by Kimbra Swain
“You can tell me,” I said.
“Lonely,” he replied. “I’m used to court life.”
“What about my mother?” I asked.
“I’m not sure where she is,” he said. “I can’t see everything.”
“Tell me what to do,” I said.
He shook his head. “No, you must figure this out on your own. What I would do and what you should do are probably two different things. I would have stormed the Otherworld immediately before Brock gained a stronghold. I don’t regret trusting it with you, Gloriana. You will find your own way.”
“If I leave the power in the well, never taking it for myself, does that mean you will be stuck there forever?” I asked.
“I’m not sure,” he said.
“There is a sylph in town that I might need to put down. Plus, something is stirring with the mixing of the races that might leave us in a hell of a lot of trouble,” I said. I had begun to doubt myself on everything lately. I had those moments when I was sure I was right. Especially stepping into the confrontation with the sylph this afternoon, but looking back, my only hope was to diffuse the situation. If anyone was going to take her down, it would have been Dylan.
“A sylph can be dangerous, especially if she is indigenous to this area. Best let the Thunderbird handle it,” he said.
“Do you really hate Dylan?” I asked.
“No, Gloriana. I hate when Dylan steps in when you have something handled. It’s the male in him. I’d probably do the same thing, so I can’t really fault him,” he said.
“Pigs,” I muttered. My father chuckled again.
“Perhaps. Perhaps we both love you very much,” he said.
“I know he does,” I said. My father hung his head. “I’m sorry.”
“No, you are right. I wasn’t much of a father to you. Trying to make up for it, in the end, wasn’t enough. I’ll stay here as long as you need me, Grace,” he said using my preferred name.
“Thank you, Daddy,” I replied. “I’ve got to go talk to Riley about Levi.”
“Riley?” he asked. “Your bard is entangled with a Seelie royal?”
“Yes,” I replied. “It’s been good for him. I think.”
“I’d advise against him continuing that relationship, but I know you. You will let him do whatever he wants,” he said.
“The connection between us is strong,” I said.
“Yes, because he’s your only servant. If you had others, it would remain strong on their end, but it would lessen the connection you have with each of them. Levi is special. You shouldn’t allow him to spend so much time with the Seelie woman,” he said.
“She likes him. He needed to see what it was like being with a fairy so he would leave these human women alone,” I said.
“Grace, he is half Gean Canach. He’s bound at some point to latch one woman. You don’t want it to be a Seelie. I know you are doing this thing with all sorts of fairies here, but keep the ones you trust safe,” he said.
“Levi does what he wants,” I said.
“He is your servant, and he will do what you tell him to do. Right?”
“I don’t handle it that way,” I replied.
“You should! This is why there is servitude. You have to be able to trust the people closest to you. You let him run wild. Your significant other isn’t even one of us, and your daughter is human! Grace, you are teetering on a very thin line!” he shouted.
“Don’t yell at me!”
“I’m just frustrated. You would have known these things if you had come back to court,” he said.
“I couldn’t come back to court. You kicked me out!” I protested.
He paused to gather his anger. I let mine subside as well. I was standing in the middle of the forest yelling at a ghost. I must have lost my mind.
“Levi should be yours, and yours alone,” he said. “He was brought to you by the Sanhedrin.”
“Jeremiah brought him because he didn’t want him to die. The Sanhedrin would have killed him for the incident with the witch,” I said.
“Jeremiah is a faithful servant,” he said.
I stared at him. “Whose servant?”
“Mine,” he replied.
“You had a Seelie servant? In the Sanhedrin?” I asked.
“Yes, he was my inside man. When he found you, I instructed him on how to deal with you. He is your servant now should you choose to employ him,” he said.
“So, I can trust a Seelie, but Levi can’t,” I replied. “I’ve never understood any of this, Oberon! You should have said something. He should have said something. Sometimes I wanna hook up that new trailer and high tail it out of here.”
“You won’t,” he replied. “Go meet the Seelie. See what she wants. You already know what it is.”
He was right. I had a pretty good idea what Riley MacKenzie wanted. I knew one day she would ask, but I didn’t expect it this soon. I didn’t bother to say goodbye to my father. He wasn’t going anywhere. I stalked back through the forest to my truck. After I talked to Riley, I needed to talk to Jeremiah. It was time he and I had a heart-to-heart.
I called Dylan on the way to the Hot Tin. He told me that Winnie watched the movie with him, then went to bed early which was unusual for her. I’d check on her when I came in. He asked about what my father said, and I told him we would talk when I got home.
Pulling into the bar parking lot, it looked like a slow night. Only a couple of cars outside. When I entered, Nestor’s face lit up.
“Grace! Good to see you,” he said. I walked behind the bar and hugged him. “What brings you out tonight?”
“I’m meeting Riley here. I’m surprised she isn’t here yet,” I said.
“What are you meeting her about?” he asked.
“She asked to speak to me,” I said.
“About Levi?” he asked.
