed, “I'm so sorry.”
I stood to my feet pushing power out of my tattoo. As it turned from red and black to silver and blue, my glamour dropped releasing my true self on the room. The temperature dropped as I yelled, “Cease!” The command rocked the room. Several people clasped their hands over their ears, but everyone shut up. My power over the room felt stronger than any other time in this form because they had given me authority over them as their Queen. I hadn’t realized how intoxicating it could be.
Levi stood next to me, watching the crowd. I knew that he could stop me if I lost control. However, his concern was turned toward the crowd. My eyes cut to Dylan who folded his arms and leaned on the back wall. A devilish grin crossed his face. The bastard looked so damn hot doing it, I almost lost focus on the room full of angry fairies.
A short stubby man with ginger hair stood in the back. His brown eyes fixed on me. He waddled into the aisle. Dylan tensed, unfolding his arms. I'd never seen him before today. Nothing about him stood out. Even his reddish hair was a muted tone.
“I propose we limit the power of the Queen. We accepted her in desperation of an obscene need for freedom. Her will could crush us all as we stand here. Surely you felt the wave of power roll over us as she unleashed the command. With respect, you, my Queen, have not earned your station. There are many here with royal blood who would be far better for the position than you,” he spoke wagging his finger at me. His manner drew the attention of everyone in the room.
“Forgive me, Sir. I do not know your name,” I tried diplomacy which I was terrible at in the first place. Thought I’d give it a shot.
“That's another thing. You don't know me. I dare say you don't know half the people in this room. How in the world do you get to be judge and jury when you can't even tell what kind of fairy I am?” he questioned. The mob responded in agreement. Fuck diplomacy.
“I don't see anyone else volunteering for the job,” I replied.
An evil wind passed through me and I shuddered at the coldness of it. Colder than me. Almost colder than my father. The stout man grinned while motioning to the back door. “I present an alternative. A long-standing member of this community who has always had our best interests at heart.”
The back doors slowly opened with no help, and as the raven-haired beauty stepped into the room, my heart sank. “Fuck,” I muttered as Stephanie Davis, Dylan's ex-girlfriend slithered into the room. She stopped to greet people as she made her way to the podium. She stood several inches shorter than me with a thin frame. She was so thin, I wanted to make her a biscuit. With butter. Or better yet, gravy.
Stephanie was a high-born Seelie elf, her skin glistened with an unnatural illumination when she wanted it to which was right now, apparently. Her violet eyes twinkled like stars as she stared at me. Dylan moved to the edge of the room working his way to the front. He didn't step on the platform, but he was within a few steps of it. I didn't know if he was there to prevent me from doing something or if he wanted to confront her.
A seductive smile crossed her face when she saw him. His jaw tightened. I felt Levi move closer to me, and her glare moved to him. She winked at him. Bitch.
She leaned forward showing her cleavage to the room and said, “I declare my cdacy for Queen of the Exiles and Head of the Shady Grove Fairy Council.”
The room erupted. Some protested. Others cheered. She clapped delightfully. I wanted to slap the whore who disrespected Dylan for years by fucking around behind his back. She made delighted faces at all the cheers and the jeers alike. I’ve never wanted to throw down more in my entire life.
“Silence!” I ordered as the power swept over the room. They made me Queen. Until they voted differently, I still held the power.
The room waited to see how I would respond. I looked her in the eye, returned her wink and said, “Good luck.” The crowd erupted again.
Her face looked like she had swigged dill pickle moonshine. Instead of calming the crowd with my voice, I mouthed to her, “Watch this.”
I let the screams and taunts fill the room. Power built up like a spinning top. Arguments started between long-time friends. People shouted across the aisle. Just as I felt it grow to the point where punches might be thrown, I sucked in power from the room.
Dylan’s voice floated through the cacophony, “Grace!”
I shot my hands into the air palms out bending my arms at the elbows with a clear signal to stop. The whole room froze. The floor iced over, snowflakes fell inside, and the windows crackled with the sudden temperature change. Once again, all eyes were on me.
“There will be four council seats. One representing each group I mentioned. Election rules will be posted tomorrow, here at the community center. All fairies are allowed to vote for every seat, not just their representative. Nominations are due tomor
row. You must have a petition of twenty signatures to nominate yourself for office. The election will be held in two weeks. Any objections?” I paused watching the room stare at me.
