by Sumida, Amy
“Son of a leriewoag!” I swore and he groaned. He knew how I loved to use new fey words as expletives. “Why's it always got to be some ex-girlfriend giving me grief.” I sat up and stared out at the room morosely.
“All she did was stare at you,” he rubbed his hand over his face. He was doing that a lot lately. “Hardly what I would consider persecution.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I griped. “It always starts like this, something fairly benign, but then it grows, morphing into a huge, gluttonous, mass of hatred, until it culminates with me chained up- to wall, table, or floor- being tortured to death.”
“Vervain,” he sighed, “you're not dead.”
“Well, I got bett'a,” I said in an English accent.
“Well, burning brimstone,” he laughed and sat up. “I actually got your reference!”
“No you did not,” I scoffed.
“Monty Python and the Holy Grail!”
“Aw,” I grinned and slapped him on the shoulder, “you've been watching the movies I gave you.”
“Yes and it appears to have paid off,” he chuckled, “that was funny. You got better,” he laughed some more. “I got bett'a,” he repeated in his own English accent which was scads better than mine. “Brilliant!”
“Alright, alright,” I pushed him back down into the bed. “Don't wear out the joke.”
“I'm going to watch more of your movies,” he declared. “Now I know why Roarke spends so much time listening to your lions. Human humor is lively.”
“Indeed,” I imitated his snarky tone.
“Hah,” he laughed. “Now I can annoy you. I'm going to start quoting these movies too.”
“Oh no, no, no, no,” I waved a finger in his face. “Movie quotes are my thing and you've obviously got a long way to go since you failed to recognize my Princess Bride quote earlier.”
“About the six-fingered man?” He blinked. “Ah yes, My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed-”
“Stop!” I sat up straight and waved my hands in a slashing motion. “Did I or did I not just say that movie quotes were my thing?”
“Yes, A Thaisce,” he chuckled and then whispered, “you killed my father, prepare to die.”
“Aggh, I created a monster!”
The laughter died out and left us staring at each other with soft smiles.
“You know,” he laid back against the pillows, “I used to think Aoife's cruelty was attractive. Now it looks weak, petty. You've shown me how much more strength it takes to be kind and to stand up for those who can't defend themselves. Can you believe she once turned a bunch of kids into swans because she was sleeping with their father and she thought he loved them more than her?”
“What did you just say?” My mouth hung open. That story was really familiar.
“Aoife,” he frowned at me. “She was having an affair with this King, wait no,” he frowned harder, “I think he was a god. Yes, his name was Lir and he was married to this sweet woman but she died and Aoife seduced him. She wanted him to run away with her or something like that. I think she may have wanted to bring him here, to Faerie, but he refused because of his children, so she changed them into swans and turned them against their father. It's quite horrible now that I think about it. To turn someone's children against them. Now that the possibility of children is in my future, I sympathize more with this man.”
“God,” I whispered. “He's a god.”
“Do you know him?” Arach was fascinated.
“I've met him,” I thought back to meeting Lir at Blue's place, he'd been a gruff guy who'd just tried to have his son murdered, my friend Finn. “I'm friends with one of his sons, Finn. You met Finn at the Ball, remember? The guy with the black hair and green eyes.”
“The one who stares at you a lot with a pathetically painful expression,” Arach nodded. “I recall him, yes.”
“He doesn't stare at me.”
“Yes he does.”
“Whatever,” I growled. “I think he's going to want to know that the woman who cursed him is here in Faerie.”
“You think he'll want to hurt her?”
“Why? Would it bother you?”
“Well, I did have relations with her,” he thought about it. “No, I guess not.”
“I don't know if I should be happy you don't care about her or shocked that you wouldn't care if an ex-lover was killed.”
“You are the most contrary, beautiful, sexy,” he pulled me against him.
A knock interrupted his seduction and he scowled at the door.
“The world had better be ending!” He yelled.
There was a thump and then silence.
