by Shona Husk
How big did his plans stretch?
He looked at her for a moment. His eyes were unreadable behind his sunglasses. She really needed a pair of them, not that she could imagine them being worn at Court. Most would scorn such a measure as a sign of weakness.
“Then I show both worlds what can be achieved if humans and fairies work together. Greys are not the rubbish Annwyn has thrown out. They aren’t evil or trouble makers—well, no more so than any fairy.” His lips curved.
“You want to reveal the truth?” Humans had stopped believing in fairies centuries ago…mostly. Was Henry really considering going back to the old ways? He couldn’t be old enough to remember them, surely? She wasn’t old enough to remember those days.
“I didn’t say that.”
No he hadn’t. Not explicitly anyway. But then fairies could be judged on what they didn’t say as much as by what they did say. Henry behaved a lot more like a fairy than a mortal. Not what she’d expected at all, and it intrigued her. She shouldn’t find the son of a Grey so interesting.
“Let me show you something.” He stood up and gathered up her cup, returning them to the window where they had been served. He spoke a few words to the man there, and both of them laughed.
People liked him, that much was clear. However, she was sure that if they knew what he did once a year they’d run.
The sidewalk was uneven, and there was litter piled up in places. Henry didn’t seem to notice the mess or the smell. Her lunch tumbled in her stomach but she refused to do anything as undignified as throw up. Henry kept walking, expecting her to follow like some kind of tamed pet. Behind his back, she grimaced. She wasn’t one of his Greys.
Just as she was getting ready to say something, he stopped at a large grassy area. The ground looked as though it had been churned up—the surface was uneven and the grass that had regrown was long and needed cutting. A few kids played there, while an older kid watched.
“One night a few Greys and I planted this park with vegetable seedlings. I got all the kids in the area involved and the parents. Some of them were gang kids. I was trying to get a community garden going so that there’d be vegetables for summer. Some were almost big enough to be harvested when the cops came through and took the lot. The gang kids retaliated and there was a fight. Blood was spilled and both sides blamed me for the resulting deaths.” He kicked a mounded of dirt. “This could’ve been the start of something.”
“So why didn’t you replant?”
“Because I don’t want blood on my hands. They were kids. The cops already ride my ass and expect bribes and payments. You saw that last night. But food is an issue.”
“Cows.” She could see what he was planning. It should be a bloodless revolution. He’d give the people what the needed, plus ownership, and in exchange he’d rule and protect. The Greys were his army, but not in the way Felan had thought. She’d seen the Greys chase after the cops after she’d clouded their minds last night. The cops would have no idea what was haunting them, hiding their keys and tripping them up. A clever Grey could break a mortals mind, but she doubted Henry would let it get that far.
None of this was about revenge, at least on the surface. If there was an ulterior motive, it was well hidden. Henry seemed as though he genuinely wanted to help…that was very un-fairy.
“Exactly. I do need to replant. But I need to do it better. Smarter. I went for the public statement. I was thinking like a human, when I should be playing a long game like a fairy.”
Her gaze slid from the field to Henry. While his features weren’t as refined as a fairy, he had that ageless look about him. Young until he spoke, or she looked into his eyes. He was older than he appeared. She had no idea how old and she doubted Felan did either, not exactly.
“Fairies play over centuries.” Darah watched him closely, looking for a tell.
“I know…maybe not that long.” He smiled. “I measure my life in deaths. Thinking in centuries is rather painful.”
She seized the opening. “So how old are you?”
“In deaths, two hundred and six. In years, one hundred and thirty two.” He sighed and hooked his thumbs into his pockets. “I’d like to be able to say they all deserved it, but alas they didn’t.”
Two hundred and six souls. He was breaking no rules in surviving. She was guessing the souls came to him willingly with no trickery involved, but she wasn’t sure. Darklings were rarer than changelings and Annwyn knew little enough about those. Compared to a fairy Henry was still a youth, though compared to a mortal he was ancient. Not even changelings lived that long. Changelings had a normal mortal lifespan. Henry was truly an oddity.
An oddity with a conscience.
“You really want to help the humans.”
He nodded. “It’s the least I can do.”
In that moment he seemed quite frail and human. He had compassion for people he didn’t know and who would hate him and fear him if they knew the truth. Why would anyone do that? What was in it for him…becoming mayor? There had to be more to it.
Darah pressed a little deeper, determined to dig while he was talking so freely. “Do you want an empire or to help?”
“Can’t I have both?” There was his smile, the one that must make humans trip over themselves to do his bidding. Mortal women must fall at his feet the way human men would fall at hers if she let them. The only difference was she wouldn’t kill her lovers, at least not accidentally.
“There are plenty of places that need help. Hundreds of cities.” She’d gained an appreciation for the damage done by the plagues by reading the newspapers when she’d first crossed the veil, but the numbers were too vast for her to comprehend.
“I have to start somewhere.”
Was his plan bigger than just one city? Fairies hadn’t ruled the mortal world for millennia. Felan would never let that happen again, not under his rule.
