The Scofflaw Magician (The Artifactor Book 3) (12 page)

Well, no, but
she wasn’t exactly prepared for staying in Fae territory either. “I need to
send word back to Big first. My master is waiting for me. Also, I didn’t bring
any tools as I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to speak with you today.”

Aranhil
considered that before allowing, “It is unwise to launch an investigation while
being ill-prepared. Leave what you have brought, so that We may study it. I
will send Arandur to you tomorrow morning.”

In other words,
he was giving her tonight to pack. “I understand, Aranhil. I will be ready for
him.”

“Excellent.” As
an afterthought, he commanded, “Speak with Our children before you leave. They
are fond of you.”

There was a
part of Sevana that always wondered just how well the children were doing.
She’d grown slightly attached to them, although it would take the application
of lye and thumb screws to get her to admit it. “I will.” Taking that as a
dismissal, she handed the tube to him, which he took with a white knuckled
grip. After a step back, she gave him a bow before turning to leave the
clearing.

A woman with
braided red hair and a quiet demeanor stepped into her path. “I am Herion,
Sevana Warran. I will show you to the children.”

“My thanks.” It
seemed strange to take an hour and play with the children when Aranhil was so
hot to have her start immediately. But maybe this was a ploy of his to keep her
in his territory long enough to study that portrait and come up with some basic
questions? It smelled of a delaying tactic, at least. Suspicious but amiable,
she followed her new guide.

“Sevana!” A
chorus rang out as a dozen children sprang to their feet, rushing toward her.

She braced
herself, just in time, as they flew up to her, all trying to grab her at once.
“It’s like being swarmed by magpies,” she complained, a wide smile on her face.

They laughed
but it didn’t daunt them, all dozen still trying their best to hug any part of
her. But then, every child here had spent at least a few weeks with her, so
they knew well she was mostly bark and no bite.

Herion was no
help during all of this, just standing off to the side and watching indulgently
as the kids glomped onto her. Sevana focused on one child at a time, either
ruffling a head or tweaking a nose, and eventually their excited energy settled
enough that she could sit cross-legged on the ground with them.

“Alright,
you’re all glowing to me,” she announced, eyes taking them in. “I assume that
becoming Fae is going well.”

“It is,” Sky
told her. He was right at her knee and was understandably the one that had been
changed the most. His features were the same, and those clear blue eyes were no
different, but he looked healthy now. The gauntness was completely gone, his
skin was healthy and clear, hair shining as it flowed to his shoulders. “We’re
glad you brought us here, Sevana. It’s fun!”

“Fun, eh?” she
grinned at him, glad to the bottom of her heart to see all of them so well and
happy. They practically radiated joy. “Doing what?”

“Did you know
we can talk to animals as Fae?”

“And plants
too,” Bertrude—scratch that, Maeron said. “Plants are even more fun, sometimes.
We can create swings.”

“But the best
part is our parents,” Chase told her. He turned enough to give a gap toothed
grin to Herion. “Right, Mother?”

“Always,”
Herion responded fondly.

“So not one of
you regrets leaving the human world behind?” she asked. There was always that
niggling little doubt that would never quiet. “Nothing you miss about it?”

All of them
shook their heads, firmly, adamantly, but it was Sky that put it into words.
“It’s better here. I don’t ever want to go back.”

Sevana cupped
the back of his head, shaking it a little. “Glad to hear it, squirt.”

“You’ll stay at
least tonight?” Lilly asked, her fingers tangled in the cuff of Sevana’s
sleeve.

“I can’t,” she
denied, more gently than she intended to. “I’m actually here because
something’s gone very, very wrong and I need the Fae’s help to untangle it. So
I can’t stay here long, I have to go back to Big and get ready to work on the
problem.”

“When the
problem is solved, she will come and stay longer,” Herion promised.

Sevana was
startled by this sideways invitation and studied the other woman’s expression
carefully. Was she really welcome to stay overnight here? Even when the
emergency had passed? Herion gave her a reassuring nod.

“Yes, I can do
that.”

The kids
cheered and dogpiled her. Laughing, Sevana went down with a fight, tickling and
mock-biting people as her back hit the ground. They loved it, trying to tickle
her back.

