My Soul to Take (7 page)

“Yes indeed,” Arach noted, “children are hard work.”

“As if you do any of the work,” I scoffed.

“I do some,” Arach bristled.

“Okay, whatever, Dragon Daddy,” I chuckled and then waved to Dex. “Come on, we can talk about your paternal responsibilities later. It's time for you to meet the twins.”

Dexter ran over to my side and looked at me curiously. Normal animals can understand humans well enough, they read human body language and the tone of their voices, but fey creatures really could understand the words you said to them. That didn't take me long to get used to, I've always talked to animals as if they understood me, but it was nice to actually hold a conversation with one.

“Yeah, I had two babies,” I leaned over to give him a kiss. “Not as many as your lady will probably have but I think I did well enough.”

Dexter ran out of the room, heading straight for the nursery, and Arach and I followed while we laughed.

“Excellent,” I said to Vidar, Vali, Thor, and Kaitlin as they climbed out of the coach I'd sent for them. “You've arrived just in time to see Arach throw our son out of a window.”

“What?!” Thor looked up to where I gestured; the highest peak of Castle Aithinne, the Flight Tower. “Which son?”

Vidar, Vali, and Kaitlin stared upwards in shock.

“Which do you think?” I huffed and Dexter whined beside me. “The one who has a chance at flying.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?” I looked back at Thor. “You're not concerned anymore, now that it's not Brevyn?”

“No,” Thor shrugged. “I imagine that Arach knows what he's doing in regards to a young dragon-sidhe. Where is Brevyn, by the way?”

“Up there, with his father and brother,” I huffed. “Those boys don't like to be separated. Brevyn started to cry when I tried to carry him away from Rian. So Isleen is up in the Flight Tower holding Brevyn beside Arach.”

“Why aren't you up there too, Mom?” Vali asked as he absently leaned forward to pet Dex.

“Because I need to be down here, ready to shift into a dragon and save him if I need to,” I grumbled.

“That's not comforting,” Vidar grimaced.

“You're telling me.”

Dexter whined again. He'd bonded with the boys instantly and this whole tossing Rian from a window thing was bothering him almost as much as it bothered me. He was extremely nervous, circling me, twitching his tail, and staring back and forth between me and the dreaded tower.

“It's kind of a big deal, huh?” Kaitlin's eyes went from Dexter to the huge crowd of faeries gathered in the open space before the castle, all of them with their necks angled back so they could watch the tower window.

“Yeah,” I huffed. “Oh, sorry, I completely forgot that this is your first visit. Welcome to Faerie, Kaitlin. And this is Dexter, he's my furry son.”

“Thank you,” she laughed, her walnut eyes sparkling. “It's nice to meet you, Dexter,” she nodded to Dex and he shocked her by nodding back.

“He can understand you,” I explained.

“Oh,” she blinked. “Well then you're one more amazing thing to add to my list of wonders,” she said to him before looking back to me. “Faerie is much more interesting than the God Realm and I thought nothing could impress me more than that.”

“Faerie is in a class all of her own,” I agreed.

Why, thank you.

“And she knows how to make an entrance,” I chuckled. “Hey, Faerie, come to watch Rian fall out a window?”

That and admire your beautiful grown sons.

“Hey, I don't know if I like you slobbering over my sons,” I growled.

“She's slobbering over us?” Vali chuckled and elbowed the silent Vidar. “Faerie thinks we're hot.”

Vidar just gave Vali a blank stare.

They're beautiful, you should be proud.

“First of all, I had Vidar in another life, so his beauty has nothing to do with my current body,” I snapped. “And secondly, Vali is adopted. He's mine through love not blood, so the same applies to him.”

“I love you too, Mom,” Vali kissed my cheek and my irritation receded to a simmer.

“Faerie talks to you?” Kaitlin's eyes went wide. “The land can speak?”

“She's the consciousness of the land,” I explained while Faerie laughed in my head.

The land can speak?
She chortled.

“Shut up,” I ground out under my breath.
“She's human... mostly.”

Oh please, it's not like she can hear me.

“Yeah, alright, whatever,” I rolled my eyes.

“Mom, it's so weird when you talk to her,” Vali observed. “You look like a crazy person.”

Vidar nodded and Dexter stopped fidgeting long enough to stare down my sons.

“Thanks, Dex but they're just teasing me,” I laughed and gave him a quick scratch. “You know I feel crazy sometimes, with all the voices in my head.”

