Liam shook his head in disbelief. "Is he telling the truth? You have a new agreement with Isaiah as well as Kennet?"
"Yes." I wiggled in Isaiah's grasp trying to free myself as I spoke. "It's regarding Charlie's training. I had a dream. Look, I'll explain everything, just please put your weapons away and sit down. Then he'll let me go. Won't you?" I asked with a snarl.
The three fae sat and Isaiah released my arms. "I should punch you." I hissed, rubbing my arms where he'd held them. "I'm going to have bruises."
He dismissed my complaints with a wave of his hand. "Please. You heal quickly. And just remember where you are going. Punching me will have consequences."
Liam's voice was like ice. "Going? With him?"
"Am I allowed to tell them?"
"Yes. The jig is up, as they say."
I poured myself a cup of coffee, made a point of not offering Isaiah anything, and sat next to Philly, trying to avoid Liam's angry expression. She asked, looking puzzled. "Why do you both have wet hair?"
Isaiah grinned as I groaned, burying my head in my folded arms resting on the table.
"The bath was delightful, was it not, Jacqueline?"
"Isaiah, you are such a jerk." I mumbled into my arms, not wanting to look at anyone's face.
I guess he took pity on me because he explained, "Jacqueline was in the bath when I arrived unexpectedly. She went to get dressed and when she returned, I had taken her place. Nothing improper occurred."
"Now that you are thoroughly cleaned up, perhaps you will tell us about your agreement." Aedus sounded amused.
I sighed and spoke. "Three days every month Isaiah will be here to train Charlie in how to fight against demons, and in return for his help, I'll be working for him three days a month."
"Doing what exactly?" Liam asked.
"Good question." I looked at Isaiah and scowled.
"A variety of things—most of them involving magic."
"Aedus and I are quite capable of teaching Charlie how to fight against demons." Liam growled.
Isaiah smirked. "And when was the last time you fought against my kind?"
The brothers glanced at each other, deeply involved in a mental discussion, then turned back. "We believe it was in the Balkans against Inxregarax and his clan."
"And in what human century did that battle occur?"
Aedus frowned. "Perhaps the eighteen century."
"The mortal world has surpassed ours in devising ways to kill. Swords and magic have their place, but Bridgett is encouraging some of our warriors who are weak in magic to use more modern weapons. Do the fae of Cascade also prepare in this way?" No one answered. "Your silence speaks volumes, young fae. When the battle lines are once more drawn, the results may be very different indeed."
"And why should we allow Jacqueline to accompany you to...?"
"My home." Isaiah grinned.
Aedus pulled his long body out of the chair and placed his hand near his waist, ready to draw his weapon. "This will not be permitted under any circumstances."
Isaiah stood to his full height, his eyes turning orange in response to Aedus' gold. "You will permit this because it will ensure Charles' survival as well as Linn's and perhaps even your entire sidhe."
The two males were of equal height, incredibly powerful, frightening and magnificent at the same time. As they faced off across the table, ready to defend their ideals with their own blood, it struck me how alike they were. Ancient enemies, born of ancient magicks. Not as opposite as they liked to think.
"Why are you siding with Faerie and going against your own people?" Aedus asked.
"Yes, Isaiah, tell us why." Liam said, snidely.
He ignored Liam and spoke directly to Aedus. "The Queen and her Faerie Court can burn in hell for all I care." He looked down at me and spoke softly as he sat beside me once more. "My reasons are no one's business but my own."
Liam spoke through gritted teeth, a sure sign that he was holding himself in check by a thread. "Jackie, please reconsider..."
"She cannot renege. She has already disavowed herself once. Another time would be catastrophic for her and her family." He leaned back in his chair and met their gazes. "There is nothing any of you can do to prevent her coming to work for me."
"Will she be safe?" Philladre asked.
"Perfectly. I have excellent security and she will be made comfortable during her free time. You must trust that she was intelligent enough to insist on her safety and the safety of her family, friends and allies when we first created the agreement. I will be making use of her magical gifts and continuing to train her to protect herself. That is all."
