"A pixie is also a fae, so the council can't trust what she says." She folded her arms and stared out the window, refusing to look at the mural.
I huffed in exasperation. "Maya, look into your heart and tell me honestly why you're doing this. Do you think I wanted to be tortured and raped by Kennet? Do you think I chose this? Charlie shouldn't suffer for what happened and neither should Garrett. You can't mean to hurt him like this."
"The shapeshifter community needs to be protected."
I was furious now because she wasn't really hearing me. I grabbed her arm."Are you well? You've lost weight. Have you seen a doctor or a healer?"
She pulled away from me with a jerk. "Don't you dare speak to me about my personal..."
"And this isn't personal for me? You're fucking with my life here, Maya."
"This is not a personal attack on you. I've helped you and your sister in every way that I could. "
"I appreciate all that you've done. I do." I took a deep breath to calm myself down. My eyes flashing orange certainly wouldn't help matters. "Maybe I can help you." I was willing to use my healing magic to at least try.
The look she gave me was full of pain and anger. "I recommend that you attend the next Shifter Council meeting. Come prepared to plead your case." She turned and moved into the foyer, slipping her jacket on as she walked. "No matter what you assume, my motives are not colored by any personal prejudices. I represent and will always work to protect Crescent City's shapeshifter community. Thank you for dinner."
She left through the front door without another word to anyone. Rob stormed out after her, but she'd already driven away. He followed in his car, his face grim with anger.
Garrett was suddenly behind me, pulling me into him, my back to his chest. I sank into his body, breathing him in and pulling his arms more tightly around me.
"She's in high form tonight." He practically hissed, he was so furious, yet his proximity was still a great comfort to me.
"Isaiah says she's jealous of Charlie. Could that be true? Did she talk about having children when you were together?"
"She did, although she always knew I couldn't give them to her. She wanted to find a sperm donor, but you know how particular Maya can be. Perhaps a Rhodes Scholar who looked like a model and was born a cheetah would have satisfied her," he said scornfully. Unbidden, a twinge of jealousy punched me in the heart. I hadn't known that he'd discussed raising a family with her.
He must have felt my body tense up against him, so he twisted me around to see my face. Gentle knuckles grazed my cheek. "Smile for me, my love. I don't like to see those sad eyes." He kissed my hair and sighed. "I'd told her honestly that I wasn't ready to commit to a long term relationship because we spent half our time together arguing about the most ridiculous things. She was desperate to hold us together, even though it was obvious that we were both miserable. I suppose she thought a child might work where other schemes hadn't."
"Do you think the law will pass?"
"It will go before the three council members for a vote. If it passes, we can insist on a public vote. Then it would be up to the adult shifters present at the meeting through a show of hands. It would require at least a 2/3 majority to pass. This might be our best option. I'll talk to Peter and get his take on the situation." Kyle's mate, Peter, was a lawyer.
"What happens if it passes the public vote?"
He looked out the front window at our lovely yard, the woods beyond and the mountains beyond that. "Then we leave Crescent City. There are many beautiful areas in my territory that would welcome us and Charlie too."
This property where he'd built his house and made a life for himself had once belonged to his parents. Leaving it behind would be difficult for him. "You've invested so much of your money and your heart into this place."
"The money wouldn't concern me, and my heart will always travel with you and our son. I might release my nest and then they could stay, if they wished. The team could still function well, since we can both travel the lines to meet them wherever we're needed. Rob would have to take in Flynn. He's not ready to be left on his own. Liam would come with us to our new home, as would Sinlae and her males. As long as you and Charles are safe, I'd live anywhere."
"The Carmel villa?" I winced, thinking that maybe I'd gone too far.
"Did you like it there?" He smiled a half smile.
"It was lovely. Especially the times we were alone together." My face heated up as he grinned at my embarrassment.
He ran two fingers across my bottom lip, then leaned in to bite it gently, reminding me of what I'd done earlier. "I'd live there happily with you." He laughed. "A month ago I never would have believed I'd feel this way about that house of horrors."
