Twist of Fae (12 page)

"I blame it on videogames and TV," she said, placing
another teacup in front of her and pouring some for herself. She lifted the cup
to her mouth and took a sip before continuing. "I mean, just look at you. If
I'd have transported you to that temple in the old days, you would have
prostrated yourself in front of me, begging my forgiveness. Even if you didn’t
know what you'd done or why you were there."

"Excuse me?" I asked, not having a clue as to what
the spectacle I'd just witnessed was all about.

"See what I mean," she said, throwing a hand over
her shoulder and rolling her eyes again. "Oh, how the times have changed. Never
mind. But yes, I am that Gaea." She picked up her cup again and drank some
more. As she set it down, she leaned forward on the table. "I didn’t think
your father was ever going to let you in on his little secret. But you're here now,
and that is the important thing. Now, I think it's time you and I had a little chat."

J
AY

"Have you gone absolutely crazy?" I asked when
Nikki told me what she had in mind. "This is Dad we're talking
about." The fact that she'd pulled me away from that red haired Fae,
Lynley, so abruptly hadn’t done anything for my mood. But she was spewing
nonsense now. At least we were alone, standing on a small wooden dock, that
lead out over the stream that bordered the inn.

"Don’t you think I know that," she replied.
"But everything she said made sense. Even you know that something weird is
going on back home. Why else would an agency like that EAB have such a big
office there… or be sending agents to all those autopsies if it wasn't?"

"I'm not disputing that Nik. But how do you know she's
really who she says she is?"

"If that wasn't her, then how could I do this?"
she asked, as she walked to the end of the dock. She held out her hand, and her
fingers began to glow. Reaching down, she rubbed them on one of the old wooden
planks. Suddenly, it came to life. Roots and tendrils shot out, and limbs
sprouted. Then leaves appeared as the wood began to regenerate.

I was speechless for a moment. "She taught you
that?" I asked.

"She didn’t teach me anything," she said.
"But she opened up something in my mind. Something that made the magic
work as if I was born to it." Then she held out her palm again, and this
time, a spark appeared. It began to grow, and soon doubled, then tripled in
size. "She told me how to do it for you, too. Sorry, little bro, but this
is gonna hurt like a son of a bitch." Then she lifted her palm to her
mouth and blew the glowing thing right at me.

I tried to scream but no sound would come out of my mouth. I
had never felt pain like that in my life! I dropped to my knees and grabbed my
head in agony. Then, as quickly as it had started, it was over. Nikki reached
down and helped me up, the memory of the pain already fading away.

"What the hell did you just do?" I asked.

"Just trust me. Now look over there, across the
water." Then she spun me around and pointed to a spot on the other bank.
"What do you see?"

I did as she asked. It was dark, but in a blink, everything
changed. There was a tint of red, but I could see clearly across the bank and
into the trees. Not exactly like daylight, more like night vision, or infrared,
but I'll be damned if I couldn't see everything.

"How is this possible?" I asked, amazed at what my
eyes were seeing, as well as the feel of the magic growing stronger within me.

"I did what she told me to do," Nikki said.
"Same as she did for me. She said it would open up the magic and it does.
I know how to make it work now, and I know all about this place, even
everyone's name. It's almost like we grew up here."

"Can you do it for anyone else?" I asked, trying
to make sense of the, what almost felt like new memories, popping into my head.

"No, she said it was just for you. I couldn’t do it for
anyone else, even if I wanted to. But don’t you see? It makes sense now,
doesn't it?"

I hoped it wasn't what she had just done to me that made me
feel this way, but I had to admit that she might be right. If it was the magic
in Vegas that had drawn the Fae there, then it only made sense that other
beings might be drawn toward it as well. Then there were the Dwarves. That
could potentially be a lot to deal with, and I could see where being distracted
could become a problem. Still, it was ballsy, but in the long run, she was right.
It would be better for Dad.

"Okay, Nikki," I replied, looking her straight in
the eye. "Run it by me one more time."