He stood once more and gestured toward the sliding doors that led outside. "Will you please introduce me to my newest student?"
I nodded and stood along with the three fae. We all dissolved into the magic and reappeared along the side line of the soccer field, situated behind the vamp villa.
Jay was shouting, "C'mon Grady. You can run faster than that."
"Hi Mom! Hi Uncle Liam!" Charlie abandoned the game and ran over to me, then stopped himself a few feet away and gave Aedus and Philladre the proper fae nod in greeting. When they smiled and returned it, he laughed and grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the field. "Let's all play together. Sammy's getting better at kicking."
While we were talking, Linn had walked quietly to her mother, giving her a gentle hug and then turning to her father, Aedus. "Father, I like soccer. I believe it will improve my speed and agility if I play often." She sniffed the air looking puzzled "What is that odor?"
"That would be me, tiny fae." Isaiah stepped around me and smiled at Linn.
She tilted her head."You are not fae, yet you smell of magic the way our people do."
"I am an ancient demon, older than your grandfather." Older than Lord Caelen? Whoa...
Charlie walked in front of Linn and faced him, apparently not feeling comfortable with this stranger speaking to her. Aedus and Philly laughed softly while Linn beamed at my son. "Do you know him, Mommy?" There was a slight catch in his voice, but he fought down his fear and stood his ground. I wished that Garrett could see this.
Jay ran over and stood beside my son, taking his version of a martial artist stance. "I got your back, Char."
Isaiah started to laugh, a true belly laugh that seemed to ripple across the field causing Farrell to bring Grady and Sammy over to see what was going on. When he stopped laughing a few moments later, he crouched down so he could look Charlie in the eye. "I see you have already enlisted a second in command. This is excellent strategy. Every general must have his captain. Make sure he is trained well."
"Do I know you?"
"Not yet, young warrior. I am Isaiah. Your mother will allow me to train you when I feel that you are ready, but the only way I can know if you are, is if you permit me to touch your mind."
"My brain?" He covered his head with both hands.
"Not your physical self, your thoughts."
Charlie twisted his mouth and looked skeptical. "You're a full demon?" Isaiah nodded, giving Charlie his full attention. "Can I touch your mind?"
Isaiah looked at me, then back. "To what purpose?"
"To see inside you. To see what's true."
They stared into each other's eyes for a full thirty seconds without speaking, then Charlie broke the silence. "You aren't a bad demon."
"And you aren't a bad fae."
"I'm not just a fae." Charlie drew himself up, proud of his mixed blood. "I'm also a cheetah, and I'm a little bit like you."
"More than a little bit, because your blood is of the royal line. That's why I'm here. It's important for you to learn how to use your demon magic."
"What're you gonna teach me?" His eyes sparkled.
"First, to understand my language."
"I'm really good at Fae."
To test the claim, Isaiah began speaking to him in Seelie Fae and Charlie replied with a fair amount of ease. Liam corrected him once but other than that, he s
eemed to do well.
The other children had moved closer, Linn and Grady able to understand, Jay and Sam still fascinated by the exchange. He smiled and looked at all the children gathered together."If the five of you were playing soccer without an adult and a pack of werewolves in wolf form came out of the bushes and ran toward you, what would you do?"
"I'd run and call my dad." Sammy answered. It made sense to him since Aaron was an alpha werewolf, but turning your back on a predator was never a good idea.
"I'd fight them off," Jay answered, trying out some more "moves".
Linn answered with a smile. "Take the lines to Uncle Liam inside the house."
Grady thought about it for a few seconds. "I think I'd grab hold of Linn." Liam laughed out loud.
All eyes moved to Charlie. "One of my guards is always here. I'd send Linn away with Grady, Jay and Sammy with my guard and I'd form my shield." His eyes were suddenly a golden orange, his small body seeming to grow a few inches taller as he concentrated his energy on the task at hand. As his aura took on a solid shape, I reached out my hand, coming up firmly against a transparent physical shield. "My guard would be back for me in a second, but while I waited, I'd ask the wolves what they wanted."
