Darkness & Light (War of the Fae: Book 3) (51 page)

“So if this is true for all fae, where’s the difference between the Light and the Dark?” asked Becky.

“The difference is in the way we believe humans should be treated and the role we should play in their society.
 
The Light Fae
believe
our best chance for survival and to have access to the resources provided by the humans is to stay hidden – to continue to operate in their shadows and dreams, not in their realties.
 
However, the Dark Fae
do
not agree.
 
They want to be out in front of the humans, living in the open, no longer hiding who they are and what they do.
 
They want to exert their power over the humans and assert their fae domination.”

“Okay,” said Finn, “I get that.
 
What I don’t get is why they don’t just go do it.
 
Why fight the Light Fae at all?
 
It’s not like they need our permission.”

Céline joined in the conversation now, and I noticed Tony nodding his head at what she was saying.
 
“They do not have enough Dark Fae to fight a resisting human species.
 
There are millions more humans than fae.
 
The balance was different many years ago, but even then, there was a concern about the Dark
Fae’s
ability to not only meet human resistance but also the opposition of the Light Fae who would join the humans.
 
They assume rightly that we would unite with the humans in fighting them; because we believe that it would be the only way we could live through it.
 
Once the humans became aware of the fae, they would naturally want to exterminate them – we are a different and alien species in many ways and therefore a threat.
 
We would have to pretend to
be
human and fight the Dark Fae just to survive the aftermath.”

“Yeah, but with the
faes
’ supernatural abilities, it wouldn’t matter that the humans have bigger numbers.
 
One fae is worth about ten humans in terms of strength.
 
Or in some cases, more,” said Spike, looking directly at me.

“Nah,” said Scrum, once more in mid-chew.
 
“You
hafta
factor in the human fear.
 
That makes ‘em stronger.
 
Plus every human can have firepower – all they need is a gun.”

“Or a bow and arrows, I guess,” said Spike, shooting a look over at Finn, who tipped his head in recognition.

“The daemon is correct,” said Dardennes.
 
“The fear of the supernatural is incredibly powerful.
 
Humans may think they’d be happy to know that vampires and werewolves actually exist, as a romantic notion, but if they were ever really confronted by one that was trying to suck the life out of them or even eat them, they would feel differently.”

I laughed at that.
 
“I know my first meeting with a real werewolf didn’t go exactly as I’d always imagined.”

Becky smiled.
 
“I know, right?
 
Where are all the bare-chested Taylor
Lautners
anyway?”

The guys just looked at us with question marks floating above their heads.
 

“Never mind,” I said, looking back at Dardennes.
 
“So, their plan is to what?
 
Defeat us?
 
Then how are they going to accomplish their goal if we’re all gone?”

“Their plan is not to defeat us,” said Tony.
 
“Their plan is to make us join them.
Through intimidation and fear.
 
But there would be loss of life.
 
It is unavoidable if we engage them.”

“Oh.”
 
Bummer
.

“That’s just ... wrong,” said Becky, “going after your own
faekind
like that.”

“According to them, what we are doing is wrong – hiding in the forest and walking away from what they say is our legacy,” explained Céline.

“So why are they called ‘Dark’ and we’re called ‘Light’?
 
I mean, isn’t that them agreeing they’re evil by aligning themselves with Darkness?” I asked.
 
I can’t imagine who would actually call themselves the friends of Darkness, unless they were Satan worshippers or something.

Dardennes smiled.
 
“Now we’re getting into the theoretical realm.
 
Darkness, according to the Dark Fae, is merely the absence of Light.
 
It is, to them, the ultimate expression of who they are and the strength of their beliefs.
 
They are a strong and proud group of fae.
 
None of them calls their brethren ‘dark’ as in ‘evil’.
 
They all claim to be the only fae who are truly fae, unfettered by human emotions and human influence.
 
They consider our ‘lightness’ to be our concern for the humans and our need to protect them from our kind.
 
They see it as a weakness and turn from it.”
 
He looked at Céline for confirmation and received an answering nod.
 
“Think of Dark Fae as those who have remained true to our original beliefs and can trace them back over many centuries – and Light Fae as fae whose ideas and values have shifted with time, adapting to the realities of sharing our world with the humans and their changing beliefs and customs.”
 

I tried to grab hold of what they were saying, but it was pretty much as clear as mud – which wasn’t surprising considering who was telling the story.
 
I wasn’t even sure I was getting the basic concepts, but I decided to take a crack at it anyway.
 
“So what you mean is that Dark doesn’t mean evil, it just means ‘old school fae’?”

Dardennes smiled and jabbed a finger at me.
 
“Exactly!”

“And when you say Light, you mean like, ‘enlightened’?”

“Yes!
 
You understand perfectly,” said Céline, proud of me for some nutty reason.
 

Whatever
.
 
This shit didn’t sound like a good reason to go to war.
 
And a war that wasn’t really meant to eradicate anyone but to change their minds about their philosophies?
 
Weird
.

I shook my head.
 
“Well, you guys can call it whatever the hell you want ... as far as I’m concerned, they’re the bad guys and we’re the good guys.
 
That’s all I need to know for now.”

“Telling it like it is – Jayne is never one to disappoint,” said Tim, laughter in his voice.

“Thanks, Tim.
 
Just trying to keep it real.”

