Of Gods and Fae (6 page)

"As soon as possible," I answered. "Probably
tomorrow morning. I must wait for the others. There will be only four or five
of us, so you need not fear a war, this I promise." Then I asked her to
find Charlie's friend, Sophie, so that she could meet us when we got there as
well.

"Then I will spread the word among the trees. Your
command will be followed," she responded. "You need but call and I
will answer." Then she simply melted into the tree.

"That seemed to go well," I said as she disappeared.
I got up and looked at Charlie and Diantha. "What do you guys think?"

"I will tell Lucinda," Charlie barked as he got up
and walked towards the house.

"You never mentioned your grandmother's sacrifice to
save you," Diantha said as we followed the dog back.

She was talking about why I had been under a protection
spell in the first place. Sure, she'd heard me talk about Maria, my grandmother
and then leader of the Dryad, placing such a spell on me. But I'd never
explained to her the cost. That she'd traded all her powers, including her
immortality, to do so.

I still wasn't exactly thrilled about the upcoming
confrontation and I did expect some resistance. Since the Goddess Demeter's
time, and the rumor of an evil High Fae being born among them, no male had ever
been born from the royal line so I was bucking tradition to be the first. Truth
was my mother had broken their laws to have me and although I had no proof, it
had probably cost her and my father their lives. If not for my grandmother it
would have also cost me mine. I was sure that Marissa had some part in all this
so I wasn't going to take any chances.

"Yeah, well, there's some things I don’t like to talk
about," I finally answered. "Besides, if there's anyone left that
wants to challenge me then so be it. But I had to tell Aeva the truth. If
Marissa has followers among the Dryad then stealth is our best option and we
need their help to accomplish it."

"And if she does have allies there?" Diantha
asked.

"Then we'll just have to clean house," I replied. "And
if that's the case, well… then things may get ugly."

When we got back to the kitchen I called Siegfried to give
him the details of our excursion and to have him meet here in the morning. We'd
decide then if we were ready to go, assuming we’d gotten the word from Aeva.
Then I poured myself another cup of coffee and sat down next to Diantha. "More
tea?" I asked, taking a sip.

"No thank you," she answered quietly.

"Stop looking so melancholy. It's not like this is our
first rodeo. Hey," I added, seeing it was time to change the subject. "You'll
never guess who was in my bed this morning."

"Excuse me," she said, obviously caught off guard
by my remark.

"No seriously, I woke up this morning with a Fae hottie
in my bed."

"You are telling me this, why?" she probed,
folding her arms. Wow, she had what could only be described as a look of
disappointment on her face.

"Hahaha," I laughed. "What are you, jealous?"
Oops, that might have pissed her off, time to change my tack. "No
seriously, I've added two more to our little company. Sendy, who is an Aurae,
and Malcolm, my old partner."

"You told a human about us?" she asked
disbelievingly.

"Well, yes… but Bernd assures me that he is part Fae so
he took it rather well."

"And this other Fae that wound up in your bed?"

"Sendy, she's an Aurae, and before you ask any more,
she's with Malcolm. You'll meet her tomorrow. She's coming with us."

"An Aurae? Where did you find an Aurae?"

"Like I said, she found me. She was in my bed,
sleeping, if you must know. Charlie let her in."

"Of course he did," she answered. At least this
time she had a smile on her face. Then she turned serious. "I had not
heard that any of the Aurae survived
The Fall
. Will she not stand out
among the Fae if she is with us."

"I already thought of that. She'll stay invisible until
I announce myself. We'll only use her if we need her. She's not just a
messenger. She has the ability to cross worlds and can bring someone across
with her. That may come in handy if we need back up."

"That is a useful skill. I was not aware that they
could do that," she admitted. "What do you mean she is with this
Malcolm?"

"I mean she is with him. As in staying with him. Well
at least until I call her," I replied. " What? Do you think I jump in
bed with just anyone? Besides, I think she likes him"

"It is not my place to ask who you jump in bed with…"
she started to say.

"Nor, I yours," I answered before she could
continue. The truth was, Diantha and I had been together more than a few times.
Hell, I'd had to have sex with her as part of the ritual to restore her powers.
Not that I was complaining. She may look to be in her late 20s, which in itself
is a good thing, but she'd also been around for thousands of years. You can’t
fake experience like that.

