"Your son's already asked about drawing and painting. I think he'd like to learn." We took a look toward Charlie's room when we heard Aislin knock. Farrell must have finished his shift and gone home to Faerie.
Charlie opened the door and squealed. "Lady Aislin, look what Jay and me can do! Daddy's helping." She nodded in our direction with a smile and then went inside. Charlie peeked at me then closed the door again.
"Are the sisters coming tonight?" Sash was referring to the fae warriors, Kaera, and her younger sister, Brina. Vampires were attracted to the fae, because their blood was considered not only powerful, but unbelievably delicious. Plus fae females were not uptight at all about sex, making them ideal companions for a couple of promiscuous vampires, especially two that had proven themselves to be capable warriors. The sisters were particular in that way.
"They sent gifts so I assume, no. Lord Caelen will be here so try to keep you clothes on during the party."
Sasha broke out in laughter. "Jacqueline, a risqué joke? Really? I'm proud of you."
"It was regarding proper decorum."
"Can I take my shirt off when I'm dancing?" His voice was a little husky, making my cheeks warm. He always got such a kick out of watching me blush.
"Depends on what you call dancing." His smile and sparkling eyes told me everything I needed to know and a lot I'd rather not. "If Lord Caelen is still here, please leave it on. After midnight, do whatever. The kids'll be asleep by then." Sash and Rick had invited a couple of female shifters to the party—and vamps will be vamps.
All the children were having a sleep-over in the large family room in our basement, guarded by Aislin and her cousin Noriene. We'd set up folding cots and had movies stacked up for them to choose from, hoping that they'd fall asleep around ten or eleven. Their parents were also invited to sleep over in one of our guest bedrooms, but I had a sneaky feeling that most of them would head home for a quiet night alone together.
"I will remain clothed, Mistress," he teased, including a low bow for emphasis. I rolled my eyes in response, drawing an impish grin from the handsome Slav. We'd argued good-naturedly for years about him calling me mistress, but it seemed that I had too much on my plate these days to continue the fight—at least for now.
"Have you heard from Flynn?" I asked. Flynn was a lion shifter who'd tried to kill himself when he found out he wasn't human. We'd kept him with us for two years, putting him up in the vamp villa and helping him adjust by getting him to a social worker and easing him into the shifter lifestyle as gently as possible. Then, much to our surprise, he'd applied and been accepted to a pre-med program at Stanford University, hoping to one day give back to his community in a much-needed way. I knew another lion shifter at the local hospital who was an accomplished surgeon, and also several nurses and dentists, so maybe it was something in a lion's DNA that pointed them toward that particular career path.
"Flynn's doing great. Rick visited him last week and said the guy has a hot leopard girlfriend who's also pre-med and that he's sailing through his exams without a problem. Seems like our boy's going to be just fine."
I asked Sash to come back with Rick at 5:30 to get the trays of appetizers and carry them to the buffet tables, then I finished straightening the kitchen, ensuring that Liam wouldn't scold me for leaving a mess.
I knocked once more on Charlie's bedroom door. He opened it a crack. "People will start arriving in an hour. Daddy will give you a bath,"
"I'm just gonna get dirty again outside." He pouted.
Garrett, who'd been sitting cross-legged with his guitar stretched across his lap, laughed, saying, "Listen to mom. She's the boss when it comes to birthday parties." Indicating that Charlie should put his new guitar back in the case, Garrett's body flowed like mercury as he rose to a standing position, placing his own instrument on the bed. He picked Charlie up, swinging him to his shoulders with ease. "Allez viens, mon petit guepard, Jay can watch TV."
"Doesn't he need a bath too?" Charlie inspected Jay, making the kid look down at himself uncomfortably.
"That's up to Kyle and Peter. Anyway, it's your birthday. You have to look neat until everyone gets here, then you can run around all you want."
"Tell Daddy about what happened with Jay's wrist."
"Oh, okay." As they passed, Garrett leaned down and kissed my cheek, making our son giggle. I guided Jay to the TV in the corner of the kitchen where he settled down to watch a Pixar film with a small bag of pretzels and a juice box. Kyle had gone home to pick up Peter.
