by Phil Parker
‘How do we get her released from prison though? I’m surprised Oisin hasn’t already taken action over it. He’s supposed to be friends with Llyr.’
I wasn’t certain how many people knew the truth, I’d only discovered it after a little eavesdropping. It was a practice you developed early in our family, a good way to keep up to date with what grandmother was up to. I swore Clodagh to secrecy first.
‘He’s gone with Llyr into the human realm. They’re looking for someone.’
After the inevitable questions of when and where and who and how, Clodagh gave me chance to finish what I was saying.
‘It’s someone who protects the Knights I think. Llyr wants to bring them here.’
Clodagh frowned. ‘I thought they were dead?’
‘That was the adults. These are kids.’
The frown lines on Clodagh’s face deepened. ‘But what’s all this got to do with Sibeal?’
I grinned. Clodagh had been right, I was like my grandmother. The Lady of the Lake hadn’t survived for as long as she had, and maintained control of the Light Court against every disaster to befall it, without the ability to find ways to achieve her ambitions. I was starting to see a way forward for me, just the smallest glimpse, but it was enough. It began by gathering people around me, I couldn’t do this on my own.
And sometimes, just sometimes, you manipulated people to get what you wanted when they wouldn’t cooperate.
My grin widened as I looked at my friend’s bewildered expression.
‘There’s an old saying, while the cat’s away, the mice will play.’
Bewilderment turned into outright confusion.
‘We’re little mice, Clodagh. We’re about to go and play.’
Chapter 9
They stood in the doorway of the farmhouse like bookends. The Yin and Yang that represented the Knights, each expressing identical suspicion and hostility as they stared at Oisin.
‘What have you brought him for?’
Inevitably Brea was the one to make her feelings known. She scrutinised Oisin with her distinctive jade-green eyes, the frown making no secret that she didn’t like what she saw. She’d got thinner, her physique had always been boyish but now it was lean with toned muscle. She’d cut her hair very short, like her brother, so it made her features sharp and even more masculine. It didn’t suit her but I wasn’t planning on commenting on it.
‘He’s hoping to fuck him, that’s why.’
I glared at Finn who merely raised white eyebrows and glowered back at me. His face was softer, slightly more rounded than his sister’s, almost feminine. He’d also lost weight and it made him look unnaturally paler than usual, like a vampire. No wonder the locals had got nervous about them living on their doorstep. Their almost albino-like complexion and silver hair meant they looked like they deliberately avoided the sun, something superstitious types readily attributed to the supernatural. These days, where any difference made you a victim, the safest way to keep the kids alive meant keeping them out of sight. Oisin obviously hadn’t understood that fact.
‘And it’s good to see you too,’ I said and attempted a smile.
Brea stood in the doorway, blocking our entrance.
‘Is he right?’ she nodded at her brother. ‘Because you haven’t answered my question.’
‘Call me old fashioned,’ I replied determined to maintain my smile, ‘but I thought we could discuss it in the house. We’ve been travelling for hours, we’re knackered and hungry.’
She didn’t react but walked into the kitchen, her brother followed with a similarly blank expression though that meant nothing where he was concerned.
Oisin went to speak but I silenced him with quick shake of the head, things were delicate enough as it was.
We sat at a rickety wooden table while Finn poured boiling water from a large kettle on the ancient Aga into a teapot. Chunks of bread and cheese were already waiting for us on the table. Brae leaned against the wall, eyes fixed on Oisin who looked very uncomfortable. No one spoke. I knew better than to try polite conversation with these two.
Large mugs of a steaming concoction that smelled like it was made from acorns were dumped on the table in front of us. The twins sat down at the table, Brea rotated the chair so she could straddle it to continue glaring at Oisin.
‘Right. Niceties over. Answer my question.’
Her stern expression told me she hadn’t considered her words ironic in any way.
I told them what had happened, there was no point in omitting any detail or skimming over events, not with Finn present. When I’d finished, he frowned.
