by Kimbra Swain
“Grace, I think you need to accept that he isn’t coming back,” Nestor said quietly.
“No, Nestor, you and this town need to accept that I failed. I’m not the queen you thought I was. Hell, I wasn’t the queen I thought I was. I certainly wasn’t the queen that Dylan…” I choked on my words. Pressing back emotions, I held on to my gut as the child inside of me grew. Dylan wasn’t dead, but they wouldn’t believe me. If Dylan wasn’t here to pass his fire to his child, the last of the Phoenix and the last of the Thunderbirds would have died in a trailer explosion in Alabama. It just wasn’t right. Even fate wouldn’t be that cruel.
Well, actually, I had met a Fate once. She was a bitch fairy, too.
“Dylan believed in you, as do I. It’s hard right now, but it will get easier. When Levi comes home, everything will be better.”
“When is that? You got a timeline for when Finley comes home, too?” I asked.
“No, of course not, but neither of them will stay in the Otherworld very long. Levi has enough power to escape if he chooses to do so,” he explained.
“So, you think he hasn’t come home because he doesn’t want to come home?” I asked.
“No, I’m just saying there is a reason he isn’t here,” Nestor said. “Go get dressed. You have duties.” He pointed back to my bedroom.
Locking eyes with him, I stared him down. “No,” I replied like a petulant child. I was very well aware of my hissy fit and did not give a fuck. Not even one. Zero fucks.
Jenny tumbled in the door giggling with Malcolm Taggart. For the past few months, I had seen Malcolm without his girlfriend, Kadence Rayburn, that he shared with his buddy, Caleb Martin. They stopped pawing each other when they realized that Nestor was here.
“Hey, Nestor, what’s up?” Jenny asked.
Malcolm dipped his head refusing to look at me. He knew I disapproved of his relationship with Kadence on the terms that she was human. I didn’t care about the arrangement between the three of them. It was fairly normal with fairies to have more than one partner. Even though, she was aware of the fairy world because of her Druid father. After her relationship with Levi fizzled, it seemed she was hell-bent on causing her father pain by moving into the incubus pod. Thinking back over it, her choices probably forced her father into Robin’s arms without him even knowing it.
“Waiting on Grace to get dressed, we have a meeting today,” he said.
She laughed, “Good luck with that.” She grabbed Malcolm’s hand, dragging him past me to her bedroom. She was a frisky little thing, and the nights that she had someone here, I had to put up a privacy ward just to sleep. I couldn’t fault her for getting some. My body craved it too, but the only one that could fulfill it was currently missing.
“You going to stand here and listen to them fuck?” he asked.
“No, Nestor, I’m going to join them,” I replied.
Within seconds, the noises from the bedroom filled the apartment. I had to get out. I might as well show up and resign in person. This town would be better off without me. Nestor stared at me as if he didn’t hear the moaning and panting coming from the other room.
“Let me change clothes,” I relented.
LEANING BACK IN THE CHAIR, I stared at my fingernails pretending to be disinterested in the council meeting. However, the longer I sat there, I realized we were facing some very tough difficulties. The kind of things that needed the direction of a leader. As much as I hated Nestor’s words, he was right about Dylan wanting me to continue on. He was a sap like that. Receiving the past memories of all the times that Dylan and I were so close to being together, only to have Jeremiah rip them from me was the worst part of all of this outside of losing my family.
I had just gotten those memories back, and the attraction I had to Dylan wasn’t just a fling. It was the result of many years of us going back and forth culminating in the night that we finally got to be together. I told myself then to ignore the feelings that bubbled to the surface after we spent the night together. Refusing to believe it was love, I pushed him away in fear. My body and heart longed for what they already knew but my mind couldn’t remember.
Even with Levi’s strong seductive powers, every part of my being belonged to Dylan. It’s why I’d never given into the attraction. There were moments that I had to remind myself of it, but I was glad that I’d never crossed that line. I was glad that Levi had never pushed it too far. But now, Dylan was gone, and I was pretty sure that not even Levi could satisfy me now.
