Betrayal (28 page)

The morning light dawned on a new day.  A new king.  A new winter court.  My court was in a somber, but joyful mood with all it had to deal with.  The bodies were burned at nightfall and the guards were assessing damage and wounds.  Pike was doing inventory of weapons and names.

Ian was in the bed...with me.  WE WERE fully clothed and very unhappy about it. 

“My mother went home last night,” I said just to see if he was awake.

“I know,” he snuggled me closer nuzzling my neck.

“I want to go see her.”

“Okay.”

He was being exceptionally giving.  “You alright?” I asked sideways pushing my neck into his face.

He lifted my hair and rolled me over to my back placing himself above me on his elbows.  “I’m about to be.” He leaned down.  We spent the next twenty minutes enjoying a little more than kisses before we heard the sharp knock on the door that arrived none too soon.

He grumbled and moved off of me.  “What?” he asked loudly enough.

“Pike needs you,” Bane announced.

“Tell him I have all I need.  His freaking needs can be met by—“

“IAN!” I closed his mouth tight with my hand.  “Manners.”

“What?  I was just going to say—oh never mind.  I’ll tell him later.”

Pish!  He turned his face to mine and gave me an O mouth look with much exaggeration and flexing his fingers like claws in the air.  “Are you making unkind noises at me? I consider that to be like an eye roll and that my lady needs a good dose of hands on time.”

Giggle.  Aaaa!  “Stop.  Don’t!” I panted out from the tickles to my sides, “Please.”  I kept yelling.

“Ah, Ian?” a yell came from the door again.  I was horrified.  Bane had stood listening. 

“Bane, go away.” Ian didn’t stop with his hands.  And I couldn’t stop the uncontrolled laugh of the lovely pain from his fingers tickling me.
              “Can’t. Pike is trying to put out the forest that is on fire.”

Ian jumped off the bed, belted his pants up to the not loose low riding effect they just had, and kissed my forehead.  “Get dressed and meet me at breakfast.”

“Ian, forget breakfast.  I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

***

I dressed in record time and headed out to the campfire.  Or what was left of the wooded area around it.  The trees were still all burning leafless and black like licorice sticks.  The garden was destroyed and beside it where I’d planted the sweet smelling marigolds and lantana all around.  And the trampoline.  It was just a jumble of aluminum springs, bars, and charred net. 

Ian was fighting a fire on the back of the woods with Eric while Pike and Bane were watering the ground around the immediate area. It was almost out.

When one day ends, another comes.  I could very easily let this get me down, but that would devastate Ian and he needed me to be happy.  I walked back in and searched for my friend Sarah who was in the library of course.

"I need your help.”

“Anything,” Sarah said being pulled out of her reverie of book happiness.

I raised an eye, “Even going to the human world with me for an hour.”

She cooed.  She loved the human world adventures more than even our beloved books.

We took Rion and Caymin with us.  I stopped at my parents’ house first for I had no human cash.  My mother obliged and hugged me and Sarah goodbye.  That felt so good.  I still missed my father, but his safety was more important than my daughterly needs.  I vowed to write him another letter.

I glamoured our appearance and left Rion and Caymin outside the sports store in downtown Winslow while we purchased the item I needed.  Leaving them in skater clothes and ear piercings was kind of fun really. I just loved glamouring up things.

Sarah had the time of her far from human life.  She insisted that we come back again and go to back to the newly named “hopping mall” as she called it.  I laughed uncontrollably.

The fire had been an accident on a few young guards and some frolicy fun. All was solved with the exception of plans to plant anew. I was made charge of it. Giddy at being given the task, I didn't waste time issuing orders for what seeds were to be selected. After all, we are the Seelie court.

Ian knew I left of course, but only kissed my cheek and asked if everything was okay with me.  I keep my mood light and it made all the difference.  I thought about what Pike had said once about being a pessimist.  I vowed another promise.  Optimism was my new middle name.   Perhaps it was the fact that the danger had been lifted or maybe it could be that I was intending to stay jovial and carefree around him.  Either way, Ian was a different man.

