“Oh,” Eielawyn said aloud, realizing Nuashinah had read her thoughts. “Forgot about you for a sec. Give me some time to talk with them in the morning. I have to prepare them first.”
“Tythahn will help you. He’s at your door,” Nuashinah said.
Eielawyn stood, and quickly and quietly walked to the door. She opened it to see Tythahn staring at her with wide eyes. “Hey,” she said to him.
“Eielawyn, the fairy that I told you—”
“Yeah, I know,” she said, pointing to her head. “She kind of freaked me out by speaking to me telepathically.”
“Oh, okay.”
“You humans have a hard time accepting anything new, don’t you?” Nuashinah said to both of them telepathically.
“How are you…?” Eielawyn shook her head, as Tythahn motioned to her that Nuashinah was speaking to him also. “Never mind. Tomorrow, Tythahn. Or more specifically, later on today. We’ll talk to all of them then,” she whispered. He nodded, and she watched him walked back to his room four doors down.
She closed the door, and went back to sit on the sofa. “Okay. Tomorrow morning. Are you safe? Now, I mean? Do you have a place to sleep?”
“I am as safe as I can be for now. Tomorrow.”
It was then that Eielawyn felt the slight buzz, like a slight high one would get from smoking cullen flower. It was gone, and she knew it was Nuashinah’s aura leaving her mind. It hadn’t been a bad thing. Maybe it helped her to be more accepting to receiving someone in her thoughts. She removed the robe and crawled back into bed with Raenos. Whatever it was, and whatever Nuashinah was, something was about to change.
Chapter Nineteen
Eielawyn sat next to Raenos, looking around at the others that were gathered in the room. They’d all finished breakfast in a massive dining room that was larger than any dwelling she’d ever been in before. She told Raenos about Nuashinah’s conversation. She thought he would be angry or fearful of a fairy in Yaelvoch, but he was surprisingly agreeable.
Glywyn was holding Leiahrahwyn. The chubby toddler had a head full of dark auburn curls, bright blue eyes, and light honey skin, and the attention of all of those at the table. Glywyn put her down, and she toddled over to Draedon. He bent down to her and she stuffed part of the gummy biscuit she had in her hand into his mouth. Draedon made a point to be overly animated at eating her biscuit. She laughed and giggled, and then she did the same to Theoch, squealing in glee when he ate the other half.
They’d all cooed and fawned over her, as her nurse stood at the ready to take her to her room when needed. She was the future ruler of Ai. The ruler that was foretold to bring peace to Ai and perhaps all of Oaes. But she was only a baby. Eielawyn only hoped she would see that peace in her own lifetime.
She glanced at Tythahn, noticing the worried expression on his face. It was morning, and breakfast was over. It was time to talk. She took a deep breath, and gave Raenos and Tythahn apprehensive looks.
“I-I-I need to talk to all of you for a sec, if I can?” she said, as all eyes stared at her.
“What did you do?” Faeswyn asked, looking at her accusingly. “You’ve been here for half a day. When did you have time to do anything?”
“I didn’t do anything. Kind of,” she said, thinking about agreeing to meet with Nuashinah. “I just need you all to be nonjudgmental for a few seconds, while I explain.”
“Uh-huh,” said Glywyn suspiciously, holding Leiahrahwyn and motioning to the nurse to take her daughter away from the room. Theoch and Draedon each gave their daughter a kiss before she left.
The doors on the opposite side of the room opened wide, and Laeros strode into the room. He looked manic, but calmed when he saw Kinsbithu, Raenos, and Eielawyn sitting there.
“You couldn’t contact a man to tell him you’re all safe?” he said, as Eielawyn and Kinsbithu ran over to hug him.
“Sorry,” said Kinsbithu. “We’re so sorry. So much has happened. Most of us are fine. But Raenos was shot.”
“Yes, I know,” Laeros said, He walked over to Raenos, gripping his forearm, as they bent their heads to touch. “I heard what happened. Glad to see you alive, brother.”
“How did you hear?” Eielawyn asked.
“I contacted him,” said Theoch. “I misted to him last night. Laeros and I have been working together on a few problems happening in Zinvia. He was the one that suggested we ask Tythahn for his help. I figured he’d want to know. I just forgot a few key points about his injury. Sorry.”