“We’ve had seven trips in the last twenty-four hours,” Betty said. “We are resetting the cantrips as they are broken, but if someone figures out that a mass of trips would overwhelm us, then we might be in serious trouble.”
“We need more people involved in a response. The police force is short now. New recruits are hard to find,” Amanda said. “We are slowly losing ground.”
“Who is tripping the traps?” I asked.
They all turned to me, astonished. They assumed I wasn’t listening at all. “Um,” Amanda said.
“It’s not a difficult question. Who is it? Humans?” I asked.
“Yes. Reporters mostly. They have photos of trucks of supplies going in and out, so they know people are still here,” Nestor explained.
“We need to find a different approach for Mr. Schuyler’s trucks. Perhaps one of the old logging or mining roads. We could probably get something new cleared pretty quickly. Have it connected to a lower traffic area. Using the main roads should have been foreseen as a bad idea,” I said.
“I’ll talk to the mayor. Hopefully, he will know of a better option,” Nestor replied.
“In the meantime, we should let everyone in town know that staying here isn’t a free ride. We expect everyone to pitch in and help in order to make it through this uncertain time. It seems optional, but it really isn’t,” I said.
They looked at each other not comprehending my meaning. “Grace, we can’t make people be active citizens,” Nestor said.
“No, they will need to choose to do it or leave. I will make them. My protection is for the citizens of this town. If you choose to isolate yourself, then perhaps I’ll isolate my protections,” I said.
Nestor rubbed his head. “Grace, I know you are hurting, but I think this is a bad idea.”
“She’s right,” Tabitha spoke up. Finally, my best friend was going to take my side. “We are in a situation where all of us are in danger. She is, after all, our final means of defense. Grace needs to save everything she has for the moment that Brock decides to come for us. There is no way for us to know if these humans are just testing our defenses for an onslaught. This isn’t just a matter of keeping the humans safe from us but keeping us safe from Brock and his Unseelie army.”
I nodded to her in thanks for her excellent explanation.
“In addition, I want to see what we have as far as defense and offense. What kind of firepower are we talking about in the grand scheme? We need to get a grasp on who will stay to fight and who will run. I know we’ve got some badasses here, but with Finley gone, we are going to have to head up any war preparations until he returns,” I said.
“I agree,” Amanda said. Betty nodded too, but Nestor still seemed skeptical.
“What’s your hold up, Nestor?” I asked.
“I just think if you give this ultimatum, people will leave. We won’t be as strong,” he said.
“If they aren’t going to stay when it gets tough, their untapped strength will be our weakness, because we chose to place our lives in the hands of cowards!” I spat back at him.
He grimaced, but I’d sealed my emotions when I knew I had to carry-on for the sake of the child in my body. Everything I said was the truth, and he knew it. He was more concerned with my state of mind. Nestor needed to get over it. He dragged me to this meeting. It’s not my fault it wasn’t what he expected.
“I think we have plenty to work on,” Betty said.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Alright. Grace
, are you coming to the memorial tonight?” Betty asked.
“No, he isn’t dead,” I said.
“But, Grace, you need to accept…” she started to say, but I skipped back to the apartment.
Jenny and Malcolm were still going strong. I grabbed my keys and decided to go for a drive out to the house. The foundation had been poured the last time I was out there. It was happening very quickly. My heart ached to look at it, but I needed to finish it. When Winnie came home, she would need a home. As would Dylan’s son.
As I drove, the sun beat down on the asphalt causing shimmering mirages on the blacktop. The heat was unbearable. It wasn’t even summer yet. However, since this child spawned inside of me, my body temperature had been off. There were days that I couldn’t eat. There were days when I ate, and none of it stayed down. I’d never experienced anything like it. Thankfully, it wouldn’t last very long. I pitied human mothers who carried their children for nine months of this nonsense.