R
OBERT

There's something about a
large dog licking your face that makes you instantly awake. I pushed Charlie
aside and realized I was still lying next to the tree in the field. I must have
fallen asleep after Nikki left. Squinting, I saw that several Fae were already
out and about watching the sun as it rose in the heavens.

"Good, you're up,"
Jay said from behind me.

I turned to see him
walking up from the direction of the inn.

"I am, thanks to
Charlie." I replied, as the big dog grinned. I stretched my arms and back
before standing. "Have I missed anything?"

"Sendy came back an
hour ago and said that the Dwarves were halfway here. Cacilia is going to send
several of her Fae warriors to meet them at the border when they get closer. When
they get here they are going to escort them to the temple."

"Hope you don’t
mind, but we told her not to wake you at the time. Handion said you'd probably
want to freshen up and have breakfast by now and I figured I might as well see
if you were up. I was sure you wouldn't want to sleep out here all day."

"You were
right," I said, standing up and stretching. "Where's Nikki?"

"She's still
inside," he replied. "Come on. We wanted to talk to you about a few
things before the day gets busy."

"Ok," I said
and followed him back to the inn.

"Have you given any
more thought to what you intend to do about the Dwarves?" Nikki asked as
Jay and I sat down at the table.

"Don’t worry, I'll
try not to do anything too stupid, if that's why you're asking."

Handion arrived at that
moment to bring me a plate. Then he sat down next to us.

"I am
concerned," he said.

"About what?" I
asked.

"I did not wish to
say too much before," he said, glancing to ensure that no one else was
within range of his voice. "But I have just spoken with a few of my kin in
the surrounding lands. Grerin is avoiding us. The Elves, I mean, and this distresses
me. His recent actions have convinced some of us, not all, of course, but some of
us believe that he may be using the search for Valen as an excuse."

"An excuse?" I
asked. "But for what?"

"Do not misinterpret
what I say. He definitely wants to capture Valen, of that there can be no
doubt. But by reaching out to the Fae kingdoms he can also assess their
strengths and weaknesses. It is said he has already promised some of the Fae gifts
for their assistance. Weapons and articles blessed with magic as have not been seen
since before
The Fall
. He gathers allies as he does so, as well as identifies
enemies."

"That isn’t
good," Jay said, stating the obvious. I saw him glance at Nikki, some
unspoken message between them.

"What do you
recommend?" I asked, wondering what that had been about.

"It is not my place
to tell you how to run your kingdom and any decision is yours to make," he
replied. "Cacilia is a good steward and has done well with her people. But
she remembers only how it was. As do, apparently, the Dwarves. But I would not
see the Fae return to the old ways where such gifts were fought over by the
Gods. Many Fae will want such power. Especially those with lesser magic. That I
fear, is what the Dwarf King counts on."

"You think he wants
to take the place of the old Gods? Maybe using the prophesy and his gifts as an
excuse to gather Fae under his rule to combat what he sees as the High Fae evil?"
I asked, remembering some of what Alf had reported.

"That is one way to
see it, and his timing supports it," he replied.

"Indeed it
does," I said. "And here I thought that the Elves didn’t like to get
involved in politics."

"Many of us do not,
but times are changing," he said as he got up. "Perhaps it is time
that even we must see things differently."

"Perhaps,
indeed," I said with a grin.

"Sneaky little
bastards, aren't they?" Nikki said after he left.

"Well, they have had
thousands of years to put something together," I replied. Shaking my head
at the vision in my mind of a mad king wringing his hands as he sits in a dark
room on his throne planning his future conquests. "But let's hope they
haven’t had too much success yet. At least they couldn’t have been doing this
for too long or we'd of heard about it sooner. I'll have to check with the
Milagres and see what they know when we get back."

"Like I said before,
so much for my vision of the world of a Fairy Princess." She drank the
last of her cup and put her napkin down on the table. "All this, and they
still want more. Almost like home, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I granted.
"Just about. Although it doesn't have to be this way."