“What’s happening in Zinvia?” Raenos asked.
“We’ll talk about that later,” Laeros said to him. He then went over to where Tythahn was standing. “Thank you. You have no idea how much you have helped us all.”
Tythahn nodded. He glanced over to Eielawyn before speaking. “You are all welcome. But I need you to repay that debt, if I can ask for that.”
“Tythahn,” Eielawyn said. She’d wanted to slowly approach the subject of letting a fairy join the meeting. Tythahn had more or less just stripped naked and jumped into the lake.
Tythahn shook his head. “No, Eielawyn. She’s been patient.”
“Who’s been patient?” Draedon asked.
Eielawyn went to stand next to Tythahn. “Nuashinah. She’s the fairy that helped Tythahn escape the other fairies. She’s the one that helped us all. We would have all died—Raenos would have died—if she hadn’t helped Tythahn.”
“A fairy? Here? No! No, no, no,” Draeis said in a panicked voice. “If anyone knows that fairies can’t be trusted, it’s me.”
Faeswyn put her hand on his arm to calm him. “Let’s hear her out, Draeis. They would have died if this washy-person hadn’t helped them.”
“Nuashinah,” Tythahn said with authority.
“Please, let me come to explain to them,” Nuashinah’s voice pleaded telepathically to Eielawyn.
“I’m going to tell her to come here now, and no one is going to freak the fuck out,” she said, glaring at Draeis. “She means us no harm. Okay?”
“How do you know?” Draeis yelled.
Eielawyn stared unflinchingly at him. “I know what you went through, Draeis. But you can either continue to live in fear because of your experience, or you can put that fear behind you and trust again. Trust me. I was scared shitless when Kinsbithu and I first saw Tythahn. We could have run, and not trusted that he was there to help us. We didn’t, and we’re alive. I’m asking you to trust her. Trust me and Tythahn. We believe her.”
Draeis seemed to think about what she said, and then looked around at the rest of them. “What do you all think?”
Glywyn, Draedon, and Theoch all nodded, as if in unison. Draeis looked at Faeswyn and Naihr, as they nodded. Laeros nodded to him. Trikyia glanced over at Eielawyn, and then at the rest of them.
“I fuckin’ hate fairies,” she said softly.
“Trikyia,” Faeswyn warned in a motherly way of her choice of words, but Trikyia seemed to ignore her.
“They killed my family,” she said. “I held my nana in my arms, as she died from what they did to her. I know what Draeis is feeling. I know what you’re feeling, Draeis!” She took a deep breath and sighed out loud, as if to quell an onslaught of tears. “I vowed to kill every fairy I came in contact with. I want to slit this Nuashinah person’s throat. I would gladly stand over her body and watch her fairy-tinged blood seep out of her. But—” she swallowed hard. “—I also have to believe that there are people—creatures, beings…baenthahndorse,” she said, glancing at Tythahn, “that are here to help us. If I don’t believe there is some good left in Ai, what the hell reason is there left to go on? Glywyn told me and Faeswyn about the dream she had. The dream about the six-pointed star?”
Glywyn nodded to her. Trikyia sighed again and continued. “There has to be a reason for all of this. Maybe this fairy is different, like Tythahn said she told him she was. How will we know unless we hear her out, Draeis?”
Eielawyn glanced at Faeswyn, seeing the look of pride showing o
n her face from the words spoken by such a young woman. “Thank you, Trikyia.”
Trikyia smiled sweetly at her. “You’re welcome. I truly believe it, too. But I want you all to believe this, also. If I think for one moment that she’s not who she’s trying to portray herself to be, I’m going to fuckin’ kill her, and enjoy doing it.”
Eielawyn couldn’t disagree with Trikyia on that fact. “You can come in, Nuashinah,” she said in her mind.
In the next second, a figure was by the door. Eielawyn could feel the tension in the room, as all eyes focused on the beautiful woman with long, dark, wavy, brown hair, deep brown eyes, and a flowing brown gown. Her skin was light brown in contrast to the rest of her. But Tythahn had been right. She was brown, as was any other fairy that was red, yellow, green, or purple. Nuashinah was brown.
