The Witch's Dream - A Love Letter to Paranormal Romance (Black Swan 2) (34 page)

Having calmed just a little, Simon nodded. "I believe we understand each other on that account. However, this organization has not endured for centuries, no, not just endured, but flourished, by allowing anarchy within the ranks.

"While you're away on leave for your teammate's wedding, I hope you will carefully consider the merits of a reasonable expectation of discipline. Surely Sovereign Nemamiah had a similar working relationship with you?"

Elora jerked her head at Ram daring him to make a sound. He responded by blinking with the innocent expression of a cherub.

"Okay," she said in a conciliatory tone. "I hear you."

After an hour, Harry and Grey emerged from their closed session. Harry was beaming.

"Director Tvelgar," said the werewolf king, "the Elk Mountain tribe will adopt Harefoot O'Moors according to the terms discussed with your representative."

Simon was clearly delighted. "That's very, very good news. We can arrange transportation for tomorrow evening and hope you will accept our hospitality until then."

"Gladly," he replied. "Lady Laiken, Harefoot tells me you were even more instrumental in this placement than I had known. I would like to personally thank you for being kind and patient with my distant kinsman and with this process."

"No thanks necessary. I'm good with canines."

Grey grinned broadly, showing very showing off beautifully white canines that were just a tad longer and sexier than what is typical for humans. "Lupines," he corrected.

Ram cleared his throat and coughed into his hand. "Told you so."

Turning toward Ram, Grey said: "I apologize for growling at your wife."

"Accepted. Do no' try it again."

The king laughed. "I assure you I will not. Scotia has been conceded to the Lady. And, knowing that she thinks I'm pretty changes everything."

"I would no' be too proud of that. She thinks everyone is pretty."

Ignoring that, Elora said, "One more thing."

Simon, Ram, and Harry all groaned in unison.

"We know someone who is beyond brilliant when it comes to solving problems. Scientifically. He's probably smarter than Einstein."

Grey looked confused. Simon said, "Who's Einstein?"

"Never mind. The thing is, there are never any guarantees, but he has a remarkable record. We could ask him to look into your gender balancing problem if you like."

For a minute or two Grey seemed to be studying Elora as if he was trying to see into her head.

"Monq?" Simon asked simply glancing at Elora. She nodded.

Looking thoughtful, Grey said, "I'm afraid that any investigation would be handicapped by a lot of restrictions. My people would resist experimentation and would strongly object to researchers wandering around our territory."

"Perhaps there are ways to work around those things. Let's see if we can set up a meeting. One step at a time?"

Grey nodded with his mind racing ahead, already clutching at the hope that they weren't looking at extinction after all. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Let's get your problem solved and get you mated. I can vouch from personal experience that it will do wonders for your mood," she said.

Simon was gripping the back of a wooden chair so hard he almost snapped it in two, but the werewolf king just laughed a winsome laugh, shaking his head of gorgeous hair, and, once again showing off teeth that almost qualified as fangs.

***

CHAPTER
18

The little band of travelers were packed and ready to leave Edinburgh just in time to avoid the Beltane crowds. Pagan celebrants would descend on the city from all over Britannia and Europa for the spectacular Beltane Fire Festival that took place at the temple at the top of Calton Hill at sundown the last night of April. Some were already arriving to help as volunteers or to set up for costuming or body painting.

On the cusp of May it doesn't get dark until after ten o'clock and is typically quite chilly at that hour for the non-fae, but pagans were a hardy lot and nothing stopped the festivities from going forward.

Elora had found Edinburgh magical in every way except shopping options. The fae were quite woefully lagging behind the rest of the Western world's understanding of contemporary fashion. So she had hitched a one-hour ride on a morning flight to London, spent much of the day shopping and did the reverse in the late afternoon. She hadn't planned on a shadow, but Ram quoted the folkage about the gander and the goose saying, if she was going to insist that he didn't go on assignment without her, he would insist that she didn't travel to London without him. How could she say no to that? Truthfully, he would have gone in any case, but that was superfluous information she didn't need to know.

The night before they left she slipped away to knock on Song's door. New recruits were not assigned luxurious or spacious quarters. They usually got dormitory style rooms for orientation and initial internships. When the door opened, Elora saw that the roommate was in, so she beckoned Song out into the hall.

"Sup?" she said.

"Take a walk?" Elora asked.

Song looked intrigued. "Aye. Let me lay hold of a coat."

"No." Elora shook her head emphatically. "I don't mean outside. Ram would make me pay in ways I can't share with his little sister if I took you out in '
Fairyland
'."

Song chortled. "And what is our Plan B then?" While Elora looked around trying to decide, Song said, "Let us make this easy." She opened the door and leaned back into her quarters. "Gaia. Would you be the best roommate ever and surrender the room for a few minutes? I'll owe you."

"Sure," Gaia agreed cheerfully. "I need a chai anyway. Want something?" She grabbed her purse and smiled at Elora on the way by.

"Gigantic coffee with cinnamon, saffron fluff and a cocoa for the Lady."

"No. Thank you. I won't be staying that long."

Song leaned out into the hall and called after Gaia. "Skip the cocoa."

They heard a distant confirmation that sounded like, "Okay.'"

Song closed the door and motioned toward the bed inviting Elora to sit.

"This won't take long."

"You've got at least fifteen minutes before she returns and, of course, as long as you like afterward."

"So. I guess you know why I'm here."

Song looked mystified. "Em. No?"

