Now for my grandfather. “Grandfather,” I say, startling him with the more formal title but he looks pleased. “You will remain King as I said, but I am going to put Gunnar in charge of your mind.”
Now it’s Gunnar who’s startled. “His mind?”
I nod. “Yes. My grandfather has a weak mind by design and easily falls prey to the likes of these two.” I point to the fuming pair of Witches I just kicked out of the Witan. “I would like you to keep track of who he spends time with and if there are any behavioral changes that are concerning. I’ll expect regular reports. I’ll make it possible for you to send them to me in the Fairy realm.”
“And here I thought you didn’t much care for me,” Gunnar says with a weak smile.
“Eh, you’re okay.” That makes him chuckle. “Just remember, I can always do worse than what I did when I first met you.”
“So I have learned,” he says, trying hard not to smile.
“I am also going to suggest that Jadyn stay on here.” That gets several pairs of eyes snapping in my direction. I knew this would be a shock.
“Why in the world would you want that?” Grandpa asks.
“Because the process of developing a treaty with the Skin Walkers will be a lengthy affair and I think having Jadyn stay here will go a long way in proving you are serious about it.” I haven’t asked him if he is serious about it but he doesn’t really have a choice.
“While we’re on the subject of treaties,” I say and Kallen’s eyes widen.
“My love, do you think this is the right time?” he asks.
I shrug. “Probably not but it’ll save me a trip.” To my grandfather, I say, “I plan to send several Fairies here to work on repairing the Witch/Fairy relations. Eventually, I would like Fairies to have the opportunity to visit here.”
“What about us going to the Fairy realm?” Mohana asks, her eyes shooting to Kallen.
I hadn’t thought about that. I shrug. “That seems fair.” Standing up, my body feels like it’s ready to curl up in the corner and fall asleep without my consent. “I’m exhausted as I’m sure you are as well. Gunnar, will you please call in some of your security detail? Enough to help Sylar and Fatin clear out of here, to guard Andrew, and to keep an eye on his replacement?” Gunnar nods, getting his cell phone out of his pocket.
“I will help with the first part,” Kallen says. He’s going to enjoy kicking Fatin out, I’m sure.
“I’m going to talk to Jadyn. I’ll be in our room after that.” It’s implied in my voice that he should hurry up. I want to snuggle with him if nothing else, just so something in this world feels like it isn’t screwed up.
He gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. “I will see you soon.”
It’s easier talking to the Skin Walkers than it was the Witches. Jadyn does all the upfront work. In no time, she has the three of them set up in bedrooms, hers permanent and the others’ temporary, and an itinerary for several meetings with the Witches starting late this afternoon. Plenty of time for everyone to get some sleep.
It takes Kallen longer to finish his task and I’m asleep when he crawls into bed. There is so much I want to talk to him about, but I can’t rouse myself enough to speak. He seems to be okay with that. He pulls me close and holds me while I fall back into a deep sleep, a content smile on my face.
Chapter 30
“Can we go home yet? The food here is terrible.”
“How did you get in here?” I snap at Taz who just gnawed on my toe to wake me up.
I didn’t think it was possible for a Tasmanian devil to look hurt, but he does. “I see you are in a fine mood.” I glare at him as my toe throbs.
“What time is it?” a sleepy Kallen asks me.
“Time for the wanker to get up so we can go home,” Taz says unhelpfully. Kallen throws a pillow at him and he has to jump off the bed to avoid it.
Amused, I ask, “How did you know he insulted you?”
“He gets a certain whine in his snarling when he is unhappy with me.”
“I am always unhappy with him,” Taz mutters from the floor.
I stretch and then curl back into Kallen, laying my head on his chest. “There’s something I need to tell you about my grandfather and Tana.” I feel his body tense underneath and I let out a giggle. I proceed to tell him what she has been doing.
“She was doing that for Dagda and me?” he says in surprise.
I nod. “I guess she is becoming the aunt you remember.”
Massaging my back lightly, Kallen asks, “Are you satisfied with the outcome from last night?”
“Satisfied? I don’t know if that’s the right word. I met another race of beings I didn’t know of before. They’re trying to put their civil unrest aside and work things out with the Witches. I don’t have to stay here to babysit my Grandfather. I guess I’m more relieved than satisfied about that. I’m also tired of being ignorant. I need to put a lot more effort into learning about the different realms and their inhabitants. I can’t go on like this, being surprised and ambushed because I didn’t bother to educate myself.”
Kallen kisses the top of my head. “I will help you learn as much as possible.”