"Why would you care what they wanted?" Isaiah asked, his eyes burning with interest.
"What if they were running away from someone bad who was chasing them? What if they were hurt? What if they were here to warn us about danger? Daddy has wolf friends..."
"Would you know if they were telling you the truth?"
"I'm getting better at it. Jay and I play a game and most of the time I can tell."
"Who taught you to make this shield?"
"I figured it out one day when I was bored." He shrugged as if it was no big deal.
"The child trains himself. Quite precocious." Isaiah took another few moments before he spoke again. "Will you work hard to learn what I teach you?" Charlie nodded. "We start tomorrow." He turned toward me. "May I stay in the villa as I have in the past?"
"When Sash and Rick get up, I'll ask. It shouldn't be a problem. Meanwhile, there's plenty of leftover food in their fridge. And you know how to work the TV. Help yourself. Just don't bug them while they're resting."
"Thank you." He touched behind his ear and disappeared.
CHAPTER SIX
I hugged my sweet baby, who was looking tired and confused after using magic we didn't even know he had access to.
Liam also noticed his fatigue, saying, "I'll take the other boys back to my place. Kellie loves having the children there. Farrell and I'll be back in a few minutes.
The three boys said their goodbyes to Charlie while Farrell gathered up their things. Liam said a few words in Fae to his brother then nodded at Farrell who transported Jay and Sammy while Liam took Grady through the lines. Philladre drew Linn aside and spoke to her softly in their language as Aedus moved toward me.
"As soon as Liam returns we will say goodbye. Please feel free to stay in Faerie as long as you want after Linn's ceremony next week. Charlie also needs the magic of Faerie to keep him healthy. We may not agree with the arrangement you have made with Isaiah, but we understand your motives and will support your decision before the Council of Elders if necessary."
"If the prophesy is even partly true..."
"Yes. He needs every advantage." Aedus smiled and shook his head. "I believe that you would face the entire demon realm alone and unarmed to protect him."
"As if you wouldn't do the same for Linn."
On cue, the lovely young fae child walked gracefully between us and nodded deeply to me with her hand on her heart. "Thank you, Mrs. Cuvier, for allowing me to attend Charlie's day of birth celebration. It was—fun." She grinned, lavender eyes glittering in the afternoon sunshine, looking like a tiny princess in her softly feminine tunic.
Philladre took her daughter's hand with a worried expression and sent, "If he treats you badly it may be grounds to dissolve the agreement."
I shrugged, thinking over the time I'd spent with Isaiah. "As weird as it seems, I trust him. Except for a few minor cuts, burns and bruises during my training, he's never hurt me, and I've probably made him angry enough to beat the crap out of me. When it comes down to it, I'd rather spend three months straight with Isaiah than three hours with Kennet."
She gave me a doubtful look, the kind that my fae friends seemed to have perfected around me. Placing a hand on my hip, I returned her glance with my patented, 'I've-got-this' squint. Our subtle eye to eye discussion ended when a loud yawn from my son broke the silence. Charlie leaned against me and closed his eyes, his body growing mushier by the second.
"Mother." Linn looked at Philladre as they consulted mentally, then Philly smiled and nodded. Linn ran over to Charlie and planted another kiss on his cheek, saying, "Thank you for inviting me, and for the song." When she ran back to her mom, she looked flushed.
Linn buried her face halfway in her mother's skirt and then looked shyly back at my son, who'd turned wide eyed and alert when she'd kissed him. He stood up a little straighter and answered, "You're welcome. Thanks for the present."
"I hope you like it."
It was considered bad form among certain groups to open your presents in front of everyone else, so Charlie was expected to open them sometime in the next few days and then we'd make sure everyone got a thank-you card Last night he'd been having way too much fun playing with his friends to spend an hour opening all those gifts and Garrett and I were enjoying watching him frolic.
"I'm sure it's really cool." He wrinkled his brow and then said a phrase in Fae.
