Hope Everlastin' Book 4 (34 page)

"Are you threatening
me?"

A sour laugh escaped him.
"Wi' wha'? I be stripped o' ma powers and ma status. But make no
mistake, Blue, I allowed all tha’ to be."

"You arrogant—"

"Twas penance proper for ma
crimes, but it be ye who be arrogant if ye fancy the notion I
couldna have countered the spell!

"Ye talk o' no' interferin’
wi' wha' fate degrees on mortals?" he asked snidely, his hands on
his hips as he leaned his face closer to hers. "Wha' o' The
Sutherland, and the mortals we rescued? I dinna recall us
questionin’ fate then!"

Blue's nostrils flared. "It
was to free our own."

Reith flagged a hand in
exasperation. "The mortals worked wi' us, mayhaps ou' o fear for
their own lives, but fought alongside us, nonetheless. MoNae didna
frown upon tha', did she? No." He pointed to his sister. "And wha'
o' Deliah? She be wi' a mortal's child, and carryin’ it in the
mortal way. A
uirisg
has been but a myth in the past. Do ye think yerself so
grandly empowered now tha' MoNae's wishes be beneath ye? Och!
Surely Deliah couldna be wi' child wi’ou' the blessin’ o' our
goddess!"

Suddenly, as if too drained
to defy her any longer, he sank to his knees. His arms hung limply
at his sides as he lowered his head in deference. His tone low and
pleading, he said, "Do wha' ye feel ye must to punish me, but dinna
make these people pay for ma mistakes. Long ago, this land was
cursed wi' The Sutherland. Tis Baird land now, and this mon has
given the earth his heart and soul, and a respect and love only
equaled by tha' o' a fairy kingdom."

"Don't make him beg for
us," said Beth softly, her face wet with tears. "I don't know what
happened between you two, but the Reith I know and the Reith
Lachlan cares deeply for doesn't deserve your anger."

Blue stared at Beth for a
long moment, her expression unreadable, her posture regal, but no
longer hostile. "If I grant your man his life through the magic of
the circle, it will open the two worlds to one another. I must
first consider the welfare of the kingdom."

"We're no threat to you or
your people," said Winston, coming to stand to Beth's left. He gave
a curt, awkward bow of his head to Blue then released a shuddering
breath. "Deliah told me about the warlock, and how the kingdom
vanished."

Blue nodded grimly. "My
people were held captive for over three hundred years, Mr. Connery.
We've barely settled back into our home."

"I know." Winston cleared
his throat. "I-um, picked up tha' piece o' information when I
invaded yer mindspace."

One of her eyebrows quirked
up in disapproval.

Winston shifted with
unease. He couldn't help but wonder why the queen's feet never
touched the ground, but forced himself not to scan her for the
answer. Instead, he stated, "Your Majesty, Lachlan has brought his
own element o' magic to this place. He has this ability to bring
light to darkness, and hope to despair. All the mortals you see
before you are better people because o' Baird House."

Her gaze shifting, Blue
pointed to Taryn, who jerked in alarm and indignation. "That one
cannot be trusted."

Beth almost felt sorry for
Taryn, for suddenly all eyes were on her, suspiciously questioning
the queen's declaration. But Beth's sympathy went only so far, for
if Taryn in any way ruined Lachlan's one chance to live she vowed
she would choke the life out of the woman.

"My sister hasna been here
long enough to—" began Roan but Taryn heatedly cut him
off.

Her face pale and gaunt,
she kept her arms folded against her midriff. "Who the hell do you
think you are!" she cried at Blue. "You don't know anything about
me!"

"I know enough."

"Be silent," Roan demanded
of his sister, but she was too incensed to listen.

"You think I'm going to
write about this?" Taryn laughed at Blue. "Lady, I could publish a
piece declaring the president was from Mars, and it would read more
believable than anything I could expose about what I've seen
here!"

"Taryn, let it go," warned
Beth.

"Why is she picking on me?
I've taken all the guff I'm going to! It's one thing to get ragged
on by someone of my own species, but this winged wonder declaring
I'm untrustworthy goes beyond my tolerance!"

