Through Time-Frankie (3 page)

“Because I mean to make a pact with the devil,” Pestale said and laughed out loud.

“I thought you might feel different about everything.  I thought being here in this Paradise, with everything you could ever want or need would make you forget your desire for revenge. This world offers…”

Pestale cut him off, his voice filled with contempt, “
This world
? No, brother, it is not a world that satisfies me. The Shapeshifters have their own colony, as do the Blue Demons. The lesser beings are scarcely more than animals. The magic Crystal left us affords me no control over the thinking inhabitants.” He eyed Graely doubtfully. “I want more, but tell me Graely, do you continue still to simply walk the earth alone?”

“I do,” Graely said firmly.

“Is it as ever, enough for you?”

“It is, Pestale, it’s lonely. When I find it more than I can stand and the dark in me begins to rise—I come here.”

“To be with us, and give your darkness free will?” Pestale looked elated.

Graely shook his head. He knew Pestale would see through a lie of that magnitude. “No, not to give my dark free will, but to closet it where it belongs. I look at you and Hordly and realize the dark and the evil inside of you never allows you peace. For the most part, I do have some measure of peace. I come here to remind myself of that.” Graely looked into his oldest brother’s eyes which were so devoid of all feeling and saw something else, madness.

Pestale’s wickedness could never be squelched, but his obsession had driven him over the edge. He had never learned what was important, and when he struck this time, it would be horrendous.

Graely wasn’t gifted with the
sight
, he never had visions of the future, but his instincts were always right on the mark. He could see that Pestale was plotting something ugly regardless of the consequences—regardless of the danger even to himself.

“Did you know that our dear Crystal hated being kept in the Dark Realm, and was furious with our father when he first brought her to such a barren world? Did you know that?” Pestale asked suddenly.

Graely frowned wondering where this was going. “Yes, I remember that she had been unhappy and missed her human world. I don’t think hate is the right description for anything Crystal ever feels. I don’t think her capable of hate.”

“Ah, but perhaps you don’t know how much she wanted children and how unhappy she was when she discovered she couldn’t have them with the Dark King.”

“I knew,” Graely said. “She loved and sacrificed to be with him. That is who she is.”

Pestale’s eyes narrowed and he turned away from Graely to say, “Things change. Perception changes and she doesn’t want our father any longer. After eons, she wants her freedom and because she has grown accustomed to power, she means to use it to rule the Human Realm and stop their bickering, their wars and their ruination. She has made an arrangement with the leaders of the humans and means to leave him.”

“I don’t believe you. She would never desert the Dark King. She knows what that would do to him.” Graely paced. “Why do you say such things?

Pestale considered him, “You think you know her, but you have been on your own these last few years. How often have you visited with her?”

Graely was thrown into a moment’s doubt but he frowned, “I sat with her on a mountain top in the Highlands not so long ago.
I know her
.” And then it dawned on him. Pestale was setting his stage.

“Do you? Or do you hear what you want to hear when she speaks to you?  Does our father know her? An interesting question, don’t you think? He knows what
he wants
, he knows what
he needs
, but does he know what
she needs?”
Pestale eyed his brother. “In recent years, he has been too busy ‘evolving’ beyond his Fae form, beyond Daoine. It is getting more difficult for her to make him focus on other matters, perhaps even on herself. Might he not believe he has neglected her and that she has turned to another?”

Graely knew his father and he realized with a wave of fear that yes, the Dark King might be brought to believe such a thing.
He
knew it wasn’t true, but he wasn’t in love with her. Doubts were so easily instilled in one who loves beyond distraction. Graely was worried. His friendship with Crystal was unshakeable. Their friendship had helped him rise above his darkness just enough to struggle in the Human Realm, but he had no way to reach his father and warn him. No way to even reach Crystal. She had thought it best they only communicate at her request.

The Dark King had never had any sense when it came to matters of the heart. He had always relied on Crystal to keep him focused. Without her, he would be lost, and lost, he would be dangerous.

“Pestale, you are playing games that will bring down his wrath and when he loosens that wrath,
no one will be safe,”
Graely said carefully.

“We will wait and see. You however, have obviously become infatuated with the humans. I don’t understand it myself. They are such a puny race, so willing to follow and be led into their own misery. So few of them think for themselves or take control of their lives.”

“Puny? I don’t find that. I find most of them brave and steadfast. They are not immortal and yet, they will risk all to save another’s life. I find them worthy.” Graely shrugged, “But, what do I know? For the most part, I am very alone. I can feel the wards here getting ready to spit me back into the Human Realm. I have very little time left with you, Pestale.”

“By Danu, I am sorry for it. I had hoped you would be here long enough to be of some use!”

Suddenly Graely felt himself lifted through time and space and thrust into the portal Crystal had created to remove him, when he shifted through the wards (as she knew he would). Against his will, against all the magic he attempted to use to stay with Pestale and learn more, he was consumed by the hands of her portal.  He needed information, but he had no power to overcome the wards installed by his father and Crystal.

