by Kimbra Swain
“Well, I think he wanted to get caught, but I made him swear not to harm her. He won’t go back on that, but I’m willing to bet he didn’t come here on a whim. Thanks for helping me keep an eye on him,” I said.
“No problem. He’s rather entertaining,” Levi said. “What did you tell her about fairies?”
“We told her about brownies. That’s all,” I said. “The rest we will need to tell her soon.”
“Alright. What about the book?” Levi asked.
“As long as you keep it here, it’s protected. No one would come in here to take it,” I said.
“Bramble?” Levi asked.
“I don’t think so. But he cannot tell a lie to Winnie since he is her servant. Get her to ask him,” I suggested.
“Good idea,” he said. “Go enjoy your bath. It’s about time you used that tub.”
“Yes, it is.”
As I lay in heaven, otherwise known as my garden tub, I soaked in the warmth of the hot water thinking about the current circumstances.
The council was fighting over residence and segregation. When I visited the swine, they were attacked by an angry sylph. I talked to my father who as usual was vague and angry. I met Riley at Hot Tin about Levi, which it was obvious she was after more than just my bard’s freedom.
I had almost forgotten the strange man at the bar that looked familiar. Who was he? I couldn’t figure it out, but I knew I had seen him. Perhaps not in Shady Grove. That sent a chill through me that the hot water couldn’t overcome.
Then Winnie captured a brownie. Jeremiah, who was my father’s servant, is also mine but can withstand my commands. Doesn’t really make him much of a servant.
I sighed and let the water wash over me. Knowing the dilemma with Riley wanting Levi wasn’t over, I tried to focus on the other things, because for now, Levi was still in my camp. The last thing I wanted to do was to order him to stay. He would hate me for it. I wasn’t sure I could live with that.
After a long bath, I ended up with wrinkled fingers and a hankering to talk to my grandfather. I let Levi know that I was running down to Hot Tin and that I’d be back soon.
I sat down on a stool as Nestor helped another patron. When he noticed me, he smiled. Walking over with his signature towel, he picked up a perfectly dry glass and started rubbing it.
“Evening, Grace. Where is Dylan?” he asked.
“First day back on the job, and he’s out late taking care of a car accident just down the state road,” I said.
“Oh. I hope it wasn’t too bad,” he replied.
“No, just knocked down a tree. They are out there lumberjacking with a badge,” I laughed.
“Sounds like Dylan,” he smiled.
“Yes, it does. I wasn’t completely sure what I’d think of him going back to work, but I’m very happy for him,” I said.
“Well, how supportive of you Grace,” Nestor patronized me.
“Any word?” I asked.
“No. For now, I cannot locate her,” he said. Nestor had used all his contacts here and, in the Otherworld, to determine if my mother was still alive after Brock’s attack on my father’s throne.
Looking across the room, I locked eyes with the mysterious man I’d seen in the bar yesterday. I watched him carefully, but he caught me looking at him. His eyes flared turquoise blue under his dark hair and features. He wore a black trench coat with a white button-up shirt underneath. His black hair seemed unruly. Holding a short glass of amber liquid, he kept his eyes downward, but not looking away.
“Grace?” Nestor said, grabbing my attention.
“Um, huh?” I asked. “Who is that man?”
“When he is ready to talk to you, he will,” Nestor said.
“I’m going to talk to him now,” I said as I started to stand I noticed that he no longer sat at the end of the bar. The glass he had held sat alone. “What the hell?”
“Grace,” Nestor prompted.
“What?” I snapped.
“Leave him alone,” Nestor warned.
“I know him,” I said.
“You do, but you don’t remember him,” he said.
“Just tell me,” I replied.
“No,” he said flatly.
“Bartender privilege?” I asked.
“No, it’s deeper than that,” he replied.
“Oh,” I said staring at the lone glass. “Tell him I am sorry I spooked him.”
Nestor nodded. “How’s Levi?”
