“Yes, of course. It was probably too much, but it was extremely helpful. Some of it is here, as a matter of fact.” I held up my wrist. Astra fluttered her wings beside me, drawing our attention to her. Her eyes were wide.
“I didn’t think of that. Did you use any of the silver left over from,” she paused, pointedly not looking at Olen, “your aunt’s visitor?”
I knew she meant the silver that had been magicked by Toli, Stella’s fae lover. Because of her careful wording, I wondered if there had been contention of some sort between Toli and Olen over my aunt’s affections. I nodded and dropped my wrist, letting my sleeve cover the sapphire again. “Probably. Finn and I melted most of it for the armour, but I think there might have been some leftover bits that were melted in with the rest. Why?”
She shook her head. “I’m not sure. Land, air, and water . . . it feels significant for some reason.”
Olen’s eyes sharpened as his gaze left the pixie queen to settle on me. “Are you speaking of the fae lover your aunt took about two hundred years ago?”
Were my shields down? I checked, but they still felt tight. Cautiously, I answered, “Yes.”
“He gave Estella silver worked by his own hand?”
“We think so. Finn, er, one of Astra’s artisans, felt fae magick in it. That’s the only explanation we could come up with.” I didn’t add that Zara had confirmed it.
“Much of the tithe we gave you was with us for many years. Only the coins and some of the jewelry were from a recent shipwreck my people discovered far out to sea. From what you’ve said, I gather you know what that means.”
Perplexed at where he was going with this, I nodded. “It might have absorbed some of your magick?”
“It did absorb some of our magick. I’m sure your familiar has shared what she knows of our people with you, so this should not come as any surprise. While many of my people are not full-blooded, they still have magick. Some of them are more powerful than any full-blood because of this and would have been destroyed by their full-blooded family members because of this at one time in history, in order to keep the bloodlines pure.”
Okay, that didn’t even make sense. If they’d wanted to keep their bloodlines pure so badly, why didn’t they keep it in their pants? Or their skirts, I corrected myself. It’s not like men were the only ones that fooled around.
Olen’s eyes watched my face knowingly as these thoughts flitted through my head. Was he reading my thoughts or my reactions?
“Many had no choice, as they saw their people die or be killed off. They had to dilute their bloodlines with those of other types of fae, or even humans,” he said this like it was something distasteful, “or risk dying out completely. The land fae have experienced similar problems, as humans encroached on their lands, ruined their forests, and both humans and Turned witches hunted them to use for their magick. Many of my own people have been driven into unfamiliar waters difficult for us to thrive in.” He waved toward the river, his face hard. “We may be protected from magickal attacks here, but we pay a hefty price. We’ve been forced to adapt to muddy, polluted waters filled with predators in order to avoid being hunted by humans at sea. With the technology available to humans today, this grows more and more difficult. My colony’s size has nearly doubled in the last several decades as refugees from colonies destroyed by Turned witches or human hunters have joined us, even as the pollution and less-than-ideal habitat has affected our ability to reproduce. Our breeding seasons produce fewer and fewer offspring every year. When young are born, they don’t always make it past their first two years. Our children are precious to us.” His voice broke and the pain in his eyes as he said this was raw. He looked away, seemed to steel himself, then continued. “Our brief forays to the ocean are necessary for us to stay healthy, but every time we go, we risk ourselves and our anonymity.”
I felt appalled for my thoughts just moments ago. His people were fighting for their survival and my thoughts had gone to righteousness. I started to say something when he held up a hand.
“I do not tell you this for your pity. It is only to inform you that sometimes there are reasons for these things.” Two more splashes sounded and he closed his eyes, as if steeling himself. I leaned to the side to look around him and saw a pair of angry green eyes glaring at us from the middle of the river. Those eyes were in the middle of a beautiful, heart-shaped face framed by long, red tresses floating around her. As far out as they floated, I figured her hair must be nearly three feet long.