"Former house of horrors. I did my best to give you some new memories to replace the old ones." I looked up at him and impishly batted my eyelashes. "Now it's the house of love."
"Ah." He laughed, moving closer. "La maison de l'amour. Much nicer." His warm breath against my ear gave me serious goose bumps.
He leaned in to kiss me, but I broke contact, pushing him gently away with a sad sigh. "We have the team gathered to discuss a murder investigation. We should focus."
It was decided that Kyle and Ethan would gather evidence at the two sites as soon as the bodies had been removed and the police were finished. The two of them had been thoroughly trained by Sinc, so we were confident that there would be some clue left behind to help unravel the mystery. I'd arrive at some point and summon Marie to help if I thought it was necessary.
William and I had a chance to sit down and talk after Ethan and Kyle left. He was my brother-in-law, having mated with my sister, Bridgett, so I tried to spend some time with him when I could.
"Have you seen Bridgett lately?"
"Not for a few weeks. They've been keeping her busy. I talked to her last night as usual."
"How does she seem?"
He hesitated. "Something's bothering her and she won't talk about it. She keeps saying that everything's fine, but it isn't. I think she's getting a day off soon. Maybe she'll open up to you about it."
"Sure. I'll try. But she's stubborn."
"Tell me about it."
"Have you talked to Garrett about the binding mark?" As the third part of the binding ritual for vampires, the maker, or in this case the master of the nest, has to approve the match and then mark the two mates with a design of their choosing. Francois, Garrett's grandsire, gave us our cheetah eyes which we both wear proudly on our wrists, the black tear stripe flowing down to wrap around our index fingers.
"Yeah, he said he'd do it for us, but we have to decide what we want and then Sash said he'd help out by outlining it on our bodies. Garrett's not an artist, exactly. We'll do it the next time Bridgett has some time off. Then we'll be official." Will always looked so happy when he talked about Bridgett.
"Are things okay in the house for you with the others?"
He grinned. "Oh yeah. In fact, I can't remember the last time I felt this good about my life. Before I was turned I was kind of a mess, and then after... Well, I guess you know how it was for me with Eleanor."
"Garrett's never told me anything private about what happened to you. I think he feels guilty sometimes that he couldn't help you more."
"When they aren't pulling my chain, Sash and Rick are always apologizing to me. But Eleanor was so strong. There was no way they could have disobeyed her more than they did and survived her anger. Sometimes, when they did disobey, she tortured them worse than she would have me. I try not to think about those times now."
"I can relate to that." I shuddered, thinking about my own torture.
"Garrett and you have given me a real home, somewhere I belong. I'm actually doing some good with my life. I lucked out and found Bridgett. Yeah, life's pretty cool these days."
Charlie decided to kick me at that exact moment, so I let Will touch my belly. He laughed hard as my son performed a spectacular routine of Olympic floor exercises in my womb.
Yep, life was pretty cool these days.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The next morning, I heard a knock on the bedroom door. I threw the covers off, trying not to bury Garrett, then stumbled to the door in the pitch black, managing to stub my toe on the nearby chair.
"Ow, shit." I hopped the last few steps then swung the door wide.
It was Bridgett. The look I gave her wasn't friendly.
"Hey Sis." She was grinning. I wasn't.
"Hey."
"Everything okay?"
"Yes, except I'm wondering if there's been a massive shutdown of all communication devices that I hadn't heard about."
"Um, no."
I waddled out into the hall and closed the door behind me. "So there's no good reason why you didn't call or text me first?"
"I just wanted to see you. It was an impulsive decision. I convinced Farrell to bring me." She looked innocent and contrite, so I shook my head and gave her a hug.
"It's okay. I'm just crankier than usual when I first wake up. I'm glad to see you too."
She looked down at my belly and giggled. "You're h u g e." She drew the word out for emphasis.