“Dammit!” I growled at him. “What did you do now?”
I jumped out of bed and pulled on a robe before opening the door to find Lissa the pixie, fainted on the floor.
“Lissa!” I knelt down and tapped the little woman on the cheek with my fingertip lightly. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked up at me.
“Oh!” She got to her feet. “I'm so sorry to disturb you, Queen Vervain.”
“It's okay, Lissa,” I smiled in an effort to put her at ease. “Arach was just joking. Weren't you, Arach?”
“Sorry, Lissa,” his face was suddenly over my shoulder. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, my King,” she blushed and looked away.
“What did you need?” I prompted, when it became clear that she'd forgotten her whole reason for being there.
“Oh!” She blushed more. “I came to tell you that we've all been settled into our old room. Fearghal helped move us and all of our things.”
“Ah, he's a good fey,” Arach nodded. “I'm relieved to know you're all safe.”
“Thank you,” she nodded.
“I was thinking, Lissa,” Arach continued. “Maybe after this is all settled, the fire pixies could move into the kingdom proper, instead of being out in the Forgetful Forest.”
“Would we be safe?” She twisted her little hands together.
“The fire fey wouldn't hurt you and as far as the land, if you stay away from the steam vents, you'll be fine,” he shrugged. “I can get some of the red caps to help you with the move. I'd feel safer with all of you within the kingdom from now on.”
“I think that sounds wonderful,” she nodded. “I'll talk to the rest of the pixies. Oh and the other red caps have set up a watch at the castle entrance and Fearghal said there's to be roaming guards as well.”
“Yes,” Arach nodded, placing a hand on my shoulder. “I thought that would be best. Please let everyone know that the Hidden Ones will be helping with guard duty.”
“Oh, yes, I will,” she nodded. “Thank you again, King Arach.” She bobbed a curtsy and ran off toward the stairs, where she waved her hand and a sparkling cloud appeared. She jumped onto it and it carried her down the long staircase.
“Huh,” I stared after her. “I've always wondered how she got up and down the stairs so fast.”
“A little pixie magic,” Arach grinned as he stood up and pushed the door closed. “They may not have as much as we do but what they have works well for them.”
“That's helpful,” I stood as well.
“It doesn't work on long drops or open air,” he shrugged. “It's just a minor levitation spell.”
“Still pretty cool,” I grinned and then gave an excited shout. “We still haven't discovered which of the Hidden Ones is pregnant!”
“Right,” he grinned like a little boy and threw off his robe to pull on some pants and a tunic. “Hurry up,” he motioned to me.
“Oh, sorry,” I laughed and exchanged my robe for a long blue satin dress with fitted sleeves and an annoying but beautiful train. There were flames embroidered up the train in gold and I have to admit, it was my favorite part of the dress.
We held hands as we hurried down the stairs, making it to the bottom faster than we should have, as usual. Then we were in the tunnels that led underground, and then in the cavern of the Hidden Ones. They were milling about excitedly and I
wondered if they knew about the pregnancy already.
“King Arach,” a ball of fur rolled over to us and then opened to reveal several appendages and a scaled face. “Queen Vervain! Welcome. I'm surprised you've returned so soon.”
“You all look like you've had some good news,” I smiled knowingly at him.
“Yes,” he clapped three pairs of arms together. “We've heard about the guard duty you've assigned us. We're thrilled to have been chosen.”
“Oh,” I bit my lip and glanced at Arach. “There's no other reason you're so happy?”
“What other reason could there be?” A female with the body of a massive beetle, lumbered forward on thick cloven legs. Her eyes were on stalks coming out of her shoulders and her mouth was at the top of her head. It was a little difficult to decide what to focus on when speaking to her.
“Uh,” I glanced at Arach and he nodded. “Faerie has spoken to me. She's given me some great news and it has to do with one of you.”
“Faerie spoke to you of usss?” Taog came forward, his voice full of surprise and awe.