Tess asked in a stage whisper loud enough to carry, “Somebody please tell me that’s Ariel.” Another splash and the woman was gone.
To my surprise, Olen chuckled ruefully. “No, but you are close. That is my mate, Arella. She is often teased about her name. I think her parents must have either read or heard the stories.” His eyes, so pained when he told us of his people, warmed slightly. “She is fiery, so I would not tease her to her face until she gets to know you. When next we meet, I will bring her to the land with me.” He bowed to me. “But for now, I really must return to the water. Thank you.”
“Wait,” Rand spoke up from beside me. Olen straightened, watching Rand warily. “The bracelet, it did something to me. I was dead and it . . . brought me back somehow. Is that normal?”
Olen’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. “You died and it brought you back to life?” he repeated slowly. “No, that is not normal by any means. How long were you dead for?” He looked Rand up and down, as if searching his body for something. “Were you badly wounded?”
Rand went silent. I reached out, barely stopping myself before I touched his arm. I pulled my hand away quickly. Olen’s eyes narrowed as he watched us. Licking my lips nervously, I said, “He died well over a year ago, I believe.”
“What?” Olen stepped back, incredulous. “That cannot be possible!”
I looked from Rand to Astra. Her eyes guarded, she nodded, pursing her lips.
“He was a ghost for some time before I met him. He was attached to Toby.” I pointed to the dog behind us, seeing him perk his ears up at the sound of his name. “Toby was Rand’s dog before he died. Now, he’s anchored—or he was, anyway—to me. He’s saved my life several times.”
“I still am,” Rand whispered. “I can feel it.”
“This is . . . quite a tale.”
Astra spoke. “It is true. I sensed him as a ghost when first we met, which I thought was unusual. That you sense fae blood in him explains why, I think. I sense it in him now, too. I know your kind are sensitive to such things. Everything Roxanne speaks is the truth. You feel it.”
He looked troubled. “I do, but you know as well as I the truth can be manipulated, even unknowingly. If the person well and truly believes what they say to be true, even I might not be able to feel the lie in their words. Please, tell me what happened in as few words as possible.” He rubbed the side of his neck. Were those faint lines . . . gills? “I do not have much time. You know this, Queen Astra.”
Astra gestured for me to go on. Trying to condense everything as much as possible, I told him about Rand’s ability to become solid, omitting the reason he did so, the incident at the dinner table when Rand had tried to touch the sapphire before it was set in the bracelet, and what had happened during the battle on the highway. I quickly described his comatose state for the week afterwards, and how he’d woken. Before I could stop myself, I said, “I’m afraid to touch him now. I don’t know what will happen—if it will hurt him, turn him back into a ghost, or . . .” I couldn’t even speak my last thought out loud.
Olen processed everything I’d said, then gave an apologetic shake of his head. “I do not know what would happen. There are too many unknown factors for me to hazard a guess. My advice? I would ask the stone.” He nodded to my bracelet. “What it did, it may have done for a reason. As its mistress, it would want you to be protected and you were in battle at the time this happened. It may have chosen him to be your protector, your knight. From what you’ve said,
it sounds as though he has already been in that role for a while now, so perhaps it only took it a step further. That he is at least a little fae and could hold a physical form, if only for short periods, probably helped. The more the bracelet becomes, the more it will wish to please you. Most of the time,” he added with a wry smile. “Or it may have just been feeling mischievous.” He shrugged. “With fae Objects it is hard to say, but with the power it has already demonstrated and all that you just told me, I would name it soon. Choose a name that will please it and bind it to you. There are only a few in the histories who have managed to Make or acquire an Object and keep it long enough to see what it becomes. They are often killed before it is powerful enough to protect either them or itself from those who seek to wrest it from them, though it would have been useless to the thief in many cases.” Someone behind me gasped, but I didn’t look back to see who it was. He cocked his head. “I do not think you will have that problem.” Abruptly he turned and headed for the water, calling back, “I am out of time, Madame Witch. Until we meet again.” He dove gracefully into the water, his clothes disappearing midair. A second later, a large tail waved at us before disappearing beneath the dark water. Arella’s head popped up to take one last look at us before she dove under, her tail slapping the water and sending ripples in every direction.