“I assume,” I replied watching a couple of guys playing pool. There was one other patron in the bar seated at the end of the stools. He looked familiar somehow, but I couldn’t place the face. His eyes met mine for a moment. Sparkling blue eyes plus the blue hue around him screamed Unseelie. His chiseled jaw and perfectly shaped lips indicated high born to me. He cut his eyes away, avoiding my gaze, to the television showing a baseball game. He sipped a dark liquor with just ice in the glass. Just as I decided to approach him, Riley came in the door.
“Hey Grace,” she said. The auburn-haired beauty sauntered up to the bar. The man at the end shot a glance at her then turned his back on us to watch the pool game.
“Miss MacKenzie, what can I get you?” Nestor asked.
“Long-island ice tea,” she replied. Lots of liquor. I fixed myself a glass of water. Taking a seat at one of the side tables, I waited for her to join me. She wore tight jeans and a red knit top. Nothing outrageous or formal. Very casual.
She sat down across from me and smiled. “I know that you know what I am. Who I am,” she said. “Once you took your father’s power there was no hiding it.”
“Yes, I knew immediately,” I said.
“Why did you let Levi continue the relationship with me?” she asked.
“Levi is my servant, but I don’t make those kinds of decisions for him. I operate differently from my father,” I said.
“You shouldn’t,” she replied.
“My question is, why did Stephanie not acknowledge you? Could she not see you?” I asked.
“My sister was long gone from the court when I emerged on the scene. My mother kept us apart for obvious reasons,” she said.
“Actually, I can’t understand why she would. Did your mother know that Stephanie was trouble from the beginning?” I asked.
“She knew. Instead of killing her, she let her go. Much like your father let you go. It’s only fitting now that she is your sworn enemy,” she said.
“I love a good bit of irony, but I doubt I’m her sworn enemy,” I replied.
“Let’s see. You are engaged to her former man. You were exiled, thus paving the wa
y for her to be banished once she made her move on Oberon. You still inherited your father’s kingdom despite your banishment, and the best she could do was your Uncle,” she replied.
“Who is now King of the Unseelie,” I added.
“Yes, but she knows that her time will come,” she replied.
“How is your mother?” I asked.
“The Seelie are holding back the infiltrations of the Wild Ones, but it won’t be long. I’ve heard rumors that Brocton may call upon the Hunt,” she said.
“Seelie will fall,” I said.
“Yes, if he does it, Seelie will fall, but I’m not sure he has the absolute power to control the Hunt. That would fall under the power your father gave you. If he calls it, you will be the only one that can stop him,” she said.
I looked over to Nestor. “Crown,” I said. He nodded and poured me a glass. I decided that I needed it.
The first time I looked at Riley with my father’s power I knew she was Stephanie’s sister. Rhiannon’s daughter. She was not exiled from the Otherworld. She left on her own. Exiled fairies have a magical mark that I could see. This part of my father’s power didn’t leave me when I put the rest in the well. It was a bit of knowledge as opposed to a magical component. The knowledge of how to see through the veils, glamours, and tricks of the fairy folk stayed with me. Looking at her now, I wanted to know why she was here.
“You weren’t exiled. So, why are you here?” I asked. “Not only that, in the debate you gave me dominion over you.”
“I know you will protect me. If she comes back, I won’t be able to stop her. Especially if she ever finds out who I am. I am one of your subjects, and you are bound to protect me now. I will serve you in whatever capacity that you need,” she said.
I was surprised at her answer. Her willingness to fall under my rule was voluntary. She could take it back anytime.
“I need information mostly. You are still getting messages from your mother?” I asked.
“Yes. I receive updates frequently. I can share them with you if you wish,” she said.
“What is it going to cost me?” I asked, waiting for her to get to the point of her meeting me here.
She took a long sip of her drink as Nestor sat mine in front of me. I sipped and waited.
“Nothing. My purpose for being here is separate from my desire to see you succeed here in Shady Grove. I do not want to go back to the Otherworld, but I don’t want to die. Your guarantee as Queen of the Exiles is enough for me,” she said.
“You aren’t an exile,” I replied.
“I might as well be,” she said. “I’ll accept banishment if that is what it takes for you to trust me.”
“I trust very few people in this world,” I replied because I didn’t trust her. My trust list was very short.
“I understand. You trust Levi, right?” she said.
“Levi is my servant,” I replied. “Of course, I trust him.”
“You have never doubted his loyalty?” she asked.
“Never,” I replied.
“Even though he’s with me?” she asked.
“Yes,” I replied. We were getting there, but slowly. Too slow for my taste. “Just ask, Riley. I’m tired of beating around the bush.”
“Release him from his servitude. I want him,” she replied.
“What does Levi want?” I asked.
“Seriously? You are going to ask his opinion on it? Just release him,” she said. “You have the power to do that.”
“I do, but here’s the thing. You know that trust thing. There are really only two people on that list with a few who I mostly trust. Levi is a sure thing. It’s not that I won’t give him up. It’s that I won’t give him up unless he asks me to do it. The breaking of a servitude bond can be devastating for the servant. I will not do it unless he agrees,” I explained.
“Then you will ask him?” she said.
“No, you will,” I replied. “If you want him, then you talk to him about it.”
“Give me a break, Grace. He will never give you up willingly. You know what he is. It’s only a matter of time until he’s connected to you forever if he isn’t already,” she snarled.
