“And what should our mission be, for this meeting?” asked Niles.
“My thoughts are that we should attend with the purpose of listening to what Chase and the Dark Fae council has to say, while being wary of any attempts to gain access to the compound or to harm our people. To be honest, I’m not really sure what to do other than this. The effort on the part of a changeling to bring us together is unexpected. There is no precedent for it.”
I started to squirm in my chair a little. I knew more than they did and I felt like I should tell them everything, but on the other hand, I didn’t want to give Chase’s story away if it was a secret.
Celeste spoke up in a scratchy old lady voice. “Perhaps the changeling at our table has some insight she’d like to share.” She fixed me with her beady eyes and it felt like she was seeing right through me.
“Jayne, do you have anything to add?” asked Céline kindly.
I looked around at the faces staring back at me. None of them looked angry, suspicious, or anything but hopeful. Chase was my friend, but these people were part of my family. I knew that Chase was too, but in a different way. Maybe he was going to come back. Maybe he wasn’t. He’d always be special to me, but if he chose to stay with the Dark Fae or disappear forever into another realm, I was going to be left with these fae sitting around this table. I had to choose my loyalties and hope for the best. And my loyalties lay with those who would be there to protect my friends and all the fae in this compound, when, and if, the shit ever hit the fan.
“Chase is not a changeling.”
Everyone’s face, save Dardennes’ and Céline’s, went from open to confused to suspicious in a matter of seconds.
I hurried to explain. “He’s from the Overworld – or at least that’s what he says. I don’t know any of the details really. He was a teenager in Miami with me, just like the rest of us Jared found; I mean, Chase was always a little different, but that’s just how his personality is. And up until he got pixied by Tim, he acted normal. But after that incident, and after he went to the Dark Fae compound, he told me that he was not of this realm ... and that he was here to warn the fae about an uprising coming from the Underworld.”
“I knew it!” yelled Niles, banging his fist on the table. “I told you those orcs were no random event!”
“When is Jared returning? I’d like to hear what he thinks about this,” said the werewolf-man.
“He should be here later tonight or tomorrow morning if all goes as planned,” said Dardennes.
I was curious to hear what Jared had to say also. I wondered how Chase could have duped him along with everyone else, if duped is what we all were. I still wasn’t sure how much of what Chase said was true and how much of it could be attributed to the side effects of being on the wrong end of Tim’s pixie dust.
“Jayne, did you get the impression that he was ... fully in control of his faculties?” asked Céline gently. “Being pixilated can cause many strange things to happen to one’s mind.”
“I’m no medical expert, but other than a few inappropriate fits of laughter, he seemed lucid. And I can tell you that there have been several orc sightings, which I understand isn’t a good sign. Plus there was that demon at my mom’s house.”
“No, the changeling is right. Seeing the orcs is not a good sign. My brethren and I have smelled their scent in the forest in many places, but were unable to locate the source. If we continue to sense them, a breach is certain,” said the werewolf-man.
“I agree. Jayne is right. The demon in her mother’s home was very clear. And, I’m afraid to say, I recognized him.” Céline dropped her head, as if in shame.
“What?” Dardennes was obviously surprised to hear this. “Céline! You didn’t say anything before.”
“I know. I am sorry about that. It was all just so ... unexpected. And I didn’t really see the point. It does not change the fact that he was a demon from the Underworld, there with the express intent to take Jayne and use her to bring a child of demon blood into the world.”
“Well? Who is he?” asked Red. “Don’t keep us in suspense any longer,” he said sarcastically.
“His name, when he was fae, was Torrie. I don’t know how many of you knew him. When he was with us, he was a silver elf as well. Torrence.” She looked around the room. “Was he known to any of you?”
“I knew of him,” said Niles. “Headstrong ... brutal ... if I remember correctly.”
Céline nodded. “Yes. That is an accurate description of Torrie. He was very much enamored of my sister. But she had ... other interests.” Céline looked meaningfully at Dardennes and then dropped her gaze.