“Yes, I am,” Nuashinah said to Eielawyn with a sweet smile. “Brown,” she said to the rest of them. “She was observing that I’m brown. And I know that’s against the normal fairy hues. But I’m not a normal fairy.”
“You don’t speak in fairy whisper,” Laeros said, looking down at the floor, as all of the men were doing.
“Please,” said Nuashinah. “You don’t have to look down. I won’t entrance you. It’s not an automatic response for me to entrance any man. And no, I don’t speak in fairy whisper. As I said to Tythahn, I’m more than fairy. Please trust that you are all safe.”
One by one, the men all looked up from the floor to stare at Nuashinah. “How is this possible?” Theoch asked.
“I can explain this all, if I can join you. I have a lot to tell you. What I need to say will affect all of your lives,” said Nuashinah.
Eielawyn looked over to where Glywyn stood flanked by her husbands. She felt as though any decision were up to her. Glywyn, Draedon, and Theoch had been handed the keys of power by King Lavaerion until Leiahrahwyn came of age to rule.
“Glywyn?” she asked.
“All right, then,” Glywyn said, motioning to Nuashinah to take a seat. “Let’s talk.”
* * * *
She didn’t want to die. Nuashinah knew that it was a risk coming to them, but her alternative was to die. Either she died by their hands, or she let the others find her—her fairy sisters—and she died by their hands. And if given a choice, she’d rather die by human hands. Fairies enjoyed torture too much.
She had known long before then that she couldn’t stay with her sisters. She was different from the others, and that difference would have eventually led to her death. But being in Yaelvoch made her feel safe. Mainly because she knew her sisters would never chance traveling through fields of moon mint to get there. But because of her difference, moon mint had no effect on her. And it was time to tell them all why it had no effect, and the importance they would all play from that moment on.
“I know my presence is unnerving. You only know of one type of fairy. The type that entrances men, and kills them after mutilating their—”
“Penises,” Draeis said tensely, as he stared at her.
“Yes,” she said, nodding. “Yes, I know what you went through, and although I had no part in your pain, I apologize to you as part of who I am. Fairy.”
“You say part,” Trikyia said, walking closer to her, as if interested, but she still held her hand on her knife at her hip. “You told Tythahn and Eielawyn that you’re more than fairy. I want to hear what that means.”
Nuashinah knew they all did. She looked around at those sitting in the room. She could have read all of their thoughts, but it wasn’t how she wanted to approach them. She wanted them to accept her. And if she wanted their acceptance, she would have to come to that on their terms.
“There is so much I need to tell you, but you’re right,” she said. “I know about all of you because I needed to know what I was coming into beforehand. If I hadn’t felt all of your essence, and felt the trust I feel from you, I wouldn’t be here.”
“How can you—?” Faeswyn began to ask.
Nuashinah held her hand up to stop her question. “Please. I will explain everything, and more.” She took a deep breath, and began. “I’m fairy, but there is a part of me that is more than fairy. Because of that, I think it changed what that part of me that is fairy.”
“You think? You don’t know for sure?” Draedon asked.
“I never knew who my father was. My mother was Olduaenah. She was the second in command of the fairies after Queen Shahlmach. I’m sure you know how fairies make more fairies?”
Most of them nodded, except for Trikyia and Tythahn. “I assumed they fall in love with men and mated?” he said to her.
Nuashinah shrugged. “To a point. Love rarely has anything to do with mating. It’s not supposed to anyway. But my mother was tasked with meeting with some of the fairies of Jahlmerikahl. Those around the region of Calthafahr.”
A small gasp escaped Trikyia. Nuashinah looked at her knowingly. “Yes, there are fairies in Calthafahr. I’m aware that was where your mother was from.”
“How would you know that?” Trikyia asked, suddenly on the defense.
“I know many things, and I’ll reveal it all to you. Just…please be patient for now,” Nuashinah implored not only Trikyia, but the rest of them in the room. “My mother was supposed to meet with the fairy queen, Queen Elsubiahr, to work out an agreement of travel. The fairies of Ai are restricted to only Ai, unless given permission by Queen Elsubiahr. It keeps the two fairy factions apart, which is a good thing. The fairies of Jahlmerikahl aren’t bloodthirsty like the fairies of Ai. The Ai fairies call them lesser fairies because they won’t subsist on human flesh exclusively.”