I motioned for Aislin to sit. "Would you like coffee?"
"I would prefer herbal tea, if that is available." I nodded and put up the tea kettle, deciding to join her.
"I have news, Jacqueline." Sinlae was instantly by my side, having been mentally alerted by Aislin that she should come into the house for the conference. Sometimes those instant responses were spooky. "Lord Kennet's sister reported to the Elders that her brother has permission from the queen to see his son, now that Charlie is well."
I didn't say anything, which made Aislin look at Sinlae and then back at me. "I see that this is not news to you." She watched both of us, waiting for one of us to confirm or deny her statement. She leaned closer. "I suggest that you tell Lord Caelen whatever has been discussed between you and Lord Kennet. We cannot protect Charlie if we do not know the truth."
I took a moment to pour the tea, then sat again. "Please believe me when I say that I am not able to speak to anyone regarding what you've told me."
She arched an eyebrow and glanced at the demi-fey. "Sinlae..."
"I also cannot speak." She crossed her arms and lifted her chin as her wings beat furiously to hold her in the air.
"And Garrett?" I nodded. "And...?" I shook my head.
She frowned after taking a sip of her tea. "The queen is indeed powerful, but..."
"I'm sorry." I interrupted.
We sipped our tea in silence. "You have said nothing to place Charlie in danger. I will inform Lord Caelen privately of all that you have not told me." Aislin's smile was ironic.
CHAPTER FOUR
Two hours in, the party was going great, although Sammy and Jay had bumped heads while bouncing on the blow-up castle. Jay only had a bruise and was already jumping again while Sammy was crying on Aaron's lap with an ice bag against his forehead.
Aaron smiled at me over the boy's head. "You'll be okay, Sam. Your head just isn't as hard as Jay's."
"He jumps too high, Dad." He sniffed, obviously starting to feel better.
"He's got long legs, he can't help it. You'll have long legs too one day."
Charlie had come running over as soon as he'd heard. "I can make it feel better faster than ice bags."
"Lord Caelen will want to see this." I sent to Garrett and Liam as Aaron looked at me curiously.
After Charlie did his thing, surrounded by a group of curious fae, he and Sammy went running off to kick the soccer ball around, because Sammy felt that "soccer's much cooler than bouncing". He was joined by Grady, who'd announced thirty minutes earlier that he was going to be a professional soccer player.
"Isn't Charlie awfully young to be coming into powers?" Aaron asked after the kids had gone.
Caelen answered. "Liam was able to heal others at an early age. Perhaps healer powers simply appear when needed."
The music started up again so I slouched down in my chair. I'd already enjoyed a few dances with Garrett and felt that I'd fulfilled my quota. Unfortunately, Ethan, an amazing dancer and my closest friend on the team, used his cougar senses to sniff me out and pull me onto the dance floor. My moves, such as they were, had improved over the years, but I still felt awkward compared to most of the supes who'd grown up dancing.
"I like the new one." I panted out between songs.
Ethan had been through a series of shifter girl friends, all of them friendly and lovely and yet not right as long term mates, at least as far as Ethan was concerned. He'd never admit to it, but I knew him well enough to understand
that he was looking for someone to affect him mind and body, the way Sinc had. She'd been his first real love and soon after had become his first horrific heartbreak.
"Yeah, Cyn is great." Cynthia, a leopard shifter, was standing and talking to Peter and Kyle, gushing over how cute Jay was as he dripped vanilla ice cream from the cone he was eating on her shoe. Peter apologized and offered her a napkin while Kyle laughed and pulled Jay away from any other possible victims. "She loves kids." Ethan added with some warmth in his voice.
When the second song ended, I caught him looking at Sinc and Gabe, who'd just finished dancing together. "You okay?" I whispered.
"I'm fine, really. I'm happy for her. It was my choice to split up and I still think it was the right one for me." Sinc had lied to him, pretending to have slept with Sasha just so Ethan would dump her. It had been her usual modus operandi when she thought a guy was getting too serious. It had worked, only it had hurt Ethan more than he'd ever let on.