Our attention was immediately grabbed by the sound of the door being thrown open and the voice of Gregale ringing out across the room.

“Anton!
 
Céline!
 
Come quickly.
 
We’ve had a breach!
 
The Dark Fae
have
come!”

Céline’s lips closed together in a thin line, turning down at the corners in worry.

“Where?
 
Has anyone been hurt?” demanded Dardennes.

“Near the gargoyle door.
 
And yes, a witch was hurt.”

Dardennes came out from behind his desk.
 
“How many are here?”

“We do not know, Anton.
 
We think at least two, and one of them for certain is a witch.”

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” asked Tim.

I whispered back, turning my head to the side so he could hear me over the commotion, “If it’s Maggie, I’m gonna put her in a green power slingshot and shoot her sorry ass out over the top of this forest.
 
Maybe all the way to Spain.”

“Now
that’s
something I’d like to see.”

“Yeah, well, let’s pray that you don’t.”
 
I moved to join Dardennes and the others gathering around the door.

“What do you want us to do, Mr. Dardennes?” asked Tony.
 
I reached out and grabbed his hand and he held onto mine, squeezing it reassuringly.
 
Spike caught my eye and gave me a nervous head nod.
 
I could see Becky sidling up close to Finn.

“Go to your rooms and await further instructions, with the exception of you, Tony.
 
Please report to the strategy room to meet with the gray elves.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Tony before squeezing my hand one more time and then letting it go.
 
He rushed out of the room, trailing behind a fast-moving Gregale.

Dardennes and Céline left in a hurry too, leaving the rest of us standing in the doorway.

“So, we goin’ back to our rooms?” asked Finn, his hand on his bow.

“
Hell
to the
no.
 
I’m going to the friggin’ gargoyle door,” I said.

“
Jaaayyyne
...” warned Tim.

“Shush, Tim.
 
I’m going.
 
If you want to take your pansy ass to the room, go ahead.
 
But you’d better watch out so you don’t get stepped on, because I’m not taking you back there.”

“First of all, how dare you suggest that I
walk
to the room.
”
 
He sniffed in disgust.
 
“Pixies do not walk.
 
We either fly or get taken places.
 
And second, I wasn’t suggesting we split up.
 
I was merely reminding you that you recently messed with a certain someone who lives just outside that door, and that this certain someone might not be all that excited to see you right now.”

“Yeah, well, that certain someone can kiss my big white butt.”

“Who can kiss your big white butt?” asked Becky.

“No one.”
 
I looked over at Spike and he looked like he was about to say something sexy, so I held up my hand.
 
“Put it away, Spike, put it away.”

“Put what away?” asked Finn, now as confused at Becky.

Scrum leaned in and looked at each of us.
 
“I think she’s telling him to put away his ... ”

“ ... And that’ll be enough from you, daemon boy,” said Spike, smiling and clapping Scrum on the back, throwing him forward and off balance.
 
“So what’s the plan, warrior boy?
 
Gargoyle door or room?
 
Where’re you going?”

He shrugged.
 
“Where Jayne goes, I go.”

These words that I’d heard uttered more than once by Chase made my heart squeeze uncomfortably for a second.
 
I missed him and his strong, silent, dependable presence.
 
His amazing biceps and chest didn’t make him easy to forget either.
 
I looked at Scrum and there was just no comparison.
 
Adonis or the beer keg with legs?
 
Yeah.
 
Easy.
 
No offense to Scrum, because he tried like hell and usually did okay, but I really needed Chase right now and wished like hell he were here.
 

“Let’s go then,” said Finn.
 
“I’m tired of
shootin
’ at targets and
playin
’ around.
 
I wanna go at the real deal.”

“You mean, you want to shoot someone?” asked Becky, disbelief and censure in her voice.

Finn frowned.
 
“No.
 
I mean, if them
assholes’re
gonna
come here to our home and try to mess with us, I ain’t gonna take it
lyin
’ down.
 
And neither should you, little non-violent water sprite – ‘cuz this is your home too.
 
If you don’t fight for it, you ain’t gonna have it for long.”

Becky swallowed hard.
 
She squared her shoulders and said, “Fine.
 
I’m with you.
 
But if I disappear, I don’t want any of you complaining and calling me a chicken.
 
Sometimes ... I can’t help it.
 
When I get scared and start thinking about somewhere I’d rather be, I just sometimes end up there.
 
Okay?”
 
She looked at each one of us for confirmation that we wouldn’t rag on her.

“
That
is the most lame ass excuse I think I’ve ever heard.
 
‘I can’t help it?
 
I disappear by accident’?
 
Man, you water sprites are total
wusses
.”
 
I tried to look at her
all serious
but the outraged expression on her face had me laughing.
 
“Chill out, fish-girl, I’m just messing with you.”

She closed her lips and blinked her eyes a few quick times.
 
“Fine.
 
Let’s go,” she finally said, pushing past me and out into the hallway.

I stepped forward and grabbed her hand, getting ahead of her and then pulling her along, refusing to be shunned and ignoring her continued attempts to stay mad at me.
 
We followed Finn, who had taken his bow off his shoulder and loosely notched an arrow in the string.
 
I’d seen him in action before, so I knew if someone appeared around a corner, he’d have that thing flying in no time at all.
 
It made me feel a small measure safer.
 
But not much.