"You're an outsider," Blue
said, not unkindly.

"Only because o'
circumstance no' o' her doin’," said Roan, surprising Taryn in his
defense of her. "Yer Majesty, Taryn may be a wee rough around the
edges, but she isna heartless." He passed his sister a fond
although sheepish look. "She willna expose the existence o' yer
kingdom. No' because she's worried no one will believe her, but
because she understands tha' there are some realities the world
doesna need to know."

Blue sighed as if bored.
She looked down at Reith's bent head and said curtly, "Get off your
knees."

A moment passed before
Reith stood and stared into her fiery eyes. Beth's gaze darted
between the couple. She couldn't begin to imagine what Reith could
have done to warrant his wife's mistrust and contempt, but they
were a stunningly beautiful couple, and she was struck by a strong
notion that Blue did in fact still love her husband, and that her
austere demeanor was but a front to conceal her raw
emotions.

Winston returned to Deliah,
who was barely conscious, lifted her into his arms and returned to
Beth's side. Blue's gaze lowered to Deliah's wan features, and her
expression melted to one of poignant sorrow. She grazed the
fingertips of one hand along Deliah's clammy cheek then sadly
looked into Beth's eyes.

"In all good conscience,
before I can bring your world and mine onto one plane of
understanding, you, Beth, must choose one amongst you to represent
a Pledger. It shall then fall upon this mortal the responsibility
to protect our realm from outsiders, and to arbitrate matters which
will come to concern fairies and mortals alike."

Beth's head shot around in
Roan's direction. After a moment of hesitation, he came forward. He
stood behind Beth, his hands on her shoulders, and uneasy looked at
Blue, who stared at him through a guarded expression.

"I choose Roan," said Beth,
"because he is the new laird of the Baird estate. He is also a man
of compassion and honesty."

"Wait, Beth," Roan
murmured. He stepped to Reith's right and, keeping his gaze on
Blue, said, "It would be an honor to accept this position o'
Pledger, but I canna help but feel Lachlan would choose someone
else, and it is his life we are bargainin’ for."

Blue nodded
slowly.

"There is someone Lachlan
is verra fond o'," Roan continued, sparing Beth a quick glance.
"Someone he trusts, and someone I believe Lachlan would say was
best to negotiate matters atween our worlds."

Blue's wings batted the air
in a flurry of irritation. "I will not accept him."

Beth's face brightened, and
she smiled as she locked gazes with Roan. Then they both looked at
Reith, who glanced at each of them as if unaware of what was
coming.

"Reith has lived in both
worlds," said Roan, resting a hand on one of Reith's
shoulders.

"He was banished with just
reason," Blue said defensively.

Reith's breath hitched as he
gratefully nodded to Beth then Roan. He met his wife's heated gaze
and said calmly, "Ye canna accuse me o' no' offerin’ ma life to
protect ma people, nor can ye say I dinna have respect for mortal
ways. Aye, Blue, I be the best Pledger, for I can and
will
guard both worlds to
the best o' ma ability."

He grinned ruefully. "I
understand yer loathin’ o' such an appointment. Tis far easier for
ye to keep yer heart hardened against one ye dinna have to
face."

"You will abuse the
position," Blue accused.

"No. I be no' tha' younglin’
who nearly destroyed Faerie and betrayed ye. I earned ma measure o'
trust wi' these people. Mock me if ye so deem it necessary, but
MoNae, ma parents, ma kingdom—and aye,
ye
—will one day welcome me home. Till
then, I will serve as groundskeeper and Pledger, and no' regret
anither day o' ma life."

"Your intentions are as
flighty as the winds, and about as reliable as chance."

"In the past, aye. But I
know ye now see me as tha' prince ye once held so dearly in yer
heart. Blue, I do no' accept the position o' Pledger to get closer
to ye, but because it be right for both fairies and
mortals."

Blue's head jerked to the
left, and she frowned. She pointed in the direction of the carriage
house, which couldn't be seen through the swirling winds, and she
opened a small gateway with an impatient wave of a hand.