It took less than sixty seconds to drop him onto a peak of the Grampian Mountains and almost as soon as he got his bearings, he heard her voice, and picked up on her scent.
Frankie was flying
!

He looked up and saw her black wings, illuminated with midnight blue. The tips of the feathers appearing as though they had been dipped in white paint, as she soared and laughed out loud. She had a way of making him smile from the inside out. Her gusto, her fever for life, and all that she was filled his eyes.

He was pleased, because he could see she was finally beginning to accept who she was—a Sluagh like her father, with wondrous wings and new abilities.

He heard her father call to her, and he stiffened.

Deimne despised him. He stepped out of view. He didn’t want to ruin the moment for Frankie.

He listened and watched as her father joined her in flight. It was beautiful to see them, graceful and happy together. His eyes were fixed on them as they flew in unison and he felt her pleasure through their mind link.

He heard the swoosh of her wings as she flew to the ground and landed. Graely watched as she tucked in her wings and waved to her father still in the air.

She turned toward the deer path that would take her back to the summer cottage. She was dressed in a cream colored feminine piece of cloth with dainty heels. He had never seen her dressed like that before. His eyes traveled over her with a longing that he told himself, was not right.

Her father, Deimne shifted in beside her and told her they would be late for their dinner engagement. He heard Frankie’s sigh, felt her reluctance, as she linked her arm through his and they shifted away.

He knew where they were going. She had complained to him recently about having to attend this dinner party. She had called it ‘a boring ordeal of a dinner’. He had laughed about it with her, but he also knew,
this was the beginning
.

Soon, she would find her true mate.

Graely knew that Fae, especially Dark Fae, did not have the human organ known as a heart, and yet, he felt something in his chest move. He had watched over her since she was twelve and now she was grown. She would no longer need him.

He knew what she sacrificed when at twelve she took on his brothers and the abominations they had set loose in the World. He knew the darkness had entered her when she had to kill at such a young age.

He had immediately vowed to watch and protect her. It was as though he had been waiting all his hateful life to redeem himself, and she was that redemption.

She was an angel and he had sworn to keep her safe.

He watched her suffer and enjoy the trials of being an American teenager. He loved that she never lost her Irish lilt or her quiet innocence, in spite of what she had experienced during that last war.

He watched her become all Daoine Fae, taking from the Fios that she had been, and he had watched her become something greater than both. He had helped her cope when she began suffering from the pain of her emerging wings. He had watched her beauty explode into adulthood in one fell swoop.

He had helped her accept that she was an exquisite being, and that her wings like her father’s, would help restore the Sluagh Daoine to its former glory.

He had been there for her, helped her understand herself and the world around her while he fought the darkness inside of himself. He was her protector and while he was such, that evil inside of him was buried.

To him, she was the most beautiful being in all creation.

But his role in her life would soon be banished.

It was inevitable that she would discover a suitable Daoine mate, and make a life for herself--and this fleeting thought came to him and blasted him with agonizing pain.

He watched her shift off to dine with the first of many male Fae who would want her.  He was certain this was her father’s doing, and who could blame him. He was her father and wanted the best for her.

The heart he knew he did not have began to crack. How could he keep it in tact? He had no heart, there was nothing to keep together, and yet, something inside of him was breaking in two.

Chapter Four

FRANKIE LOOKED FLEETINGLY down the length of the dining table and put on a fixed smile.
Boring?
No, boring would mean they were talking about things that had no interest for her. This was worse so much worse than that.

As she gazed around, she thought of some of the adult dinner parties that Jazz and Trevor had thrown for the parents of her American friends. They were anything but boring.

And the background music?

The Daoine were Fae of nature, and their music reflected this. It was soft, lilting and of course very pretty, but for a young woman who enjoyed rocking it whether it was country, pop or good ‘ole rock n’ roll, the background music was unimaginative and totally insipid.

Frankie’s experience with the Seelie Fae had always been very different than her times with the Daoine Fae.

When they dined with Ete and Breslyn, it was all about fun. No one put on airs and everyone just laughed and joked and danced. Their five year old son, Bray was always sneaking in to become the life of the party, so much like his father.

She sighed.

Here she was. How her father could find these Fae interesting, she didn’t know. He had become a beloved member of what she always thought of as their own little clan—the team that had formed six years ago. They met at least once a month in Tir, and even Aaibhe, the queen and her consort, Morgan LeBlanc often dropped in on their parties. She looked around the table and offered a smile and received cool stares in return.

The handsome blonde prince at her side never stopped talking about his accomplishments and his status in Daoine.
Ugh.

Something else about him disturbed her. It was as though he was putting on a show and that something far more devious was behind everything he said. She dismissed such a notion. She was being fanciful because she was bored.

The prince finally took a breath and dared to put a finger to her chin. She was for a moment speechless as he lifted her face and looked into her eyes to whisper, “Frankie is an odd name. I should like to call you something else, something as ethereal as you might appear when you take flight.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were ye,” Frankie answered and showed him teeth as she gave him a wide cold smile.

Prince Worley’s fine blonde brows rose, “And why not? If you are to become a princess, you should have a name befitting your status.”