"Yeah, no whale jokes please. I only have a couple more weeks, although my body is stretching like he's gonna kick his way out tomorrow. I'm worried that he'll start breaking ribs soon."
"What did Liam and your OBGYN say?"
"That everything is perfect and on schedule."
"Well, there ya go. No broken ribs."
The aroma of bacon and eggs hit us like a Mack truck on a slippery highway. After a mutual grin, my twin set off for the kitchen with me lumbering beside her. It gave me a chance to get a good look at her.
Bridgett was never what you'd call 'meaty', but she looked thinner than ever. There were circles under her eyes, probably from lack of sleep, and her eyes had a worried glow. I had to get to the bottom of what was bothering her.
Thanking Liam, we sat and dished out our food. I dug in and then said, "You're not eating enough."
She shrugged, taking a very small bite of her eggs. "I'm busy and I forget sometimes."
"The food is delicious in Faerie and there's always a lot of it. Set your phone alarm or something." I bit off half a piece of bacon and chewed happily.
She nodded. "Sure. Good idea." Her voice lacked the usual energy.
Liam asked, "Bridgett, are you well? Your aura is muddy."
"Really? I feel okay."
"Is anyone bothering you in Faerie? I can speak to them for you."
"Oh no. Everyone is really nice." Liam and I glanced at each other quickly. She wasn't lying, but something was up. Maybe she just missed William, although it was odd that she'd shown up so early in the day. She knew that Will didn't wake from his rest until around five in the evening.
I watched her push around another forkful of eggs. "Please try to eat a little more." She nodded and raised the small amount to her mouth.
"I'll talk to Lady Dinestri." Liam sent to me, wrinkling his brow in concern. "Look at her shields." I did. They were stronger than I'd ever seen them. "If I attempted to read her, I'd cause her pain."
Farrell walked in from the garden. He'd been checking into how we were progressing with the residence we were setting up for Sinlae and her three male pixies. She'd pledged to guard Charlie and they were all arriving and moving in two days before the day of Charlie's birth, giving me a heads-up as to when he'd be making his entrance.
He nodded to Liam and me. "Would you like some breakfast?" I asked.
"Thank you, yes." He sat down sporting a wide smile and dished himself some food.
"How does everything look?"
"Very good. I especially like the pipeline you put in so they can move between their home and yours without going outside in inclement weather. It all appears to be ready for your new demi-fey employees."
"Employees, huh? Should we pay them a salary?"
Liam rolled his eyes. "Sinlae would be insulted if you suggested giving them money. They barter, so when they arrive, work out a schedule with Sinlae and then offer them goods in exchange for their work. She'll argue, saying it is their honor to serve, etc., but they'll need to be kept comfortable. Their physical bodies are delicate even thought their spirits are strong. Building them a hutch where they can keep the small animals that they catch would be appropriate. As would sheep's wool or other natural yarns or fabrics. A meal at your table would be a special treat and it would give you a chance to get to know them. They can be quite chatty."
Farrell added after a sip of coffee, "You'll need to set up specific rules regarding when and where they can be in your home. They're curious creatures and might pop in at embarrassing times."
I laughed. "What about blood?"
"Never offer your blood except to bind an agreement, because then they are required to give you some of theirs in return. If it's made clear that blood is to be exchanged by both parties, then they're less likely to bite you." Farrell said.
"If one of them falls ill, call me immediately. When they begin to fade, they go quickly." Liam continued.
"How long do they live?" I asked.
"As all fae." Liam answered.
"Why do I feel like they're going to be more work than Charlie?"
Liam shook his head, smiling. "I've seen three demi-fey take down a full blood demon one hundred times their size. The Elders and your friends are all very pleased you've taken them in. Charlie will be much safer. They'll fill your home and your life with magic of a kind you could not imagine."
"Has Liam told you the news regarding his choice for Charlie's Seelie Fae guards?" Farrell asked with a grin.