Okay, now and then I do still get a visual of her as I first
met her, a really old looking woman. But I also saw her change into what she
looks like today. At first it made me feel kind of schizophrenic, but it really
doesn't bother me anymore. I guess I was getting used to the fact that the Fae
can appear totally different in their human persona than they do as Fae. It's
hard not to, especially when it happens to me as well.

Diantha and I weren't what you'd call an item. The thing
about the Fae, and Diantha was no different, is that sex is an important part
of many rituals. So exclusivity isn't an issue. But Diantha still looked at me
as a God at times so my desiring her was a big thing and I wasn't about to
disappoint her. I mean, she is an Oracle after all.

I stood up without another word and picked up our cups and
placed them in the sink. Then I emptied the pot and made a fresh batch to start
in the morning. I pushed the delayed start button and finally turned back to
her.

"So, are you staying or what?"

"Are you sure that's what you want?" she inquired
with a mischievous grin.

"Absolutely," I affirmed.

She stood and walked towards me, kissing me gently as she
placed one arm around my neck. With the other she began to unbutton my shirt.

"I thought you were never going to ask."

Damn the alarm, I thought to myself as I pushed black curls
from my face. I reached over to silence the phone and realized it was a call
coming in. Trying to focus on the number I punched the button to connect and
was greeted with Siegfried's voice.

"You sound like you are still in bed."

"What time is it?" I asked.

"6:30. I thought you wanted to meet early today."

"Early, yeah. Just not this early," I remarked.

"Not to worry," he said with a laugh. "It
will be at least an hour before I can get there. Oh, I would bring a friend to
join us. She is of my people. Her name is Gerda. She is of the Var and would
witness your oath as you take the throne. It would mean much to me if she could
accompany us."

"Sure, ok, if you think it's important, what’s one more?"
I replied as I tried to gather my thoughts. Hell, why not? Maybe two couples
would be less conspicuous anyway."

"Thank you, I will see you soon," he answered and
then disconnected. I put the phone down as Diantha stirred.

"Who was that?" she asked as she snuggled closer
and laid her head on my chest.

"Siegfried, he'll be here in an hour and he's bringing
a friend," I answered as I stroked her hair.

"An hour?" she observed. Then she lifted her head
to face me. "Then we still have time," she said as she rolled on top
of me. This is what happens when you sleep with a woman who's been gifted with
eternal youth. But hey, I did my best not to disappoint her.

****

I was just pouring my first cup of coffee when the phone
rang again. Siegfried was at the gate so I buzzed him in. Charlie was already
saying hi as I opened the front door. The large dog was up on two legs and
being petted by Siegfried. Diantha took that moment to walk up behind me and joined
me at the door. Moments later, we both saw Gerda get out of the passenger side
of the black SUV.

I had pictured a tall blond woman, kind of like something
out of a Viking opera when Siegfried had first mentioned her name. She was
anything but. Instead, she kind of reminded me of Halle Berry. She was medium
height with ebony skin and long black, curly hair, tied in a tail that was
tucked into her cloak. She was quite stunning. Not that I expected anything
less. As I may have mentioned, beauty seemed to run with the Fae. I could only
guess that she was no stranger to alternate worlds since she was already
dressed in a cloak and leather outfit that made me think of a warrior woman out
of a sci-fi flick.

Diantha and I stepped out and greeted Siegfried and his
companion.

"Robert, Diantha, this is Gerda, of the Var," Siegfried
said, presenting the woman.

"A pleasure," she said with a bow and then
extended a hand to each of us. "I look forward to our journey, I have
always wanted to witness an announcement of such magnitude. It is a great honor
among my people."

"In ancient times, Var was the Goddess of marriage and
contracts," Siegfried explained. "As her follower, Gerda will witness
what occurs and it will be memorialized in the annals of her clan so that all
may know of your words. This may be of use to you if anyone were to later challenge
your claim."

"If you say so," I replied, never thinking that
that would be an issue. "No offense," I added, turning to Gerda. "I
just didn’t know that anything like this was necessary."

"None taken," she remarked as they walked towards the
door. "Siegfried has mentioned that you are new to our ways."

"Well, that was subtle," Diantha whispered in my
ear.

I gave her a little poke and then followed everyone into the
house.

"So do you have a plan?" Siegfried asked as he and
Gerda sat down at the table.

