A ruminative silence followed for a few seconds. “You…Did you make this decision because you didn’t feel like there was another option?”
“There isn’t another option. Not a good option, at least.”
“Sevana, I hate for you to think that this is simply the lesser evil.”
He sounded truly perturbed by that. And Sevana hadn’t really meant her decision was the lesser of two evils, although in a sense that was the case. She dared to turn her head just enough to catch his eye. Aran leaned over her back, green eyes clouded with concern, an unhappy downwards turn of his mouth as he watched her. Sevana didn’t want to leave him with that impression. “It’s not…well, it is. But it isn’t.”
“Yes, that clarified things nicely,” he responded dryly.
A tired smile flicked over her face. “I mean, I can’t stay as I am. I can’t try removing your blood, it will only half-work. Living like this the rest of my life, where I can’t work, where I can’t even function day-to-day without something melting or exploding on me, would drive me mad. The only sensible option was to go forward.”
Aran stroked her arm gently, slumping in on himself. “I had a feeling that was your logic. But Sellion, the world that awaits you isn’t to be feared. You don’t need to be…I’m not sure what you are. Are you nervous? You don’t seem to look forward to it.”
“I don’t think being Fae will be terrible,” she assured him huskily. Thirst scratched at her throat. She’d have to move in a few minutes and get some water. Just lying here the rest of the night wouldn’t help her recover. “I never thought that.”
“But you don’t look forward to it, either. You hold firmly onto your human connections.”
“Of course I do. I’m not done with the human world yet. I don’t think I ever will be completely.” She nearly left it at that but Aran…of all people, he could likely understand her, assuming she could find the right words to express herself. “The one thing that I fear is that Aranhil will want to keep me tightly inside of South Woods. He’s already making noises about that.”
“You don’t want to live with us?”
“No…yes?” Sevana growled to herself. She truly was terrible at expressing sentiment. “I don’t want to leave Big.”
Aran paused, his hand falling motionless on her arm. “Is that what it is? You don’t want to leave your friend?”
“Of course. Isn’t that obvious?”
Something that might have been a snort of amusement left him. “We don’t read minds, Sellion. Is it just Big that you don’t want to separate from?”
“Well, I want to stay with my human friends for as long as I have them.” Sevana thought that obvious, too, but apparently not. “And I’m not good at staying holed up in one place, you know that. I need puzzles, challenges, work that demands my talents. I can’t just stay in South Woods day in and day out, I’ll eventually go mad with boredom.”
“Heavens forbid,” Aran responded jokingly. “Alright, I understand your hesitation now. But Sevana, I think you’ve jumped to conclusions you should not have. We spend a decade, sometimes more, preparing our children to step into the Fae world. We are rushing your transformation now because we fear for your health and safety. But none of us wish to rush your entrance into South Woods. Of course you will need time to adjust.”
That all sounded fine and dandy but it didn’t match what Aranhil had said to her before. “Aranhil wants me in South Woods, though.”
“He fears for your safety and would rather have you close,” Aran admitted calmly. “But if you explain to him that you do not wish to lose contact with your friends yet, he will be patient. When you live as long as we do, you do not consider time in any increment shorter than decades. The time you need is not significant to us.”
Well. Put like that. Sevana felt the weight of worry slip off her shoulders, just a mite. “You really think Aranhil won’t throw a fit about me living in Big?”
“It might take some compromise,” Aran admitted ruefully. “He is very excited about having you properly one of us. Just be firm about your needs, Sellion. He will acknowledge them.”
Funny, how he only used her Fae name in moments like these. His advice was good, though. Sevana had only put her foot down, she hadn’t explained what she wanted or why, and it was hard to compromise with a person that didn’t try to explain anything. She needed to rectify that. “When I can sit up without my eyes spinning, I’ll write him a proper letter outlining what I need. Maybe a timeline, too.”
“That is an excellent plan. Do that.” His weight shifted but did not lift off the bed. “You sound thirsty. Can you sit up and drink something?”