‘Why the dragon?’
‘She’s a wyvern. Not a dragon.’
Two pairs of cold eyes zeroed their animosity towards Oisin.
‘Wyverns are far more intelligent than dragons. They are also fiercely loyal. Dragons in comparison are stupid, unpredictable and lumbering creatures that serve little purpose.’
‘That’s why Llyr’s breeding them is it?’
Brea flicked a quick glance at her brother before turning back to scowl at Oisin. We hadn’t mentioned Llyr’s plans but Finn had already trawled that part of Oisin’s mind. The poor guy blinked as he realised its implications. It silenced his defence of wyverns.
‘So he wants to parade us as his vassals. Persuade the Light Court he has what it takes to unify the Fae into attacking humankind so he can wipe everyone out.’
I hadn’t mentioned any of this either but Finn’s summary displayed how clever the kid was, for someone with no education in battle strategy. I didn’t bother to reply, he’d know I agreed. He looked at me a little harder, somewhere deep in my brain I could feel a slight tickling sensation.
‘Why don’t you just ask me instead?’ I snapped.
It got the slightest of grins on his thin lips.
‘I can’t find out what your part is in all this.’
I sipped my drink then stuffed my mouth with a lump of hard cheese and crusty bread. I’d make the sods wait. Oisin, sensing tension mounting, did the same. Eventually, after taking a leisurely sip of my acorn tea, I shrugged.
‘I don’t know what to do.’
They all looked quizzically at me, Oisin especially.
‘I can try to hide you two again.’
‘Why? What’s wrong with here?’ Brea asked.
‘Llyr is probably on his way already. Is he?’
I turned to Finn who closed his eyes and frowned. When he opened them again he shook his head.
‘I can’t sense him. But moving from here might not be a bad idea.’
‘Fuck it Finn, I told you I’ll blast those bastards to buggery if they try again.’
They looked across the table at one another and for a few seconds nothing was spoken, not out loud anyway so I shared the only conclusion I’d drawn so far. It wouldn’t be long until the angry locals returned and caused real problems.
‘Llyr will be here soon. Staying isn’t an option,’ I said.
They turned their attention back to me.
‘The question is whether we find another place to hide or whether we do something else.’
‘Like what?’ Brea asked, bristling before she’d heard what I had to say.
‘That’s what I don’t know.’ I smiled at Finn. ‘I truly don’t. But I can’t help but think we’re running out of places to hide. And Llyr’s desperate need to capture you two makes him vulnerable.’
The slightest of smiles formed on Brea’s firm mouth. ‘We kill him?’
‘That’s no use.’ Finn was shaking his head but clearly concentrating on something. ‘It would bring the Light Court into the war, it puts us in the same situation as before. Unless your fuck-buddy here was lying when he told you to spare Llyr’s life?’
Oisin’s face flushed dark pink. I pitched in before he said anything we’d regret.
‘He wasn’t lying, he has reasons for wanting Llyr dead too.’
‘So if we don’t kill him, what then?’ Brea asked.
Finn picked at a piece of bread thoughtfully. ‘That robs him of his status, especially if we ransom him back to the Dark Court.’
‘Exactly,’ I said.
‘So how do we capture him?’ Brea asked.
Finn grinned. ‘Yeah. How Robin?’
I assumed he knew I was empty of ideas but then Oisin rescued me.
‘Llyr faces a major problem. He’s here with a small force, his plan was to snatch Robin, force him to betray you two and return before the humans realised he was here. Now that plan is ruined. If he’s going to capture you two, he needs to do it fast, before the humans can assemble a significant force. Time is running out for him, he can bring more of his spriggan forces through the portal but he knows that will only escalate the conflict. He needs to get back before that happens.’
I nodded. I could see where Oisin was going.
‘So we destroy the portal and trap him here,’ I said.
When Brea spoke her tone dripped suspicion.