“Still mine for now,” I replied. “Although we had a few tense moments.”
“Grace, I’ve always liked Riley, but just like any other fairy, once they get it in their mind that they want something, or they are going to do something, they can flip a switch. I’ve seen you do it a time or two. This isn’t over for her,” he said.
“I know,” I replied. “Levi says he staying, but I still feel some doubt in him. Not as much as that he doesn’t want to be my servant and serve her. It’s more like he wants to belong to no one. I can completely relate to that though. He wants to be his own man,” I replied.
“You can’t let him go,” Nestor said softly.
“I don’t intend to let him go, but if he asks, I feel like I have to oblige him,” I replied. “I don’t want to keep him against his will.”
“Grace, that boy’s will changes on the daily,” he quipped.
“This is true,” I admitted.
“For now, he needs to be with you,” Nestor assured me.
“Well, for now, he is,” I returned. “Winnie caught a brownie.”
The glass almost slipped from his hand. “What? How?”
“I’m not sure. Dylan found Bramble in her room. I’ve threatened him. Seems like he’s a little spy or something, but he swore allegiance to Winnie. I can’t help but think that he’s legit.”
“Was she scared of him?”
“Hell no! She thinks she has her own male cartoon fairy. He asked for milk twice daily. That’s all,” I said.
“Odd,” Nestor replied. “Keep an eye on him.”
“Definitely,” I replied, as I watched Kandace Rayburn play pool with her two lovers. Ever since our little confrontation, she had taken up with both Malcolm and Caleb. It seemed a strange trio to me, but she laughed and giggled with both of them. I wondered what her father thought of them. “Damn.”
“What?” Nestor asked.
“I should talk to Matthew about the sylph. I bet he could help me,” I said.
“He probably knows who she is at the very least,” Nestor said.
“How dangerous is she?” I asked.
“You probably couldn’t handle her alone. However, if Levi ever really embraces his power, the two of you could hold her off. Or Dylan could probably do it,” Nestor said. “But if she is mad, there is probably a pretty good reason. I know you have dealt with Chris in the past, but he’s not always on the up and up.”
“I know that. When we were over there the other day, he acted strangely. I just assumed it was a wild animal in a cage,” I said.
“Hm, maybe,” Nestor replied.
“You have information?” I asked.
“No, I just mean that I think he’s up to no good,” Nestor said.
I sighed. In my gut, I knew Nestor was right, but I needed to find out exactly what he was doing.
“Nestor, thanks for talking,” I said. I really loved my grandfather. Having him here helped soften the blow of losing my father and not knowing if my mother was alive. My family with Dylan, Winnie, and Levi was a misfit, but Nestor was blood.
As I stepped out into the darkness, I looked up to the stars. The sky was clear for the first time in a while. We’d been having quite the rainy spell as of late. It was cool, and the breeze brushed my hair off my shoulders. I saw the man in the trench coat standing off at the end of the building. I turned to face him. He didn’t move.
His face lowered so I couldn’t see his eyes. I remembered what Nestor said. If he was ready to talk to me, then he would. The way he stood, the
piercing eyes, and the blue haze around him seemed too familiar. He was Unseelie. He didn’t have any blaring features that told me exactly what he was, but I assumed that he was royal or at least partly. He was a relative. My blood.
I waited to see if he would meet my eyes again, but he didn’t. I needed to get home to make sure Winnie had everything she needed for school. Plus, I was sure Levi was itching to get out of the house. He’d been home for longer than his normal spell. Of course, I wasn’t sure if he would go back to see Riley yet either.
When I returned home, Dylan’s Camaro sat in the driveway. I parked next to him and hurried inside. The trailer was dark. I slipped into our bedroom. Dylan was snoring like a pig. I slipped out of my clothes, pressing next to him for his warmth. He rolled over to embrace me.
“Hey baby,” he muttered.
“You are snoring,” I teased.
“Nonsense. Bird’s don’t snore,” he said.