Even other Court fairies who were in the mortal world weren’t attempting anything so bold. No one wanted to get caught up in mortal dramas. Except Henry. He’d rolled up his sleeves and was already up to his elbows. If she wasn’t careful, he’d be dragging her into the muck.
“It’s not your responsibility. Let the mortals fix their own problems.” Humanity had always come around after a fairy war. She knew her history and had listened to the singing stones in Annwyn when she was younger.
He turned to face her. “And who caused the mess? Felan and Sulia bickering for the throne. A battle that no one knows or cares about, and yet humans paid the price.”
“Fairies died too.” The snow had been stained with blue blood. The memory made her stomach tighten. There were a lot fewer fairies than there were humans.
“I heard it was a formal battle…what’s that, ten, twenty, thirty fairies each side?” he glanced over the top of his sunglasses. His eyes like chips of ice.
How did he know that? Did he have a source in Annwyn? Felan had given her this job in private. There was no one who knew of her mission, and yet she felt exposed. However, his information was incomplete…perhaps he had only heard gossip.
“Twenty per side. Eleven died of their injuries.” Felan had almost lost.
He snorted and shook his head. “Eleven fairies to half a billion humans.”
She blinked, not sure of the point he was making. Was he suggesting more fairies should’ve died? The plagues weren’t deliberate, just a sign that the worlds were out of balance. “You care more about humans than fairies? There are far more humans in the world.”
“That doesn’t make them less important.” He paused and frowned, his gaze sweeping across the field and the kids playing there. “Humans have shorter lives. They have to live harder and with more feeling. Until you’ve spend time among them you have no idea what it is like on this side of the veil.”
Maybe Henry had spent too much time with mortals. His emotions were getting the better of him, something no fairy would let happen. Yet he obviously saw something in humanity that she was missing.
“And you have spent no time in Annwyn.” He had no idea what it was like there and what the last couple of decades had been like as the old Queen had become crueler. “Felan has closed the Court and ordered fairies to walk this side of the veil.”
Henry’s gaze snapped back to her. “Felan, eh? First name basis with the King.”
He took a step back. Behind him, the long grass rustled and a dog barked somewhere in the maze of buildings. If Annwyn in winter was cold and brutal, Detroit was jagged and rough. But it was still possible to cut yourself with a blunt razor.
Henry wasn’t as blunt as he appeared. He’d caught her slip. She cursed herself for being so careless, but it was so easy to talk to Henry. And while she hated admitting it, she liked his plans. Part of her wanted to see if he had the courage to follow them all the way through and do what had to be done to become Mayor of Detroit and make it a thriving city again. What a feat that would be.
“I was his mother’s Lady for centuries. Of course I know her son. That doesn’t mean he has any affection for me or any of the other women who served his mother.” Not a total lie, but about as close as she was going to come. She had been Eyra’s Lady long before she’d become Felan’s spy. If Shea hadn’t betrayed her, she would never have started spying…and she’d have ended up backing the wrong contender for the throne. Shea really had done her a few favors. No doubt he’d be annoyed if he realized he’d inadvertently helped the wife he’d hoped to cast off.
“And where are the other women?”
“They were encouraged to leave Court.” Felan had made it clear that all who had supported Sulia were unwelcome, but he hadn’t gone so far as banishing them. As a shadow, she’d thought it weak. Now she wasn’t so sure. Perhaps by letting them go, he was showing that he had nothing to fear. She hoped he was right.
Henry took a step around her and she was forced to turn to keep him in sight. She didn’t like that he was able to make her do anything even if it was a ploy to show he had power. She could’ve ignored him and stared straight ahead, but she had to win his trust. Had to become part of his inner circle. She wasn’t even touching the inner circle yet. She was merely being shown the edges.
“He exiled those who fought directly against him, no one else.” She’d seen no sign of those exiled fairies here in Detroit—had Felan been fearing that? Perhaps the exiled were avoiding the area because there were so many Greys.
“I have seen no Court fairy here since I arrived in Detroit, and yet you came here.” Now it was Henry who wanted answers.
“I heard about you and I was curious.” That was the truth. She took a step toward him. He didn’t step back. “An adult darkling? You are unusual.”
He didn’t move and he didn’t respond. She couldn’t tell if she was getting to him or not. But if he couldn’t kiss a human without them losing their soul…perhaps there was a way to get close without needing to be in his inner circle. Pillow talk could be more useful than what was said in a strategy meeting.
Her fingers traced up the front of his shirt. “And now that I am here, I find myself even more intrigued. The ambition of a fairy with heart of a human…it is an interesting combination.” Those words were all truth. Seducing Henry would be a delight.
“Ambition is not just a fairy trait.” He covered her hand with his. His skin was cool. His fingers and the back of his hand were covered in fine white scars.
“Maybe not, but it’s one we admire.” She took another step closer. Now they were toe to toe, with their hands trapped between their bodies. “One I admire.”
Would he break the contact first? Would he realize that she was playing him or be drawn in? It would be no hardship to kiss him. Her heart was beating too fast, but she was too experienced to let desire show. This certainly wouldn’t be the first time she’d used sex to either seal a deal or gain a favor. Did he realize how hard fairies gambled? Or what he had to lose?