Another new day dawned and my purchase was in place.  Sarah pledged that she would have Bane get it to the right place and have the area around it readied also.  I had to pray she could get it all done in the night hours while I kept Ian away from the campfire site that now included a larger size bon fire still burning from all the rubbish placed in it.  And that she could keep it from her thoughts since Ian was probably checking for little tidbits of me sharing my love life with her.  I knew he didn’t like that I’d told her anything at all, but he still hadn’t said anything about it.
              Ian followed me after tickling me all over again in every place allowable at our given step in our relationship to convince me to tell my secret.  I led him blindly through the court before anyone was about and stood him in the very spot where he found me the night he surprised me with the same kind of item.

I jumped aboard the springy contraption and told him to open his eyes.  He wasn’t easily fooled.  “You did this you sly woman.”

“Ohhh, name calling to the woman you love is a bad no-no!”

“Or asking her to marry her and beg her to hurry up the plans and make the day magically come faster is far better.  Yes, then I agree.”  He climbed up beside me and shifted against me with fast, furious hands.

“Okay Mister Handsy.  Wedding day is only....” I couldn’t concentrate with him kissing my neck and pawing my sides. “Only….” trying to concentrate, “Ian, this is torture.”

For who?” he continued to kiss my shoulder, my elbow, my wrist.  

“IAN!” I giggled. 

“Fine!” he moved on the other side of the trampoline.

“That’s a bit much,” I pouted.

“You said,” he covered his eyes with his arm.  He was cooling off.  Good!

Knowing his eyes were swirling with desire and heat, I rocked myself over to his side of the net and wrapped around him locking my legs up so he couldn’t get away.  He could, but he wouldn’t dare try it. 

“I said, you said, how ‘bout we both shut up and have a good ole fashion conversation with Orion and Cassiopeia.”

“Not my first choice, and not even my second, but a sound third,” he mused with a collective sigh that told me even his small amount of supposed cooling off was not really bringing down the heat that sizzled between us. 

I giggled and snuggled close. 

“I need to meet with Kinsler tomorrow here at our court.  Are you okay with that?”

“Um, yeah.  Why wouldn’t I be?” I was being asked?

“Just had to ask,” his unshaven face nuzzled my jaw where the chain of my necklace hit.  I enjoyed the five o’clock shadowed rub and looked forward to the kissing that would soon follow.  I loved kissing Ian.  My thoughts led to a small moan.

“What are you thinking?” he said comically. 

He heard me.  “Um, you really want to know?”

“Of course.  Why?  Is it not what I’d want?” he reasoned.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.  I just am not usually this forceful.”  I felt the boldness coming on.

He edged his face up to see mine, quick and ready.   Apparently my eyes were telling the words I wouldn’t have too.  I admit, I was trying to jumpstart them.  I guess it worked better than I thought.

He seemed fixated on my eyes so when his mouth parted I took it upon myself to delve into his wanting desire by licking my lips.  The growl that released from inside him was just the reaction I could hope for.  Predicting Ian was becoming a pastime for me and the more I tried it out, the more I wanted it.

He should’ve waited for me to initiate the kiss, but my wicked ways were getting the better of both of us.   

***

I had been wearing the pendant Ian gave me for the joy it and no other reason lately.  The one Kin gave me stayed with me also.   Soon to be three rings to add to my five close to my heart charms stayed with me at all times.  Ian’s surprises to me, my mom’s, Lazyra’s, Kin’s, and the one my mother insisted I wear for too many years.  The pendant Ian gave me on my thirteenth birthday was and will always be around my neck and against my heart. 

Having them all seemed to ignite a great power within me, whether it was truly magical or not.  But I
had
noticed another something urging its way into my being, getting stronger  as the days passed and I practiced more but when I accidentally “persuaded” an object to come to me without trying this time it held more purpose, promise than before.  I mentioned it to Pike.  He
had
to mention to Ian.  They took a whole day before telling me what this meant to them.

“Grace, you have to be very careful,” Ian told me after Pike had just said the same thing.  It was all said to me before, numerous times..    I allowed myself to imagine what dangers could happen.  As in a dagger being stopped before it strikes an unintended victim.   As in an amulet that needs a new destination.  As in....