‘Unless that idea is part of Llyr’s plan?’
She stared unforgivingly at Oisin.
‘This one delivers us to him where he can abduct us easily and quickly.’
Finn started to nod as he frowned and focused his attention of Oisin.
I’d held myself in check until that moment. I was prepared to suffer their jibes and accusations but I felt defensive where Oisin was concerned. I couldn’t be certain his sister was in prison but I knew Oisin to be a terrible liar. When we’d tried to keep our relationship secret he’d been the one who’d struggled with even the whitest of lies. I might have changed in the intervening years but he hadn’t. Not in the slightest. It meant listening to the twins’ accusations pushed the wrong button.
‘Do you know the trouble with you two?’ I snarled. ‘You’ve stopped trusting anyone. You suspect everyone of everything. I understand why, but there has to come a point where you rely on someone else’s judgement and I am telling you now, with absolute certainty, Oisin is not leading you into a trap.’
Both kids looked at me with astonishment. Admittedly, I didn’t make speeches like that very often. If at all.
Finn snorted. ‘You would say that. You want to fuck him.’
My blood pressure rose and I was on my feet, so was Oisin as he stuck an arm in front of me to stop me from punching the lad. He looked directly into Finn’s eyes.
‘If you think I’m working for Llyr, go into my head and find out for yourself. Have a good root around. Go where you like.’
The lad didn’t waste any time, he grabbed hold of Oisin’s shoulder and closed his eyes. We remained in that position as we watched a montage of expressions cross Finn’s face until eventually he opened his eyes and shrugged. That gesture didn’t do my anger any favours.
‘No apology? No thanks for allowing that kind of intrusion?’
Oisin, still with his hand against my chest, shook his head. ‘Robin, it’s all right.’
‘No it’s not.’ I turned back to Finn. ‘It’s a fucking violation! Have you two become so paranoid that you need to do that to everyone you meet? Perhaps you need to dig into my head as well Finn. Perhaps you don’t trust me either these days?’
Both kids glared back at me. We stood around the old table, not moving, making unspoken accusations with our eyes. Eventually Finn muttered an apology of sorts and we all sat down again, no one knowing where to look.
I let my blood pressure ease back to normal by breaking off a piece of bread and chewing on it for want of something to do. If I was honest with myself, it was my fault these kids were as paranoid as they were. If I’d been a better guardian, if they’d been older and better able to understand what was happening. If, if, if.
I found myself thinking of Alec, their father, who’d grown into a young man with enormous sensitivity and a sense of fun. I’d started off as his favourite uncle, the crazy guy who always got him into trouble. Then as he grew into an adult, our relationship evolved into a genuine friendship. I’d promised Alec I’d take care of his children, help them grow into the next generation of Knights who would not only protect humanity but would avenge his, and his sister’s, death.
I only had to look at the two resentful teenagers to know I’d well and truly fucked up on that promise.
‘The problem as I see it, is getting Llyr alone.’
I wanted to smile at Oisin’s indefatigable attempt to keep us on track.
‘No plan is going to work with just the four of us.’
Brea’s usual ability to poor cold water on anything was what we didn’t need at this point. She gave a casual sniff of disinterest as a follow up.
‘So we need to find others,’ I said, trying to keep things positive.
That got another sniff, louder this time. ‘Good luck doing that. Everyone thinks we’re freaks and traitors who ought to be punished for causing this mess. And as for you two finding allies, good luck when they find out what you really are.’
I persisted with the lightness of touch I was so well known for.
‘When they find out we’re Fae or queer?’
Sniff. ‘Either.’
I hated to admit it but she was right.
We spent the next couple of hours trying to find answers until the rabbit casserole Finn had cooking in the oven wrecked our concentration. We’d just finished eating and started to wash up when Finn went quiet and closed his eyes. Brea tensed instantly, as did I. When he opened them again his expression told us everything we needed to know. It showed fear.