“Sure the wanker will. He’s been a barrelful of information so far.”
“Get out, Taz.” He turns and marches his round little body to the door, grumbling the entire way.
The door is open far enough for him to go back out. It’s also open far enough for Jadyn to poke her head in. She’s embarrassed to find us still in bed. “I’m sorry, I’ll come back later.” She starts to close the door.
“Jadyn, it’s fine,” I say, dragging myself to a sitting position. Kallen does the same.
She pokes her head in again. “I wanted to thank you. You have done so much for the Skin Walkers. For the first time in a thousand years, we will be able to come out of hiding.”
I smile. “No need for thanks. I’m glad it all worked out.”
“I have spoken with your grandfather and I will be staying on to help oversee the treaty negotiations. I know you are responsible for that as well.”
Her gratitude is starting to make me uncomfortable. “I think it’s for the best.”
“I hope you and your friends stay for a few more days. There is so much for you to show them,” Jadyn says, her eyes twinkling with excitement.
I was going back and forth on that before I fell asleep. I would love to show my friends more of this realm. With my teleportation ability, I can bring us anywhere, to all the places I wanted to go growing up. “We should stay a few days at least to make sure things get settled.”
“Wonderful! I’ll let you two get back to sleep now.” She steps back and closes the door.
Kallen flops back onto the pillows dramatically, his arm over his eyes. “A few more days? Are you trying to torture me?”
I giggle and poke him in the ribs. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.” Sobering, I ask, “Did you get Fatin and Sylar out of here?”
He nods. “They each packed a bag and they are to contact Gunnar with an address to ship the rest of their stuff.”
“Did they leave willingly?” I ask.
A dark grin rolls across his mouth. “No.”
I don’t think I want details. Instead, I lean down and kiss him. “Thank you for doing that.”
He pulls me into a hug. “Anything for you, my love.” He’s about to kiss me again when there’s a loud knock on the door.
“Jadyn said you were up,” Kegan says, opening the door and looking suspiciously like he knew that wasn’t true.
Not sounding like he really cares, Kallen asks, “What do you want?”
Kegan smirks at Kallen’s annoyance. “I want to see the world,” he says.
“Huh?” That’s my brilliant contribution to the conversation.
“You’ve settled things here for the most part. Get up and show us this realm of yours.”
I can’t help smiling. I guess it’s decided. We’re going to stay a few extra days. I should
anyway, but it’s easier to stay because I want to show my friends around and not because I have to babysit grown Witches and Skin Walkers. “Give us five minutes,” I say.
When Kegan leaves, I roll away from Kallen and stand up. “I can’t believe they want to stay after everything that’s happened.”
Getting up, Kallen says, “I told you that you were underestimating their curiosity about this realm. Perhaps we should use maps this time. I don’t care to end up on the lip of a volcano again.”
I reach down and grab a pillow to throw at him but he’s too fast and ducks out of the way. The pillow hits the wall. Laughing despite myself, I go to him and wrap my arms around him. “Admit it, you like the danger my mysterious magic brings to your life.”
Hugging me tightly, he says, “Yes, my love, I absolutely do.” He gives me a kiss and loosens his grip on me so we can get ready to greet the day and the adventures it’ll bring.
Chapter 31
We end up spending a week in the realm I was born in. To make sure the negotiations start off on the right path, we stay close to my grandfather’s for the first couple days. Kegan and Kallen want to see more movies so we take in several. I even talk them into a romantic comedy which Alita loves. Tana, too. Adriel’s response was to deem such movies an automatic no in the future. She’s such a romantic.
I heal my grandfather of the cancer riddling his body. I feel guilty not offering my help to other cancer patients, but as Tana points out, Cowan medicine can often achieve the same results since I am not actually preventing the cancer from coming again. I still feel a little guilty.
The last few days we spend travelling. I use a world atlas to determine our destination when I teleport us, as Kallen suggested. With only minor mishaps, we see several wonders of the realm. I give the Fairies a taste of the fun that could be had if the Witches and the Fairies can work out their hatred for each other.
On the last day, I’m ready to go home. The Fairy realm is my home now no matter how much fun we’ve had over the past week. I don’t know if I’ll ever feel that way about the Human realm again, but hopefully there are a few years left before I have to find out.
Gathering at the spot I opened before, we say our goodbyes to the Witches and Skin Walkers. Gunnar shakes both my and Kallen’s hands. “It was a pleasure,” he says and then winks at me, “after a while anyway.”