The dumpy man spoke, “And what about Stephanie’s challenge?”
Pulling darkness from deep within I stared at her coldly. She realized that I was serious about my commitment to these people. Perhaps she remembered me as the flippant woman in the trailer park. It didn't matter. I wasn't that woman anymore. I didn't smile. No sarcastic remark or quip. I simply said, “Challenge accepted.”
Turning on my heel, my eyes met Dylan's. His blue eyes twinkled with amusement, but darkened when he saw my face. I'd pulled deeper into Gloriana’s power than I ever had. I'm sure it showed outwardly. I needed Stephanie to know that I wasn't a pushover, and that even though I'd made a comfortable life here, I knew how to fight. I would fight her for what was mine. The silence ended, but the roar of voices was muted.
As I reached the edge of the platform, Dylan offered his hand to me. I hesitated. Even though he made me worry, I knew that he was mine. Taking his hand, I squeezed, fighting the urge to rip it off and beat him with it. The time had come to tuck the evil fairy queen away.
He leaned into my ear, “I know you are pissed, but you are so hot when you are mad.” I elbowed him, and he laughed.
“Don't test me right now. Surely you feel the power I just dipped into. Do you want to try your luck? Be my guest, sweetheart,” I sneered, with a smile on my face like only a southern woman can do properly.
“As long as there is angry sex involved, yes,” he snickered. The comment stopped me in my tracks. I grimaced, because no matter how mad I was at him, angry sex sounded good. He took the grimace to mean that I’d met my limit of his humor instead of how incredibly turned on it made me. “Okay. Okay. Let's go.”
We walked out hand in hand like a happy little couple. I'd seen many elections over the years where the dutiful spouse stood by their mate. I didn't want Dylan standing by me to be a show. I wanted our partnership to be real. He just better have a damn good explanation for worrying me to death. Especially with this meeting. I knew it would be important, but I could have never predicted a challenge to my claim.
We greeted friends on the way out of the center. Nestor hugged me. “It will be okay. Come have some coffee.”
“Thanks, Nestor, but Dylan and I need to talk,” I replied. He looked alarmed, but nodded.
“Leave Winnie with us tonight. We will take her to school in the morning,” he offered.
“Thank you, Nestor,” I said.
We walked into the cool night, and the sounds of the room were muted. “Do you want to ride home with me?” Dylan asked carefully.
“I need to take Levi to his bike. Will you follow?” I asked trying not to sound pissed.
“Yeah, sure,” he said, then hugged me. The warmth if his arms melted all the anger inside me. He kissed me on the forehead.
Pulling away, I realized that Levi had claimed the driver’s seat of the truck. I shook my head at him. “Someone doesn't mind provoking you,” Dylan smirked.
“Yeah, he knows I can't hurt him. Not really,” I replied as Levi started the truck. He hadn't looked at us, but I could see the edges of a smile form on his face. It hit me what he was doing. “Levi Rearden!”
He shifted the truck into gear, leaving me behind. Dylan tried not to laugh, but he couldn't help it.
“I guess I owe him one now,” he said.
“You already kissed him once,” I smirked.
Dylan’s face turned red remembering the accidental kiss while under an enthrallment spell. It was my favorite piece of ammo against Mr. Sandy Hair. I deployed it at the least expected moments, and he always blushed.
“I’d probably get further with him tonight than you,” he tried to joke back.
“Take me home, Dylan,” I said, ignoring his jest.
“Yes, my Queen,” he groaned.
To be honest, I wasn’t in the mood for Dylan’s nonsense tonight. The ride back to the house was quiet. We should have picked up Winnie on the way home, but Nestor insisted that she stay with him and Mable. If she was with us, I could count on her to dominate the conversation. Otherwise, the ride was silent and uncomfortable. I knew if I said anything it would be taken wrong. Therefore, I waited on him to explain when he was ready. Fuck that.
“I needed you there with me,” I said.
“I know,” he said simply.
“That’s all you have? I know?”
“When we get home, I will explain,” he muttered.
Once we were home, he stopped in the kitchen. Taking out two cans of orange soda, he waved one at me. I definitely needed one. Actually, I needed more than orange soda, but it would have to do. I took several burning sips when he started to talk.