"Ram told me you're the..." Elora fanned her hands out in front of her dramatically, "...all seeing eye with steel trap lips."

"What?" Aelsong was starting to wonder if a practical joke was coming.

"I thought you know everybody's future."

Aelsong laughed, shaking her head, and sat on the side of her bed gesturing for Elora to do the same. "A serious misimpression. It does no' work like that. I must be deliberately seekin'. 'Tis all about intention. If I just got images rollin' past willy nilly, I would have gone mad as a mercury press long ago."

"Willy nilly."

"Aye. You know. Willy nilly."

"Okay. Well, here's the thing then. We haven't had a chance to really get to know each other yet, but I grew up oldest of six. I had five sibs in my own world and two of them were girls. So I have experience being a big sis and I'm comfortable in the role."

"Oh. Aye." Song looked like she wondered where this was going.

"While we're gone for Kay's wedding, you'll be here completely on your own." Song nodded. "Away from home for the first time." She nodded again. "So, on that note, I'm volunteering to put my nose where it wasn't invited and offer advice. It will be best if you take every care to avoid Duffy for now."

Aelsong looked a little baffled, a little surprised, and a lot paler. "Duffy?" she asked cautiously.

"The Prince. You do know his name is Duff and his hooligan friends call him Duffy?"

Song nodded ever so slightly while her expression read shell-shocked. "How did you know?"

Elora pointed at her face with two fingers. "Eyes."

"We were so obvious?"

"Apparently not. Astonishing as it is, I seem to be the only one awake enough to see what is plain as day." Song blew out a breath of relief on learning that her brother was unaware. "I'm going to do everything in my power to help you, but it's going to take some time and a miracle or two."

She was looking at Elora with wide, hopeful eyes that could break Elora's heart. "People around here know how to make miracles. Right?"

Elora cocked her head while she appraised Aelsong. "Can you read for yourself?"

Song shook her head. "That would be handy, but my own future just whirls around like... sort of like smoke. If I try to force it, I see bad things - no' the actual future - things scary enough to make me stop askin'."

"And you can't ask anyone else in this department to read for you because of what they might see."

"Aye. Exactly."

"Well," Elora reached over and patted Song's hand, "when we get back I will start working on your mother and your brother. And your other brother. But it must be gradual. It's a big change we're hoping for. And Duff is going to see how far he can get from his side."

Song's lips parted and she hissed in a little air. "I saw you speak to him."

Elora smiled at her sister-in-law's reaction. "Guess what we talked about. Indirectly, of course."

Song's eyes coated with a dreamy expression. "He was
so
gorgeous in his kilt, was he no'? It made my heart hurt."

Elora looked a little wistful, knowing exactly how it felt to love a male so beautiful you never wanted to look away. "Indeed. He is a real life Prince Charming."

Song looked confused. "You mean he's a charmin' prince?"

Elora sighed. She might never get used to living in a dimension without fairytales. "Right. Anyway. He says he has nothing personal against elves and thinks that continuing the feud is silly. That was his word. But he also said that, if I quoted him on that, he would be forced to deny it. He thinks there is a growing movement among some of his peers to resolve the dispute and put an end to the animosity."

Aelsong looked even more enraptured. "He said that?"

"Yes. That does not mean it will happen. He indicated that the mission is daunting from his side."

"Aye. 'Tis from mine to be certain."

"So we're agreed? You'll lay low while I'm gone?"

"Lay low?"

"It means be super discreet and prudent."

Song grinned. "I shall lay low like a rug."

Gaia kicked at the door lightly and they heard a muffled, "Hands full. Get the door."

Aelsong opened the door to let her roommate in.

Elora stood and readied herself to leave. "Don't tell your brother I was here."

"Alright then. Why no'?"

"Because, due to a turn of events that couldn't possibly be more ironic, I believe he thinks I'm a bad influence on you."

Song blinked twice before erupting into a toothy laugh that started in her belly and ended deep in her throat. Enough said. Elora got a quick hug goodbye and was gone.

An hour later there was a knock at Aelsong's door. She opened it to find Ram standing on the other side. As Song turned toward her roommate, Gaia just clicked her laptop closed and said: "On my way for cookies. Want some?"

Aelsong was thinking she could have done a lot worse than getting Gaia for a roommate. "Thanks. We won't be long." She looked at Ram. "Will we?"

He shook his head.

When they were alone, Ram sat down at the end of Song's bed.

"All packed?" she asked.

"I imagine so. Elora likes to oversee the preparations personally. I believe she's afraid I would take only concert tees and pants with holes if left to my own devices."

Song smiled. "Would you no'?"

He nodded and then smiled just a little sheepishly. "To be certain. I would." Ram cleared his throat and looked uncomfortable. There was no such thing as a bad look on Rammel, but it was an expression rarely seen. "Before I leave you on your own, in this place where we are no' welcome, I want to be sure you understand that the fae are only one cause for wariness. There are others."

He paused to see if she was paying attention.

"Go on," she said.

"The humans are more different from us than... the obvious. Their culture can be very strange sometimes."

"Aye." She prompted him again.

"For instance, in matters of unmated sex, they are full of conflicts and hypocrisies. After all these years among them I have still no' quite got it figured out. The males want sex and find it highly pleasurable, like us, but often, the similarity ends there. Instead of praisin' their gods for the delights of couplin', many of them believe a female is tainted by bein' willin' and that enjoyin' more than an occasional boyfriend compromises her character. They use ugly names to describe their partners after.