“I don’t think I like your tone. Our connection doesn’t matter. If you talk to him and he decides to leave my service to be under your thumb, then I will release him as he wishes. I would never deny him his freedom if he asked for it. But let’s get one thing straight, Anwen, I know exactly who you are. I know the stories. I know you wanted the bard, and he wanted nothing to do with you,” I spouted at her.
“Taliesin has nothing to do with this,” she huffed.
“He has everything to do with it. I will not deny Levi. You want him, then tell him. He makes the choice. Not me,” I said slamming the rest of the Crown down my throat. It burned as I turned to leave the bar. I shot one final look at Nestor who nodded his head in approval.
In a fury, I drove home to my trailer and my fiancé. Dylan would calm me down.
“Where are you?”
“At the trailer,” Levi responded. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m almost home,” I replied.
“Are you going to her tonight?” I asked as I stormed through the door.
Levi and Dylan waited on me in the living room. Dylan sat on the edge of the recliner watching me closely. He planned to stay the mediator in this round. I sometimes wished he was just on my side instead of trying to prevent me from doing something stupid. I needed to focus on Levi and Riley.
“Yes, I had planned on going back over there. She said she would call me,” Levi said.
“Has she called?” I asked.
“No,” he replied. “What did she want?”
“You will have to ask her that question. She needs to be straight with you, Levi. I won’t get in the middle of it,” I replied.
“Then, I’m going now,” he said reaching down for his guitar which sat on the couch. He picked up his keys from the coffee table while nodding at Dylan. They obviously had a conversation before I got home. I’d figure that out in a minute. When he passed me, he stopped to look in my eye. “Is it bad?”
“No, you just need to talk to her. She has things she needs to tell you. I won’t do it. If you go over there and she doesn’t tell you why she wanted to talk to me, you come home, then I will tell you,” I replied.
“Okay,” he said. “Are you okay? Don’t answer out loud.”
“I’m not interested in hiding anything from Dylan,” I said.
“Fine. Are you okay?” he said.
“No,” I replied.
“Do you want me to stay?” he asked.
“No, but I want you to know that whatever you decide is what I want too,” I replied.
“What?”
“Just go,” I said.
He shook his head and left the trailer.
“She asked you to release him,” Dylan said.
“Yes,” I replied.
“You didn’t,” he said.
“No, I told her that if Levi wanted me to release him that I would, but it’s deeper than that, Dylan,” I tried to explain.
“Then tell me,” he said. “Oh! And I appreciate you avoiding the telepathic communication in front of me, but I trust you, Grace. I know how much he means to you.”
“She is Stephanie’s sister,” I blurted out.
“What!?” he said.
“Yes, Stephanie doesn’t know her,” I continued. “However, I know who she is. She was once a lovely wife to a great king. She loved her husband, remaining faithful to him her whole life. But it didn’t stop her from wanting another. Someone who didn’t want her. Her faithfulness was dependent upon this man’s refusal of her, so because he was the better person, he rejected her advances.”
“Who?”
“Taliesin,” I replied.
“Shit,” Dylan said.
“Even after her husband, a human died. She pursued the great bard. He followed with many kings on adventures, but he never once wanted her. No
ne of his stories even mention her name,” I said.
“What is her name?” Dylan asked.
“Anwen,” I replied.
“How do you know her name?” he asked.
“It’s in the histories of the Unseelie. Arthur’s mother lived in the Otherworld for sixty years,” I started.
“Arthur? King Arthur?” he questioned.
“The once and future king,” I stated.
“Damn,” he shook his head. “I’m sorry. Go ahead.”
“These genealogies get convoluted, but his mother was a fairy. Unseelie fairy. She hid in a castle in my father’s realm. She was long gone before I was even born, but there is a book in the library in my father’s castle which tells her story, Arthur’s story and the stories of his knights. Taliesin wrote the book giving it to my father to keep. It was one of the ones I loved to read. So many of the heroes were human or changeling. Taliesin himself was a changeling. His unusual birth was just fairy magic. Anyway, after his mortal death, Taliesin spent many years in my father’s castle. I met him before he really died. I loved the romantic parts of his stories even though they were few and far between. I asked him if he ever loved a woman. He told me that he did not, but that there was once a woman who loved him. He told me all about Anwen, the unnamed wife of Elphin who was also his foster father. She was beautiful and faithful, but she admired the bard. He kept her away from himself because of his loyalty to his father. She was a Seelie princess. Rhiannon’s daughter,” I said.
“She’s older than Stephanie?” he asked.
“No, Stephanie is older than her,” I replied.
“I had no idea,” he said.
“Neither does Levi,” I said getting to my point.
“So, you think she’s enamored with him because of Taliesin?” he asked.
“I think she wants something she could never have. Levi is nothing like Taliesin though. I believe she would break his heart in the end. Either way, I’ll only release him if he wants me to do it. If I did it against his will, the fall out would destroy him. Maybe,” I replied.
“You don’t sound so sure,” he said.
I rubbed my forehead. “Breaking servitude is a punishment. It’s physically painful. Levi is half-human. I can’t even begin to understand what it would do to him,” I said.