Once I reached the end of the eight-mile road, I climbed out of the truck. Remington Blake stood there talking to the foreman.
“Grace! It’s good to see you, honey,” he waved to me. “How are you feeling?”
“Pregnant,” I replied.
He grinned, then kissed me on the forehead. “Is there anything you need?” he asked as we walked toward the house that was now framed. Workers steadily added beams to the interior. There was an incessant banging of hammers. What was it with the banging lately? Was it because I wasn’t getting any that I needed a constant reminder?
“No, I’m okay. It’s coming along quicker than you projected,” I said.
“You and your children need a home,” he said. “Speaking of children, I spoke with Judge Chastain yesterday. He’s ruled in your favor, of course. The paperwork will need to be completed once he makes the final ruling in court. The court date is next week. By next Friday, Winnie should be back in Shady Grove with you.”
“Thank you, Remy. I miss her,” I whispered. He heard me even over all the construction.
“I know. I’m sorry we didn’t see that one coming. It was like a calculated assault. From Finley and Levi to Dylan and Winnie, not to mention Jeremiah’s death. I can’t believe he gave you the memories back,” he said.
Now that I knew everything about Jeremiah and his activities, I couldn’t produce sympathy for him. For so many years, I considered him to be an ally. He worked for my father, but he worked for himself mostly. He was determined to protect his child. Which I couldn’t fault him for, but the rest of it was his legacy and he would have to own it in death.
“If he were here, I’d slap him,” I muttered.
“He needed it. However, Grace, I know that you don’t want to hear it, but he did care about you. After a while, you won him over just like you do everyone. He was mesmerized that the rumors about you were true,” Remy said.
“What rumors? I suppose I should say which rumors?” I smirked.
“The ones about you having a heart,” he replied.
“Yeah, well, it’s pretty much shattered now,” I said, holding back tears. Remy always had a way of getting to me. I was thankful that after our misunderstandings that he still considered me to be a friend.
“It will get better,” he said.
“I doubt it. If this child weren’t in my belly, I’m afraid the cold would take over,” I said.
“Then Dylan gave you exactly what you needed when you needed it. Just like he always did,” Remy said.
“Yeah,” I said. “I’m going for a walk.”
“Be careful,” he said.
I nodded then headed in the direction of my stone circle. As I plodded through the forest, I got the impression that I was being followed. I hoped that if I kept walking, they would go away. Bramble and Briar had the good sense to get out of the trailer before it went down. They now kept their distance from me, which was fine. They were a constant reminder that Winnie wasn’t here. Even though Remy said everything was fine, I tried not to hope, for fear it would all come crashing down.
The deeper I walked into the forest, the closer they drew to me. Neither of them spoke, even though I could hear the fluttering of their wings behind me as they darted from tree to tree. As if I didn’t know they were there. Silly brownies. I should have known that they had attached themselves to the new house. Perhaps that in itself was an indication that Winnie would return. I continued to ignore them as I stepped into the green field containing the stone circle that I’d built not long after moving to Shady Grove. Even then, I knew that this place would be my final stop in this world. No matter how many times I told myself that I was going to run, I stayed. Shady Grove had always felt like home.
When I stepped into the circle, the center stone blazed to life shedding bright blue light. My father appeared above the stone. The light from the stone faded, but the green field fell into darkness. The stars shone above my head, and the cool air of winter swept around me. I sighed, welcoming it.
“You don’t look well,” Oberon said.
“I am not well,” I said.
“The child is healthy?” he asked.
“Tabitha said everything is normal,” I said.
“You were pregnant when you were here before, did you know?” he asked.
“I suspected, but part of me didn’t want to acknowledge it until I knew for sure,” I said.
I sat down on the grass, and to my amazement, Oberon stepped off the stone to sit down beside me. “I regret that I will not be around when the child is born.”
“Want me to have him here in the circle?” I asked.