She leaned a little closer, her nose almost brushing his. He didn’t smell like a fairy. Fairy men tended to smell of leaves and summer…or cold and winter, depending on the season. Darah inhaled. Henry smelled of something different. Skin and something spicier.
Something that made her heart a little erratic. She wasn’t supposed to feel attraction. This was about trapping him and learning more about his plans. He wasn’t fairy and he could be lying. Humans lied. Greys probably lied. His lineage was dubious at best, deplorable at worst.
“You like my plans?”
“I like the size of your plans,” she whispered against his lips.
He laughed, soft and deep. “I can tell when I’m being taken for a ride, Darah.”
His words were like a slap. It was all she could do not to flinch and pull away. He was a darkling. He was mortal and afflicted with a soul; he shouldn’t be immune to her.
Henry’s fingers brushed her cheek. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it anyway.”
His lips touched hers. It was barely a kiss, as if he were afraid that he’d somehow kill her in that delicate moment. Her heart clenched. Would he? No, he only killed humans because they had souls.
He drew back a fraction. “I’m not used to kissing unless it involves stealing and killing.”
When was the last time she had kissed someone for reasons other than to gain an advantage? She couldn’t remember, and kissing Henry would be no different. That was almost a pity.
Almost.
But she didn’t let herself dwell on it. He was a darkling, beneath her consideration, and she was there just to gather information and report back to Felan before claiming her rightful place on his Council. There was a lot riding on this kiss. Henry had to want more. As he’d said, he had to enjoy the ride enough that he didn’t realize what her true goal was.
She closed the small gap between their lips and kissed him properly, her mouth learning the shape and feel of his. At first his lips were unyielding, betraying his lack of experience. When her tongue brushed his lips, his mouth softened and he let her take control. His grip on her hand loosened and she let it glide over his chest to his shoulder and then his neck. His hair tickled her fingers.
With the sun on her back and his hand moving delicately over her hip, it was all too easy to sink into the moment and let herself enjoy the kiss for what it was. A promise that there could be more.
And she wanted more.
All she had to do was forget about the reason why.
She knew how to enjoy each encounter for what it was as well as what it was worth.
It would be no effort to enjoy her time with Henry. She’d expected this job to be less than pleasant and she was finding the opposite to be true. Perhaps the mortal world did have a certain allure.
Gradually the kiss ended, a last taste, a last touch, but neither of them stepped away.
He sighed. Because it had ended or because he’d realized what he’d been missing? “We should get back. I have plans to make.”
“What plans?” As soon as the words left her mouth she knew that her question had been too bold.
His body tensed and his expression once again became guarded. “Are you interested in my plans or interested in helping?”
There was only one correct answer even if it wasn’t really true. “Helping, of course.”
It wasn’t a total lie either. She was interested in where his ambition would take him and how far he’d push things before he started breaking the immutable laws of Annwyn.
Chapter 8
For the rest of the first day, pretty much all the Greys avoided her, even if they didn’t hide their interest. She, however, had no interest in them. The only fairies she cared about were the ones close to Henry: Penn, Kaid and Marlis.
But she couldn’t insinuate herself with them without it being both obvious and insincere. So she was forced to bide her time, which felt a lot like sitting around and doing nothing except watching the many televisions, in what had once been a sports bar. It appeared that humans would bet on anything, though they only gambl
ed with money and not with anything of consequence.
What was the point of gambling if not to win favors and status?
From the shadows she was watched. She ignored the Grey. Henry was avoiding her, but he hadn’t forgotten about her. She grudgingly admitted that he was playing smart and safe, which probably meant that he was hiding something.
There had been no TVs the last time she was in the mortal world. While many things had changed, many were still the same. Of course she also remembered what the world was like after the Black Plague when the old and King and Queen had been fighting. This was very similar, except this time it was global and on the news.
Maybe it had been global last time and she hadn’t realized. She’d been so young the last time, barely sixty in human years, little more than a child in Annwyn terms. A fairy living at Court could live for thousands of mortal years. Not immortal but close enough for humans to not know the difference.
Humans moved on with their lives doing the best they could. Like last time there were empty towns and full churches. Darah was considering leaving the casino and seeing what she could find out about the Mayor—it paid to know as much as possible about all the players in a game—when Marlis glided over.
The woman moved as though the casino was hers. It was no wonder Eyra had banished Marlis. She was too confident and in control even for a fairy. The Grey that had been supervising Darah left the bar, so it was just her and Marlis.
Darah swallowed, but resisted the urge to stand and display her discomfort at being cornered. Perhaps this could work in her favor. Although from the grim look on the Grey’s face this wasn’t an offer of friendship, or even a welcome.
“Darah, recently removed from Court.” Marlis tilted her head. “I understand your slippery words better than most. I was like you once, with a place at Court. I know you want to go back at any cost. We’d all like that.” She smiled. It was brittle and looked painful, but beneath the unhealthy pallor and the jutting bones there was an echo of beauty. While her hair had thinned and become fragile, her mind was as sharp as the day she’d been forced from Annwyn. Marlis was perhaps the most dangerous fairy here. And she knew it. “All except Henry, that is. He isn’t like us.”