Kahl, Kevin, and Alby
dashed into the circle, their faces red and swollen from crying.
The older boys ran to Laura, while Alby headed toward Roan. Reith
intercepted the boy and lifted him into his arms. Roan went to
Laura, knelt, and enclosed the boys in his embrace, for Laura still
held Ciarda and could do no more than sit on the ground next to her
nephews.

Beth nestled Broc closer to
her body and watched Blue's wistful expression when Alby's small
arms wrapped around Reith's neck. Somehow she knew the Faerie queen
longed for a family of her own, and sensed such a vastness of
loneliness in the being that she wanted to weep for her. Over
Reith's shoulder, Alby stared miserably at Lachlan's body as it
hovered. Sobs racked his small frame, and he whimpered, "Uncle
Lannie."

"Dinna worry, lad," Reith
soothed, and kissed Alby on the cheek. When Alby's blue eyes
searched Reith's face with an unspoken question, Reith smiled. "Do
ye believe in magic, young Master Alby?"

He nodded
vigorously.

"Weel, lad, let me
introduce ye to the queen o' all Faerie's wee folk. Her name be
Blue, and she holds in her heart the makin’ o' the magic o' this
land."

Alby twisted around to
stare at Blue. Beth noticed the queen was ill-at-ease now, unnerved
by the attention of the boy. Blue shrank back when Alby held out
his arms to her and, hurt by her rejection, he wept hard against
Reith's neck. Blue glanced at Beth, conveying her regret for her
reaction. Then she hesitantly glided closer to Reith and held out
her arms.

At first Alby refused to
release his hold on Reith, but the Pledger laughed softly and
murmured in the boy's ear, "Ye startled her. Can ye no' find it in
yer heart to give her a wee hug?"

"She hates me!"

"No," Blue said, gently
placing a hand on Alby's back. "A hug would surely brace me for the
magic to be conjured up to save your Lachlan."

Alby turned and permitted
Blue to take him into her arms. He stared in wonder at the wings at
her back then briefly looked her in the eye before linking his arms
around her neck. A mask of serenity fell across Blue's face. She
looked at Reith with uncertainty, her heart warring with her mind,
her hand stroking the back of Alby's head with the tenderness of a
mother. Finally, she sighed and held the boy out to look into his
expressive eyes.

"Your Lachlan must be a
very special man," she said softly.

Alby nodded then touched
her cheeks with his fingertips.

"We were sad when Beth and
Lannie went to Heaven, 'cause we thought we wouldn't see them no
more," he said, his voice hitching now and then from crying so
hard. "The boogeyman tried to kill Lannie. That's not fair. The
boogeyman wanted to hurt everybody. He was bad. I'm glad he's
dead."

"I don't mean to be
disrespectful," said Winston anxiously, "but while we stand around
chatting, Deliah and Lachlan are dying."

"They're in stasis," Blue
assured.

"Do you have lots of
magic?" Alby asked hopefully.

"The kingdom has lots,”
said Blue. "I'm only the Channeler."

"If you help my Uncle
Lannie, I promise not to cry no more," he said, his chin
quivering.

"It's good to cry when you
hurt," Blue said, her eyes misting. "We will all save your
Lachlan."

"I don't have no
magic."

Blue smiled. "Ah, but you
do, in here," she said, tapping a fingertip to his
heart.

His eyes wide with awe,
Alby said, "You can have it all, if you want."

"We'll share,
okay?"

He nodded.

"All you have to do is wish
as hard as you can for Lachlan to accept the magic."

"Wish hard?"

"Very hard. Can you do
that, Alby?"

"Yep. I can wish so hard my
eyeballs will pop out."

Another smile graced Blue’s
mouth.

A short time ago, the fairy
queen had emerged from the oak belligerent, hostile, and angry. Now
she laughed, and the dulcet sound rippled through the air as sweet
as a bird's song, allaying any remaining fears that she would not
choose to intervene on Lachlan's pending death. She lowered Alby to
his feet and told him to stand with his brothers. Then she looked
at Beth, her beautiful features radiant, as if a great burden had
been lifted from her shoulders.