"A semblance of one," I answered, pouring another
cup. I filled a carafe and grabbed some mugs and took them to the table. "Since
I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to do, I'm gonna have to wing it some.
But I would like to take a little time and get a feel for the place, as well as
the Fae that live there, before I announce myself."

"Gerda, are you familiar with the normal process of
succession?" Siegfried asked, turning to his companion, his features
turning thoughtful.

"Among these Dryad specifically? No." She paused
and poured herself a cup of coffee. "I have never heard of a male leader
of the Dryad. The Dryad use the right of primogeniture. That is, first born to
first born. It has always been from mother to daughter, or even further down
the line, depending on the life of the inheritor, but always to a female of the
line.

"To be honest, that is why I asked to accompany you.
Most successions among these branches of the Fae are quite elaborate affairs
and yours would be unique. They occur so infrequently, unless, of course,
caused by war, but such has not happened since
The Fall
."

"Well, I'm not sure what we can expect, although I am
family. Truth is, at best, I'm the black sheep, so don’t expect an elaborate
affair."

"A black sheep…?" Gerda asked, looking confused.

"An idiom," Siegfried said. "One the humans
use to describe a, let us say… disreputable… member of the family."

Diantha stifled a laugh.

"Oh, I believe I understand," Gerda said with a
smile. "An interesting description." She paused and glanced at
Siegfried, who gave an almost imperceptible nod, before she continued. "Would
you like me to tell you what I believe you should do?"

This was a set up if I ever heard one, but, hey, these folks
were as close to advisors as I'd ever get. "Yes, I think I would."

She stood up and removed her cloak. I could see that her
hair reached down to the small of her back and was bound in a leather tie. She
carried a sword and dagger and who knows what else in the slightly bulging
pouches along the sides of her leather bodice.

"From what I have been told by Siegfried, we go to the
Fae land that is yours by birthright. Yet you have been denied your heritage
due to the laws set down by your ancestors. As such, you must take possession
as if won in battle. Announce your birthright and offer challenge to those that
would deny it. Kill those that challenge you openly, this is the way of the
Gods."

"I was kind of hoping to be a little more subtle, at
least at the start. But trust me, my grandmother was banished and gave up her
magic because of me, so I can’t believe it will be simple. But I promised
Meredith that I wouldn’t start a war," I said, eyeing Siegfried. "So
we'll just have to hope it doesn't come to that. Still, it's only going to be
us. I'm not taking an army in, although I do have a few aces up my sleeve."
I reached down and pulled my sword out, still minimized in its hilt, and laid
it on the table. "But I think we can handle whatever comes up."

"It is true then," Gerda said, her eyes resting on
the hilt. "You carry the sword of Zeus."

"I do, but I would still prefer not to have to use it
on kin."

"Noble," Siegfried said, jumping into the
conversation. "Then we will hope it will not come to that. Tell me, what
do you think your aunt will do?"

"I'm not sure. She was friendly enough when she came to
meet me. She's always treated me like family, or at least human family, so I'm
thinking that she'll accept me. I hope so anyway. I'd like to leave her in
charge if I can.

"Actually, I'm more worried about Marissa's followers
or sympathizers. Like the recent attack, I can't believe she didn’t have a part
in the decision to remove me, or at least help in planting the seed." I
poured myself another cup of coffee and sat back in the chair.

"Anyway, we'll just have to see. But now, let me
introduce you to the final member of our party, thanks to Charlie," I
finally said, reaching down and patting him on the head. I sent out a mental
call to Sendy, feeling it acknowledged almost immediately.

Within moments the Aurea appeared in her diminutive form.
With a sparkled aura she grew to full size and floated to the floor. As she
materialized, she bent around and produced a jet black cropped shirt and pair
of leather leggings and held them at her side.

"My Lord," she said as her wings folded into her
back and disappeared.

"Sendy, please, meet our guests, Siegfried and Gerda,"
I said as I motioned to the two seated Fae. "And this is Diantha."

All three stood up to greet the Faerie.

"An Aurea," Siegfried remarked. "I did not
know that any of your kind still visited this plane."

"It's a long story, one best left for another day."
I replied for her. "Please sit with us and I will tell you what we have
planned."

Sendy slipped on the cropped shirt and leggings and sat down
in the chair next to me. I told her that I wanted her to fly above us to scout
and that I might need her to fetch someone from this world or pass a message. I
also let her know how I wanted my aunt notified when we were ready.