Sam laughed. “Roxie, have I mentioned how interesting you make life?”
Chapter 3
Advice from Danai
Clyde drove the Gator back to the house, taking Dutch and Gloria with him. The remainder of our group walked back more slowly as we discussed the meeting, Toby and Jake romping along ahead of us. Astra and her flight flew beside us, which was part of the reason either Clyde or Dutch didn’t insist on accompanying us, I figured. Between the estate itself, the pixies, and my own magick, a person couldn’t ask for better protection.
“So, naming the bracelet might not be as bad as you thought?”
Astra didn’t answer right away. Then she said, “Perhaps I was too hasty in my judgement. The water fae’s knowledge seems greater than my own, so I would follow his advice in this.”
When she didn’t elaborate, I changed the subject. “Astra, do you know if my aunt and Olen were,” I paused, trying to figure out how to ask her delicately, “involved?”
Her musical laugh rang out across the lawn. “At one point, they were lovers, yes, but it was not serious for either of them. I believe your aunt was lonely when Toli left and Olen was both available and willing.” She shrugged, her eyes candid. “Your aunt never confided any of this to me, it is only what I observed. The estate was in a state of minor turmoil—though that might not be the best description—after your mother left and your grandmother died. Sometimes a woman simply needs solace.” Her eyes slid to Rand, who walked about twenty feet ahead of us, tossing a ball for the dogs—well, for Toby anyway. Jake was a good sport about it, though, and still seemed to enjoy the chase itself. “I’m sure you know how that goes.”
How the heck did she know about Rand and I? I racked my brain to remember if I’d mentioned anything about him to her before. It wasn’t as if we ever had time to sit and have a heart-to-heart or even just simple girl talk. Giving up before my brain started hurting—I was still reeling a little from everything Olen and Dorn had said about the bracelet—I moved on. “It must not have lasted long if he has a, er, mate now.”
“It didn’t, from what I recall. He was much younger then, and unmated at the time. He has only been with Arella for perhaps ten or fifteen years.” She gave me a sly, sidelong glance. “Many of the water fae often take more than one mate. If you are interested, I’m sure he would oblige.”
The horror I felt must have been written all over my face, because the little queen chortled, losing some of her altitude and drawing the attention of everyone around us. Including Rand’s. Of course, Sam and Tess had been close enough to overhear the whole conversation. From their snickering and look they shared, I knew they were going to tease me about this later. On their far side, Danai either hadn’t heard or hadn’t been paying attention, looking puzzled when she looked over at us. Suddenly, her face cleared and an amused glint lit her eyes. Great. Sebastian must have shared the queen’s comment with her. He sneezed when I sent him a sarcastic mental thank you.
“No, I’m good, thanks. I’ve got all the drama I can handle at the moment.” Time to change the subject. “What did you mean when you said that bit about land, air, and water? It sounded like it meant something.”
Her face grew contemplative, and she rose to fly next to my ear. “The research I’ve had Finn and my people doing has centered on the wrong areas, I believe. I’ve had them searching through histories, artisan catalogues, and such. I believe they need to search in a separate section in the library that holds prophecies. I have read many of them myself, but it was long ago. When Olen mentioned his tithe, it jogged my memory about an old prophecy centered around a fae Object comprised of many magicks; that of the Land, the Air, the Water, and . . .” she looked away.
“And?” I prompted.