Even Aiden has softened his stance regarding Fairies, and Witch Fairies. “It’s good to know you’ll be keeping an eye on things here,” he says.
The biggest surprise of all? My grandfather gives me a hug. “I should have been kinder to you,” he says quietly. That’s a far cry from saying he regrets trying to kill me, but I’ll take it for now. He’s been in a slump since finding out that Tana was only paying attention to him so she could heal him.
Finally, I peel back the fabric of the realms and Kallen, Kegan, Alita, Adriel, Tana, Taz, Nixie and I step through. With a final wave, I close the passageway. It’s fantastic to be home. Raziel is waiting for us, of course. He knew the exact moment to come down to the beach. He pulls Adriel into his arms and kisses her like he hasn’t seen her in ages instead of just a week. I’m glad he feels that way about her.
Sand starts flying as soon as Taz hits it. He scrambles to the terrace and into the house before the rest of us can reach the first step. I know where he’s going.
Inside the house, we find Tabitha in the kitchen. She stands up quickly when she hears us enter. She didn’t want us to see her giving Taz a biscuit from her apron pocket. If Taz was a cat, he’d be purring right now. “Finally, decent food!” Taz cries around the biscuit. He’s acting like it’s catnip in his mouth.
“Slow down before you choke,” I warn.
Her cheeks stained pink now, Tabitha says, “Well, it is about damn time. What took you so long?”
I take a seat at the island counter. “I had to kill all the Witches and then we made stew with them. We brought some home if you want to try it.”
She narrows her eyes and points her sponge at me. “That cheekiness is going to get you in trouble.”
“It always does,” Kegan says, opening the refrigerator.
Tabitha bats his hand from the handle. “You get, I will fix you something to keep you from eating everything in sight.”
Tabitha pulls a ton of food from the fridge and starts making us lunch. While she cooks, we fill her in on what happened. About fifteen minutes later, the back door opens and Dagda enters the kitchen. Conversation dies out as he and Tana look at each other. The longing in Dagda’s eyes is enough to make me like him just a little bit more. He knows how badly he screwed up.
“I got your message,” Dagda says. I assume he’s talking to Kallen, even though he’s still looking at Tana.
With an eye roll, I say, “Everyone feeling awkward right now, raise your hands.” To my surprise, they do. They all do, even Tana and Dagda, which makes me laugh. To my biological father, I say, “Will you just kiss her already. I know you both want to.” He starts at my words then looks to me for confirmation, making sure I meant what I said. I nod slightly.
In a flash, Dagda is across the room and taking his wife into his arms. He kisses her in a way that makes me never want to see them kiss again. “Thanks for making this less awkward,” I mutter and Alita nudges me in the ribs. Louder, I say, “It’s time to get a room, you guys. I’m pretty sure you have a bunch of them at the palace where you can make up in private.”
Tana blushes a deep scarlet, but says, “Yes, I believe we do.”
Astonishment, happiness, and a little bit of fear mixes together on Dagda’s face. “You will accompany me back to the palace?”
Tana puts her hand on his cheek. “Yes, my dear husband, I will.”
Without any hesitation, Dagda swoops her up into his arms to her astonished giggle, an honest to god giggle, and strides out the back door with her. I slam a door in my brain so I can’t imagine what they will be doing for the next few hours. Eew.
Isla must have passed them on their way to Dagda’s carriage. “I see progress has been made in their relationship,” she notes, looking back over her shoulder as she enters through the back door.
“I think they’ll be okay now,” I say, happy for them despite the past we’ve shared.
Focusing her eyes on me, Isla says, “I received a communication from the Merpeople. It seems their queen has been murdered. They are asking for assistance in finding and capturing the responsible party.” Gee, how hard could that be in an entire ocean.
I groan and bang my forehead on the table. “Don’t say it. Please don’t say it.”
“Specifically, they want you to come and investigate.”
I glower up at her. “I asked you nicely not to say it.”
Holding back a smile, Isla says, “I have already sent word that you will be happy to assist in any way you can.” Of course she did. Continuing, she says, “Word of your destiny has traveled far. There are other realms requesting your presence, as well. We will need to go over the requests and respond with your availability.”
I bury my head in Kallen’s shoulder. “Help me,” I whisper, making him chuckle.
Pulling me closer, he says, “I will be with you always and help you any way I can.”
I smile up at him. There is no doubt in my mind that he means those words. It would be impossible to love him any more than I do right this second. Looking into his beautiful green eyes, I feel like my destiny is manageable as long as he’s by my side.
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Blood of the Exiled (Witch Fairy Book 10) Page 22