“Grace, I took Misaki to the motel, then remembered a contact I have that lives up on Parson’s Ridge. I drove up there to talk to him about the kitsune. I lost track of time,” he said. “It’s not a good excuse. However, you didn’t need me. You owned that room. You dipped into power that I didn’t know you could control.” Parson’s Ridge was at least a forty-five-minute drive. He’d spent an hour and half on the road, leaving plenty of time that he needed to give an account.
“One thing at a time, so I don’t lose my shit here,” I said. “What contact?”
“Mr. Takahashi is from Japan. Like old Japan. When I got to his house, he invited me in, but I had to go through the traditional rituals to respect him and his home. I took off my shoes, waiting while he made tea. We drank tea, and then, and only then was I allowed to ask questions,” he explained. “He said a kitsune can be very dangerous or harmless. However, he also said there are demons out there that will pose as a kitsune to draw attention. To be honest, I’m not sure that Misaki is a kitsune.”
“What about the demon chasing her and needing to mate?” I asked, because the information was interesting. Also, the conversation was allowing my anger to settle.
“He said that it’s possible, but it could very easily be a lie. But when it comes to an Oni, they are always evil. Misaki said they weren’t,” he said.
“So, you actually learned nothing,” I replied. “We are still in the same spot as before you left me alone to the wolves.”
“Grace, I never intended to stay gone that long. Once I was in his house, it would have been rude to leave. Besides, you had that handled,” he said.
“Until your fucking ex-girlfriend crawled in,” I spouted. Nope, the anger simmered instead of settled.
“I was as shocked as you were,” he said. “Everyone in this town knows that she’s a whore. There is no way she would ever beat you for the job. Besides, she only wants it because you claimed it and me.”
“Mostly you,” I said.
“Probably,” he replied.
“I can unclaim you,” I spouted.
“Grace, you can unclaim me all you want, but my heart is and will always be yours,” he said.
“Don’t fucking say sweet shit like that when I’m mad,” I steamed.
“Why? Cause you can’t handle it?” he teased.
“Dylan Riggs! I’m warning you,” I said feeling a smile working its way to my face. I couldn’t give in now. I had an argument to make. I was right, damn it!
“What are you going to do? Go sleep in the trailer with no bed?” he said.
“There is a bed there now. Levi’s furniture arrived today. I’m sure he’d be happy to share,” I said.
He sobered. Walking to me, I had no defense from him. I wanted to melt into his arms. I wanted to forget being the Queen of the Exiles. At this point, I never wanted to step foot in town again. “Don’t threaten me with Levi. I know you don’t mean it. You are upset about everything that happened tonight. I was wrong not to be there,” he said, wrapping his arms around me.
I tensed. “You said that you would be right back,” I started to sob.
“Yes, I know.”
“You could hav
e called or something,” I said, as he traced a finger down my cheek.
“Yes, I should have,” he admitted.
“Damn it,” I said, pulling his mouth to mine. I kissed him furiously. “Don’t do it ever again.” I tried sounding tough, but it was a whimper at best.
“Yes, my Queen,” he said.
“And quit fucking calling me that,” I said.
“Forgive me, Grace. Please. I want to make love to you. This mad fairy shit is driving me wild,” he purred.
“No,” I said defiantly, but it was a losing battle with his lips sucking on my neck. “Stop that. All I need is trying to run for office with a hickie on my neck.”
“You claimed me, so I get to claim you,” he countered.
“There are better places to suck,” I supplied.
“Oh, that’s it,” he said picking me up like carrying a bride over a threshold to his bedroom. Our bedroom.
I woke up feeling his warm body next to mine. His heavy breathing indicated that he was still sleeping. Angry sex was fantastic, but I was exhausted after fighting him for control in the bed. We needed to do it more often. It wasn’t long before he stirred. It was like he didn’t miss a beat.
“How are you controlling that dark power now?” he asked.
I sighed. “I dunno. I think it’s just a willpower kind of thing. You know, I just go on instinct. Instead of it taking over me, I demanded it to work in my favor. However, I may have frightened quite a few people.”
“It was strong. They all obeyed you with just a hand gesture,” he said.
“That wasn’t my power. That’s the power they gave me when we stood in the Grove on that Sunday last year, and Matthew Rayburn proclaimed me as the Queen of the Exiles. I’ve always felt it there, but never used it.”
“You were afraid to use it,” he said.