“Hopefully.”
“I might be able to locate a straw. Let’s try turning you instead, let you recline as much as possible.”
She nodded in relief, as that sounded much more workable. As he drew away from the bed, a thought occurred. “You realize that when I tell Aranhil that I want to stay in Big for a while, he’s likely going to make you live with me.”
Aran’s expression was a soft mix of amusement and affection. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
Alright, that might have been an obvious statement. She watched him leave, considering what that really meant. No one had ever wanted to live with her. Not for long stretches of time. The only two who had managed it were Master and Sarsen, and they had many a tale to share with the unwary about how challenging it had been to share the same roof with her. But Aran, having seen her at her absolute worst, didn’t think anything of living with her for potentially decades?
A strange thrill went through her, an emotion she normally didn’t feel tugging at her heart strings. It wasn’t pleasure, or contentment, or happiness, or anticipation—it seemed to be a mix of all of those things, an emotional gestalt that she couldn’t clearly define. Normally the idea of having someone else constantly underfoot in her space irritated her, but somehow Aran was the exception.
Decades with him. She looked forward to it.
The next day Sevana felt better. Ineligible for burial within the next twenty-four hours type of better, not springing out of bed better. She managed to get out of bed and, finally, eat something without instantly spewing it back up, which were all pluses. She’d take ’em.
Sevana, with some help, moved from bed to couch, although the cold packs stayed on her back. The twinges of pain might keep her from wandering around outside, but it did not prohibit her from working. But first thing first: make sure a war hadn’t broken out.
Tapping the finger on her mirror’s surface, she called, “Milly.”
Aran came to kneel next to the chair, touching her arm lightly. “Will you be alright for a while? I want to go get more ice.”
The last of it being currently pressed up against her spine and neck, she knew why. “Sure. Go, get some fresh air. I’ll likely be stuck in diplomatic talks, assuming I can reach Master and Aranhil.”
Relieved, he gave a nod, hand squeezing her fingers briefly before pulling on his boots and walking through the door. Knowing that Milly was likely somewhere else entirely, Sevana patiently tapped the mirror again. “Milly.”
Someone with a light, female voice stopped Aran and spoke with him outside. Sevana’s ears perked, but she didn’t dare turn her head. Moving that appendage currently brought about pain. But the voice was a familiar one. Sevana couldn’t quite place it, but she knew it.
“Hello, Artifactor? It’s Kira.”
Kira. Oh, right, Rane’s right hand. She hadn’t seen Kira recently, not since her first approach into Living Waters territory—actually, when she’d been chasing two goddesses. “Come in, Kira. All the way, I can’t turn my head just now.”
“Yes, so your companion explained.” Kira skipped around into view, looking unfairly freshly put together. Her dark hair hung in silky waves around her shoulders, the white dress flowing about her in an elegant style that matched the pearls threaded through her hair. She gave Sevana a sympathetic smile. “I’m a
ctually your next-door neighbor, of sorts. I live across the street.”
In the five days that Sevana had been here, she hadn’t seen her, but that didn’t mean much. Likely their schedules were entirely different. “Are you checking in on me, then?”
“I am. Rane asked me to keep an eye on you. Khan is a dear child, but he’s not very experienced with Landers, and there might be things he can’t anticipate you’ll need.” Head canting to the side, she eyed Sevana thoughtfully. “It looks as if the treatments are working, at least.”
“Yes, they are. Fortunately.” Sevana was of the opinion that the treatments had better work, as she wasn’t going through all of this without something to show for it. “And Khan’s doing fine. He’s quick to fetch things as we need them.”
The way that Kira smiled, mostly in relief, suggested to Sevana that Khan was either a friend or a relative of some sort. “Good. I’m glad to hear it. I’m to report to Rane and Curano in a moment; is there anything I should pass along to them?”
Sevana almost said no, then thought better of it. “Tell them that I have gone and looked at the transportation system. I at least have a better grasp on the problem now. I’ll work the problem as I can.”