Aedus and Philladre broke out in laughter while Linn scowled at them. Still chuckling, Aedus repeated the phrase the correct way to Charlie, apologizing for laughing, but when my son realized what he'd said, he laughed too.
"I said the gift is frozen instead of cool." He giggled. "They don't really have a word for cool in Fae. You just have to say wonderful or something like that.
"My parents were rude to laugh." Linn moved closer and pouted, but Charlie touched her shoulder with the tip of one finger and shook his head.
"No, it's okay. I wanna learn the right way to talk Fae." As the two kids smiled at each other, Aedus gave Philly a look I'd come to recognize well.
The Cascade Fae saw these two children as a future couple with a good chance to bear children, something most fae had difficulties achieving. Even at this age, you could see that physically they'd be spectacular together. All fae were attractive in an exotic way, but there were some who stood out, Aedus and Philly being the two most obvious. Linn was already almost as lovely as her mother, with her father's shiny dark waves and thoughtful expression. And my son was turning into quite the little heartthrob if Linn's flirty behavior was anything to go by. If I didn't know it to be impossible, I'd have said that he'd inherited Garrett's charismatic gifts.
"Whoa." Charlie's brows shot up and his eyes turned into lavender saucers as he took a step closer to me, while continuing to stare at Linn. They seemed to be speaking mentally, but that wasn't possible was it? I turned quickly toward Aedus and he nodded, placing a finger over his lips and concentrating on what they were saying.
I listened, but could only hear brief whispers in Fae and the occasional out-loud giggle.
"Holy shit." Everyone turned toward me and I felt my face heat up. "Sorry." I winced in Philladre's direction, but she smiled back.
"I agree," she said.
Little Linn spoke out loud. "I am teaching him my language. He'll learn faster this way because he can see my thoughts. I give him pictures along with the words."
She'd broken their mental connection in order to talk to me, causing Charlie to stumble backward into my legs. I caught him and crouched down to hold him steady, noticing immediately that he was having trouble keeping his eyes open.
Philly spoke to her daughter in her musical language and then turned to me. "He has used much of his energy today and should rest. We will see you soon in Faerie." The
three of them nodded and disappeared.
I picked up my little boy, intending to carry him back to his room, but suddenly Garrett was there taking him from me with the loving smile of a proud father. After he laid him down on his bed, I took off Charlie's sneakers and tucked him in for a nap, both of us kissing his forehead and taking in his sweet scent. Then we sat side by side on the small couch in the corner of his room holding hands and watching him sleep, spending a few silent minutes observing his breathing and hoping beyond hope that he wouldn't wake up ill. We'd done this so many times over the last five years that it had become a ritual of sorts, a time for us to reconnect and feel grateful for each other's strength and support.
I filled Garrett in on today's exhausting events.
When I'd finished, Garrett kissed me sweetly and flashed us back to our room, where he insisted that I lie down and rest. He was probably surprised that I didn't put up much of a fight, only insisting that he drink from my wrist so he didn't have to leave me to go out and feed.
He sighed like a martyr. "It's such a hardship to drink from you."
"Poor baby." I watched him lick my wrist sending serious tingles around my body. Before long, I wasn't feeling all that tired. I scooted a little closer and kissed his jaw and then the corner of his mouth.
He pulled is mouth from my wrist and withdrew his fangs. "Insatiable," he teased.
"C'mon, you love it." I crawled into his lap.
"You need to sleep."
"I've needed to cuddle all day." I kissed him, then hugged him close.
Enjoying our affectionate banter, he kissed my nose playfully. "Talking doesn't appear to be what you have in mind at the moment. But I still think you need rest."
"I always sleep well after..." I pushed him back against the pillows and straddled his legs, then started unbuttoning his shirt.
"After?" He still had hold of my wrist, so he trailed kisses up my arm to the inside of my elbow. Oh man, that felt so good.
"Après l'amour." My heart was beating much faster as my body began to heat up.
"Does my angel feel neglected?" One fang grazed my skin, sending a lovely shiver thru my body.
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