“Um…you do realize you’re talking about your family,” Eielawyn said to her. “I mean, isn’t there some type of fairy code or something?”
“I suppose I’d feel that way if I were more fairy,” Nuashinah said. “I’m not. So, my mother met a man while she was there. I don’t know if he was human, some kind of human-like species, or what. I have my suspicions that he was a type of fairy.”
“There’s no such thing as a male fairy,” Naihr said. “That’s why the fairies take men. They take them to mate with, and then kill them.”
“True. But since I came of age, I’ve tried to find any information on the fairies of Jahlmerikahl. There are male fairies there. Not many, but enough. I thought maybe I’m more human-like because of the theory of two negatives making a positive. I don’t really know. It’s just a theory. My mother never told me much about him, but I know she didn’t kill him. On those rare occasions when she did speak to me about him, it was with emotion. I think she was in love with him. She only told me that I was more than fairy, and that I had to guard that part of me away from the others. I never hungered for human flesh like the others. I mean, I like meat, but a steak with some onions, maybe. I learned early on that I could control my fairy entrancement. But I also learned more. Not only could I speak telepathically, I could absorb the history of those that I touched with my mind. I never told my mother about any of the other powers I started to have. Fairies are telepathic, but it’s limited to only other fairies. Except in the rare case of a supreme fairy imprinting on someone. But I’ll get into that later.”
“When did you start to have these other powers?” Theoch asked. “At puberty?”
Nuashinah nodded. “At fairy puberty, yes. About eight years ago.”
There was a sudden commotion, as the rest of them began to cough, and exclaimed in shock. “How old are you?” Trikyia asked boldly.
“I’ve lived for eight years. Fairy maturity. To a human, I’m twenty-six and I’ll remain looking twenty-six until I die,” Nuashinah said, amid shocked remarks and gasps.
“Well, that’s not fair,” Glywyn said, as the others looked at her curiously. “Sorry, but she gets to stay looking like this, while the rest of us get old, and gray, and fat?”
“Baby, you’ll always be beautiful to us,” Theoch said, as he and Draedon both kissed her on the cheek.
“Thank yo
u, both,” she said to her husbands. “So, how long do fairies live?”
“We can live for more than three thousand years if we aren’t killed,” Nuashinah said to Glywyn. “Unfortunately, most fairies end up dead from internal squabbles, or by humans. I’m not really sure if that pertains to me, though. Like I said, I’m fairy and more. I tried to research some of the humans in Jahlmerikahl, and there are so many different groups. Calthafahr, Sookmeiaer, Lilsthinpuhr, and it goes on and on. Not to mention the different fairy factions. And each of those human groups may be strictly human, or they may have some kind of ability, as you call it. I like to say I have powers. Like the power, I had to speak to Tythahn when the sisters came upon him. He told you that I saved his life, but he also saved mine.”
“How is that?” Faeswyn said, walking closer to where Nuashinah was sitting. “You’re fairy…and more, as you say. I would think there are few things you would need saving from.”
“You’re right,” she said, looking intently at Faeswyn. “Except other fairies.”
“Your sisters were going to harm you?” asked Eielawyn.
“My sisters were going to kill me,” she said, somberly. “They’ve been wanting to kill me for years, but I was the watcher. Because of the skills I have, I was given the title of the watcher. The one fairy that stays apart from all of the others, and watches all. It’s a position within the enclave that’s only passed on from mother to daughter. My mother was the former watcher, and she was killed. I have my suspicions she was killed by some of our sisters. But the position of watcher should have assured my safety from the others, but I’m more. They never wanted me in the flurry.”
“Flurry?” Trikyia questioned.
Nuashinah laughed softly. She saw the surprise on the faces of those around her. “No, my laugh will not hurt your ears. It’s a normal laugh. I sometimes even honk, if I go on too long. But yes, Trikyia. You never wondered what a large group of fairies were called?”
“I assumed they were called a group of fairies,” Trikyia said.
Eielawyn [The Maidens of Mocmoran 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 19