Sinc and Gabe had fallen in love long before she'd ever met Ethan. The pack had thrown her out at fifteen because she was a shifter, so it wasn't only her parents that she'd missed during the long years of her forced separation. Gabe had never mated, although as the older son, he'd been expected to. When they saw each other again, all the old feelings had returned. After his father's and brother's executions, Gabe had been placed in Aaron's pack in southern Oregon and was now being considered as a possible alpha for a new pack Aaron was starting up in northern California, not too far from us.
They noticed us watching them and walked over a little hesitantly. I'd managed to avoid greeting them so far, seeing them talking to Garrett earlier, then catching a glance of them eating with Aaron and little Sammy, then later chatting with Heinrich who was taking turns playing bartender with Sasha.
Sinc looked the same, dressed in a tight blue dress that brought out the blue in her eyes accented by the dark waves that tumbled around her face. She was shorter than me, but curvier, although she was looking like she'd put on some muscle.
"Hi!" She leaned in and gave me and Ethan quick kisses on the cheek, Gabe shook Ethan's hand and then turned toward me, not sure of his reception.
"Thank you for inviting us. It's quite a party." His voice was soft and unsure, but his alpha magic was much stronger than when I'd last seen him at their mating ceremony.
"I'm glad you could come." As soon as the words were out, I realized that I meant them. It seemed ridiculous to hold onto anger over something that everyone else seemed to have let go, including Garrett and the other vampires who'd have been killed in the blast. I looked at Sinc. "I hope you can both come to visit more often now that your foot is healthy and you don't have such an exhausting physical training regimen."
Sinc hugged me, her eyes glistening and her voice a little hoarse with emotion. "Thank you. We'd love to come again. You have no idea how much I miss talking to you. I know you've been through so much with Charlie's health." We both looked over toward the dessert table where he was talking to Grady and Kellaine about some movie he'd seen with Garrett. "But look at him now. Your son is amazing. And so adorable. A future lady's man, no doubt about it."
"He's already healing his friends." I told them what had happened with Sammy and Jay and then what Lord Caelen had said. Their expressions were stunned to put it mildly. "Hopefully the rest will take its time in appearing. I'm not prepared to raise a child who's much more powerful than Garrett and me combined."
Cynthia had joined us, so Ethan introduced her around. She smiled prettily and took Ethan's hand, claiming him as hers, at least for the evening. He kissed her cheek, then continued, saying, "Charlie's got so many people around to help him out, I don't think you'll have any problems, and he seems to have a pretty level temperament. Does he ever get really angry?"
"He was terribly weak for so long. It was frustrating for the little guy, but now that he's stronger, I'm happy to report that he hasn't had any temper tantrums. I think he's afraid Lord Caelen or Liam will make him dig holes." They looked at me strangely so I explained what Aedus had once told me about how their father had disciplined them by making them dig holes in the ground—for hours—and then filling them in again. Sometimes it would be the same hole over and over.
The music started up again with a slow, sweet ballad that was one of my favorites. Ethan and Cynthia, Sinc and Gabe and other couples led each other out to the dance floor, moving like lovers or mates, renewing bonds with each note or phrase.
Garrett appeared, wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me tightly against him, whispering, "Gotcha." in my ear as I sighed in resignation but also delight.
"I'm at your mercy, monsieur." I flung an arm over his shoulder, his free hand taking hold of mine with loving care, kissing it gently, then holding it between our swaying bodies.
We moved together on the dance floor, my head resting on his shoulder, his against my hair. More couples joined us: Aedus and Philly, Liam and Kellaine, Peter and Kyle, but my awareness was caught up only in the graceful movement of his feet and the feel of him pressed against me.
I closed my eyes and opened my heart and my mind to Garrett, allowing myself to live this single moment in time. Here in his arms I was safe. Here we could let go of all fear and just belong to each other. Love each other. This was the gift we would share for as long as we lived, and afterward, who knew? Liam seemed to feel that we would find each other even then.
His breath brushed against my hair as he spoke. "Je t'aime, mon amour. Tu es ma vie." When the number ended, he kissed me so sweetly, the sound of Charlie's giggles the only thing that could break the spell.