“Already am a princess wherever it counts,” Frankie answered and turned away from him.

Frankie saw her father who twitched and made a movement in the prince’s direction. She frowned darkly at her father, but as the prince continued to talk to her profile, she had no choice but to look at him once more.

Worley frowned, at her, “Do you not wish to have your status at Daoine raised? You are worthy.”

“No, don’t really care about status,” Frankie smiled.

The prince tried again, “Indeed, but only consider this. If you were not Daoine Sluagh, your human heritage would preclude you from becoming a real princess. I do assure you, there are many vying for that position.” He waved this off with his hand. “However, I find your beauty makes me forget about your human mother.”

Frankie controlled the fist that nearly landed him one in the nose. “Oh, but I must warn ye, I
would never let ye forget
m’human mother. She was both human and Fios and proud of it I am. I think ye would do well to remember just where I do come from. I am as proud of m’mother’s blood as I am of m’father’s.” She shook her head and started to push away from the table when she saw that her father was enjoying himself immensely with an old crony of his and again and stopped herself. She couldn’t ruin this night for him.

“Yes, indeed, as a Fios, your mother was slightly more than the usual human…wasn’t she?” he pursued like a fool.

She regained control of her temper and her voice. She spoke softly and tried to keep the threat out of her words.  “Ye don’t know who m’mother was, and I’ll thank ye not to speak of her. Ye don’t really know who I am, but I will tell ye one thing ye do need to know right now. I am
not for ye
.” She gave him her back and began conversing about a rock n’ roll song with the older woman on her left who hadn’t a clue what Frankie was talking about, but who listened politely.

She knew she shouldn’t blame the prince. He was Daoine, and they were as beings of nature, appalled by humans. They saw the destruction the humans were causing to their own planet and were filled with disgust for a mentality that disregarded the earth they lived and breathed in.

However, something else about Worley disturbed her, and it wasn’t his superior attitude. It was something far more sinister. Was she just attaching this to him because she intensely disliked him?

No, there was a scent that floated around him. She couldn’t pin-point what it was, but it was Otherworldly, not quite dark and yet…?

No one else seemed to notice, but she did. She couldn’t put her finger on it but was determined now to find out more about him. After all, it appeared as though Queen Mab was forever in his company, or so, her father had once said.

Frankie hated politics, and rarely listened to the gossip, but even so, she had heard some things about the Worley’s family. These Royals were especially aligned with a faction that believed humans would destroy their planet. She wondered why her father had not bothered to concern himself about such a group of Daoine and what the implications of their views could mean. She made up her mind to ask him about it later.

Everyone was being polite to her. She knew that had it not been for the fact that she was a Sluagh, that Deimne who was one of their admired and respected heroes, the Daoine Fae would have snickered and called her a
‘Faeling’
because of her human mother. However, her mother had been a powerful Fios, as was she. Yes, the Daoine allowed that Frankie was one of them because of her da, but also because of her part in the ‘war’.

She knew that was really what had won her a place in their esteem. Thus, they seemed more than pleased to have their favored prince pay her court, and very happy to have her at their table. Well, she had a news flash, she thought, for them. She wasn’t happy about it at all.

She was sure she didn’t belong with them, in spite of the fact that her father was Daoine. If it had not been for her da, she knew, she would be so gone.

Worley touched her arm and she was forced to turn and give him some attention as he said, “You actually met Pestale, didn’t you—six years ago?”

All at once, she got a wave of darkness from this prince. It shot through him and slammed into her head.
What the hell?
What was that?

And then, it happened.

Agonizing pain shot through her, and made her double over and hold her stomach. Everything went black. She couldn’t see anything, couldn’t feel anything but pain. From a distance, she could hear her father’s voice, calling her name.

She looked up at him, horrified that this was happening with all his friends staring at her. Against her will a scream tortured its way out of her mouth, and she saw Prince Worley’s face swim before her eyes.

Was it real—or was he part of her…
darkness.
She was swept into a whirling tornado of black goo of reaching tentacles and spidery webs. She flayed her arms in an effort to brace her fall. It was real, so real, and the pain tore through her gut with acute precision, but she stopped the screams and held onto to them. All at once, she realized, the hurting she was experiencing, was not her own, but another’s.

Her vision was using her as an empath and this was something that was going to happen soon…
very soon.

Someone was going to be in grave physical danger. Someone she knew, someone she cared about would be close to death. She heard her father’s concerned voice calling her name, calling her back and she reached for him, felt his grip as he yanked her back to reality.

These visions of horror were coming at her too often, too soon, one after another, and she knew in her heart, there could only be one meaning.

Matters would be dire in the very near future.

Prince Worley’s voice was near, too near and she had the odd impulse to flinch away from him as he said, “Frankie dear, Frankie, what is it?”

Her father’s voice sounded stern, “Do not concern yourselves. My daughter is gifted with the ‘sight’ and I must get her home to rest. Do not worry. She will be fine.”

She felt a little trickle of a smile. Her da could be as haughty and curt as any of the Daoine Royals. She felt him scoop her up and shift.