Credo Quia Absurdum

by Sophie Martin

  “Shit!” Tim felt his knees weaken, and he sat in the chair heavily. Joel patted him on the shoulder reassuringly but said nothing.

  “So, I guess you don’t know about the prophecy, either?”

  “Which prophecy? You know there are several of them, which haven’t been fulfilled yet.”

  “The one about the impossible match?”

  “Um, no, nothing comes to mind, why?”

  “Because it could have something to do with what’s happening to pixies in the kingdom.”

  “I don’t understand.” Toren shook his head. “How can a prophecy be linked to disappearing pixies?”

  “Because someone might want to prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled.”

  “Timiny, you’re not making any sense. Can you explain it to me?” Tim saw his brother’s frustration and sighed loudly. He looked around and saw Jim’s confusion, Dominic’s frown, and finally Joel’s understanding and encouraging expression. He closed his eyes briefly and gathered his thoughts.

  “It all began way before the Great Purge, and no, it wasn’t some civil war. It was basically a genocide, the victims of which were pixies. Before the purge, fey were led by pixies of royal blood. It was less about their origin and more about their inner light. See, pixies before the Great Purge had a much stronger inner light than other fey. Some of them even possessed something called royal light. Their true form had the power to affect other fey. The Royal Family was known for being able to subdue whole armies by simply releasing their true self. As you can imagine, there were those who hated and feared this power. That’s why the whole Royal Family was murdered in their sleep. The only survivor was our great uncle, who wasn’t a pixie. After the usurpers put him on the throne, they started killing off all the pixies with Royal Form. The killings went into the history as the Great Purge. During this horrible time, there was a prophet. Before he was killed in the purge for being a pixie supporter, he had a prophetic vision. It spoke about a time when the royal pixies would return.”

  “You know the prophecy, don’t you? You always know all this stuff,” Jim said in a small voice, and Tim loathed seeing his twin’s reaction. He knew he shouldn’t have shared it with Jim. His sweet brother was too good of a person to hear about all the atrocities the fey used to commit.

  “Yes, I do know it, Cricket, and that’s why I think the whole kidnapping and paranormal trafficking mess might be connected to it. It almost seems as if someone wants to prevent the prophecy from ever being fulfilled.”

  “Well”—Toren never had problems asking for what he wanted—”don’t keep us waiting. Tell us the prophecy.” Tim could easily read his older brother. The bigger fey desperately wanted it all to not be true. He couldn’t bear the thought of not being able to protect those closest to him. In this case, his younger brothers.

  “The prophecy states, ‘When all the anguish is forgotten, the wrong becomes the norm. In the unlikeliest of all times, there will come hope. The bearer of Royal Form will be born, and they will bring forth the power of pixies. But for this to be done, the most impossible choice must be made. For impossible is certain, when the chaos reigns.’” Tim let his voice drift away.

  “It is very obscure,” Joel stated.

  “You’re right. As with most prophecies, it can mean anything or nothing. The only thing clear about this prophecy is the statement that pixie’s true form will come back. This is the main message of the whole prophecy.” Tim paused and let the others come to the same conclusions he did.

  “So you think whoever is behind the disappearances wants to prevent pixies from ever reaching their true potential and manifesting pixie’s true form?” To Tim’s surprise, it was Toren who caught on with his suspicions.

  “Yes, and what easier way of getting rid of all the pixies than by selling them to the highest bidder? Since paranormals in human world already know what so-called ‘fairy dust’ can do for them, there’s nothing easier than selling the kidnapped pixie to them.” Tim’s stomach rolled at the mere thought of other pixies suffering the same fate he had.

  “But that would mean whoever is behind it knows about the prophecy and believes in it,” Toren said, and it was clear the thought seemed unbelievable to him.

  “Is it so surprising people hate those different than them?” Tim asked. “Both you and our parents might have treated us as equals, but not everyone shares the same view, and still you are so overprotective of us, simply because we are pixies. You see us as weaker than other fey. Did you know that in old times, the Royal Family had been known to be the most vicious fighters on the battlefield? They would do anything to protect their loved ones, and I mean anything. Even without using the advantage of their true form, they were deadly in a battle.