“Yeah, but Dylan’s do,” I replied.
He chuckled a little and fell back to sleep without the snore. I curled up next to him. Forcing my mind to shut down, I quickly fell asleep next to him.
Mornings at the trailer had become almost normal. Like we were a normal family, Levi rarely made an appearance before 10 am. Dylan and I shared the duties related to getting Winnie fed, dressed and ready for school. It was clear that she was quickly becoming a “Daddy’s girl” and completely spoiled rotten.
“Daddy?” she asked, as Bramble sat on the edge of her breakfast plate.
“Yes, honey?” he responded with syrupy sweetness.
“Do you think I could take Bramble to school for show and tell?” she asked.
“No, Winnie. No one can know that Bramble lives with us,” Dylan explained once again. She had asked a million times of the last couple of days if she could show Bramble to her friends. “If your friends see Bramble, he has to move away. Right, B?”
Bramble nodded emphatically but didn’t speak. His shrill voice grated on my nerves, and I think he knew it.
I watched both of them. Winnie was a good child, but just like any other child, she wanted the acceptance of her friends. Surely owning a fairy would put her in the top level of popularity at school. The number of students had dropped since many humans were moving out of town. Her friends consisted of a few changelings and shifters whose parents recently moved to town.
After she left on the bus, I double-checked her room to see if Bramble was present. He always smiled and waved at me when I entered. Usually never speaking a word. He knew I was checking.
I watched as Dylan got dressed for work. He had been back in the sheriff’s department for a few days now, and I hadn’t seen him so happy in months.
“You are still okay with this?” he asked.
“Stop asking! You know I will tell you if something bothers me,” I said.
He chuckled. “That’s true. I just don’t want it to come with a wallop of power or a sudden bout of abstinence.”
He had a point. Sometimes I could be overly communicative. “You are happy. I am happy,” I admitted. And it was the utter truth.
“What are your plans today?” he asked.
“I’m going to go to town. Sit on my bench, and wait for something crazy to happen,” I said.
“Okay. I’ll call you if I find anything interesting,” he said.
I kissed him goodbye and watched him leave. It was cooler today. The last vestige of winter was clinging to the weather as the trees and grass turned greener. The fruit trees bloomed in full color. I slipped into an oversized sweater, jeans, and boots before heading into town.
As I drank down the last of the coffee, Levi emerged from his slumber. He slipped into the front bathroom without saying anything. I was glad he kept walking. Too much skin showing this morning. I didn’t need my hormones in a tizzy. The shower turned on as I washed out my coffee cup. I started the pot up again so he would have some when he got done.
I grabbed my leather jacket from my room and returned to the main room to find him standing there in nothing but a towel. Flashes of memory attacked me for a moment. When I thought Dylan was dead, Levi regularly taunted me with his towel-clad body. Seeing him standing here now, I realized how much he had aged in just a few months. Knowledge of the world and what it really is matures and ages you. It certainly had for Levi. It was hard to look at him as just a wayward young man anymore. Levi was a man with a huge magical gift.
Normally, I was the one that blushed when he stood before me like this, but this time he did.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” he muttered. “I was just going to get coffee.”
I poured a cup for him and handed it to him. “Just see you differently than I did when you first moved here. I let you stay, fed you, and like a stray cat, you are still here,” I teased.
“Grace,” he grumbled.
“There’s my brooding bard,” I said as I passed him to go to the door. I’d had enough half-naked Levi for one morning.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“To sit on my bench,” I replied.
“Wait up. I want to go,” he said hustling to his room.
“Why?” I asked.
“I need to get out of the house,” he replied.
He had been cooped up in the trailer for several days. Riley hadn’t called that I knew of, and he hadn’t left to go see her. I worried about him. Her well-being didn’t bother me, but just like Ella Jenkins and Kadence Rayburn found out, you don’t mess with my bard. I’d had discussions with both of them to keep their distance. Once it was over and he had made his decision, I reinforced it with a little encouragement. I needed to admit to myself that Levi was mine whether he liked it or not, but I refused to cross that line.