“I think that's actually a symptom of insanity,” Vidar said with all seriousness.

“I don't care how big you are,” I pointed a finger in his face. “I'm strong enough to take you over my knee and give you a good spanking.”

Dexter huffed in agreement.

Ooooo, can I help?

“Faerie, I'm about to use a nasty word with you,” I narrowed my eyes.

“Queen Vervain,” Fearghal came up to me and I saw Kaitlin take a step back. The red cap Captain of the Goblin Guard could be a bit intimidating. “The King is ready. Vidar! Vali! Good to see you two,” Fearghal fist-bumped them both.

Roarke had taught Fearghal the gesture and it had become his new casual greeting. Unfortunately, receiving a fist-bump from a red cap could be more of an attack than a howdy-do. There'd been dazed goblins all over the castle for weeks until Fearghal learned to control the power of his bump. But my boys were gods and they probably could have taken a full-strength Fearghal fist-bump.

“Thank you, Fearghal,” I glanced at the wide-eyed Kaitlin. “You remember Thor?”

“Oh yes. Greetings, Thunder God,” Fearghal held his fist out to Thor. Thor lifted his brows but obligingly tapped his fist to Fearghal's. It was best to not disappoint a red cap.

“And this is Kaitlin,” I waved a hand to Kaitlin. “She was Ull's girlfriend and she's come to meet Brevyn. Kaitlin, this is Fearghal, he's the red cap Captain... red cap Cap'n,” I paused to laugh. “Why have I never put that together? Red cap Cap-tain, that's funny and kind of hard to say,” of course no one laughed, though Vali did smile at me indulgently. “Anyway, he's the Captain of my Goblin Guard.”

“Ull's girl friend?” Fearghal frowned, his furry brows furrowing over his bulbous nose, and Kaitlin started to tremble. “Oh! Brevyn's lady? Welcome, Miss,” Fearghal gave Kaitlin a bow, bringing his crusty, blood-soaked cap into her line of sight. “We heard about you. Didn't expect you so soon.”

“Um,” Kaitlin took a hesitant step forward and cleared her throat. “Thank you, Sir Fearghal.”

“Sir?” Fearghal blinked in confusion.

“Oh!” Kaitlin got flustered. “I mean Captain! Captain Fearghal.”

I shared an amused look with Vali.

“Um, you're welcome, Miss Kaitlin,” Fearghal cleared his throat (which for a red cap sounds something like a chainsaw starting).

“Sir Fearghal!” Roarke came up to us laughing, which made his son, Hunter, start laughing too. Roarke tossed the child up in the air and caught the giggling fire-cat toddler easily. “You hear that, little prince? The Captain just got knighted.”

“I will squish you like a terny,” Fearghal said casually to Roarke. “I don't care if you're a king, you're not
my
king.”

Roarke went pale, his fire eyes losing a little of their spark as they stared up at the towering red cap.

“You're face!” Fearghal laughed boisterously and pounded Roarke on the back. Roarke stumbled and gripped Hunter tightly. “What is it that you always say? Oh yes; Bazinga! I got you Fire-Cat King!” Fearghal strode away laughing. “Heh heh heh, like a terny. Squish.”

Hunter thought this was the most wonderful thing ever and added some clapping to Fearghal's laughter.

“Traitor,” Roarke grumbled down at his son.

“What's a terny?” Thor asked. “Is that short for tournament?”

“It's an insect,” Roarke made a disgusted face. “They're round, red, and look a lot like jigga berries, which are a delightful treat. Unfortunately, ternies tend to hide among the berries because it's such a good camouflage for them and if you're not careful, you'll end up crunching on a terny instead of a jigga. They pop open just like the fruit but taste like goblin ass.”

“Goblin ass!” Hunter declared and Roarke groaned. “Goblin ass, goblin ass.”

“And that's why I'm trying to get everyone to watch their language around the twins,” I observed, looking to Thor as he shook his head disapprovingly at Roarke.

“Children are like little sponges,” Thor agreed.

“That's not a very good camouflage,” Vali mused and we all looked over to him. “The terny thing. Why would you camouflage yourself to look like food?”

“Nobody said they were smart,” Roarke grimaced and then glared at Hunter, who was still reciting
goblin ass
over and over. “You know what's a fun word; daddy. Why don't you say
daddy
?”

“No!” Hunter declared and giggled. “No, no, no.”