“Yes. I knew Torrie too. We were not friendly,” said Dardennes.
“One is not normally friendly with the competitor for his lover’s attention,” said the wise werewolf-man.
I looked at him and leaned over, whispering, “I guess you knew him too.”
He whispered back, “His reputation was well-known. It was not necessary to know him personally.”
I sat back up and looked at Dardennes again. He was lost in thought. I could imagine what that love triangle must have been like – Céline’s sister Maléna, Dardennes, and Torrie, the beast. Oy. Maléna sure knew how to get the boys’ blood stirring. Now Torrie was a demon in the Underworld, Dardennes had been kicked out of the Dark Fae for refusing to follow Maléna’s and her council’s plans, and Céline was the sad sister in the middle, jilted by the Torrie who had probably never noticed her once her brass-balled sister came along. Poor Céline. I felt sorry for her. I wondered if she’d ever had a boyfriend or husband or anything. Was it possible to live for over a thousand years and never find love? Geez, I hoped not.
“So. We have a possible Underworld uprising. A War of the Fae. Overworld creatures masquerading as changelings. And a buggane haunting our hallways. Do I have everything correct?” asked Red.
I had to give the guy credit – at least he was willing to cut to the chase and get shit done. Without him, we’d probably be here all night, and I was starting to get hungry.
Heads nodded around the table.
“Well then,” said Dardennes, “I suggest we attend the meeting tomorrow with the goal of at least calling a temporary truce in our quarrel with the Dark Fae and seeing what we can do to quell the uprising coming from the other realm.”
“Might I suggest that we also include quelling any uprisings from the Overworld as well?” said Celeste. “Chase may mean well, but we don’t need his kind here any more than we need Torrie’s.”
I was instantly pissed off, but soon realized I was the only one.
“Absolutely,” said Dardennes. “The realms must remain separate. Once there is a breach in the boundaries between worlds, it means trouble for all of them. We cannot permit it.”
I burst out with, “But that means Chase will have to leave!”
“And? Your point is?” asked Red, a fierce look on his face.
“That it’s not right! He belongs here. With me. With us. He’s my daemon,” I finished weakly.
“He is not your daemon. He is not fae. He has already admitted that to you,” responded Red. The others around the table nodded in agreement.
“Well he’s trying to help us ... ”
“Admirable. But it does not change the simple fact that he does not belong here,” said Red, standing. “I move to adjourn this meeting.”
“Seconded,” said Celeste also standing, but slower and more carefully; I don’t think she was making a statement – more like trying not to break one of her hips or something. It struck me out of the blue that she looked as old as Maggie. I wondered what the old witch was up to at that moment, as I was sitting here being asked to vote on a truce with the Dark Fae. She was probably watching it in a crystal ball and laughing her wrinkly old ass off.
“All in favor?” asked Dardennes.
The ‘ayes’ rang out from around the table, everyone but me joining in. I wasn’t done yet.
“But ... ”
r />
“The meeting is over,” said the were-wolf man next to me, touching my arm gently. “Dinner is being served.”
I looked at them in disgust. None of them were meeting my eyes.
Well, they might not care about the sacrifices Chase had made, but I did. I left the room in a huff. I was hungry and now I was cranky too. I stormed down the hallway towards the dining room, trying to think of ways I could get Chase to stay here permanently. There had to be a way to do it; I just had to figure it out. Maybe Tony would have some ideas. I placated myself with the wisdom of the gray elves, who I was certain would be able to come up with a solution that would work for all of us.
Chapter 31
My dinner tasted like cardboard, and I wasn’t in the mood for the casual conversation that was being batted around the table. Even Tim’s antics with a raspberry didn’t do it for me, and that’s saying something. He loved popping all the tiny, juicy bulbs with his knife and dancing out of the way of the bright red squirts that looked disturbingly like fresh blood.
Tony touched my arm. “What’s wrong, Jayne? Can I help?”
“Only if you can figure out a way to get the old farts on the council to let Chase stay here.”