“Ready?” he asked finally fully clothed.
“Yeah, let’s go. You want to drive?” I asked.
“Sure,” he said as he took the keys from me. Our hands brushed, then the tingle ran down my arm into my body.
We went out to my truck and headed into town. As we drove into town, I called my lawyer.
“Morning, Gracie. How’s the most beautiful woman in Shady Grove today?” Remy said. Always the flirt.
“I’m mighty fine today. Hey, the town council is going to have a community celebration. You have any connections that might liven up the gathering? We are having eggs, crafts and food.”
“As a matter of fact, I do,” he replied. Remy knew everyone. “There’s a band of fairy gypsies down near Nawlins that have a bunch of those kiddie carnival rides. I’ll call them up and have them here for the festivities. Just let me know when.”
“I’ll have someone on the council send you the details. Thank you, Remy,” I said.
“Well, Grace, you are most welcome. You know that. Any chances you’ve decided to leave that fire bird?” he asked.
I giggled, “No, not yet.”
“You know I’m waiting right here. You just call and let me know,” he said. He was half-teasing, half-serious. He could charm the skin off a snake. Good thing I wasn’t a snake.
“You are a mess. Talk to ya later, Remy,” I said, hanging up the phone.
Levi listened to the conversation as he drove, but never mentioned anything I’d said. He knew Remy was a hopeless flirt. The tingle from the first time I touched him replayed in my mind. Which led me to remember the first time, I touched Levi, and the tingle then was ten times what it had been with Remy.
“So, is it just as strong as it always has been?” he asked as we circled the block looking for a place to park.
“What? The tingle?” I asked. Somewhere along the way, he had picked up on my thoughts.
“Yes,” I replied simply. It wasn’t a discussion I wanted to have.
“Even though I spent so much time with her?” he asked.
“Yes, Levi,” I said.
“Okay. Okay. I’ll stop asking questions,” he grinned as he parked. He handed me the keys, and we crossed the street to the little park in the
town square. I plopped down on my favorite spot on the bench. Levi sat on the other end watching as the cars rolled by.
Even when I had my father’s power, I would come and sit on this bench. Sometimes a fairy would approach and ask for a favor. Perhaps I’d notice a new family in town and introduce myself. The park bench had become my throne. This was the first time that Levi sat with me. He’d been here before but never sat with me.
“What’s the purpose?” he asked.
“Just watch the people. Meet new families. Word will get around that I’m here, and people will come for favors,” I said.
“Favors?” he said quirking an eyebrow. Cute.
“Not that kind of favors, Levi. Damn boy. You can’t go a day without innuendo,” I said.
“I’m back to the priesthood,” he said.
I giggled. I remembered him saying once that twenty-four hours without sex was the same as celibate. “How long?” I asked knowing he would know exactly how long it had been.
“Three days, seven hours,” he said.
I died laughing as a young woman approached us. She was young, but not pretty. Homely would be a kind way of putting it.
“My Queen,” she bowed timidly.
“Hello, what’s your name?” I asked.
“My family calls me Squirrel,” she said.
“Is that your real name?” I asked.
“No, my real name is Sally,” she said keeping her eyes lowered to the ground.
“What can I do for you?”
“My mother said you can grant wishes,” she mumbled. Levi cleared his throat.
“Not all wishes, child. I’m not a fairy godmother,” I replied. “But perhaps you can tell me, and I’ll see what I can do.”
“I’m ugly. I want to be pretty,” she said. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. It wasn’t a wish that I could grant. I heard Levi clear his throat.
“You aren’t ugly,” he said.
Her brown eyes lifted to him. “What?” her voice barely audible.
“You have a unique look. Freckles plus a cute mousey nose,” he said. Her eyes glowed with infatuation. With just a few words, she was in love with Levi. “Don’t tell yourself you are ugly. You are you. Be happy to be you.”