  “Do you understand? The pixies were the most feared, the most vicious warriors of all, brother. They weren’t seen as weak, not before the purge. We pixies have a huge potential, and yet you all underestimate us. If this person, whoever it is, knows about all this, then they might be afraid of pixies’ return. What would happen if those that are being abused suddenly grew powerful enough to crush their abusers?”

  “Oh gods, you truly believe it, don’t you?” Toren sounded horrified. “You believe in all this stuff. But how come you know all about it and neither I nor our parents ever heard about it? It cannot be in official teachings. We all received the same education by the best teachers in the kingdom. They’ve taught the Royal Family for generations now.”

  “That’s not true,” Jim’s quiet voice interrupted whatever else Toren had to say. “We did get the same education, but Timmy had Sigurd.”

  “What?” Toren didn’t understand.

  “Timmy had his tutor, Sigurd. Our parents hired him when Timmy would complain that the other teachers were boring and he already knew what they were teaching him.”

  “Sigurd? You mean that gangly kid that helped you with your lessons?” Toren asked, stunned when Tim barked in laughter. The pixie laughed so hard that tears were running down his cheeks in rivulets. He couldn’t stop. Jim became concerned and approached his twin, putting a hand on his shoulder.

  “Timmy, are you okay? What is it?” Only the obvious worry in his twin brother’s voice helped Tim to calm down. He finally straightened from where he crouched, holding his belly, and wiped the tears from his eyes.

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m okay, Cricket. You don’t have to worry. It’s just a reaction to what Toren said.”

  “What was so hilarious about my words?” Toren became offended.”

  “Oh, boy, you’ve got no idea, do you?” Tim paused then explained. “Sigurd is older than our parents. He was born before the purge started, and he witnessed it all. He’s also a skilled fighter. He looks unimposing because he had to learn to blend in well to survive.”

  “You’re shitting me.” It was a statement. “That skinny guy cannot be older than two hundred, or two hundred and fifty.”

  Tim only shook his head. “I tell you, he’s way older than that.”

  “You…you’re serious, aren’t you?” The older fey became anxious and unsure. Tim had never seen his brother like this. He always seemed so composed, so in charge. Tim sobered.

  “I’m telling you the truth. I stumbled upon the history of pixies in the archives one day. I wouldn’t let it go, so Sigurd told me the truth. He didn’t want me running around asking questions. He knew people responsible for the Purge were still alive. If someone caught a whiff of my interests, I could have been eliminated. These people don’t play around.”

  “Fuck!” Dominic, who was mostly silent during the whole conversation, exclaimed. “We need to tell Jason. If this is all connected, then he needs to know. It seems we’re up against a much more difficult enemy than we could ever suspect.”

  “Yes, I agree. While I don’t think these are the same people, they might be indirectly involved. I’ll check up with Ty,” Tim said, turning to leave the apartment. A hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to see his older brother with t
ears in his eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” Toren said in a near-whisper. “I never knew about any of that, I swear to you. I simply accepted what the teachers told me, never tried to investigate it further. They said pixies were frail, weak creatures unable to survive without a strong mate, and I believed them. That’s why I tried to protect you as much as I could.” Toren’s voice shook as he said so. Tim turned fully and embraced his brother.

  “It’s okay, brother,” he said softly. “There is some truth in these teachings. Pixies only gain their second form when they find their true mate. Before we come into that power, we really are weaker than other fey. It is our True Pixie Form that allows us to access the very source of our magic, so you were right, in a way. We are weaker, and in some ways cannot defend ourselves. All the pixies now are like this. Since our Royal Form ceased, we are what the public portrays us to be—weaklings.”