A rare smile spread across his face. “No, Gloriana,” he said.
“Do you know everything that has happened?” I asked.
“I know that Jeremiah has died. I felt his passing. The grave look on your face tells me that something has happened to Serafino. The light he gave you is gone. Your bard is not in your shadow, so something has happened to him as well,” he said.
Taking a deep breath, I told him everything. He shook his head as I went through losing everything in my life that mattered to me. He took it all in without saying a word. By the time I had finished, my cheeks were wet with tears. I had finally allowed myself to cry over all of it.
“Jeremiah always had his own agenda, but when it came to you, he did as I instructed him to do. In fact, after they told me about Levi and his potential, I still told him that our first choice as a mate for you in Shady Grove was Serafino whom I did not like, on a personal level. I’m happy to hear that he proved himself to you. Perhaps he did deserve you,” he said.
“He’s not dead,” I said.
“Perhaps not, but he isn’t here. If Robin is involved, then you can be assured that she had an agenda. I didn’t know she was in Shady Grove. Matthew has never made such a mistake before. He will recover, hopefully, but it depends how deeply she enthralled him,” Oberon said.
“Who is she?” I asked.
“Rhiannon’s granddaughter. Rhiannon has many daughters. Just like I had many sons. Robin is one of her daughter’s offspring. She’s always been ambitious. You’ve met Riley and Stephanie. Both of them have aspirations for Rihannon’s throne, but none more than Robin. She’s got a whole generation to outdo,” he said.
“When she left the exploded trailer, she said she was going to her grandmother’s house,” I said.
“I suspect that she went to Summer,” he said.
“Finley is in Summer. I’ll need him to help me get Levi back. Levi was so powerful. I can’t understand how they managed to keep him there. Don’t you think he should be able to get back?” I asked.
“Robin used Winnie to get to Dylan. They must be using someone to get to Levi,” he said.
“Makes sense,” I replied. “But who?”
“There is only one person on this earth that boy would sacrifice his life for,” he said. “I made sure of it.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
He sighed. “Gloriana, somet
imes I forget that because you spent so much time outside of the Otherworld there are ways of things that you don’t know. A bard is a special talent that can only be bestowed by a king. Excuse my generalization, a monarch. Levi is a bard because I granted him the talent. His father was a good man. His mother had a kind heart. He was an excellent example of what was needed for the task to control you. I never thought you needed to be controlled. I’d just assumed you’d embrace your darkness. It seems you have somewhat, but you still fear it. I knew Levi could give you the confidence to use your gifts because you would trust him to bring you back.”
“You created Levi for me?” I asked.
“I made him a bard for you. He bears Taliesin’s gifts. I kept those talents after Taliesin died, and bestowed them upon Levi when his father introduced him to me. Of course, Levi doesn’t know any of this, because Jeremiah erased his memory about meeting me. Jerry was dangerous with that little trick. Thankfully, his power was limited to those who were indebted to him or those who granted him permission to use the power on them,” Oberon explained.
“Levi is important to me. I can’t explain it in terms that people would understand,” I said. “I need him.”
My father nodded like he understood. “Perhaps you should go to Summer and get your brother back. I do not advise that you to go into Winter without him,” he said.
“You think the Queen would give me the time of day?” I asked.
“I think she better considering it’s obvious she sold your servant, Jeremiah, as an appeasement to Brockton. She owes you, Gloriana. You should collect. In fact, I doubt Riley knows what she’s done. You may gain an ally,” he said.
“I’m pretty sure Riley would have to beg my forgiveness for what she did to Levi,” I said.
“She may just do that,” he said.
“There is still a part of me that doesn’t care about any of this,” I said.
“I can’t give you any insight on that. I’ve never loved as you have. Other than for you, my heart is a block of ice,” he said with a smile. He was proud that his only emotions were tied to me which is probably why he was still here making up for the time that we missed. “Where is the boy?”
