A Fey Harvest (15 page)

“Arach, you got another handkerchief?” I asked without looking back at him. A piece of white fabric was waved in my face, like a flag of surrender. I grimaced at it before I snatched it up.

The smudge was long and thin, like a tiny finger had been drug over the edge, or a tiny hand had rested there while it's counterpart had been used to push someone out the window. I glared at the mark before I wiped it up with the cloth.
Standing, I lifted it to my nose, closing my eyes as I inhaled deep. I didn't recognize the scent but there definitely was one this time. I finally looked at Arach and his eyes were surprisingly gentle when they met mine. That look made me feel like such an ass, which in turn pissed me off again. I held the hanky out to him.

“
Do you recognize this scent?”

He took the cloth and did as I'd done with it. His eyes widened and he looked over to King Cahal. “It's a fir darrig.”

“Our suspicions are confirmed then,” King Cian shook his head as King Cahal cursed.

“
I take it you're missing a fir darrig in the Earth Kingdom?” I asked.

“
Ualraig,” King Cahal nodded. “He went missing shortly after the last site was found.”

“
Well, I'd say that's some pretty damning evidence,” I sighed, at least we knew who one of the villains were. “You should have told us sooner.”

“
But how would a fir darrig get into Castle Blàthaich unnoticed and overcome a bean-sidhe
and
an air sidhe? It's just not possible,” Queen Breana finally showed some spirit. “Also, it appears that they were tossed from this window. That would barely injure either sidhe, much less kill them. In fact, it would allow for their escape.”

“
Huh,” I leaned over the window ledge and looked out at the far drop to the courtyard below. “What if they were unconscious?”

“
I think someone would have noticed two fey falling to their deaths,” King Fionn said. “At the very least, we would have seen the blood.”

“
And there are no signs of any kind of struggle below?” I asked him.

“
None at all?” He shook his head. “It's as if they simply vanished into thin air.”

“
Or into dark air,” I frowned, a thought skirting the edges of my mind.

“
What's that, Queen Vervain?” Queen Meara scooted over to me, her sparkling red hair blazing to life in the stream of sunshine coming in the window.

“
Faerie has announced that the Darkness is coming,” I spoke softly but everyone in the room heard me loud and clear, judging by their gasps. “You guys know what she's talking about?” I looked around in sudden hope.

“
No,” Queen Meara answered for everyone, “but it sounds horribly ominous and we fey know there is power to a name.”

“
There are tales of a time before the fey,” King Cian spoke and everyone gave him their full attention. “When magic roamed through the wind, the earth, the water, and the flame but had no fey to hold it and give it life. It felt loneliness and that loneliness became the dark, gave form to the places the light could not reach, and it grew, became powerful. Magic created bodies of the elements it rode, birthing the first fey with the purpose of battling back the darkness and bringing forth the light.”

My skin shivered and I looked around to see that I wasn't the only one disturbed by the imagery the story created. Loneliness becoming a force of evil, it felt true, plausible. It felt terrible. I shook my head in denial.

“We heard the cry of birds the last time,” I suddenly remembered the poem, “of ravens I think. That doesn't fit with your story.”

“
I can think of no raven magic involving darkness,” the
High King frowned.

“
No fey magic,” I clarified.

“
What's that?” Queen Meara asked.

“
Last time it was noted that the magic wasn't fey,” I glanced at King Guirmean and he gave me a worried look. He really believed it wasn't Kanaloa. “That leaves god or human, and I somehow doubt it's human.”

“
So, you believe it's a god abducting the fey,” Meara's eyes were focused intently on me.

“
A god who's in league with a fir darrig,” and possibly a water-sidhe but I'd keep that thought to myself for the moment. “Has there been any visitors to the Air Kingdom that you know of?” I directed the question to the Air royals.

“
No, definitely no gods if that's what you're implying,” King Fionn answered.

“
You think Ualraig brought this god into Faerie?” King Cian looked shocked. “To murder another faerie is one thing but to betray your entire race by aligning yourself with a god to murder us is another.”

“
Alright,” I held up a hand, “don't get upset just yet, this is all conjecture, we really don't know anything beyond Ualraig being involved. So let's circle the wagons,” blank faces stared at me. “I mean let's gather our guards and pull in our people to the castles, up our security. We need everyone close and protected for the time being. And I swear to god, er, to a god, uh, I swear to Faerie herself, that if you don't protect everyone, including the pixies, I will personally call the Hunt down upon your heads!”

“
Vervain!” Arach snapped. “That is not the way to speak to royalty.”

“
Oh fuck you, Arach,” I'd had enough and my patience was wearing thin, so yeah, I was being bitchy. “This is not the time to coddle them either. Every life is precious and you yourself told me how none of the other sidhe view the pixies as anything but useless garbage.”

“
I...” Queen Breana looked to her husband with wide eyes. “I never, I don't... garbage?”

“
I think it's about time someone said that to us,” King Guirmean was smiling at me. “Some may view this pixie crusade of yours with disdain but I know this has less to do with the fact that they're pixies and more to do with equality and justice. Thank you, Queen Vervain, for reminding us that we swore to lead and protect
all
of our people.”

“
Hey, anytime,” I smiled back at him, a weight lifting from my heart.