  “No, you’re not,” Toren protested, pushing him at an arm’s length and looking him deep in the eyes. “You and Jim are strong, smart, and capable individuals. From what Jim told me, you survived a horrible situation and came out on top of it. You didn’t give up when everything seemed lost. You kept fighting. It takes a strong person to do so. I admire your strength and courage. Right now, you might not possess the strongest magic, but you have strength of character, and that is what matters most.”

  “Thank you.” This time it was Tim who had tears in his eyes.

  “It’s the truth.” Toren smiled then patted Tim’s shoulder. “Go on, call your Alpha. I can’t wait to meet the guy who helped save my brother. Jim cannot stop talking about him and your other friends.”

  “Yeah, Jason is… Well, he’s something else. It’s hard to describe. You have to meet him to experience what he is.”

  “Ooo-kay,” Toren drawled and stepped back.

  “Yeah…” Tim hesitated then turned on his heel and left. He had a phone call to make and some things to mull over in his head. And maybe, just maybe, a human to make out with.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jack was, like always, very efficient in organising the meeting. Efficiency seemed to be one of his most prominent features. It had to have something to do with him being a teacher. All the fey brothers, along with Dominic, arrived at Jason’s house first. They thought they should brief the Alpha on the situation first before sharing it with other pack members. Toren’s first reaction to Jason was…nonexistent. He was very skilled in politics and diplomacy, so it was easy for him to hide his shock and uneasiness at the man’s appearance.

  Jason was, like often in difficult situations, emotionless. Toren, prepared by his brothers, managed to be polite and friendly. It helped that he felt the man’s power almost radiating from him. The fey was also outgoing when it came to the Alpha’s mates. He was charming with Toby and made the man giggle when he bowed low in greeting, but most hilarious was Ty’s interaction with the royal fey.

  “Who the fuck is this little Lord Fauntleroy?” The tiger snickered as he entered the room to see Toren bowing to Toby. Fortunately, Toren didn’t hear it, but Tim had to hide his grin. His older brother had no idea how to react to the strange man, and Timiny wasn’t surprised. There was rarely a person who knew how to treat the odd tiger. Ty was, simply stating, unpredictable.

  After they caught Jason and his mates up on their findings, the other pack members started arriving. Once everyone beside Joel was there, Toren stood up and took a place in the front of the room. He spoke with Jason, and had the man’s blessing to conduct an experiment. Toren was worried that if the fey were truly involved in whatever was happening in the human world, the pack members, and in turn, Toren’s brothers, might be in danger. He feared some pack members could be affected by fey’s true form and made to betray their pack.

  While Jason assured him that it wouldn’t happen and that all the pack members gathered in the house would be able to resist any fey’s true form, Toren wanted to check it for himself. It was his brothers’ safety on the line after all. He cleared his throat to gain everyone’s attention, and once they quieted down, he spoke.

  “Hello, everyone. I am Toren, Jim and Tim’s brother. I came here with a visit from the fey world to ensure my brothers’ safety. Since I learned they’d joined a pack, I’ve got something to ask of you all. I need to make sure that you can resist the allure of fey’s true form. I need my brothers protected, and since you’re the pack they technically joined, I need to know that you won’t be affected by a fey with ill intentions trying to use their inner light to get you to do whatever they want you to.”

  “Okay, I understand that.” Tyler nodded and looked at his two men and the rest of their newly formed pack for confirmation. Everyone beside Jason gave their nods of agreement. Jason was still in what everyone had started calling “serial killer mode,” cold and detached like a stone statue. Timiny admired Ty and Toby for being able to deal with all that. It couldn’t have been easy, seeing your loved one become a sort of a soulless machine, even if for a short time.

  “Okay now, I need you all to remember, as part of a royal family and next in line to the throne, my inner light is pretty powerful, so don’t worry if it affects you. There probably isn’t another fey, besides my father, with inner light as strong. If there ever is an incident of fey trying to use their true form against you, the effect will definitely not be as strong as what you’ll feel now, okay?”