And this will make the new Unseelie king want me that much more when the first incident happens and word gets out, but he would never act on it. 

Breakfast came and went.  Kin underhandedly made it into the court without anyone noticing and landed himself right beside me in the replanted garden.  We talked of nothing important for a while.  I continued on with my weeding and planting of seeds while Kin watched on. When he nodded for the guards to leave, I flinched. When did Kin gain power over my own guards?

“You asked me once what I meant by your greatest feats.  What the other two underestimated about you.  Your power will surpass all others.  If you would become my queen, we would rule the world.  All else.  With an alliance to the summer court through you and the two of us ruling this court we would hold the entire world in our hands.  We are Firebearers, Grace.  Same make.  Our communion would create a magic more powerful than any one court.  We would—“

I stopped digging and looked up. “Kin, you told me once that you should be able to choose who and when you marry.  I understand now that meant between the arranged marriage you didn’t choose, the foretold possible marriage of what you think was to me, and the idea that you will pick on your own the girl of your choice with no one forced action by anything or anyone.  It this is true of you and you claim to care about me and not just my possibilities for your court, then why don’t I get the same privilege?  If you care for me so much, then see me happy.”

I thought this was all settled already.  I pulled off the dirt ridden glove and looked back at him from where I sat covered in earth.  The shovel was floating eye length beside me, so I grabbed it.  Dang new powers!

He blinked and held his eyes closed.  Maybe he didn’t see the shovel.

I couldn’t be sure, but I think he forced his eyes shut to cut off any leaks.  He finally parted his mouth enough to slip out, “I know you are right and that is what I want, but I still have the undying need to change your mind.  I still think I can.”  He eyed the shovel in my hand and I didn’t miss his eyes looking to the place in the air where it had just been.

He caught my attention again.  “I want every part of you, Grace.  Not just compliance.  It will subside after you choose the final act with the one of your choice.” 

Wow!  That is the most honest bit of pure feeling from Kin I’ve ever seen.  Just wow!  “I am utterly dumbfounded.  I think you were more honest with me just now than you’ve ever been.”  Maybe he saw that as a light because face lit up to brightly.  “I am flattered that maybe, just maybe you like me for me and not what I represent and could help you become.  And maybe I admire you for what you did back at your court on several occasions playing halfway to the part of a gentleman, but Kin, magic or not, there is no us and never will be.”

At that, his eyes, heart, and shoulders fell in unison. He was at the end of trying, for now.  “I had to try.”  He stood and faced away, giving the impression that he was gazing at the water sprites.  “I have a wedding gift for you.  It will be presented at the right time.”  That kind of frightened me. 

As Kin appeared to continue watching the sprites dance and sing, he said to the fountain,   “Ian, she is yours.  Take care of her if it’s the last thing you do.” 

From the shadows, Ian traced the pattern of the rocky ground to the place in front of Kin.  He bowed to him and said he’d meet our people in the meeting room in five minutes time.

In shock still that he’d listened to the entire back and forth Kin attempt to a last minute sway me his way yet again left me speechless as it often did.  How many times has Ian sat back in the dark and listened to Pike and Kin do this?  I still would never believe I was this special girl they made me out to be. 

“You are okay?” It was a question, I think.

“Yes, Ian,” remembering to beam love at him when he worried.  “I am perfectly fine with telling Kin the way of our world.  I understand he had to try, for he has made the same speech on several occasions and my heart goes out for him.  He is who he is and I admire his persistence though I’ll never understand the draw aside from the virginal magic that Grace seems to shout out at the Fey men of this world.”

He smiled with my attempt at humor at my own expense.  “I’m glad you are who you are.   I love that smart mouth and what makes it say the things it does.”

“You like my smart mouth?”

“Oh, the things I could come back with that, but will save for a more proper conversation in private where no one else
is listening
,” he tossed his head in the direction of the sprites who giggled nonstop now.

“Why are you meeting with Kin?”

“Business details.  Adjustments to new statuses.”

I stood, kissed his cheek, and said I’d see him after the meeting.  I had something I needed to do.