I arched an eyebrow at Liam and waited. He answered, "Farrell volunteered. I didn't really want to have to scrape the bottom of the barrel like that, but I agreed."
Farrell scowled playfully back at Liam. "My father isn't happy but my mother is down with it."
I giggled. "Down with it?"
"I thought that since I'd be in the mortal world on a regular basis, I should learn more of the current colloquialisms."
"Where, on Twitter? Facebook? On the internet?"
"Urban Dictionary."
Bridgett barked out a laugh. "You start talking phrases from Urban Dictionary and no one around here'll understand you except maybe me."
He looked thoughtful as he went back to his meal, gulping down his eggs and bacon with great enthusiasm. Farrell's eyes were the light lavender of the very young, his hair the same rich reddish shade as his sister, Kellaine's and his adorable smile made him look almost human. Seeing him like this, I realized with shock that in seventeen years or so, Charlie would be sitting here looking very much the same.
He noticed me staring. "Will you accept me as Charlie's guard, Jacqueline?"
I furrowed my brow. "Farrell, are you sure? Garrett and I are honored that you want to guard Charlie, but you're the son of an elder. Why would you take a job like this?"
His carefree manner switched to serious in a heartbeat. "I have great respect for you and Garrett and I look forward to watching Charlie develop into the male I know he'll become under your parentage. And to be honest, I enjoy my time spent in the mortal world. The males and females live their lives—urgently, passionately. I love my home and my people but I'm young and curious. I have many centuries to 'settle down' as you say here. Do you agree?"
"Of course. You're a friend and I trust you completely."
He shrugged. "It's not like I'm going to be washing dishes, cleaning the house or cooking." He teased his cousin, Liam.
Liam's grin was evil. "Never say never. You'll be under me, Farrell, and I want you on the day shift from six until when Garrett returns from feeding. It's the longest shift."
Farrell nodded at Liam with respect as his eyes glittered with the excitement of a young man embarking on an adventure. "Of course, Lord Liam."
That made us all giggle, even Bridgett. "Calling a guy wearing an apron lord, is just weird.
"Do I know the other
two fae?"
"No. I'll ask them to come this afternoon, so you and Garrett can meet them. They're both female. Aislin, a niece of Lady Salera and Noriene, a niece of Lady Tereza."
"Related to Kaera and Brina?"
"Yes, younger but also talented with a sword. One will be assigned from four until midnight and the other from eleven to seven. I want the shifts to overlap slightly."
"Do I have any choice in any of this? I mean, what if I don't get along with them?"
"You'll like them." Farrell interjected before Liam could answer.
"Have a little faith, Jackie, I chose the two who would fit in the best."
"I hope they won't be resentful, being dragged out of Faerie for a job like this."
Liam barked out a laugh. "Over thirty fae volunteered."
"Really?"
"And not just because they'd be guarding Charlie, which is reason enough considering his bloodline, but also because they'll be guarding you. Many feel you have brought a new magic to our Sidhe with the coming birth of Philladre and Aedus' little Jacqueline."
"Liam."
"I know you deny it, but it does you no harm to be thought of as valuable to our race's future. It offers you and your family more protection. So-don't-complain." His gaze shut me up fast. It was better to pick your battles with Liam and this was kind of a silly one anyway.
We all helped him clean up, chatting about various topics. Farrell left, telling Bridgett he'd be back for her tomorrow morning. She wandered over to the sliding glass doors that led out to the patio, peeking out in the direction of the vamp villa. "So, do you think I could meet Isaiah?"
"Sure, he usually shows up with Flynn around one o'clock."
"Cool."
"There's someone else you should meet too." I sat her down in the living room and summoned Marie. Although summoning her was becoming easier, I still made sure that I was sitting, since the word concussion did not have a pleasant ring to it.
"It is wonderful to see you again, Jacqueline. How is my brother?" She touched my arm affectionately.
"Garrett is resting. He's well."
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