“Doesn't she talk with you?” I looked at them, they were shaking their heads, or things I assumed were heads, and then I looked over to Arach.
“I've helped several fire fey hear her,” Arach frowned. “I gave instructions that the gift be passed along but maybe there hasn't been enough time.”
“It's okay,” I gave him a sad smile. We both knew there had been plenty of time to pass on the gift but the Hidden Ones were still overcoming years of stigma, even within their own House. It was hard to make people let go of their fears. “Come here,” I said as I walked into their midst and held my arms out to them. I smiled when I saw Arach do the same, opening his arms to his fey without hesitation. “We'll give her back to you.”
They surrounded me eagerly, touching me as they had that first day I'd met them and given them the blessing of Love. I called to Faerie and felt her presence settle on me and spread out to them in a warm rush of magic.
Thank you, Daughter.
“Don't thank me,” I smiled to ease the sting of my words, “just speak to them.”
I will. I am.
There were cries of joy mixed with the sound of happy tears as the gift spread through the Hidden Ones like wildfire. They fell back so more could approach me but it was unnecessary. The gift spread by touch and as soon as one touched me, they became a conduit, passing it to those behind them. Soon the cavern was filled with howling, excited fey.
“It's me!” A voice broke over the rush of sound. A voice filled with more happiness than I'd ever heard expressed by any of them. “It's me she speaks of. I'm pregnant! We're going to have babies of our own!”
The group shifted with excited shouts, a path opening and a female ushered forward along it. She had a long, slender snout and a ruff of horns around her face. Her bright yellow eyes glowed with happiness and her lipless mouth stretched out in a smile full of sharp teeth. Her eight legs propelled her forward quickly, the greenish-gray flesh quivering as she came flying into my arms. I hugged her with all my might, my magic acknowledging the magic growing inside her.
I finally pulled away, smiling as I wiped tears from her cheeks. I placed my hands over her scaled stomach and felt the Love magic rise inside me.
“I give you the blessing of Love, little ones,” I said reverently to the three babies I felt inside her, “that you may feel treasured for all of your lives. That you may walk freely wherever you will, with confidence and grace. That all who meet you shall know you for the miracles you are.” The magic flew down my arms and into her belly, glowing a soft pink before fading.
“Thank you,” she whispered and I hugged her again.
“My Queen,” Taog came up and put an arm around the female. “Faerie has told ussssss that it'ssss because of the changes you've brought about in ussss that life ssssstirs within ussss again. Thank you, Queen of Fire. Thank you for Fionnaghal,” he patted the female beside him, “and thank you for bringing Faerie back to usssss.”
My fierce children. I have missed you the most.
Everyone heard her, judging by the reverent quiet that blanketed the room, broken only by the occasional sniffle. Then they all dropped to their knees and Arach came to stand beside me, his eyes shiny with unshed tears.
I wanted to tell them to get up, that I didn't want or deserve their obeisance, but I had to remind myself that these were fey and in Faerie I was a Queen. It was one thing to fight for equal protection for fey subjects but I didn't think the fey were ready for my American views on respect. So I kept my mouth shut as Arach took my hand and kissed it, giving me a knowing look and a smile of gratitude. We turned together and looked out over the gathered mass of fey, who the rest of Faerie called monsters but who we called family. A family that was about to get even larger.
Chapter Seventeen
“So the nursery,” I looked over to where Arach was reading a book in our bed and saw that he'd froze, a page half turned, to stare at me. “Is it done yet?”
“Almost,” he barely whispered the word, like he was afraid I'd bolt if he spoke too loudly.
“Did it never occur to you that I might like to have a hand in decorating the place where our children, if we have any,” I held up a hand when he started to look excited, “may possibly sleep? That it's a bit highhanded of you to go ahead without me?”
“You want to decorate the nursery?” He sounded like he wasn't sure if he was horrified or delighted.
“Well, I think I should have been consulted at the very least.”