I knew he already treated his pixies well, so I wasn't surprised that he was on my side in the pixie crusade, as he called it, but I was surprised to find that he understood the motivations behind my actions. It was easier for him though, he was probably the only one who could actually still remember taking the oath of kingship.

“I guess sometimes it takes tragedy to clear the cobwebs from thine eyes,” Queen Aalish said quietly, then looked over at her husband with a serious expression.

Well holy shit, miracles do happen.

“You have our word, Queen Vervain,” King Fionn said as he took his Queen's hand. “All of our fey shall be looked after equally well.”

“
We love all of Faerie and all its inhabitants,” vowed King Cian.

“
If ever they decide to return to us,” King Cahal said lastly, “we would protect the little ones to the best of our abilities.”

“
I'll let them know you said that,” I promised.

See, I told you, you could change them.

I smiled and nodded but restrained myself from answering Faerie in front of the others. It felt too much like rubbing salt in a wound if I did. I felt her touch in my heart and her laughter in my head.

This is only the beginning. It will not be so easy as that.

Chapter Fifteen

No, it's never easy.

I thought over Faerie's words on the ride back to Castle Aithinne. Arach sat silent and brooding across from me until, at last, he could handle the silence no longer.

“Are we going to discuss this?”

“
What, you mean your infidelity?” I raised a brow at him. “You can start by telling me how many of them you're fucking.”

“
Fuck you, Vervain!” He shouted, startling me into silence. “You have the nerve of the fucking Christians, you know that? I can't believe you would ask me that after taking my blood no more than two hours ago, right here!” He pounded a fist on the seat beside him. “You know me, you know me better than anyone ever has, including that vapid air-sidhe. I'm a man and a King. I've been without a mate all of my life, without the hope of ever having one. I took lovers, so what? Hundreds of them, if you must know, and none could ever come close to being as precious to me as you are! I would never jeopardize what we have for a bit of sex with such as her.”

“
I saw you with Laise,” I said softly.

“
What do you mean, you saw me with her?” He lost a little of his steam but not much.

“
In the hallway, that day I ran into you both,” I sighed and looked away from his piercing eyes. I didn't want to see the lies in them. “I ran into you earlier and saw you hugging her. Then there was that asrai with her groping hair, and now this air-sidhe. It's too much of a coincidence, Arach.”

“
Vervain,” he huffed a disbelieving and grim laugh. “Laise hugged me. She can be a little exuberant, especially when it comes
to children.”

“
Children?” Oh fuck, don't tell me I brought Arach out of stasis so that he could father a damn vampire baby. “Laise is pregnant?”

“
No,” he sighed and ran a hand over his face. “I didn't want to tell you about this because I didn't want you to think I was pressuring you but then Laise volunteered and I thought I might as well be prepared, so I agreed.”

“
What the fuck are you talking about?” I was a little relieved that Laise wasn't carrying their vampire-dragon love child but not much.

“
Laise is putting together a nursery,” he settled his gaze on mine a little apologetically. “For us. In the hope that we'll fill it soon.”

“
For us?” I stared at him as he nodded. “So she's not sleeping with you?”

“
She doesn't even like me like that,” Arach grimaced. “I've actually never been with a leanan-sidhe, I don't like the idea of giving them so much blood. Blood is important to us dragons.”

“
Yes it is,” I said slowly. “You're building a nursery? For our possible future children?”

“
Yes, Vervain,” he rolled his eyes.

“
Well then,” I huffed a laugh, “I guess that settles that then.”

“
What settles what?” He watched me warily.

“
It settles it,” I nodded. “I'm the bigger asshole.”

His face went slack with shock, which I must admit I took great pleasure in, since he'd just shocked the hell out of me. Turn about is fair play and all. His mouth hung open for a second before
he started laughing so hard, I feared for his sanity. His hands covered his face as he leaned back against the carriage and continued to laugh. I continued to stare at him, one eyebrow lifted and arms crossed.

“
Are you done yet?” I asked in a snarky way. “No? Alright then, keep smiling, scaly face. Just chuck it up Mr. Chuckles. Giggle away, Puff. Slap your knee, Heehaw Hornhead. Jest away...”

“
By the flame, woman,” Arach was still laughing, “will you stop?”

“
Sure thing, Happy Pants,” I grinned at him. “Wanna go home and have make-up sex?”

“
What is make-up sex?” He raised an interested brow.

“
Oh,” my grin got bigger, “just you wait, my laughing lizard of love, this is gonna rock your world.”

Chapter Sixteen

“
Hundreds?” I asked as I leaned across Arach's belly after the best session of make-up sex ever. Even better than the one I had with Thor. We'd hung from the bedposts at one point. Yes, it can be done.

“
What?” Arach asked sleepily.

“
You said you've been with hundreds of women,” I tapped his nose and he raised one eyelid to peer at me.

“
Are you messing with me again?” When I only grimaced at him, he opened the other eye. “I'm a dragon, we're a passionate fey.”

“
Uh huh,” I snorted, “whatever. You couldn't settle on one woman for any length of time?”

“
Well,” he sighed. “Aoife lasted a few years, and they were recent ones, so that may be why she was so confident today.”

“
Ah, so now the dirt comes out,” I grimaced. “Dish. What happened?”

“
You happened, of course,” he gave me the look he always reserved for moments when my idiocy became apparent to him.

“
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 n
ame 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.