"No, it
doesn't," she agreed. "What do you think Jay?"

"Handion makes a
good point," he replied. "They could be trying to play us. All the
Fae, I mean. It'll be interesting to see what approach they take. What do you
think, Dad?"

"I wouldn't doubt
it," I said. "But we're not gonna find out any more till they get
here."

"That's true,
Dad," Nikki said. "So to change the subject. What happens next? I
mean after this Dwarves deal is over and we go back to the real world."

"It's like I said
before, Nik. Some of it is out of our hands and the rest just depends on what
you decide to do down the road. Jay's going to be tied up with whatever new
assignment they come up with for him. Although, to be honest, since most of the
stuff I've heard of seems close to Vegas, I wouldn’t doubt we'll be seeing more
of him."

"I think you're
right, Dad," Jay said. "We didn’t get the full tour, but there's a
lot of space at that compound they brought us to out by Nellis, and I can’t
believe they made it that big without a good reason."

"What about you,
Dad?" Nikki asked. "Are you happy with the way things are
going?"

"Happy?" I
asked. "I'm not quite sure what you mean."

"This King of the
Fae stuff," she replied. "Are you happy in that position?"

"That's an
interesting question, Nik," I answered. "But if you think I'm gonna
try and convince you to do something before you're ready, or even at all, you
can forget it."

"That's not what I
meant," she said. "I'm just curious if you like it, that's all."

"I'd like to know
too, Dad," Jay said.

"I'm not sure if happy
is the right word," I was forced to admit. I hadn't really wanted to get
into this conversation yet, but I owed it to them to be honest. "It's not
something I ever really thought about. Like you, my world was turned upside
down when all this started. I'm not sure anyone is really ready to deal with
something like this. It's too much like a fantasy or a dream. But here we are."

"That's not exactly
an answer, Dad," Nikki replied.

"You're right,"
I agreed. "Okay, the truth is, I'm not sure happy is the right word to
describe it. Sure I like some of it. Being able to use magic is pretty cool, even
if I'm not always that good at it. Plus I've seen things that I know few people
in the human world have ever even dreamed of. But it is tough. I'm trying to
keep up a human appearance and at the same time I'm dealing with Faeries,
Mages, Demons and all other sorts of weird shit. Hey, don’t get me wrong. I've
got a few good friends that I would never have met if all this hadn't happened.
Just wait till you meet some of them. But sometimes it's tough, not to mention
that battling monsters was never something I thought I'd have to do. At least
not the kind with scales or those that breathe fire."

"Then I've got this
place to deal with. Sure, Cacilia runs things just fine, but I still have to
worry when I'm not around because, ultimately, I am the one responsible for
them. Fortunately, we've got a good system in place for any that want to cross
over, even if it's just for a visit. But that's because of the Milagres, and I
still have to deal with the EAB on some of it. Although that part does seem to have
worked itself out."

"Then there's the
other things. Like the Lilin and other shit left over from the old days.
Something like this Dwarf thing can pop up any time, and that's the King's job,
if you know what I mean." I stopped and chuckled. "Look guys, don't
get me wrong. I wouldn’t trade what's happened for anything. But sometimes it
can wear on you. Trying to keep a handle on things in two worlds is a pain in
the butt. I wish it was a little less stressful at times, but I do like it. Overall,
that is."

"I know I'm making
it sound terrible, but yeah, I'm happy," I finally said. "Now that
you're here… and I mean that in the nicest way and not because I want you to
take the throne. But this is probably the greatest adventure anyone could ever
dream of, and even with the downside, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Nor
would I want you to."

The kids shared one of
those glances again and I wondered again if I'd missed something.

"Thanks, Dad,"
Nikki finally said. "I think that's what I wanted to know."

"Ok, then," I
replied with a chuckle. "What else can I help you with?"

"Nothing that I can
think of for the moment," Jay said. "Nikki and I were talking earlier
about checking the place out now that it looks like we have the whole day."

