by K. F. Breene
“I just hope the beds are actually off the ground this time,” the surfer guy—Andy, I thought his name was—said miserably.
Charity nodded, gave Devon a poignant look, and then stalked away. Devon glanced at Roger.
“Go,” he urged.
Devon nodded and jogged after Charity. He’d be staying with her.
“Okay.” I looked at Roger. “Any rhyme or reason to where we stay?”
“We’ll be protected here,” Emery responded. “The elves won’t risk approaching these lands with the intent to do violence. They know Romulus plans to visit them, and bring us with him, so they’ll start planning for that.”
“Awesome. We’re giving them a head start and home advantage, all on a couple of Seers’ say-so.” Even though I’d tried to ignore talk of what the Seers had said, I’d picked up on that much.
“Yup,” Roger murmured, which was surprising, given he didn’t usually voice things like that. But like everyone else, he didn’t seem inclined to do anything about it. Maybe he just didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t say I did either. So instead, I turned toward the first bungalow.
The one I chose had two bedrooms, a smallish kitchen without an oven, a menu that I would absolutely be ordering from—though, without a phone, I wasn’t sure how—and a table in the living room. I fell onto the couch, which was plush and comfortable.
“Better than a hotel room,” I said, wishing there was something to prop my feet up on. The coffee table would have to do. “Nearly as big as my first house. You know the one, Darius, before you came in and expanded it so much that people now feel comfortable camping out in my living room.”
Darius checked out the kitchen then disappeared through another door that presumably led to the bathroom. “Rudimentary,” he said.
Penny and Emery poked their heads in. “I guess we’ll be sharing,” Emery said. “There’s just one place with a solo living space, and the older dual-mages have claimed it. There isn’t enough room for everyone to have their own spot.”
“It’s not much smaller than that cottage in Ireland, remember?” I put my hands behind my head.
Penny stood in front of me for a moment and stared.
“What?” I asked.
“You don’t care that they were rude to you?”
“Who was? The welcome chick?” Penny continued to stare. I took that as a yes and shrugged. “A lot of people are rude to me. In fact, most people are rude to me. Have you met Moss? That guy still hasn’t warmed up. I’d be wary if she were too nice.”
“And this…” Penny held out her hands. “This is cool?”
I frowned at her. “What’s with you? You hangry?” I let a smile slowly drift up my cheeks. “Oh, I get it. You’re worried that, with a place this small, you won’t be able to help yourself from barging into my room at suspiciously inopportune moments.”
She rolled her eyes and headed to one of the bedrooms.
“I’m on to you, dirty girl. I’ve got your number,” I called after her.
“These are much nicer than the last…bungalows that were here,” Emery said, taking a chair from the table and placing it by the square window. He settled in and looked out.
“What happened to those?” I asked.
“Charity blew them up. I’d tell you the story of why, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise. We’ll just say the welcome chick was nothing compared to the others around here, and your patience is a lot shallower than the shifters’.”
Fourteen
Charity left her new bedroom the next morning with trepidation swimming in her gut. Given she had an accepted place in the leadership of these people, they’d moved her from a temporary house, which was large, to a house near her father, which was too large. What was she going to do with five bedrooms, two living rooms, and a library? Especially because these people were getting ready to move out of here.
She hoped.
Butterflies filled her belly as she forced herself into the living room, where her father waited. Kairi, Hallen, and Devon stood outside, allowing for a little privacy. Charity and her dad needed to discuss family business.
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” Romulus asked with a smile, sitting on the flowered couch that wasn’t exactly to her taste. Or maybe she was just used to all of Devon’s leather.
“Yes, thank you.”
“And your new accommodations, they suit you?”
She didn’t voice her complaints. They wouldn’t do any good. Though she did want to mention one thing that she hadn’t gotten a chance to last night.
“Mine were fine, yes, but the guest quarters…”
He held up a hand as she sat. “Yes. I know your displeasure. We will amend that issue. It seems Mother didn’t quite understand your…critique as to the original problem with the accommodations. I assure you, I understand completely, especially after Roger was so hospitable to us. I will speak to her.”
It wouldn’t do any good; Charity knew that in her bones. Her grandmama was kind and pleasant to those she deemed worthy, which was her people. That was about where it stopped. Charity didn’t think the older woman would change her ways, not after all these years.
Which led the conversation to the sticky future.
Romulus bowed his head, as he’d clearly read her thoughts, advertised through the positioning and movements of her body.
“You don’t think she can be brought around,” he said.
She turned up her palms and shrugged, letting down her defenses in his company—she didn’t have to try so hard to fit in to the ways of the people with him. “I don’t know her that well. Or that long, you know? I don’t know what she will or won’t do. But she had an opportunity to change, and she didn’t. Yeah, the…accommodations are a little bigger, and the beds are at least actual beds, but that’s it. She didn’t make an effort. Not a real one. She clearly thought a sort of patch would help. So that makes me wonder how willing she will be to do all that obviously needs to be done in the Realm. Can you talk her around?”