“What do you mean? He’s not here now, is he?”
“No, he’s not here in the compound, but he’s here on this planet.”
Becky overheard me talking and joined in. “You mean, they don’t want him on this planet anymore? What are they going to do? Execute him?” Her face had gone pale at the thought.
“I have no idea what they plan to do. Only that they said if he’s not from here, he can’t stay here.”
“We’re not from here and they ain’t kickin’ us out,” said Finn.
“I mean this realm, not this planet. Chase is from the Overworld. He admitted it to Becky and me. And now the council knows because of my big fat mouth, and they said no creatures from either of the Otherworlds can be here with us in the Here and Now.”
“That sucks,” said Becky, looking down at her plate. “I know you like him.”
“Whatever. The council isn’t in charge of me. I’m going to figure out a way to keep him here.”
Becky said softly. “But what if he doesn’t want to stay?”
I dropped my fork on my plate. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I was instantly pissed.
She shrugged, still not lifting her eyes from her plate. “Well, I guess I mean that if he’s not from here, maybe he would want to go home, where he belongs ... after all this is over.”
My heart was hurting just thinking about it. I stood, suddenly no longer interested in my food or the companionship of my friends. “Whatever. He can go if he wants. But if he wants to stay, I’ll find a way to make it happen.” I threw my napkin down on the table. “I’m going to bed. It’s been a hell of a long day.”
Tim buzzed up from the table to go with me. “Me too! Later, taters!” He waved at the group as he flew backwards.
I walked away, not saying goodbye to anyone. I didn’t even bother to look at them as I left the room. I was too mad and sad and feeling totally alone; and I’d always said it was better to feel lonely alone than to feel lonely with someone.
When I was back in the room and dressed for bed, a knock came at the door. I wasn’t surprised to see Tony standing there in the hallway when I answered it. I stepped back, pulling the door open all the way, letting him know he could come in.
“Shut the door behind you,” I said, getting into bed and under the covers. I wasn’t in the mood to hang out.
“I won’t stay long. I can see you’re tired and feeling out of sorts. I just wanted to say that I will support you, Jayne, whatever you decide to do.”
I smiled weakly. “Thanks, Tones. That means a lot.”
“I just want you to promise me something.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “This sounds like conditional love to me.”
He sat down on the edge of my bed, bending over to lean his forearms on his thighs, clasping his hands together loosely. “It’s not. My purpose is always to make sure you’re happy and that you’re doing the right thing for yourself. So I just want you to promise me that if things don’t go the way you want them to, that you’ll at least try to be open minded about them. That’s all.”
“So you’re on Becky’s side is what you’re saying.” I tried to turn over to face away from him, but he was sitting on the covers making them too tight. I was trapped in my current position, but I refused to look at him. I stared at the ceiling instead.
“No. I’m not. I’m on your side, even if what you want to do isn’t what you should do. Just ... I don’t know ... make sure you do the right thing, not just the short-term, selfish thing.”
“Selfish?! Now you’re calling me selfish?!” I looked at him with all the anger I had balled up inside me now. And it was a lot.
“No! That’s not what I meant!” He ran his hands through his hair and scrubbed his face a few times. “I’m not saying it right. What I mean is, literally, if Chase says he has to go, you need to let him. Okay? There. I said it.”
I huffed out a short burst of frustrated air. “Well, he won’t. So you don’t need to worry about it.”
“Okay, fine then. I won’t worry.” Tony patted my shoulder and tried to smile the bad vibes away. “Sleep tight. I’ll see you in the morning for breakfast.”
“Whatever.”
Tony sighed as he stood up. “Don’t do that, Jayne. Please?”
I refused to look at him. “Just go.”
Tony left the room without saying anything else and I battled like hell with myself not to cry.
Tim’s voice came to me from across the room. “Don’t worry, Jayne. Everything’s going to be okay.”
“I know,” I said, totally exhausted from thinking and worrying about all the things that were out of my control. “I guess you got lucky tonight.”