Nodding understanding, Kira gestured at the door. “I’ll do that. Let me know if you need anything.”
“I will.” Sevana almost watched her go out of habit, then thought better of it when her abused neck muscles twinged. She tracked Kira by ear as she left. So Rane’s trusted assistant lived across the street from her, eh? Sevana didn’t for one moment think that coincidental. Perhaps Rane wanted to just keep an eye on her, but Sevana suspected other reasons were at play as well.
“Sevana?”
She blinked and focused on the mirror propped up against the wall. Milly’s round face stared back at her. “Milly. There you are.”
“My dear, you do not look well,” Milly informed her frankly, expression growing pinched with worry.
“This is one of the reasons why I like you,” Sevana responded dryly. “You lay everything on the table. The treatments are a little harsh, to put it mildly. But I’m coping well enough. I got a letter from Master, but I’d hoped to speak to him directly. Has he managed to figure out a way to connect the mirrors?”
“Oh, yes, we ran a trial version last night. I have to help him, but it’s possible to connect four at once. No more than that, though. It’s too taxing on me to do more than four.”
Tapping a thoughtful finger to her lips, Sevana opined, “I believe four’s all we need. Tell him that I want to connect the Sa Kaoan king, Aranhil, and myself today to speak. His last letter to me didn’t mention anything about reparations between Aranhil and Sa Kao, and I don’t want the loss of the Institute to lead to bad blood.”
Milly nodded fervently. “We all wish to avoid that. I’ll tell him. Today?”
“If we can. I’m clear-headed enough to speak today, but these treatments either lay me flat out or barely make me twinge. It’s hard to predict.”
With a determined nod, Milly assured her, “I’ll contact everyone and set it up. You stay right there.”
Heaven forbid that anyone cross her determined friend. The thought amused her and she picked up the blueprints lying nearby, studying them thoughtfully. On paper, at least, nothing jarred. The tunnels followed the plans to a T and didn’t deviate from her own examination yesterday. Still, something niggled at the back of her mind. Something was off there….
“Sweetling.”
Blinking, she looked up and this time she saw Master’s reflection. Not like she saw Milly, with her disembodied form, but a true reflection of the man relaxing in his favorite armchair near a flickering fireplace. He did not look entirely at his ease, elbows propped up on his knees, the wrinkles in his face more pronounced than normal.
Glad to see him, she offered a smile. “Hi, Master. I got your letter.”
“I’m glad, but sweetling, you look like something Baby dragged in.”
“Feel like it too,” she admitted ruefully. “But still, we’re making progress. It turns out that the woman who’s changing me has done it twice before.”
Master let out a pent-up breath. “So she has successful experience. I’m relieved to hear that, sweetling. And after you’ve changed?”
“Aran assures me that while Aranhil will want to drag me straight into South Woods, they’ll respect my wishes. Likely someone from my new family will need to live with me for a while in Big, but I won’t disappear altogether.” She paused, waiting to see if that was the reassurance he needed.
Master’s frown did not fade, as she’d hoped, but rather deepened. “You’re set on this course, then?”
“Ursilla informs me that she can strip the Fae blood out of me. But it won’t fix my unbalanced magical core and will shorten my life considerably. Which would you prefer, Master?”
Tashjian sighed gustily, like a blacksmith’s bellows. “Put like that, it is the only sensible option. Alright, if you’re sure? Of course you are.”
“I wouldn’t be going through this much pain and nausea and general unpleasantness if I was anything shy of absolute certainty,” she assured him drolly. “I assume that while we’re chatting, Milly’s helping you set up the other two?”
“Yes, she managed to find both other men and they agreed to speak now.”
Sevana had worried that, as short notice as it was, they wouldn’t be able to choreograph four people speaking at the same time. But then again, surely the other two had their own agendas to push regarding the incident and dropped everything to accommodate her. That was far more likely. “While we wait, I have another question for you. Since I’ll be stuck down here for another five weeks or so, do you want me to grab anything for you and Sarsen?”