Romulus entwined his fingers. “The honest answer is that I don’t know. She has a good heart. She wants the best for her people. In time, I am sure we could convince her that the best place for us is among the people of the Realm. It is with the shifters, who are our counterparts in every way.”
“In time…”
He tilted his head slightly, approving of her picking up on that little nuance.
“We don’t have that kind of time,” she surmised, seeing in his body that this was killing him. He had nothing but respect for Grandmama—to face these hard truths was wearing on him. To face the role she played in his own heartache. Charity wondered if he’d been mostly avoiding thinking about it since he’d learned of it, right before they’d decided to leave the Flush for the Brink. He certainly hadn’t spoken about it. Now he would have to pick at the scar, open the wound, and allow himself to fully heal.
To do that, he had to officially accuse his mother of wrongdoing. They all did.
“With Lucifer’s heir revealing herself, and with the unrest in the Realm, and the elves…no,” he said softly. “We do not have that kind of time. And from what I am gathering, the village wouldn’t allow us to try, anyway. Not without a reckoning of some kind. She and some of the elders have been holding people here without their consent. Without their knowledge. She has been breaking our rules. They must voice their displeasure. They have to, in order to heal.”
“They want a trial.”
“Yes.” He took a deep breath. “We thought they might, but…”
“You hoped maybe we could just talk it out.”
“I do not want to see my mother’s name dragged through the mud. She meant well, I believe that. She wanted to do what was best for her people.”
“That will come out in the trial.” Charity hoped her shallow words weren’t coming through her movements. She wasn’t sure if Grandmama felt even the least bit sorry for what she’d done, and even if she had originally meant well,
now she seemed hellbent on maintaining her control. She didn’t know how easily the people would forgive her. Or maybe that was just her own anger talking.
“We must meet with everyone shortly to set a trial date and time. We’ll have to do it quickly. I fear the elves will get restless if we don’t take Reagan to them quickly.”
“And Emery?”
“Emery is a grudge match, nothing more. He showed his power and caught them unaware. They want to make an example of him, that is all. That should be easy enough to talk around. Lucifer’s heir, though…” His shoulders tensed, and she didn’t know what that meant. “That is another matter.”
“Will you allow Roger to sit in on the trial? Or Reagan?”
“No. And certainly not the vampire. No, this is a private matter. Roger needs to know who is in charge. He does not need to know the why. After the trial, we should have a better idea. Once that happens, we can move swiftly, I think. Hopefully.”
That was all they really had right now: a bunch of dirty laundry, danger, and a long list of hopefullies.
Fifteen
The day had been unpardonably dull so far, and given we were sliding into early evening, it didn’t seem like it would get much better. The soggy toast soaked in what tasted like sugar and honey and spices for breakfast had been decent, but the egg-like things served with them had been a little gross. I couldn’t put my finger on why, though. Maybe because it was an unidentified type of animal, and I tended to like knowing what was going into my mouth. What if they’d stolen those bad boys, and now we’d have a pissed-off magical creature after us? It would be a good hazing situation.
Wandering around, looking for more of Penny’s rocks, had only been fun because she tromped into people’s yards and they pretended not to notice. That was a green light for me to peer into their windows to see how far they’d go before saying anything. Turned out, it was really far. Sometimes they didn’t even glance over in annoyance. Didn’t even flick their eyes my way! It was a lesson in self-restraint that had me really admiring these people. I never could’ve pulled it off.
The cucumber-like sandwiches for lunch were gross. I didn’t know what they were attempting with those, but whatever it was, it had failed. I ate them, because I was hungry, but told Darius in no uncertain terms that he’d better start cooking or we’d have a problem. I didn’t know how he was going to manage without an oven, but I had faith he’d figure something out.
Now, early evening, kind of dreading dinner, Penny, Emery, Darius, and I had been wandering around aimlessly, but we were running out of things to do. Per Charity’s request, we were giving her people time to sort themselves out. But man, this place boasted some horrible hobbies to pass the time. I didn’t want to do any of them. Painting? I suck at it, thanks. Cross-stitch? Why bother? Table making? Good Lord, where is the alcohol…
Callie and Dizzy, tired from the traveling, were taking time to lounge. If only I was tired enough to do the same thing.
“What’s this…like a fighting thing?” I asked, at the edge of a large expanse of spongy grass filled with organized groups moving in a dance-like way. One guy flipped over a woman and then landed on his back. She swung her wooden sword down and stopped at his neck.
“What was your first clue?” Emery said with a smirk.
But it didn’t look like any kind of fighting I’d ever known. They were almost civil with each other, stopping the moment it might get dirty, swinging their silly practice swords and ignoring their other body parts, like elbows, feet, or foreheads. What a waste of time. When, in the real world, weren’t things dirty?
It took me a moment to spot the shifters out there, because they were all in human form, Roger’s muscular body standing out among the lithe, graceful forms of the fae flitting around him.
I spotted Devon next, his bare back shining in the faux-sunlight, his movements nearly as quick as Roger’s. He’d be a serious alpha one day. I hoped he headed up to some other country, though. He seemed much too stuffy.
Even Cole had taken to the fields in human form, and that guy liked to show off his yeti.