“And Fire and Blood.” She met my eyes, all traces of her earlier mirth gone. “I know how the bracelet—and the armour—was Made. And why it had to be done that way. I was the one who told Finn his own blood would be needed, so I’ve played my part in this as much as anyone has.” She was silent as we passed the stables. I waited patiently, sensing she had more to say. “Blood magick is forbidden for many reasons. What you did was not like most blood magick in that you were not seeking power for either your own gain or the willful destruction of another, but it was still blood magick. The magick itself is powerful enough that even humans could use it, were they to discover,” she frowned, “or rediscover it. And any power in the hands of a human is dangerous.”
Sam spoke up. “Not all of us are like that.”
The queen’s eyes were candid and a little sad as she looked at Sam. “Perhaps not at first, but power tends to corrupt humans more than any other beings. Even Roxanne’s kind are not immune to corruption and they were meant to be the protectors of our world, once upon a time. Maybe it’s because of the human in them that so many have been corrupted.”
I wasn’t sure whether I should object to anything she said or not. Considering the state of the world—of both our worlds—she was probably right. From the determined look on Sam’s face, I knew my friend was set to argue the point and prove Astra wrong. Quickly, I asked, “So what else do you remember about that prophecy?” Sam fixed me with a hard stare, perfectly aware of what I’d just done, but she let it go.
“Not much. There were all of the usual vague references most prophecies have—safeguards for the prophet in case they are wrong or never come to pass. This one, though, mentions a Chosen One, an Object Made with many magicks . . . or was it all magicks?” Her brow wrinkled delicately as she tried to remember. “Oh, and a new God rising. There may have been a battle with light and dark, but that is mentioned in almost every prophecy ever written.” She rolled her eyes.
My blood chilled, despite the heat and humidity of the day. For claiming not to remember much, Astra had shared far more than I’d expected. My aunt’s letter had mentioned a Chosen One. She thought it was me. The Powers had mentioned it, too, but I believed they were referring to Zara at the time. They had appeared after a long hiatus, according to Zara. Surely, they wouldn’t be considered new gods because of that, would they? Astra had said God, not gods, so that couldn’t be right.
“Hey, earth to Roxie!” Tess’s voice snapped me back to the present. “You okay?”
Confused, I looked around. Everyone was staring at me. “What?”
More gently, Sam said, “You just stopped walking and stood there. Are you okay?”
“I—yeah, I’m fine. I was just thinking. Sorry.” I started walking again. Astra was the only one who didn’t appear worried about my break from the present. From my periphery, I saw the looks Tess, Sam, and Danai shared with one another.
I dropped my
shields, surprised that I had raised them again at some point without even thinking about it. Sebastian, will you please assure them I’m fine?
You want me to repeat what you have already told them? he asked with amusement. I pinned him with a stare and he huffed, but apparently acquiesced, because all three women looked over at me, eyebrows up.
“I’m fine. Really.”
We reached the bottom stairs leading up to the terraces behind the house.
Gloria has food and drink waiting for all of you and a tray set out for the pixies. As soon as Zara’s words reached me, I realized I was famished. The trek up all those stairs seemed blessedly shorter knowing food waited for us at the top.
Astra and her flight left shortly after finishing off the tray Gloria had prepared for them. Astra promised to let me know as soon as they located the prophecy, warning that it might take a while to go through all of them, as there were several hundreds of years worth. Tess and Danai headed for the house library shortly after Rand left with Clyde and Dutch to train out by the stable. The horse shifters had set up a work out area of some kind on the far side of the building and Rand had an open invitation to join them whenever he wanted. He’d hesitated, but I’d urged him to go. Sam had that ‘we need to talk’ look on her face. With one last look back, Rand called the dogs to follow.
As soon as everyone else was gone, Sam turned to me, her expression unreadable. “Two things. Did Olen seem worried or agitated to you?”
Blinking in surprise—that hadn’t been anything remotely close to what I thought she wanted to discuss—I asked cautiously, “What do you mean?”
She stood up and began pacing. “You heard what he said about everything his people are going through . . . the pollution, the refugees, the reproductive issues. They need help. I think we should do something about it.”
MAKING MAGICKAL ALLIANCES: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel Page 3