“A Thaisce,” he tossed his book aside and came over to stand in front of me. “I'm sorry about the nursery, we've already been over this, Laise thought she was helping.”
“No, I know,” I waved away his apology. “It's fine, I just think she should have asked me what kind of things I'd want for my children.”
“I'll get whatever you want for the babes,” he huffed a disbelieving laugh. “Just tell me and I'll get it for you.”
“How about drugs?” I smirked.
“What?”
“If I'm going to seriously consider this, I think we need to talk about all of my concerns,” I pointed to the chair across from mine and he sat down with a stunned expression. “In the Human Realm, children are usually born in hospitals. Hospitals are places where our healers work and they help the babies be born, making the mothers as comfortable as possible. There are medicines that can be given to the mothers to help with pain and there are things that can be done if the labor goes badly. I'm not sure if I like the idea of giving birth without those modern conveniences. It could be more painful and more dangerous.”
“My love,” Arach smiled at me, “you're immortal, how dangerous could it be?”
“For the child, you nitwit.”
“Our child will be immortal too.”
“Are you sure about that?” I watched as his face went slack, his mind working out the possibilities.
“Yes,” he finally concluded, “I'm certain. The baby will be full dragon-sidhe and therefore immortal.”
“I concede that the child will most likely be immortal,” I paused, not knowing how to explain my fears to him. I'd been thinking about this for awhile and I'd come up with more questions than answers. “But how can you be so certain that it will be dragon-sidhe? You said it yourself, there's no one like me in all the realms. I'm a triple being. So what will that make my child?”
“Amazing,” he said on a reverent breath, “blessed, loved, treasured. Who cares what race it is? We need a full dragon-sidhe to be our heir but that doesn't mean I wouldn't love a child with a different heritage. Yes, I want to continue our race but if our child is part dragon-sidhe, part human, and part god, I would love it just the same.”
“But we don't know what it will be,” I frowned. “Magic can do strange things. What if the child is born mortal and there are complications?”
“We have healers, Vervain,” Arach took my hand and rubbed it gently. “You
live at the source of magic, how could you think we'd be unprepared for childbirth? A fey birth is much easier than a human. There's no need for medicines or human hospitals. We have magic to ease the pain, magic to help the child into the world.”
“Oh,” I don't know why I hadn't thought of that. I guess the thought of children freaked me out a bit. “So what would happen?”
“Well, here in Fire,” he kept rubbing my hand like he knew I needed the comfort, “we have leanan-sidhe who will aid in the birth.”
“The vampires are going to help me give birth... bloody, messy birth?” I was horrified.
“Have you completely forgotten how Ciaran healed little Lissa when you burned her by accident?”
“Oh, right,” I thought back, “he used his own blood.”
“Right,” Arach gave a little laugh. “Vervain, there's nothing to worry about. If you decide you're ready to have children with me, it will be safe and virtually painless.”
“What does virtually mean?” I narrowed my eyes on him.
“The first few contractions may not be caught in time to be subdued,” he shrugged, “but the rest of the labor pains can be transferred into amulets. It's a simple thing and if there is a complication, as you put it, the leanan-sidhe will be handy with their healing blood.”
“Healing vampire blood,” I sighed, “yeah that's what they say about vamps in the Human Realm too, now that I think about it. They can close the wound they make from feeding with a little of their blood. I don't think it's true though. I don't remember Blue's blood healing me when he bit my lip.”
“Who bit your lip?” He growled.
“Oh, it was a long time ago,” I waved my hand and then gave in to the need for a little payback. “It was before I even got together with Trevor. I actually had sex with Blue on top of his pyramid... on an altar.”
“Excuse me?” His eyes were starting to slant up his face, giving him the dragon look he got when he was riled up.
“It was in a dream but it was still pretty real,” I shrugged. “I actually woke up with bite marks and I had the scars for quite awhile. Thor covered them with his lightning bolt but then Jesus made me immortal and they both went away.”