Of course,
Grydon and Baby had been silently following her all this time, and when the
dogpile started, they couldn’t resist. They joined in, licking ears and wagging
tails in happiness. The children, not at all daunted by these fierce predators,
grabbed them and tried to wrestle. It became a squirming mess of limbs and
laughter in five seconds flat. Sevana wouldn’t have minded if she hadn’t been
at the bottom of the pile.

Eventually
people shifted enough that she was able to crawl free and get back to her feet.
Her hair was flying in every direction, she could feel it, and her clothes had
come half-untucked. Whatever dignity she had maintained coming into Fae
territory had taken a flying leap. Sighing, she tucked her shirt back in,
straightened out her vest, and pulled her hair free of its tie. No point in
trying to fix it, not without a mirror handy. She ran her hands through it a
few times and hoped for the best.

“Sevana Warran.”

She turned and
found that at some point Veassen had appeared behind her. What was it with the
Fae that let them move like ghosts? “Veassen,” she returned the greeting.

“We have
checked our stores. The ink did not come from here.”

Ahhh, that was
why Aranhil had had her linger for a while. It made sense, if this crime had
been committed in his own backyard, then it would change how much she would
need to bring.

“Aranhil is now
contacting the others and we are waiting to hear back from them,” Veassen
continued. The change in his demeanor was slight but he looked agitated by all
of this. “We should have an answer for you by tomorrow morning where the ink came
from.”

“I understand.”
So she would be able to see not only this Fae territory, but another? She might
be the only living human to do so. “A request, if I may? When you find where
the ink was stolen from, touch nothing. I might be able to run a few scans and
detect more about the method of how the magician managed it.”

A fierce light
entered Veassen’s eyes. “It would be well if you could do so. I will pass that
along. For now, may we offer an escort back to your mountain? You do not need
to take the longer path home.”

The reason why
Sevana had taken three hours to get here was because she would run afoul of two
other races that were not very nice to humans otherwise. Skirting both of them
took her way out of the way, but she didn’t dare do anything different. If she
had a Fae escort through, it wouldn’t take her even an hour. “I would
appreciate it.”

At least three
kids caught her hands, pulling her back down to them.

“You’re going?”
Sky asked her plaintively.

“I have a bad
man to catch,” she explained with a wolfish smile. “But after I deal with him,
I’ll come and stay the night and tell you the whole adventure.”

Sky lifted a
hand, pinkie extended. “Promise.”

“Promise.” She
linked pinkies with him and then lifted her thumb to press against his, sealing
the deal.

“Can Grydon and
Baby stay?” Maeron asked.

“That’s up to
them.”

Without a beat
of hesitation, Maeron leaned toward the wolf, then the mountain lion, speaking
to them through pure body language. The two animals in turn touched their noses
into Sevana’s palms in a quick bye before bouncing away, starting a game of
tag.

“I think I was
just deserted,” Sevana observed to no one in particular.

“We’ll take
care of them while you’re gone,” Herion promised.

They could take
care of themselves, but Sevana wasn’t about to say so. “I appreciate it.”

Veassen
extended a hand, indicating he was ready, and she fell into step behind him.
They walked without a word being exchanged all the way to the edge of Fae
territory, but he didn’t pause or slow. When he’d said ‘we,’ did he actually
mean that he himself would escort her back? Apparently so.

They walked
like this for an indeterminate time. Sevana tried not to be nervous, but she
knew the instant that they entered Muma Padurii’s territory. It went from feeling
warm and strange to cold and prickly. The trees and air lost their glow as well
and it became more like a winter forest. Just walking through here made chills
rise on her skin.

“You do not
walk through here,” Veassen mentioned to her, like an aside.

“Place gives me
the creeps,” Sevana admitted. “If push came to shove, I could probably protect
myself from Muma Padurii, but it seemed a stupid risk to take just because it
would cut my travel time by an hour. Especially when I have a kid in tow.”

“We appreciate
your caution. But after today, it will not be necessary.”

Eh? Did that
mean that their protection wasn’t just for this trip, but that by escorting
her, he was going to set it down as a law that she was not to be messed with?
Oh that would be ever so nice. Sevana made regular trips into the forest for
materials. Not having to watch her back would make life much easier.

A scratchy
voice came from ahead, sounding like nails on a chalkboard. “I know this woman,
Veassen. She is not Fae. Why do you bring her to me?”