“How so?”
“I’m too tired and pissed off to talk to you about your wife and son.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. Because I was all ready to do it too.”
I lifted my head up off the pillow a little to look at him. “You were?”
“No.”
“Oh.” I tried to picture what his son would look like. “I’ll bet he’s cute. Your son, I mean.”
“How could he not be?” said Tim.
“Seriously. Unless, of course, he has that ... thing you have.”
“What thing?” he asked, suspicion lacing his voice.
“You know ... the ... thing thing ... ”
“No, Jayne. I don’t know the thing thing. Enlighten me.”
“No, it wouldn’t be ... never mind. Forget I said anything.”
I rolled over on my side, facing the wall, a huge grin on my face. I could almost hear the frustration rolling around in Tim’s head. It was totally cheering me up.
“Just when I thought you couldn’t possibly stoop any lower, you bring up a guy’s failings. Didn’t anyone ever tell you how fragile a pixie’s ego is?”
“What failing are you talking about?”
“The same one you are, obviously. My voice. How it goes all high-pitched sometimes when I’m excited. I can’t help that, you know. I was born that way.”
“Oh. I never noticed that problem. I was talking about something else.” I pressed my knuckles into my mouth to keep the laughter at bay. My eyes were watering now with the withheld glee. I could practically feel the dopamine churning out of my brain and into my veins. Thank the heavens for pixies.
“What are you saying? Jayne, you have to tell me. What is it? Is it my breath? My hair? Is my butt too big? No, it’s my shoulders, isn’t it? Too narrow. I knew it. I knew they weren’t broad enough. My cousin, now he has broad shoulders. He can swim faster than any pixie I’ve ever seen. Me? No way. Slow enough to be eaten by a guppy. It’s sad. I know. My poor son. Poor kid. What have I done?” he moaned.
“Tim, chill. I was only kidding. You have no faults. You??
?re absolutely perfect. The handsomest, hottest pixie I’ve ever seen.”
Tim was completely silent for a few moments. I thought he had fallen asleep, but then he said, “You know, Jayne, payback can be a real bitch sometimes.”
I smiled but said nothing, fake-snoring as loudly as I could. I kept it up until my nasal passages were too dried out to continue. I fell asleep shortly thereafter, praying Tim would save his payback for sometime tomorrow after the meeting.
Chapter 32
The day of the meeting dawned, sunny and beautiful. The totally tasteless eggs I had eaten earlier for breakfast sat like a brick in my nervous stomach. I walked with the other council members to our designated meeting point down the enchanted path, spelled by our witches to insure our safety.
Tony and Gus had arranged for us to meet in the Infinity Meadow, under my mother’s tree. I had my cloak on, and it shimmered with the energy of The Green; I concentrated on not letting the power get away from me, while at the same time worrying about whether I was going to be okay seeing Chase again, the guy who everyone kept saying was not going to be sticking around. The thought made me feel like vomiting all over the forest floor. I wiped with my sleeve at the sweaty flush that was creeping up my face.
We arrived at the tree, its beautiful canopy spreading out over our heads. The Dark Fae council was already there waiting for us. They all wore cloaks too, and I saw immediately that Ben was one of them. I guess he’d gotten a promotion. Surprisingly, Leck, my former torturer, was not. I had assumed he was someone in charge over there.
Ben’s cloak was nearly black, with hints of red and deep blue flashing out from time to time. I realized that he, too, was connected to his elements right now. The edges of his cloak moved with the slight breeze he brought, and I could see the fire barely contained in the colors. He nodded his head at me as I arrived, but I ignored him. I devoted all of my attention to Chase, especially when I saw him standing next to Maléna. I tried not to be too annoyed at how close she was to him, but the jealous, insecure part of me wanted to go over and scratch her eyes out. I knew this particular attack plan was probably not a good idea at the inaugural and hopefully auspicious meeting of the two fae councils though, so I clamped down on my baser instincts and just took a deep breath instead. Maturity sucks.