“How dumb.” I started forward because…well, why not?
“Hey, pretty lady, fancy a fuck?”
Aaaaand my trajectory was altered immediately.
Steve lay within the shade of some big tree that I was sure had a long name, utterly relaxed with his dong hanging down. He caught sight of Darius trailing us, taking everything in.
“What’s up, bud?” I crouched down near his head.
“Oh, pity, you have that neck sucker with you.”
“He doesn’t just suck necks, if you know what I mean.” I waggled my eyebrows at him. “You’re all battled out?”
“Didn’t bother. I got plenty to do in this place.”
“Oh yeah? Is it hanging your dick in people’s windows and seeing if they’ll notice? If I had one, I’d absolutely try that. I bet they wouldn’t even look.”
“The women would. All the little fae come running when this big lion shows up in town.”
“And yet…” I looked around us. “You are alone. That bad in bed, huh?”
His smile was lazy. “Just taking a break. Also, I think they are getting ready to put the First on trial. The fae are all distracted by that.”
Darius stilled, looking down at Steve for the first time. “Emery,” he said, “can you hide me from view in this place? I’ve never heard that fae can sense spells.”
“No, they can’t. Yeah, sure.”
“Fantastic. I intend to witness it, though it might be wise to ascertain when it will be held and scope out the location beforehand.”
“Should you do that, though?” Penny asked in a small voice. “What if they catch you listening in on private matters? They aren’t really cool with strangers.”
“Understatement,” Steve murmured.
“Reagan,” Darius said. “Can you distract the village so no one is bored enough to look for me?”
Steve started laughing. “Livin’ the dream, huh, Reagan? Causing mayhem.”
He had that right. Another green light to act against social norms? Yes, please. “Yup.”
“Don’t get us kicked out,” Penny said, grabbing Emery’s arm. “We can’t afford to be kicked out. We need their protection.”
“We have Lucifer’s heir.” Emery wrapped a comforting arm around her. I rolled my eyes on reflex. “They won’t kick us anywhere.”
“So good to be needed.” I grinned at Penny. Her expression darkened.
Steve pointed at the practice field. “You headed in?”
“What’s the deal with the shifters being in human form?” I asked.
“Ah…” Steve sighed and then scratched his chest. “These people are taking a while to warm up to us. The ones that were more receptive are either in the Brink watching the back door, or are busy with Romulus and Charity. These cats out here are still a bit iffy. They like fighting with us but aren’t sure yet about the animal form. Roger decided it was best just to fight in human form.”
“Huh.”
“You gonna go make them uncomfortable?”
If you can draw people here somehow, it would help Emery and me, Darius thought. I would like to get more information about their inner workings—their politics—but I need to get closer. They mistrust vampires.
“And for good reason, given you plan to skulk around and eavesdrop.”
“The first sign you’re cracking up is answering out loud questions that you asked yourself in your head,” Steve drawled.
“Only the first sign? Man, I’m way ahead of the curve.” I glanced at Darius. “How long do you need?”
You have a shelf life before people run screaming. Try to draw that out as long as possible.
Yeah, that might be hard.
Ever determined, I started forward.
“No, you’re going with her,” Emery said, and Penny had the look of someone who’d just realized she’d pulled the short end of the stick.
T
he soft breeze felt a little cooler here than it did elsewhere in the Realm. I wondered if the warrior fae had requested that of the elves, since it was a practice yard. The sun hung up there in the orange sky innocuously, and I really wanted to see how that whole thing worked, but I didn’t dare tear it away. The real sun would be up now, and Darius wouldn’t do so well in its rays.
“I don’t want any part of this,” Penny said, catching up to me.
“Then you should get more comfortable hanging out on your own. Co-dependency is a real issue for some, Penny.”
“Oh.” I could tell she nearly hesitated. “Is hanging out by myself an option?”
“No. Come on. It’ll be fun.”
“It almost never is!”
No one noticed me as I approached the weapons area on the side of the yard. There was a stack of wood and a chest filled with…balls? Hard rubber tennis balls, they seemed like. How odd.
I picked one up. Kind of heavy. Let’s see if it hurts.
I turned, aimed at Cole, and fired it off. He’d probably be the least forgiving of anyone in this whole practice yard. At least with me. We had beef. I planned to reignite old flames. Literally, since our first altercation had ended in me lighting his fur on fire.
The ball just barely missed his big melon.
“You throw weird,” Penny said, pushing me out of the way.
“I’m used to throwing knives. I never did get around to learning baseball.”
“Here, I’ll show you.” She grabbed another ball. “If you point with your other hand, and follow through with the throwing arm…” She turned and rocketed off a shot. It flew straight and true. “I had to learn baseball so I wasn’t made fun of. Then I was made fun of because baseball is apparently for boys, and I thought softball was just plain stupid. We have smaller hands—why should we get the bigger ball?”
The ball clunked off Cole’s head, knocking him to the side and giving his opponent a clear shot to stab him with a wooden sword. The dulled point obviously wouldn’t kill him, but it would definitely hurt.