‘They’re coming back,’ he said.
‘The same ones?’ Brea’s voice, in comparison held a note of excitement.
The lad frowned. ‘Some. But this time it’s different. There are others. It’s organised. There’s someone giving orders.’
Now I really was worried. Our trashing of the barrier in the village would have caused a stir, our route easy to follow. That was one option. The second one, that scared me more, Llyr had found us. Yet when I suggested this to Finn he said our night-time visitors were definitely human.
‘How does he know?’ Oisin asked as the twins hurried around the house to check its security. ‘Can he read all their minds from a distance?’
‘Not really. The male Knight has always been psychic but it comes in different forms. Finn’s unusual. He can also receive mental images. When his skill became apparent his dad told me how the American army had already done some research into it. They call it remote viewing.’
Three gunshots cracked in the stillness of the night and the back door reverberated.
‘How many are there Finn?’ I asked.
The lad shook his head, frowning hard. ‘Can’t tell. Too dark. Chaotic.’
‘All right, don’t worry. I’m here.’
He swallowed hard and nodded at me. If I hadn’t been so worried I’d have felt pleased. Brea on the other hand paced up and down in the kitchen flexing her fists.
More gun shots. Upstairs somewhere a boarded window rattled.
‘Who are these people?’ I asked. ‘Do you know what they want?’
Finn shook his head. Brea sniffed. ‘They’re crazy local bastards.’
‘But why attack in such force? This doesn’t sound like a bunch of thugs having fun.’
There was the briefest of glances from brother to sister.
‘What did you do Brea?’
A loud sniff. Then a second as she turned to glare at me.
‘The bastards tried to steal the vegetables we’d spent all summer growing. Fucking lazy bastards. So I blasted them.’
‘Did you kill them?’ If so, we were dead too.
‘No. I’m not stupid. I just shot a bolt or two over their heads. Scared them so much one of them pissed himself.’ She giggled.
‘Great.’ We were in all kinds of shit. They’d have the kids labelled as demons and outside a mob would be getting re
ady with their pitchforks to make sacrifices. I’d seen more than my fair share of what happened to demons, suffered it too. Trouble was, to these people the Knights weren’t just different, their special talents made them monsters and when bigots perceive anyone that way, it brought shitloads of suffering.
To make matters worse, the locals were about to meet a couple of gay guys who were also their enemy.
Yeah, all kinds of shit.
Gun shots hammered at the door three times in quick succession, upstairs more rattling boards. Then the sound I’d expected; the voice of authority.
‘You’ve got one minute to get out of the house, then we set fire to it.’
‘Fucking bastards!’ Brea screamed as she ran to the door. I caught her just in time. She struggled in my arms, fought against me with such strength it surprised me but I was stronger and pushed her against the wall and pinned her there.
‘Listen.’ I stared hard into her face. ‘Blasting everybody isn’t the answer.’
‘Fucking is!’ she snapped back at me. ‘I can zap bolts of different sizes and even strafe now. I can fucking light up the place like firework night.’
‘She can.’ Finn joined in but he hung back and spoke with less conviction.
‘Good. But while you’re doing that, they’ll be shooting you. There’s one of you and lots of them. The odds aren’t good Brea.’
The logic got through to her and she stopped fighting.
‘What then?’
Outside the voice of authority announced we had thirty seconds.
‘We go outside and try to negotiate.’
Her eyes widened with astonishment. It surprised me too.
I opened the door slightly and yelled into the night. ‘We’re coming out!’
The same voice called for everyone to hold their fire but I waited a few seconds to make sure there weren’t any trigger-happy types before I opened the door wider. I took a few steps beyond the threshold of the door.
‘Let’s talk!’ I called. ‘I think there’s been a misunderstanding.’
I’m not known for diplomacy, finding the right words wasn’t easy. My words provoked laughter.
‘You don’t say!’ came the terse reply. ‘Let’s see all of you.’