Veassen stopped
dead and stared straight ahead, as if he could see the speaker clearly. “She is
not Fae but is of the Fae. She is Sellion, so named and acknowledged by Aranhil
himself.”

Sellion? Wait,
what?

There was an
ugly hiss. “Aranhil does not deal with humans.”

“This human has
given thirteen children to the Fae. She is a mother to us and a friend. You
will respect this, Muma Padurii. If she is found harmed in your territory, we
will not stay still.”

There was
another hiss, this one of alarm. “Sellion, you named her? Human, I know you by
another name.”

“Artifactor
Sevana Warran,” Sevana responded calmly. Sellion? What was that all about?

“Will you enter
my territory?”

“When I’m
coming to or leaving from Fae lands, yes, I will. At all other times, I’ll
respect it.”

“Humph.” It
sounded dismissive, but Sevana detected a note of relief in that. “Then I’ll
leave you be.”

As quickly as
that eerie presence had appeared, it disappeared again. Sevana let out a breath
she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Sellion?”

A fleeting grin
passed over Veassen’s face. “Aranhil did not have time to tell you. But you are
registered in our Book as such and have been since you brought the fourth child
to us.”

She was
insecure enough with Fae customs and ways that she felt like she had to
clarify. “You told me earlier that the name is the title. Is my new name like
that?”

“It is. Your
name means ‘child’ because that is what you give to us.”

Ho. This
floored her for several seconds and she remained quiet as they continued
walking, thinking the matter over. “That is…outside of my expectations.”

“Yes, it is
because you did not expect anything from us that we knew you to be a friend.
You bring joy to us and yet take nothing away.” Pausing, he added carefully,
“We have become fond of you.”

A startled
laugh erupted from her mouth, more out of happiness than surprise. “Fond, is
it? Well. That’s quite the compliment to hand a girl.”

Veassen shot
her a quick glance over his shoulder. She had the impression that on some level
he was beaming but his expression on the outside was simply softer than usual.
“We will protect you, as long as you live. You need not fear anything in these
woods. They will not harm you.”

They wouldn’t
dare, in other words, as the Fae would come down on them like an axe. “It’s a
relief to know that,” she admitted. “Thank you.”

Satisfied, he
continued guiding her home. Sevana had of course never been this way so she
took careful note of the trail and found several different landmarks that she
could use to guide herself the next time she came this way.

Even though
they crossed through Curupria territory, they didn’t see even a hint of one of
the strange creatures. They were known to attack hunters or travelers, but
apparently they were shy where the Fae were concerned. Veassen assured her that
they had already spoken to them earlier and that the whole race understood that
Sevana was special and to leave her be. None of them dared a confrontation like
Muma Padurii had, and Sevana was just as glad of it, as she had enough to
mentally process as it was.

Veassen
escorted her properly all the way to her back door and saw her inside before
bidding her a good night and going back home. Sevana took the first proper
breath she’d had since that morning and leaned against Big’s cool walls for a
long moment.

Baby
?
Big prompted.
Grydon
?

“They are still
playing with the Fae. They were invited to stay and did.”

She could feel
the mountain do the equivalent of a startled blink.

“Believe me, I
was just as surprised, but that’s not even the half of it.” Pushing herself
upright, she went hunting for Master and found him, predictably, in the
kitchen.

He looked up as
she came in, relieved to see her intact. “I take it the meeting went well?”

“Master.”
Sevana dropped into a chair, exhausted. “You won’t believe this. They named
me.”

“Named? Who
did, sweetling?”

“The Fae.”

Master dropped
the tea cup in his hand, sending it rattling on the saucer. “What?! The Fae
have only done that twice in known human history!”

“I am now
Sellion to them, recorded in their books as such. And that’s only the start.”

“Back up, tell
me from the beginning,” Master begged her.

Stealing his
tea, she dropped another spoonful in it before draining it in one long pull.
With her thirst eased, she started from the beginning, and spun him the full
tale.

Master heard
her out without even trying to interrupt. When she wound down, he poured her
another cup of tea, which she promptly gulped down. “Sweetling, we are beyond
blessed that you have laid such good foundations with them. If you hadn’t
brought them so many children, or tried to be a good neighbor, they might not
have even heard you out.”