  Again everyone except Jason nodded, and Toren continued. “One more thing. Whatever happens, never, ever let a human see fey’s true form. They have no resistance to it whatsoever and become fey-struck in a span of seconds. It is extremely dangerous to them and might lead to their death.” Everyone looked at Toby at once, and he sighed.

  “I told you, I’m apparently not human. Eric told me that much, but wouldn’t reveal what I was. However, he loves his son and wouldn’t hurt him. It means he won’t let anything happen to me by lying to me. He knows Jason would never forgive him.” Toren still looked doubtful, but Jason decided to speak in that clinical voice he had when in this form.

  “Neither Toby nor anyone here will be affected, I said.” It was all he said, no anger, no annoyance, simple statement of a fact. Toren sighed and Tim could see his brother wasn’t as calm and collected as he tried to seem. It was a big deal to him, showing his inner light to all these strange paranormals, and Jason’s state didn’t help him any. Timiny decided to intervene, but before he could do so, Toren spoke.

  “Fine, but I need to check it for myself, to be sure. It’s my baby brothers and their safety we’re talking about.”

  “Understandable,” was Jason’s answer, and Toren nodded to him in acknowledgement.

  “Good, here it comes,” he said and started the process of bringing his inner light forth. It was always weird for Tim to watch. He knew his brother in either form, but the change was the weird part. Still, he watched the strong light emerge from somewhere deep within Toren and fill his body with an incredible amount of power. It seeped through his skin, making him look…more. More beautiful, more powerful, just more. Tim knew he and Jim weren’t going to be affected. Also, from what Jim said, Dominic was mostly impervious to their inner light as well, so that left everyone else. He looked around, having a good guess that Jason would not be affected even by a nuclear explosion when in serial killer mode, and he was right.

  Timiny’s gaze went from one of the gathered people to another. Tyler looked like he was trying to conceal his awe. The big tiger shifter probably thought it would mess up his image or something stupid like that. He liked to always be the chill one, typical cat that he was.

  Toby was gawking with unrestrained admiration, but he wasn’t rushing to Toren and begging to be allowed to serve him, obvious symptoms of being fey-struck. Instead, Tim’s young friend was whispering to Ty frantically and squeezing Jason’s hand in obvious excitement. He didn’t seem bothered that Jason’s hand was laying limply in his. He was probably used to it by now. Everyone else showed different amounts of awe, Jack s
urprisingly being the most unaffected. The quiet shifter even frowned a little.

  Then, something horrific broke Tim’s attention. A very familiar voice sounded from behind him and Tim didn’t want to believe his ears. He didn’t want to believe what he heard was true.

  “Wow, fuck man, that’s one cool trick you’ve got there,” Joel said from behind everyone else, and all those present in the room turned back almost simultaneously. Well, all beside Jason, but that was to be expected. “What?” the man asked, slightly confused, with every eye in the room focused on him. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “Oh, my god, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I never saw him there!” Toren panicked and hurried to conceal his light but was too nervous to actually succeed. It took concentration and couldn’t be rushed.

  “Hey, man, it’s cool. I know I’m just a lowly human to you, but I know all about the paranormal world and fey. Don’t worry about it.” Joel clearly had no idea what had everyone’s panties in a twist. In that moment, Tim realized why. Joel didn’t understand why Toren panicked, because he wasn’t affected. Impossible. And yet, there it was. A human impervious to being fey-struck. A stray thought ran through Timiny’s head, but he dismissed it as ridiculous.

  “He’s not reacting,” Tim said to himself, confirming what he saw.

  “What?” Toren’s panic subsided slightly, and Tim’s big brother was able to think more clearly. “You’re right, he’s not reacting. He is human, though. How is it possible?”

  “I’ve spoken,” Jason said, and as always every eye turned to him. He was a true Alpha, commanding respect from every pack member and outsiders as well.

  “What do you mean? I don’t understand.” Toren was clearly confused. Suddenly, it was as if a small light went over Toby’s head. The small not-quite-human froze and looked straight at Joel, asking, “Hey, Joel, when did you come into the house?”