"Good idea. I've got
some things to discuss with Cacilia anyway, so why don’t we just plan on a late
dinner here. Unless you need me, of course."

"Works for me,"
Nikki said, getting up from the table.

"See you tonight
then, Dad," Jay said, joining her.

I took my last sip of Elf
coffee, and after saying goodbye to Handion, went out to find Cacilia.

****

It was early the next
morning that Sendy returned to let us know that the Dwarves were close. I was
already sitting at the table with the kids when she appeared. After messaging
Cacilia and letting them know what was up, we decided to head for the temple
and wait for them to arrive.

Nikki was the first to
get up from the table. "Okay then, let's do this. Lead the way, Daddio."

A short while later we
were standing on the temple dais, waiting for the Dwarves to enter. Cacilia had
wisely asked Sylvana to stay hidden, her distaste for these Dwarves evident by
her prior actions. It was no secret that I approved of making the Dwarves take
the long way here, but I concurred with her decision. Sometimes you just have
to play it quietly, and I didn't want to let the Dwarves know my position any
sooner than was necessary. After more discussion with Cacilia about what to
expect, we waited for them to arrive.

Nikki was on the dais with
us, but Jay was down in the crowd. Always security conscious, he felt that he
would be able to better monitor them from a closer vantage point. It was good
to see him taking that position, because I'd been somewhat concerned that he might
feel left out, seeing that Nikki was potentially the future queen. But watching
him confer with Nikki and work with some of Cacilia's guards, his concern for not
only us, but the other Fae as well, once again made me realize how proud I was
of both of them. My musings of family were cut short as the Dwarves came in to
view, led to the temple floor by several of Cacilia's warrior Fae.

They came in walking in
pairs, with a single Dwarf in the middle, or at least close to it. Two, who I
can only assume by their dress were warriors, led the way, followed by two
lesser armed guards with a rather more ornately adorned Dwarf behind them.
Three more pairs of warriors, carrying both axes and swords, followed. As they
reached the area in front of the dais, the two in the second row came forward
with the more ornately adorned Dwarf between them. He stepped in front of the
other two and without even a bow, began to speak.

"Lady of the
wood," he began. "I am Nain, emissary of King Grerin and sword master
of the Dark Fields. I bid you greetings from the King."

I knew I was being
snubbed but I let it go as Cacilia glanced at me and I nodded, slightly
sweeping my hand forward to let her know to continue.

"Well met, sword
master and spokesman for your king. Welcome to our woods," she said in
response. "You have travelled far. Come, let us offer refreshments before
you continue." As she said it, a small host of Fae set a table to the side
of the Dwarves and on it placed food and drink, before retiring back into the
crowd. "Now, how may we be of service?"

"There are several
matters we wish to bring forth, the first being that King Grerin seeks counsel
from one once lost to him. Valen, you know him as. The King would be grateful
if word of his location were known so he may confer with his old friend."

"Valen has not been
heard from in some time," she replied. "Like you, our borders are
closed to strangers, but we will pass on your word should any of our Fae come
in contact with him."

"Sad tidings, then.
We had heard he was near here not more than two moons ago. Perhaps you were not
aware of his presence. Still, we would ask that you contact us if he is seen.
In truth, they parted under unkind words and the King wishes to make amends to
an old friend and brush past grievances aside."

"A worthy
cause," she replied. "It will be good to see your house, once
divided, whole again."

Bullshit, I thought to
myself. A quick glance at Nikki's face and I knew she agreed. Assholes or not,
I let Cacilia continue.

"How else may we be
of service?" she asked.

"Times have changed,
my Lady," he continued. "The King is saddened by what has happened,
both during, and after
The Fall
. He asks you to remember the old ways
and once again find your place at his side so that together, we may make Fae
whole again."

"Such matters are
outside my purview," she replied. "I am but steward of the realm and
matters of such import can only be discussed with our King, Lord Robert."