That was when Linn appeared next to my son, dressed in leggings, soft boots and a flowing purple tunic that came to her knees. "You must dance on your birthday and I am the only girl." She'd spoken in English in her lovely musical voice, still pitched high because of her age. They were the same height, tall for five, and looked remarkable standing together with their incredible lavender eyes and long thick hair. She had flowers in her chestnut waves and it made her look like a sweet child of the 1960's, or maybe a sweet child of Faerie.
"Uh, uh. Warriors don't dance." My son crossed his arms and lifted his chin stubbornly.
"Takes after his mother, I see." Aedus teased, having moved closer to us after the number had ended. Philly slapped his arm and laughed, then glanced at me, lifting her shoulders in apology.
Linn touched his shoulder. "My father is the greatest warrior of our Sidhe and he dances with my mother." Charlie lifted his chin even higher and frowned. "Well, what do you like to do?" Linn asked, looking like she couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't enjoy dancing.
He thought for a moment. "Read."
She frowned at him and asked. "Read books?" She seemed aghast at the idea.
Seeing her displeasure, he tried to think of something else. "I'm learning to be a ninja warrior." That interested her a little more, since all the fae were trained as warriors. "And I can play the guitar. One song, but I'll get better when I practice more."
"Will you play for me?" She smiled her lovely little smile. Charlie's mouth dropped open.
"Takes after her dad, I see." Aedus had been the heartthrob of Cascade, at least until he'd happily bound himself to Philladre, a female every bit as beautiful and powerful as Aedus. I couldn't wait to see how their daughter developed.
"I'm..." Charlie swallowed hard, "I'm gonna play for Mom, but...but I could play for both of you. I guess." He looked at me with a desperate expression. I nodded to let him know I approved.
"I would like that." Linn responded politely in the fae way and so Charlie did too, not knowing what else to do around this confusing young female.
Kyle moved closer and whispered, "Faerie Princess enchants Don W..." but I jabbed him in the stomach with my elbow before he could finish. That boy never remembered to keep his distance when he was annoying me.
Garrett kissed my cheek and then dissolved, reappearing with both guitars and Jay's bongo. The
trio sat on stools set up on the dance floor after pulling chairs over for me and Linn to sit and watch. The tiny fae princess smiled at me like a cat that'd raided the cream, her young sights set on my Charlie. The little vixen smoothed down her hair, adjusting the flowers. She already seemed so much more mature than my hapless son, who was looking more than a little nervous.
While Garrett was still tuning the guitars I walked over to Charlie and said, "Just look at the guitar or your dad when you play. You don't have to look at the audience."
"Why is she staring at me like that?" He whispered.
"She likes you." I whispered back, catching Garrett's smile out of the corner of my eye.
"Jay likes me and he doesn't look like that."
"She likes you." He still looked confused. "Ask your dad."
"Okay." He nodded, still unsure.
They played "Sur le Pont d’Avignon", a French folk song that only had two chords. Garrett sang the verses and the boys joined in during the choruses. They made lots of mistakes, but it was still adorable. Ironically, the song lyrics were about dancing on a bridge and I had no doubts that Charlie would one day be a fine dancer.
When the song finished, Linn ran over in her graceful way and kissed him on the cheek, leaving Charlie standing frozen in place as Philladre laughed and led her daughter back to her father. Lifting his lovely fae daughter into his lap, Aedus snaked an arm around his mate's waist, pulling her a little closer, unconsciously creating an incredible Kodak moment.
That's when the world stopped.
I recognized the hum of his cold magic instantly. "Jacqueline." His voice broke into icy slivers across my skin.
I spun around, wishing I had Liam's fae blade. "What do you want?"
"To see my son. I will not stay long."
"Leave now." Lord Caelen suddenly stood beside me, not affected by his twin sister's spell.
Kennet's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Brother. How are you? I see your elder son has done well for your Sidhe. She is a lovely little maiden." Aedus, Philladre and Linn were still frozen in place, like everyone else.
rogue shifter 06 - torn apart Page 5