“You're a wicked little kitten,” Roarke bared his fangs at Hunter and the child laughed and hugged his father like it was the best compliment ever.

“Serves you right for messing with a red cap,” I shook my head at Roarke. “Don't cat-sidhe parents teach their children never to play with prey too big for them?”

“Don't cat-sidhe parents teach their children never to play with prey too big for them?” Roarke meeped my words mockingly back to me like a three-year-old, while his son, the
actual
three-year-old, stared at him in wonder.

If you've ever been mocked by a child, you know what I mean when I say
meeped
; meep-meep-meep, like a baby chick, they tweet at you, turning your own words into a scathing attack while making dumb faces to add insult to injury. On a scale of 1-10, this type of mocking ranks around 9 for me but if you add cat-sidhe attitude to it, it soars to 12.

Thankfully, the sound of trumpets prevented me from having to dignify Roarke's behavior with a response. We all looked up to the window in the Flight Tower, where Arach was now standing, holding Rian aloft.

“I need to be up front for this,” I looked to Roarke. “Take care of my guests.”

“Yes, my Queen,” he bowed his head and Hunter bowed with him. All of his childish behavior vanished under my command.

“Thank you, Hunter,” I tapped Hunter on the nose and hurried up to the edge of the lava moat while Roarke sputtered.

“Yes, my Queen!” Hunter called in his little voice and Roarke sputtered more.

“Daddy,” I heard Roarke cajole the child. “Two syllables. If you can say
my queen,
you can say daddy. Come on, Hunter.”

“Queen, queen, queen,” Hunter sang. “Yes, my Queen.”

I chuckled as Dexter and I reached the edge of the moat. I suppose it was to be expected that Roarke's son be as sassy as Roarke but it made me worry about what I had to look forward to with the twins. Would they take after me or Arach? And which would be better?

The heat rising from the meandering magma moat eased into my bones and made me sigh. I let go of my concerns for the future possible personality quirks of my boys and focused on my dragon. She wanted to come out but we had to put on a good show and look like we had complete faith in our son. I could only shift if it became obvious that Rian wouldn't fly. The height was such that it should give me enough time to shift, fly up, and catch him. I wasn't too worried... well, maybe a little.

Arach looked down and saw me, then gave me a wave of reassurance. I waved back and he grinned, holding our little boy out into open air. I swallowed hard as Rian shifted and gave a happy little screech. The crowd of faeries called merrily up to their prince, waving at him encouragingly. Even the Hidden Ones were out, jumping up and down on hooves, claws, and tentacles while they cheered for Rian. Faeries hung from the trees, clung to the sides of the mountain, and sat on each others shoulders to get a better look at their prince's first flight. In the case of our pixies, they were all gathered atop the Fire Kingdom coaches, placed there by red caps both to allow for a better view and to keep them from getting stepped on by distracted fire fey.

The atmosphere felt joyous, my faeries didn't have a single doubt that Rian would fly. I wished I could feel as certain. Arach drew Rian back, as one does with something they wish to cast out very far, and Rian came in line with his brother. Brevyn cried for his twin, as if sensing that Rian were about to experience something without him. My heart stuttered with that cry, the breath catching in my throat as my blood shivered in my veins. Dexter whimpered.

As Arach threw our little dragon prince out of the Flight Tower, Brevyn reached for Rian and Rian lurched back for his twin. A baby dragon claw closed around a tiny human wrist and both children went tumbling out of the tower window. Arach's momentum had been altered and instead of being thrown out into safe open air, the boys were now tumbling straight down towards the sloping mountainside. Screams erupted from the watching faeries and Dexter started howling pitifully as Arach gaped in shock at our hurtling sons.

I immediately tried to shift but instead of the smooth transition that always brought my dragon forth, I was filled with a terrible cacophony of sound. Roaring and growling lifted above the cries of my dragon. I felt her struggling to rise but my other beasts were holding her back with teeth and claws. I desperately tried to help her and they turned on me, tearing at me from the inside and dropping me to the ground.

Someone save them, the Queen is hurt!
Faerie shouted as I writhed in pain.

“Arach!” I screamed as Dex circled me anxiously. “I can't shift! Arach!” I was crying, tears running down my cheeks as my babies plummeted towards the jagged slopes of Aithinne. “Please no, not my babies,” I whimpered, feeling more helpless than I ever had. Inside me, my dragon screeched, her fear drowning out Faerie's screams as my lioness and wolf viciously fought her. “Arach!”