“Merciful heavens, child, but if you’re offering me souvenirs, I’ll take them. You sure that you’re up to gathering them for me?”
“Even if I’m not, I can use it as an excuse to get Aran out of the house. He’ll likely need breaks from me sooner or later.”
In complete understanding, Master nodded in support of this. “Good plan. Have something to write down on?”
Sevana dutifully took notes on the very, very long shopping list. At least part of this must be for Sarsen. Or it better be for Sarsen. She wasn’t hauling more than this home again. Master barely had it all out before Milly connected another mirror with hers, the image splitting so that it was exactly in half, Master on the right, Aranhil on the left. Her new king/father figure lit up in a smile as he saw her.
“Daughter, I can see the changes even from here. But you look very tired,” he noted, smile faltering.
“It’s not pleasant, doing this so quickly, but we’re making progress,” she answered forthrightly. “And Aran’s barely left my side during all of this. I’m managing.”
As if her words had summoned him, Aran returned, a bucket making heavy sloshing noises as he moved through the room. “Ah, I see your plan worked. Aranhil, Tashjian, how are you?”
“Well,” Aranhil assured him.
“Thank you for taking care of her, Arandur.” Tashjian’s voice and expression was transparent with sincerity.
“It is my pleasure,” Aran assured him. “Sev, do you need more ice?”
Grimacing, she admitted, “I think I just have water against my back right now.”
“Let me have the packs, then.” Putting the bucket down, he gently levered out the oiled skin packs and carted them all into the kitchen.
Firuz Adnan, King of Sa Kao, appeared and split the image of the mirror again. Now it was in three quadrants, with him on the bottom third, sharing space with the others. It looked a little odd, and she could barely see more than his head and shoulders, but it would suffice for their purposes. He looked impeccable, white turban and feather stiffly correct on his head, black beard combed, the purple sash around his shoulders silently indicating his royalty. “Artifactor. I am relieved to see you are unharmed.”
“No thanks to you
r subjects,” Aranhil grumbled with a dark look.
A tic jumped at the corner of Firuz’s mouth. “I believe you more than claimed your revenge for that incident, King of South Woods.”
“Boys, don’t fight,” Sevana grumbled. “For one, I’m not in the mood to mediate, and for another, I don’t see why the victim should be the voice of reason in the room. If anyone deserves the right to bash heads together, it’s me.”
“She has a point there,” Master observed to the other two, more than a little smug about it. “King Adnan, I assume that you knew nothing about the kidnapping?”
Firuz unbent enough to admit, “No. They did not inform anyone of their intentions. Of course, if I had known, I would have prevented it—or at least taken steps to inform her properly first. The way this matter was handled…does not reflect well.”
Triumphant, Aranhil observed, “Then you have no objections to our actions.”
“But,” Firuz added pointedly, “I do not agree with the way you handled the matter. You destroyed the Institute to the point that not even the foundation remains. Several people died as the building collapsed.”
Aranhil gave a casual shrug. “You kidnapped our daughter. Any fool who does such will be met with blood and violence. It is our way.”
Sevana closed her eyes, a sinking feeling reminding her of the lives that had been lost that day. Still, that was about the reaction she expected from a Fae. They were scarily ruthless when wronged. Before she could open her mouth, Firuz jumped right back in.
“But she isn’t harmed,” Firuz argued heatedly. “Make no mistake, I owe this woman a great deal. She restored my daughter to me, she helped several of my citizens regain themselves, and I wish no harm upon her. But still, she wasn’t harmed when she was taken. You destroyed a magical research facility that does—did—much for my country. For the world.”
“She wasn’t harmed because my cousins, the Unda, rescued her before your magicians had a chance to do anything to her,” Aranhil riposted, voice rising with each word. “You cannot claim with certainty what would have happened to her if she’d stayed there any longer!”
The Fae Artifactor Page 9