"All right then. I'll say this one more time. This is a
voluntary mission. Now's the time to bow out if you have any second thoughts."
I scanned the faces of my companions. No one said a word. "Sendy, once we
enter my lands I'll need you to stay invisible, ready to go if I need you to do
something. Ok?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Oh, and drop the
Lord
, alright? Just call me
Robert."

"As you wish," she replied.

"As to the rest of us, I see that you're armed, Gerda,
and I don’t need to ask Siegfried. Diantha doesn't really do swords but I have
a gun she's familiar with."

"She will have to keep it hidden," Siegfried
added. "I doubt that there are many firearms in the Fae lands, even those
such as the one given to you by your aunt."

"Agreed," I answered. "It's probably best to
keep all our weapons hidden, or at least not openly displayed. As to clothing,
Charlie says that Sophie will bring suitable garments, including cloaks, for
those of us not already dressed appropriately." I looked at Gerda as I
spoke, she just nodded at me so I continued. "Anything I'm missing?'

"I do not think it wise that call you by your human
name, at least not until after you announce yourself," Gerda said. "Perhaps
Rupertos would be appropriate. It is the Latin variant and will match your
companion."

"Well, it's not my first choice but it'll do," I
said with a laugh. "Ok then, anything else." When no one replied I
stood up and took a final sip from my cup. "Let's do this."

I brought Diantha the Walther and cautioned her again to
keep it hidden. The gun had once belonged to my uncle and contained a spell
that made it deadly to the Fae. She gave me one of those,
no shit, Sherlock,
looks but didn’t argue. Meanwhile, Siegfried had brought a bag in from the car
and changed into what appeared to be Viking garb. Well, at least as close as
I'd ever seen anyway. At least he wasn't wearing a horned helmet so I just kept
my mouth shut. With a last word to Lucinda that we were off and with all
preparations complete we headed out into the backyard.

Charlie reached the tree first, once again barking in that
strange melodic tone. It didn’t take long for the golden glow to surround the
tree and Aeva appeared. This time she was floating a foot or so in the air and
she descended gracefully and patted the big dog's head.

"All is as you commanded," she said as she turned
towards me and bowed. "The others acknowledge your claim and will do as
you ask."

"Thank you, Aeva. Oh… and these are two more of my
companions, Siegfried and Gerda, and this is Sendy. They will accompany us to
the Dryad lands."

"Greetings, Fae of the North." she said and then
turned to Sendy and bowed. "And blessed greetings to you, Sendy of the
Aurea. Not since my mother's time have your kind graced our lands. A fair wind
to she that travels with the sun."

Sendy did not reply but bowed in return.

"I have chosen a tree at the outskirts of the village
where the Temple is located. Sophie is already there and has prepared for your
arrival," she said after turning her attention back to me.

"Thank you, Aeva, for all you have done. But before we
go, may I ask one more thing of you?"

"Of course."

"While I have promised you not to start a war, there
may be followers of the dark High Fae among the Dryad. Before entering the Temple
I will have Sendy contact Cacilia, the Lady of the realm, to let her know of my
coming. Just prior to this occurring, Sendy will notify you and I would ask
that the ways in and out of these Fae lands be closed until the matter is
concluded." I stopped and got on one knee to finish. "You have my
word that I do this only to prevent followers of the High Fae Marissa from
waging battle against me and our kind and you may reopen the gates to those
friendly to our lands when we have concluded."

"We would not willingly let an enemy of the Dryad
enter," she replied.

"I know that, but I feel it is better to err on the
side of caution. Although not of our clan, Marissa is herself a Dryad and I
cannot know if she has allies among us."

"But the trees are not the only way in and out of Fae,
even if the most common."

I should have thought that, hell, I was bringing Sendy along
for just such a possibility, among other reasons.

"True, but it is the one we have some power to control.
With your help, that is."

"It shall be as you say," she answered after a
moment. "The Hamadryads will close the gates when you ask. We will also
watch the trails and roads and call for the Aurea if we sense danger. That is
the best we can offer."

"I could ask for no more," I replied. "Thank
you. I will not forget this." She nodded her head and motioned at her
tree. "Then if you are ready."

I turned to the others and everyone nodded ascent. Sendy
removed her clothes, spread her wings, and then disappeared. I felt her now
diminutive form perch on my shoulder as we entered the golden glow.